t 'i/l^^-
1
SAe//
PEINCETON, N. J. '
Diviiton .^...._. ~.l..-.
Section ^.^ ^ ^
Number \LA':\
/
A COMPENDIOUS r^^' /^2 4-
HISTORY
O F T H E
REFORMATION,
AND OF THE
Reformed Churches in France.
FROM
The Firft Beginnings of the Reformation,
T O T H E
Repealing of theEdidt of NANTZ,
WITH
An ACCOUNT of the late Pcrfecutlon of the
French Proteftants under Lewis XIV. Exjradted
out of the Beil Authorities.
A WORK never before Publifhed.
' — I — II . ... ^— ^— — — .— ^^.^^
By the Reverend
STEPHEN ABEL LAVAL,
One of the Minifters of the United Chapels of CaJlU-Street
and Berwick-firtet.
VOL. IV, BOOK VIL ~
Containing the Hillory of twenty Years, nine Months, and fome
Days, from the 2d of ^«^a/? 1589, to the i4thof iWay 1610.
LONDON:
Printedby H. WooDFALL, fcrthe AUTHOR;
and fold at his Houfe in Cajlle-ftreet, near Cavendifi*
fquare»
M.DCC.XLIir.
'i fl
ADVERT ISEMENT.
THESE two lafi Books y together with the
Appendix y contain the Heighth oj Hap-
pinefs and the Extremity of Mifery of our
Reformed Churches in France. The Seventh Book
treats of all the Difficulties they had to Jiruggle
with before they could obtain the EdiB c/'Nantz ;
and of the XJfe they made of it, when obtained^
during the Reign of that truly great Prince Henry
IV. The Eighth Book treats of the Abufe our hot^
headed Chiefs made of their Liberty ; and of the
Miferies they drew upon them and their Pojierity
by their prepojierous Zeal^ or rather y by their bounds
iefs Ambition or Avarice, In the Seventh ^ook,
you fee, that our Forefathers had not only to jirug-
gle againfi the Malice and Hatred of the Enemies
of every true Frenchman, and the Natural Ene^
mies of the Reformed) I mean the Leaguers^ but aljb
with the Policy of Henry I V'i Council. As one oj the
principal Grievances of the League was the Tolerance
g ranted to the Reformed, and that that Tolerance
Jerved as a main Pretence to the Houfe o/'Guife,
for raifing their Fortune above their Condition, by
exafperating the Catholicks, not only againfi the
Reformed^ but even againfi their own natural King ;
certainly the Kings Council had no kfs Dijicuity
than the Reformed^ to jiruggle wi\hy to fatisfy
Vol. iV. A 2 tl:efe
iv ADVERTISEMENT.
thefe laft in their Demands, how jiift foever they
werey without giving too great an Offence to the o-
thers, who were more powerful, either if you confder
their Number or their ^ality, and the Rank they
did hold in the State, And it is what our Hijlorians,
even ofthofe "Times, much more of our DaySy did
not think proper to confider. If we were intirely
to rely upon D'Aubigne and Benoit, who wrote
above ftxty Tears ajter him, Henry IV. was a
very ungrateful and unjuji Prince, in regard of
his Reformed SubjeSls, becaufe he de?2ied them
things which he could not grant without endan-
gering his Crown, and even his own Life. But
if we do confult Du PleffiSj how zealous fever he
was for his Religion, his Zeal being direBed by a
Chriftian Prudence, how eager foever he was, in
thepurfuit of the Safety and Welfare of the Churches
whereof he was a Me?fiber, we jhall find that Henry
was a Prince, who commanded Love, RefpeSt and
^Tnili from the Refortned, and that not only he pro-
tcBed, but that he loved them. And if we do but
confider the Circumjiances of the Times, he granted
them whatever he could grant with fafety, and thaty
though he was forced out of their Religion in order
to enjoy his Crown with fome earthly Comfort, never-
tbeiejs they tievcr bad before^ much lefs after him, a
better ProteBor. The Divines amongjl us carried
the point about the Anii-Chriji much further than
common Prudence allowed them s and were very
near obliging that Prince to take fever e Meafures
with them ; nevertkelefs he fpared them, knowing
that the Pririciples whereby they were actuated,
were all tending to his own Prefervation, and that
if fome of them had fome other view, they were over-
ruled
ADVERTISEMENT, v
ruled by the far greatejl Number. In oneivord^
there is no true Frenchman, who fiall conjider
the Circumjiances of the Times, who will not readily
allow, that Henry IV. was more fir i6i to his Word,
more good to his SubjeBs^ of what Dettomination
foever, than any of his Predecejfors, or Succejors
have ever been : And that the Reformed lofi in his
Death their only Support next to God. I havefaid^
when fpeaking of his Death, that he expired in
his Coach ; It is the Account given ^^Mezeray and
Perefixe : But the Author of the Memoirs (?/Mary
c/'Medicis'i Regency, and another Author, fay, that
he was carrfd Speechlefs back to the Louvre, and
that he expired in it.
The Eighth Book contains the boijlerous Reign
of Lewk XIII. and that of Lewis XIV. We
find under thefirft, the dreadful Calamities which
the criminal PaJJions of fome leading Men among
us drew upon the whole Reformed Party in France.
Our Enemies knew perfeBly well how to make their
Profit of our inteJiineDivifons, how to foment them
for the Acceleration of our Ruin. Thefe things 1
have thoroughly reprefented in their native Colours j
and if I have given no garter to our Enemies, I
thought myfelf in Duty bound, not to foow more
favour to the Heads of our Party, whenever I
have met them deviating from the grand Prin-
ciples of our Religion, in order to gratify their Am^
■hition. Avarice and other-like unruly Pajfions, X
have had no RefpeBfor Men, let their Birth, Dig-
nities, Charges, Employments, &c. be ever fo much
refpeSlable in themfelves ; none of thefe things
can alter the Nature of Anions, aiid of wicked
and unjufl make them good and juji, y^ J have
A 3 freely
vi ADVERTISEMENT,
freely fpoken my Mind concerning thofe great Metu
who were at the head of the Reformed Party^ when-
ever occafion required it-. How could it be expeSfed
ihat IJhould be lefsfree with our Enemies^ when-
ever Ifind them trampling upon all the Laws, not
only ofjufticey but of Humanity itfelf in order to
gratify their exorbitant and unruly Paffiom ? Me^
thinks it is , enough^ if 1 have not charged them
with what they were not guilty of : Have I done
it? I muji anfwer for itf unlefs by unquejiionable
Authorities Ifiould be able to make the Charge
good. At leaf, I am very fenfible, and always have
l?een foy that 1 could not avoid theCenfure of the
Publickj unlefs the FaSls I do relate Jhould be grounds
edupon theT'efimony of People of a creditable Cha-
ra^er, and lam confcious that I have related none
but what was grounded upon fuch an Evidence,
Indeed I may have been tnifled by my Authorities^
but then it will be want of Judgment , and not a
want of Probity, Now the Authors which I have
made ufe of for compofmg the Hiflory of the Reign
of Henry 7^^ Greats are^ for the mojlpart, thefame^
. as thofe 1 had before irty Eyes^ when I wrote the
former Volumes. Thuanus, Mezeray, The Me-
moirs of the League, The Life of the Conjiable
Les Difguier^, That of the Duke of Efpernon, The
■Life, Letters and Memoirs of Du Pleffis Mor-
nay, D'Avila, D'Offat, Du Perron, Sully, &c. &g.
Some of them, fuch as Thuanus, &c. failed me be-
fore the Death of that incomparable Prince, As
to the Reign of his Succefor, Du Pleffis has been
my Polar Star to the Tear 1623, and whatever
I have found in others, that was either contradiBed
by, or not conjonnable to the Relation given by that
great
ADVERTISEMENT. Vii
^rect Man^ when be /peaks as A£for^ cr as Spe^a^.
tor, I took it for granted, that it was not true,
and confequently, I thought -proper either to omit
it, or to cenfure it. But that great Light of our
Kef ormed Churches was put out in 1623, and 1
dare fay, that as to Integrity, Uprightnefs ofMind^
0r Impartiality, I could not fupply his Place by any
other » T^he Memoirs of the Duke of "Rc^Xi, Pon-
tis, BafTompierre, Battifta Nani'i Hijiory ^/^ Venice,
Le Vaflbr'j Hijiory of Lewis XIV. are the chief
Dire6lors which I have followed in writing the
remaining Part of the Life of that Prince, As
we came nearer ourl'imes, I met with more Darknefs^
at leaf as to the certainty offeveral things, which
I took to be written with too great a Partiality^
and too little Caution in difcerning the ^ruthi
therefore I ^thought proper to confine myfelf to fome
general Matters confirmed by the concurrent Tefti'^
mony of federal Authors contemporary, who havi
<writtenfome Tears after e/tch other y/iiCh as Claude,
Jurieu, Bancillon, Benoit, &c. In truth, being
creditabfj^ informed, that though they were cotem*
porary^ Ofid have written all of them abdut our
Affairs in the interval of i^ Tears^ neverthelefs^
they had not copied one after another, I have taken
it for granted, that whatever .was confirmed by
the .concurrent ^efiimony of three of thlm, and not
xon^radi6ied by the others, was certainly true-, and
having found Matters enough grounded upon fuch
an Rvtdence MS well as upon publick Records, 1
thought Xfhould oluige the Reader, did I abjiraSl as
much out of thefe Authors as was fufficient to in"
form him <f the manifold unnatural Injuftices we
had to fnffer wider that perfidious King^ without
A 4 ^r,r,r^\ii tiring
viii A D VE R T I S E M E NT.
tiring his Patience. For that reafon it isythat after
having, run over thejirji 36 Tears of the tyrannical
Reign of Lewis XIV. 1 have fet forth under eight
general Heads, the fever ai Methods made ufe of ^ for
tompafjirtg our Ruin \ howfoever tinjufl and wicked,
andalmof incredible, they might appear to the Rea~
der, they are hmsoever certainly true, grounded upon
Matters of FaSl well attejled. I don't repent, and
confequently 1 don't, ncrljharit beg my Reader's
Far don, for, having fpoken of Lewis XIV. and of
bis Clergy, in the Strain I have done-, I confider,
and always have > confidered, and Jhall confider the
firfi as the Plague of. Mankind, defigned by the Al-
Tnighty to be the Rod of his Indignation upon' the
JSfations , who did not reverence his Holy Name,
like the Aflur of old. . As to the others, though fome
among /i them, fuch as Cardinal Le Camus,, Bijhop
^Grenoble, the good Bijhop of Pons, and fome few
athersmuji , be excepted from the general Rule -, I
look upon all the reft as a Pack of Hounds, thirfty
after the Blood of Saints, and who defer ved no better
than to be named with Mxecration throughout all
the future Ages of the World; arid indeed their
Words .and. Works fuficientlyfhow what they were]
As to my Appendix, few Pages e accepted, it is wholly
"dbfira^ed out of a Manufcrtpt Memoir, written by
the Rev. ^Mr.. GraveroUes, , one of my Predecejfors
in the two Lhited Chapels ^Xaftle-ftreet andBev^
'Wick-(ivQCt,:and which he had defigned fir rthe Prefs.
^He had. been 'Minijler in the Church o/' Nimes, and
his Cir cum /lances enabled him to be thoroughly in^
formed of the 'Truth of what he has written.
I have nothing more to fay, thadi to refer my Rea-
der to the Errata ; and to reme'fnber^-that I ajna
Frenchman. ' " An
An Additional List of fbme Subfcribers.
I S Grace the Duke of Montagu.
********
H
The Honourable Colonel Schutz.
The Honourable Colonel Cockrain,
The Honourable Colonel De Veil.
De Crepigni^ Efq;
John Horn, Efq;
Mr. John Grant.
Madam Lloyd.
Mrs. Cajimir.
Girardot StampJe^ Efqj
^— r- Ropfer, Efq;
THE
THE
CONTENTS oftheSeventhBooK.
INTRODUCriON. UeKing ofl^avmem^
fulls what to do. ^he Switzers do acknowledge
him. l!he Catholick Lords of the Army confuU
together. They agree to acknowledge Henry upon
certain Terms. The King accepts of them. EVAvilaV
Mijlake. Mr. BenoitV wrong Notion. Efpernon leaves,
the Army. What faffed at Paris at that time, Tht
Duke of MayenneV Meafures. He proclaims the Car-
dinal of Bourbon King <7/ France. Proceedings ofMar-
fbal de Matignon at Bourdeaux. "Degree pf the Pan
liament (?/ Thouloufe. The King ^Mifes the Siege of
Paris, he marches to Compiegne, he divides his Army.
He marches into Normandy. Cardinal of Bourbon
is transferred to Fontenay. The King feigns to be-
Jiege Kou^n. He marches /^Argues, MayenneV y^r-
my worfied. The King marches towards Paris, and
florms the Suburbs thereof. He decamps. Great In-
jufiice cf the Leaguers at Paris. The King receives
at Eftampes the ^leen Dowager*s Petition, he divides
his Army, and marches towards the Loire. The Swifs
Cantons prvmife him their Afjifiance. Vendomeform^
ed. The King comes to Tours. The Republick of Ve-
nice acknowledges his Title. Tumults at Thouloufe.
Sedition at Limoges. The Reformed held a Political
Afjembly at Angely. The Pope's Legate arrives in
France. The King's Progrefs. His Politicks. The
Sorbonne'j Proceedings againji him. SpainV Endea-
vours to objiruEi the King. Battle cf Yvri. Confe-
quences thereof. IfToire in Auvergne taken by the Roy-
alifis. The King's Progrefs. Mayenne feigns to be
willing to come to an Agreement. Du Pleflis'j Intrea-
ties in behalf of the Reformed. Paris blocked up.
The Siege raifed. The King breaks his Army. Six-
tus
Contents of the Seventh Book. tl
tus Y*s Death, fucceeded by Urban VII. and by Gre-
gory XIV. State of the Provinces^ Languedoc, of
Guienne, of Dauphine, 0/ Provence. The Leaguers
Army's Operations. Divers Fa ^ ions in the King*s and
the Leaguers Party. A new Scheme for a religious Peace
approved^ but delayed. Du Pleffis'j Remonfirance to
the King. James AmiotV Death, fome Account of him,
De Chandieu*j Death, fome Account of him. The King
bejieges Chartres, and takes it. The King*s Perplexities.
The Pope excommunicates the King and his Adherents^
The Pope's Bull condemned at Chaalons. The Parlia-
ment of Tours went further. The King's EdiSi in Be-
half of the Reformed. AJfembly of the Clergy at Mantes,
transferred to Chartres, Refolutions of the faid Af-
Jembly. The King's Anfwer. The Duke of Guife'j ^f-
cape. Glorious Feats ^/ Les Diguieres. The Pope's
Army enters the Kingdom. Marriage <7/Turenne with
the Heirefs of Sedan. Pope Gregory *i Death, Inno-
cent IX. fucceeds. Great Commotion at Paris. Pre-
Jident Briflbn and two Counfellors hanged at PaHs.
Four of thejixteen hanged at Pkris. Siege <?/"Roueh.
Innocent'i Death, and fucceeded by Clement VIH.
The King fummons Rouen, but in vain. Marfhal of
Biron'i Death, and Chara^er. The Count de Cha-
tillonV Death, and Chara^er. The Duke of Mont-
penfier'j Death. Taking of Efpernay and Provins, &c.
The Clergy renew their Injiances to the King. A De-
putation fent to Rome. State of the two Parties,
Mzyenne fummons the General States. The King's Aitxie-
tieSi MayQunQ's Declaration. The King' sAufwer. Decla-
ration of the Royalifi Lords. The Spanilh Ambaffador*s
Offers to the States. The King is follicited to turn
Catliolick. Some further Tranfaffions at Paris. Con-
ferences at Surenne. Proceedings of the Spanifli Emf-
faries in the States. The King's Anxieties. The King's
Tnfiru^ioM. He abjures the Reformed Religion at St,
Dennis. Reflexions upon that Event. Du PleflisV Letter
to the King. Reflexions upon that Letter. Du Pleflis*/
Conference
Xli Contents of the Seventh Book.
Conference with the King. 'The Deputies of the Re-
formed arrive at Mantes ; admitted to the King's Au-
dience ; Articles confented to in their Behalf. Several
Occurrences fince the King*s Change, Barriere'j Attempt^
^ruce with the Leaguers^ ^een Elizabeth'^ Letter to
the King, Council of Trent rejedled by the States. The
War renewed. Several Provinces and Cities acknow-
ledge the King, Paris furrenders. Several others fol-
low the Example <?/ Paris. Sad Condition of the Re-
formed. The thirteenth National Synod. Apolitical
. Ajfembly of the Reformed. Death of Cardinal o/Bour-
. bon, and of D'O. Chafterj Attempt upon the King.
War proclaimed againfi Spain. Affembly at Saumur.
Some Occurrences of this Tear. The Pope grants
the King his Abfolution. Cruel MaJJacre of the Re-
. formed at Chaftaigneray. Mayenne fubmits to the
King. Afj'embly of the Reformed at Loudun. The
fourteenth National Synod. Several Occurrences of this
Tear. Continuation of the Political Affembly at Ven-
dome. Some further Conjiderations upon that Affair.
Caufes of the King's Delays. Occafions of the Jealou-
Jies of the Reformed. Occafions of the King's grant-
ing at lafl the Edi5l of Nantz. Some general Con-
fiderations upon that Edi5}. Chara^er of fome of the
chief Managers thereof, of Gafpard of Schomberg,
<7/"Sofrede Lord of QdXignon, of James AuguftusThua-
nus, of the Duke of Sully, of the Duke of La Tre-
jnouiile, of EyAubigne, of the Rev. Mr. Chamier.
How the Ediff was received in the Provinces. The
fifteenth National Synod. Peace of Vervins. King
' Philip*J Death. Marriage of Madame., Sifler to the
King. The Edict of Nantz regiftered in Parliament.
A Cheat of the Clergy. The Pope feigns to be much
■ offended agair.ft the King. The King's fruitlefs En-
deavGurs to have the Council of Trent publifhed. He
reflores Mafs in Beam. The King's Divorce from
' ^een Margaret. Conference at Fontainbleau between
Du PJeffis and Du Perron. The Kingsjealoufy again]}
Contents of the Seventh Book. xui
Du Pleffis. WarofSzvoy^ Reafons thereof. The King's
Marriage. Execution of the Edi5i. The ^een Dowager*s
Death. The fifteenth National Synod. The King forbids
Commerce with Spain, he goes to Calais. Birth of a Dau-
phin. A political Affembly at St. Foy. The young Count
of ChatillonV Death and Character. Dangerous Motions
in the Kingdom. The King goes to Poitiers to appeafe them.
Marjhal c/BIron'j Plot dtf covered, he comes to Court, he
is arrefied, he is examined, and tried, he is condemned^
and executed. The Duke of Y^ouiWon accufed. The Scala-
do of Gtntva. The Reformed of France intercede for the
Z)«l^<?/ Bouillon; ^een Elizabeth does the fame, ^een
Elizabeths Death. The EleSfor Palatine writes in Bouil-
lon*^ behalf. The Duke (j/" Rohan' j Preferment. The ]e^
fuits rejiored in the Kingdom. The i jth National Synod,
'R.o{mfentAmbafj'ador to England. The Due hefs of Bar* s
Death, ^eries propofed by the J efuit Cotton to a pof'
feffedMaid. Cardinal D'Oiht's Death. L*Hofte*i Trea-
fon. The Count of Auvtrgnt' s Plot difcovered; he and his
Accomplices are arrcfled^ tried, and condemned, the King
mitigates the Sentence. Mutual Sufpicions of the King and
the Reformed fomented by their Enemies. The King grants
the Reformed a Licence for holding a Political Ajjembly,
Pope Clement VIPj Death. lueoXl.fucceeds him', his
Death. Paul Y.fucceeds him. Some RcJle£fions againji
the Compilers of Rofni*^ Memoirs. Philip of NafTau re^
leafed from his long Confinement in Spain. Tranfa5iions of
the Political Affcmbly. The King marches into Guienne.
Rofni'jf// Offices to Du Pleffis. New ViSiory of the Je-
fuits <2/ Paris. Affembly of the Clergy. RoCn'i created Duke
cf Sully. The King marches to hefiege Sedan. Reconci-
liation of the King with the Duke .^/Bouillon. Treaty witB
the Rochelefe. Several other Occurrences. Gunpowder
Treafon. The]duns Attempt ^/ Rochelle. The iSth
National Synod. Du PlefTis'j Conference with the King,
parrel between the Venetians and the Pope adjtified.
Conferences propofed for the Re-union of the two Re-
ligions, The Duke of Sully follicited to turn Papift.
Some
xiv Contents of the Eighth Book.
Borne Commotions in Poitou, &c. A Political AJjembly at
Gergeau. JJfembly of the Clergy at Paris. Marriages
at Court. Truce for 12 Tears between Spain and the
United Provinces. Petitions of the Kdormtd favour-
ably anfwered. The nineteenth National Synod. Les
Diguieres promoted to the MarJhaPs Staff. The Ex-
puljion of the Morifcoes from Spain. The King^s vajl
Preparations for the Execution of his great Dejign,
His Scheme. The Means he employed to execute it. His
Preparations. He is upon the point of beginning. His
march deferred. He is murdered j his Chara^er,
CONTENTS of the Eighth Book.
THE deceafed King is fadly lamented by all true
Frenchmen. The ^leen-Mother is declared Re-
gent. Great Jealoufies at Court. RavailJac tried ;
affected Negligence in the Profecution. Ravaillac's
Trials Condemnation^ and Execution. Proceedings of
the Parliament againfi the Doctrine of the Jefuits.
The Jefuits are expofed to the Cenfure of the Preachers.
The King's Funeral. The Prince of Conde arrives at
Court. The Regency, may be conftdered under four
different Shapes. Juliers relieved. The ^een repeals
fever al Money- Bills. SuWy' s Imprudence. The Duke
of Bouillon^ Behaviour. Du Pleffis Mornay'j Gene-
rofity^ The King's Declaration confirming the Edi£l of
Nantz. Some Obfervations upon the fame. 2"/6(? Re-
formed fend their Deputies to Court. They think of
their own Safety ; they refolve to ajk a Political Af-
fembly. Reafons againfi it. Licence for holding a
Political Affembly granted. The King^s Coronation. Siil-
ly'j Refignation of his Offices. Bellarmine'j Book con-
demned by the Parliament. The Nuncio'j Complaints
again}} the Parliament's Decree, Jefuit Aubigny'j
fudden Death. Preparations for the Political Affem-.
hly \ they open their Sefftons ; their Proceedings. In-'
JirufHons given to the Reprefentatlves, Some Covft-
deratioas
Contents of the Eighth Book. xv
derations about that AJfemhly. Pamphlets puhlijhed a-
gainft it. Caufes of our Misfortunes^ i. Ambition and
Avarice of the great Men. 2. The King and ^e en-
Mother* s Character. Du Pleffis'j Book cenfured. The
Vuke of Savoy' J Defigns upon Geneva. Devices of the
Court againji the Reformed ; they fend Deputies to
Court, Some Reflections upon the Marfhal of Bouillon's
Condu^. Endeavours to procure a Reconciliation. Rafh-
pefs of the Duke 0/ Rohan. The Duke <?^ Bouillon Am-
haffador in England. The twentieth National Synod,
Succifs of the Mediator's Negotiations. Some Reflect
tions upon the whole Affair. Death of the Count of
Soiflbns. J^econciliation of Du Pleffis with Rohan.
