A DECLAration of the Prince of Conde and his associates to the Queene, vppon the Iudgement of rebellion, set forth against thē by their enemies, terming thē selues to be the Court of parlamente of Parys, with a protestation of the euils and inconueniences which may thereof ensue.
Imprinted at London in Paules Churchyarde by Lucas Harryson.
ALthoughe that the wrytyngs heretofore published in the name of the Prince of Conde, and al the Princes, Lordes, gentlemen and other which are of his company, do sufficiently declare the equity of the cause whiche hath armed them, as well for the seruice of the King and conseruation of hys authoritye, as for the mayntayning of his edictes or proclamatyons, concerning the holy liberty and quietnesse of conscience of the refourmed Churches within this realme: neuerthelesse seeing that the enemies of the honour of God, and publique [Page] quietnesse, dayly set forth new sclaunders, wherby they pretend to oppresse the innocēcye of the sayd Prince and hys associates, it stādeth wyth good reasō, that if the wicked ceasse not to assayle equitye and iustice, the good also should not ceasse to defend it.
Now for bycause that the 27. day of Iuly last past, iudgemēt was geuen in the Court of parlement of Parys, whereby they pretende to declare them rebelles, that haue taken armour for the seruice of ye King, the conseruation of the states authority, and to resist the violence and tyranny of ye Duke of Guyse and his adherentes: it is necessary that the iniquity of this iudgemente shoulde be manifested, as wel to those [Page] of this kingdome, as to strangers: & namely that it should be represented to our posterytie by this declaration. For it shal serue for an example of remembraunce, wherein may be seene, how muche the enemies of God and persecutors of his Church, are of corrupte vnderstanding and iudgemēt and farre from all righteousnesse. We may (I say) perceue, that men whiche prefer theyr lyes and errors to the sacred truth of God, are so farre blinded, that they iudge those seditious, which go about to seke (as much as in them lieth) the publique vnion and tranquillity: and condemne those for rebels, which forsaking theyr cōmodities, geuing ouer their goods, do hazard their lyues, [Page] to the end yt the King may remaine obeyed, and the authority of hys Edictes may be inuiolably kept.
And to the end that such declaration of rebellyon may be ye better cōuinced of manifest iniustice, and be holdē for the sclaūder of an enemy, and not for the sentēce of a Iudge: beholde what ye Prince of Cōde and hys associats shal declare to this effect, following theyr first protestations and writinges concerning the verification of their innocency.
First as concerning the exception of the person of ye sayd Prince, he is so much affected to the seruice of the King, that he feeleth himselfe wounded & burthened with that, whiche they lay to other, whome hee [Page] knoweth neuer meante anye such thing in takyng armour, nor tended to none other end, but to the conseruatiō of thys crowne. And the sayd Prince is so farre from beyng pleased with thys exception, that rather he is offēded: in that they would separate him frō so many good and faythfull seruāts of the King, and from as good and holy a company, as euer was assēbled together in this realme. For this cause being assured both before God and Man, that their innocency is such, that al the lyes and sclā ders of ye wicked cā not stayne wyth one onlye spot of disobedience and rebellion, eyther ye sayd Prince or his associates: he desyreth to haue the same conditiō with them which are [Page] ioyned with hym in the same goodnes of cause, thesame religion, thesame wil to bestow their liues for ye Kings welth, conseruatiō of his estate, and the establyshyng of the pure seruyce of God in hys Kingdome.
And euen as ye sayd Prince cannot, nor oughte not to be forsaken or denied of those at whose commaundemente he hath iustlye taken weapon in hand: no more woulde he departe frō those which haue (at his request) takē armes with him, and with whom he hath lyke entent and wil. Furthermore, he hath sufficient experience in the crafty sleyghtes of hys enemies, to perceaue what they brue vnder such color and pretence of exception: [Page] as it is easy to be iudged by ye lettres missiue, sente through the prouinces, wherein he is generally comprised wyth the others. Now yt it may appeare that ye crime of rebelliō ought to light vpon those, whiche of their own authoritie haue taken weapon, to breake the Edicts of ye kyng, and to trouble the quietnesse of ye whole realme, & not vpon any other, which haue taken armoure to withstand so pernicious an ē trepryse, we will brieflye rehearse yt which wee haue amply discoursed in oure former writinges.
