THE many Petitions sundry vvise presented vnto your Maiestie in fauour of the Ie­suits, and the many reasons alledged vnto you against them, cannot but breed in your mind much doubt, and distraction. Vppon this ground I conceiued, that it might be some conten­tation to your Highnesse, to see in briefe what I haue layd downe on either part, step­ping ouer many poynts of small moment, and insisting onely vppon such as are of weight, & able to moue the hart of a migh­tie Prince in a cause of high importance, & requiring present and speedie resolution.

It is most true (my gracious Soueraigne) that by restoring the Iesuits, you shall giue great contentment to a number of Catho­licks [Page 4] within your Realme, who esteeme them men of speciall vse and seruice for the rooting vp of these Newe opinions in Reli­gion, and moreouer binde and assure vnto you, the greatest part of my Lords the Car­dinalls, who much fauour, and affect them as for sundry other respects, so especiallie in regard of their exceeding trauailes vnderta­ken for the spreading, and enlargement through the whole world as well of the Ca­tholicke Religion, as of the power, and au­thoritie of the Holy Sea. They are men fit for action, industrious, vigilant, & valiant, to whom the Pulpit rests greatly indebted for comming in so dangerous, and trouble­some a season.

These are the mayne, and principall rea­sons, which may sway your Maiestie on the one side; as for that poynt, which is alled­ged touching their Instructing of youth, it de­serues not almost to be thought vpon: in as much as (all thinges rightly weighed) they haue in truth done more hurt, then good to learning. My reason is this in a word.

Before theyr comming into Fraunce, all the wits of best hope, all the youth of best breeding, were alwaies brought vp in the Vniuersitie of Paris, where were seene con­tinually [Page 5] twentie, or thirtie thousand stu­dents between French & Forrainers. This famous multitude drew thether all the ex­cellent Schollers, all the notable men of Europe, some to shew themselues, others to benefit themselues. The publique Lec­tures founded by Frauncis the first, were for ten yeeres before their comming sued for, and supplied by the worthiest Schol­lers of those times. At that time were read in the Colledge of Cambray alone, more ex­cellent & learned Lectures in one month, then haue beene since in a whole yeere throughout all the Vniuersitie, taking the Iesuits also into the number. Who finding meanes to plant themselues by degrees in all the chiefe Citties of the Realme, haue thereby intercepted & cut off the springs, from whence issued this great multitude of students, & therewithall quite extinguisht an other essential good, which spred it selfe to all the young frie, that were brought vp at Paris, who grewe to more puritie of speech, ciuilitie of manners, and confor­mitie of minde to the geneall state and go­uernment, then since that time they haue done, neuer setting foote out of theyr se­uerall Countries.

[Page 6] One poynt more, I must not forget, which was likewise noted by the Vniuer­sitie of Padua, in their Complaint exhibited in anno 91. against the Iesuits, before the Signiorie of Venice, at which time they were inhibited to read to any, but those of their own Societie: the poynt is this. That the maine scope of their owne studies bee­ing Diuinitie, they vse to substitute ouer all theyr Formes (the first onely excepted) none but young Punies, fitter (God wot) to be taught, then to teach: insomuch as our youth continuing vntill 15. or 16. vn­der the hands of such rawe, and ignorant fellowes sildome or neuer growe to be of anie eminent note, or attaine (as we see) to any excellencie in their professions. This was apparantly prooued in anno 94. what time the Ʋniuersity preferd their Complaint against them. They endeuoured to finde out some worthy Lawyer, of theyr owne Schollers, to whom they might commit the Defence of theyr cause: (which might perhaps haue beene some helpe to theyr matter) they founde out a number as well young practitioners, as auncient Pleaders, who had been trained vp in their schooles, but not a man of them all thought able to [Page 7] sustaine the burden of so weighty a cause: and in the end, they were faine to haue re­course to another, without doubt, an ex­cellent Lawyer, but neuer any Scholler of theirs. They bring vp their Schollers, ra­ther to contemplation, then to studie, and action. Likewise for Physicke, a learned profession, and full of deepe knowledge, how many rare men do we see of this pro­fession, that haue been their Schollers? As for Humanitie, and the mysterie of the tongues, therein are they lesse conuersant. Will you haue the truth, their proper ele­ment is Diuinitie, that's their Facultie, that's their field: therein are they expert: and to that purpose they cull out in the very bud, the most pregnant & sharp wits, & looke who once comes vnder their fingers, hard­ly gets away againe: by meanes whereof, their Order becomes a confusion of seue­rall nations: moreouer, they take a course to helpe and further one another, and by cōference to haue vse of one anothers stu­dies: In conclusion all the world must ac­knowledge them to be kings in this Facul­tie, the Queene of all Faculties.

In saying that they are not skild in the depth, & mysterie of the Tongues, my mea­ning [Page 8] is not to denie, but that in their num­ber may be found men of some reasonable knowledge in Humanitie, but this I say, that we may not looke to finde amongst them any, comparable to those foure ornaments of Fraunce, the peeres of learning, so ac­knowledged, and confest ouer the whole world, of whom there are three yet liuing, and the fourth also suruiues in his better part. All the Iesuits that euer were, are scarce worthy to be accounted so much as Schollers to any one of these foure, and I am certaine the wiser sort of them wil con­fesse as much: mary their aunswere wil be, that it is not their studie; & that the mark they ayme at, is Diuimtie, as in truth it is.

Furdermore we are to obserue, that those amongst them, who attaine to any extra­ordinarie knowledge that way, busie not their braines any longer with the Instruct­ing of youth, but presently betake thēselues to the studie of Diuinitie, wherein beeing prompted, and assisted by the best paines of the greatest men amongst them, they fall a practizing with theyr pennes: and do good seruice (we must cōfesse) for the maintenaunce of our Catholicke Religion against the writings of our Aduersaries.

[Page 9] And certainly this plentifull number of theirs, hath yeelded some one or two ex­cellent in this kinde, who flourish in an e­legant phrase, a confident stile, lofty passi­ons, good methode, and a thousand plea­sing poynts of Art: in conclusion (if I bee able to iudge) the two Petitions by them presented to your Maiestie, are two exquisite peeces, wherein whatsoeuer our great Maisters of the Art of Rhetoricke, haue left in precept, is carefully put in practile. To giue thē theyr due, I see not howe their cause could haue beene better defended.

As then it cannot be doubted, but that their painfull endeuours in the studie of Diuinitie, haue incensed those of the pre­tended Reformed Religion against them, so can it not be denied, but that there are diuers things not in their actions only, but euen in their doctrine it selfe, which make them odious to many good Catholicks, e­uery way as sounde, and zealous as them­selues. I will insist onely vpon one poynt (for I may not abuse your Princely audi­ence) but such a poynt as is well vvoorthy your audience, none more worthy, in as much as your whole state depends theron.

[Page 10] It may please your Maiestie to vnder­stand, that amongst the Sorbonists there haue stept foorth at times, yet but sildome times, some who beeing ouerswayed, and carried away by the colourable reasons of those, who at Rome haue publisht Trea­tises touching the power of the Keys, haue assayed to set this doctrine on foote, That the Pope had power to excommunicate Kings, and absolue subiects from their oath of allege­ance. But such Positions haue been no soo­ner broached, but presently condemned, as schismaticall, as well by the whole body of the Sorbone, authorized generally by the Church of Fraunce, as also by the Decrees of your Court of Parlemēt, the two chiefe safegards of your predicessors to shielde them from all practises, intended against them.

The Popes are for the most part (as at this present) men of great integritie, and well affected to the Realme of Fraunce, in remēbrance of those great benefits, which the Holy sea hath heretofore receaued frō your Maiesties Crowne: Neuerthelesse, there happen such to be chosen other­whiles, as doe wholie encline in affection to the Spanish partie.

[Page 11] If this mischiefe should happen, and that the people were perswaded in conscience, that theyr King might be lawfully excommu­nicated, & themselues discharged of their oth of allegeance, questionlesse our Kinges would be in great ieopardie, to see them­selues quite dispossest of their soueraigntie and state, and should in truth holde theyr Crownes but by curtesie and fauour, de­pending vpon the pleasure, or displeasure of whomsoeuer it should please my Lords the Cardinals, to promote to the Sea; the most part wherof are possest of rich bene­fices in the Duchie of Milan, in the king­dome of Naples, and moreouer in Spayne it selfe. This were not to be an imperiall King, but a Viceroy, a king in name, but in effect a Lieutenant Generall, such as were those petie Kings, whom the Romans were wont to crowne, and vncrowne at their pleasure. All that euer liued since Christi­anitie first set footing within this land, haue euermore detested this opinion, as the most pestilent that coulde be infused in­to the mindes of Subiects, and the most repugnant to the word of GOD, who tels vs, that his kingdome is not of this world. Vpon which text Saint Augustine hath Iohn. 18 [Page 12] these words. Hearken ye Iewes and Gentiles, Transl. 115. in loan. harken all earthly kingdomes, I preiudice not your soueraigntie in this world. And S. Luke, Chap. 12. One of the companie said Maister, commaund my brother to deuide the inheri­tance with me; and he said vnto them, Man who made mee a Iudge, or a deuider betwixt you?

Vpon which place Saint Bernard com­ments in this manner. They which main­taine [...]b. 1, de consid. that opinion [speaking of the contra­rie] shall neuer be able to shew, that any of the Apostles did sit at any time as a Iudge, or vm­pire, or a deuider of Land betweene man and man. To conclude, I reade that the Apostles haue been iudged by others, but that euer they sate to iudge others, I neuer read. Erit illud, non fuit, that may be in time to come, but ne­uer yet hath beene.

Vpon these infallible grounds, and infi­nite others (which for breuity I omit) hath the Sorbone, and in the Sorbone the whole Church of Fraunce, euermore concluded this Position to be schismaticall: That the Pope had power to excommunicate our Kings, or any way to proceed against theyr Most Christian▪ Maiesties. And Iohn Tanquerel was in the yeere 1561. adiudged by sen­tence [Page 13] of the Parliament to make open sub­mission, and to aske forgiuenes of the King, for presuming to insert the said Pro­position amongst his Theses, (abeit he open­ly protested, that he did it not but by way of disputation) and escaped very hardlie from beeing condemned to die for it. It fell out happily for him, that the King was but eleuen yeeres old, had he been but 14. it had certainly cost him his life.

When I say that the Sorbone hath euer condemned this Position, I meane, euer vn­till such time as the Iesuits had trayned and bred vp a great part of the students in their Lectures of Diuinitie, which they reade daily in theyr Colledge. For to say truth, in the yeere 1589, when the Bull of excom­munication against the late King vvas brought into Fraunce, and the question propounded in the Sorbone, Whether the Pope had power to excommunicate the King or no, presently the most auncient Doctors as Faber the Syndic, Camus, Chabot, Faber the Curat of S. Paules, Chauagna [...], and all the rest of the elder sort, men of the soun­dest heads, and harts stoutly opposed, and withstood it. But the pack was made sure. For the younger crew, who had all of them [Page 14] beene the Iesuits auditors in Diuinitie, as Boucher, Pigenat, Varadier, Semelle, Culli, Aubour, and a number of others, carried it by voyces, both against the worde of GOD, and all the auncient Canons of Fraunce.

That it is the opinion of the Iesuits, that the Pope hath power to excōmunicate Kings, to free their subiects from the oath of allege­ance, to depriue them of their scepter, theyr crowne, and state, it cannot be denied: in­asmuch as they themselues beeing by the Vniuersitie of Paris, charged with this pe­stilent and pernicious doctrine, are so far from denying it, as that in their Apologie, written with deliberation, in the yere 1595, by the generall aduise of the whole Socie­tie, intituled La veritè Defendue, that is, The defence of the truth against the Pleadings of Anthonie Arnald, in the 70. page they vse these verie words. Thou needest not to proue that Kings are, or ought to be sole temporall Lords in theyr owne Realmes, seeing that the Pope (as I haue said) pretends no title to this soueraigntie, except it be to reforme, as a Fa­ther, nay as a Iudge, those who otherwise would be pernicious to the Church. For in this case he not onely may, but ought to shew him­selfe [Page 15] theyr Superiour both for theyr good, & the good of the Realme. This Exception I knowe, makes thee halfe mad: I see it goes mightily against thy stomacke, yet there is no remedie, it must downe with thee, and thou moreouer must acknowledge thy selfe to be voyde both of sence and conscience in denying it. For first of all it is for the behoofe and the good of Princes, who for the most part are soo­ner bridled, or brought to their duties for fear of their temporall estate, which they euer­more hold deere, (although they be wicked) then of theyr spirituall, whereof they make light account, vnlesse they be religious, which is not vniuersally seene in them all. For this cause did God menace the Kings of Israell if they disobeyed his commaundements, rather to depriue them of theyr temporall King­doms, then to exclude them frō eternall life, which he confirmed by practise vppon the first King, whom hee bereaued of his scepter and kingdome.

The Iesuits perceiuing that all the Ca­nons of the Church of Fraunce, and all the Decrees of your Maiesties Parlement, are directly opposite to this pernicious doc­trine, which they by little and little instill into the minds of the people, (being there­with [Page 16] in former times altogether vnac­quainted) they are driuen to this plunge, to say that the histories of our Kings, which we bring for instance, are but examples of disobedience, or Rebellion against the Ho­lie sea. These are their words. Art thou so ill La verite de­fend. page 64. 65. et 66. of the first impres­sion. aduised, art thou so vnwoorthy a childe of thy mother Fraunce, as to cite out of the French Chronicles, examples of rebellion, blemishing thereby the glory of our Kings, and of our co­mon mother?

And about two pages after, Jn a King whatsoeuer is, is eminent, be it good, or euill, if he employ his power to doe ill, there is no way to bridle and restraine him, but by an eminent power: for which cause hath this sword beene practised, and put in vre in the person of diuers Kings, and in diuers kingdoms: and albeit the practise haue not alwayes succeeded, yet might it alwaies haue done, If the subiects had been well disposed, or prepared aforehand.

Was euer any thing more plainly deliue­red, and yet was euer any thing more flatly repugnant to the word and will of God? Gods will is, when hee sends vs vertuous Kings, that wee render him thanksgiuing, when hee sends vs bad and wicked Kings, yet that we praise his Name notwithstan­ding, [Page 17] beeing certainly perswaded, that hee doth it for the best, to weane vs thereby frō the loue of the worlde, that wee may with the more willingnesse and alacritie depart Baruc. 1. therewith. 1. Pet. 2.

It is God onely, who seateth Kings in their thrones, it is he onely, who by taking them to himselfe (at his owne good plea­sure) is able to remoue them. The Keyes which he committed to S. Peter, & to our Holy Fathers his successors, haue relation onely to the kingdome of heauen, and no way to terrestriall kingdoms. Himselfe while he soiourned heere vppon earth, did he euer, out of his omnipotencie, offer to chastise Kings, and to treade vppon theyr Diadems? No: quite contrary, his whole life was but an opend booke, and storie of humilitie, neither hath hee put any other sword into the handes of his Apostles, to plant his faith withall. He said vnto them, The Kings of the Nations beare rule ouer thē, and they which exercise authoritie among Luke, 22, them, are called Gracious Lords, so shal it not be amongst you.

It was no part of Gods will, that eyther S. Peter, or our Holy fathers his successors, should take more vppon them, then him­selfe [Page 18] had done: neither in truth did the an­cient Bishops euer attempt it. If others of later time take a contrary course, they doe therein abuse their authoritie, and are in no wise to be obeyed. This hath euer beene the iudgement of the Church of Fraunce, excommunicating all those that auouched the contrarie, as authors of a barbarous & most accursed doctrine, which endeuou­ring by impietie to make men religious, doth euermore beget a world of murders, firing of houses, rauishment of wiues, rapes of virgins, making whole Citties desolate, and whole Countries desert. This is the gulph of gulphs, the sea of abhominati­ons; we haue tasted it to the vtmost.

And yet for all this doe the Iesuits grow daily more obstinate in this opinion, per­swading vs (if at least wee will be perswa­ded) that the Bulls of Rome, haue power to depose all the Kings of the earth, and to de­priue them of theyr temporall state and soue­raigntie.

Agreeable thereunto is that which Fa­ther Bellarmine a Iesuit, nowe Cardinall, writeth vpon this argument: In regarde of 1. Controu. the persons, (saith he) the Pope, as Pope, can­not 3. li. 5. ca. 6. (though there be iust cause) by his ordi­narie [Page 19] power depose ciuile Princes in that man­ner as he deposeth Bishops, that is, as their or­dinary Judge: but as a supreame and soue­raigne Prince in cases spirituall, he may (if need so require for the sauing of soules) trans­late kingdoms, take them from one, and giue them to another, as we will proue. And in the eight chapter, for proofe heereof he alledgeth all their violent, and tyrannous proceedings directly opposed to the word of God, and through all histories detested, and abhorred: the sequel whereof plainly sheweth that the chiefe strengthning, and establishment of the Turkish Empire pro­ceedeth from the outragious ciuile warrs amongst the Christians, caused by such v­surpations, which haue made Europe on all sides from East to West, to bathe her­selfe in the blood of her own children.

S. Ambrose kept himselfe farre enough from touching (so much as in thought) the scepter, crowne, or temporall estate of the Emperour, or from discharging any sub­iect whatsoeuer of his oath of allegeance: neither in truth could hee haue doone it, without flatly impugning the commaun­dements of God. That which he did, was but a sharpe admonition or reproofe, to [Page 20] signifie & make known the grieuous qua­litie of the trespasse.