Some Broils at Saumur compofed. Juftice done by the
Chamber of the Edi5l at f*aris. An Edi£i in behalf of
t^e Bijhop of Montpellier. The Prince of Cou^lQ with
his Adherents abfent from Court. The Princess Mani-
fejlo \ the keen's Anfwer. She prepares to oppofe the
Prince. The Prince follicits the Reformed -, but in vain.
The Prince treats with the ^een^ and concludes. The
twenty-firfl National Synod. Some Account of Ferrier.
Suarez'j Book branded by the Parliament of Paris.
The Pope exafperated at it. The Court's Journey in-
to Britainy. New Br oils at Court, Remonjirances.
of the Parliament, The Reformed folli cited by the Prince.
Of Les Difguieres. The Court infifls as to the Place
of the Political Affembly. The Court yields^ and ap^
points Gergeau. The Reformed deftre Grenoble, which
is granted. Retreat of the Prince^ &c. from Court.
Fruitlefs Negociations for his Return. The King fets
out for his Journey into Guienne ; and publifhes a De^
claration againfi the Prince, &c. ICs Inefficacy on
account of the petulant Spirit of the Clergy. Du Pleflis'j
good Advices. Why ineffeffual. Proceedings of the
Affembly <?/ Grenoble. '2 hey fend fame Deputies to the
King ; their Demands partly favourably anfwer ed\
hut not to the Satisfaction of the Deputies. They write
to the Duke of Rohan, ixiho fooUfhly refolves to take
up.
xvi Contents of the Eighth Book.
up Arms. Tranfa^ions of the AJfembly. Rohan dejires
the Prote5fion of the f aid Affemhly \ which is imprudently
'^ranted. The Churches difown this Proceeding of the Af~ ■
femhly. The Affemhly remove themf elves to Nimes. They
fend fame Deputies to the King. The two Princeffes wed~
ded by Proxy. A Proclamation againji the Prince and his
Adherents. The Deputies of Nimes admitted to the King*s
Audience. The Afj'embly difobey the King's Orders^ and
treat with the Prince. The Count of Candale turns Re-
formed. Exchange of the two Princeffes. A Truce be-
tween the King aud the Prince. The Court arrives at
Tours. Conferences of 'Lon^nn. Edi^ of BWis -, which
is verified by the Parliament. New Broils at Court. The
Prince is arrejied. Comjnotions in the Provinces upon that
Account. The Rochellefe attacked by the Duke <?/Efper-
non i who flights the King's Orders. The Rochellefe con-
vene the Circle. They obtain Satisfa5iion. But for all that
G general Affembly is appointed by them. The Court diffem-
bles itsReJentment, The Court raifes three Armies againfi
the Malecontents. Marjhal D'Ancre murdered ; his Cha^
raster. The ^een-Mother is exiled. Great Changes at
Court. The Prince* sStibmiJfions to the King. DuPleflisV
Letter of Congratulation to the King. Political Affembly
at Rochellej they fend their Deputies to Court. They are
j-ot admitted to an Audience. The twenty-fecond National
■Synod. Cotton theKin^s Confeffor removed., andhxnQxxyi
vut in hisftecd •, he preaches a feditious Sermon at Court.
Du Mouli n'j Anfwer. He isprofecuted for it. Affembly
of the Clergy. An Edi5f of the Council for rejloring the
Roman Religion^ &c. in Beam. Cofpean'j Speech to
the King. The Bearnefe oppofe the Edi5i. Affembly of the
Notables at Rouen. Villeroy*J Death. Continuation of
the Affairs <?/ Beam. Du Perron'j Death. Affairs
of the Seven United Provinces. Continuation of the
Affairs o/Bearn. The ^een- Mother's Flight from Blois.
l^egocialwns with her. She concludes a Treaty with her
Son. Continuation cf the Affairs c/ Holland. Trial
and. Condemnation of the Pnjcncrs -of State in Holland.
Prince
Contents of the Eighth Book. xvii
Prince o/Conde is fet at liberty. Political AJfembly
at Loudun. New Broils at Court. The ^een-Mo-
ther forms a ftrong Party. The King takes the Field*
He fubdues Normandy. He forces his Mother to ac-
cept of his Terms. Interview of the King and his Mo-
ther. He goes to Bourdeaux. He ftimmons the Bear-
nefe to fubmit j he marches into Beam -, he returns to
Paris. Some general Obfervations upon the Affairs of
Beam. The twenty-third National Synod, Mr. Be-
noit cenfured. Affairs of the Ele5lor Palatine. The
Political Affembly c/Rochelle; they fend an humble
Addrefs to the King \ who refufes to receive it. Some
Conftderations about the Caufes of the Misfortunes be-
fallen the Kt^ovm^di. Primary Caufe. Secondary Caufes.
Petition of Favas. Rohan and Du Pleffis defired to be
Mediators. They accept : and/it upon Bufinefs. The Affem-
bly follows Favas'j bad Counfels. Du Pleffis'i Opinion
upon the Articles propofed by the Affembly, The Court
offended at Fa.vas, and the Confequence of it. The
Beamefe'j i^^d'W/. Ejfpernonfent tofupprefs it. Con^
ferences continued. The King fet s out from Paris, and
iffues forth a Decree. Lu'ines declared High Conffable
<?/" France. A way devifed by Du Pleffis /«r compound-
ing the Differences. Grievances complained of by the
Affembly. Seditions ^J'Tours ; which adds new Fuel to
the Difcontent at Rochelle. The Court marches
andfeizeSa.umur. Some Remarks on the Dealing of the
Court with Du Pleffis. Apology of this laft. Firfi
Civil War of Religion under Lewis XIII. Siege and
Surrender of St. John. Breach of Faith. The King* s
Progrefs in Guienne. He receives a Brief of the Pope,
Montauban befieged. Negociations for Peace. The Con-
fablers Death. His Cbara5fer. Mifunderftandings be-
tween Rohan and Chatillon. Sedition at Paris. Conde
and the new Minifiers infijl upon the Continuation of
the War. Exploits of the two Parties. The King's
great Succefs, NegreplifTe put to Fire and Sword.
Les Diguieres turns Papifty and is made High Conftable.
Vol. IV. a Some
xviii Contents of the Eighth Book.
'^ome Confiderations upon the State of the Reformed.
5/>^^ 0/ Montpellier. Treaty of Peace concluded. T^he
Reformed accept of it. Their Bill of Grievances pre-
fented to the King ; illufortly anfwered. The Duke of
Rohan arrejled -, and releafed. A Citadel built at
Montpellier, A Km^s Commifficner to he prefent at
the Synods. The twenty-fourth National Synod. Some
other Occurrences of the Tear 162^. Death of feve-
ral great Men, Juch as the Duke of Bouillon, Du
PlefTis, Prejident Jeannin^fifc. T.e. King's new Declara'
tion. Injufiices of the ConimJf:oners fent into the Pro-
vinces. Forerunners of a new Civil War. Revolu-
tions at Court. Second Civil V/ar. Some Reflexions
upon it. Overtures for a Peace. Rout of Soubize.
Peace made by the Mediation of the Kmg of Eng-
land. EdiX of Peace. Cor.d.'.^ of Richelieu. Peace
with Spain. Afhort View of the Affairs of the Val-
teline. Treaty of Monjon. The twenty-fifth Natio-
nal Sy no i. The CovfiabWs D^ath. Preparations for
a third Civil IV ar. Roche! ie beficged \ furrenders by
Ccfpitu'a'tion. Articles thereof. Affairs of the Duke
of Rohan. The King's Ex i edition into Italy. His
Return into the Cevennes. v Conferences at Anduze.
Some general Reflexions upon ■ thefe three Civil Wars.
A Colletlion of Memoirs y AXs, -pfeedSi &c. EdiX of
Nimes /» 1629. Situation of the Reformed. Seve-
ral Injufiices and Vexations. Confufions at Court. Pro-
je5is of Re-union. The twenty-fixth National Synod.
Loyalty of the Reformed. The Duke of Montmorency
beheaded. Bi/h'ops degraded. Death of Guftavus A-
dolphus, Rejioration of Frivas. Aubertin*j Book.
Other Vexations. Brok concerning the Rights of the.
Kings c/ France j anfwered. hijufices done to the Re-
formed. The great Afjizes. Urfulines ^Loudun, The
young Duke of BouW.on turns Papiji. Affemhly of the
Clergy. Vexations. The twenty -feventh National Sy-
nod. S . Mars*j Speech ; his InJlruXicns ; anfwered by
the Moderator. France put under the Virgin*.f Pro-
tCoJion.
Contents of the Seventh Book. xix
U^ionj Rohan*i Death. Lewis XIV. hrn. Vexa-
tions. The Irifh Majfacre. Death of Mary of Medi-
cis. Treaty of Madrid. Richelieu' j Death. Lewis
XIir5 Death. Lewis XIV. fucceeds. Edm of Nantz
confirmed. The Reformed always vexed. The Duke of
Bouillon' J //^i?/. The King takes pffeffion of Sedan.
Bope Innocent X. fucceeds Urban Vllf. The twenty-
eighth National Synod. Vexations continued. Affembly
of the Clergy. Tancrede'i Story. New Vexations.
Conde'j Death, Efp^rnon (ind SuWy' s Death. The
Reformed better itfed at Court, Peace of Munfter. Ci-
vil War. Charles I'i Death. Refqrmed courted by the
Court. Prifon of the Princes. Herward made Su-
per-Intendant. Unjujl Regulations at Poitiers. Re-
newing of th^ Civil War. Complaifance of the Court
for Cromwell, Majority of Lewis XIV. Fidelity of
t^e Reformed. Paris fubmits. Lewis'i Coronation.
Ruvigni Deputy-General Innocent ^/>j", and is fuC'
ceededby hX^yL^vAzxVW. Perfecution c/ /^^ Walden-
fts. Lewis'j Tefiimony in Behalf of his Reformed Sub^
je^s. Affembly of the Clergy in France. Several De-
clarations of the Council. Belloi'j 5c<?^. Provincial Sy-
nod of Montpazier. The twenty-ninth and laft Natio-
nal Synod. The Cardinal's Letter to the Synod. Bill
cf Grievances. Abominable Suggefiions of the Roman
Clergy. Of Caillon de la Touche. The Verfions of
Serif ture branded. Several Decrees. Cruelties againfi
Montauban. Againfi Rocheile. Againfi Milhaud.
College of C^{{vQs given to the jQCuits; and ^; Nimes.
Cruelties at Vriv^s. Several unjuji Decrees. Dut chefs
of Rohan'j Generoftty. Lewis XIV'j Anfwer to the
£^f^<?r<7/Brandenbpurg. A Deputation to Court. Some
Favour (hewed to the Reformed. Of Marcilli. A
Declaration forbidding to go out of the Kingdom. Ta-
rente ^;z^ Turenne turn Cathclicks. Of the Rev. Dr.
Charles Drelincourt •, his CharrMer. Projects of Re-
union. Refle5iions thereupon. Vacancies at ChzvQnton.
Of the Rev. Dr. Daille. Clement IX 'j Death, fucceed-
€d
XX Contents of the Eighth Book.
ed by Clement X. Tranjlation of the Chamber of Caf-
tres. Deputies of the Reformed fent to the Baftile.
War againfi the Dutch. Minijiers^ &c. profecuted in
Gmenne. PelifTon'i Inhumanity. Ways for making
Frofelytes. Chevalier of RohanV Plot. TurenneV
Death. "The Count of Schomberg made Marfhal of
France. Clement X. ^z>j. Innocent XI. yz/a^^^J. «^^-
•veral Injuftices. Ruvlgni the Son fucceeds his Father
as Deputy-General. Ruin of the Reformed refolved.
Several Injujiices and Perfecutions. Half parted Cham-
bers fuppreffed. Mafs reftored at Geneva. Eight
Heads of Perfecution. I. Law Suits. II. Depriving
of Employments. III. Miffionaries. IV. Taking azvay
of Children. V. Perfecutions againfi Minifters^ infi an-
ted in fever al. VI, Perfecutions againfi Churches^ in-
ftanced in fever al. VII. Perfecutions againfi Books,
asid by Books. Vlll. Military Executions. Revocatory
Ediff of Fontd.mhka.u, Odlober 22. 1685. A^. S.
Contents of the Appendix.
I. /^^ F the Dragoonade. Of Mr. Le Jeune'j Suf-
\^ ferings. Of Mr. De La Magdelaine. Samuel
Query. Of Mrs. Fie- Fontaine. Mr. Charpentier.
ikfr. Renaud. 0/ Afrj. Tanon. 0/ Mr. Palmentier.
Of James Ryau. Offeveral Ladies and Gentlewomen.
Of Mr. Beauregard. Of the Rev. Dr. James Pine-
ton o/Chambrun. 0/ Mri. Belly. II. Of the Pri-
fons and other naufeous Places. Of Dr. Jortin. Of
the Marquis ^/Rochegude. Of La Fiafleliere, a Pri-
fon. III. Of the Houfe of Propagation at Ufez. Of
the Manufactory at Bourdeaux. Of Frances Paftre.
Of fever al other Women. Of the Hofpital of Valence.
Siiferings of Mrs. La Farrelle. Of Mr. Menuzet.
I V. Of the Galleys. V. Of Tranfportation. VI. Of tbofe
that have fuffered Death. VJl. Of the dragging of
Corpfes after Death. The King's Declaration concerning
Religion of May 14. 1724. Some Reflexions upon it.
0^ ERRATA
ERRATA in the Seventh Book
p. Page. I. Line. i. infiead. r. reatl.
P36. /. 12. t. of which, Chambers, r. inftead of
which Chambers. />. 39. /. 23. Bois Dauphine,
• r. Bois- Dauphin, p. 56. /. 35. able Hand. r. able
toftand. p. 80.1. 4. Family Barons, r. Family, the Ba-
rons, p. 110. /. 15. Fever had produc'd. r. Fever pro-
ceeded, p. 119. /. 6. would yield, r. would have yield.
/. 153. /. 8. near at an end. r. near at hand. p. 170.
/. 34. Caftle Z)yo«. r. Caftle of Dijon, p. 173. /. 15.
Prastors. r. Proftors. p. 176. /. 19, 20. what they ought
to be done. p. 194. 20, 21. wonder'd if. r. won-
der'd that. /. 276. /. 4. related, r. relating. /. 394.
/. 21. they took down their Ladders, r. they took to
their Ladders, p. 415. /. 20. the Senate, r. the Synod.
/. 419. /. 13. her Children, r. her Child. p.A^^z.l. 3.
fufFered him to remain not. r. fufFercd him not to re-
main. /- 453- /. II, 12. thought to fay. r. thought
proper to fay. p. 458. /. 34. opened this Seflions. r.
opened their Seflions. p. 462. The 3d Article is fome-
what ambiguous; my meaning is, that Mf/Ww was cal-
led for to be one of the Minillers oi Rochdle. /. 463.
/. 32. La Miraude. r. La Mirande.
ERRATA in the Eighth Booh
P504. /. 24, 25. the like feen. r. the like was
feen. p. 517. /. 8. Ihining. r. fhined. p. 530.
• /. 12, 13. common Executioner's Sentence of the
Parliament, r. common Executioner's hand, by Sentence,
^'"* P- 553- ^- 23- cruel y. r. cruelly, p. 554, / 14.
Nantes, r. Mantes, p. 563. /. 6. Cattino. r. Cattiuo',
p. S77- the Note L E A R. r. D E A R. ^. 582. /. 14.
earnefty. r. earneftly. There mufl be fome miltake as to
the Sums allow'd as a gratuity both to Mr. Charmier and
Mr. Perrin • thefe differing from what had been al-
lowed, but not paid fome Y"ears before by another S)^
nod. I have followed ^icFs Synodicon. p. 584. /. 9,
and fuppofed them. r. luppofed them. p. 606. 1. 14-
obfcure Birth, r, uncertain, p. 644. /. 29. to be feared,
was i^c. r. to be feared lell k3c. p. 653. /. 27. and
fpoke but very little wifer i^c. r. and fpoke, but was
a little wifer i^c. f. 721. /. 8, 9. not the Inhabi-
tants ^c. r. not that the i^c. p. 723. /. 12. with much •
ERRATA.
&€. r. with as much ^c. p. yi^. I. 12, Till this tiniA
^c. r. Till now &c. p. 729. /. 20. formerly oppofed.
r. formerly had oppofed. p. 741. /. 38. feveral of the
Members, r. feveral Members, p. 755. /. 22. to tend.
r. to come. p. 846. /. 15. D* Ancre was of a noble Ex-
tradlion, ^c. See what I fay in the Preface upon that
Subjeft. /. 853. /. XI. who by their means Isjc, r,
who by the Intrigues of the two firft ^c. p. 864. /.
7,8. granting, r. granted. /. 868. /. 22. built ^r. r.
burnt ^^t. p. 911. /. 3. The firft. r. The fifth, p.
928. /. 8. for though he had. r. though they had. p.
1007. /. 13. vindiftve. r. vindidlive. p. 1008. /. 27.
_ or in the lafl Year. r. the Year before, p. 1013. /. i. con-
trary— againft. r. contrary — to. p. 1026. /. 2;. fup-
preffed. r. attacked. /. 26. Liio. r. Luc. Sancede. r.
Saucede. p. 1027./. H- Provifion. r. Divifion. p. 1044.
/. 32. Pro'vence. r. Province, p. 1047. ^- ^4- had fet an
Edge lS!c. r. had for many Years together whetted the
Ax, which at laft fevef'd his Head. p. 1051. /. 7. a-
gainft their Government, r. the Government, p. 1076.
/. 26. II. They were allowed Iffc. r. That they fhould
be allow'd ^f. ^.1104./. 10. '^95' ''•'S95- t- noQ-
I. z\. Anne. r. Mary. p. \\b- /• 37. whereas, r. becaufe.
p. \ 169. /. 14, 15. Printer, r Bookfellei'.
£ R RATA in the Appendix.
Pio /. 8. between it iff ^. r. between them. /•• 43.
• /. 8. and then he would, r. and then they would;
iV". B. I have omitted to fpeak of Marfhal
a Ancre in the Preface ; concerning whom Ifay,-
/>. 846, that he was of a Noble lixtraflion : It
is the Account given by Bajjompterre of that
famous Favourite, and whom I had notconfulted
as yet, when I have faid in the feventh Book,
that he was of a mean Extraction ; I had then
before mea Golledion of Pamphlets, or rather
Libels, publifhed againft the Miniftry under
the Minority of Z,^^;V XIII. Bajjomperre is
rather to be credited.
mSTORY
HISTORY
OF THE
REFORMATION,
AND OF THE
Reformed Churches in France.
The Fourth and Laft Volume.
Containing the Hijiory of ninety-fix Years,
two Months, and nine Days frotn the zd
o/'Augufl 1589, to the nth o/^Odober
1685.
Book VII.
Containing the Hijiory of twenty-one Tears, nine
Months, and thirteen Days, from the Ac-
ceffwn c/ Henry IV. to the Crown 0/ France,
on the id of Auguft 1589, to his Death,
which happened on the i^th c/May i6io.
m » -^HIS REIGN is divided into two j
■ P^^^s- ^^^ ^'^^ contains nine introdua.
I Years wanting two Months, from
M the 2d of Auguji 1589, to the Peace
of Vervins, fworn unto by King
Henry lY. at the beginning of June 1598.
The fecond, contains the remaining part of his
Life, about twelve Years. The firft Part was
exceedingly thorny, confufed, and perplexed,
till he was acknowledged King of France by
Vol. IV fi ^^^
Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l 1 V.
Introduft. all his Subjeds, throughout the whole King-
dom •, for during ail that Time, the moft im-
pudent and paffionate Leaguers, ftyled him
only THE Bearnese, fome more moderate,
THE Prince of Bearn, and the nobleft
Title beftowed upon him by fome others of the '
Catholick Party was that of King orNA'-
varre. That Part offers to our Sight a
horrid Scene of the moft unjuft Paffions, dif-
playing by turns their direful Effeds, Hatred,
Ambition, Avarice, Blind Zeal, Rebellion,
Difloyalty, Treafon, Fury, Rapacioufnefs.
But HENRY having been trained up in Ad-
veriities, and fed as it were upon bitter Roots
from his Cradle to the prefent Times, extricated
himfelf by hard Labour out of all thefe Diffi-
culties, and tafted at laft the fweet Fruits of
his Magnanimity.
No Prince in France had had fo little pro*
fpedl of ever fucceeding to that Crown, as our
Henry had at his Birth -Day, for tho* he was
defcended in a right mafculine Line from
Lewis IX. alias St. Lewis, by Robert Cotint of
Clermont in Beauvflijis, his youngeft Son, who
married Beatrix, Daughter and Heirefs of Ag-
nez of Bourbon, Heirefs of Archenibaud Lord
of Bourbon ; yet at this time he was related to
the Crown, but in the tenth or eleventh De-
gree, and there were fix Princes between himfelf
and the Throne when he was born in 1553,
v'^t:. YJw.^^Hcnry IL who was then but '2,^ Years
eld, his four Sons, Francis IL Charles IX.
Henry \\\. Fr<?»m Duke of Alen^on, and his
own Father Anthony King o{ Navarre who was
then but ^-^ Years old. Neverthelefs his Right
was thought fo indifputable by the greateft part
of the People, that had it not been for his Re-
ligion, he would have met with no other Op-
pofition
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France.^ 3
pofition to the full Enjoymeht thereof, butHenrylV.
from thofe of the Leaguers that adhered to j.^p^'.
the Houle or Lorram^ which could not op- ^us V.
pofe him long, being too inconfiderable. u— v-^
In fpeaking of the firft part of this Reign, I
fhall confine my felf to what relates more near-
ly to my main Defign, as to the Battles, Fights,
Encounters, Sieges, abortive Negociatidns,
^c. Of all thefe Things only by the way.