Ech mā knoweth yt the Edict of Ianuary, brought such quyetnesse throughout al Fraūce, that it seemed that the estate of thys realme beynge before [Page] tossed with infinyte troubles and tempests, was (as it wer) arriued at a happy and quiet porte. At that tyme when the Duke of Guyse, through the slaughter whiche he made at Vassy. gaue openly to vnderstand, that he had sworne war agaynst the estate of the King and the welth and quietnesse of his people. The which with good right was thought very straunge by the sayd Prynce, who for ye place which he holdeth ought of duety to cōserue and mayntayne the authority & hyghnesse of the King: whō the sayd Guyse hath alwayes gone aboute to brynge to extreme ruine. That (I say) was thought marueilous straūge, that a subiecte durst so manyfestly breake an Edicte of hys [Page] Prynce, yea such an Edict as was made by the delyberatiō of the estates, authoryzed by ye Kings Counsel, with the most notable cōpany that could be gathered and chosen out of al the Courts of Parlemente of this realme, And although ye sayd Prince, had of hys owne right, occasion iust enough to withstand so manifeste a vyolēce and oppression to ye King and hys Edictes, yet he withheld him self to entreprise any thing to this effect vntill he receaued commaundement.
In consideration whereof the sayd Prince most humbly besecheth the Queenes Maiesty to remembre that beyng at S, Germayne in Laye, she was aduertised to what ende the Duke of Guyse tended: which [Page] was to depose hyr frō hyr authority, and to banysh from about hyr, hir most faythfull & louing seruaūts, yt they might the easlyer obtayne ye gouernment of this realme. Whereto they haue alwayes caste their eye and aspyred, since the time that thei haue had any maneging of affayres in their handes. Which being come to the Queenes knowledge, & lykewise the faction that by the meanes of the Embassadoure of Spayne they practized, in fauor of theyr entrepryse: shee conceiued such grefe therof, as the great and eminent daunger required. Which gaue hir occasion one euening, to desyre the said Prince, to gather together the greatest numbre of Gentlemen that hee could, [Page] that the effecte of so daungerous an enterprise myghte be preuented. Which he faythfully went about, hauing respect to the commaundement of the Queene, and of hys duety towardes the kynges maiestie and cōseruatiō of hys crown. Now thys obedience was the beginning of all that, whiche hath since continued, in resisting those which the Queene iudged to be her enemies, and of whō she would take hede. And for greater witnesse of ye doubt which she had of them, it may please her to remēber the charge whiche she once gaue to the sayd Prynce, touching the secretary Marseille. Now when ye sayd Guyses by theyr demeanours as well at Parys as elswher, had brought [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] openly to light that which before they had hiddē: ye Queene confirmed and repeted again to the sayd Prynce, as well by letters as messangers, the cō maundemente which she had alredy made, to resist the force & violence whiche they determined to make agaynste hyr Maiesty. Whō in this behalfe he most humbly besecheth & so farre as the word of a Quene ought to remayne sure & inuiolable, to call to minde ye thinges which she hath written wt hir own hand: the which he is now constrayned to set forthe to all mennes eyes, that they may al read hys innocency in the very lettres of the Quene. For he is assured that she hath not forgotten that whiche she wrote to him frō Foūtainebleau, [Page] in the moneth of Marche last past: recommending vnto hym the conseruation of the Kings person & of hirs, in these wordes: I recōmend vnto you the mother and hyr children. And consequently that which shee wrote wt her hand by Monsieur de Bouchauannes, when ye force of the Guyses was in Parys: yt is that he should not dysarme himselfe, vntill his enemies were disarmed, and yt it might be seene to what end their cō spiracy would tend. And here vpon the sayd Prince desireth that it wil please hir Maiesty to remembre, howe often she hath giuen him to vnderstād, that she estemed that whiche he did for verye agreable seruice the which shee woulde so print in the Kings memorie, [Page] that (being come to age,) hee might gratefy him according to his desert.
