IT is credibly reported by Letters from Chiauenna that there was one of the Famelie of Lucemburge, a Papist by profession, and yet a seruaunt to the French King, passed through Chia­uenna, with thrée score horse, and staied there one day. And the next day fol­lowing, hee departed from thence to Zappei de Briga towards Venice. He goeth in the behalfe of the house of Burbon: from sundry the chéefe of the Nobi­litie of Fraunce, to deliuer a message to the Pope, and to haue conference with him and the Princes of Italy, for the firme establishing of Henry de Borbon King of Nauarre, now the lawfull French King: vnder whose obedience they are willing to liue. Which thing hee very boldly a­uouched vnto the Popes face, and told him that they sought to haue it confirmed with quietnesse. Adding further that if the Pope and those Princes of Italy would not allowe therof, that they would defend the same with fire and sword. And hazarde their landes and liuings in maintenance of his right. Wherevpon the Pope after due consideration ta­ken, gaue aunswere to the Messenger, viz. That fore much as hee saith he is lawfully descended thereunto. And that the chiefe States and Potentates of Germany are determi­ned to defend him for the recouerie of his saide right. That [Page]he would not any more sende ayde to trouble and vexe him, as heretofore hee hath done: so as the King would acknow­ledge himselfe established therein by the Popes meanes. And in so doing and yéelding vnto some such Popishe conditions as the Pope would deliuer him in writing: he would therein further him to the vttermost (whereto this Messenger made aunswere that he knew certainly, that the King would ne­uer condescended thereunto.) Whereat the Pope replied saying: That were it not that the King is a Hugonite by profession: hee worthely deserueth to beare thys title. Viz. The great Caesar of the World. With which glo­rious Title he offered to grace and honour the King, so as he would chaunge his Religion.

IN the Citty of Rome, there is an olde auncient Monu­ment long since erected of stone, and it is called Pasquill: whereon many notable thinges are from time to time set vppe in the disgrace of the Pope of Rome. Vppon which saide Piller, there was sette vppe soone after the de­parture of this Champian: thrée seuerall pictures, either of them being contrarie to the other.

The first picture was as it is here liuely pourtraghed forth Viz. First the Pope set out gorgiouslie in his Robes and triple Crowne: and a straunger holding him by the beard, with a dagge set close to his brest pronouncing this sentence vnto him: viz.

Which being seene to the Common people made them greatlye to murmur and bée of sundry imaginations. Some were of this opinion, that it pretended the murdering of the Pope, or some treason to his holinesse: others imagined, that it prophesied the fall of the Popes kingdome, and al­teration of the Antichristian Religion and state of Rome, [Page 3]and others supposed it to bee done onely in the derision ther­of. Whereuppon some fauourer of Christian Religion in the Cittie of Rome, that durst not openly bee knowen, wrotte certaine verses vppon eyther of those seuerall Pi­ctures: and after scattered them in the streetes of Rome, where soone after spéedy searche was made for the Author of them, but he coulde not by any meanes be found out.

[Page]

THe second Picture before recited was in this manner. There was Pictured forth the King of Spaine lying in his bedde sore sicke: and a Phisitian standing before him, who taking the King by the hand and féeling of his powlees: saith vnto him. Viz.

[Page]

[Page] The vearses made vpon that Picture were these.

The third and last picture was in this manner, viz. The Citie of Geneua defended by the hande of almightie God, (though assaulted by the Duke of Sauoy) was deliuered from daunger of the Dukes forces: and hee forced to flie a­waie naked, looking backe vpon the sayde Citie of Geneua, and crieth out saying,

[Page]

[Page] The verses written on the third Picture were these.

These Pictures and Vearses did so farre incense the Pope with all the fraternitie of Friers, Monkes and Abbey lub­bers in Rome, that they fell in a rage, cursing and condem­ning with bell, booke, and candle, the Deuiser, Painter and Author of those pictures and vearses, and did oppose them­selues agaynst the authors thereof, swearing to pursue them to death if euer they were knowen.