As foon as the King was dead, his Navar- II.
refe Majefty returned to his own Quarters at '^^e King
Metidon^ attended by fome of his Confidents % "f^^-
there he confulted with them about what was yj^/^j, ^^^g
to be done in the prefent Emergency, fome ad- to do.
vifed him to raife the Siege of Paris, and retire
to 'Tours with fuch Troops of the royal Ar-
my as would follow him, befides his own ;
at firft the King inclined to it, fearing left by
endeavouring to preferve the Northern Coun-
tries, he fliould be in danger of lofing both the
Southern and Northern. But Guitry, a Lord of
great Capacity and Experience, fet forth in a full
Light how difhonourable fuch a Step would be,
how hurtful to his Majefty's Intereft, that moft
part of the Nobility in the royal Army* had
their Eftates fituated on this fide the Loire,
Waither they would repair, did they perceive
any Faint-heartednefs in the King, any Intention
of forfaking them •, that the Switzers his Auxi-
liaries thinking themfelves releafed from their
Engagement with the late King by his Death,
would certainly return into their own Country
without any Delay, did his Majefty leave the
Seine in order to return to the Loire^ but very
likely would ftay at Sancy\ Perfuafion if he
remained ; that they ought to be fpoken to,
and their Intention known, biifore they came to
B 2 any
4 "Hljlory of the 'Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV
HenrylV.any Refolution. This laft Advice prevailed,
tlpe Six- G^iiry was charged by the King to defire
tus V. ^^"ncy to found the Switzers.
<^-^^«-J But chat generous Lord, had been already
IJI-, beforehand with them, and while Henry W,
' T^^' was gone to Meudon^ he was gone himfelf to
kno^vledge ^^^^ owttzers Charters, and having convened
him. the Chief Officers of their Army, he fpoke to
them fo pertly, that they promiied him, tho*
not without much Difficulty, for want of
Money ^ to continue their Services to the Crown
of France^ and the prefent King, at leaft for
two Months longer •, and they were perfuaded
to fend along with him without any further De-
lay forty Deputies to acknowledge his Majefty
as King of France ; congratulating him upon
his Acceffion to that Crown, and tendering
their Services to him.
Accordingly, they fet out with Sancy for
Meudon ; they met Guitry coming upon the
Errand abovementioned. When Sancy h2i6. ac-
^ quainted him with what he had done, he was
overjoyed, and ran before to notify the fame to
his Majefty. The King leap'd for joy, and was
fully determined to ftay on this fide of the
Loire \ he went with his Retinue to meet San-
cy and his Company, he heartily embraced the
firft, and gave his Hands to the others, thank-
ing them in the moft ftrong Terms for their
kind Affedion. Then he proceeded to St. Clou
where he had left the late King and his Coun-
cil in the Morning {a).
IV. The Catholick Lords of the Army and the
The Ca- Council, ftruck at this fudden and unexpeded
tholick fyi-n of Affairs, had held feveral Conferences to-
the jrm g^^^"'^^ about the Succeffion ; fome of them pre-
con/uh to- tended a Scruple of Confcience, becaufe of the
gether. Oath
(a) Thuan. Tom. V. Lib. xcvii. p. 5, 6.
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 5
Oath they had folemnly taken twice in the Jate HenrylV.
States o{ Blois^ *to maintain the Edict of U- p'^^?-"-
NiON, whereby the King o^ Navarre was ex- °^^^ y^'
eluded from the Crown, and Cardinal of Bour-
don declared firft Prince of the Blood and next
Heir to the Crown, if Hmry III. died without
male IfTue. Others were willing to refer the
whole Matter to the decifion of the General
States of the Kingdom, they alone having the
Right of confirming or reverfing what had
been done by another like Aflembly, and in the
mean while to acknowledge the King of Na-
varre as Captain General of the Army, and to
obey his Commands as far as they concerned
the military Operations. In general, tho* it
cannot be denied that there were but too many
either in the Army or in the Council, bafe and
felf interefted Souls who had nothing elfe in
view, but to improve the prefent Opportunity
for bettering their Fortunes and inlarging their
Eftates, and fifhing in troubled Waters ; it is
no lefs certain that the greateft number adled
out of a Principle of Confcience, who judging
of the Reformed by themfelves, were prepof-
fefled with this Notion, that the Roman Re-
ligion could not long fubfift in the Kingdom,
was the Throne filled up by a Prince whom
they confidered as an Heretick : And it cannot
be faid that their Fears were altogether ground-
lefs, for tho* a Reformed Prince who is
thoroughly acquainted with the true Spirit of
Chriftianity, will never make ufe of any fevere
and unjuft Methods for obliging his Subjedls to
adhere to his own Religion, neverthelefs there
will be always found but too many, who, ei-
ther out of Complaifance, or to gratify their
own Ambition, or for fome other Confideration,
will be ready to follow the Religion of their
B 3 Prince,
6 Hiftory of the Reformation^ andofthe Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Prince, and their Example will influence their
1589- Family and Dependants.
tus Y^' ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ Opinion prevailed, 'viz. to ac-
V— - yij knowledge Henry of Bourbon as King of
V. France, to fwear unto him their Allegiance up-
^Theyagree^^ thefe Terms. 1°. That he Ihall promife
/edgeUen-^P^^ the word ot a Kmg, that he fhall alter
xy upon nothing in the Catholick Apoftolick Roman
feriain Religion, neither in its Do6lrine, nor in its Dif-
X""'' cipline. 2°. That he fhall difpofe of all Ec-
cleiiaftical Dignities and Preferments only in be-
half of Perfons well qualified as to their Learn-
ing and Morals, and profefling the Catholick
Religion. 3°. And whereas he had oftentimes
declared, before he was called to the Crown,
that, as to his own Religion, he was ready to
fubmit himfelf to the Determination and In-
ftru6tion of a free general or national Council,
they required that he would be pleafed to fum-
mon one in fix Months Tim.e if it was poflible,
andtofiiandby itsDecifion. 4^. That in the
mean while he fiiould forbid the publick Exer-
cife of any other Religion bcfides the Catholick
throughout the whole Kingdom, thofe Places
excepted which are now in the hands of the
Keformed, according to the Articles of the
Truce agreed with the late King in yf/?n7 laft:,
and that the fame fliall fubfift: till otherwife or-
dained either by a general Pacification of the
Kingdom, or by the States General to be fum-
moned in fix Months, if pofiible. §°. That
none but Catholick Governors fhall be put in
the Cities and Cafl:]es'to be taken during the
War, thofe excepted for which it has been o-
ifherwife provided by the abovefaid Truce.
6*^. That none but Catholicks fhall be advan-
ced to the Dignities, Commanderfhips, and
publick Offices in the Cities, always excepting
i ' ' ' thofe
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 7
thofe which are held by ihQ Reformed : Laftly, Henryl V
That he fhall preferve the Dignities, Privi-^'SSg-
leges. Prerogatives, Liberties and Eftates be- j^^j y"
longing to the Princes, Dukes, Peers, Greatv— v—^
Officers of the Crown, Lords, Nobles, and o-
ther faithful Subjeds, and that he fhall have a
particular Regard for the late King's faithful
Minifters, and {hall endeavour to bring the
deteftable Authors, Abettors, and Accomplices
of the Parricide perpetrated on his mod facred
Perfon, to a condign Puniftiment, which might
ferve for an Example to deter other Villains
from committing the Like. Thefe Terms be-
ing confented to by his Majefty, the Princes of
the Blood, the Dukes, Peers, Great Officers
of the Crown, Lords and Nobles, were to ac-
knowledge Henry IV. King of France and Na-
varre for their lawful Sovereign, and fwear
Allegiance unto him., promifing tofpare neither
their Labours, Lives, or Eftates till they had ex-
terminated the Rebels who ufurped the fupreme
Authority in the Kingdom ; and were to defire
his Majefty to fummon the General States, to
fatisfy what was required of him efpecially as
to Religion, and to give them leave to fend
fome Deputies of their own Body to the Pope,
in order to inform his Holinefs of the Reafons
which had induced them to acknowledge his
Majefty and fwear Allegiance to him, and tp
befeech him to grant them what they thought
might be conducive to the Good and Welfare
of Chrijiendom in general, and to the King and
Kingdom in particular.
Thefe Articles bejng drawn up, they waited ^'^f.
upon his Majefty, and on the 4.th of Augufi ^^''^ ^'%
they were figned by the King on one fide, andX'Ir' "^
on the other by the Prince ot Conti^ the Dukes
pf Montpenfier^ Longuevilie^ Pine)\ Montba-
B 4. "zon^
8 WJlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenryIV,2;(7«, the Mar{ha!s of Btron and Jumoni, and
p\^^s'- ^^veral other Lords, Officers, and Minlfters of
tus V. State; and verified and regiftered the 14th of
\^,m^^MmJ the fame Month, in the Parliament of Tours.
Some of the Lords that were then prefent,
tho* they heartily approved of what was done,
nay, tho' they had been Advifers thereof, ne-
verthelefs they refufed to fubfcribe, becgufe
they pretended to a Precedency above the Mar-
fhals, but whereas that Affair was tranfaded in
a Camp, it was the Opinion of the Majority,
that thefe laft had a right to precede all Dukes
and Peers, and that they ought to follow im-
mediately after the Princes of the Blood on
fuch Occafions ; the Duke of EJfernon was one
of thofe who refufed.
VII. This is fummarily the genuine Account
B'AvilaV ViyxichThuanus gives of that famous Tranfadion -,
Mijiake. X^Avila don't differ much from him, he fays
much the fame as to the Effentials, tho' he is
very wrong informed when he fays, that Du
Plejfis oppofed as much as he could the giving
any fatisfadlion to the Catholicks. Firfl, that
Lord was at Saumur iick a-bed when thefe
things were tranfa<5ling. Secondly, far from
being contrary to that Satisfadion, he advifed
his Majefly, by a Memoir which he fent from
Saumur on the loth of Augufi \ Firftto give
the Catholicks a full Declaration concerning
their Religion, whereby his Majeily fhall pro-
mife to change nothing in the Roman Religion,
and in the mean while, to procure by all good
and lawful Means, and by the Advice of the
Princes of the Blood, the Officers of his Crown,
and other Perfons well qualified, the Re-U-
nion of all his Subjeds. Secondly, to be cau-
tious as to the Words which he fhall make ufe
of, fpeaking of his Reformed Subjedls, for not
^•- . offending
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr A n c e 9
offending either of the Parties, the moft pro- HenrylV.
per Words feem to be thefe, The Religion pl^^^\^^
which we call Reformed^ or called Reformed. ^^^ v.
By another Article he fays, that it is neceffary <— y— J
to write to all the Reformed Churches in the
Kingdom, and to the Governours of Places
where the faid Religion prevails, that they be-
have themfelves more modeftly than ever to-
wards the Catholicks either in Deeds or Words,
to reprefs the Saucinefs of People, and to live
in Peace and Union with the faid Catholicks.
Otherwife it is to be feared left there fhould
be great Commotions in fome Places. By an-
other he thinks, that the Regulations made for
the Prefervation of Churches, Relicks, i^c.
ouglit to be reiterated, and more exadly kept
than ever. By another. It may be, fays he,
that his Majefty fhall be intreated to reftore the
Mafs at Niort and fome other Places, that
mufb be granted ; but fhall be a Precedent for
granting the Reformed the Reftoration of the
free Exercife of their Religion in fome other
Places, ^c. How then could UAvila fay
that Du Pleffis oppofed the King in what he
did } Let the Reader be Judge.
But my Wonder is, that the reverend Hi- yiu
florian of the Edict of A^<««/2 gives us quite a;^/r. Be-
different Account of the Tranfadlions of thefe "o't'-^
three firft Days, and of the Agreement con- '^.'^"S ^o-
eluded between the King and the Catholick.
Lords. He doth at firft prefuppofe, that
Henry IV. was not iincerely adhering to his
Religion, and upon that ground he builds fe-
veral Refle6lIoii$ upon that Prince's Charader,
pretending, that thofe who had been brought up
with him in his youth knew very well^ that^ Pa-
tience was none cf his Favourite Virtues^ and
that he was not Proof againfi long Enterprizes^
and
I o Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . IV.
HenrylV. and consequently would be quickly weary of the
1589. Dijiculties in conqueritig fo many Places as held
tus V. ^^^ /^^ ^he League, and that if he could fhort en
' them by changing his Religion, that would be no
Baulk in his way. How could that Reverend
Author fpeak fo of that Prince ? How many
hard Tryals, and Temptations had he not been
Proof againft, for about 13 Years together?
Had he not had it many times in his power to
jfhorten them, by renouncing his Religion ?
And if it had not been, that Patience and For-
bearance were fome of his favourite Virtues,
how could he have been a Proof for fo many
Years againft the Frownings and four Temper
of his Cenfors ? As to the Agreement, he fays
that the Catholick Lords prefented four Arti-
cles unto him. ift, 'That hejhould caufe himfelf
to be injiru^ed infix Months. Whereupon he
delivers his own Comment. 2d, That the Ex-
ercife of the Reformed Religion fhould he fufpend-
ed for that time. 3d, T!hat he fhould grant no
Office to any Reformed for thofe fix Months.
"Whereupon he fays, " that the Catholicks de-
" fired this, to fecure thofe which were in pof-
" feflion of them, from being turned out,**
(which, indeed is very true.) 4th, 'That they
fhould have permiffwn to fend to the Pope, to
give him an Account of their Reafons for fuhmit-
ting to the Ktng*s Obedience. And he con-
cludes, *' Altho', it was very hard for the
" King to buy a Crown fo dear, that was le-
" gaily fallen to him, yet he confented to all
" but the fecond Article." Very right indeed,
had thefe Conditions ever been propofed to the
King, fuch as they are exhibited, by Mr. Be-
noifi, and by Mezsray, of whom I fuppofe he
had borrowed them, for that Reverend Hifto-
rian has not thought proper to quote his Au-
thorities
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches in Fr a n c e . it
thorities in the whole Courfe of his Hiftory, HenrylV.
only he gives a Lift of the Authors he has p '^^^■
made ufe of, at the head of each Volume in Jug y.
Quarto, and leaves it to the Reader to buy
them and confult them all from the beginning to
the end, if he has a mind to fatisfy himfelf as to
the Veracity. But furely, I'huanus ought to know
better what Terms were propofed to, and ac-
cepted by the King, than Mezeray who came
upon the Stage many Years after him •, the firft
was adtually in the King's Service when that
Affair was tranfadled, and tho' abfent upon his
Majefty's PredecefTor's Bufinefs, he came back
foon enough to read them when they were freih
regiftered at Tours. And T)*Avila agreeing in
the moft effential Parts of thefe Articles, with
ThuanuSy there is no reafon to doubt but that
M.e'z.eray's are fpurious, and thofe which I have
tranfcribed out of Thuaijus genuine. There re-
mains D^Aubigne^ who was of the King's Houf-
hold when that Agreement was made ; he re-
lates a Speech made to the King by J*0, Super-
intendant of the Exchequer, in the Name of
the Catholick Lords : But tho* he was bold
even to Impudence, threatning his Majefty if
he refufed to renounce his Religion without
delay, not a Word of thefe pretended Condi-
tions, and far from requiring the King to fuf-
pend the Exercife of the Reformed Religion
for fix Months, he infinuates to his Majefty
that if the Reformed of that Time were like to
their Fathers, it would be an eafy Matter to
fatisfy them by giving them their Bell y-fuLl
of Sermons; but if they did carry their Ambi-
tion any further, it will not be a very hard
Tafk to cure them of their Diftem per when his
Majefty fhal I be reconciled to his Kingdom. Ne-
ver thelefs, fince ThuanuSy nor even D'Avila
fay
T 2 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . IV.
Henry IV. fay not a word of that Speech of jyO^ I would
'5^9: not rely too much upon B'Aubigne*s fingle
tus V. ' Teftimony.
Now granting that Thuanns and J^Avila
have tranfmitted unto us the genuine Terms
of the abovefaid Agreement, I refer to the
impartial and equitable Reader to judge whe-
ther there is any thing in the Conditions of the
Agreement which was not quite natural for the
Catholick Party to afk, any thing difhonour-
able to the King*s Majefty, any thing unreafon-
able for him to grant? The Lords oi PleJJis
Mornay^ La Nou'e\ Vifcount ofTiirenne^ and fe-
veral others great fupporters of the Reformed
Party had no fuch Notion, they were thorough-
ly perfuaded that in the prefent Circumftances,
the King ought not to be too ftiff, but rather
to endeavour to appeafe their Fears and give
them all reafonable Securities as to their Reli-
gion : This is very plain by thefe Articles of
Du Pleffif Memoirs abovementioned, they were
very fenfible that it was impoiTible for his Ma-
jefty ever to be acknowledged by the Catho-
iick Party upon any other account foever.
But let us bring the Matter more home, let
us fuppofe for a Minute that the Reformed
Church was the National Church of France^
and that the King of Navarre was brought up
in and profefled the Catholick Religion -, what
would the Reformed have done upon fuch an
Occafton ? Would they have acknowledged his
Title without providing for the Security of
their Religion and for their own? and could
they do le(s than to require the fame Terms as
the Catholicks did ? furely they would have re-
quired the fame, or been very imprudent. It
would be very impertinent to fay that what is
lawful for thofe who profefs a true Religion is
not for them who profefs a falfe one, no Man
ia
Book VII. Reformed Churches ;« Fr a n c e . 13
in the World will own that he profefles know- Henry IV.
ingiy a falfe Religion, contrariwife he holds „^52^
his own for the beft, and his Neighbour's for ^us V.
the wrong. Neither can it be faid, that they
did violence to the King's Confcience, when
they intreated him to fuffer himfelf to be in-
ftruded in a General or National Council, and
to fummon fuch a one in fix Months Time if
poflible ; for he had offered the fame oftentimes
of his own Accord ; 65* volenti non fit injuria :
Befides that, had he been either Son, or Bro-
ther, or Uncle, or Firft Coufin to the deceafed
King, that Condition would have been too
hard upon him ; but he had not fo near a Rela-
tion to the Crown, he was but in the tenth or
eleventh Degree, his Title was difputable, and
aftually difputed by his Uncle the Cardinal of
Bourbon^ who in fuch a Cafe might have been
preferred before him, being a Degree nearer
the Throne than himfelf. So that if every
thing was duly confidered, it will be found that
the Catholick Lords did not exceed at all the
Rules of Modefty in the Conditions they re-
quired from the King, fuch as they are recorded
by Thuanus^ and that the King could not do
Jefs for their fatisfadtion in the prefent Jundlure,
than to accept and fubfcribe them {b).
True it is that a few Weeks after, the Re-
formed had reafon to complain of feveral In-
juftices done unto them even by the Parliament
of Tours, and that their Condition became worfe
than it had been during the four or five laft
Months of the late King's Reign ; but it was
none
{h) Read Thuanus ibid. D'Avila Liv.x. p. 52 — 55.
D'Aubigne Tom. III. Liv. ii. ch. 2+. Vie de Da Pleffis
Mornay, Liv. I, p. 137, 138. Mem. de Du Pleffis Mor-
nay, Tom. II. p. i — 20. Benoit Hiil. of the Edift of
Nantz, done into Englijh by Cooke, Tom, I. Eook ii.
p, 54— 60.
14 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . IV.
HenrylV.none of the King's fault, his Orders were ftill
PoL^^Six-^"^ little regarded, as it appears by Tin Ple£is*s
tus V. Letters to the Prefident B^EfpeJfes. One niuft
» ..^^—^ not judge of that Prince's Affeftion to the Re-
formed by what happened before he was fettled
upon his Throne, and his Authority fully ac-
knowledged, but by what he did for them when
he was really in a Condition to do them good.
I have thought proper to fay fo much in Vindi-
cation of that firft Step which Henry IV. took
at his Acceflion to the Crown oi France.
IX. Under feveral frivolous P- etences the Duke
Efpernon of Efpemon left the Camp, and brought along
iea'ves the v^^Jth him moft part of the Troops, however he
'^^' gave the King his word that he would never
adhere to the Leaguers, nor take Party againft
him, but rather do him all the Service he
could in his own Government : and indeed
he was as good as his word. His Example was
followed by feveral others; fome there were
even that took party with the League. The
King of Navarre had been proclaimed King of
France immediately after his PredecefTor's
Death by his own Army compofed moftly of
Reformed ; neverthelefs, a few Officers thereof
for want of Pay left the Camp for a little time,
with his Majefty's Licence, and went home in
order to make fome Provifions.
X. While thefe Things were a doing in the
What paf-C?im^^ the Parijians ran almoft mad for joy
fedat?^x[s when they heard of the King's Death, the
fiwf" Duchefs Dowager of Montpenfter diftributed a-
mongft them a great number of green Scarves ;
nothing was to be feen in the Streets, but Feaft-
ings and Dancings, and fuch other Demonftra-
tions of Joy j James Clement the Villain Aflaf-
fin of Henry III. was without Delay fainted.
Prayers were put up to him, his Images and
Statues
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 15
Statues at full Length were worfliipped, hisHenrylV.
Mother and fome others of his Relations that „ '589-.
came at that Time to Paris were inriched by ^Jg y ^*
the free Gifts they received of People of all <,-^.^^
Ranks.
In the mean while the Duke of Mayenne un- XI.
derftanding that that Parricide had been killed ^^^^^"f
upon the fpot, caufed many Perfons of all^ne'/
Ranks who had been arretted Prifoners t]iQMeafures.
Day before that Villain had perpetrated the
Crime, to be releafed ; {which was a clear In-
dication that the Leaguers were privy to Cle-
men t'j Plot, Jince they had been fo careful as to
provide for his Safety, to make him efcape the
dreadful Punifhment he would defervedly have
undergone had he furvived his Crime. ) Then he
"wrote to the Cities and Governours of Pro-
vinces, to acquaint them of what had happened
by a fpecial Benefit of God Almighty, as he
faid; and exhorted them not to Ihew theni-
felves ungrateful, but rather to exert them-
felves more and more for the Advancement of
Religion*, that heretofore they had had to deal
with fecret Enemies of God, but now with
open ; that they ought not to queftion but that
King Philip, who had heretofore fupported the
Cause, tho* underhand, would now under-
take openly the Defence thereof, and fpare no-
thing in order to have it victorious, being no
longer reftrained by any Scruple, ^r. He
wrote likewife to King Philip, whom he bafe-
ly ftiled the Defender of the true Re-
ligion, and ITS SUREST Support, he
befought him with all Humility to make ufe of
that immenfe Power which he had fo deferved-
ly received of God for rooting out intirely the
Venom of Herefy, whereby the Kingdom,
formerly fo fiourifhing, was infeded for fo
many
1 6 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l .1 V.