Wherunto lykewise agreeth that which she said to the lord Admirall, not longe before he departed from the court, that she knewe hym so faythfull a seruaunt of ye Kinges and also so louing toward her maiestie, that if nede required, he would not lette by al meanes possible, to endeuor hymselfe to defend hir from the conspyracy of the Guyses. As she also now laste writte vnto hym by Monsiur Rēbouillet, that she estemed hym so good a seruaūt of the Kings, and desirous of the conseruatiō of his estate, that she would vse hys counsell for ye pacifyīg of ye troubles which were in those dayes. And furthermore [Page] the talke whych she had besides Baugency with the sayd Prince & ye Lords which wer in his cōpany, is so cleare wytnesse of hir consēt & approuing therof, that it shuld be to superfluous to allege infinyte other proues, which myght be broght forth to this effect. For then in ye presence of .7. Knightes of the ordre, & certaine secretaries of ye estate, she largly thanked ye sayde Prince & hys company, for the seruice and pleasure that she had receiued of them: vsing these termes: yt she acknowleged yt the Kings life & hirs were conserued and kept through their meane.
These things being consydered as behoueth, what reason may remayne to the ennemyes of the sayde Prynce [Page] and his associats, yea so much as to gather a symple coniecture of rebellion, much lesse of groūded iudgemēt? By whose autority shall they be declared rebelles? Shal it be by ye King and Quenes autority, which haue caused theym to take armes for ye conseruatiō of their maiesties? which hath had recourse to them in hir daūger? whiche therein hath encouraged them by words & letters? and wt thāks for their seruice hath approued & accepted that whiche they haue done, as a meane of ye cōseruation of this whole realme? Furthermore, there is none but knoweth, yt the ennemies of ye said Prince abuse ye name of the King and Queene, whose wyll they keepe forced and subiecte to theyre wylles. Whyche ys [Page] the cause why the sayd Prince and his associates haue protested hitherto, and nowe agayne protest, neyther to hold nor acknowledge any Edict, statute or ordinaunce, made vnder the name of the Kyng, whileste hys libertye is taken from him by the vyolence and armes of their enemies.
And for that they take for proofe, besides these thynges heretofore writtē, yt whych so oft ye Queene hath sente them word of: yt is that she could not agre to ye which they demaunded, bicause yt ye contrary part was ye stronger, & ye people armed. And although yt since the moneth of Aprill the Kynges Maiesty hath ben forced, and they haue begōne to abuse his name & autority, yet since that [Page] tyme ye thing hath been more clerely knowen and manifested, by that which is cōtained in a letter of the Queenes to Monsiur de Vieillevile and the Countye of Villars, dated the 14. of Maye laste. Where she wryte with her hand, that she committed the kyng her sonn into the handes of the other: meaning by the other, ye enemies of the said Lord Prince. Wherby it appeareth that the iudgement of rebellion and al other things made vnder the name and authority of ye king against the sayd Prynce and hys company, ought to be estemed to be made by their enemies: seeyng that the kyng is vnder their handes, as it appeareth euen by the witnesse of the Queene.
Now then I leaue to be cō sidered, of what weighte that iudgement of cōdemnatiō is, which is geuen by ye parties & enemies of the cōdemned? but yet let vs see what that great cryme is which they cal rebellion, & wherupon they groūde that, which they lay to ye sayde Princes charge and his company? It is (say they) bicause they wyll not geue ouer theyr armour. If it be so, I demaūd what shal they be caled, which comming to the courte in armoure, though they had none enemies armed against them, wold not neuerthelesse geue ouer their armoure, although they receiued cōmaū demente from the kynge, and which yet hold them with the same boldnesse that they toke [Page] them at the beginning. Now who is he that would gyue ouer his armour at the request & instāce of hys enemy, which hath the sworde ready in hys hand to fight wyth him? what other thing is it, to demaūd yt the said Prince shuld disarme himself his aduersaries remaining armed, but only to wyll that his enemies shuld be hys masters, that hys goods shuld be subiecte to their greedye couetousnesse, that hys lyfe should be giuen ouer to their cruelty? To be short, that he shuld receiue the law of those, which hauing none, ought to receiue thesame of others?
And furthermore is it not to breake the wall which it hath pleased God to set aboute hys poore Church of Fraūce, & afterwardes to gyue it ouer to ye [Page] rage & fury of those, which can not be satisfied wyth suckyng of Innocentes bloud.