Furthermore, I must not forget to note, that the same 1. Controu. 3. lib. 5. ca. 7 Bellarmine, and the same Iesuits, in their aforesaide La veri. de­send. page 42. of the last impress. Apologie, doe vpholde, and endeuour to approoue the common Extrauagant, viz. vnam sanctam, de maioritate et obedientia, which hath beene heeretofore condemned in Fraunce. By vertue of which Extrauagant, though the Pope forgetting himselfe should swarue from iustice, and attempt more, then hee had warrant to doe, yet are men bound, to yeelde obedience thereunto, and God on­ly may iudge of his dooings. Insomuch as in case the Pope should iniuriously and contrary to all right, shoote his thunder­bolts against a King, (as we haue seene the like practised in anno 89, in the person of our deceased Maister, a most deuout Ca­tholicke) yet, if wee belieue the Iesuits, no man liuing may enter into iudgement of the matter, as beeing forbidden vs, and re­serued onely to GOD: In the meane time must this King in the viewe of all his sub­iects, nay by his subiects themselues, be dis­possest of his crowne and state, and into his throne may step any other, whō it shall [Page 21] please that Supreame power to assigne, which is authorized by Bellarmines vvar­rant, to translate kingdoms, to take them from one, and to giue them to another. The verie termes vsed by Tanquerell, (Regno et dig­nitatibus priuare potest: hee may take from them their crowne and dignitie) vvhich were condemned by that famous sentence of the Parlement. Yet was not Tanquerell so audacious to auouch, that the Pope ha­uing taken it from one, might giue it to ano­ther.

Father Bellarmine the Iesuite goes a step further. For hee peremptorily affirmes, In the Trac­tat: de ex­emptione clericorum. Printed with the Treatise of Indul­gence. 1599 that all the Clergie of the Realme, are ex­empted from beeing your subiects. A position as flat contradictorie to the expresse word of God, and to the Canons of the Church of Fraunce, as the residue that hath beene spoken. Yet doth he stoutly maintaine it, labouring by meere Sophistry to auoyde that saying of S. Paule, Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers, for there is no Rom. 13. power but of God, and the powers which are, are ordained by GOD. And a little after. Therefore we must be obedient, not onelie to auoyde theyr anger, but also for conscience sake. For this cause also you pay tribute, for [Page 22] they are the ministers of God, appoynted to that end. Whereuppon S. Chrysostome no­teth, that those words are not spoken one­lie in regard of the Laïty, but likewise of the Clergie, of religious persons, nay of the Apostles themselues.

Moreouer, the same Father Bellarmine striues to defeate those wordes of S. Peter. Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man, for the Lords sake, whether it bee vnto 1. Pet. 8. the King, as vnto the superiour, or vnto go­uernours, as those which are sent by him.

Whereunto Bellarmine amongst other things aunswereth: that at that time it was necessarie with all diligence to admonish the Christians, to performe obedience to theyr kings, for feare least the preaching of the Gos­pell might otherwise haue beene hindered.

What is this, but to make our Christian Religion, a religion of meere Impostors, a Religion of Matchiauelists, pretending at the first, that our kingdom is not of this world, all of vs, as well of the Clergie, as other, liue in obedience to Kings and Gouernours: But afterwards hauing once gotten the winde, and seazed the Sworde into our ovvne hand, then to change our note cleane con­trary, and in presumptuous manner to ar­rogate [Page 23] to our selues, that which almightie God hath reserued as his own prerogatiue ouer the Kings of Israell, & all other what­soeuer. Indeede this is right the Iesuits re­ligion, these be their policies, this is the path they tread, to insinuate or get footing within a Realme: but Christian religion keepes a far other course, it speakes sin­cerely, and vnfainedly, without cloaking, without colouring, without dissembling: it neither withdraweth, nor embezeleth a­ny subiect whatsoeuer from his Prince, as doth the religion of the Iesuits. For marke I beseech you, Bellarmines cōclusion, in the 271. page of the said Tractat: De exempti­one cleric: You will say perhaps, this were a wrong done to Princes, if against theyr wil they were depriued of their right, which they had ouer Clergie men, before they were of the Clergie. Whereunto I aunswere: that there is no wrong doone them: inasmuch as a man in vsing his owne right, doth no man wrong. But who so chooseth that calling, which he iudgeth most fitting, and agreeable to his disposition, he vseth but his owne right, although it follow ac­cidentally, that the Prince is depriued of his subiect.

This is not to stand long hammering a­bout [Page 24] the matter: This is to make short work, and to tell you in a word, that looke how many Clergie men your Maiestie hath, so many subiects hath the Pope in France. And to that effect in the 255. page he hath these very words: The Pope hath exempted all the Clergie, from the subiection of theyr seculer Princes, whereuppon it followeth, that as concerning the Clergie, they are not So­ueraigne Princes. This is (my liege) in good French, to erect another state within the state, and another kingdome within your kingdom. For proofe of which doc­trine, flatly repugnant to Christian religi­on, he frames a Simile, in the same place, & tells vs: This is all one, as if a King shoulde make ouer some part of his Realme into the subiection of another, and in so dooing, eyther by the law of armes, or some other iust title should forfeit a part of his Soueraigntie. Ad­ding withall, that the establishing of this his Position, is of more dangerous consequence to Princes, then the losse of a maine battell, or of an entire Prouince might be. And hee sayth truly, for the maladie is within our bowels, and they that are already lost, do by theyr close confessions many times drawe & in­ueigle others; to the subuersion of that [Page 25] Monarchie, vnder which they were borne. And whereas (saith hee) wee are sometimes fame to stoope to the ciuile Magistrate, it is Page 268. de exemp. cler. but perforce, as beeing constrained to strike saile: but this case inferreth no consequence. They affirme moreouer, that the constitu­tions of Princes, although they cōtaine nothing repugnant to the scripture, nor to the Canons and sacred Decrees, yet doe they not binde the Clergie, farther then ad directionem, non ad coactionem, to informe them, but not to en­force them. They bee their owne wordes, page 269, agreeing with that which fol­loweth page 271. that subiects after they are entred into the Clergie, are no longer subiects to the seculer Prince, who forthwith looseth & forfeits them. And in truth it is a cleere case, that he is no longer a subiect, who can no longer be inforst to yeeld obedience to the Lawes.

These heresies (my Liege) were once wholie rooted out of your Realme of Fraunce, but these fellowes begin to sowe them thicke againe, and haue founde the meanes cunningly to conuey this De exemp cleric. Trea­tise into Fraunce, together with that of In­dulgences, shuffling it in amōgst the prease, that it might passe vnregarded.

[Page 26] Of this Position, viz. That those who are en­tred into the Clergie, are no longer subiects, followeth a strange consequence, to wit, that they may conspire & practise against their King, and yet not incur the guilt of treason. This is deliuered in expresse termes, in the Aphorismes of confession, written by the Ie­suite, Emanuel Sa, vpon the word Clericus. The rebellion of a Clergie man against his King, [...]s not Treason, because he is exempted from being the Kings subiect. And vpon the word Princeps they doe more manifestly declare, how farre they disagree from the word of God, who enioyneth vs with pa­tience to tolerate euill Princes, beeing sea­ted Pet 2. in the throne of their auncestors, as be­ing giuen vs by his owne hand. But vvhat say these men? A King may be deposed by the State in case of tyrannie, or if he gouerne not as he ought, or for any other iust cause, and another may be chosen by the greater part of the commons. Howbeit some are of opinion, that hee may not be deposed but onely for Ty­rannie.

Where first of all wee may note theyr bad meanings, to leaue a poynt of that cō ­sequence at large, and vndetermined, and yet who knowes whether they do it in po­licie, [Page 27] or no, that they may be at choise to hold eyther the one or the other part, ac­cording as shall best fit their desires, and designes. Secondly, what is more dissonant from Christian religion, then to leaue it to the libertie of the people, to iudge of the good, or ill gouernment of theyr Prince, & to make them belieue, that without pe­rill to theyr conscience, & offence to God, they may, either depose him frō his crown, or depriue him of his life? prouided al­wayes that the greater part be of that mind. A clause most important, for if the lesser part were of that brainsick opinion, then might they fortune to perish in the at­tempt; and vvhat pitty were it to loose a companie so well disposed to Iesuitisme, that is, to hunt their Lord and Maister out of his proper inheritance, crying after him, Atyrant, Atyrant? And this is the rea­son, why Pardo the Inquisitor of Anwerp, in the very end of that booke dated 1597, allowes it this commendation, that it vvas like to yeeld greate fruite, and commodi­tie, and God knowes whether it were not in his thought, that the greatest commodi­tie it could yeelde to his Maister, vvas to helpe forward the destruction of your [Page 28] kingdome, with whom at that time he was at mortall warrs. Furthermore, the same Iesuits, in those Aphorismes of Confession, (which they daily beate into the mindes of the people) adde hereunto vpon the word Tyrannus, He which gouerneth tyrannicallie a kingdome, whereof hee is rightfully possessed, cannot be deposed, but by authoritie of a Par­lement: but sentence beeing once giuen, the next at hand may execute it. And he may be deposed euen by those his subiects, that haue sworne perpetuall obedience to him, in case, af­ter admonition, he doe not reforme himselfe.

I leaue it to your Maiesties considerati­on whether this doctrine touch you neer­lie, or no. Certaine I am it imports not so much to the whole worlde besides, as it doth to you alone, and to your posteritie. Fraunce is your owne inheritance, vvhich you hold onely by God & by your sword. If the world should continue ten thousand yeeres longer, and your posteritie as long (as wee are to wish it might) it ought in right to raigne continually ouer Fraunce, neither shall any Pope, (as some of them may fortune to be enemies to your house) euer haue authoritie to absolue so much as one Frenchman, from that allegeance, [Page 29] which he shall owe to your succession. But if these Positions may once creepe in a­mongst vs, then shall your posteritie weare the Crowne, and enioy the scepter so long, as shall stand with the pleasure of the Ho­ly Sea, and no longer.

Out of this first principle is deduced a second, whereuppon I see much vvritten on both sides, but none comes neere the marke. Some affirme that the Iesuits coun­sell men to murther Kings, but they doe them wrong. For they (God wot) cleane contrariwise serue and obey Kings, and many times also with hartie affection: but marke theyr distinction. They holde that, such as are excommunicate by the Pope, are no longer Kings, but Tyrants, and what they comment vpon the word Tyrannus, your Maiestie hath alreadie heard. In briefe, grant but theyr first proposition, & the se­cond will followe of necessitie. For allowe the Pope power to intermeddle with the scep­ters and temporall estates of Kings, (accor­ding to the Iesuits doctrine) then is it cleer that a King, (beeing once by his Holines decla­red excommunicate) remaines a priuate per­son, and no longer King: and if he offer obsti­nately to continue his raigne, he is to be held a [Page 30] Tyrant. Whosoeuer will yeelde them the former proposition, shall be drawne per­force to the latter. That Libell written by Iohn Guignard a Iesuit with his owne hand, (as hee acknowledged in the open Court of Parlement, both the chambers beeing assembled) contained both these Propo­sitions, but vnder most insolent and out­ragious termes. For among other things, hee breakes foorth into these vvordes, That cruell Nero, was slaine by a Clement, and that The late king vsed many times to goe on procession in the habite of a Munck. counterfet Muncke, was dispat­ched by the hand of a true Muncke. This heroical act performed by Iames Clement, as a gyft of the holy Spirit, (so termed by our Diuines) was worthily commended by the late Prior of the Iacobins, Burgoin a Confessor and Martyr. The Crowne of Fraunce, may and ought to be translated from the house of Bourbon, vnto some other: & the A terme gi­uen the king that now is, by the Lea­guers for that he was borne at Bi­arne, a towne in Gascoine. Biarnois (although cōuerted to the Catholick faith) shall be more fauourably dealt withall then he deserues, if receiuing a shauen crowne in ex­change, he be recluded into some strict Couent, there to doe penance for all the miseries hee hath brought vppon Fraunce, and to render thankes to God, that had giuen him the grace to acknowledge him before his death. And if [Page 31] without armes he cannot be deposed, let men take armes against him, if by war it cannot be accōplisht, let him be murthered. Your Ma­iestie may see the originall copie, it is vvell worth the sight.

Moreouer, Ambrose Varade was Rec­tor of their Colledge at Paris, chosen by themselues, as one of the honestest men in their Order, and is at this day in as great credite amongst them, as euer he was. Yet if your Highnesse please but to send for a copie of Barrieres arraignment, you shall there reade, that this Varade was the man, who (the next month after your Maiesties happy conuersion) did animate the sayde Barriere, to goe and sheath his two-edg'd knife in your breast, binding him there­vnto by the Sacrament, and assuring him by the liuing God, that he could not doe a more meritorious act, and that hee should therefore be carried by Angels into Para­dice. If this be not true, Ʋarades might do well to come in an cleere himself in Court: he was in this towne what time your Ma­iestie entred it, and some fewe dayes after, but he lay close all the while, and stole a­way disguised; taking his course to Rome, where now hee liues in as high estimation [Page 32] among the Iesuits, as is possible. It is an ea­sie matter to denie any thing in words, but deedes are of greater validitie, and confute words.

Ʋarades then beeing detected of this cruell and detestable crime, should haue beene brought vnto you piniond by the Iesuits themselues, to receaue due punish­ment, for examples sake, if they had not been all of his minde. But when as quite cōtrary, they honor him (as you see) more then euer they did, & stick not at this day, to register his name among the worthiest persons of their Order, wee may conclude that in respect of their wish, will, and af­fection, they did all of thē encourage Bar­riere, by the mouth, and mediation of Va­rades, and that this parricide was not par­ticuler in him, but generall in them all. It is a practise grounded vppon their maine principle, from the execution wherof they expect their chiefe credit, and commenda­tion, as heereafter shall be shewed.

If you aske me, where it is that Varades is by them yet at this day recond for one of the worthiest persons of their Order, I must refer you to the Of the first [...]mpression. 265. page De la veritè defendue, publisht a whole yere after Vara­des [Page 33] fled. What haue not many woorthy per­sons of this societie endured? Who knoweth not (to speake of our country of Fraunce) the indignities which haue been offered, and the slaunderous reproches which haue beene vtte­red against Iohn Maldonat, Aimond Au­gier, Claudius Mathew, Iames Tyrius, & at this present against Iames Commolet, Bernard Rouillet, and Ambrose Varades? Where by the way we must note, that these men are with them extolled for notable Martyrs, as hauing suffered meruailous af­flictions. This is as proper, and as charita­ble a speech, as when they terme the Com­plaint of the Vniuersitie of Paris against them in the yeere 64, a cruell persecution. A strange abuse of the word. It were a farre more proper speech, to call those outragi­ous, and bloodie warrs, which were by the Iesuits kindled through all parts of the Realme, The persecution of all the good sub­iects of Fraunce.

But if Barriere had been a scholer of the Iesuits, nuzled, & trayned vp in their doc­trine, he would hardly haue been brought to appeach Varades. For they belieue it to be present damnation, to reueale to the Ma­gistrate, who they were that wrought or incited [Page 34] them to such attempts. And this is a third Proposition, which followeth out of the first, and second. For if the Pope may law­fully excommunicate Kings, and that beeing excommunicate, it is a good, and meritorious deede to murther them, then doth it follow of congruence, that the partie ought con­stantly to endure martyrdome therefore, and not to procure their death, who set him the readie way to euerlasting life. These Propositions are linckt and combined to­gether, they hang all by one thred. And this is the reason, why Chastell forbare to accuse any one of the Iesuits in particuler; For, hauing resolued, to stab you in the throte with his knife, and belieuing, (as he profest) that the act was lawful and merito­rious, it followes, that he belieued, he should be certainly damned, if hee discouered the partie, who (in his erroneous opinion) had directed him the way to Paradise. And yet see how God, the Protector of Princes, is wont to drawe the truth from out of theyr mouths, that most of all endeuour to co­uer, and conceale it. For these are the verie words of Chastels examination, whereof your Maiestie may see the Originall, which shall be auouched and iustified for true, by [Page 35] more then thirtie of my Lordes the Presi­dents, and Counsellors of the Parlement, whose testimonie is a thousand-folde of more validitie, then whatsoeuer the par­ties can alledge in their owne cause.

Being demaunded, where he learnt this new diuinitie? he answered, hee learned it by Phy­losophie. Being demaunded if hee studied Phi­losophie in the Iesuits Colledge. Hee answered he did, and that vnder Father Gueret, vvith whom he had been two yeeres and a halfe. Be­ing demaunded, if hee had not beene in the Chamber of Meditations, into which the Iesuits vsed to bring the most notorious sin­ners, there to beholde the pictures of many de­iuls in diuers terrible shapes, vnder pretence to reduce them to a better life, in truth to affright theyr minds, and incite them by such terrours to doe some notable seruice. He answered, that hee had been oftentimes in the said chamber. Being demaunded, by whom he had been per­swaded to kill the King. He answered, that he had heard in diuers places, that it was to be held for a most true principle, that it was law­full to kill the King, and that they, who sayd it, called him a Tyrant. Beeing demaunded whether this argument of killing the King, were not ordinarie with the Iesuits. Hee aun­swered, [Page 36] that hee had heard them say, that it was lawfull to kill the King, & that he was out of the Church, and that he was not to be obeyd, nor held for King, vntil he were absolued by the Pope.

Againe beeing demaunded in the great chamber (my Lords the Presidents & Coun­sellors thereof and of the Tournelle beeing as­sembled) he made the same aunswers, & did in especiall propound, & maintaine that max­ime, viz. that it was lawful to kill Kings, & in particuler, the King now raigning, who was not in the Church (as hee affirmed) because he had not the Popes approbations.

Whosoeuer should reade the Peticions, which the Iesuits haue presented vnto your Maiestie, would suppose that Chastell ne­uer toucht, or accused them at all: so con­fidently doe they stand in denyall of the truth. But I know not, what greater accu­sation can be deuised, or what waightier crime they can be charged withall, then to haue bewitcht & possest the tender soules of young youth, with so desperate a doc­trine, as carrieth them on to the slaughter of their Prince.