HenrylV. many Years ; that all true CathoJicks in France
p/J^Si -^^^ ^^^"^ Eyes fixed upon him, waiting for his
tus V. Affiftance to be delivered from the threatning
*— v*^ Danger.
He pro- Several of his Friends and Adherents advifed
CW/W ^'^"^ ^° ^^^^ pofTeffion of the Throne for him-
o/Bour- ^elf» but the wifeft deterred him from it, fet-
bon King ting forth in a very lively manner, the many
£/^ France. jnfuperabJe Inconveniencies and Difficulties
wherewith fuch an Attempt would be attended,
and perfuaded him to caufe Cardinal of Bourbon
to be proclaimed King oi France, which Ad-
vice prevailed in his Council, as the fafeft, and
the moft honourable for himfelf, feeing that as
that Prince was detained clofe Prifoner, he
"would have but the bare Name of a King, and
the whole Authority would remain in his own
hands. Accordingly the Cardinal was pro-
claimed King with all the ufual Formalities, fo
far as the Times would allow, under the Name
of Charles X.
Before that, the King had endeavoured to
bring Mayenne into his Intereft, by very large
Offers which were made to him, for which
purpofe he had fent Marfilleres to confer with
Villeroy ; but the Duke was ftifr in his Refolu-
tion, and anfwered, that tho' he had a great
Value and Refped for the King oi Navarre ,
neverthelefs he would never hearken to any
Propoiition unlefs the Cardinal q^ Bourbon fhould
be fet at liberty, and the faid King turned
Catholick.
On the 7th o^ Augujl he publifhed an Edi(5l
in his own Name as Lieutenant-General of the
State and Crown oi France, and of the Coun-
cil of Union fettled at Paris, whereby he ad-
vifes, exhorts, and defires all Princes, Lords, and
others, either of the Nobility or of the Clergy,
to
Book VII. Reformed Churches rnVKAi^CE, ijr
to pay to their own Catholick King, the Alle- HenrylVi'
giance due to their lawful and natural Prince, „^ 5^9-, ,
to join their Forces together for his Afliftance, t\,s V.
ana to oblige themfelves by publick Inftrunients u- -y-jl
before their Governours or Magiftrates, that
they would live and die in the Roman Reli-
gion, and endeavour to the beft of their power
to procure its Advancement, and not to affift
the Sedaries in any manner foever, ^^r. He
wrote two Days after to the Governours of
Provinces in the fame Strain {c).
Marlhal of Matignon Governor of Bourdeaua Xir.
had kept till then that City in awe, but after f^o'^^^'^-
the King's Death knowing that the Parliament ^j !^^;
flood ill affe<5ted to his Succeflbr, on account ^g Matig-
of his Religion, and rightly judging that it was non at
not proper to ufe Force in the prefent June- Bourdeaujfi
ture, he cunningly engaged the Parliament to
honour the late King's Memory, by a Decree
which they publifhed, whereby they declared,
that having been fully informed of the lament-
able Death of the King, they, at the Requeft of
the Attorney-General, and by the Advice of
Marfhal Matignon^ exhorted the Archbifhops,
Bifhops and Curates of their Jurifdiftion to put
up Prayers for his late Majefty, for the Tran-
quiUity of the Kingdom and the Welfare of the
Roman Catholick Church, and commanded
the Governours, Magiftrates and Confuls of
of the Cities to watch carefully, left any Di-
fturbance {hould happen either in the Civil or
Ecclefiaftick ; to obferve the Edidts publifhed
in July and Ocfobef laft Year, and the Decrees
of December and April laft, ordering the No-
bility, Gentry, Officers, i^c. who had taken
Arms againft the late King to lay them down,
and retire quickly to their o^vn Habitations,'
(c) Thu n. lib. xcvii. p. 1 1. D'Avilaliv, x. p 58, 59.
Vol. IV, C living
i8 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. living there according to the Edidls and De-
1589. ^ ^.j.ggg abovefaid, till God in his Mercy jfhall be
tus vf pleafed to reftore every thing in the Church
and State, ^c. done the 1 9th of Augufi. BuC
it was impoflible for the faid Marfhal to have
the prefent King mentioned in the Decree j
however he made a good ufe of this, fuch as it
was, for keeping the Province of Guienne in
the Bounds of Duty, few Places excepted,
where the League prevailed (d).
The Parliament of I'holoufe exceeded all
bounds of Moderation, by the Decree which
they publifhed the 22d of Augufi, which runs
as follows,
xnr. The Court, all the Chambers thereof being
Decree of aCcmbled, being informed of the wonderful
the Par- ^^^ dreadful Death of Henry III. happened on
Tho-" ^he ill of this Month {it was the fecond) has
kuze. injoined,and injoins again by thefe Prefents,unto
all Princes,^ Prelates, Lords, Gentlemen, Of-
ficers and others, of what Rank and Quality
foever, to unite themfelves again for the Con-
fervation of the holy Catholick Apoftolick Ro-
man Religion, the Reft and Welfare of Catho-
lick Princes, Lords, Cities, and Commonalties'
leagued together for the Defence thereof: Has-
exhorted and does exhort all Bifhops and
Paftors of the Diocefes of this Diftrid, to
make publick Thakfgivings to God, every one
In his own Church for the BleiTmg of the De-
j liverance of the City of Paris and other Cities
of this Kingdom: Has ordained, and doth or-
jdain, that every Year on the ift oi Augufty
iProceflions fhall be made, and publick Prayers
put up to God, for an Acknowledgment of the
Bleflings conferred upon us on that Day : Has
forbidden and does forbid moft exprefly to all
Perfons?
(d) Thuan. ibid. f
"feo o K VII. Reformed Churches /« France^ i§
Perfons of what Rank, Quality and Condi- Henry IV;
tion foever, without any Exception, to acknow- » '5?^'
ledge for King^ Henry of Bourbon^ pretended \^^ y'
King of 'Navarre^ to favour him; to afford him u—v-^
any Affiftance foever on paih of Deathj as He-
reticks and Difturbers of the publick Peace : And
the faid Court enjoins unto all the faid Bifhops
and Paftors, to caufe the Bull of out* inoft Holy
Father Pope $ixtus V. juftly publifhed again ft
the faid /2(?;?ry o/" Bourbon, to be read again,
kept and obfeirved punctually ; in virtue and by
the Authority whereof, the faid Court of the
Parliament has declared, and does declare him
tincapable ever to futceed to the Crown of
France^ oh account of the manifold and no-
torious Crimes fully fpecified thei-ein. Injoinst
all Bailiffs, Provofts and Senefchals of this
Jurifdidtion, to feaufe tke Contents of the pre-
sent Decree to be publifhed, kept and obferved
punftually, on pain of being punifhed and
chaflifed as Abettors of Hereticks. Who will
not wonder at the impudent Madnefs of thofe
Caf coons! (e)
Now the moft Chrifllah Kingj feeing that XIV.
there were fo many difaffedted Perfons in his ^^'^ -^'^f
Army, and that their Number increafed tvtxy^^P^J 't-^
pay through the Seductions of the Leaguers iparis.
Emiffaries that came from Paris to the Camp,
having called together all the Officers^ he fpoke
to them in a way fuitable to his Dignity, and
having upbraided them for their Difloyalty, and
told them with Scorn that he had no need of
their Services, and that they might go away
whenever they pleafed (/) However : left
that Evil fhould inake further Progrefs, it was
C i thought
(e) Idem. ibid. Memoirs de la Ligue, Tom. IV. pag,
51, 52.
(f) ThHari. Ibid.
2 o Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
Henry IV. thought proper to raife the Siege, and in order
pipe six- ^° '^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ Difhonour, the King took
tus V. the plaufible Pretence of accompanying the
1— V— — » Corps of his Predeceflbr [g).
^s'tocT' -^^^.^"'^^"^B^y on the 5th of Auguji he march-
piegng°™'cd with the whole Army, reduced to little lefs
than the half of what it was at the beginning of
the Siege, and went ■ to CompiegnCy where ths
Corpfe was depofited in St. Corneille^s Church ;
in his way thither he took. Meulans, Gifors,
and Clermont in Beauvaijis.
At Compiegne he held a Council of War, to
confider what was to be done ; and it was re-
He divides (o\yQ.dy the Enemy appearing no where, to di-
his Army, vide the Troops, part whereof compofed moftly
of the Nobility and Gentry of Picardy^ marched
into that Province under the Command of the
Duke of Longueville Governor thereof; another
part compofed moftly of the Nobility and Gentry
of Champain^ went into that Province under the
Command of Marfhal d^Aumont^ and the other
part remained with the King. Nothing could
be more prudently done than that Repartition,
for that Army could not have fubfifted together
eafily, for want of Money and other Necefia-
ries i had they been fent into fome other Pro-
vinces, the Nobility and Gentry would have
had a juft Pretence to take their leave and re-
pair every one to his own Habitation, to take
care of their Families, efpecially in that feafon of
the Year -, but being fent into their own Pro-
vinces under a Chief, it was almoft the fame
as if they had been in a Camp. He injoinecj
thefe two Generals to aliift one another if they
were
(g) Idem ibid. But he fays that he was afraid left th«
Farifwtis, who had fo little regard for him when alive,
would latiate their Rage upon his Corpfe. Mem. de 1a
Liguc, Tom. IV. p. ^i-
Book VII. Reformed dhurches in V^a^cr* 21
were attacked. His Majefty kept with himfelf Henry IV.
the third and beft Part of the Army, v/ith thep^j^^^9:^
Prince of Coniy^ the Duke of Montpenjier^ the fuj y]'^'
Great Prior oi France^ Colonel of the Light v—y—.^
Horfe, Marfhal of Biron, the Lord Charles
Vamville Son to the Marftial of Mcntmorancy^
De Rieux, Chatillon^ feveral Lords of his
Council, Captains and other Perfons of Di-
ftindlion. His Army was compofed of above
a thoufand Horfe, two Regiments of Szvitzers,
and about 3000 French Foot.
With thefe Forces he marched into Norman- XV.
<^,' having two Ends in view, viz. to tncon- ^^ _""^fch-
rage and strengthen his Party in that Province -, No^m
and to draw out, if poffible, part of the Forces dy.
of the Enemy, that being divided they fhould
be lefs able to at^emptany thing upon the Places
which he had lately taken, fuch as Eftampes^
Pontoife, Meulans, Senlis and others j^ear Paris,
and give time to the Inhabitants thereof to re-
pair the Breaches and fortify themfelves the
beft they could. He fucceeded in both as well
as he could expedl, for being arrived at Sf. Pe-
ter's Bridge^ Captain Rcukt Commander of
Pont de VArche brought him the Keys of the
Place, and afTured him of the Obedience and
Fealty of the Inhabitants, as well as of his own ;
he was confirmed in his Government, that
Place was a great Annoyance to Rouen^ being
only five fmall Leagues diftant, and ftopt the
Correfpondence between that City and Parts,
From St. Peters his Majefty marched to Der-
netal a League diftant from Rouen^ to refrefli
his Army -, the next Day he fet out on a fud-
den with only 3 or 400 Horfe, and came to
Dieppe which ftood well affedled to his Party.
He was received there with all the Demonftrations
of Joy and Refped poflible, being encouraged
C Q to
2 2 Hifiory of the Reformation, and of the V o-l .W ^^
HenrylV.to it by La Chajte their own Governour ; there
'5^9- he received the Submiflions and Affurances of
tus V.' Loyalty of Verune Governour of Caen in his
i— v~»own and the City's I^ame.
Xvr. One Thing perplexed the King at this Time,
Cardinal to wit his Uncle the Cardinal of Bourbon^ tho'^
cjQonx- j^g ^,^g guarded at Chinon under the iCare of
iransferr''d^^^ Lord Chavtgny who had been intruded
to Fonte- with him by the late King, tho* his Majefty
f^7: was well fatisfied as to that Gentleman's Ho-
nefty and Fidelity ; but he was very old and
blind, and his Lady was not of proof againft
a round Sum of Money •, he knew that fhe had
been tryed that way by the Leaguers, efpe-
cially fince they had proclaimed the faid Car-
dinal King of France y to engage her to deli-
ver him into their hands. The(e Things caufed
great Anxieties to the King, there was but one
Way to be rid of them, which indeed he took,
and Du Plejfis treated by his Orders with the
Lady Chavigny with fuch Succefs, that her
Hufband delivered that Prince, with her Con-
fent into his Hands, for 22000 Crowns, he
carried hirn in his Litter to Loudun, being at-
tended by 3 or 400 Horfe, and delivered him
to the Lord La ^ouiaye who brought him to
Fontenay, whereof he was Governour, where
he died a few Months after (h).
XVII. "While the King was at Dieppe^ the Inhabi-
The Ki'1% tants propofed to him the Siege of Rouen, and
■^fi^/J" offered to bear the greateft part of the Expence
llouen. neceflary for fuch an Expedition. His Ma-
jefty was exceedingly pleafed with the Propo-
fition, for tho* he knew very well that his
Forces would not be fufficient for fucceeding
therein, nevcrthelefs he did not queftion but
by fuch an Attempt he would oblige the Duke
9.(
(h) Vie de Du PlefGs, Liv. i. p. i39> 1^0, 141.
Book VII . Reformed Churches z'72Frai^ce. 2 ^
of Mayenne to take the Field for th^ Reiief of HenrylV-
the Place; however, he thought proper to pro- '589-
pofe that Expedition in a Council of War, tus y.'
whereat affifted the Duke of Montpenjier, the
Marfhal of Biron and other Lords and Cap-
tains : there he propofed the Siege of Rotten^^ind
pretended to be bent upon that Expedition ; his
Craft had the deiired Succefs, his chief Confi-
dents believed that he was in earneft, it was
fuddenly rumour'd in his Army that that Siege
was refolved on. For five or fix days together
he aded juft as if it was really his Defign to at-
tack that Place, he deprived the Inhabitants of
all their Mills, his Troops {kirmifhed by Di-
vifions with the Enemy to the very Gates of
the City, in order to oblige the Inhabitants to
call the Duke of Mayenne to their Afllftance ;
and in this refpeft happened what he had fore-
feen, the Citizens frightned out of their Wits,
tho' the Duke of Aiimale and the Count of
Brifac were in the City, with a ftrong Garifon
of Horfe and Foot to defend them, yet they were
not fatisfied till they were certain that the Duke
of Mayenne was in full March with his whole
Army coming to their Relief.
The King had expected that this Step of his
would oblige Mayenne to weaken his Forces
by fending only the beft Part thereof to the Re-
lief of Rouen^ but when he heard that he was,
marching with the whole, and that he had been
reinforced with the Troops of Lorrain^ thofe
of Balagny Prince and Governour of Camhray^
and thofe fent by the Duke of Parma Gover-
nor of the Low Countries^ fo that he was above
30000 Men Horfe and Foot ftrong, his Ma-
jefty was at a ftand ; but being never wanting to
himfelf, he afTembled his Council, and declared
unto them what had been his real Defign in at-
C 4 tacking
24 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol . IV.
HcnrylV tacking Rouen. So it was refolved to retreat,
^589-. and to put off that Siege for another Time.
tus V. Accordingly he marched with his Army
*— --V— jfrom Derneial; in his way he received the
lIema'rch-^Q^^Yi of Eu by Compofition, and under-
flues^'^' {landing that the Duke o{ Mayenne vi'ith. his
^ ' whole Force had already crofled the Seine^ he
fent Orders to the Duke of Lovgueville and
Marfhal of Aumont, to come and join him with
their Forces in all hafte : then he refolved to
go to Arques, not far from Dieppe, where his
Enemies afforded him a fair Opportunity of
Mayenne'idifplaying his Fortitude and Magnanimity, for
'u^rmy by his Prudence and Refolution, under the Blef-
^■orjled. ^^^g Qf Qq^^ ^-fj^ ^ handful of Men, he not
only rendered abortive all the Efforts of that
great Army, but forced them to a fhameful
Retreat, having loft about a thoufand Men in
the feveral Engagements, feveral Cannons, part
of their Baggage, and left many Prifoners of
Wat; the Lofs on the King's fide was but in-
con fiderable, very few Perfons of Note either
killed or wounded, or taken Prifoners by the
treacherous Lanjqiienets {German Foot,) who,
under a falfe fhew of Surrender to the vidlo-
rit>us King, and of a Willingnefs to ferve un-
der him, turned fuddenly their Arms againft
him, were with Dimculty diflodged from the
Retrenchments, and carried av/ay three of the
King's Standards, with fome Prifoners {].)
XVIII ' -^^^ Majefty having flay'd in Low Norman-
f be King dy about two Months and a half, trying in vain
marches evcry way to prc\ oke the Enemy to come to
io^-Mards ^ decifive Battle, and having received 4000
^"^' Englijh fent to him by Queen Elizabeth, whd
landed at Dieppe, with a good Sum of Money,'
and
(j) Thuan. lib. xcvii. p. 12 — 16. Mem. de la Ligue
Tojn,IV. p. 53— 70- . •
Bp o K VIl. Reformed Churches ///Franc e 2 5
^nd a Quantity of Ammunition, which the Earl HenrylV.
oi Stafford brought into the Camp; marched p^J^^^Q-^^
out oi Dieppe, on the 21ft oiO^obcr, having tus V.
been joined before by the Forces which thev.-^v^-J
Count of SoiJJons, the Duke, of Longueville, and
the Marfhal of Aumont led to his Relief, re-
took the Town of Eu, and took the Caftle of
Gamache m the Enemy's fight. And under-
ftanding that Mayenne was going to the Fron-
tiers to treat with the Duke of Parma, for de-
livering unto him feme Places in Picardy in
hoftage, in order to deter him from fo pernicious
a Pefign, he refolved to attack Paris. Accord-
ingly he croiTed the Seine at Meulans, and
having divided his Army in three Parts, the Sub-
urbs of St. ViBor, St. Marceau, St. James, St. Andprms
Michel, St. Germain, the Gates of 5z(/5' and NigeU t^« ^"^-
les, were carried by Storm in an Hour's time ^^"[hgleof.
the 1^0^ November ', theaflailed loft near 1300
Men in that Attack, killed on the Spot, beiides a
great number of Prifoners, amongft whom was
found Father Edmund Burgoin Prior of the Do-
minican Fryars clad in Armour, who was con-
victed of having applauded in his Sermons the
Regicide perpetrated by James Clement. {He
'was carried to Tours, tryed there by the Par-
liament, condemned and executed.^ The Pariftans
were {o much frightned, that the King would
have been Mailer of the City at that time, had
his Orders been executed, and the Cannon been
levelled againft the Gates before they had re-
trenched themfelves, but for want of proper
Diligence, the Inhabitants had time enough to
recover from their Fright, and T^bore who was •
vxSenlis fick a-bed, not having been able to
oppofe the Duke of Mayenne's, Pafiage over
the Oyfe, that Prince, who at the firft notice
he had had of the King's Defign, was come by
2 6 Hijiory of the Reformatroji, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. long Marches to relieve the City, entered into it
P^riix ^y another fide which was not guarded, thd
tus V. next Day after the taking of the faid Suburbs.
u— V— J The Pkinder was given to the Soldiers, how-
ever, with ftrid Orders to fpare the Churches i
they carried away fourteen Enfigns, and thirteen
Cannon.
Be de. The King feeing that he could not take the
tamps. Qj-y. without ruining it, which he was unwil-
ling to do, gave Orders for decamping, he
drew up his Army in Battalia before the City
waiting for the Enemy's coming out j but
whereas no body appeared, he marched about
Mid-day of the 3d oi November to Mont-le-
hery.
XIX". The Council of Sixteen and their Adhe^
Great /«- rents at Paris revenged the Fright they had
'^"he'^Lea- ^^^^ P"^ "■"' "P^*^ ^^^^ Innocent ; for by their
guers at Dccrce of the 20th of November^ they order*d
Paris. a new Search to be made in the Houf s of thoffc
whom they fufpefted to be Hereticks or Po-
liticians, and forfeited their Goods for indemni-
fying the Families of thofe who had been killed
or plundered, and redeeming the Prifoners (z).
That AfTault was fo much the more choak-
ing for the poor Fools of Paris, that they had
been given to underftand that the BEAR-
N E S E had been taken Prifoner at ArqueSy
and was to be carried loaded with Irons, his
Hands tied behind his Back to ferve for a fhew
at the Duke oi Mayenne*s publick Entry. Nay,
the Dowager of Montpen/ier, was fo zealous in
promoting Falflioods, that in order to make the
People believe that the Duke of Mayenne had
got a compleat Viftory over the King, fhe added
eleven pair of Colours and fix Cornets which
were brought from the Arfenal to the three
that
(i) Thuan. ibid. Mem. de la Ligue, ibi4
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, 27
that had been taken by {lealth by the Lanfquenets HenrylV.
as abovefaid, and caufed the Pulpits to refound '589-.
with big Encomiums of Mf^jy^w^Zd-; whereby the j^g y
People being feduced, a vaft number of both u— y--«^
Sexes hired Houfes and Windows in all Places,
whereby they imagined the POOR BEAIi-
NESE was to pafs, to fee the Show (k).
From Mont-le-hery the King marched to XX,
EJlampeSy where Clermont de Lodeve commanded ^■^'^ ^^'^
for the League ; at the firft AfTault he carried ^'^^'^^'^'^^*
the Suburbs, then the City which was forfook ^/^^ ^^een
by the Garifon, who retired into the Citadel. It Doivager^^
appeared by inttrcepted Letters that the Duke Petition.
of Mayenne had promifed Clermont to come to
his Relief; the King was in hopes that he would
be as good as his word, but after two Days of
vain Expectation, Clermont was forced to fur-
render by Compofition, he and feven others
remained Prifoners"- of War, to be exchanged
for eight Royalifts which were in the Enemy's
hands, neverthelefsa few Days after that Gentle-
man and anpther were releafed upon their Pa-
role \ it was the third time that Eftampes had
been taken and retaken fince the Month oijuly.
While his Majefty ftayed there, he received a
Petition from the Qiieen Dowager Louifa^ hum-
bly praying for Juilice againft the late King
her Hufband's Murderers or their Abettors.