THat the King is sickly, verie weake and wonderouslie gréeued with his great losses of men & munition which he hath sustained within these two yéeres, as wel within his owne dominions, as also on the coasts of England and Ire­land, France and Flanders. He was lately complotting of a new intended mischiefe, and with some conuenient spéede pretended a new Inuasion for England, whereto hee made great preparation: and to that purpose sent sundrie traite­rous persons secretly into England, being seminary priests, to perswade the people from their obedience, and to hearten on leude and wicked members, to become fauourers and as­sociates of that Inuasion. But I thinke no subiects in Eng­land hauing séene the fruites of the Spanish and Popish dis­sembling, will now become fauourers of such treasons, nor be harborers of such traitors. But all things therin doth fall out contrarie to the King of Spaines expectation. For now his owne subiects do resist him, and haue made plaine deniall for comming at anie time héereafter in warlike sort agaynst the Realme of England: For which cause the King of Spain hath put to death sundrie of his chiefe Captaines and men of good birth and calling, and hath sworn the death of the Duke of Medina for that cause onely. Who in the defence & safetie of himselfe, hath taken an Iland: and sundrie men of calling and souldiers doe take parts with him, and are become verie mutinous against the King of Spaine. This Duke de Me­dina was chiefe Generall of the huge armie of Spaniardes that came by sea to inuade England, when it pleased God that the most part of them were slayne with the sword and drowned in the sea: the successe of whose voyage danted the heartes of all Spaniardes for euer, for inuading this lande. Which as the Almightie hath sundrie times defended from danger, so no doubt but he will still defend and supporte the same from Turke, Pope, and all other enimes whatsoeuer: which thing is likely by the praiers of good Christians to be the more easily compassed, for that God is the anchor-holde of Englands hope and safetie.

THe certaine newes is, that the Nobilitie of Palermo in Cicilie (being within the dominiōs of the king of Spain) haue of late vtterly banished from thence the Spanish In­quisition, which hath of long time continued there amongest them in verie sharpe sort, and was vnto them of Palermo wonderfull grieuous: for such was the seuere procéedings of those Inquisitours, that they would spare no man, woman, or childe from the fierie and extreame tortures of death, that did once repine, mislike, or speake against the superstition of their Friers and idolatrous religion there vsed. Where­vpon the Pope, the King of Spaine, and chiefe of the Inqui­sition, are determined to send power thether, and to make warre against them, onely to constraine them againe to re­ceiue the sayd Inquisition, which they vtterly refuse to doe, and are all sworne to the contrarie.

THat whereas the Citie of Geneua was lately besieged with a mightie power, brought thether by the Duke of Sauoy, who intended to haue rased the walls thereof, made a conquest of the Citie, and to haue put the Citizens with their wiues and children to the sworde, yet God be thanked the Citizens haue of late greatly discomforted the Dukes power, and caused him to remoue his forces further, which is greatly weakned both by sword and sicknes, so that there is great likelyhood you shall heare of the Dukes departure thence verie shortly, to the better quietnesse of the Citizens thereof.

SInce the most wonderfull and miraculous worke of God (now bruted in the cars of the world) concerning the great victorie, which he gaue vnto the Christian King Henrie of [Page] Bourbon (a man for his valor, worthie euerlasting honor) it is not vnknowen, how after he had pursued the enemie in chase full fiue houres and more, and hauing put many thou­sands of them to the sword, though they were more thē thrée to one. And after y^t he had put the Duke de Main to flight, who since hath withdrawen his wife and children from Pa­ris vnto Perone, that sundrie towns hath since yéelded them selues to the mercie of the Kings Maiestie, as Vernon, Mentz, and sundrie other townes of strength are nowe pre­sently like to be deliuered into his Maiesties handes. Great and likely was the signe that God fought for this gracious King, when the night before the battaile hee shewed a mira­culous token of victorie to the Kings side, namely, by a pit­ched battaile séene in the skie, where in fight of many thou­sand persons, the lesser number did ouercome the greater: as it fell out afterward by the Kings side, who being but a smal number, did put many thousands of the greater number to the sword. Since which his good successe the King hath got­ten the townes of Corbeyle and Melum.