With this agreeth that which wee reade in the Confession of William Parry, made at [Page 37] his death, that Benedetto Palmio a Iesuite, first caused him to vndertake that resoluti­on for the murther of the Queene, & that afterwards one Wats a Priest, to whom he imparted it, disswaded him from the at­tempt, telling him the act was damnable: vvhereupon, seeing this contrarietie of o­pinions, he repaired to Anniball Codretto a Iesuite, to be confest, who tolde him, it coulde not be but this Wats was an here­tick: for the true Church made no questi­on, but that Kings, excommunicated by the Pope, were ipso facto, Tyrants, and therfore ought to be slaine. Likewise the Commenter, vpon that booke, which is called the Epi­tome of Confessions, otherwise the 7. booke of the Decretals, page 308, after hee hath commended the Iesuits, all he can, (as they haue many commendable parts, we must confesse) at last, for the close and vpshot of al their praises, he adds this, They assault tyrants, they weede the cokle out of the Lords fielde. Tyrannos ag­grediuntur, lolium ab agro Dominico euellunt. Your Maiestie may reade the booke, you will easily make construction of this peece of Latine, I haue heard you interpret much harder in my dayes.

To be short, there is no man can doubt, but by this weeding the cockle out of the lords [Page 38] field, (wherein he commendeth them to be so expert, and so resolute) is meant the dis­patching, and making riddance of those, who by the Bulls of Rome, are declared ex­communicate, whom they terme all by the name of Tyrants, what religion so euer they professe.

And certainly all the world can witnes, that the late King was alwaies a most ear­nest Catholick, and no man but knoweth, how well (and that by many particuler be­nefits) hee deserued of the Church; yet af­ter the sentence of excommunication was at Rome declared against him, Father Cō ­molet, and Father Bernard, (both which are by the Iesuits in theyr afore-named Apo­logie euen at this day extolled and deïfied) and generally the whole company of the Iesuits, neuer affoorded him better title to his dying day, then the names of Tyrant, Holofernes, Moab, Nero, & such like, which practise suteth very fitly with their defini­tion of a Tyrant aboue specified.

At Christmas in 1593, your Maiestie was cōuerted Catholicke, yet notwithstanding at Bartilmewtide following, the same Com­molet, vsed these words in the Pulpet. Wee stand in need of an Ehud, be he munck, or soul­diour, [Page 39] or shepheard, it matters not, but wee stand in need of an Ehud. And not long af­ter, hauing aduertisement that the matter was informed against, he secretly conuayd himselfe away. This can be no more de­nied, then the fact of Varades, which yet they labour to couer & disguise, affirming that Barriere indeede disclosed his intent vnto him: mary Varades made him aun­swere, that hee, beeing a Priest, might not giue him any counsell in the matter. Say there were nothing but this, was not this in other words to say, You should about it with­out more talke, let your words be fewer, & your deedes more?

But if your Maiestie please to sende for the triall and confession of Barriere, you shal there finde, that Ʋarades, Rector of the Ie­suits, confirmed him, incouraged him, and bound him by the blessed Sacrament, to strike the stroke resolutely, & couragious­lie. Once certaine it is, your Maiestie ne­uer escaped a greater daunger in your life. And what wonderful triumph would they haue made, thinke you, at your death, who shewed such excessiue ioy at the slaughter of the late King, proudly insulting ouer his Hearse, by letters dispersed into al parts [Page 40] of the world, and for the greater glorie, printed by them at Rome? These are in­serted amongst their solemne, and annuall Letters, page 305, and are thus translated. The same day that the King expelled vs out of Bourdeaux, was hee expelled out of his life. The report was, that hee sent vs to A Towne in Guienne, 5. leagues di­stant from Bourdeaux. S. Ma­caries, with an intent to cut all our throates there, had not his owne been cut first. The re­port of this newes, strooke our aduersaries in­to a wonderfull amazement.

I neuer was possest with greater admira­tion in my life, thē when I read this branch of their Letters. For who could euer haue belieued, that Christians, much lesse Reli­gions persons, would haue openly profest such rancour, such enmitie so immortal, as death is selfe could not determine? Na­ture teacheth vs to haue remorse, and com­miseration of our enemies, when wee see them lie breathlesse vppon the earth: they cease to be enemies, when once they cease to be. But to tread vpon the dead corse of their Maister, of their liege-Lord, of their King, of the formost King of Christen­dome, and thereupon to sound victory & tryumph, can there be, or be imagined any impietie, any inhumanitie, any cruelty cō ­parable [Page 41] to this?

It is true, the poore Prince had no fee­ling of this outrage, neither indeede was it done to him so much, as to your Maiestie, and to any whatsoeuer hee be, that beares the name of a Frenchman: this I am sure, hee felt and tasted a deepe portion of that poyson of the League, which was tempe­red by Claudius Mathew, a Iesuit, who died in Italie about the end of 88, beeing surfe­ted with his cōtinuall trauailes into Spaine, Italie, Swizzerland, Germanie, & the low Countries also, (after the death of Moun­sieur) for the contriuing, knitting, and for­tifying of this great, and horrible confede­racie against the late King, and the whole line, and familie of Bourbon: Guignard a Ie­suit hath written it, and your Maiestie hath read it, That the crowne of Fraunce, might [...] ought to be translated from the house of Bour­bon to some other. Furthermore, they that vnderstand the whole secret of the League, spare not with open mouth to speak it, that the Father Iesuits, were the true Fathers & founders of the League, and consequently aunswerable for the death of all those, who were swallowed in that vast gulphe, by thē set open: I will recite you a briefe storie, [Page 42] which shall cleere this poynt of all contro­uersie.

There is no man but knowes, the pur­pose and designement of the Sixteen go­uernours chosen, du­ring the re­bellion by the seditious multitude within Paris, to rule the cittie. Sixteene, who by a Letter, which was intercepted, made tender of the Cittie of Paris to the King of Spaine. And whether goe these Sixteene to choose them a President of that their bloodie counsell? Went they not di­rectly to the Iesuits, who commended vn­to them Father Otho Pigenat? This is con­fest by themselues in their Apologie, prin­ted at Paris: mary they pretend, it was to mitigate and allay the humour of the Six­teene. Some man perhaps would aunswer, that this was, to quench fire with oyle, to turne a Iesuite among a crewe of seditious persons. For my part I say not so, I say the Sixteene did in truth neede a bridle, & not a spurre, and that the onely course to bring their designes to the mark they shot at, was to temper their extreame & outragious vi­olence. But in the meane time, who seeth not a wonderfull correspondencie, and a­greement betweene these Sixteene execu­tioners (for by what fitter name can I call them? seeing with their owne hands they hangd vp the chiefe President of the Parle­ment, [Page 43] the onely President that remained at Paris) who seeth not I say, a singuler cor­respondence of those Sixteene, with this society of Iesuits, since they desired to haue a Iesuit for their President, aboue any other of the Clergie, or Laïty?

Moreouer, who knowes not that from the beginning of the yeere 85, their Colled­ges both at Paris and else-where, were the common retreits for al those that laboured the aduauncement of the Spanish affaires. Thether were the packets addrest, there opened, and from thence dispersed: that they had daily entercourse with the Spa­nish Embassadour Mendoza, and those that succeeded him at Paris, and generally with the Agents & Factors for king Phil­lips causes, in all the good townes where they remained. Your Maiestie knowes it, no man better.

The troth is (my liege) they alledge, that you are nowe vnited in so straight a league of amitie with the king of Spaine, as that these obiections ought rather to make for them, then against them, inasmuch as your Maiestie affects none more entirely, then those who beare a hartie and entire affecti­on to the Spaniard. This speech may hap­pily [Page 44] come now in season, but I assure you, I thought it strange to hear this speech fo­lowing, to fall from their pens at that time, when wee were in the chiefe heate of our warrs with the Spanish king. Jn La veri. de­fend. page 129. of the first impress. Charles the ninths dayes the Spaniards were not spo­ken of but in the better part: but the hereticks in hatred, not of our nation, (for then ought they to carry a deeper hate to the English and to the Almaines, who haue heaped more mis­chiefes vppon Fraunce, then any other Nati­on) but of their Religion, haue endeuoured to make them odious vnder pretence of the state. This me thinks was something too much, to discouer and vnmaske, their loue to the Spaniard, at such a time, whē vpon the bor­ders of Picardie, thousands of Frenchmen perished by their swords. Me thinks theyr Fatherhoods should not suffer themselues to be so much transported either by theyr owne affection, or by the generall vow of their Order, as to forget in what place they were bred and borne, & not to be touched with the least feeling of the wofull calami­ties of their Country, especially they being catholicks, whō the Spaniards thus slaugh­tered in great multitudes, without all re­morse, or respect either of age, or sex.

[Page 45] This (mee thinkes) sauours of a hart too sauadge, and degenerate, to speak so large­lie in defence of them, who at the same in­stant were bathing their hands in the blood of our countrymen, and those Catholicks also. VVhat though the Spaniards giue these Fathers respect, honour, & reuerence aboue ordinarie, though they binde them by many speciall benefits, and singuler fa­uours, though they entitle them by the name of Apostles (as they themselues doe publish in their writings) yet ought they not for all this (especially in Fraunce) to vse the same stile of them in the heate of war, as in the time of peace.

In the Petition which they afterwards preferd to your Maiesty, they haue dilated this argument, though with greater libertie of speech, yet with more reason, then at that time. Their wordes are these. And whereas they challenge vs to be Spanish: that was an accusation, fashioned in the forge of of time, and it bare a good test in that season, (onely in respect of the season) that is, while the warre continued betweene Fraunce, and Spaine. In those dayes it was an odious name, a name full of suspition and hate: but now, that that your Most Christian maiestie hath knit [Page 46] the fast knot of a sacred peace with his Catho­lick highnes, and that the French is brother to the Spaniard, and the Spaniard to the French, now is this chalenge out of date, it is vnseasonable, it is vnreasonable.

And yet (my liege) to tell you true, this I obserue (besides the too euident proofe, which we haue formerly had thereof) that through out all these glorious and painted speeches, they still discouer theyr harts to be mightily engaged to the king of Spain. The troth is, they haue an earnest desire to deliuer your Maiestie of all iealousie, and distrust thereof, and to that purpose em­ploy the vtmost of their art: yet notwith­standing, a man shall perceaue, they would not at any hand, but your subiects should take notice, that they remaine true deuoted seruaunts to king Phillip, presuming that this opiniō, makes greatly to the aduance­ment of his affaires. Which when I com­pare with the sentence of the Inquisition, dis­annulling the Determination of the Sorbone pronounced against the Iesuits in anno 54, (as themselues are wont to vaunt:) as also vvith their first foundation erected by a Spanish Captaine: and moreouer with those wordes, which are contained in the [Page 47] Vita Ignatij. Printed at Anwerpe in anno 1587, page, 403. Legend of their said Patrone: Wee ought earnestly & vncessantly to pray to his heauen­ly Maiesty, that it would please him in health, and happines, long to prosper the Catholicke king Phillip, who by his hereditarie, and incō ­parable pietie, and deuotion, his singuler wise­dome, his incredible vigilancie, his puissance, infinitely exceeding any Princes, that is, or e­uer was in the world, standeth as a Bulwarke for the defence of the Catholicke Religion. And this he doth, not only by his forces, which haue euer been inuincible, but by the means also of his Famous Court of the Inquisiti­on, which studieth day and night for the good of the Catholicke religion.

When, I say, I compare all these poynts together, it makes me sorely to mistrust (I must confesse it to your Highnesse) that if misfortune should kindle any fresh coales of warre, betwixt your Maiestie and the Spaniard, you should haue these false bre­thren ready, vnderhand to performe you al the lewd and bad offices that could be de­uised. In the meane time, be sure, they are not idle; but continually pursue the ad­uauncement, & encrease of their doctrine aboue mentioned, wherein they professed, in the yeere 89, they had taken mighty paines [Page 48] with aunswerable profit & successe. [And we find it too true] For such a Bull as the last, had it beene addrest against The late kings father. King Henrie the second, it coulde not haue shaken the least Towne in Fraunce: which notvvith­ding, by the helpe of the Iesuits, and theyr almost thirtie yeres trauailes, procured the death of his sonne, who would haue made it but a mockerie, as his predecessors had done before him. Is it not wonderfull, that an armie of two hundred thousand men, could not haue been able to effect so much against our late King, as about two hun­dred Iesuits haue doone, by disposing his sub­iects, that is, by drying vp their naturall sap in such sort, as the fire tooke at the first touch: whereas before that time, al France was an Ocean, whereinto these kinde of thunderbolts no sooner fell, but they fell out.

True it is, that as long as your Maiestie and your successors shall continue in good termes with the Holy sea, the maine fruite & effect of this doctrine will not appeare. And you are to hope, that you may al­wayes so continue, but times to come can promise no assurance, and thats the rea­son, that in time of peace, you set men a [Page 49] worke to fortifie your frontire Townes. It is almost impossible, that the Keyes, for three successions together, should escape the hands of a Spanish partaker, there being so many such in the number of the Cardi­nalls: if that should happen (giue me leaue to tell your Maiestie freely & without dis­simulation) your crowne, scepter, & king­dome, would come to this iumpe: if there fortund more of your subiects to cleaue to the Iesuits opinion, then to the contrarie, if their faction were the stronger, thē fare­well crowne, and kingdome: if theirs were the weaker, you should indeede continue [...]n your Soueraigntie, but not without the confusion of many your subiects, and the effusion of much blood, aswell sound, as corrupt.

Furdermore, your Maiestie is to consi­der, that this doctrine of Excommunication, carries with it at this present, more danger, and perrill to our Realme, then in former times, when we had Sicilie, Na­ples, & Mi­lan, which haue some­times beene subiect to the French king. territories, & sorces in Italie: by meanes wherof we weare at hand to succour the Pope, in case he might be forced to doe any thing to our preiu­dice. But as now the case stands, a Ʋiceroy of Naples, with the Spanish partakers, that [Page 50] are within Rome, holde the Holy Fathers necke vnder their girdle, vvho might be thrise besieged, and sackt, before we could come halfe way to the rescue. Another in­conuenience is, that Rome was neuer able to sustaine it selfe, but by the supply of come from Sicilie, their granarie.

And amongst the rest, this poynt de­serues speciall obseruation, that the Iesuits, being guiltie to themselues, of what perill theyr doctrine is to the state of Princes, are carefull and warie not to discouer it, when first they creepe, & insinuate into a State: but hauing once got firme footing, then do they spread it by degrees from hand to hand amongst the people, who are by na­ture ouer-apt, and prone to receaue this poyson. For what can sound more plausi­bly to the minds of a multitude, then to be released of that bond of subjectiō, wherun­to they are by their birth tied, & engaged? I know that men of vnderstanding forget not that excellent saying of the Philoso­pher, That for a man to liue in subiection to his Prince, is true, and perfect libertie: and the lawes both of Nature and Nations, doe teach and tie vs to serue, and honour that Prince, vnder whose gouernment we first [Page 51] enioyed the light of the Sun: and that no flesh and blood is able to dispence vs, for that obedience, whereunder God himselfe hath bound and concluded vs: but for one well disposed mind, that is thus perswaded, you shall finde three that are of a contrarie opinion, and the mischiefe is, that cōmon­ly the stoutest, the most resolute, & despe­rate fellowes, are soonest caried down this steepe, and head-long discent; and a small number of such stirring spirits, prooue too hard for a multitude of others. Haue vvee not had experience heereof? I am verily perswaded, that whē the late king was first proclaimed Tyrant in Paris, vpon pretence that hee was excommunicate by the Pope, and therefore to be expelled his kingdome, the citie affoorded two for one, that were of a con­trarie beleefe, and would gladly haue seene him raigne peaceably in the Louver, and a dousen of those rebellious malcontents hangd at the The place of executi­on within Paris. Greue. But they stoode sta­ring one vpon another: they wanted cou­rage, they wanted not strength. So haue three theeues many times by surprisal robd halfe a score Merchants. They that keepe the beaten roade, and continue in their na­tural obedience, take their rest in the night, [Page 52] and follow their busines in the day: wher­as contrariwise, such as labour to exchange their old maister for a new, such as study to ouerturne the State, they haue their assem­blies by night, holde their secrete parlies, encrease their strength daily: they haue no businesse else to entend, (for they liue in the meane time vpon their secret pensions) so that in the end, they suddenly surprize the contrarie side. He that first laieth hand on his weapon, hath the aduantage.

This then being so, that the Iesuits, firm­ly vphold these dangerous Positions, and scatter thē throughout the worlde (as hath beene shewen) I assure your Maiestie, the danger of suffering this doctrine to take roote, seemes to mee (I must confesse) to ouer-ballance all those considerations, that may be alledged to the cōtrarie. For as for ouerthrowing the New opinions in Religion, we may say, and say truly, that as during the first fiftie yeeres, the opinions of Luther & Caluine were stoutly proposed, preached, and published, so for these fiue, & twenty, or thirtie yeeres, they haue beene notably confuted, both by word, & writings, such as for depth of learning, haue by infinite degrees exceeded all, that euer were set [Page 53] foorth by men of former times. And our selues can testifie, that the best, & most suf­ficient amongst them, are daily reclaimed into the bosome of the Church: A matter that (in my opinion) should work in vs all, exceeding comfort, and contentment. For these blessed conuersions are not forced with the Racke, with tortures, or with ter­ror of death: as is the manner of the Spa­nish Inquisition, (vnto which, and to the for­ces of Castile, the Iesuits wholy attribute the preseruation of the Catholick religion, as hath beene formerly declared:) but by the sword of the spirit, and the euerlasting word, mildly deliuered by our Doctors, Pastors, and reuerent Bishops, whom I e­steeme no whit inferiour, for learning, to the Iesuits, although they sometimes bor­rowe their arguments, which are in truth very sound and substantiall.

And albeit the Iesuits haue sometimes furthered such conuersions, yet this I will say, that they are not (in my iudgement) so fortunate heerein, as are the Bishops, and Doctors of our Church. Their carriage is so austere, and so far different from the na­ture of our French Nation, as it difasteth men at the first encounter. They conuerse [Page 54] and company so much with Spaniards, & withal frame themselues so precisely to the imitation of their Paetron (a Spaniard born) that their lookes, their presence, their fashi­on, and behauiour, carie with them too great asemblance of seueritie.