Furthermore it is not vnknowē yt the sayd Prince hath always offred to vnarme hym self, if hys enemies would vnarme them first, & wythdrawing them selues frō the Kyng, would leaue him in his fyrst liberty. Now is it not reason yt they which first toke armor wt out cōmaūdemēt, wtout autority, & agaynst ye Kinges wil, against ye Edicts, agaynst the expresse cōmaūdemēt of ye kīg: shuld lay down their armour, before ye other which were armed after thē: armed (I say) by cōmādemēt, authority & knowlege of ye king & Quene, for the conseruation of their Maiestyes and of theyre Edictes, [Page] against the oppressiō and violence of the other?
To be short let al yt the sayd Prynce hath done be examined, and it shalbe founde that hys answeres, and protestations, hys offers, & all hys doinges, are sufficiente witnesses, of hys innocency. For hath he not gone about by al meanes to set this realme at quiet? & to deliuer it frō ye perill which semeth to threaten it with an extreme and vtter ruine?
What cōdition of peace being any thyng reasonable was euer refused, or not rather sought by the said Prince and hys company? How oft hath he gone about to let the entry of straungers into thys realme, fearing the inconueniences that myghte thereof ensue? [Page] Hath he not geuen to vnderstande the desert of hys cause, to straunge Prynces, & namely to the confederates of this crown, beseching thē to take vp the matter, & to be meane of the quietnesse and tranquilitie of this realme? With what modesty hath he behaued him selfe, in the townes wherin he myght conserue the liberty of their consciences, and the exercising of their religion, folowing the permission and ordinaunce of the kyng? Hath he vsed any one poynt of violēce or iniustice? Whē his enemies forcing townes, & not beeing content to bereue them of the benefite and liberalitie of the kyng touching religion, haue committed so many murthers and spoyles, that the streates [Page] haue bene paued with deade corpses, and the earth stained with the bloud of the Innocē tes which they haue shed. Let men thē iudge without affectiō, who thei be which by their workes and effectes, haue deserued to be declared rebelles: eyther the Prynce and his cō pany, which haue armed thē selues to maintaine the Edictes of the King, made according to the aduyse of the estates (which ought to take place during ye minority of his sayd Maiesty) his liberty, the Quenes liberty, and the quietnesse of the common welth: or their ēnemies, which takīg armes, without authority of ye King, haue broken hys Edictes, sacked his townes, murdred hys subiects, & set forth ordināces [Page] quite contrary to the Kings, & namly to ye Edict of Ianuary made so solēnely, as we haue said, receued wt whole consent throughout ye realme, & lykewyse gretly cōmēded of straū gers. If then wt indifferēt eye al the partes of this cause bee marked, it shalbe found, yt the sayd Prīce & his cōpany haue been falsly called rebelles by those which are very rebelles thēselues: they haue bene declared sedicious by those, which since ye death of ye late King Henry, haue ben cause of all ye troubles which haue happened in thys realme: and haue ben declared gilty of treson by those, which oppresse ye Kings maiesty, abolish his ordināces & abuse his name & authoryty, to magnify thēselues to his [Page] ouerthrow. Those, yea those ar gilty of diuine treason, whose works haue alwayes shewed that they holde Ambicion for their God, Couetousnesse for their religion, & the pleasures of this worlde for their paradise & greatest felicitie: whiche haue sworne warre againste the sonne of God, against hys worde and those which maintaine it: which shew ye workes of Anabaptistry in baptizing againe those children, whiche be already baptized according to the institution & ordinaūce of oure Lorde Iesus Christe: which haue their houses ful of spoyles, and their handes embrued with bloudy crueltie.