The King anfwered very favourably, and re-
ferred the Petition to the Cognizance of the Par-
liament fitting at 'Tours ^ promifing to bring the
Guilty to a condign Puni(;iment not only with
the Forms of Law, but alfq with the Force of
his Arms, rr, j- -, ,
XT r • IT-- n tie dividei
Now feemg the Enemy ftood inaflive every his Arjny,
where in thofe Parts, he divid':^d his Troops, '^''^^«^-
Part whereof he fent into Picardy. under the '^^^" T ,
' /-> I •'^^'^ras the
Command i^q\xq,
(k) Thuai\. lib. xcvii. p. 1 7, i ^ ' '
2 8 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. Command of the Duke of Longueville and La
Noue to keep that Province- in awe. He fent
another into 5m under the Command oi An-
nas of Anglure Lord of Givri ; and marched
himfelf with the reft to the Loire, to fettle the
Affairs of the Provinces laying upon the Banks
bf that River ; he took in his way JanvilUy
and arrived at Chateaudun, where he was met
by the Colonels of the Switzers^ who after the
late King*s Death had fent fome of their Cap-
tains to their refpedive Cantons, to receive
their Inftrudions upon this Turn of Affairs.
XXI. They told his Majefty that their Principals
7be Switz were refolved to obferve the Treaties made
Cantont y^\\\^ his PredecefTof^ and had commanded that
him their ^^^"^ Troops which Were in his Army fhould
JJfiJiance. continue in his Service j and that they defired
to renew with him the Treaties of Alliance for-
merly made with the Kings of France his Prede-
cefTors of blefTed Memory, which was readily
granted Q).
XXII. On the 14th of ISIovemher the King marched
Venilome out from Chafeaudun, and being arrived at Mel-
Jioitned. j^^^ j^^ caufed Vendomc to be furrounded with
his Troops ; the firft Day the Suburbs were
carried. Maille Benehart had been made Go-
vernour thereof by the King himfelf, but be-
traying his Mafter, he fided with the League,
and the Place having been forced, he and a
Francifcan Fryar Trumpeter of Sedition and
Rebellion, received the Punifhment they fo
juftly deferved, the Fryar was hanged, and
the Governor beheaded by the Marfhal oi Bi-
ron's Orders. It is obfervable, that when the
faid Governor was brought before Biron he be-
haved himfelf like a Coward, and was in fuch
a fright that he b 1 himfelf, and with great
ado
f/J Thuan. ibid. p. 27.
Bo 0 K VII. Reforfned Churches in Fr a n c e . 2q
ado could he be led to the Place of Execution. HenrylV.
Thefe few Inftances of Severity had a very p'^^^'.
great Influence over the neighbouring Towns, °{^^ y^'
who furrendered themfelves without waiting t-.~y.«o
for the laft Extremity (m).
Whereas Mellay is but twelve Leagues dif- ^^^^'^•
tant from Tours, he went thither and arrived ^^^^^ ^^^^
very late in the Night ; he entered the City by Tours,
the Light of Flambeaux, and was received with
the loudeft Acclamations of Joy, the Houfes
being illuminated, he fpent the remaining part
of the Night with his Coufin the Cardinal of
Vendofms^ and the Cardinal of Lenoncour ; the
next Day he received the Compliments of the
Parliament, and thofe oi Mocenigo, AmbafTa-
dor of Venice.
That Republick had been in a great Confter- XXIV.
nation when they heard the late King had been TheBepub-
murdered; nd^Y^ 'ThuanuSy who was then at /■'^^-''^^'^^^^"
nice, fays that the Indignation and Hatred a- km^kd es
gainft the Dominican Fryars was carried fo far, his TitU,
that fome young Noblemen having met in the
Evening two of them wandering in the Streets,
they fell upon them furiouily, beat one unmerci-
fully, and flung the other into the great Channel,
where he was in Danger of being drowned. The
next Morning the good Fathers brought their
Complaints before the Senate, but the wife Sena-
tors told them, that it was very unbecoming their
Profeflion, to be wandering through the Streets-
in the Night, inftead of being intent upon their
chief Bufmefs at home •, befides which, it was a!-
moft impoflible in a free City, full of People
of all Nations, to reprefs the Infults done at fuch
Hours, and fo they were difmifl'ed'with Scorn.
Their Sorrows were changed jnto Joy when
they heard that the King of Navarre had been
(«} I4ein ibid. p. 30.
acknowledged
30 Hijiory of the Reformatioriy and of the Vol. IV,
Henryiv. acknowledged as lawful Succeflbr to the Crownj,
Fope\i ^y ^^^ Princes, Lords, and Chief Officers of
tus V. the Armyj and had been proclaimed King of
France by them and the whole Army, and the^
fcrupled not to acknowledge him in the fame
Quality, notwithftanding the ftrong Oppofitions
of the Emperor^s, Spanijh, Savoy Embafiadors,
and of the Pope's Legate j this laft threatned
the Senate with the Pope's Cenfures if they
fcorned his Admonitions, and had any thing
to do with the Ncivarrefe ; but he was anfwered^
that, whereas this was a Matter purely civile
they zvere in hopes that his Holinefs would not
take amifs what they did, that it concerned the
Republick to keep a good Correfpondence with the
Crown of France, and feeing that the King of
Navarre had been declared the next and lawful
Heir thereof i and acknowledged as fuch even by
the Cardinals themfelves, who are Counfellors
born to the Pope, they could do no lefs than follow
their Example -^ that as to Religion^ they did not
meddle with it, it was the Pope^s Bujinefs, and they
earneflly entreated his Holinefs to ufe his befi En-
deavours to have that Prince better inftru5ied ;
finally^ that if contrary to their ExpeElation, his
Holinefs-^ mifconflruing their Proceeding, under^
took to deal feverely zvith them, and decree any
thing unjufi againji them, they would be forced
to difregard in gQod earnefl thofe Cenfures, which
they were falfly charged to fcorn. ^ Accordingly
they fent new Inftrudions to their EmbafTador at
^ours, and Letters to the King to congratu-
late his Majefty upon his Acceffion to the
Crown of France.
Tho* the Great Duke of 'tufcany, and the
Duke of Mantua could not declare themfelves
fo openly as the Republick of Venice, neverthe-
lefs they agreed with Hurault Lord of Maffay,
French
"Book VIL Reformed Churches In Fr an ce.^ 3 1
French Embaflador, and Thuanus^ to aflift his Henry IV.
Majefty under-hand with Money, and their ^^^9;
Recommendations, and to promote his Intereft f^^ ^'
in Italy^ efpeeially at the Court of Rome. Mo- u^-v^-mI
cenigo met with a very gracious Reception from
the King, and now his Majefty was publickly
acknowledged by Queen Elizabeth, King
James of Scotland, the Reformed Cantons of
Switzerland, part of the others, moft of the
Proteilant Princes of Germany^ the Republick:
of Venice, and under-hand by the moft potent
Princes of Italy (n).
While the King was vidlorlous over his E- XXV.
nemies wherever he carried his Arms, the Spi- T^umults al
fit of Sedition and Rebellion raged in feveral'^°'^^°"^''
Places where the League got the upper hand,
efpeeially at 'Tholoufe. The Biftiop of ComingeSy
who for his Crimes was become the Obje6t of
the Scorn and Hatred of every fober Man,
provoked at a Decree of the Parliament of that
City, whereby the Marfhal of Joyeufe was ac-
knowledged as Governor-General of Toloufe and
of Languedoc, commanding every one of what
Rank or Quality foever to obey his Orders,
and forbidding to keep any Correfpondence
with Spain 3 provoked, I fay, at this, being
confcious of his Guilt, after having diflembied
for a time, he entered the City on the ift of
OSiober^ and caufed a Fryar to come up into
the Pulpit, who preached the moft feditious
Sermon that could be heard, curfing the King
and all thofe who had any thought of pacifying
the Troubles of the Kingdom j tlien he came
out clad in Armour and a naked Sword in his
Hand, preceded by the faid Friar, holding a
Crucifix in one of his Hands and fwinging s
naked Sword with the other, and followed by
four
(n} Tkan. ibid. p. 27, z%, 29, & 3.0,
3 2 Hijiory of the Reformat io?i, andoftht Vol .IV
HenrylV. four Other Monk?., and about fifty Men of the
^589-. Dregs of the Peopie ; fo running thro' the
^?us V.^' ^'^^7' t^^ ^^^^^ ""ging by his Orders in all the
Churches for alarming the People, and indu-
cing them to rife 'va Arms, caufmg a Rumour
to be fpread that the Marfhal of Joyeufe had
plotted with the Huguenots to introduce them
into the City, and aboliih the Religion of their
Anceftors ; this he had written in large L.etters
upon a Paper which he held in his Hand lifted
up, that every one might read it. Being come
to the Town-Houfe, the Fryar knocked at the
Gate with his Crucifix, and commanded to open
it. In the mean while Joyeufe with the Chiefs
of the City retired into St. Stephen's Church.
The next Day the Parliament met him at the
fame Place, to confult together about the means
for appeafing that Sedition. The Bifhop in-
formed of this, aflembled his Adherents in the
Church of La Dalbade, and with about 600
armed Men, the Bell ringing every where, he
inarched to St. Stephen's^ threatning to plunder
and burn the Houfes of all thofe who were fuf-
peded, if Joyeufe did not depart the City with-
out any delay. Thofe who were with that
Marflial were fo frighted, that they advifed
him to yield to the Violence, and retire from
the City for a time •, the firft Prefident and fome
eminent Counfellors and Citizens followed him.
Now the Seditious puffed up with that Ad-
vantage, the Fryar went on, and made with the
Bifhop a Proceflion, being attended by feveral
Priefts, and efpecially the Jefuits, and 200
Men of the Rafcality, armed with Swords and
in Armour, the Fryar turning his Face on one
fide, and on the other, faid, Ncj) will there be
any who fhall refufe to inliji themfehes in this
Holy Militia ? if there is any., I give you. leave
3 ^*
feb 0 K Vlh Jieformed Churches in France. 3 j
to 20 and kill him in his own Houfe. After Henryiv,
having wandered for a long while in the Streets, p^^^'-
fome of them went to the Archbi/liop's Palace, ^^g y'
wkerQ Joyeufe had lodged, and. plundered it, ^— -y— — '
fparlng not the Houfes of his Adherents ;
then they returned to the Bifliop of Cominge's
Houfe, he fprinkled the Walls thereof, with
what they call. Holy Water, he curfed the
King. And gave thanks to God for that he had
freed the City from the Plague of Huguenots
and Jcyeufe's Ei?brts. That Marflial provoked
at fo great an Injury, fummoned the Nobility
and Gentry of the Province to come to his Af-
iiftance, as the fadlious faw him fully tefolved
to chaftife their Infolence, and being afraid
left the Royalifts ihould take occafion of their
Rebellion to increafe their Forces in Langiiedoc,
they fent fome Deputies to him in the Parliament's
Name, for treating of fome Agreement. But
the Marihal infifting that the Bifhop (whom he
fciled Antichrist) with his EmifTaries
fhould be put into his hands, that he himfeif
ihould be received in the City with a flrong
Garrifon, that the Prefident, Counfeliors and
others who had followed him, fhould be re-
ftored to their Goods and Dignities, thefe
Terms were thought too hard by the Seditious,
and the Affair was left dormant for a tim^e {0).
A like Sedition happened at Limoges, Ca- XXVi.
pital of the Limojine, at the Inftigation of Henry Seditio?i /it
La Martoniere Blfhop of the City, but wasL""°g^^-
happily fuppreffed by the Prudence of Mery de
Vi Mafter of the Requefts, and the Courage of
the young Lord De Levi Count of La Voule^
Governor of the Place. Some of the Rins;-
leaders being taken, were executed before the
Governor's Houfe •, the Bifliop with fome of
(0) Thuan. Lib. xcvii. p. 20.
VoL.lv. D his
3 4 Hiftory of the Reformation^ ayid of the Vol .IV.
enrylV. his Adherents ran away, and that part of the
p'58^. Town called the City, where ftood the Eplfco-
tus V. pal Palace, parted from the other by the River
»— -v~— ' Vienne, opened its Gates to the Vidorious ; the
Names of feveral Inhabitants thereof fufpeded
to be Accomplices were fent to the King, and
redeemed themfelves by paying a large Sum of
Money, whereof his Majefty flood in great
need (/>).
XXVII. Since the King's AccefTion to the Crown, the
Ibe Re- Condition of the Reformed had been worfe,
held^a fo- ^'^ feems, than under the four or five laft
litical Af Months of the late King's Reign ; they had
fembly at flattered themfelves, that the Truce which
Angely. ^j^^y \^^^ made with him would end in a folid
and lading Peace, wherefrora they expeded to
reap great Advantages for their Religion.
Now they faw them.felves fruftrated of their
Hopes, being ill ufed every where, and on pre-
tence, that the King had promifed not to ad-
vance any of them to Places of Profit or Trufl
for fix Months time, except in the Cities or
Towns granted to them by the Truce or other
precedent Treaties, they were not only excluded
from any Advancement, but even deprived of
the Offices which they had enjoyed under the
late King, and had many other Wrongs to fuf-
fer. Befides that, they had flattered themfelves
that the prefent King would be ftedfaft in their
Religion, but inftead of that, they faw him
carrying very high his Complaifance to the
Catholicks ; and what increafed their Fears and
Jealoufies, was thefe Words, in the Declara-
tion publilhed at his Acceffion to the Crown,
^be late King, whom God absolve, which
had been defignedly let flip in the Copies; they
kiiew that it was the cuftomary Language of
the
(p) Idem ibid. p. zi.
B o o K VII. Reformed Chtirches //^France. 35
the Roman Church, when they fpoke of iiead BemylV.
Perfons, and they took them as a Token of a p^^^?"
Refolution already taken by the King to em- f^^ yT"
brace the Doftrine of that Church, or at leaft
as a Mark of little Zeal and AfFedlion for the
Reformed Religion. Thefe Fears and Jea-
loufies were induftrioufly kept up by the Lea-
guers themfelves, in order to alienate the Re-
formed from the King's Service, and to form,
if poflible, a new Party in the State. Thefe
unhappy Difpofitions were fooner difplay'd in
the Provinces of Poiiou and Sainlonge, than
elfewhere ; they held an AiTembly at Si. John
of AngeJy^ where under a Pretence that it was
uncertain whether the King would perfevere in
his Religion, or no, they propofed to choofea
new Protedlor. That Propoiition was but a
Confequence of thofe Intrigues which had
caufed fo great Heats in the Aflembly held at
Rochelle the laft Year, mentioned in our for-
mer Volume, when fome reftlefs Spirits com-
plaining of the Authority which the King of
iV^i;<2rr^ afcribed to himfelf in the Management of
Affairs, would have deprived him of that Power
which his Character of Prote6lor gave him, or
at lead limited it within the Compafs of thofe
rigorous Conditions framed at firfl: at Realmont^
then amplified at Millaiid^ and confirmed at
Nimes. For they did not intend to impofe a
Mafter upon themfelves when they chofe a
Prote6tor, for which reafon very likely, they
would have chofe rather to bellow that Title
upon a Perfon whom they had a mind to ho-
nour, than upon a Prince who feeing no body
but the King above himfelf, would think all o-
ther Titles inferiour to his own Dignity. Hen-
ry III. being dead, they had, it feems, m(^re
reafon than ever to entertain thefe Thoughts
D 2 in
36 Bijiory of the RcfcrmatiGn, ar.d of the Vol.IV,
Henryiv.jn their Mind?, becaufe his lawful Heir and
„'5^9;. Succeffor was thenceforward too crear, not to
tus V. adjudge the Title of Prote5lor of the Reformed
Churches as derogating from that of King of
France. Another Reafon of their Difcontent
was the Talk of fuppreOlng the Chambers of
Juftice, to pleafe the Parliaments j they had
been inftituted formerly for the Security of the
Reformed, a,nd they were moftly compofed of
Reformed Members, who took cognizance of
all civil and criminal Affairs wherein the Re-
formed were concerned inftead of which, Cham-
bers, Judges Royal were to be appointed ;
which Refolution indeed took place the next
Year, to the great detriment of that Party. Be-
fides that, Mnfs had been already reflored in
feveral Places contrary to the plain meaning of
the Articles of the Truce. In a word, they
gave out that the King valued not the Protec-
torffjip^ feeing that he had done nothing for
them fince his Acceffion to the Crown, and
very likely they would have carried things to
extremes, had they been able to bring over the
Reformed of otlier Provinces to their Meafures.
The King was not a little perplexed when he
was thoroughly informed of what they were
tranfading at St. John, he complained bitterly
thereof, in a long Letter written with his own
Hand to Du PlcJJis Mornay, dated at his Camp
before Efiampes on the 7th of Ncvcmber \ he
charged therein fome hot-headed Men, which
he pretended not to know, with endeavouring
to advance their own private Intereft under a
Ihew of a pretended Zeal for Religion and the
Security of the Churches ; he reminded them of
fom.e fly Pradices at the laft AlTembly at Ro- '
chelle^ which had been as it were the Seeds of
this new Attempt ; he related what had pafled
between him and the Oiii'v-ers of the late King, n\
order
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;2 France. 37-
order to remove the Scruples of Religion, thatHenrylV^-
hindered rhem from declaring for liis Service, '5^9-
wherein he affirmed he had done nothlno; but ^^'' ,/^"
with the Advice and Con fent of CM////(7;z, La
Noue\ Beauvais, La Node, Guiiry, and other
Lords and Gentlemen of the Reformed Reli-
gion, that were then prefent; he afuired them
that he had with his own Hand blotted out of
the Original of the Declaration he had figned,
to the Catholicks, thefe Words, zvhcm God ab-
folve, and it was none of his Fault if the
Tranfcriber or the Printer had inferted them a-
gain in the printed Copies, He afcribed their
Complaints to the Suggeftions of fome Muti-
neers, adding that they v/ho boalled fo much
of having expofed their Lives, and their For-
tunes for him, were nov/ the very Men that
endeavoured to diveft him of that Title which
they had conferred upon him •, he affured them
of His Conftancy as to Religion, excufiiig what
he had done by the Neceflity of Times which
obliged him to do many things in order to
Itiltn the Jealoufies and Fears, which the Ca-
tholicks had conceived on his account ; he
complained modeftly of the Defertion of many
Reformed ; he ended his Letter with a fharp
Reproof againfl thofe, who thro' their Impa-
tience went about to rob him of his Reformed
Subjeds, who ought to be his by a double Ac-
quihtion, whom he tender'd with a paternal
Love, and v/hofe Prefervation could not pof-
fibiy be fo dear to any other Perfon as to hini-
feif.
That Letter, fo tampered with Complaints,
Excufjs, Proteitations and Expreffions of a
tender Love and AfFedtion, helped much to-
gether with Du Plejfis* ftrong Arguments, for
repreffing the Impetuofity of the Male-
D 3 conteats.
3 8 Hijlory of the Reformat ion, and of the Vol. IV.
HenayTV. contents, and the Reformed became thereby
-T^9-. more eafy, and endured more patiently the te-
tus V.^ dious Delays of the Court. It is certain that
u— V— -Jthe King being not as yet fettled upon his
Throne was not at all in a Condition to do now
for his Reformed Subjeds what he did after-
wards, when his Title and Authority were fully
acknowledged throughout his Kingdom. Nay,
he could do lefs for them at this prefent Junc-
ture, than when he was but King of Navarre (q).
XXVIII. During thefe Tranfadions Cardinal Cajetan,
The Pope's ^}^g Pope's Legate arrived in France ; tho' the
egate Pope had been defired by the Duke of Piney
France. "^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ Legate till he was himfelf arrived
at Rcme^ where he was to go without delay In
the Name of the Catholick Nobility, as above-
faid, to inform his Holinefs of the Reafons
•which had moved them to acknowledge the
King, tho' he had at firft granted their Requeft ;
neverthelefs, yielding to the Importunities of
the Leaguers, he gave leave to the faid Cardinal
to fet out. The Pope had named him as the fit^
teft Man as he thought for that Legation, tak-
ing him to be a moderate and impartial Man ;
but he was much deceived in his Expectation :
far from adiing the part of a Mediator, and of
endeavouring to reconcile the two Parties to-
gether, Cajetan became as great a Leaguer aS
any Man in France. When he was arrived at
Lyons^ the Duke of Nevers, who had remain-
ed neuter. Invited him to come to Nevers, that
he might confer with him and inform him of
the true Situation of Affairs. But at the In-
jH:igation of his bad Counfeliors he refufed that
Offer and went to Dijcn^ from whence he pro-
ceeded to Paris., where he made his publick En-
try in January following. His Credentials were
read
(q) Memoirs de DuPIeffis Tom- II. p. 34 — 38.
Book VII . Reformed Churches zk Fr a n c e . 39
read in Parliament on the 26th of that Month i HenrylV,
and the 6th o^ February he came himfcif to '^^^ Pol^%[j^,
Parliament with great Pomp, and carried his tug V.
Audacloufnefs fo far as to attempt to fit upon ' »r-— '
the King's Throne ; but the firft Prefident Brif-
fon took him by the Sleeve, and obliged him to
take his place below himfelf. In a word, he
fhew'd himfelf fo partial for the King o{ Spaitty
he had fo little regard for the Inftrudions the
Pope had chargvd him with, that his Mafter
was extremely offended at his Carriage, efpecially
when he had been thoroughly informed by the
Duke of Piney how matters ftood In France ;
he »eproved him fharply by his Letters, for
not having conferred with the Cardinals of Ven-
donie and Lenoncoiir who were of the King's
Party, and for (hewing himfelf fo unjuftly par-
tial, and very likely it would have fared much
worfe with him, had not Sixtus died a little
after (r).
The King ftayed but two Days at 'Tours^ he XXIX.
came to his Army which was befieging Le The King's
Mans^ Laval of Bois Dau-phine who command • Pfogt^fs-
ed therein made but little Refiftance, tho* he
had with him above 1500 Men, the Place was
farrendered by Compofition on the 2d of De-
cember. In a word, the League could preferve
nothing elfe in the Provinces of ^;?/c«, Maine ^
arid Touraine^ but the Town of La Ferte-Ber-
nard^ which the King did not think proper to
attack, becaufe it was very important for him to
employ his Forces in Normandy to reduce that
Province \ he received Alenfon by Capitula-
tion, Falaife yrdi carried by florm on the 8th
of January^ the Count of Brijj'ac who com- ^'^^'
manded therein v/as taken Prifoner of War.
Verneuil capitulated, Argentan, Domfront
D 4 Lifieux*
(r) Thuan. Lib. xcvii, p. 25, 32. Lib. xcviii. p. 44, 46, 62.
40 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. UJieux, Bnycux, Honfleur, Pont Audemar,
»9°: either capitulated, or furrendered themfelves
without waiting for a Siege. The Country of
Perche furrendered to the Count of Scifjons ;
fuch were the SuccefTes wherewith his Majefty's
Arms were attended in Jatiuary.