Who so desires to cure a sick person, must apply himselfe to his humor, and cal about him such Physicians, as the patient can fan­cie and affect. Such are not the Iesuits to Frenchmen: They haue in so furious ma­ner thundred out such intolerable blasphe­mies against the deceased King, as the hor­ror therof dooth to this day retaine an im­pression in mens minds. Frenchmen haue a certaine inclination by nature, to loue theyr Prince: and that causeth their harts suddenly to rise, and start within their breasts, when they heare such outragious speeches vttered against their kings. I once sent them word, (for I once loued them well, if not too wel) by a close copartner of theirs, with whom I had talke about theyr doings: that I was sorie to see them so fu­riously enraged against a dead man, and that the seruices, which this vnfortunate Prince had performed to the Church in his life time, hauing in her quarrell so often [Page 55] times, in such a number of battailes, in so many sieges, aduentured his deerest blood, might (mee thought) deserue at least to haue his memorie spared, when hee vvas dead: They made him answere, there was some reason in that he said, but the time re­quired another course, for nowe or neuer was the season, to settle and establish the Catholick religion quite thorow Fraunce. I soone aymed at the meaning thereof, to wit, that they were determined, to worke the people into a dislike with the present gouernmēt, vnder which they had so long liued, perswading them to change theyr naturall Lord for a new, and vtterlie to ex­tirpate the race & familie of Bourbon. And when I afterwards, beheld the Receaued into Paris by the Six­teene, where they remai­ned 3. yeres. garrisons of Castilians, and Neapolitans within Paris, I tooke that to be an entrance to the ac­complishment of their former aunswere: and to be plaine (my liege) I made reco­ning, the game had been at an end, & that your Maiestie was neuer like to set foote vvithin Paris; iudging that the smaller townes would be faine in the end to strike sayle to the greater.

But God who hath alwaies had a sin­guler care of this kingdome, the first [Page 56] Christned kingdome in the world, hath o­therwise disposed it, and hath by plaine mi­racle, in despight of your enemies, seated you in quiet possession of all this spacious Empire, and to heape vp the measure of your happines, hath giuen you a beaute­ous, a noble, and a vertuous Princesse, and within ten months, (fore-stalling both our wishes, and our expectations) a true and liuely Image of your selfe.

The care for this young Prince, more then for your owne person, exciteth your Highnes, with mature deliberation to con­sult of all the important affaires of your State, in which number, this poynt touch­ing the Restoring of the Iesuits, may vvor­thily claime a place.

In this consultation, one of these three courses must be resolued vpon; eyther to yeeld the Iesuits absolute contentment to their desires, or to make them yeeld absolute obedi­ence to your Decrees: or else to That is, ney­ther to re­store them wholie into France, nor to remoue them out of Bourdeaux & Tholouse, where they yet remaine. let matters rest in such condition as now they are.

I will first enter into examination of the last branch, because it beares at first sight the most plausible shew, yet is in truth the least questionable: it beeing a cleere case, that the Iesuits are, eyther wholie to be re­stored, [Page 57] or to be enforced, wholy to yeeld o­bedience to your Decree. If it be iust, and commodious for your state, that they be permitted to stay, then is it reason they should remaine as inhabitants, and not as exiles: if otherwise, then let them be gone, and not be suffered, by their cōtumacie to giue example of rebellion, as they haue doone too long. The Lacedemonian state, was wont to direct out but a smal scroule of Parchment, lesse then your little finger, & theyr commaund was instantly to be put in execution. It is a matter of absolute ne­cessitie, that your Highnesse be obeyed as well at Bourdeaux and Tholouse, as at Pa­ris and Fontaine-bleau. You want no ser­uaunts in those places, and whatsoeuer you shall commaund, like a King, and absolute Lorde, will be executed, make you no doubt.

If the Iesuits be incommodious to your state, then suffer thē not to take any deepe roote in those two Prouinces. The Tree which this yeere may be plucked vp vvith one hand, will the next yeere aske both: and the third, will neede a mattock, and an axe. This neighboring vpon Spaine, giues vs iust cause of suspicion & iealousie. They [Page 58] haue been alwayes charged to be Spanish; they haue declared it in the whole course of their actions, the older this complaint hath beene, the truer, and [...] it seemes to be. They haue beene ch [...]sed out of the residue of the Land, and doe you not see, how they intrench thēselues anew in those two Prouinces, adioyning vnto Spaine, frō whence they had their first originall? what example of lowlines & obedience call you this?

If in any part of your realme, they should be least suffered to fortifie, it is in such a frontier, as is situate far from our Sun, and neere to the climate of Madrill: A man would iudge, that Spaine sets in, to backe them: or that they retire thether of pur­pose to barricado, & strengthen thēselues against your Maiestie, as who should say, You haue driuen vs out of Paris and other places, but your armes are too short to force vs any further. Can this be borne? I cannot tel how certaine Of Bourde­ux & Tho­ouse. Bourgomaisters (so reputed) who haue beene sometimes trained vp vnder their discipline, and fitted to their humour & appetite, and who now so stoutly vndertake the matter on their behalfe, I know not (I say) how they con­ceiue [Page 59] of it: but they must know, that they owe as much obedience to your Maiestie, as the meanest vassall in Paris, none ex­cepted. This is too high a presumption, this is to open a contempt. Your want of issue hath hetherto made them holde you in neglect, (to vse the wordes of an ancient Emperour) now make them knowe, that they shall owe their allegeance to you, and your posteritie for euer, and it will make the proudest of them all to tremble. The remembrance of a trespasse doone to the Fa­ther, neuer dies in the sonne.

It remaines then (my liege) that eyther the Iesuits must yeelde obedience to your De­cree, or else that your Decree must be disa­nulled: behold the Gordian knot, of this cō ­sultation. Many will reioyce at the first, & many likewise at the second. To speak my opinion, your Maiestie is not (as I thinke) so much to respect, what will be pleasing to this, or that particuler humour, as what is iust, and commodious to the whole. You cannot so carie your selfe heerein, but that you shall glad manie, & grieue many: yet must you resolue one way, and not alwaies floate, and wauer between both. What sa­fer anchoring can a man rest vpon, then [Page 60] commoditie, and iustice: vvherein also ho­nestie is comprised?

1. As touching iustice, God hath cōmit­ted it into the hands of Kings: The Kings your predecessors (my liege) haue from all antiquitie heere of disburdened themselues vpon the conscience of their The high Court of iu­ [...]tice at Pa­ [...]is, (as the Kings bench [...]s with vs, & [...]ot as our [...]arlement, [...]he assembly of the 3. e­ [...]tates) wher­ [...]n there sit [...]s Iudges, [...]n weightie [...]auses, 12. [...]eeres, sixe Ecclesiasti­ [...]all, & sixe [...]emporall: [...] ordinarie [...]ases there [...]re other [...]udges sub­ [...]rdained. In seuerall Prouinces. Parlement of Paris, & since for the multitude of cau­ses, they haue ordained (b) seauen other Parlements. But the Court of Peeres, hath euer retained (as it was meete and requisite it should) the power, and prerogatiue, to decide all matters, that concerne the gene­rall state. This Bench is furnisht with many worthy persons, and such as are infinitelie practised in all sorts of causes, but aboue al, in the determination, & iudgemēt of mat­ters criminall. For if any men liuing doe proceede thereunto, with exact and ripe knowledge of the whole cause, vvithout doubt it is they: And there was neuer man vet called in question, but if he knew him selfe to be cleere, would craue them for his Iudges before any other. Your Maiestie can partly testifie as much.

The whole pro­ceeding of [...]he Parle­ment of Pa­ [...]is against [...]he Iesuits. It is not since last day, that this Parlemēt hath receiued Complaints against the Iesu­its: for in the yeere 64, they heard no lesse [Page 61] then ten Lawyers pleading against them al at one time: amongst whom he that was Aduocate for the state, (a very woorthy man, and a most loyall seruant to his Mai­ster, as euer was any) did at that time, (a strange, & wonderfull thing to tell) prog­nosticate, and foretell, all their actions and proceedings, which since that time haue in our knowledge been verified, and accom­plisht. When men afterwards saw al those things fall out true in practise, vvhich hee had prophecied; as first the ouerthrow of the Vniuersitie, beeing by them brought downe frō thirtie to three thousand scho­lers, (as before was shewed) & that the sub­iects began by litle, & litle, to shrink from the obedience due to their naturall Prince, & to fixe their eyes vpon a new Loadstar: it made them begin to murmure, and say thus to them-selues (for the Iesuits had by this time made their faction strong and were growne terrible amongst vs) all this was fore-told vs by Mesnil, the kings Ad­uocate, but we would neither belieue him, nor the Sorbone, which at the same time al­so prophecied, that this Societie was ordai­ned for destruction, not for edification, & was like to breede great trouble and annoyaunce to [Page 62] temporall Princes. They are the precise words of the Decree: Your Maiesty if you please, may see the Originall.

But when they beheld all order of go­uernment ouerthrowne, the reines of obe­dience cut in sunder, the Magistrates im­prisoned, and some of them massacred, the multitude like Lions broke loose, making spoile and hauock of all honest people, & then these holy Fathers sounding the trū ­pet to this multitude, and heere Commolet, there Bernard, vomiting out a worlde of blasphemies against their King, against their liege Lord, and on the other side glo­rifying the King of Spaine, declaiming in his praise, setting him forth for the migh­tiest Monarch in the world, of greater pu­issance, of larger dominions, then the Ro­manes euer were: that hee would neuer forsake them, hee held them (forsooth) so deere, onely they should take courage, & know their owne strength: beeing confi­dent, that his succours for men, monie, & vittailes should neuer faile them: Then in truth all well minded subiects, who had a­ny impression of the Flower de luce remai­ning in their harts, beganne to be toucht with deepe repentance, that they had not [Page 63] in time giuen eare to these Cassandraes: but repentance came too late.

When your Maiestie had reduced Paris vnder your obedience, it was expected of all hands, that you should instantly haue hunted out all those bad seruitors, who had with their enuenomed cups, poysoned a great part of your subiects, and with open face declared themselues sworne enemies to the King deceased, and your selfe. But your Maiestie, in your singuler wisedom, thought it good, to let the matter remaine in the handling of the Court. The Vni­uersitie, which (not without iust cause) im­puted their ouerthrow in particuler, (be­sides the generall ruine of the State) to this Societie of the Iesuits, preferd their Com­plaint into the Parlement, in May 94. The seculer Clergie of Paris did the like. The cause was pleaded in Court, á huis clos▪ but yet pri­uately, which was no small benefite to the Iesuits: for if the doores had beene set o­pen, the greatest part of that, they vvere charged withall would haue beene witnes­sed by the whole Assistants; and fresh sup­ply of matters, was like daily to haue come in, during those many dayes, that the cause was in hearing.

[Page 64] In this meane time, happened that stroke which God turned away frō your throat, and vsed your teeth for a defence against it. No man made question, from vvhence this stroke was sent, especially after know­ledge, that the actor was a scholer of the Iesuits nurturing, of whom hee learnt (as himselfe confessed) that the King was as yet out of the bosome of the Church, & there­fore ought to be slaine, as appeares by his de­position in open Court. And in truth, this desperate, and accursed resolution, could spring from no other roote, but frō those barbarous, and sauage Positions before re­membred. Such cōceptions are not ingen­dered by the ordinarie course of nature, e­specially in the harts of French-men, who are far remote from Affrica, and neuer saw any Monsters, before the Iesuits were scene in Fraunce. Our soyle produceth no such venemous plant of it selfe, it cannot be, but some, or other hath sowen it amongst vs.

Vppon this confession they sent to the Iesuits Colledge, vvhere amongst other things, was found a discourse, pend by Fa­ther Guignard, and written with his owne hand; containing in it, the sap & marrow of all this barbarous, this bloodie, this pro­digious [Page 65] doctrine. This vvhole practise iumpt with that which had been prophe­cied, but not beleeued in anno 64, & with other predictions thē newly foretold. The court proceedeth, to a full, & solemne tri­all (in the assemblie of the two chambers.) Guignard openly acknowledgeth this to be his owne hand writing, & Chastell likewise confest it, in presence of the whole Bench, to be the Iesuits ordinarie & familiar talke, that the king was still out of the Church, (al­beit he were turned Catholicke,) in as much as the excommunication stood still in force: & that therefore he ought to be slaine: which in all poynts cōcurred with that which Guig­nard wrote, if without force hee cannot be de­posed, then let men take armes against him: if by armes it cannot be accomplisht, then let him be slaine.

Vppon these proceedings, what milder course could the Parlement aduise on, then to assent to the Request of the Vniuersitie: God himselfe seeming by a kinde of mira­cle, to shew himselfe as Iudge in the cause, by setting forth (without further mischiefe) to the view of the world, the truth of that which had at seuerall times beene prophe­cied against that Societie, and which theyr [Page 66] cunning slights, their smooth glosings, and their fained pretence of pietie & zeale, had charmed vs from apprehending so sted­fastly, as to take a speedie course for theyr riddance from amongst vs.

Thus vpon full knowledge of the cause, the Parlement of Paris, pronounceth Sen­tence, by which they are awarded to depart the whole Land, and your subiects prohibited to send their sonnes to any of theyr Colledges without the Realme: VVhich is a clause of speciall importance: the execution wher­of not beeing lookt vnto, your Maiestie shall reape but halfe the benefite of this Sentence. For how studious and careful wil they be, to ground such children, as shalbe sent them, in these dangerous principles, & to impose it, as a charge vppon theyr con­science, to season others with the same lic­quour? You are borne in hand (my liege) that it is a matter meerly impossible, to en­force the execution of this branch, and that men cannot be kept frō sending their chil­dren out of the Land vnto the Iesuits: it is not so; you shal finde it a matter of the ea­siest performance in the worlde. For let there be a penaltie of a thousand crownes inflicted for the first time, (the one mo [...]ie [Page 67] thereof to accrew to the informer) and the same to be doubled, as often as the Decree shal be broken, you shal not see a man that will dare to transgresse it. And is not heere a matter of wonderfull difficultie, that it should deserue to be accounted impossi­ble?

By an other Sentence, is Guignard adiud­ged to die: his horrible blaspemies against the deceased King, whose subiect and vas­sall he was, and his brainsicke doctrine a­gainst your Maiestie, would not permit his life be spared, without the hazard and pertill of yours. This Edict carried, in all mens opinions, so great a weight of iustice, so great a force of necessitie, as it was no sooner published, but Anno 1594 put in execution through all iurisdictions, saue onely in In Langue­doc. Tholouse and In Guienna. Bourdeaux. For Tholouse there was reason, it standing as yet in terms of disobedience with your Maiestie, not beeing reduced vntill Aprill in 96. As for In Guienna. Bourdeaux, it was at that time replenisht with most deuout Catholicks (but most vowed enemies to the Spaniards, and the Iesuits, their vpholders) who thirsted after nothing more, then to see thē hunted out of Guienne, as they had beene out of all o­ther [Page 68] parts of the Realme. But the Iesuits, hauing speedie intelligence of this Edict, giuen out against them, had soone (as their wonted maner is) by means of their cōfede­rates, raised a mightie, & a strong faction in Agen, and Perigueux, where the embers of the fire of rebellion, were as yet burning hote. There they caused to be framed di­uers inuectiue Libels, but in so insolent, & intolerable a style, as is not possible for anie man to cōceaue, that hath not been afore­times acquainted with the pen of a Iesuit. For in briefe, all the Courts that had ad­iudged them to exile, what were they but a crew of hereticks, that had ouer-ruled your Maiestie to publish this Edict? You shall heare thē speake it. The enemies of the Ca­thelicke, Apostolicke, and Romane religion, haue possessed your Maiestie, with false, and famed suggestions, to bring them into hatred, and iealousie with you, and with your State: and without forme, or shadowe of triall, or en­tring into any due examination of the cause, haue condemned them to exile, & banishment. Did the Parlement of Fraunce euer re­ceiue so foule, so vnworthy, so slaunderous an imputation, such a vile indignitie? and not content with this, they proceeded fur­ther, [Page 69] and brake out into threats, telling vs in their Peticions, that wee should see an alte­ration in our state for this geare: and that wee must not thinke such an earthquake could be, without some change vpon it.

In Frauncis the firsts dayes, such a Peticion I will not say (for who durst once haue en­tertained a thought of such a one) but one that had come neere it almost in a worde, would haue cost him his life, that should haue beene so audacious, as to present it. This extreme presumption, this insolen­cie, these braues, these outrages, procee­ding from them, and their broode, infected with their poyson, (the effect whereof is, to set light by Princes, and by their lawes, and Magistrates) gaue meruailous offence to your Maiesties seruaunts, who were tho­rowly resolued, to take such order, as your Maiestie should be obeyed: and not to suf­fer your Edict to be contemned, and con­trolled. But the great number of Townes, which as yet stood out, and were supplyed by the Cittie of Tholouse, caused them in wisedome to haue patience for a time. They found, that the rage, & furie of your enemies, who as yet bare their swordes drawne against you, was not able to holde [Page 70] out for any time, inasmuch as they grewe scanted of theyr meanes, and that then or­der would be easily taken, for the executi­on of this Sentence: howbeit as we see, sun­dry respects, & occurrences haue delayed, and put it off till this day: And this (my liege) is the plaine, and vndisguised truth of the whole cariage of this matter: this hath been the proceeding, and iudgement of your Court against the Iesuits, executed in part, and in part pretermitted.

It is not vnknown to your Maiestie, that the strength of all States, consisteth in the maintenaunce, and execution of such E­dicts, as are concluded in theyr Supreame Courts. When we take in hand to reuerse them, it behoueth vs to proceede therein with great aduisement & circumspection: it is a worke of high attempt, and of no small, nor slender consequence. All Edicts beare your name in their forehead, they cannot be violated, without wounding the Maiestie Royall, whose iudgements ought to be irreuocable, and vnchangeable.

Besides all this (my liege) in this assem­blie of both the Chambers, (whom they challenge for hereticks) they are not able to name so much as one man, that is not a [Page 71] most sound Catholicke, without the least suspition to the contrarie. They haue been these seuen yeeres in sifting, and searching into their liues, let them say, were they euer able to chalenge any one of them? Then what a sely, and friuolous allegation is it, to say, they of the newe opinion hate vs? I grant it to be true, but what were they of the new opinion able to doe in this assemblie? As much as in the Consistorie of Rome: I speake it confidentlie, not a iot more.