Corbeyle was yéelded vp vnto his Maiestie, but the town of Melum hee won by the sword, where was great effusion of bloud vpon the enemie. These townes stand vpon the ri­uer of Seine and Laigney vppon the riuer of Marnes, by meanes whereof his Maiestie hath stopt vp all the passages of the riuers, so as no aide can come vnto them of Paris.

The King is at Clow, and hauing cut off them at Paris from receiuing in anie succour of victuall or otherwise: hee hath besieged Meos, and sendeth some of his forces agaynst Saint Dennis.

The Pope hath lately sent his Legate into France, to dis­ch [...]rge the King of the excommunication which was before pronounced against him, saying he did it before by false infor­mation, and hopeth that hee will become a most Christian King, and that the Crowne of France doth of right apper­taine vnto him: and to that purpose the Pope hath written to the Cleargie, commanding them to obey and praie for the [Page]King vpon paine of his excommunication.

It is wonderfull to sée the present and gréeuous estate of the inhabitants of Paris, which City is stil with hold from the Kings Maiestie: yet they haue sought to the King since the departure of the Duke de Maine, to receiue the said Ci­tie vpon conditions, whereto the King will not grant. Hée willeth them to yéeld it vp vnto him as his right, & to stand to his mercie, which they haue refused to doe, but in the end it wil be the worse for themselues.

They of Paris doe continue séeking to haue spéech at Noyse, and doe verily thinke that the Duke de Maine will forthwith send them some great and mightie armie to succor them, beeing now hardly pressed vp for want of victualles: which thing is vnpossible for him to doe, by reason of the pas­sage which is stopt vp, as is before specified. The greater parte of the inhabitants in the Citie of Paris, are ouer­ruled by their gouernours, that they begin to grewe muti­nous amongst themselues. And the Friers doe dailie preach vnto them, & perswade them still to resist the King, though it be with the losse of their owne liues. Which thing the poo­rer sort are constrained to consent vnto, though contrarie to theyr willes, and by reason of their want, they are readie to kill one another for victuals.

Death stands there in euerie mans doore, and threatneth their vtter ruine for their wilfull stubburnnesse: and though the poorest doe liue in greate penurie, yet the richest among them doe make many a hungrie meale. So that nowe it is the cōmon report of euerie French, man in France, They of Paris cannot hold out aboue ten or twelue-daies at the most Those of Quillebeufe haue taken a gally which came from Roane, laden with goods of the Duke de Aumal and oth [...]r chiefe men: who had taken those goods from out the houses of the Kings seruants.

Thus haue you heard how wonderfully God hath defen­ded the Kings Maiestie euen in the daunger of death, where [Page]at such time as the enemie made full account to haue slayne the King in his flight, he was by Gods prouidence constrai­ned to the himselfe, and in the flight compelled to warme himselfe, and to escape in a souldiers iacket. This was the will of God, to confound him that sought the confusion of his King, and as the same God that so defended him, hath sent him since towns of great strength, to resist and tame the fu­ry of so mightie a so, so doubtles the same God wil stil deliuer him from danger, and spéedily send him his chiefe and stron­gest Cities and walled townes yet detained from him: and as well deliuer his chiefest enemies into his hande, as also to drawe the hearts of all his subiects vnto him, maugre the mallice of such miscreant hel-hounds and detestable traitors, or the hellish crew of the vnholy League, nowe vp in armes agaynst his Maiestie, for whose spéedie confusion and ouer­throw, all the true and faithfull fauourers of the King, will continually praie. And for the prosperi­tie and defence of their most gracious King and Countrie.