They also are giltie of humane treason, whiche haue brokē ye Edictes of the kyng, [Page] haue approched and seazed vpon hys persō with armes against hys commaundement, which are great frendes, and haue made those to be their instruments in thys feat, which would violently haue taken awaye the seconde person of Fraunce, and haue oppressed the kyng, and brought hys estate to confusion and ruyne. And to speake further, I saye that they are giltie of treason, whiche made of late yt cursed cōspiracy in Prouince, by the handes of Lauris presidente in the court of parlemente at Aix, and conioyned with Fabrice Cerbelome Gouernoure of Auignon for the Pope, which tended to assemble xv. M. mē which should marche (as they were sworen, at the cōmaundement [Page] of ye sayd Guise. Wherof the sayd Fabritius furnished a thousand footemen, and .CC. horsmē. Which conspiracy being come to knowlege, & veryfied by the court of parlament of Prouince, Entrages, & Laidet, two prīcipal captaines of this factiō, wer behedded by iudgement giuen in the same court. And if thys suffyce not, I will adde more: that the sayd Guyses haue made the lyke cōspyracy in Dauphine, by ye captaine Mantill: hoping by this meane to make Dauphine to take armes with Prouince to martche together at their pleasure. In so much that these cōspiracies made to abolishe ye preaching of the Gospell, these takings vp of men, these othes taking to martch at ye cōmaudemēt of [Page] the Guyse, cry out, that as wel the sayd Guyse as his cōspiratours are rebelles, and gilty of treasō both to God and man. And contrarywise yt those are true & faythfull seruantes of ye King, which haue withstāded & stoutly do withstande theyr rebelliōs, seditions & attēpts, against the Kinges Maiestie and estate of all thys realme. And besydes this that I haue spoken, let the ouerwhelming of the gouernment & iustice of this realme be witnesse, and namely that courte of Parliamēt of Paris: which thei haue made theyr instrumēt in thys false & pernitious iudgement of rebelliō: bicause they could not finde any other cōpany so corrupt & depraued, so bōde & slaue to their wils & appetites as that.
As in effecte all those that remayne there at thys daye, doe eyther holde theyr estates through the fauor of the sayd Guyses and their adherentes, or els hope to haue some other by their meane. And euen the principal amongest them are plainly comprysed in the conspiracy and faction made by ye sayd Guyse and hys adherentes: wherof we at this day fele the lamentable and miserable effectes. And we must in dede truly confesse, that amongest al the plagues that God long hath scourged thys poore and afflicted realme withall, thys ought to be accompted ye greatest: that such a court of parlement, whiche oughte to be the seate of Iustice, the refuge of ye oppressed, the brydle and punishmēt [Page] of al vice, shuld be so farre from hys ryght and naturall vse, yt it should open the gate to al iniustice and oppression, to al impunitie and licēce of euil doing. Wherby is come to passe, that ye principal head of the gouernement of Fraūce being so sicke, hath spread her disease vpon al the parts and members of thys kyngdome. And for profe herof, marke not only the particular wronges done by the sayd court to infinite persōs, ye cryes, ye plaints, the bloud of so many poore innocents as it hath oppressed, condemned, and murthered.
But principally marke thys false and peruerse iudgement of rebellion, which is a generall wrong done to infinite persons, whose lyfe and conuersation [Page] hath made proofe of the moste humble obedience which they beare to ye kynges maiesty. Now to the end that these corrupt iudges shoulde leaue behynde no one poynte of iniustice, they haue pronoū ced thys iudgement, the cause not being heard, the reasons not debated, the proues of iustifying and innocēcy not vnderstande. And although they were refused by ye sayd Prince and hys company (which was duely notified vnto them) they neuerthelesse left not to attribute vnto thēselues the knowlege of thys fact, to geue al mē to vnderstāde, that in ye seates of the courte of parlemente of Paris, there are now none other iudges, but corruptions, hatreds, and priuate affections, [Page] and there is now none other law but contemning and abolishing of the kynges lawes & customes of thys realme.