Yet they wil not so giue it ouer: they say the whole Parlement hated them. I would know the reason? Is it, because they came not to The Parle­ment of Pa­ris was re­moued to Tours in 1589. du­ring the re­bellion. Tours? Howe could they hate the Iesuits for that cause, when as the best part of the Being deteined for fear of the Lea­guers, insomuch as th [...] King vvas faine to appoint new to supplie their places at Tours. Presidents themselues, neuer stirred foote out of Paris? Is it because the Iesuits are sound Catholicks? Much lesse: inas­much as the Iudges of the Parlement, are euery way as sound as they, and without touch, or taint of heresie. Then whats the cause they should thus malice you? Assu­redly, you are able to supply no aunswere, that may beare the least colour in the world, except you say they hate vs, because wee were the fountaine of all the miseries & calamities that haue fallen vpon France. [Page 72] Let that be true, yet I say that this allegati­on of hatred, can stand you in no stead. If Catiline had been apprehended, should he not haue found any at Rome vpright, and impartiall enough to be his Iudges? with­out question hee should. And yet I dare say, the whole Senate, and all good Com­mon-welths men besides, counted him the fire-brand of their Countrie. Belike vvee should set vp a new Court of Peeres, to sit in iudgement vpon Traytors, & those that further the practises and attempts of stran­gers.

Where by the way (my liege) I will giue you this Item (which you wil allow mee, I know, to be most true) that if all your sub­iects had borne good affection to the Ie­suits, or had they borne the like affection to your Maiestie, as the Iesuits did, the Ie­suits had not at this time presented you with so many goodly Peticions as they haue doone, you had neuer come within the Louver. Haue they the face to denie thys? If they haue, yet will not your Maiestie cō ­clude with mee notwithstanding? Theyr last shift (and that a strange one) is this: that not knowing what to pretend against the iustice of this Sentence, they are driuen [Page 73] to say: If Chastell did charge vs with this matter, or if we were guiltic, & culpable ther­in, why were we not put to death? I aunswer; They measure other mens harts by theyr owne. For hauing themselues sate Presi­dents in that bloodie Of the Six­teene, wher­of a Iesuit was Presi­dent. Counsell, which to make their tyrannie dreadfull, put an infi­nite nūber of persons to death, they iudge that, measuring it by their owne courses, they were worthy a more seuere and rigo­rous punishment. But will you knowe the cause, why they were not put to death? It was, because they had neither Spaniards, nor Iesuits for their Iudges, vvho at the Terceras in one day, and vpon one scaffoid, cut off the heads of eight, and twentie Es­quires, and two and fiftie Gentlemen, all Frenchmen, & hangd vp 500. gray Friers, or such like religious persons, for preaching in the behalfe of the King of Portugall. Wee in Fraunce hate and detest those cru­elties, we euer sway and encline to pittie, so it be not cruell pitty. To take the liues of so many persons, had been crueltie, & to har­bor those amongst vs, who had caused, and committed so manie barbarous outrages, (beating their braines indeede about no­thing els) had beene another extreame cru­eltie. [Page 74] What third course then remained, but to banish them? It is an excellent saying of Tacitus. My Lordes, if you consider the mon­strous villanies of these men, hanging were too easie a punishment for them: but I can aduise you a meanes, how you shall neuer repent you, for hauing beene either too remisse, or too rigo­rous: Banish them all.

Moreouer, the Iesuits not hauing what els to exclaime against this Sentence, so be­hoouefull, and necessarie for the state of Fraunce, breake into this speech, (marke I beseech you, how far their rage, & phren­zie doth transport them) La veri. def. page 183. The Parlement of Paris, is no longer at Paris. VVhere is it then? Where is this famous Parlement of Paris, so much renowned, so much admi­red thorow all Fraunce, thorow all forraine coūtries? Is it at Madrill? Is it thether that you will appeale from the King, and his Parlement? Is it there, that you wil trium­phantly ouerthrow this notable Edict, as once you did the Decree of the Sorbone, in anno 54?

Marke (my liege) note I beseech you, the peremptorines, the insolencie, the in­tolerable presumption of these men, to dare to auouch in Fraunce, that the Parle­lement [Page 75] of the Peeres of Fraunce, is no more in Fraunce, the Parlement of Paris, is no longer at Paris. But how can we expect, that these men should spare this Court of Soueraine Iustice, since they subornd Barriete. villaines with two edgd kniues, to worke the destruction of their Soueraignes themselues?

Vpon these premises I conclude it to be iust, most iust, yea iustice it selfe, to enforce the execution of the sentence of the Parle­ment. You cannot erre in following this path, a path beaten by all your predeces­sours, who haue been iealous of nothing so much, as of the execution of the Decrees of their Parlement. Otherwise, what assurance could they build, that their children, which they haue left somtimes in the cradle, som­times in the wombe, should cōmaund af­ter them ouer so many large Prouinces, without the power of their iustice, which is the arme, and stay of their scepter, the sup­port of their crowne, and the prop, & pil­ler of their succession. Therefore whatso­euer he be, that shall aduise, or moue your Maiestie to vveaken the Edicts of your Parlement, vpon an important matter of your State, did neuer duly ponder the con­sequence, the weight, the sequell, of such a [Page 76] deed. You must neuer looke to haue anie thing firme, or stable in the worlde, after you haue once deiected, disabled, & ouer­throwne, this the greatest support of your greatnes: your maine & strongest sortresse, both against the rebelliōs of your subiects, and the attempts of strangers. So much for the iustice of this act, let vs now come to the commoditie and profite thereof.

2. Who is so blind, as not to see, that this Sentence, ought to be reconed as one of the speciall blessings that God euer bestowed vpon you? If their Seminarie or nurserie, Chastell woūded the King nine months after his entry in­to Paris. were able in nine months to yeelde an in­strument, to act their murtherous plots, how many was it like to haue produced in the space of seuen yeeres? There is great ods betweene the going of a hundred pa­ces, and of eight hundred miles. VVhen Frō the Ie­suits Col­ledge to the Louver. a man hath leasure to ruminate, and to ad­uise vvith his pillovve, hee oftentimes relenteth, and changeth his purpose: one good minute is sufficiēt, & there be (as the prouerbe goes) foure, and twentie houres in the day: But when in the same heate of blood, in the selfe same furie, issuing forth of that hellish Chamber of Meditations, hee may in an instant be in your bosome, there [Page 77] lies the danger (my liege) this is an appa­rant, All this hath relation to Barriere: vi­de les. Cate. lib. 3. cap. 6. and imminent perrill. He needs not lodge at any Inne by the way, there can no aduertisement be sent frō Lions (your Ma­iestie knowes what I meane) he cannot be descried by his tongue, nor described by his apparrell: there wil no intelligence come, no pictures wil be sent you from any place abroade: the resolution is no sooner taken, but performed in an instant: And vvho doubts but such a mischiefe, the neerer it is, the more it is to be feared? To go one step further, let vs coniecture by theyr former cariage, what fruite wee may expect from them in times to come.

In the first place (my liege) it seemes most reasonable, that your Maiestie assent to that branch of their Peticion: viz: That the The saying of Lewes the 12. first duke of Or­leans, & after King of Fraunce.King of Fraunce, reuenge not the quar­rels of the Duke of Orleans: that is, of the King of Nauare. This demaunde is full of equity: for whatsoeuer they haue wrought against your Maiestie, by the commaun­demēt of the late king, ought not to be cō ­strued to their hurt: nay I will go further, it ought to make for their good: they did it in regard of the seruice of their king you were not their King at that time. Neither [Page 78] to say truth, was this matter euer mentio­ned in their accusations. But this is an or­dinarie trick with them, to feigne monsters to themselues, & subdue them when they haue doone. It was neuer layde to theyr charge, and had it beene, yet would it haue had no hearing in your Parlement. No, they tooke a cleane contrarie course: for a­mongst a multitude of other matters, they entred into particuler examination, how the Iesuits had behaued thēselues towards the late King: concluding, that if they had well, and faithfully serued him in his ex­tremitie, and distresses, albeit it had beene against his owne son (if hee had had a son) they deserued praise & commendation for their labour. The late King, was no king of Nauarre, hee was no Duke of Orleans, hee was king of Fraunce: I will not adde that he was besides theyr kind benefactor, and theyr speciall fauourer in all their cau­ses, (litle suspecting, God wot, what horri­ble mischiefes, they in the mean time com­plotted against him) for in saying hee was King of Fraunce, I conclude all: Hee was their Soueraigne, they were his naturall subiects, & tied in allegeance to him, what soeuer hee had beene, (and yet liued there [Page 79] euer a more gracious Prince?) but let vs see, haue they acquited themselues of thys allegeance? haue they serued him loyallie, or haue they not lewdly betraied him? this is the pith of the controuersie: heere you must close, and not trauerse aloofe off, see­king out large fields of plausible common places, therein to display the colours of your Rhetoricke: you must come to the poynt of this Obiection. Listen well what I say, my maisters; it is not a Duke of Orleans, or a King of Nauarre, that I speake of, I speake of your owne King: Let vs heare, haue ye acquited your selues of your dutie, to this your soueraigne Prince, your kinde Soueraigne, your gracious King, who held you in such high estimation, who euer v­sed you with such exceeding courtesie, & kindnes, both in word, and action? I am wisely occupied, to aske them this questi­on: they will aunswere me at leasure: and to say truth, what can they aunswere, which your Maiestie shall not be able of your own knowledge to controll, & conuince? I appeale no further for witnesse, then to your highnesse, what words the late King vttered of them. I dare say it, there was ne­uer Prince complained more, nor more [Page 80] cause had to complaine of the treasons of his subiects, then this good King. And did he not, howsoeuer of a milde, gracious, & too too gentle disposition, did hee not (I say) cause them to be expelled his cittie of In anno 1589, but they after­wards replā ­ted them­selues. Bourdeaux: the onely men amongst all his subiects, whom hee euer proceeded so so seuerely against. An intallible signe, that they had beyond all meane, and measure prouokt, and incenst him. But how can a­ny man make question hereof? Haue we alreadie forgotten, that it was iustified vn­to him by good euidence in writing, that the Iesuits were the originall founders of the League. They were the men, who by their Syrens songs, had hereunto be witched men of all conditions, from the highest to the lowest, who knit, & contriued this cō ­federacie against the State; and at Rome laboured the Excommunication tooth, and naile against your Maiestie, & afterwards made the bruite of that thunderbolt to be heard in Fraunce, hauing thereunto pre­pared the minds of your subiects with this accursed perswasion, that the King was lia­ble to the sentence of Excommunication, and that being excommunicate, hee was no longer King, but a Tyrant, and Vsurper, and they [Page 81] discharged of their oath of allegeance? And who is so blinded with preiudice, but that he plainly seeth, that if Iames Clement had not tasted of this poysonous doctrine, hee would neuer haue giuen way to such a thought, as to vndertake the murther of his Soueraigne, of his liege Lorde, of his naturall Prince? Was it not this damnable opinion, setled, and engrafted in his hart, which incouraged him to sheath his knife in the belly of the Lords annointed, which gaue strength to his arme, to redouble the blow, hee being certainly perswaded, that this Heroicall act, (as Guignard termes it) would beare him directly into Paradise? Is it the stone, or shaft, that cōmits the mur­ther, or is it he, that sends it? Who is (I say) so wilfully, or ignorantly blinded, but hee knoweth & must confesse, that when the Iesuits first set footing in this Realme, the harts of all our Countrimen were so far e­stranged from these heresies, (for I can call them no better; and to speake truly, what heresies can there be more dangerous, then these?) as that it was hard amongst a mil­lion of men, to find one, who would euer haue entertaind so much as a thought that way? Contrariwise, our Auncestors mar­ched [Page 82] ouer the Mountaines, and made pas­sage thorough Italie, to [...]iface the 8. for excō ­municating Phil. le bel. take him priso­ner, vvho offred to excommunicate the King of the Flower de luce, and enioyned that presumptuous Prelate, to open shame, & submissiō, who scattered the first sparks of this fire amongst vs. To conclude, be­fore the Iesuits came to nest in Fraunce, the harts of our countrimen were most estran­ged from these accursed Positions.

The Wherewith the Iesuits are charged. Apologie of Iames Clement (say they) is fathered by Boucher. It may wel be so. Boucher knowes, he shall neuer come at Paris to aunswer it: (the sentence of death giuen against For saving amongst o­ther things, that the king might be excōmuni­cated, which Boucher al­so, with o­ther Sorbo­nists, deter­mined, page 15. of this booke. Guignard, implieth his cō ­demnation) the Iesuits liue in expectation daily to be receaued, Boucher then dooth but the part of a friende, to take it vppon him: and a faster, and more assured friend then Boucher, the Iesuits neuer had: and there was reason for it, he passed the whole course of his studies in Diuinitie vnder thē: as all the Vniuersitie can witnesse. But not to dwell longer vppon that point, let vs take a view of the Bull it selfe, let vs open this damnable Apologie, and examine the ground, and subiect thereof, what is it, but this, that the King may lawfully be excommu­nicate, [Page 83] and his subiects freed from their oath of allegeance? And what else doe the Iesuits preach, what other string doe they harpe vpon through all theyr bookes, before al­ledged? Furdermore, what is the last close of this booke, but that wee labour to finde out an Ebud? and vvho taught him that lesson, but Before pag [...] 38. Commolet and Guignard: who writeth thus, If without force hee cannot be deposed, let men take armes against him, if by war it cannot be accomplisht, let him be slaine. And a little before, this heroicall act perfor­med by Iames Clement, as a gift of the holie Ghost, (so termed by our Diuïnes) hath been worthilie commended. &c. Let vs take a bet­ter surueigh of these wordes our Diuines: who may these Diuines be? Is it S. Augu­stine, or S. Bernard, or those other fathers, men spotlesse in life, & matchlesse in lear­ning? No such matter: I haue shewed you the contrarie. Who are they then? They are forsooth, the reuerend Fathers the Ie­suits: men of a higher ranke (I wisse) then they. These are Before, page 45, & Ies. Catechi. lib. 1. cap. 9. Apostles, they are recei­ued into the society and company of Iesus: alas the other, which I named ere-while, are but his poore, & humble seruaunts, not worthy to vnloose the latchet of his shooe: [Page 84] And for an vpshot, this Father Guignard, who wrote these Positions, with a penne of steele dipt in the blood of our Kings, is by them Page 266. of the Apol. of Iac. Cle­ment. lamented, as a great losse: and what doth this Defence of murtherers con­taine in it, more sauouring of madnesse, & lunacie, then these points I haue named? But let the Iesuits aunswere mee to this: if they did not giue allowance to that Apo­logie, would they suffer it to be solde pub­liquely in Douay? would they allow it cur­rant passage in that place? For my part. I would not giue counsell to touch the life of the King of Spaine, sooner would I lose mine owne: no I am so farre from it, as I maintaine, that whosoeuer shall attempt a­gainst the life of a King, shall vndoubted­lie receaue damnation for his hire. It is an attempt against the maiestie of God, who hath establisht him as his Vicegerent.

Indeede wee must confesse, the Iesuits cannot bar this Apologie from being open­lie sould in Douay, and caried about from Inne to Inne, to be put away to French­men which trauaile that way. Alas, these poore religious persons can bear no stroke in such townes, as are subiect to the house of Austria: they are not reconed of in those [Page 85] places (God wot.) I will tell you a strange thing, and it is true. There is no man but knowes, how hard it is for a Frenchman to get entrance into the Castle of Milan: and when all is done, hee must passe vnder the name of a Spaniard, and at his perill to, if he chaunce to be discouered. Yet this I wil say, that let all the French Iesuits, that re­maine at this day in Guienne, & Languedoc, present themselues before the gates, & let but one Iesuit of Milan auouch them of his knowledge, to be Iesuits, they shal pre­sently haue the bridge let downe, and the great gates set wide open to receiue them. Such a singuler vertue hath the die and tincture of Iesuitisme, as that it drownes all naturall colours whatsoeuer. And in truth, to what persons liuing are the Spaniards more indebted, then to this Societie? who haue vndertaken such toyles, and trauailes for the aduauncement, & encrease of their Empire, as they, whom onely they haue to Vnion de Portugal fol. 197. [...]. thanke for the kingdome of Portugall, as their owne historie doth acknowledge?

But from whence proceedes this vvon­derful affection of the Iesuits vnto Spaine? The cause is two-fold. The first taken frō their originall, which was Spanish, & that [Page 86] was it, that first ingrafted in them this ar­dent affection, wherein they haue been by tradition frō hand to hand, nou [...]risht, bred, and traind vp. Secondly, they set it downe for a principle, that the Turkish Empire, can neuer be brought to finall ouerthrow, but by some Monarche of Christendome, and casting their eyes round about, they see none in their opinion comparable, for wealth, puissance, and possessions, vnto the house of Austria, in whose handes it the whole Empire, part of Germanie, and the Low Countries, the better halfe of Italie, all Spaine, and the East and West Indies: besides that they esteem the king of Spain the onely man, able to reduce all Christen­dome to the Catholicke religion.

No man knowes better, then your Ma­iestie, how far the designes of the house of Austria tend and aspire, who promise to themselues no lesse, then the Iesuits vvish them. Three The King of Spaine, the Duke of Sa­uoy, & the Archduke. Brothers by alliance, doe inclose & compasse you on all sides, from of Bayonne to Calice, they represent a A King Spaine fai­ned to haue three bodies, told by Her­cules. Ge­ryon: but so long as theyr close cōfederats, who win them into the good opinion of your subiects, so long I say, as these be sent packing out of your realme, you shal haue [Page 87] no cause to stande in feare of the former. Geryon was King of Spaine, but hee met Hercules Gallicus, or Ogmius: Lucian in Here. with a Hercules of Gaule. Your Maiestie knowes, that the fable of the Toiane horse, was inuented to no other end, but to teach vs first, that fiftie close enemies in a State, shall be able to effect that in one night, which fiftie thousand open enemies can­not atchieue in ten yeeres. And secondlie, that there are euermore some, that perceiue La [...]oon, & Cassandia in Troy. these close enemies, but their admonitions are neuer regarded.