The Duke of Mayemie had taken the Field,
and after fix days Siege he took Po'ntoife •, then
he befieged Meulans^ but was forced K.o raife
the Siege by the King who made a Diverfion,
and attacked Poijjy^ which he took by ftorm ;
the Duke of Aumale was killed, Maycnne loft
moft part of his Baggage and of his Ammuni-
tion, having been purfued by thofe oi Mciilan
who fell turioufly upon his Rear. Then he
befieged again the fame Place, but with no
better Succefs.
XXX. Now becaufe the King publiihed every
Hjs Poll- where that he required a Conference of Di-
*^'^' vines wherein he might be better inftrucled,
that Step cooled apace the Zeal of feveral Lea-
guers, nay, fome Preachers went fo far as to
fpeak in his behalf. For preventing the Ef-
fedls wherev/ith fuch Difcourfes might be at-
^ , tended, theSoRBONNE published a Decree on
bonne J ' . fit j ■
Proceed- the loth ot ivm/^rj)', v^hercbv they condeitm-
hgs n- ed the following Proportions, That it ivas law-,
gainji him. Jul fg agree with /i?^ Be a rnese •, to acknow-
ledge him if he iDoidd turn Calholick -, and to
pry unto him 'Taxes and Suhfidics. The Legate
wrote likewife a circular Letter dated the lii: of
March^ to all the Bifhions, forbidding them to
meet at any Place for that purpofe, {^the King's
Inftrii^ion) moreover he obliged the Provoft of
the Merchants, the Speiiffs, Quartners, Tith-
ing-Men and Captains of the Wards to renew
the Oath to perfevere in the Holy Union to
the Litter End of their Lives.
Tha
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches /;2 Fr a n c e . 41
The Spanifh EmbafTador, who had propo- HenrylV.
fed In Novemhr lad to acknowledge his Mafter '599-
as Protedor of the holy Union and of the King- \^^^ y'
dom of France^ and been put by for that time, l — ,/— ^
did not defift, but renewed the fame Pr^pofi- ^^^^^^
tlon with no better Succefs. He offered a ^P^\" ^
powerful Succour to the Duke of Mayennev.-Jur] to
but that Prince, who would readily have 2.0.- obftrua ths
cepted of it at the Beginning; dreading now ^^^l-
the Confequences thereof, let the Embaflador
know that £ve or iix thouland Men were fuffi-
cient for the prefent, and tliat he would be
glad to have the relt in Money.
While their Agents v/ere debating upon that
Point, the faid Diike went to meet the Duke of
Farma^ who granted him two thoufand Horfe
under the Command of the Count of Egmont,
a young Lord who began to appear in the
World with fome Reputation, but who was
ftill more raihi than valiant.
With that Reinforcement having no lefs than vyvtt
4000 Horfe, and loooo Foot, Mayenne march- Battle of
ed to relieve Drcnx- which was befieged by the Yvri.
King ; but his Majefty being informed of his
March, raifed the Siege, and marched with his
whole Army, (much inferiour to Mayenr.e^^ as
to the Number, but much fuperiour as to Cou-
rage and Experience.) The two Armies were
in fight of one another by the 13th oi March ^
in the Plain olTvri^ and on the 14th in the
Morning the Battle began.
We find in the Hifcorians a full Defcription
of the Field of Battle, in what Order the two
Armies were difpofed, the feveral Charges of
Battalions and Squadrons cf the two Parties,
the Errors committed by the Chiefs of the
League. So that we fnall p;ive a ihort account
only of what concerns the King perfonally.
His
42 tiijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Voj.. I V.
HenrylV. His rare Uiiderftanding, his extraordinary
^59°-. Genius, his indefatigable Adivity were ad-
tus V^ mired by the moft experienced Officers ; he
I gave his Orders and difpofed of every thing
with the fame Calmnefs,as if he had been in his
Clofet; he drew up his Troops perfedly well,
and having known the Defign of the Enemy, he
altered his Scheme in a quarter of an hour,
without the lead Confufion ; during the Battle
he was every where, took notice of every
thing, and gave his Orders accordingly, as if
he had been an Argus or a Briareus; the
Noife, Hindrances, Duft, and Smoke, far from
clogging him, rather raifed his Spirits, inlighten-
ed his Underftanding, and enlivened all his
Motions.
The two Armies being in fight and ready to
engage, he lifted up his Eyes and joining his
Hands, he called God to witnefs of his In-
tentions, he implored his Affirtance, befeecli-
ing him to bring the Rebels to the Acknow-
ledgment of him who was their Lawful So-
vereign. Eut^ O Lord^ fays he, if thou hafi
heen -pleafed to difpofe otherirife of the Croivn^ or
if thou feefi in thine infinite IVifdom^ that I
pjotild he one of tkofe Kings 'whom thou givefi in
thy IVrath^ take away my Life with my Crozvn ;
Jet me be this day the Viblim of thy mcft holy De-
crees, let this Kingdom be delivered by my Death
from the dreadful Calamities of the IVar^ and
let my own Blood be the lafi that JJoall be foed for
this Cause.
Having done praying, he took his Head-
Piece, whereuDcn v/as a Bunch of three v/hite
Feathers, and before he had let down the Vi-
for, he fpoke to his Squadron as follows :
Co M p A N I o N s, if you foare this day 'my Dejiiny^
I willjhare yours likewife ; / will conquer or die
with
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr A n c e . 43
'With you ', ftandfaji in your Ranks, I leg of you',\ltmyl^.
if thrd the Heat of the Engagements you come „ ' 59'^-.
out of them, don't forget to rally iziithout Delay, \^^ y_
that is the getting of the Day. Toil fh all rally
at thoje three Trees (Pe ar-Trees) which yoit
fee before at your Right Hand \ if you lofe your
Standards and Colours, don't lofe the , fight of my
white Feathers, you foall meet them always in
the Career of Honour and Victory.
After the Vidory had been in fafpence for
a Time, at laft it turned on his fide. The
principal Glorythere of was intircly owing, after
God, to his good Condudl. Above a thou*
fand Horfe were flain with the Count of £^-
mont ; 400 Prifoners of Note were taken, and.
the whole Infantry; the German Foot {Lan-
fquenets) were all cut in pieces, the Switzers
all difarmed, and not above 4000 Men of the
whole Army could efcape by flight ; all the
Baggage, Artillery, Colours and Standards
were taken. ■
The Duke of Mayenne behaved himfelf with
great Bravery, and endeavoured many times to
rally, but finally, fearing lelt he lliould be fur-
rounded, he retired to the Bridge of Tvri,
croffed it, and having caufed it to be broken, he
went to Mantes, from thence to St. Dennis,
and then to Paris; part of the Runners away
followed him, another part went to Chartres.
The King having rulhed into a Squadron of
JValloons, was in fo great danger, that his Ar-
rfiy took him for loft for a while. Whereupon
the Marfhal of Biron, u fed to fpeak freely to
him, and who had not engaged, but was
by his Majefty's Orders at the Head of a Bodv
of Referve, to hinder the Enemy from rally-
ing, told him, Ab ! Sir, that is not juji, you
have done this day what Biron ought to do, and
Biron
tus V.
44 Hiftory of the Reformaticn, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV Biron has done li^hat the Kin^ ought to do.
1590- Which Remonftrance was approved by all thofe
t.fc \r^' that heard it, and the Generals beibught his
Majefty not to expofe his Perfon in that man-
ner, and to cpnfider that God had not called him
to be a Carabineer, but to be a King o{ France ;
that all the Arms of his Subjedls ought to fight
for him, but that they would become ufelefs,
were they once deprived of their Head, which
put them all in motion.
He was no lefs remarkable for his Clemency,
Generofity and Civility, than for his great Cou-
rage; aiid the ufe he made of his Vidory was
a ftrong Argument that he was beholden for it
rather to his wife Conducffc than to Fortune.
He chofe to receive by Compof.tion the Bat-
talions of the S-iriizers, rather than to cut them
in pieces, as he could have done very eafily ;
he reftored unto them their Colours, and dif-
m:ifred them under a Safe-Guard into their own
Country, whereby he gained the Friendihip of
the five fmall Catholick Cantons, He was fo
tender towards his Subjedls, tho' armed againfb
him, that when the Enemy was purfued after
they had been broken, he was crying aloud.
Spare the Frenchmen, hut gh'e the Foreigners no
quarter, la the Evening before the Battle Co-
lonel "Tifche had been forced by the Clamours
of the S'ujitzers to come to him and afk for
their Pay, or elfe they refufed to fight.
The King highly offended at it, told him.
How Jo., Ccloncl Tifche, is it an Aaion beco?ning
a Man of Honour, to ajk Money when he fuould
receive his Orders for fighting ? Tiie Colonel
went away quite confounded at that Anfwer.
But the next Morning, the King remembring
what he had faid, went to meet the Colonel,
and told him^ Colonel^ v^e are going to engage,
I
Book Vll. 'Reformed Churches In France. 45
Idont know whether I JJjall be killed or not ; Henry IV.
it is not juH that I (Id old d carry alon? with me „ ^59°:
the good Naz-ie cfftich a brave Gentleman as you jyg y^
tire ; therefore I do declare thai I hold you for v— -v~*J
a Man of Honour and. Probity^ uncapable of
doing any thing bafe. The Colonel was ex-
tremely moved at this the King's Generofity,
and returned a fuitableAnrwer to his Majefty.
After the Battle lie went to Rofny, where
he fupp'd ; while he was at Table, he was
told that the Marfhal of Aurnont was come
to give him an Account of what he had done ;
immediately he rofe up and went to meet him,
and having embraced him, he invited him to
fup with him and obliged him to fit at the
fame Table, telling him, that it zvas but
reafonable that he fhould partake of the Feafi^
feeing that he had fo ijoell ferved him at his
IFedding.
The Confternation was general at Paris after ^"^^fiw-'^'
that Lofs, and had the King marched, with- ^r
out delay, to that Capital, he would cer-
tainly have been received in it without much
ado. But tiie Marfhal of Biron and the Su-
per-Intendant 1^0 were ngainft it, both for
their own private Interefl, tho' their Views
were different.
. The Dowager of Mordpr.ifier vv^ho ufed to
impofe upon the People by falfe News, could
not devife any better means for colouring this
Lofs than by telling them, that indeed the
Duke Q>^ Mayenne had loft the Day, but that
the Bearnefe bad been (lain. The foolifh Peo-
ple believed that Piece of News for five or
iix Days togethei% which was enough to re-
cover them from their Fright {s).
(s) Perefixe Hift, de Henry YV. p. 146^-154,
46 Hijlory of the Reformat ion ^ mid of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. The very fame Day of the Battle of Tvriy
^59°-. the Royalifts got another great Advantage
?us V ^' °^^^* ^^^^ I -eaguers in Auvergne^ the Count
v.,....^^^-^ of Rendan was routed near IJfoire by the
Jffoire in Counts of Cuvton^ RoJJlgnac and Chazeron ;
^WwT^^^ loft 2000 Men flarn on the Field, and
^RoxlSiis^ ^^ broken Remnants of his Army v/ere
mafTacred by the Peafants, he himfelf was
taken Prifoner and died of his Wound?.
XXXIII. The King having fojourned fome Days at
Voe Kings Mantes^ took the field again ; Lagny, Pro-
Prcgrcfs. .i;i'fi^^ Monterau, Meliin and Vernon experi-
enced his Clemency, or his Juftice, being
forced to yield to his vidlorious Arms.
The Duke of Mayenne^ in order to ftop
Mayenne ^hefc Progrefles, amufed the King with the
feign s to be ^hz.do\v of a Treaty .wherein VilUroy on
iK-illing to Mayenne^s fide, and Du Pleffis on the King's,
coTiie to A- ^^^^ employed. Vilkroy pretended that his
Mafter was inclined to hearken to an Agree-
ment, provided he could do it with Safety
and 'Honour -, whereby he meant the Pre-
fervation of the Catholick Religion and his
own Safety. Du Plejfis gave him all the Sa-
tisfa61:ion he could d^fire as to thefe two Points.
But being gone to give the Duke an Account
•of what he had done, the faid Duke declared
imto him, that he could not proceed any fur-
ther in that Bufmefs without the Advice of
his Confederates, and deiired to have a longer
time to confer with them.
Before this, and while the King was at
Mantes, Cardinal Cajetan had defired to have
a Conference with the JVIarfhal of B/ron, who
with the King's Licence met him at Noijy
with feveral of the Nobility ; there, after
great Compliments paid reciprocally, the
Legate feeing that the Face of Affairs was
quite
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 47
quite different from what he had thought at HenrylV.
Rome, and that the Royalifts were fully re- p^59o-.
folved to defend, with all their Might, the ^^^ ^T
Cause of the KinG;dom asiainft their com-
mon Enemy, he went away quite confounded ;
and having learned, by Experience, that the No-
bility and others nearly concerned in the Affairs
of the Kingdom, judged of them very diffe-
rently from the Cardinals and other idle Peo-
ple, fecure againft the Danger at Rome.
A very comical thing happened in this Con-
ference •, Annas of Anglure, Lord of Givn\
accompanied the Marllial of Biron to Noi/jy
and being flrongly follicited to defert the
King and take party with the League, whereto
to induce him, they extolled to the Skies his
great Merit and the great Reputation of his
glorious Feats, which would be better acknow-
ledged in the propofed Party, he flood un-
moveable. But at lafl, being told that, as a
good Catholick, he ought at leaft to afk par-
don of the Pope and of his Legate for all
the mifchief he had done heretofore to the
Parifians^ which would be readily granted ;
he indantly kneeled down before the Legate,
craving pardon, with a fad Countenance,
and all other outward Signs of a thorough.
Repentance j the Legate gave him his Bleflingj
but before he rofe up, he required the Le-
gate to abfoJve him likewife of all the Mif-
chief he intended to do henceforward to the
{a.mQ PariJIans which fhould be more than he had
yet done^ if he could. Whereupon laughing
heartily, he went from the Legate's Prefence,
who revoked the Pardon and BlefTing he had
jufl: now granted him ('/).
Ct.) Thuan. lib, 98. p. 6i.
t
Few
4^ Wfiory of the Rcfoi'mation^ d?tdofthe Vol. Wi
llenrylV. A few days after, Du Pleffls fpoke to the
1590. K;i,-,nr in behalf of the Reformed, and endea-
Popc Six- ^, ,. ^ . ViT-j-r.
tus V. voured to obtain a Revocation or the hdicrs
' — V— ^ publifhed againft them in the Jaft Reign.
^^^Y', ^'^^^ ^'''^ Majefty, tho* very fenfible of the
DuPlelWi i^enfonablenefs of that Petition, was much
Intreatics •.11 i tt- i h t
iji ('-f/^a.y perplexed about the Ways and Means to grant
of the Re- it, therefore he referred him to the Marfhali of
formed. ^iron and the Super-Intendant Z)'0. The Mar-
fhal faying to D/^ Pl^/Jts, that it was impolTible
that two Religions fo different from one another
could ever fubfiH: in the fame Kingdom : How
foy replies Du PleOh., fince yen hiow^ by Expe-
rience, that they do agree mighty "well together in
ci:e and the fame Bed? (Lady of i>ir(?;2 profefTed
openly the Reformed Religion.) Neverthelefs,
for avoiding to give him any Satisfaftion, they
fed the King with the Hopes that Paris v/ould
treat very foon with, him and added^ that did
his MajelV,' grant that iZdi6l petitioned for, the
Jealoufies againft him would be increafed there-
by, and the good Intentions of his faithful Ser-
vants rendered ufelefs. So that he deferred it
to a better Time f^')•
While the King was at Corheil he received
a MefTtnger from the Duke pf Piney., then at
Roine^ whereby he was informed that the Pope
was much alienated from the League, and had
refi.ifed to fend them any Alllftance fince he had
b^f n better informed of the true State of the
Nation. And indeed we find in Tbuanus a very
warm expoftulatory Letter of the Duke of
Mayenne to his Holinefs, wherein he upbraided
him with Ddcrtion from the Caufe of God («;.
XXXVI. f'iis Majcfty having fecured all the Places
Paris upon the Rivers from whence Paris receives
blocked up. ifS
*^.. ('i.-'i Vie DuPleflis Morna)', liv, i. p- 147, 14S.
(;;) Thuan. lib. 98.
BgokVII. Reformed Churches 172 Vrai^ce. 49
its Provlfions, blocked up intlrely that City onHenrylV,
the 9th of May. On his way thither he madep'^^^-
a fruitlefs Attempt on Sens ; his IntelHgence in f^g V
that City failed him.
The Duke of Mayenne was not at Paris y
having left the Duke of Nemours for Governour
during his abfence, with about 8000 Men as a
Garifon -, he was gone to meet the Duke of
Parma at Conde, to implore his Affiftance. He
was in the greateil Perplexities, dreading the
Lofs of Paris, for he forefaw that if he intro-
duced the »S/)<««/«2r^i into it, the SIXTEEN
would make ufe of them for reftoring their own
Authority, and perhaps for putting that City,
in fpite of him, under the Spanijh Yoke. For
the SIXTEEN did not at all like him, be-
caufehehad abolifhed their Council of Forty,
which reflrained his Authority, and had too
great Refemblance with the Republican Govern-
ment, which they had ^ mind to introduce;
he had created another Council, a Keeper of
the Seals, and four Secretaries of State, with
whom he governed every thing without calling
the Sixteen, only when he had occaiionfor
Money. Befides that, the Cardinal of Bourbon
died juft at this Time, on the 9th of Af<2y, at
Fontenay the Place of his Confinement {x) ; he
was
(x) Charles Cardinal o^ Bourbon, was born, one may
fay, for expofing the Kingdom to tlie Mockery and
Scorn of all Nations ; after lie had fuffcred the Diil;e of
Guife to abufe his Name for a long time, to the De-
triment and Ruin of his Country, and of his own Houfe,
he at laft drew upon himftlf ail the Mifchiefs which he
was ob'iged to undergo, hiving kindled tliat bloody War
which put the whole Kingdom in combultion for fo many
Years. He was extremely fuperilicious ; as to the reil, hs
was liberal and voluptuous, over-creJulous, Vv hich made
him much addidled to Aiirologers, uhcra h^ coniulted ii-
tentime: ; having been told one day that ha Vr-ouid be Kii;e,.
Vol. IV'. ^ E it;
50 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV
Henry IV. was 'afraid left that Event fhould afford the
pllVix ^P^^^^^^^ and .S/x/f^« a Pretence for demand-
?us V.~ ^"g ^^^ Creation of a new King, and that he
fhould be obliged to yield to their Importuni-
ties. And indeed it was the firft Condition fti-
pulated by the Spanijh Agents in the Treaty
they concluded with him for fending Forces to
his Relief; and he, unv/illing to difoblige them,
promifed that he would fummon the General
States for that purpofe, at Paris inftead of Me-
lun, where he had appointed them laft Year.
In the mean while he intreated his Friends in
the Parliament and the Town-Houfe to ufe
their Intereft for having him continued in his
General Lieutenancy of the State and Crown
of France ; wherein having fucceeded, he fhew-
ed a great Reludtancy for having the General
States,
"e was fo flrongly perfuaded thereof, that from that time,
"e began to alienate himfelf from his neareft Relations,
whom he afrefted tenderly before. That Conceit of his
prompted him to attempt any thing right or wrong,which he
thought might be conducive to his future Grandeur ; there-
fore he fcrupled not to follow the Duke of Guife wherever
he thought proper to carry him, and to be his Tool for
the Execution of his Dengns, having ftiaken off all Senfe
of Love for his own Country and Relations ; nay, he was
not free from Fraud and Deceit, whereby, more than once
he gave the Duke much Trouble. He had had formerly
a mind to marry the Dutchefs oi Montpenjtery Sifter to the
Duke of Guife, and would have done it, had he been at
liberty when he was proclaimed King by the Leaguers,
whereby it would have been an eafy matter for him to
iranfmit the Crown to her Brethren, if he died without
Male Ifl'ue. It is very obfervable that SixtusW took no
manner of notice of him in his Letters to the Parliament
of Paris, nor in the Inllrudions given to his Legate.
And that no Provifion was made for his Maintenance as
King by thofe who had proclaimed him, on pretence that
his own Revenues and Benef.ces v/ere more than fufficient
in the prcfent condition he was in ; whereat many People
were cxrcmely cftt-ndcd. Ke died of the Stone in the
fixty f!Xth Year of his Age. Thuan. lib. xcviii. p. 67. lib.
xcvii. p. 24, 25, 26.
Book VII. "Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . t^l
States, and endeavoured with all his might HenrylV
to oppofetheir Convocation {y). p a^ Sk-
Paris being blocked up, the Legate and the {^^ y^
Sixteen negle(^ed nothing for encouraging the'
People. They confulted the Sorbonne, who
gave them what Refolutions they pleafed a-
gainft him, whom they ftiled the Bearnese,
they procured feveral ProcefTions general and
particular, amongft others, a very comical one
compofed of all the Fryars and Monks that
lived at Paris^ the Canon Regulars, Bene-
didines, and Celeftines excepted, all armed
over their refpedlive Habits •, they made up to-
gether a Regiment of 1 300 Men. The Legate
was curious to fee their firft Review, and they,
in order to do him honour, made a general dif-
charge, whereby his Secretary was killed at
his fide (z).
At the fame time the Duke of Nemours took
much pains to put the City in a State of De-
fence, and the Inhabitants being for the molt
part thoroughly perfuaded, that if the King
was once in pofieffion of the City, he would
certainly abolifh the Catholick and eftablifh the
Reformed Religion, aflelTed themfelvcs and
paid freely whatevet Sums were required of
them. I ihall not infift upon all the Particu-
lars of that memorable Siege, whereby that large
and opulent City was upon the point of perilh-
ing by Famine, had it not been relieved by the
Duke of Parraa^ after near four Months Siege.
I fhall only make thefe three or four Obfer-
vations :
Firft, When the City was blocked up there
were in itonly23000olnhabitantsi about looooo,
dreading the threatning Danger, had deferied.
fvj Idem lib. xcviii. Perefixe p. 156, 7, 8.
{%) Tkuan. lib. xcviii. p. 69.
