THey of the house of Guise wyth theyr adherentes seynge that the Prynce came furth of Or­leans to withstande them, and to giue them batta [...]le contrary to the hope and expectacyon wherin they had put y^e Quene and the Parisians (which was that they should no soner shew themselues before Orleans but the said Prynce with his par­takers woulde streyght waye yelde them selues) seing theym selues deceiued and considering [Page] the daunger wherin they were to be ouerthrowen, sent and of­fred such condicions of peace to the Prynce, as might haue ben asked at theyr handes, requi­rynge therwithall truce for six dayes, to thende they myghte cause the Queene to come thy­ther to conclude the sayd peace. betwixt them. The which. vi. dayes with three moreouer the said Prince for the quietnes of the commen wealth graunted: and beynge comme to commu­nication with the Queene to thende she myght vnderstande that he was moued onelye by zeale of religion to doo as hee dyd: he sayde that in his owne perticuler respecte he whollye submytted hym selfe unto her [Page] wil, yea to be banished for euer out of the Realme of Fraunce, vppon condicion that the true & faythful ceruauntes of Christ might safely liue in their hou­ses, with quietnes of their con­science, in hearynge the sincere word of god, and in the exercise of commen prayers, and cōmu­nicatinge of the Sacramentes accordynge to the prescript of the Gospell. The Queene ta­kynge hold of the fyrst poynt of this his promise & offer, wrote unto the Kynge and the Court of Parliament, & manye other places besydes, that she hadde made peace, And whē the terme of the truce was expired, & that they shoulde come to the conclu­sion thereof, she declared to the [Page] said Prince that he must be cō ­tente that there shoulde be no more preaching in Fraunce, and that the ministers a prea­chers shuld auoide the realme and al suche others as folowed their doctrine, and that they should all haue safeconduct geuen them to departe: wher­unto the sayde priynce aunswe­ted, that christian charitie the which by the aucthorritie and commaundemente of the sayde Queene, had put the sworde in his hand for the defence of In­nocentes. Aswel of the Kynges maiestye and herres, as for the poore faythefull of the whole Realme of Fraunce a­gainst the Tiranni of the house of Guise, robbers of the kinges [Page] and Queenes libertie, and ma­nifest ennemyes to the word of God, woulde not suffer hym to admytte and obeye anye suche direction, the which he knewe well dyd neuer proceede of her wyll ne of the Kinges, wheras thei had tofore consēted to y^e cō ­trary by a solempte Edict vnto their whole estates. For maun­tenaūce wherof he had put him self in Armure agaynst the said Guyse, who by their priuate aucthoritie with violence had broken the same, as the greate number of murthers and man­slaughters by them committed dyd testifye. And whereas they couered thē selues with thauc­thoritie of the Kynge Queene and Courte of Parliamente, it [Page] was apparent inough to al the world, that thei ruled the same by force euen as they lusted. The sayde Prince in tyme and place conuenient wyl playnely proue that he putte him selfe in armes by the expresse com­maundemente of the Queene, for the defence of the King, her selfe, and the Realme, from the oppression of the foresaid Tyrannes: Wherefore he cannot disarme without breakynge of the dutye of his allegiance, be­fore he se the Kyng & the Que­nes matestye in ful lybertie, & that the Gospell maye haue course accordynge as their ma­iestes haue godlye decreed by the vniuersal consent lawfully assembled out of all the Coun­treys [Page] of this Realme of Fraunce.

All these thynges aboue writ­ten at true, wherof it foloweth that the sayd Prince with hys adherentes are falsely estemed and called rebelles and sedit­ious persons, and that the name of rebellion, sedition and diso­bedience apperteyneth truly & properly to his aduersaries.

As touchinge their discourse concerning this matter sent by the said Ladye vnto the Court of Parliament: It is most cer­teine that Monseur de Guise caused her to putte her hande therunto. And whereas sith it was imprinted by Uascosan, the sale therof was prohibi­ted, lest the lyes wherewith it [Page] swarmeth should be discouered and knowē. For of truth it shal neuer appeeate and be proued that any other conditions haue ben offred vnto the poore faith­full Christians, but exile and banishment foreuer out of their houses and countreis, or els to abyde with retout­nynge vnto theyr papisticall ce­remonies. (⁂)