This hath beene hetherto truly verified in our state: for there was neuer any thing fore-told, touching the Iesuits, and theyr designements, but hath iustly fallen out: yet was there neuer any of those predicti­ons belieued, vntill the blow was felt.

But to winne new credite to their cause, they alledge two things: 1. that they are a great number: 2. that they haue doone great seruice to certaine Princes. For the first, I vnderstand not to what purpose this muster of their numbers may serue, vn­lesse it be to scare, and affright vs. And I protest, I am afraide of them vvithin the Realme: but out of the Realme, I doe not feare, that theyr great numbers, will euer [Page 88] come to besiege Bayonne: prouided there be none of them left at Bourdeaux, to de­priue vs of our sense, and of the vse of our handes.

Perhaps they wil pretend, that this fruit­full encrease of their nūber, is an argument of Gods blessing vpon their Societie: but this were both a dangerous, and an absurd consequence. For it wil be a long time, ere they come to equall the nūber of the Sent into Fraunce by their king a Pagan, to muther S. Lewes: whence all martherers haue beene since called Assasins. Ies Catech. 3. lib. Annal de Fran. fol. 1236. b. Ar­sacides, or Murtherers. Assasins, men of their owne stampe: to omit the Arians, the Albigen­ses, the Iewes, and Mahumetans. This is the common argument of the Lutherans, which the Iesuits haue refelled, and will they now drawe it in, to serue theyr ovvne turne? This were an incongruitie.

As for their seruices performed to cer­taine Princes; there was neuer question made of their wit and abilitie: but what is there more dangerous in the world, then an extraordinary wit bent vpon mischiefe? Then whereto serues so many great words of their sufficiencie, did euer any man say, they were fooles? They are able to doe good seruice, vvho doubts it? but it must be to those, who shall haue the good hap to continue alwaies in grace & fauour with [Page 89] the Pope: and to haue no difference with the house of Austria: for in this case, who­soeuer put his trust in the Iesuits, let him be sure at first, or last, they will shewe him a iugling tricke.

If your Maiestie please to reade but the Orations of the Polonian Gentleman made in their Senate, you shal there see an Iliade of tumults, and ciuile warrs, amongst the Christians, which inhabite those large and vast See Ies Cat lib. 3. ca. 1: Countries (extending frō the North to the East) stirred and excited by the one­ly meanes of the Iesuits, who haue there caused of late more battels to be fought, then had been in fiue hundred yeeres be­fore. Your Maiestie hath some experience of their dooings in this poynt, if you please to call them to minde: once certaine I am, we neede not goe from home to seeke ex­amples, vve our selues may serue but too well for example to other nations. I would to God we had not such iust cause to com­plaine, and feare, as wee haue: which yet we cannot but double, when wee consider the Constitutions of their Order, and the tenor of their Bulls, by vertue whereof they are sworne to obey they Generall, Summa cō ­stit. pa. 307 per om­nia et in omnibus, as to Christ, himselfe, if he [Page 90] were here in person. Aunswere mee then, if God himselfe should commaund vs any thing, ought wee not to doe it, though it were for Abraham to kill his owne sonne Isaac? Who seeth not, that when a poore selie wretch, that hath beene bred vp in these Positions of the excōmunicaton of kings, shal be shut vp into this chāber of Medita­tions, and a second Ʋarades bring him a cō ­maundement from his Generall, to murther his Soueraigne, being neere at hand: who seeth not I say, but hee will vndertake it, stedfastly belieuing, that otherwise hee should be damned, and his soule be cast in­to vtter perdition, for disobedience to his Generall? But admit, that ten, twentie, or thirtie refuse it, there needes but one to ac­complish this wofull and lamentable act. Assuredly (my liege) it seemes very strange to mee, that these men, who are so earnest with your Maiestie in their behalfe, should not set before their eyes, what themselues haue seene & tasted heeretofore: or weigh with themselues, that if a second misfor­tune should happen, both they, and theyr whole race, should for euer be infamous throughout Fraunce. I would wish them to thinke vppon it, and to remember, that [Page 91] nothing is so easilie hid frō sight, as a lewd purpose, and that it is not in the power of man, to sound the hart, & inward thought, God hauing reserued that secret to him­selfe; and why will they then put it vppon so desperate a plunge?

If notwithstanding all this, any of them shall obstinately continue their importuni­tie, (as my trust is they will not) yet consi­der I beseech you, that their faces neuer felt the Iesuits kniues, that they were not the marke Barriere shot at: vveigh vvith your selfe, that some of their solliciters may be engaged in the cause, hauing manie waies to employ the Iesuits in those places where they liue: some also there may be that thinke Fraunce would continue too long without ciuile warrs, if these trum­pets, and firebrands of fedition were not called home againe. All of them haue an eye to their particuler ends: euery man re­spects his priuate good. It stands your ma­iestie in hand to assure your estate to your selfe, and your posteritie, against all maner of stormes, tempests, and thunderclaps whatsoeuer.

Yea but (say they) the Pope is become a mediator in this behalfe, he desires it, hee [Page 92] would haue it so, and wil you denie him that request, being so many waies beholding to his Holines? I aunswere diuersly heereun­to. 1. First of all, that his Holinesse vvill not subscribe to their doings, that shal en­deuour to perswade your Maiestie, to a matter so hurtful to your state, pretending for their reason, his request, at whose hands you haue receiued so many extraordinarie fauours. For what greater burden, then a be­s [...]e, (saith an ancient Writer) if it binde me to do that, which may harme my estate? And another more elegantly: If a man in respect of his former benefits, haue required me to do any thing, that hath turnd to my hurt, he hath not onely forfeited his due thanks, but moreo­uer, hath giuen me iust cause of complaint. A King of Fraunce were reduced to a mise­rable condition, if he had no meanes to ac­knowledge a pleasure, but by setting his state and Country on fire. 2. Secondlie, I precisely denie, that his Holines, would haue is so. He wishes Fraunce too well, he knows that himselfe must depart the world: but this Societie, shall by succession be conti­nued to all perpetuitie, so that when they shall breake forth vppon vs, hee shall not be here to rescue and relieue vs.

[Page 93] The Philosopher saith that to knowe whe­ther a man will a thing, or no, it must be in his power not to will it. And who seeth not, that the Pope hath not power, to denie the Ie­suits, whatsoeuer letters they shall sue for at his hands? Else what would my L. the Cardinals say, who fauour the proceedings of the Spanish king, from whom some of them receaue yeerely pensions? VVould they not in bitter manner complaine, that such men (forsooth) were forsaken in their neede, vvho vndertake so wearisome tra­uailes for the aduauncement of the Holie sea? I conclude then that his Holines is cō ­strained to signe all their demaunds, & will forced, is no will. 3. I will go one step fur­ther, admit the Pope would haue A towne of the French Kinges, in Daulphine neere to A­uignion. Valen­tia ioyned to the Countie of Which be longeth to the Pope, sometimes the sea of the Papacie Auignion, I demaund, whether it would be graunted, or no? Assuredly it would not. And doth not that, which toucheth your generall State, import more, then tenne Ʋalentias? 4. Fourthly, I haue beene taught, that the Decrees of our Parlement frustrate all such Bulls, as may preiudice the liberties, and Canons of the Church of Fraunce, or the Edicts and Ordinaunces of our King, or the Decrees of our said Parlement, but I neuer [Page 94] yet learnt, that the Popes will might reuerse the Decrees of our Parlement.

What course is then to be taken in this matter? The course is plaine & easie: that his Holinesse be fullie informed of those weightie reasons, which inforce an abso­lute necessitie of putting the aforesaid Sen­tence of the Parlement in execution. A­mongst which there is one very memora­ble, not heeretofore remembred: that in­deede other companies, and societies, did in those times, affoord heere and there a man, who behaued themselues in vile, and outragious manner against their Soue­raigne, and therein matched the Iesuits to the full. They marched (I say) hand in hand with the formost of them: if the one strained his throat with thundring against the King, the other spared not his: where­of now the Iesuits can well remember vs, they play the Orators therein, they retch that string to the highest noat; their books and Petitions, containe wholie discourses of that subiect; the summe vvhereof is, if we had a deepe hand in those vndutifull acti­ons, be you sure there were of other Orders, who cam not far behind vs. But yet in all this they come not to the point: no, they will [Page 95] none of that, that is slipt ouer in silence: that in all other Orders, though some there were, who bare a vehement affection to Spaine, yet there were others, which did worthy seruice at Tours, Caen, Renes, An­giers, Chalon, and those other few Townes of note, which remained vnder the obedi­ence of our late King. These good men, woorthily deseruing the name of Christi­ans, of Catholicks, of Religious persons, ceased not in their pulpits, (the seats of truth, & not of leasing, of comfortable in­structions, and not of contumelious inuec­tiues) to confute, and ouerthrow, that mis­chieuous doctrine of rebellion, which the Iesuits, built and set vp in their daily Ser­mons within the reuolted Citties. But this is wonderful, this is that memorable point, that in the vvhole troope of the Iesuits, there was not one founde, (one is a small number) & yet I say againe there was not one, that from Whē the rebelliō be­gan against the last king. 89 to vvhat time the king that nowe is, en­tred Paris. 94, was heard to let fall one word, that might be strained to the good of his Prince, or countrie: but euermore vehement in behalfe of the Spa­niard, and to qualifie the hard conceit of his gouernment. What can any man re­plie hereunto? Who can denie this to haue [Page 96] beene a generall, a terrible, a monstrous, a hellish conspiracie? and now hauing mist their marke, they take vs belike for meruai­lous sely sots, if they hope, wee will keepe them still in store, that at the next oppor­tunitie, hauing taken better ayme, they may destroy both vs and our State toge­ther.

True it is (my liege) that to rid you of all feare, and feeling, they frame two allegati­ons: One is, that they are mightily refor­med, they are not the men, they were, whē your Maiestie saw them, they are none of those, that wrought you so many displea­sures. Secondly, it is alledged, that if they were willing to harme your Maiestie, yet they want force to effect it.

For proofe of the first, they make osten­tation of a solemne 1. Ies. Catech. lib. 3. ca. 13. Decree concluded a­mongst them, that they shall no more inter­meddle in matters of State. But let vs see, what date this Decree beares; they say of anno 93. Hath your Maiestie then alreadie forgotten, that since that time, they haue practised twise against your life? Behold the performance of this glorious Decree, Doe not we know the generall exception of all their statuts: Vnlesse it be for the good [Page 97] of the Church, an exception, that extends as farre, as they list to straine it? But will you vnderstand, how they are resolued, not to intermedle any more with the State, & the good respect thy carie towards it? Doe but peruse their aforesaid Apologie, giuen out vnder the title of The defence of the La veri. def. truth, and in the 229 page you shall meete with these words. But what kind of creature is this same State? Let vs behold her face, that the Iesuits may no more intermedle in her af­faires, and thereby incurre the heauie displea­sure of her iealous friends, and fauourites. And in the 231. page, Let these good Catho­licks be aduised, what they say, accusing the Ie­suits for intermedling in too many matters, & let them take heede, that they thēselues ouer­throw not the state, by making so light account of their religion, and that in seeking the quiet, & peace of the earth, they both misse of it, & lose besides the peace of heauen.

Is it possible, in a more insolent, and pre­sumptuous manner, to professe, that they will continue more then euer heeretofore, to worke the ruine and ouerthrow of the State, whose face they say they know not? And they haue reason, for they neuer har­boured in their harts any other proiect, but [Page 98] the subuersion of States, disauthorizing of Magistrates, and seducing of subiects from their allegeance. Moreouer, you heare how they proclaime thēselues sworne enemies to all that are friends to peace. Neither must it be forgotten, that in the very same page 229. to make odious to the people, all such as wish the safety of your state, your crown, & Scepter, they haue framed a new terme, calling them Estatiens. Statemongers. During their tempestuous raigne, they termed vs Poli­ticians, they dare no longer meddle vvith that word, it hath beene too often By the Edict of Pacifica­tion. called in: they coyne a nevve of the same stamp. An ordinarie tricke with their Father­hoods.

Your Maiestie seeth then, in what sort the Iesuits accomplish this painted Decree, which notwithstanding they oppose as a shield against all Obiections what soeuer. But who euer heard, that any man was so simple, to build vpon such promises, or to ground assurance vpon the like Decrees, or resolutions? It would bear as likely a shew, if the Pirats should send word to the Mer­chants, that they haue in a generall Synode, concluded to roue or rob no more, & that they may now safely giue thē leaue to saile [Page 99] in consort with them. A pretie tale to tell a child. And who is so ignorant in the course of matters abroad, as that hee knowes not, how the Iesuits are as great, if not greater entermedlers, then euer they were? VVee need not goe far for instance: In some townes in the Lowe countries, as Douay, Va­lencienne, Turayne. our verie next neighbours grone vnder their tyran­nie, and studie for nothing els, but how to be deliuered of them.

But to digresse no farther from our pur­pose, I would faine knowe, if the Iesuits were admitted into these quarters againe, vvho should be their controller, or ouer­seer? who could haue intelligence vvhat messengers went to and fro to their Col­ledges, what secret assemblies vvere there holden, what counsels were there giuen: who seeth not, that they must foorthwith haue the raines as loose, as in the yeere 88? I will yet say more, albeit men should dis­couer their close packing against the State, yet who, thinke you would be forward to detect thē to the Magistrate? who would not rather feare to see the yeere 89 returne againe, and himselfe once more subiect to their importable yoake, especially seeing them restored after their banishment?

But when they find it so difficult a mat­ter [Page 100] to perswade your Maiestie, that there can be any want of ill will in a Iesuit, they flie to the second point, that theyr power will not serue, to harme a Prince of your puissance. And the better to dispose your Highnes to the beliefe of this Article, they are not forgetfull throughout all their Pe­ticions, to extoll and sound out your victo­ries, and to that effect they translate into French, all the auncient Panegyrics, that be. Men are naturally delighted to heare their happinesse, their puislance, the assurance of their State, and their childrens, and in a word, to heare their whole praises spoken. And in truth, when I heare such, as holde you as deer as their owne liues, such as loue you, with an vnfained zeale, and affection: it reioyceth mee, I say, when I heare such men aduance your Martial atchieuements, and your victories aboue the cloudes. It is the due of vertue, it is her food & nourish­ment, it is her first foundation, it is her fai­rest recompence. But let vs be warie (my liege) let vs be iealous, howe wee lend our eares to the enchaunting praises of our e­nemies.

Auncient Writers haue recorded, that the most subtile kinde of Sorcerers, bewit­ched [Page 101] by praysing. Let vs take heed of these Syrens, that tickle the eares with their sweet harmonie, thereby to bring the saylers a­sleep, while theyr Bark splits vpon a rock. Doe you not (my liege) when you heare such sugred words flow frō their mouthes, do you not (I say) call to your remēbrance the wounde which you receaued in your owne mouth by a graft of their Seminarie? When you see these flowers of eloquence proceede from their pennes, are you not thereby put in minde, that by force there­of, their Rector confirmed, & encouraged Barriere. Oh my liege, they can wel set out in their Petition, how the famous Orator of Rome, extolled (the clemencie, I wil not call it, which is so long commendable, as it is ioyned with discretion, otherwise i [...] it no vertue,) but the foolish lenitie of Iulius Cae­sar, howe (I say) hee extolled it aboue his two, and fiftie victories; but they leaue out the conclusion of the storie, they tell you not how Tully with his pleasant language, rockt Caesar so fast a sleepe, as that in the meane while, hee called about him from exile, all the deadliest enemies he had, who soone after slewe him with their poiniards, whom neither Mars, nor Bellona, nor mil­lions [Page 102] of armed souldiours, were able to an­noy. Suffer your selfe to be trained in like manner, and they will spare you no more, then the other did Caesar. And then vvill they be as forward to sounde the triumph, as the same Orator was, who afterwards ex­claimed: A fewe haue strooken Caesar with theyr weapons, but all haue slaine him vvith theyr wishes.

Your Maiestie (I know) will reply, that this great Emperour was an Vsurper: I aun­swer againe, that one skin of Romish parch­ment (according to the Iesuits doctrine) is able to make you a Tyrant: a doctrine which they professe, & glory in at this day, neither will they denie it heereafter, vnlesse their Generall, (a Spaniard borne, as his 4. predecessors haue beene) allow them a di­spensation ad cautelam, to couer their doc­trine, thereby to worke their returne into Fraunce. But very hardly will they bee brought, so much to bite in their tongues, as to say, the Pope hath not power to excō ­municate, and censure Kings, and to discharge theyr Subiects of their oath of allegeance, [...]r howe shall they then reconcile theyr writings? These cōtradictions would sup­plie matter of fresh accusation, and new e­uidence [Page 103] against them.

But to returne to our purpose. It is al­ledged (my gracious Soueraigne) that you are so surely seated in your state, so feared, and redoubted, as all things tremble vnder your might, and alas what hurt can you take from this poore Societie? This beares a faire shew, and so much the fairer, being as it is for the most part true, to our excee­ding ioy, and contentment, and to theyr greefe and deadly discomfort. But first of all (my liege) weigh this, that these men, who so highly set forth your power, haue maintained, and kept their footing in two Prouinces of your Realme, in despight of your power of your Edict, of the Decrees of your Parlement. I knowe, of late they haue had a kinde of discharge, but it vvas long ere they had it. Furdermore, it may please your Maiestie to remember, that in May 84, the late King was firmly seated in the inheritance of his Brother, his Father, and his Graundfather, hee was supported and strengthened by a Brother, that had store of men at commaund; and yet with­in foure yeeres after, the Iesuits draue him out of the Louver: I say the Iesuits, the rest were but the armes, & the legs; they were [Page 104] the head; they guided the Barke; vvho knowes it better then your Maiestie?