E 2 In
52 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol* IV*
HenrylV. In the Times of Peace that great City was fup-
p^'590; plied every Week with frefh Provifions, that
tus V. came in plenty by the Rivers of Seine, Marne^
and Oyfe. A hs'V private Families forefeeing
the Storm, hadftored fome Provifions for them-
felves, fuch as Meal, Flower, Butter, Salt-
Pork, Oil, Wine, ^c. but their Number
was very fmall in comparifon of thofe who had
not taken a like Precaution either through Im-
prudence, or for want of proper Means. The
Chiefs had been fo little cautious, that in three
Weeks time all the Provifions they had in the
publick Magazines were confumed, fo that all
the PafTages of the Rivers from whence they
ufed to receive their Provifions being flopped
by the Royalifts, they were afflided with fuch
a dreadful Famine, that the People were forced
to feed upon , Cats, Dogs, Rats, Grafs, wild
Roots, nay upon dead Bodies ; and by the In-
vention of Mendoza the Spani/h Embafiador,
they fed upon Bread made of dry human Bones
ground for that purpofe, which Food was mor-
tal to every one who made ufe of it. Above
13000 Perfons died with Hunger in lefs than
two Months and a half. All this while theabo-
niinable Preachers of the League fed the mi-
ferable People fometimes with falfe News of
fome Advantage or other got by their Party^
fometimes with vain Hopes of a fpeedy Relief
from the Spaniards. Nay, following the
Steps of the Sorbonijis, they were fo defperately
wicked, as to thundtr from the Pulpit againft
thofe who fpoke of coming to fome Agreement
with theBEARNESE, notoniy threatning them
with eternal Damnation, but encouraging and
exhorting the Heads of the Party to put them
to death {a).
Secondly,
(a) Th; anus lib. xcix p 77.
Book VII. Reformed Churches m France. 53
Secondly, Whereas I have mentioned the De- HcnrylV.
creesof the Sorbonne^ we here muft obferve, that '^^c'y.
the Pariftans underftanding that Cardinal of "[^^ y.
Bourbon was dangeroufly Tick, confulted thofe
Divines upon thefe three Points. Firft, whe-
ther Henry of Bourbon could be acknowledged
King of France after his Uncle's Death, tho*
he Ihould reconcile himfelf with the Pope? Se-
condly, whether he or they who fhould fue for
Peace with the faid Hemj, or fhould confent
to it, being in a condition to oppofe him, ought
not to be heid for Hereticks or Abettors of
Hereticks? Thirdly, whether it v/as a meri-
torious thing before God and Men, to oppofe
the faid Henry hy all means; and in caieone
fhould die in that Quarrel, whether he fhould
not be deemed a holy Martyr?
They anfwered thefe Queries on the 7th of
May^ and declared that It was not lawful for any
Catholick to acknowledge for their King an
Heretick or Abettor of Hereticks, a notorious
Enemy of the Church, much lefs to receive a
Reiapfer who was excommunicated by the Holy
See •, and tho' he could obtain at any time his
Abfolurion, and be reconciled to the Church,
yet becaufe there was an evident Danger of his
being an Hypocrite, he ought to be excluded for
the fame Rtafon, and whoever affifts him or
fufFers him to take pofTeiTion of the Crown,
tho' he has it in his power to oppofe him, that
Perfon is juftjy iufpe<5ted of Herefy, he is an
Enemy to the Church; now Henry of Bourbon
is a Heretick, Abettor of Hereticks, a Reiap-
fer excomm.unicated, i^c. Ergo. And tho' any
lawhil SuccefTor to the Crown fhould happen
to die, or yield his Title unto him, he and they
who abet him are fufpe6ted of Herefy, Ene-
mies to the Church, and as fuch deferve to be
E 3 leverely
54 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
* enrylV. feverely punifned. Now as thofe who abet
p'59o-. and aflift the faid Henry o^ Bourbon, Pretender
tL V. ^o ^^^ Crown, are Defcrters from the true Re-
ligion, and adlually live in a mortal Sin; (o
thofe who by all poflible means do oppofe his
DsHgns, being moved thereto by a Zeal for Re-
ligion, deferve a great deal before God and
Men : and as we might very rightly judge
that the firfi perflating obftinately in their Re-
folution of fettling the Kingdom of Satan, are
devo!:ed to eternal Damnation •, fo we may fay
with good reafon, that the others fliall be glo-
rioufly recompenfed in Heaven if they per-
fevere till Death, and as Defenders of the
f'aith they fhall obtain the Crown of Martyr-
dom {b). Such were in thofe Days the erro-
neous Opinions of thofe great Divines, con-
fidered as Rulers of the Galilean Church, who
afcribed to themfelves the Right of determining
between Leprofy and Leprofy, as the High-
Prieft of the Jews, and who did not fcruple to
fell their Honour and Confcience for fome Spa-
niftJ Pjftoles, and draw the People into a depth
of Miferies.
Thirdly, Notwithftandinsc thefe Decifions
and lome others whereby it was forbidden to
hold any Correfpondence or to treat with Hen-
ry of Bourbon j the Heads of the League were
forced two or three times to come to a Parley
with the King's Deputies, in order to obtain
either a general Peace, or a particular one for
the Ciry of Paris. True it is, that before they
took that Step, they had the Advice of the Scr-
bcnne and o\ x\\z hegate \ their Querit s were.
Whether' in caf^ of urgent NecefTiry, furh as the
prefent was, there was any fm in treating with
Henry oi Bourbon, for avoiding a greater Mif-
chic f
(k) Thuan. lib. xcvili. p. 68, 6g.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Vrai^C'E:, 55
chief? Whether the Deputies fent to that HenrylV.
Prince for working his Converfion, or for bet- p''59o-.
tering the Condition of the Catholick Church, °^^^ y ^*
were obnoxious to the Excommunication ful-
minated by Sixtiis V ? Thefe Queries were an-
fwered in the Negative by thefe egregious Doc-
tors, So that notwithftanding their former
Decifion, which was reverfed by this ; notwith-
ftanding a Declaration of the Parliament of
Paris on the i5Lh oijime^ whereby they con-
demned to death any one, of what Rank
or Quality foever, who fhould talk of com-
pounding upon any Terms with Henry of Bour-
bon ; they were very glad to obtain a Pafs from
his Majefty to confer with his Deputies. At
thefirft time, the Legate himfelf defired to con-
fer with the Marquis of Tifany^ come lately
from Rome; at the fecond time, the King himfelf
with Chancellor of Chiverny, reftored of late
to that Dignity, and Marfhal of Biron, came to
the Convent oi St. Antony^ and conferred with
Cardinal of Retz Biftiop of Paris, and the
Archbifhop of Lyons in the beginning of Au-
guji. And before that, Villeroy had had a
Conference with Barbezieres, Lord of Cheme-
raud^ a Royalift {c).
Fourthly, The King committed three or four
grofs Errors after the Battle of Tvri and during
this Siege, i. Inftead of marching direftly to
Paris after the faid Battle, he loft fo much time
(above fifteen days) at Mantes. There is no
doubt but if he had taken that Courfe, as he was
advifed by his faithful Counfellors of the Reform-
ed Religion, and as he himfelf inclined to, Paris
would have opened its Gates ; fo great was the
Confternation of the Inhabitants, and the A-
kcrity of his Partizans in that City. Bat th^
^ c ) Thuan. lib. :?:cviii, xcix.
E 4 time
56 Uijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol.. IV.
HenrylV. time he fpent needlefsly at Alantes, ferved tore-
pi^^ Six- '^^^^ ^^^ Courage of his Enemies, and to dlf-
tus v/ hearten his Friends, (o that he had but an
unhappy Succefs in his Attempt. 2. His Me-
thod in befieging that City was very defedtive,
he propofed to himfelf to take it by Famine, not
confidering the Charader of thofe who were at
the Hi. Im of Affairs •, nor of moft part of the
Inhabitants : well and good if he had tried that
Method for fix Weeks or two Months; but
after that Time, feeing that it was in vain, he
ought to have made ufe of the ordinary means
for fubduing that rebellious Capital. 3. He
was even much defedive in that very Method,
for inftead of keeping the City clofely fhut up,
fo that no body could come out, and of for-
bidding ftridlly to introduce therein any kind of
Provifions, he was the firft who confented to
the coming of above 4006 ufelefs People out
of the City, and fufFered his Officers that kept
the PafTages, and even the Soldiery to intro-
duce Vidluals into it, one way or another, for
Money or fome rich Furniture ; whereby the
Obftinacy of the rich fort was ftrengthened,
and the Mifery of the poor lengthened and in-
creafed. 4; But the groffeft Error of all was,
that he raifed the Siege to march with his whole
Army againft the Duke of Parma^ who carhe
at laft to the Relief of the City after near four
Months of Expedation •, inftead of leaving part
of his Troops for continuing the Siege, know-
. ing certainly that the Parifians were not then
in a Condition to make any Sally, being almoft
ftarved to death, and weakncd by their long
fafting, that they were not able ftand.
, 1 know that fome Iliftorians, fuch as Tere-
fxe^ have taken occafion from this the King's
Condud, to extol his great Clemency, which
, ' . engaged
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches //; Fr a n c E i ^y
engaged him to chufe the mlldeft Ways for HemylV.
bringing the City to a thorough Acknowledge- ^^9°-
ment of their Rebellion; That opulent °^^^ y^'
City, which he was used to call his
ELDEST AND MOST BE LOVED DaU GHT E R !
He would not^ that Great King ! fuffer it to be
expofed to be plundered and ranfacked by the rapa-
cious Soldiers, efpecially the Huguenots, who
without doubt would have remembered and re-
venged upon the poor Inhabitants, the Pari-
sian Matt INS. What a jfine Thing that is!
But rather how ridiculous it is to give for the
Caufe what is not fo, and to diffemble the true
Motives of A(5lions, in order to find in them
fome falfe Colours for extolling a Hero in whofe
Condudl we find fo many other real Subjedls
for the hrgheft Encomiums? Henry lY. was
a clement and merciful Prince, that is true -,
but Henry IV. knew as well as any Man in the
World, that to ftarve an Enemy to death, is
a thing more cruel than to put him to the
Sword. Henry W. had a tender Regard for
his City oi Paris, that is true; but Henry IV.
had a like Regard for all the Cities of the King-
dom, and defired above all things to bring
them to a juft Ssnfe of their Duty by the mildeft
means poffible ; but he was too fenfible, for fettling
his Afte6lions rather upon the Walls or Houfes
of a City than upon the Inhabitants; and he
knew perfe6tly well that Paris was the verv
Neft from v/hence came forth all thofe impure
and ravenous Birds, which deftroyed every thing
wherever they could perch, But he knew that
the beft way for putting a fpeedy Endlo the
Civil Wars, was to be M after of that Capital,
and that as foon as the Head fhould have been
cured, the reft of the Body would recover a pace,
and that the beft Method for reducing that City
was
58 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. was to ftorm it after having famifhed it. Fi-
plpe^\\x "^^^y» ^^^ knew very well that if he raifcd the
tus V.'^^^^g^ ^"^^''^^y» the PafTages being opened, Pro-
vifions would come in plenty into the City,
and the Governours thereof would be more
cautious than before to ftore them. All thefe
things he knew perfedly well ; why then did
he not a6t accordingly ? the true Reafon was, be-
caufe he was not Mafter as yet to do what he
would ; Marflial of Biron who had great Credit
amongft the Troops, and the Marquis D'O,
governed him entirely, he durft not oppofe
their Will, they both were led by their own
private Intereft ; the firft was afraid left the
War being at an end, his Authority would
ceafe of courfe ; the fecond aimed at the For-
feiture of his Creditors Eftates, which he
thought would fall to be the Lot of the Sol-
diers, fhould the City be taken by Storm : fo
that, for gratifying their private Intereft, they put
the King upon ading in a way quite contrary to
his own Honour, as well as to his own Incli-
nation.
Thofe who fay that he had not fufficient
Forces for taking the City any otherwife than
by a Blockade, do not mind much what they
fay; his Army was at leaft 22000 ftrong,
Horfe and Foot, when he raifed the Siege; and
if he had been able to ftorm, in three Hours
time, in the Night, all the Suburbs, who were
in no fmall Number, why could he not ftorm
the City in a Day, efpecially two Months after
the beginning of the Siege ? We have faid it,
the private AfFed:ions of fome Great Men in
his Council and in his Army, cccafioned all this
Mifmanagement ; they were not afiiamed even
to forge News for compafling their Ends,
they told him every day, nay, fometimes
every
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr ah ceI 59
every hour, that they had received certain Ad- HenrylV.
vice that their Friends were upon the point of 'S9o-
prevailing in the City, that to-morrow or the ''{^^ y"
next day they \vould open the Gates, and fuch « -,-ili
like ftufF, to decoy his Majefty and to deceive
him by fair Words.
Howbeit, on the 29th of Auguji having XXX VI,
certain Advice that the Duke of Parma had ^'^^ ^^eg'
joined that of Mayenne^ and that they were no ^'^^f^^-
further than fix Leagues from Paris, Henry
marched out of his Camp with part of his
Troops, and appointed Bondi*s Field for the
reft to meet him the next day. He queftioned
not but the Enemy would give him battle, as
they had induftrioufly procured it to be pub-
lifhed, in fure Expedation that it would prove
the beft: means to oblige the King to raife the
Siege, and march from before Paris with his
whole Army, wherein they were not deceived.
But the Duke of Parma, as prudent and ex-
perienced as he was brave, was not fuch a Fool
as to engage inconfiderately with the King ; it
is faid, that he let him know beforehand, that
he would oblige him to raife the Siege of Paris,
and take a Town before his Face, without en-
gaging with him, and indeed he was as good as
his word ; for on the firft of September being
come upon a Hill to take a view of the Royal
Army, he was fomething furprized at their
Number, ffor he had been told that they were
but ten thoufand) and at their Order ; where-
upon he refolved to decline any Engagement,
accordingly he pitch'd his Camp in a morafiy
Ground, which he retrenched fo well, that he
could not be forced. On the 8th of the fame
Month he battered Lagny, took it, and caufed
it to be plundered.
After
to Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. TV ,
EenrylV. After that Exploit, the King's Army began
Popl'^tix- ^° ^^ ^" Diftrefs for want of Provifions, they had
^/ v/^ "o Bread for two or three Days. The SoJdiers
*— -V— — » mutiny'd, the Generals charged one another
XXX vri. with the bad Succefs of the Siege oi Paris, the
l^ah'lls ^^^^^''fy ^^^^ \t^\& to retire to their own
jf,^^ " Houfes, feeing no Battle was to be expefted,
great Divifions and Heats arofe between the
Reformed and the Cath clicks, and between the
Officers of the old Court and the prefenr.
Thereupon the King confidered in his Coun-
cil what was to be done in that fad Juncture ; it
was refolved to break up the Camp, and retire.
He took his way near Senlis, crofTed the Oyje at
Creil with a Hafte more like a Flight than a
Retreat ; he took Clermont in Beauvoifis, gave
the Plunder thereof to the Soldiers, and fent
part of his Troops to the PJaces adjacent to
Paris, which held for his Party, another Part
into the Provinces with his Nobility, and kept
only 7 or 8 hundred Horfe with himfelf.
Txsvni. On the 27th o{ Augufi, died at Rome, Pope
■>S^'^ 5/>/«j V. in the 70th YearofhisAge ; he had held
the See five Years, fourMonths and three Dtiys;
having been elefted on the 24th Dciy of April
1585. Tho' his Reign was fo lliort, neverthe-
lefs it is own'd, by the bed Hiiiorlans, that he
did more and greater Things, in fo Pnort a time,
than any of his Predeceflbrs, which have re-
commended his Memory to Pofterity ; fome of
which deferve to be pralfed, and others excite
our Admiiatlon. It is almoft Incredible what
vaft Sums he laid out in Buildings and fuch
like things, fome very ufcful to the Pub lick,
and others only for Ornament and a fliew of
his Magnificence ; and neverthelefs he laid up
above five Millions of Crowns in his Exche-
quer during the time of his Pontificate. True
it
Boo K VII. Reformed Chitrches z« Fr an c e . 6 1
it is, that the State of the Church and all his other Henry IV.
Dominions were overborn with Taxes and Sub- p ' 59°-. ^
iidies, which rendered him (o odious to his ^^j y.
Subjeds, efpecially the Romans, that after his
Death, the Populace ran into the Capitol, m
order to pull down his Statue which had been
placed there in his Life-time, by the Senate and
the Roman People, which however they did not
execute •, but that Tumult occafioned a Decree,
whereby it was declared, that whoever jloould
henceforward ere5i or propofe to ere^ any
Statue for any Pope, in his Life-time, fhould
be deemed a Villain, uncapable to hold any
Employment foeverfi).
His mean Birth, his Rife, and the Charadler
of his Genius, are fufficiently known, therefore
I fhall not infill upon them. It is certain, that in
King Henry 11 Ps Time he had countenanced the
League, and had the Duke of Ga//^" lived fome
Years longer, he would undoubtedly have fup-
ported it with all his Might, by no other Mo-
tive than for gratifying his private_ Ambition,
and in certain hopes of marrying his own Neice
with the Prince of Join-ville, as foon as the
• Duke of Guife his Father (hould have been pro-
claimed King of France, as we have obferved
in our laft Vol. But after the Death of the Duke
of Guife and of Henry III. he began to relent
and alter his Method, refufing abfolutely to
aOift the Leaguers in theleart; which provoked
fo much the Spaniflo EmbafTador Count
D'Olivarez, that he upbraided his Holinefs with
Fufillanimity, and with betraying the Caufe ot
God ', whereat the Pope was fo highly of-
fended, that had not Death prevented him,
the Embaflador would have been expelled
Rome. This Alteration in his Conduct was iefs
owing
{d) Thiian. Lib. c. p. nj, u8.
62 Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. owing to the Remonftrances of the Duke of
^59°: Luxemburg- Pine)\ than to the Battle of 2^r/,
tus V. ^"^ efpecially to the Views he had upon the
Km -v— ■! Kingdom of Naples, which he intended to
feize immediately after King Philif's Death,
for which purpofe he laid up fuch vaft Trea-
fures.
Succeeded He was fucceeded by Cardinal Cajlagna^ who
by Urban took the Name of Urban VII. his Reign was
very (hort, he was endowed with great Mode-
ration, of an extenfive Charity, and feveral
other Chriftian Graces, which gave great Ex-
pedation of a glorious Pontificate ; he died
thirteen Days after his Eledlion, fhewing forth a
perfe<5t Refignation to the Will of God Almighty.
Jnd hy He was fuccecded, on the ^th oi December,
Gregory ^y Cardinal Sfondrate, who took the Name of
Gregory XIV. He was a great Stickler for the
League, and one of their main Supporters *, he
went much further in that refped than Sixtus
had ever done, for he not only excommunica-
ted the King and all his Adherents, but he fent
ten thoufand Men to the Afliftance of his Ene-
mies, and paid them fifteen thoufand Livres a
Month, befides large Sums of Money which he
lent to them, for which purpofe he laid out
part oi Sixtus's Treafure. It is faid in his De-
fence, that he was afraid left the Spaniards
fliould ferve him as they had ferved his two
PredecefTors, for it was ftrongly rumoured that
they had been poifoned by the Spanijh Fadtion,
becaufe they were fo little complaifant to that
Crown {e).
XXXIX. We fhall not undertake to give a particular
5/rt/fo///?'^ Account of the ftate of Affairs in the Provinces,
ro-j;«ai. ^j^^^ is impofTible, inafmuch as they had no
[e] Thuan. Lib. c. ci. Mczeray, Tom. VI. Suitede la 30
Parcie.
c? certain
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, 5^
Certain Profped: in View, but they varied as the Henryl v.
private Intereft of their Chief. The Duke of '59o.
Mercceur was almoft Matter of the whole Pro- aofvXlV
vince of Britany, where the Spaniards made ■_-^-_^
ft Defcent and took Blavet, which they fortified.
That Duke was the moft obftinate of all the
Heads of the League, and ftood out the longeft,
for he could not be brought to yield 'till the
Year 1598.
The Duke oijoyeufe made great Progrefs Langue-
in Languedoc, notwithftanding the Oppofitions doc.
of the Duke of Montmorancy^ Governour of
that Province, who had been created of late
Conftable of France. But at laft he was obliged
to yield to a fuperior Force, and was drowned
accidentally in the 2l?r;?, mOSfokr i^g^^ after
he had been routed by Tbemines, and loft 2000
Men flain in the Field or drowned in the River,
all his Baggage taken, with 22 Pair of Colours
and five Cannons. He was Brother to the Duke
of Joyeiife killed at Coutras in 1587 (/).
Marfhal o? Matignon kept the Province o^ I» Gui-
Guienne in awe, and the Leaguers made none, ^'^'"^"
or very little progrefs in it -, however, the King
was not as yet acknowledged by the Parliament ;
they made ufe of Henry Ill's Seal, even a Year
after his Death, which being thought very ri-
diculous by the mofl: prudent, Le Comte,
Mafter of the Requefts and Keeper of the Seal,
caufed a new one to be made, with the Name of
Henry IV. Kmg cf France and Navarre engra-
ved upon it ; for which he was called to an Ac-
count by the Parliament, as being done with-
out their Knowledge and Confent. But the
King's Attorney took his part, and the Affair
being put into Deliberation, whereat Matignon
was prefent, and the hotteft Oppofers being
abfent
(/} Thuan, Lib. ciii. p. 23S, 239.
64 mjiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV;
HenrylV. abfent upon fome other Bufinefs, Le ComU czrvicd
*59f- his Point by a great Majority. But nothing
goryXlv. advanced more the King's Intereft in that Par-
u«-v-«i«/ hament, than the Decree made at Tours with
his Majefty's Confenton the ibth of'Novemkr,
and read at Bourdeaux on the 20th, whereby
the Chambers of Juftice compofed only of
Judges profeiTing the Reformed ReHgion, and
which had been eftabhfhed under the late King
at 5/. John of Angely in Saint onge, at Bergerac m
Perigord, and at Montauhan in ^ercy, were
fupprefled as abovefaid, and the Reformed
obliged to appear before the ancient Tribunals
and Courts, as in former Times, whenever there
was Occafion, which indeed was a greatHard-
fhip put upon them (g).
Jn Dau- -^^^ D'tguieres, and D^Albigny^ Governour
phine. oi Grenoble for the League, waged War againft
one another, the former for the King, the latter
for the League ; but the firft being much fu-
perior, forced, at kft, the other to yield intirely,,
having taken by Compofition the City of
Grenoble after three Weeks Siege, whereby the
whole Province was reduced under the King's
Obedience, and that great Man in a Condition
of affording his AfTiftance, fometimes to
Matigiron, Deputy-Governour of the Lyonefe,
and fometimes to La Valette Governour of
Provence. We muft not forget to obferve, that
as foon as the Nev.'s of the late King's Murder
reached Daupbine, Colonel Alphonfo Ornano a
Corjican^ Deputy-Governour of that Province,
being fully convinced that Religion was but a
mere Pretence which the Heads of the League
made ufe of for compafling their private Views,
he made no fcruple to fue for Les D^guleres's
Friendfliip, and to make an Alliance ofTenfive
and
(gj Thuan. Lib. xcix. p. 92, 93,
Book VII. Reformed Churches /^France. 6^
and defenfive with him, which was concluded HenrylV.
and figned zt La Grange, on the i ^th of Sep- ^ ^9°-
tember 1589, but a few Months a^t^J* he was g^yj^jy"
taken Prifoner of War by the League (h). i_ -y— J3
Provence was miferably rent by three Fac- In Pro-
tions befides the Royalift Party j the Duke of vence.