Wherupon my masters, you which are called Iudges, I demaund what iniustice and manifest corruption is, if thys whych you haue done in thys iudgement be not? For where is ye forme of iustice obserued? Where are the reasons wyth which the condemned haue bene ouercome? Where is that auncient and righteous law, that ye cā not both be iudges and particular enemies? Why haue you thrust your selues in to ye iudgemēt of those, which haue refused you for iudges, hauing as much reason to do it, as there are faultes of apparaunte wronges in you? [Page] And to be short were you not ryghtly refused, which haue driuen out of your companye, al those which you perceaued not to be of your faction? You which by the decree the last of Iune now passed, put weapō in the hande of ye furious people, against both GOD and mannes lawes, yea againste your own lawes, againste the common wealth and vniuersal quietnesse of thys realme? You which haue proclamed ye mynysters of the reformed Churches giltie of treason, whom neuerthelesse the kyng by hys proclamation hath receaued to hys protection, and who for thys effect haue takē the othe at your handes? You which durst declare to ye kyng yea wyth threatninges, by [Page] Monsieur Chambon and Monsieur Fay youre deputyes, that ye thought straunge and would not suffer ye agreement which he would haue made betwene the sayd Prynce and hys contraries? By thys meane takyng away all doubt, that ye are the sworen enemies of the sayd Prynce and hys cōpany, and consequently shuttyng your owne mouthes, that ye might not pronounce any sentēce against them? And what nedeth any more? Loke vppon the head citie of this realme, where your abiding is, and marke the extreame cruelties which are dayly committed by the people, and yt before youre eyes, to your knowlege, wyll, & prouoking. Let men consider the refuse that you made to ye [Page] Lord of Brissac, to make any ordonaunce to represse these tumultes of the people. Let it be weyghed as appertayneth, yt the most part of you, the better to shew that they wyl no lōger vse iustice, but force, ar of Presidentes & counselers become menne of warre: haue chaunged their pennes into swords, and their longe gounes into corcelets, they thēselues play the captaines, & go publiquely armed, with other such insolenties, as vnworthy of their estate, as very mete to the corruption of their lyfe. Let all these thynges (I say) be considered, and if it be so that rebelles can not iudge of rebellion, that ye troublers of the cō mō quietnesse can not knowe of seditiō, and yt the breakers [Page] of ye Kynges Edictes, are not able to iudge of giltinesse of treasō: if so be (I say) that those which deserue to be cōdēned, ought not to condēne others: Ye cā not deny but they which ye haue condēned, haue sufficiēt reason, not only to refuse you, but also to cause you to be punyshed in tyme & place, according to ye desert of your iniustice. Which thyng the most part of thys realme greatly desireth, beyng assured that god wyll shewe vs hys mercyfull face, when he rayseth vp in Fraūce good & faithful iudges which shal cōdemne & rightly punishe those, which vniustly haue cōdēned other: executīg vpon your persons, ye sentence whiche you haue pronounced agaynst the innocentes.
All these thinges thā beyng equally weyghed, shal plainly shew, to al those which in this cause shal geue iudgemēt free from all particular affection, that although there bee nothing set forth for the defence of the sayd Prynce and hys cō pany, against the intollerable iniustice, & the vnworthynesse which hath ben shewed thē by thys iudgement, yet neuerthelesse their innocency is so apparaunt, yt it is able to speake it selfe, and beelye the false & shamelesse slaunders, of their ennemie iudges.
Now I leaue to thynk, how iust grief it is to ye said Prince whan he hath faythfully obeyed all thynges whych wer cō maunded hym, for the tuition of the Kyng and Queene, and [Page] whan he had done the duetye of that place which he holdeth in thys realme, as behoued a most faythfull and louing seruaunt of the Kyng, and necessary for the wealth and profit of al thys realme: that hys desert should be payde wyth so great vnthankfulnesse, yt the duety whych he hath shewed to the Kyng should be turned to cryme, and that hys obedyence should be called rebelliō. Thys certainly is with good right not only greuous vnto hym, but also intollerable.
And although this vile spot wherewith they woulde haue burdened hym, can not in any wyse fasten vppon hym, but returneth to those whyche brought it, neuerthelesse he feleth hymself so boūde in duty, [Page] not only to hys honor, but to hys cōpany, yt he is resolued to bestow all the meanes which God hath put and hereafter shal put in his hādes, to cause the innocency of them al, to be knowē, not only to the people of Fraunce, but to straunge nations: and to leaue the memory to our posterity. And forasmuch as by the wycked and corrupt iudgement, geuen agaynst hym and those of hys company, and by the maner that they haue vsed in ye sayde iudgement, and namely the ouerwhelming of ye iustice of Fraūce done by his enemies, he wel ynough knoweth, that the way of iustice beyng shutt vp from him, he can not thereby cause the edictes of ye Kyng to be obserued, & consequētly [Page] shewe foorth hys innocencie: for thys cause he is constrayned to haue recourse to ye laste remedy, of armes. Which hauyng in hys hande at the Queenes commaundement, and lykewyse for hys own office and duty (considering the place which he holdeth in this realme) he wil neuer leaue of, tyll he hath made the Kyng peasibly to be obeyed in hys coūtrey, hys edictes obserued, and the innocency of the sayd Prynce, and hys cōpany manifestli acknowleged. And the sayd Prince declareth that although they (whose authoritye and commaundemente hath caused him to begin this enterpryse,) shoulde nowe come and allege their contrarye aduyse and opynion, [Page] yet though they chaūge their willes, he can not chaūge his: as also he can not slacken his duty towardes the Kyng, nor forget the place which he holdeth in thys realme.