And yet (my liege) freely to vtter what I thinke; though I would be loth to adde to your iust feares, as neither would I di­minish them at all (howbeit of the two, the latter is the more dangerous: for distrust is a wholsome drugge in matter of a State, you haue often tried it, and it hath proued well with you) therefore (I say) freelie to acquaint your highnes with my thoughts, I doe not belieue, that in your dayes, (the number whereof God encrease, to equall those you haue alreadie past) the Iesuits shall haue free scope to play theyr parts on open stage: and yet I thinke, (and I make no doubt, but your Maiestie will ioyne in opinion with mee) that it lies not in your power, nor the power of all your Parle­ments to hinder them, but that in all pla­ces, where they come, they wil with a light, and charie hand (as if they toucht it not) sheade into the harts of your subiects their poysonous opinions, concerning the point, and power of excommunication. This then is one Hurt, which you may take from them, and that no light, nor meane one, but of great, nay greatest import: for what grea­ter [Page 105] can there be, then that which in lesse perhaps then foure yeeres, may lose your Highnes a million of subiects? O what a dangerous infection is this? This I say is a mischiefe, which will happen in your own dayes, during your owne raigne, how vigi­lant, or circūspect an eye soeuer you beare vpon their actions, you shall not be able to preuent it, thinke vpon it I beseech you.

Theyr Agents propounde certaine cautions, and I wot not what restraints, or limitations: their Agents abuse you. Let vs see what these cautions be, shew vs thē, lay them downe vpon the Carpet. What? shall not the Iesuits be allowed conference with any? Shall they be recluded from the sight and companie of men? To what vse shal they then serue? Shall they not instruct our youth? And yet this is the onely colour which their chiefe spokesmen are wont to pretend: albeit in verie truth, they haue halfe eclipsed the beams of learning, which great king Frances, the patrone of all good literature, restored in Fraunce, (and there is no remedie for this euill, but by taking a­vvay the cause thereof throughout the Realme.) They shall haue our youth then vnder their tutoring: If be admitted, [Page 106] how can we thinke to hinder them, from seasoning their scholers with all those pe­stilent documents, whereof wee haue spo­ken?

But admit, they be not restored to the li­bertie of a Colledge, yet can you not ab­bridge their ancient consorts (the dregs & sinke of cities) frō comming at them. And God knowes, what strange effects nouel­ties breede in Fraunce. God knowes what trumpets, what fore-runners are alreadie com, God knowes how they would sound victorie, and aduance their ensignes again. Shut vp their gates you will not, to barre men from all recourse vnto them: the pre­text of pietie wil neuer be to seeke: more­ouer, with what importunity is your high­nesse like to be daily assaulted, as well from within, as from without your Realme, for the calling in of these Orders, & restraints, which are nowe proposed onely for a co­lour, to make way for theyr entrance. They that nowe so busily offer these conditions, wilbe the first that shal opē their mouthes, for the reuoking of them, and for the en­tire restoring of the Iesuits. This is it, they whisper into the Iesuits eares, accept of this onward, get but your selues in againe, let vs [Page 107] once make a breach in the Edict, and take you no thought for the rest. How manie sollicitors will they finde in their presence, who haue such a number to sue for them in their absence? And then shal your Ma­iestie want the maine shield of that Decree of Parlement, which would be kept inuio­late: for what fairer excuse can you haue, to aunswer all importunity withall? & this shield beeing once broken, what shall you haue then to alledge, why they should not be restored to as ample libertie, as they en­ioyed in 88? vnlesse peraduenture you say, they be dangerous people. Oh my liege, why doe you not nowe say it? Haue you not in fresh memorie, examples enowe of theyr dooings? If you haue not, doe but looke out at your window, you can hardly be in any part of your realme, whence you may not behold infinite ruines of houses, which they haue brought to ashes, innumerable Orphans, which haue reduced to begge­rie. Doth not this moue your hart? I know it doth: your hart [...] tender, not to feele the touch heereof. But their Agents holde you fast by the throat: haue you no armes to free your selfe? Oh my liege, this is but a hundreth part of the mischiefe, they are [Page 108] like to proue, euen in your dayes. If your Maiestie lose this leafe of paper in some corner of your Closet, and fortune hereaf­ter to finde it againe, you shall then witnes whether I haue spoken truth, or no.

But grant, they wil not dare to mutter, so long as they shall behold your face, ought the wisedome and forsight of a Prince, to extend no further, then his owne time, e­specially hauing issue, to succeede him? Men in time of health (my liege) feele not many blinde infirmities, which in sicknes grieue and paine them. So fares it vvith great States, & policies: for when by such accidents, as pleaseth GOD to send, they come to be distempred, a number of sicke, and crazed humours, then breake forth, which during the health, and flourishing estate thereof, were neuer perceiued. These are the times, these are the opportunities, which the Iesuits shly await, and attend: and neuer faile to lay hold on them, when they fall. If they be not able at the first as­sault to force the place, they double theyr strength at the second, & againe redouble it at the third. Perseuerance caries it in all things. The defendants haue not alwayes the same spirit, and courage to resist.

[Page 109] What more dangerous disease, then a re­lapse, which yet is the more inexcusable, being occasioned by our owne default, but most of all, when wee knewe before hand, by what meanes this mischiefe was like to grow, and had no care to preuent it. God grant I may proue a false prophet, but my hart presageth, that the Iesuits will in the end, reduce this vvhole Countrey into ashes: wee haue once alreadie seene it on a light fire, they kindled it, they brought it to so terrible a blaze, as that it was seene from Asia. We had then as it fortuned, a Prince of rare perfection, exceeding cou­ragious, an expert souldiour, wonderfull vigilant, all yron to endure labour, all steele in warlike encounters, who for that time, smotherd those flames: but GOD giueth not at all times such worthy Princes, espe­cially, in the vigor of their yeres. And who seeth not that at the first sunne-set of this raigne, that fire ill put out, will break forth anew into greater flames, then euer before, and vtterly destroy, and consume our chil­dren. Ah my poore infants, it is your case that I lament, as for my selfe, my declining age doth exempt me from this feare.

Mee thinks (my liege) I heare one whi­sper [Page 110] in your eare to this effect: It is true, these allegations are auouched to your Ma­iestie vnder writing, and carie no small proba­bilitie with them, yet can I not conceaue, howe the Iesuits coulde make so large offers of ser­uice to your Maiestie, if their doctrine vvere such indeede, as wee heare it said to be. And it may be, hee that speakes this, speakes it from the truth of his hart, & out of an ho­nest meaning, as, I am perswaded, the most part of those, that appeare in their cause, know not the truth of these matters, which I haue recited; for if they did, they would bee as earnest suiters to your Highnesse, to cōmmaund the absolute execution of the Edict, as now they are importunate sollici­ters to haue it infringed. Behold then the cleere manifestation of the simple truth.

When the Iesuits, presented to your ma­iestie those Peticions, so gloriously set forth, so full of smooth insinuation, so fraught with alluring perswasion, so flowing vvith sweet and elegant phrase, you stoode at that time, in good cōdition with the Pope. VVhat reason might then disswade them from offring you their seruice? What had they else to say? was it their course, still to proclaime themselues your vowed & ca­pitall [Page 111] enemies? Was that the way to Paris? But doe you not obserue this (my liege) that in the whole volumes of their Petici­ons, (though otherwise vnreasonable long) they haue not launced, no not so much as toucht this point of the question, this knot of the controuersie, this doctrine so perni­cious, to wit, whether they do not beleeue, and accordingly teach, that the Pope hath power to excommunicate kings, and to enter-meddle with their crownes, vvhich is the ground, & foundation of all the murthers that haue beene either acted, or attempted in Europe, and the spring, and fountaine, of all the calamities, which we haue endu­red, since this damnable doctrine began to be so currantly dispersed amongst vs. This is the point (my Maisters, you that frame those elegant Orations) this is the issue, wherein you are to ioyne, and not to tel vs a storie, what obedience subiects owe na­turally to their Prince. A strange noueltie forsooth! but haue you not your excepti­on at hand? And what is that? Mary that [we owe obedience to Kings] so far forth as they be not excommunicate by the Pope, who hath power to vnloose all their subiects from their oath of allegeance. This is the [Page 112] hindge of the whole cause: aunswere vs heerevnto directly, without equiuocation: is it true, that you bring this exception, or are you wrongfully charged ther-withall? But why doe I loose time, in demaunding what they hold in this point? You haue their bookes, they are loden with this doc­trine, they call, and beate vppon no other point but this. From what fountaine haue issued all the miseries which wee haue en­dured, if not from this? Are we sencelesse, trow you? Who caused the Excommunica­tion against the late King to be receaued in Fraunce in 89, which without the Iesuits help, had taken no better effect, then the o­ther of Against the King that nowe is, which was condemned by the Par­ [...]ement then holden at Tours, to be [...]u [...]nt open­ [...]y by the ex­ecutioner. 91 did in Tours, where there were no Iesuitical spirits, no harts ingaged to the Spaniards? Doe wee not see that they are, and euer haue beene so far from denying this doctrine, as that cōtrariewise they haue gloried in it, as hath beene declared in the beginning of this discourse? But doe wee take them to be so voyde of iudgement, as in their Petitions, to touch this string? It should then appeare, they had not well learnd their Rhetoricke, which teacheth to ouer-slip in silence those obiections, which wee are not well able to aunswere: [Page 113] the reader doth not alwais giue such heed­full attention, such a matter is soone for­gotten: if we aunswere any thing neere it, it sufficeth. And had euer Orator better proofe with a point of art, then the Iesuits with this? Who did euer giue your Maie­stie notice, that they past ouer the maine point of the cause? or had you euer this ca­ueat giuen you, that the Iesuits bring their wordes but halfe way out, that they speake not plaine French, that they glose vvith you, now you are in termes of amity with the Pope; but tell you not, vvhat they would do, if God should so afflict vs, as to call the Pope that now is, and to raise vp in his stead, a Who ex­cōmunica­ted Philip de bel. Boniface the eight, a Who in­terdited Charles the 6. and his Realme. Bennet the 13, or a Who ex­cōmunica­ted Lewes the 12. Iulius the second, to send forth the like excommunications, as were by them thundred out against our Kings, the most Christian, the most Catholicke, and the most auncient Kinges of Christendome? We haue sufficient knowledge (my liege) by all their writings, by the whole course of their actions, and by their open profession in the pulpet, that at one such clap (if their wordes might carie credite) they vvould make you, or any of your successors, a king without subiects, a Lord without land, a [Page 114] priuate person, accurst, and giuen ouer, a spectacle of miserie, an outcast, & an exile, in a word, such a one, as they were once in good hope to haue made, and indeede had made you, and the late King, if all the Ca­tholicks in Fraunce had been sound Iesu­its, such as you are now counselled to make them, by recalling these Apostles, thorowly to instruct the Fathers, and deepely to im­print into the mindes of their children this article of beliefe, that you, & your whole po­steritie, may vvith one Bull, be for euer remo­ued from the throne of From whō this King is discended. S. Lewes.

But what shall I neede to insist vppon reasons, when I can instance by examples, such as may touch your Maiestie to the quick? I know (my liege) you haue learnt and gone thorowe a number of histories, (you haue in my hearing recounted many, which som that went for great Clarks, had neuer heard tell of) but though you had neuer learnt more then this, yet this I am sure you haue learnt, which I will briefelie recite, for it cannot be thought, but that you haue quite forgotten it. In the yeere 1512, Katherine, Queene of Nauarre, had nine and twentie yeeres enioyed her king­dome, descended vnto her by the death of [Page 115] Fraunces Phoebus, her brother, and succes­siuely from a number of Kings her aunce­stors: shee had beene eighteene yeeres crowned with Iohn d'Albret, the king her husband, in The chiefe cittie of Nauarre. Pampelune: God had gi­uen them issue, one sonne, & three daugh­ters: their realme was in so flourishing e­state, and of such puissance, as euermore it put the Castilians and Arragonians to the worst. At this time they were in firme league with them both, and in fast, & aun­cient alliance with the crowne of Fraunce, exceedingly beloued of Lewes the twelfth, a mightie King, and a gallant Warriour, to be short, all Europe, to any mans iudge­ment durst not haue thought of making a­ny attempt vpon thē: notwithstanding, in that yere of 1512, did the Iulius Se­cundus. Pope, in malice to the French Nation, shoote forth his bolt of Excommunication, against these Princes, absolued their subiects from their oath of alle­geance, and abandoned their realme for a pray to him that could first seaze it: as is the ordi­narie stile of their Excommunications. By force of the same Bull vvas Lewes the twelfth. our King ioyntly excommunicate, as In anno 1510. before time he had beene. But what sequel had it? For the French, there was not one man of them [Page 116] that did so much as stagger in their allege­ance; but cleane contrarie (mark I beseech you my liege, the good disposition we had by nature, vntill our teeth were set on edge with the Iesuits doctrine: the obseruation heereof, will giue you the better light, to iudge hovve great a vvounde they haue made in your Realme) cleane contrarie, I say, all our auncestors then liuing, not one excepted, doubled their resolution, to serue and follow their King, mauger the malice that Pope Iulius bare him, and did so en­flame their zeale & affection toward their Prince, as they were in a manner fond of his sight, calling him, their Father, their Protector, their good King, to be short, the title of Pater patriae, is to this day annexed to his name, & so shall continue for euer.

On the otherside what ensued in Na­uarre? The King & Queene called a Par­lement, at Tudelle: there did the subiects firmlie resolue to abide in their allegeance to the death, notwithstanding the Popes thūderbolts. But within a while after, there stept forth a crew of seditious fellowes, dis­contented persons, men of a shipwrackt & desperate estate, & thirsting after change, who notwithstanding haue euermore at [Page 117] hand the maske and pretext of religion, so as, to heare them speake, you would take thē for the onely Catholicks in the world: these fellowes, I say, began to sprinckle a­mongst the people, the doctrine before mentioned, which since that time we haue seene powred out in Fraunce by the mini­stration of the Iesuits. But what was the is­sue hereof in Nauarre? This: that this se­ditious crew, strooke all the residue of the subiects into a dead Palsey, tooke frō them the vse of their armes, and legges, some by force of Religion, some by feare of theyr threats, and menaces: insomuch as these Princes (your Maiesties great grandfather, and grandmother) wereWhen the King of Spaine, came to inuade them, by warrant of the Bull. left in the midst of their subiects without subiects, in the midst of their seruaunts without seruants, in the midst of their armie, without soul­diours. To conclude, there was neuer re­uolt heard of, neuer treason committed, so foule, so shamefull, so miserable: the poore Princes beeing driuen, with their foure in­fants, (from one of which your Maiesty is descended) to flie for safegard into France: a skin of parchment hauing effected that in the space of an houre, which all Arra­gon & Castile, were not able to atchiene in [Page 118] a thousand yeeres. For a Prince to be dri­uen out of his Realme, hauing beene first broken and discomfited in three, or foure maine battailes, is a case which affoords va­rietie of example, and thereby supplies some comfort; but to see himselfe driuen by force out of his kingdom, & not a sub­iect of his, once to drawe his sworde in his quarrell, and all vnder the shadow of reli­gion, this exceedes all the sorrowes, all the discomforts, all the miseries, which either the world can exemplifie, or mans wit can imagine.

The yeere following, viz. 1513, our king, touched with a iust compassion to see a King and a Queene, for his sake, cleane thrust out of their kingdome, prepared an armie, which marched ouer the Pyrenaean mountaines, directly to Pampelune, charg­ing the same so close, as that Lisle, Villiers, and Cannay, aduaunced their colours vp­pon the walls, but it was defended vvith such resolution within, as they were forced to retire, without dooing any good. About eight yeeres after, at the instance of the said Albret king of Nauarre, king Fraunces sent a second Armie, which by force pos­sest Pampelune, but it was soone after re­gained [Page 119] by the Spaniard. In this seruice, Jg­natius Loyola, one of the Captaines of the Spanish companies, behaued himselfe ve­rie valiantly, albeit his valour Vita Ignat [...] in the be­ginning. cost him at that time one of his legges, besides that the other was grieuously wounded.

This Captaine is the Patron and foun­der of the Iesuits, and marke (I beseech you my liege) whether the disciples haue not at an inch followed their Maisters footsteps: whether they haue not continued their fer­uent affection towards the kingdome of Castile, & their vehement hatred towards the Realme of Fraunce. Their Patron was a great meanes to retaine the Nauarrians vnder the Spanish yoake, and his followers haue set the libertie of Fraunce vppon the desperate chaunce of one battaile: I say of one: for wee could not haue lost one bat­taile, without loosing your highnesse, in­asmuch as you would neuer flie to any o­ther retreit, but to the standard of the Flower de Luce: and then loosing you, who seeth not, that Fraunce, had beene in the same condition, that Nauarre, is, remai­ning like a Gally-slaue vnder the yoake of Spaine, working at their Ores, & fettred in their chaines?

[Page 120] Let vs proceed one point further. Their Patrone was a chiefe Commaunder in the Spanish garrison within Pampelune: and his followers likewise planted, and vpheld for the space of three yeres, a Spanish gar­rison in Paris. But al this is nothing to that, which now I come to touch. The disci­ples of this Loyola, foreseeing out of theyr sharpe, and percing iudgement, that the The King hat now is. grandchild of this King, & this Queene, (so miserablie turnd out of their inheri­tance) would one day become the terrour of Spain, haue left nothing vndone, which could fall into the imagination of the most vowed, and mortall enemies in the world, for the extirpation of this young branch. And seeing him in despight of theyr ma­lice, mounted into the throne of S. Lewes, they haue redoubled both their feare, and their practises against his person & State, powring out in ful measure vpon his peo­ple the same poyson, which had before times beene the principall meane of the losse of Nauarre, and which could neuer haue beene brought into Fraunce, but by these politicke, and presumptuous Moun­tebanks.

No part of these proceedings is vn­known [Page 121] to this heire of Queene Catherine, & yet notwithstanding, I know not what influence, or maleuolent aspect, as fatal, & ineuitable to Fraunce, as to Nauarre, hath in a manner ouer-wrought him to harbor these sectaries of Loyola in his Realme, out of which, by solemne sentence of his High Courts, they haue been banisht, and expel­led. Can any man beleeue so strange a sto­rie, that a Prince, after hee hath so manie yeeres encountred the Lyons skin, should in the end suffer himselfe to be surprized with the Foxes case?