Therfore the sayd Prynce & all hys company proteste, before the maiestie of God and the Kyng, and before all people and nations to whom the knowlege of thys facte hath come or shal come, that they confesse and acknowlege thē selues most humble and obedient subiectes and seruauntes of ye Kyng their soueraine Lord and Prynce. and that their armes are not, nor neuer shalbe against hys maiestye, but agaynste hys enemyes. Whom they hold for rebelles, setiouse, and giltye of treason [Page] to God and man: bicause they haue ouerthrowen the lawes and customes of thys realme, haue broken the Edictes of ye Kyng, and violate the authoritie of ye estates, in thrusting themselues into the coūsel of hys maiestie, (frō whiche they were excluded by the aduise of the said estates) and haue driuen out the faythfull and lawfull counselers of the Kyng. Furthermore bicause they defende themselues wt hys person, enforce hys liberty, abuse hys name, to coloure their ambitiō and insaciable crueltie, they haue made and dayly do make conspiracies, factions, and practises as wel to maintayne their vsurpation, as to vndoo the moste parte of the Kynges faythfull subiectes. [Page] And namely to banysh out of Fraunce the pure preaching of the Gospell, to spoyle & destroy those which make profession therof. Agaynst those thē onely, & for these causes, with the other that depend on thē, the sayd Prynce & hys cōpany protest to haue weapō in hād, and yt for great nede, hauing none other meane to kepe the Kynges maiestie, hys edictes, hys hyghnesse, ye estate of hys croune, the authoritie of hys estates, the lyfe and goods of an infinite nūber of his poore subiectes, and principally the pure seruice of god established in thys realme by the authoritie of the Kyng. The importaunce of which thinges doth so touche the sayde Prynces heart and hys company, that [Page] foreseing the horrible calamitie and desolation that myght happen to thys realme, & that all Fraūce shuld bathe in hys own bloud, if their ennemies myght continue the murthers and cruelties which thei haue exercised these .v. monethes, they all determine to let for no payne, to establishe the quietnesse of thys realme, but to vē ter their lyues, to assure the liues of so many good, & faythfull subiectes and seruauntes of ye kyng. And are not hindered but rather encouraged by that pernicious iudgement of rebellion: the which they protest not to hold as iudgemēt, but slaunder practyzed and sette foorth by theyr ennemyes. So that withstanding [Page] it, they meane not to wtstande the wyll of the Kyng, or any iudgement geuen forth by a court of parliamente lawfully assembled: but a violēce, force, oppression and inuading of their goods and lyues, by the Kynges enemies and theirs. The sayd Prince desireth not onely all those of thys realme whiche oughte to esteme the Kynges seruice, but also all straunge Prynces which loue equitie and iustice, to wtstande with hym so violent oppressiō made to a yong Kyng: whose great vertues already shinīg in hym, geue certayne hope, yt beyng come to age, he wyl acknowlege the seruice and succour whych hath ben done to hym, in hys great and vrgent necessitie. And namely ye sayd [Page] Prynce desireth al straūgers, as well Almaines as Switsers, that are come into thys realme, and do ayde hys enemyes, that they remember the title of equitie, the memory wherof hath at all tymes honored their aunceters: yt they wyll not suffer suche reproche to lyght on them, as that they haue fought for an euil cause, against a good cause: for ye ennemyes of the kyng, agaynste hys faythfull subiectes: for Prynces ye be but straūgers, agaynst a Prince of the bloud of thys croune: for ye fauourers of the Pope and ye Churche of Rome, againste those whyche professe the Gospel of our lord Iesus Christ. And herein the sayd Prince, caleth before the iudgemēt seate of god ye consciences [Page] of ye sayd straungers, which professe ye gospel, to tak hede that they be not cause that ye said gospel be banished out of thys poore kyngdome, and yt all they which