But the world yeeldes not euery day a Iulius secundus. True. Neyther affoords it euery day a crowne to lose. But there needs not euery day a Iulius, one will suffice for all, prouided he find the French as wel pre­pared, and disposed as hee did the Nauarri­ans. O my gracious Soueraigne, enter (I beseech you) into a serious consideration, of this which nowe I shall deliuer. The Against Lewes the 12. Excommunication of Iulius, coulde not make one towne in Fraunce to shrink: the Against the late King. excōmunication of Sixtus, caused a reuolt in Paris, Lions, Roane, Tholouse, Marseil­les, Amiens, Narbonne, Orleans, Bourges, Nantes, Troyes, Digeon, and infinite others.

[Page 122] Howe thinke you by the Iesuits? Are they not woorthy Champions? Are they not gallant fellowes? If in thirtie yeeres space, they haue profited so well, vvhat would they haue doone in continuance of time, hauing alreadie shaken, and weake­ned so many consciences, hauing seasoned with their doctrine such a nūber of young students, who daily grewe into charge of soules? Whence is it, that in all societies, the ancienter sort haue been for the most part your loyall subiects, and the younger al­most all your profest enemies? Whence is it, that wee haue so often seene the son di­rectly opposite in opinion to his Father, but that the auncient sort did neuer sucke this milke of Iesuitisme?

But will your Maiestie beleeue, that they can be so audacious, as to glory and vaunt, how great, and ghastly a wound they haue made in the harts of your subiects, vvhich they enlarge, teare wider, and make bigger from day to day? I neede but to make re­citall of those words, which I formerly co­pied out of their Apologie. And therefore we see that this sword hath beene practised, & put in vre in the person of many Kings, & in many kingdoms. And albeit the practise hath [Page 123] not alwaies succeeded, yet might it alwais haue doone, if the subiects had beene well prepared thereunto. Doth this neede an interpreter? doth he not tell you: Frenchmen were not in auncient times well prepared to reuolt from their Kings at the first thunderclap of excōmunication; but contrariwise, they redoubled their loue, and allegeance to­wards them; but in thirtie yeeres space we had wrought and prepared so great, and so good a number of them, as wee were in a neer possibilitie to obtaine a full conquest. If by our policie, and the mediation of our many friends abroade, wee can but main­taine our footing in Fraunce, wee will so thorowly dispose & prepare their mindes, as that the next time wee doubt not to sound an absolute triumph.

Surely your Maiesties posteritie shall stande greatly bounde vnto you, if you so miserably inthrall, & in danger them to the lust and humor of the next Spanish parta­ker, that shall be aduanced to the Holy sea: by restoring those, who are so hardie, and presumptuous, to sowe this schismaticall doctrine, and which is more, to glory in it, to proclaime it openly, to publish it com­monly, and thereby to keepe the maine [Page 124] busines continually on foot. To what pur­pose dooth your Maiestie so cherish that young infant in the cradle, if in the meane while you bring in these Masons, to raise strong forts within his realme, that at the first sound of the trumpet, all his subiects may be strooken into as great an amaze­ment of their sences, into as great a numnes of their ioynts, in a word, that they may be found as well prepared or disposed, as the Nauarrians were in 1512? Is it not enough that this doctrine hath lost him Pampelune, vnlesse it rob him of Paris also?

True it is, that the Iesuits in their Petiti­ons offer sureties, to warrant, & secure you, and yours, from all danger whatsoeuer. I must tell your Maiestie, I neuer yet heard, that sureties haue beene taken in case of a Crowne: and to speake vprightly, before what Iudges shal he sue, or conuent them, beeing himselfe driuen out of doores, and destitute of all place of refuge, and abode? But we must apply our selues to their con­ditions. VVell then, let vs accept of theyr sureties, prouided they be of substance, & abilitie to acquite the forfeiture, els is theyr offer friuolous, and to no purpose. Let vs see, what these sureties shall be. Amongst [Page 125] your subiects, it is impossible to finde any of wealth sufficient: for their estate cannot be the thousanth part of the whole, which is to be secured. Amongst strangers vvhom can they nominate of woorth, to counter­uaile the realme of Fraunce? I vnderstand their minds (my liege) the pledge, & sure­tie which they will tender your Maiestie for their faith, and allegeance, must be the King of Spaine, who is readie to become bound for them, bodie for bodie. He is of infinite wealth, hee is mightie in possessi­ons, he is deepely in loue with Fraunce, then what exception can you take to him?

So then we are thorow for the securitie, let vs now thinke of the residue. How will your Maiestie dispose of that Piller, which stands before your Pallace, in whose mar­ble sides, is recorded to posteritie, the af­fection of this populous nation of the Ie­suits towardes their good King, towardes theyr great King, their Deliuerer, who the selfe-same yere had freed their necks from the Spanish yoake? A Piller more honou­rable, & more glorious, then those of Tra­iane, and Antoninus, which stand in spight of time, sacred to immortalitie. Will you leaue it standing, and yet doe contrarie to [Page 126] that which your selfe haue decreed by the Sentence, therein engrauen? What will the world say, when they shall reade the con­trarie, to that which they see? Is this that fa­mous Parlement of Fraunce? theyr Decrees are written in Marble, but in effect they are set at nought, they are troden in the dust. Surely this were too too dishonourable.

What is thē to be done? The first work you doe, you must race downe this Piller. Howe? race it downe? Liues there a man so impious, as to suggest this damnable counsell? Your selfe to destroy the monu­ments of your worthiest, and most renow­ned victories? to taint your name and me­morie with the blot of feare, and faint hart? that as wee celebrate one of our famous Kings, for the first which brake in sunder the yoake of the Romane Empire, vnder vvhich the miserable Gaules had many yeeres languished: so cleane contrary, our Chronicles may point you out to all after­ages, for the first, which bowing to the becke, and commaund of Rome, shal with your owne handes, rend of your Laurels, wither your garlands, and miserablie de­face the memorials of your prowesse, and honourable deserts towards your Realme, [Page 127] towards your citie of Paris, the seate of this large Empire, the glorie of Europe, & the wonder of the world.

Oh my liege, what could the Generall of the Iesuits wish for more? If a maine armie of Spaniards vnder the leading of his Sub­iects, & the rest of the Sixteene, their asso­ciats, should enter Paris by the breach, would they not begin with the defacing of this Piller? Shall Fraunce then vnder your raigne, and by your cōmaund receaue the foulest infamie, and most shamefull foyle, that it could suffer from the insolencie of the Spaniards?

If the day following your Maiesties hap­pie conuersion at S. Denis, there should haue come an Angel from heauen, & haue vsed this speech to you: The Iesuits, and the Spanish garrison, which they haue placed within this great Cittie, (pointing to Paris) & which they therein maintaine and continue, by preaching them into the loue and fauour of the people, are the one­lie lets that bar thee frō entring it. All true Frenchmen wish thy entrance, and enter thou shalt, in despight of these recreants, and that speedily. Nine months after, these fellowes will attempt thy death, but they [Page 128] shal not be able to effect it; that great God of heauen, will put by the blow, and cause the murtherer to confesse, that the accur­sed Lectures of the Iesuits, and their ordi­narie speeches against thee, did violentlie beare & spurre him forward to strike this stroake: which his confession GOD will haue to be verified, and confirmed by their owne hand writings. For this cause shall they all be banisht, but after seauen yeeres, thou shalt restablish them againe, to the subuersion of thy Realme, and confusion of thy whole race.

If, I say, an Angell from heauen had fore-tolde you this, would your Maiestie haue belieued it? Assuredly you vvould not: the latter point, depending vppon your owne vvill, would haue seemed so strange, & vnprobable. And yet notwith­standing, consider (if you please) in howe neere termes you haue stoode to the fulfil­ling, and accomplishment hereof: hauing so soone forgotten, vvhat mischiefe these men haue wrought you, and are in possi­bilitie to worke you dailie; who spare not to call our auncient Kings rebels, because they haue not throwne theyr diademes, & scepters to the ground, vpō the first bruite [Page 129] of an excommunication sent foorth against them: and vvho by consequence of this their brain-sicke doctrine, haue made an infinite number beleeue, that our king de­ceased, was a Tyrant, and a Rebell, vvhich perswasion was vndoubtedly the cause of his death.

O my gracious Soueraigne, doe you not in your imagination seeme to beholde the tall, pale, heauie, and sorrowfull image, of that great Prince, your deere brother, such as he was, when grieuously wounded, and all begored in blood, he witnessed towards you the affection of a Father, vntill the ve­rie last gaspe of his life, holding you fast embraced in his armes, in the midst of his armie, which was bedewed with teares, & inflamed with reuenge? Hee is in heauen, he is in blessed estate, he gaue his life for the liberty of his coūtry, & to free his children from the yoake of strangers: hee beholds your actions from aboue. And wil you can­cell the Decrees of his Court, establisht a­gainst these particides, Before, page 80. & 81. who occasioned him to be stal [...]d, when he liued, who haue wounded him since his death, by sounding out this acclamation in al parts of Europe: the same day, that he expelled vs out of Bour­deaux, [Page 130] was he expelled out of his life. The re­port was, he sent vs to S. Macaries, vvith an intent there to cut all our throates, had not his owne beene cut first. It is not one Iesuite a­lone, it is the whole body of the Iesuits in grosse, that by theyr annuall, and solemne letters, proclaime this triumph ouer all Eu­rope: (what speake I of Europe?) ouer all the world, where they haue their colonies: there they shew at this day, the wofull ef­fects of theyr dangerous Positions; there (I say) they hang forth as an ensigne of theyr victorie, the bloodie shirt of our slaughte­red king, the proude spoiles of the formost king in the world, strooken deade vvith those thunderbolts, which they caused to breake forth in France, where, before their comming, they neuer had power to doe hurt. And would your Maiestie take from vs the onely comfort, which remaineth to our selues, and the onely monument, and remembrance, which our posteritie shall haue of our late King, of our deceased ma­ster? Alas, my poore maister, my vnhappy Soueraigne, though by other meanes I be not able to expresse my zeale, yet at the least will I poure ouer thy hearse, these la­test teares, these last lamentations, of thy [Page 131] most humble seruaunt, of thy most faithful subiect. Peraduenture they may be assisted with the sighes of a million of Frenchmen, who will vouchsafe to reade mee, if not in this age, yet in times to come. For vvhy should not these sobbes, why should not these grones of mine continue, as long as there shall any true Frenchmen remaine in the world?

If our fore-fathers had swallowed this poysonous doctrine of excommunicating kings, and of the power to translate kingdoms, this great succession had neuer descended to your Maiestie, it had long since beene wrested out of the hands of your predeces­sors. The banishment of the Iesuits is the death of this accursed doctrine, and the death of this doctrine, is the life, glory, and beautie of your Royall house. They which shal tell you the contrarie, would see it wil­lingly ouerthrown: your Maiestie know­eth it, & knowing it, if you do not preuent it, you vndermine the foundation of your owne State, in steede of strengthening and assuring it.

The magnanimitie, and noble courage of a The king that now is, at the battell of Ivry. worthy King, doth not onely shine in the fielde, in the heade of a dangerous [Page 132] battaile, lending courage to his nobles, and couered ouer with a plume of feathers, to make himselfe a marke for the enemy, bid­ding defiance to theyr valour, and to their forrest of pikes, whereinto he breakes like a slash of lightning; but is as much, and much more seene in consultations of the weightie, & important affaires of his State, wherein prudent circumspection ought to beare sway, but so as there be banisht all doubt of displeasing, all feare of offending. Such weakenes is vnsuting to your Maie­stie, it is vnwoorthie a King of Fraunce, though not of your prowesse. A King of Fraunce is subiect to no controule, but to Gods only. Let your Maiesty respect, what is iust, and commodious, for your selfe, for your succession, for your state, and ayme at nothing els.

It is iust, that the Decrees of your Par­lement, of your high Parlement, of the Par­lement of Fraunce, should be executed, & accomplisht in France: therein consisteth the principall strength, and sinews of your State. Who is it then, that would perswade your Maiestie, your selfe to cut off your owne right arme? VVill you knowe the truth? It is King Phillip, vnder borrovved [Page 133] names, that desireth, that pursueth, that perswadeth it. He is your brother, it is true, but hee hath a dangerous counsell: hee is young, he is ambitious, and hee is power­full: he knowes right well, that he wrong­fully detaines from you, the The late King of Spaine, by his testamēt restored Nauarre to the king of Fraunce. inheritance Nauarre. of Queen Katherine: this worm did gnaw his fathers conscience vpon his death-bed. In his life time he flattered himselfe vvith the authority of Pope Iulius: but when he sawe that hee was going to appeare before his great Maister, before the great Iudge, the horror of it made his haire stand vp­right on his head: then could neyther the slatteries of his Inquisition, nor the sooth­ings of the Iesuits, secure him against his owne knowledge, & conscience, he could not but vtter it, hee could not but confesse it by his testament, thereby to giue ease, & appeasement to that hell, to those flames, to those torments. But so farre is his sonne from performing his Fathers will, as that hee harboureth a world of incredible de­signes to the contrarie: Fraunce is the on­ly rubbe in his way. Then what an aduan­tage were it for him, to haue alwaies with­in the hart of this great kingdome, men so fast and firme to him, so readie, & resolued [Page 134] to execute whatsoeuer he can wish, howe dangerous soeuer? Howe great a furthe­rance were it to his designements, to retain amongst vs such espials, so vigilant, so ad­uenturous, and withall, of such notorious secrecie, as whosoeuer shal encline to prac­tise against the State, be hee French or Stranger, hee will neuer doubt to haue re­course vnto them. In other societies a man may mistake one for another, and so mis­carrie: so did Barriere. For had hee disco­uered himselfe to none but to the Iesuits, without all doubt your Maiestie had been surprized. What did the Templers euer in Fraunce, or the Humiliati in Italie, or the Couent Friers in Spaine like vnto this?

The power and might of a King, is infi­nite great, I grant it, vnder prouiso it be accompanied with wisedome and fore­sight, (the chiefe vertue that can raigne in a Prince.) Great & maine ouer-sights once committed, doe verie hardly, or not at all, admit any cure. What man will heereafter vndertake any matter (thinke you) against the Iesuits, let thē conspire neuer so much against your State, or person. Who will e­uer be their accuser? who will giue eui­dence: who will be Iudge against them?

[Page 135] For the first time there be perhaps that will oppose, lewd and dangerous persons: but when they see themselues forsaken, when they see these serpents lurking about their houses, which are one day likelie to destroy and deuour their children, this makes their harts to faint, this quailes their courage: so as within a while, men by little and little frame themselues to the times, e­uerie one applieth and disposeth himselfe thereunto. (A most dangerous word for Princes.)

If the late King were nowe amongst vs, he were able to say somwhat to this point, this great Of harbou­ring the Ie­suits. ouersight, hath sent him where now hee is. Oh my liege, make vse of his example, take paterne by your neighbour Princes. Marke whether euer Charles the fift, or his sonne, those famous politicians, those notable Statesmen, would see theyr seruitors discouraged, or dismaid: Marke whether euer they draue them to sue for the fauour of those, whom they had made theyr enemies for the behoofe of the State. See if euer they entertained any, whom they had reason to mistrust.

If your Maiestie did but call to minde the first foundation of the Iesuits, theyr [Page 136] originall, their encrease, the place from whence they sprung, me thinks you should presently conceaue a detestation of theyr sect. But hauing tasted these cruell fruits of their Seminarie, fully aunswering the wi­shes of your deadliest enemies, and nowe beeing deliuered by a solemne Sentence of your Parlement, from this perillous & per­nicious faction, what shew of reason, what colour can you haue, your selfe to restore murtherers into your State, sedition a­mongst your subiects, factions, and partia­lities into your Prouinces, which since the banishment of the Iesuits, haue seen more quiet, and peaceable dayes, then they had done in thirtie yeeres before?

God loues not to be tempted, his hand hath twise protected your Maiestie, from their bloodie attempts: hee hath furnisht you with so many good Prelates, & Doc­tors on all hands, with so many learned, & deuout Religious of all Orders, men full of pietie, knowledge, dutie, & loialtie towards your maiestie, a thousand times more fit for the aduauncement of our Catholicke re­ligion, then they that are infected with this dangerous heresie, grounded vppon the power to change kingdoms, and to take them [Page 137] from one, and transfer them to another: and why wil you so slenderly regard the fauor, which he out of his heauenly bountie hath extended towards you, snatching you out of the very graue, and out of the armes of death? a death by them much desited, wi­shed, and practised, wholie endeuouring to burie Fraunce, together with her two last Kings, all in a Tombe? Doe you not feare (my liege) to prouoke his wrath, who will be admired in his prouidence, and praised in his bountie, and protection? Doe you not beleeue that he sate as President in the midst of that honourable assembly, of that great Court, the most sacred Court of the world, beeing met in consultation of mat­ters, that concerned the life of their Prince, & the preseruation of his State? And will you cancell this their Decree? Oh (my liege) what doe you knowe, whether you owe your breath to that Decree? what can you tell, whether GOD hath vsed it as a meane to preserue you aliue vntill this pre­sent? whether hee hath made it a wall be­tweene you, and the assaults of your priuie enemies? Are you able to search the depth of his iudgements? can you sound the bot­tome of his counsels? knowe you not that [Page 138] they are vnsearcheable, that they are bot­tomlesse?

The mightie God, who from aboue be­holdeth the deep dissembling, the smooth hypocrisie, and the secret venome, vvhich the Iesuits foster within their breasts, this great God (I say) who knoweth their aun­cient purpose, essentially rooted in theyr veines, which is, to deface the glory of this Realme, and Monarchie, giue your Maie­stie grace, rightly to discerne & distinguish the friends of Alexander, from the fautors of the Iesuits: and by giuing commaunde­ment for the absolute execution of that your solemne Edict, to let all Christendom know, that you are as skilfull by wisedome to safegard your selfe frō the subtile prac­tises, and secret vnderminings of your ene­mies, as you are able by valour to breake, scatter, and confound their armies, and o­pen hostilities.