professe thesame, be spoyled & murthered. He praieth them also to cō sider, yt hys ennemies whatsoeuer they speake of rebellion, assayle hym neuerthelesse for none other cause, but for that folowing the edict of the king, he mayntayneth the pure preching of the worde of god. So the sayd straūgers oughte to preuente, (that ye ennemies of their religiō and of ye Princes and hys companies) shoulde think in mockage (as they already do) yt they haue begiled thē: & haue brought to passe bi their practises, that their own [Page] coūtry mē which maintaine ye gospell, are come to fyghte agaynst them in Fraunce. Furthermore ye sayd Prynce praieth them to consider what wil folowe of thys matter: leaste if the ennemies ouercome the gospellers in this realme, that their enterprise should stretch out beyond ye Ryne, & so they themselues may be assailed in their houses, according to the confederacy which they haue made wyth ye Pope & diuerse other straunge Prynces. And though hitherto ye said Prince hathe deferred to call anye straūges to the succour of the kyng, & of them which it hath pleased hym to permyt to liue according to the reformation of the gospel, neuerthelesse seyng yt hys ennemies haue begon [Page] to cal them in their euill cause, he protesteth yt herafter he wyll not let to vse their aid for the maintenaunce of hys ryght. And so much the rather bicause he is assured, that the conseruation of the kyng and of this realme, is ioined wt the conseruation of hys innocēcy.
Wherupō forasmuchas such warre, which kyndleth dayly more and more, can not but bryng great calamities wt it, the sayd Prynce & hys cōpany protest before God & man not to be giltie therein, but they which haue been the mouers and authors therof. To ye end that ye blame of al the euels & inconueniēces of thys present warr, may redoūde vpō their ennemies which are the beginning and cause therof.
Finally the sayd Prynce willeth and desireth, yt this presēt protestation may serue also to confirme the associatiō which is betwene hym and ye Prīces Lordes, gentlemē and other, which folow hym, and shall hereafter follow. To whō the sayd Prynce promyseth, yt as he hath thys honor to be their head, and seyng yt all the reformed Churches of thys realme haue throwen themselues into hys armes to conserue thē according to ye kynges edicte, against their aduersaries and enemies of this croune: he wil be ye first yt shal geue hys lyfe & his goods, yt the seruice of god may be established in hys puritie, those whiche professe it maintained, the kyng set agayne at hys full libertie, hys [Page] ennemies driuen away, & hys counsell restored according to the lawes & customes of thys realme: & namely the laste requeste of the estates.
Likewise ye sayd Prynce exhorteth & prayeth al hys cōpany to march wyth him fote by fote in ye executiō of so good & holy an enterpryse, hauing respect to ye righteousnesse of the cause, & putting al their force in ye strength of god: so ye being certaine yt fighting for the aduauncement of hys glory, the releuing of hys Churches, the conseruatiō of their king, and the quietnes of their coūtrey; they shal fele the assistaunce & succour of God. Whom ye sayd Prynce and hys cōpany most hartily besecheth to take in hande ye defence of their cause [Page] and for thys effecte to sit in throne of hys iustice, before ye which they present the horryble blasphemies spued out by their ennemies againste hys maiestie, the crueltie whiche they vse against his Churchs, the bloud of so many innocēts which they haue spilt, & their bloudy cōspiracies and dānable enterpryses, agaynste hys glory and ye lyfe of hys childrē and seruauntes. So that receauing into hys protection hys poore people and those whyche mayntayne them, he maye place hys power, iustice, and wysdome, againste the boldnesse, iniquitie, and subtyll deuises of suche as assaile them, and that so by the delyueraunce of hys, he make manifeste to all the worlde, that [Page] he is the succoure of the oppressed, the preseruer of hys Churche, and the iudge of hys ennemies.