Savoy, the Countefs of Saull, the Count ofCar-
ces had each their own. The Duke of Savoy* s
feemed to be predominant, and to keep the two
others in his own Intereft : But the Countefs,
(her Name was Chriftierna of Aguerre, Relidt
of Louis of Agoul Count of Sault) a Lady of
great Courage and a high Spirit, was willing to
introduce him into the Province only with a
view to make herfelf the ftrongeft in it : And
the Count of Carces, unable to fubfift by him-
felf, was very glad to fee the Duke in the Pro-
vince, in order to make a Di veriion of La Valette't
Forces, with whom it was impoflible for him to
cope by any other means. The Parliament of
Aix itfelf was hkewife divided betwixt thefe
three Fadtions, and fome of the Members
thereof had feparated themfelves from the o-
thers, being in the King and La Valette*s Inte-
reft, and held their Seflions at Manofque.
The King of Spain being fenfible that if he
could poffibly wreft that Province from the
French, he would be Mafter of the Mediterra-
nean, break their Alliance with the Turks, in-
terrupt their Correfpondence with Italy, and
their Trade in the Levant ; fent a naval Army
of 47 Galleys to the Duke of Savoy, and gave
(h) Vie du Connertable de Les Diguieres Liv. III. ch,
xii. &chap. vii. p. i8o, i8i. Thuan. lib. xciv. Ipeaks only
of a Truce which had been agreed in February 1589, and
was to laft to the latter end of 1590 ; but there is no con-
tradiftion between them both, the Truce was made at the
time which Thuanus fays, before the King's Death, but
ferved as the Bafis of the Alliance concluded after that
Prince's Deceafe,
Vol. iV. F him
66 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV".
HenrylV.him leave to raife Troops in the Milanefe and
»59o- in the Kingdom of iVl3/)/^j.
coryXIv' ^'^ ^^^ ^^^ Heats of thefe Commotions, the
' Duke, by his Intrigues and his Money, got
the upper- hand ; the Magiftrates of the chief
Cities, amongft others, Marfeilles, and j^ix
were all at his Difpofal •, a great Aflembly of
the Clergy and Nobility held at Jix in Ja-
nuary, refolved to put the Province under his
Proteftion, and deputed unto him a Bifhop
and the firft Conful of the City j nay, the Par-
liament itfelf decreed to call him to proted the
Province, and confifcated the Goods and Eftates
of the Variegated, fo they called the
Royalifts (j)-., he came accordingly, and was
received with the utmoft Pomp and Magni-
ficence.
It would be a piece of Folly to pretend to
enter into the Particulars of the manifold In-
trigues and Exploits of fo many Parties, who
altering every day their Views and Schemes,
knew not very v.'ell themfelves what they were
about', (o that I iliall omit them: only I fliall
obferve, that the Duke of Savoy, immediately
after the late King's Death, had put to a great
Tryal the Fidelity of the Parliament o^ Gre-
noble, offering to take them and the whole
Province of Daiipbine under his Proteflion, if
they would acknowledge his Title, as being
Son to one of Francis Vs Daughters. But they
wifely anfwered, that that Propofition was of
fuch Importance that it belonged not to them
but only to the General States of the Kingdom
to refolve it, and to them they referred him.
Whereupon D^Albigny his good Friend, Cover*
nour of Grenoble, advifed him to try his For-
tune upon Provence ; wherein indeed he had at
firft
(jj TJiuan. lih. xcvii
Boo K Vlh Reformed Churches />z Fr an c e . 67
firft jnucb better Succefs than he could re- HenrylV,
fonably expeft (/). p^^V'
I fhall not fpeak of the Tr^nCiftions in feve- J'fy x/y
ral other Provinces, where Affairs were in as\— v-^
great Confufion as in Provence, but I fhall re- ^L.
turn to Court, After the King's Retreat, the ^^l%^^'\,
Dukes of Parma and Mayenne came out of'^y^o/^r
their Retrenchments, (it is faid the firft being >fl//o«/.
curious to fee the City of Paris, went thither
incognito^ but was extremely moved at fuch a
melancholy Sight) and took fome fmall Towns
in the Brie. They endeavoured to open the
Paflages of the Seine, as they had done the
Marne\, for which purpofe the Duke of Par-
ma befieged Corbeil, which he could not take
but after a Month's Siege, through the Jealou-
fies of the Governour of the Places that held
for tht League, and he loft 3000 Men of his
Troops who died with the Bloody Flux, caufed
by their eating too many green Grapes. After
that Exploit he returned into the Low Coun-
tries, very ill fatisfied with the Duke of Afay-
enne, with whom however he left 8000 Men.
Before he marched he had the mortification to
,lpfe his new Conqueft, I mean Corbeil, which
Givry retook by Kfcalado in the Night. The
King having re-aflembled his Troops, purfued
the faid Duke for fome time.
Now Divifions were rife in the King's and ^^ ^
the Leaguers Parties, each Chief of the League d,^^^,./
aimed at Sovereignty in the Province where h^FaJiiofts in
was fupported, the Duke of Mera^ur in Eri- '-'^ icings
tany, the Duke of Joycufe in Languedoc, and ^."^ ^^\
the Duke of Savoye in Provence ; nay, the parh.
Duke of Mayenne himfelf could not bear with-
out Jealoufy the Refpedts paid by the Par i/ians
to the Duke of Nemours his Half-Brother, and
F z the
(ij Thuan. lib.x<?vii. p» 3t, 33.
68 Hijlory of the Reforviatioriy and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV.the Preference which their Mother the old
1590. ^ Dowager gave to this laft before him; he fhew-
ooryXIv'^^ publickly how far he carried his Refent-
ment againll him, when he refufed him the
Government of Normandy, which he defired
with great Earneftnefs, and thenceforward
they could never agree well together. The
Sixteen had a mind to unite together the
great Cities of the Kingdom and to form there-
of a Republican State, they were outwardly
fupported by the King of Spain, who was in
hopes to improve thefe Difpofitions to his beft
Advantage. They hated the Duke of May-
enne, becaufe he oppofed their Defigns, and
had abrogated the Council of Forty, and
gave them no (hare in the publick Admini-
ftration of Affairs (k).
Amongft the Royalifts there were more In-
trigues, though not carried to fuch great Heats,
becaufe they all refpefted the King. The Re-
formed dreading the Conft^quences of the King*s
Change, left no ftone unturned to divert that
threatning Danger, and were very adlive near
his Majefty to engage him to be ftedfaft in his
Religion •, for which purpofe they made ufe of
a'l their Friends in the Proteftant Courts of
England and Germany, for procuring greater Suc-
cours from Queen Elizabeth and the Proteftant
Princes, to the end that their Mafter being
povverfuUy affifted by them, he might ftand
iefs in need of his Catholick Subjeds for the re-
covering of his Right. The Vifcount of Tu-
renne was charged with thatCommifficn, and fent
by the King into England and Germany, where
his Negociations had the defired Succefs.
The fecond Fadlion in the King's Party, was
the Catholicks, zealous, or feigning to be fuch,
for
(k) Mezeray Henry lY. p. 46, 4;.
Book VIL Reformed Churches h France. 6g
for their Religion, they endeavoured with all their Henry IV.
Might to alienate his Majefty from the Reform- n '^^q
ed, they grumbled whenever he beftowed up-goryXlV.
on them any Charges or Offices, or whenever '— y— .^^
he fpoke with them in private.
The third Fad:ion was compofed of the Fa-
vourites and Officers of the old Court, who
were much difpleafed at the prefent King's
Temper, becaufe he did not beftow upon them
whatever their Greedinefs coveted, and would
not be led by the Nofe by them; of thefe, moll:
part were without Religion, Atheifls, Liber-
tines, however linked with the Catholicks, and
created much uneafinefs to the King.
Out of the two laft Fadlions united together,
fprung a Third Pariy, which the King ufed to
call the TERSELS or TASSELS. Car-
dinal of Vendome Son to Lewis I. Prince of
Conde, who fmce the Death of his Uncle had
taken the Name oi Bourbon y was the Head
thereof. That young Prince, vain and ambi-
tious, flattered himfelf that the Crown would
devolve unto him, fhould the King his Cou-
fm refufe to change his Religion -, with that
view he made Intereft with the Catholicks, and
engaged them to inlift upon the King's fpeedy
Converfion ; being in hopes that neither his Con-
fcience nor his Affairs were as yet difpofed for
that Change, lie would ftill protra(5t the Time
if he did not rejedl the Propofal, and confe-
quently, he would have him deemed, by his
fecret Intrigues, for an obftinate Heretick, and
engage the Catholicks to forfake him, and then
iide with him. In truth that Fa5iion was the
moft intricate Affair which ever perplexed the
King, tho' he feigned to fcorn it. And it is .
more than likely that his Majefty would not
have abjured his Religion, at leaft fo foon, had
F 3 it
yo Btjidry of the kefcrmationy and of the Vol . IV.
Henrylv. it not fceen for the Troubles created unt6 hiW
^590-^ by tfiat very Party, out of whom it was 101-
cory XIV. poffible,human]y fpeaking, to extricate hirrtfelf by
L^-^-^^-'^u any other means (I).
1591. I fhall pafs over feveral Attempts made by
the two Parties at the beginning of the Year
1 59 1 . The Parifians were difappointed at St.
I)ennis, the Chevalier of Aumale was flain juft
upon the point of being Mafter of that Town ;
and the King miffed Paris, when he was al-
mioft fure to enter it -, that Day was called the
JVi E A l's Day, becaufe he was to furprize that
City, by means of a Convoy of Meal which
was to be introduced into it. But the Cheat was
tihiely difcovered, and the Clamours of the In-
habitants obliged the Duke of Mayenne to ad-
m t a Garifon of 4000 Spaniards.
XLII. After the raifingof the Siege of Paris, thePro-
jjneiu pofai for mending the Condition of the Reform-
Schemefor ^^ had been taken again into Confideration in
*Peac?ap-^^^ King's Council; and the King moving to-
fro'vedMt wards 'Normandy, charged Du Plejfis to draw a
delayed, new Scheme for procuring Peace amongft his
Subjeds. Accordingly he fct down in writing
the Form of a Declaration, which contained
chiefly thefe three Points. Firft, A Repeal of
the Edidis oijuly 1585, and of the fame Month
in 1588. Secondly, the reftoring oftheEdid
granted to the Reformed in 1577, and of the
Articles publick and fecret, agreed in the Con-
ferences of ISerac and Flex. Thirdly, the Re-
ftauration of the Roman Catholicks and of their
Religion, in all the Places pofTefled by the pre-
fent King at the tinie of the Truce agreed and
figiied by the late King two Years before, the
Reformed continuing to enjoy the free publick
Excrcife of their own Religion in the faid
Places.
(I) Perefixe Vie de Henry k Grand, pag. 1 89.
Book. VII. Reformed Churches ;'« Fr an ce. yi
Places. All this by Provifion only, and until HenrylV.
his Majefty fhould be, through the Mercy of_'59'-
God, in a proper Condition orre-uniting his bub- goryXIV.
jedls into one Fold, by the means of a General u- —v'— i"*
or National Council, or at leaft of a feledt num-
ber of the mod eminent Divines of both Reli-
gions in the Kingdom [m).
The great Impartiality and Moderation which
Du Plejfis had obferved in the framing of that
Declaration was highly approved and applaud-
ed, not only by the King, but alfo by his whole
Council i the Chancellor and he received Or-
ders to carry it to 'Tours in order to be read and
reglftered in the Parliament fitting there.
But being arrived at Anet^ they were ob-
liged to return, having received there an Ex-
prefs from his Majefty, who countermanded
them, and that Affair was put off for fome
Months in).
Du Plejfis being fenfible that fuch a Delay vr rrr
would be very prejudicial to the King's In-DuPleflis'
tereft abroad as well as at home, he fent a Re- Remon-
monftrance to his Majefty upon that Subjed,/''^'-'"^ '»
dated in the Month of March 1 59 1 . Where- '^' ^'"^'
in he fets forth with great Freedom, the
Wrong that he did unto himfelf by delaying to
do a Thing fo juft, equitable, ufef^ul, neceffary,
as the intended Edldl was, fo advantageous to
the Cathollcks themfelves, as well as to the Re-
formed. " God Almighty, fays he, has heap-
'' ed fo many BlefTings of all kinds, upon his
*' Majefty, that they cannot be dlffembled, he
" requires an Acknowledgement, and he
'* who defires to receive Graces upon Graces,
" muft give Grace for them. He has led his
*' Majefty to the Throne by the very Hands
F 4 " of
(m) Mem. de Du PlefTis Mormy Tom. II. p. 66— So.
(n) Vie de Du Plellls Mornay liv. i. p. 15^;.
72 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV.*' of his Enemies: The whole Chriftendom
Po/pGre- " °^"^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^" called to the Crown
goryXlV. " by moft extraordinary Means -, it muft be
" then upon very extraordinary Accounts-, he
*' muft reign effedually for God, fince he
" reigns fo vifibly by God. The Difficulties
" and Obftrudions belong unto Men, not unto
" God, who is almighty for delivering, if we
" invoke him and ferve him from the bottom
" of our Hearts. There was a far greater Di-
". fiance between the fundamental Law and
" the Crown, than between the Edift of Truce
" (-in 1589) and the Edift of 1577. If God
'' has been pleafed in his Mercy to work the
*' one for us, we cannot refufe or delay the
" other. It is faid, let the Hugonots have pa-
*' tience. They have fuffered for above fifty
" Years together ; they will, to be fure, en-
" dure longer for the King's Service, for they
*' are his Subjefts, and unalterable in their At-
*' feftion. But it is not for his Majefty's In-
" tereft to let them fuffer in fuch things, and
** the* they were willing, his Majefty ought not
*' to endure it. Religion is fmothered in Men,
** if it is not continually fomented. It is his
" Majefty's Duty to rekindle it in them, and
" to require of them that Ardour which they
" owe to God. God requires of private Men
" only that they fhould be religious; but as to
*' thofe who are born for all, and whom he has
" conftituted for ruling over others, God re-
" quires of them that they fhould be religious
*' not only for themfelves, but alfo for others ;
" that is, they muft ferve God not only them-
*-' felves, but they muft endeavour to bring o-
" thers to do the fame. " Some fay, we will treat
** with, the Reformed when we fhall treat with
'* the Leaguers. What Iniquity, to treat e-
" qually
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;z France. 73
" qually Things and Perfons To unequal ! The HenrylV.
" Leaguers have always waged War againft '59^-
t' the King; the Reformed for the King •, goj-yxiv.
" what occafion has the King for making
*' Peace with the Reformed? To join them
^* together in the Treaty of Peace with the
'* Leaguers, it is to join them together in the
*' War, it is to make them Accomplices of the
" fame Grimes with them. All that they
" want, is a Regulation with the Catholicks, and
" to be delivered from the Oppreffion whereunder
** their Confciences groan. The King is the
" Judge and Arbiter thereof; and there is no
" need to refer them to an uncertain Negocia-
" tion of Peace, which will be fettled, God
** knows when. Butafterall, how could they
" wait any longer in refpedt of feveral daily
*' Occurrences? Every day fomebody comes
** in or out of the World, every day there is
*' fome Marriage. Muft Children die without
*' being chriftened ? muft Marriages be cele-
" brated without any Solemnity? Would they
*' not be difputed? (and even made void by
" the Laws of the Kingdom J Muft the Corpfe
*' remain without Burial ? Every day we fee
" fome Inftances of thefe Things, Scandals,
'* Law-Suits, Inhumanities, for want of Free-
" dom of Exercifes. To meet three Families
" together to pray to God for the King's
" Profperity, to iing a Pfalm in one's Shop,
" to fell a French New Tejiament, or a French
" Bible ^ thefe things are deemed irremiffible
" Crimes by the Judges; and every day they
" punifh them, and fay that they can't help it,
■' that they do nothing but execute the laftEdids
•' ftill in Force, fo that they make no diffe-
•* rence between praying in a private Room
■* for the King's Profperity, and preaching
*' feditioufly
HenrylV.
1591.
Popi Gre-
goryXIV,
74 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
feditioufly from the Pulpit agalnft his Perfon
and Government.
" All thefe Evils call aloud for a Remedy,
and many Inconveniencres will attend the
Delay thereof. When a People ftand in
need, it is prudently done to prevent it by
fome Liberalities, and to grant them be-
fore afked for. Indeed the King muft not
teach his Subjefts to complain, and much
lefs to feek clfewhere for a proper Remedy
to their Difeafe. His Majefty knows
very well that his Subjedls cannot live in the
condition they are in ; to the end therefore that
they fhould not afk fuperfluous Things, let him
grant them the neceflary, without being
afked ; to the end that they fhould not commit
fome error in their way of aflcing, let him
fpare them the trouble. A foreign Army
is to come. Two Inconveniencies will pro-
ceed therefrom, if Things remain in ftatu
quo, as to the Reformed ; the foreign Princes
will certainly befeech his Majefty to grant
his Reformed Subjedls the free Exercife of
their Religion; that will be very little to
the honour of his Majefty, to be follicited
by others to perform his Duty, and to be
mindful of the Glory of God ; what ! a
King like himJ a moft Chriftian King! a
King who from his Infancy has undertaken
the Protedion of the true Chriftians! No
Honour for him, no thanks to him, tho*
he fhould do it at that time. And may be
too, they will then afk more, than he would
care to grant if he could refufe •, which will
afford the Cathoiicks a Pretence for revoking
whatever ConcefTions fhall have been made i
becaufe they will fiy, that they have been
extorted by Force, even tho' the things
*' granted
BookVII. Reformed Churches in Vvl ah ce, yg
" granted ftiould fall fhort of what can be rea- HenrylV.
" fonably expeded. But if at their coming '59i-
** into the Kingdom, they find the Reformed Q^'xiy'
" enjoying the free Exercife of their Reli-
" gion, as there will be no room for them to
*' petition upon that account. To that having
*' been with the Agreement and Confent of
*' their prefent Oppofers, there will be no
" room left them for demanding the Repeal
*' of thefe Conceflions. Nothing fo much
*' commanded Love and Refpedl for the King
*' from all his Subjefts at his Acceffion to the
" Crown, as the Profeffion he made of fearing
" God, that Fear invited them to dread him
" himfelf, and made them fear God in him.
" They praifed God who had blefTed them
" with a Prince that worfhipped him, where-
" as his Predeceflbrs blafphemed him. They
" expeded that he would be blefled with a hap-
" py Succefs in all his Undertakings,, becaufe
" they faw him trufting intirely upon his mer-
" ciiul Providence ; and that they would them-
" felves profper, becaufe they ferved fuch a
" Prince endowed with Faith, Honefty, Pro-
" bity. Integrity. But if they perceive his
" Majefty growing cool or lukewarm as to
" his Religion, living lefs religioufly than it
" is prefcribed, certainly they will not have
*' for him hajf the Refpedl they have had
" heretofore. They will fay, if he thinks his
'"^ Religion to be true, why doth he not ftiew
*' forth a greater Value and Refped for it? If
" not, why doth he not procure us Reft and
" Quietnefs by his Change (o) ?"
The King was extremely moved by this
free Remonftrance, he was very fenfible that it
contained nothing but plain Truth ; but befides
that
(o) Mem. de Du Pleffis Mornay, Tom. II. p. 8i.
7 6 Hijlory of the Reformat ion ^ and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV.that his Zeal for his ReHgion began to relent,
^59'- and that he began to incline towards the Coun-
coryXlv/^^ of thofe who thought that there was no-
»—y-*j great Sin to remain neuter between the two
Religions, his Circumftances did not allow him
to proceed any further for the prefent as to the
Satisfadion which his R.eformed Subjedls re-
quired of him, and it was only in July following
that he granted it, as we fhall fay prefently.
In the while Du Pleffis took a turn to Saumur
and had the pleafure to find that his Lady had
begun to build a Church for the ufe of the Re-
formed. He had himfelf obtained the King's
Patent for ereding an Academy at Saumur^
which was agreed three Years after by the Na-
tional Synod held in that City [p).
XLIV About the fame time died at Auxerre the
James A- renowned James Amiot, Bifhop of that Place,
jniot'j and great Almoner of France. He had been
^'^'l^y Tutor to the Kings Fr^»f/j II. Charles IX. and
cmntof Henry \\\. His Birth was very mean, being
him. Son to a Butcher of Melun^ where he was born i
{St. Real fays, that he was Son to a Currier) his
Rife and Progrefs had fomething very extraor-
dinary and providential in it, according to the
Author juft now quoted ; for he fays,
that Amiot being a little Boy, ran away from
his Father's Houfe for fear of being whipped.
That he went not very far off before he fell
fick in Beauffe.^ and lay down in a Field. That
a Man on horfeback, going by, took pity of him
and carried him behind him to Orleans., where
he fent him to the Hofpital in order to be
cured j but whereas all his Difeafe proceeded
only from Fatigue and Wearinefs, he had not
refted one full Day, but he was perfeftly well
cured, therefore he was difmifled, having re-
ceived
(/) Vie du meme, liv. i. p. 157.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fra^jce. yy
ceived fixteen Pence to go on with his Jour- Henryiv.
ney ; with that Money he arrived at Paris, ' 59i •
and was obliged to beg for his Bread. A Lady goryx/v"'
to whom he addrefled himfelf being well plea- v
fed with his Phyfiognomy took, him into her
Houfe to attend her Sons when they went to
the College, and to carry their Books ; he im-
proved this Opportunity for gratifying his pro-
digious Inclination for Learning, and was fuch a
Proficient therein, that, as it was ufual in thofe
days, he was foon fufpefted of favouring the
new Opinion about Religion. For fear of the
worft he left Paris, and went into Berry to a
Gentleman of his Acquaintance, who trufted
him with the Care of his Childrens Education.
While he was there, Henry II. being a travel-
ling, lodged at that Gentleman's Houfe. -^-
mioi being defired to write fomething in Verfe
to divert the King, he made an Epigram in
Greek, which being prefented to his Majefty by
his Pupil, he caft his Eyes upon it, and threw it
down upon the Floor, faying fcornfully, it is
Greek, give it to fame other, I am no fiich Fool,
The Author was confounded at it. But Michel
de rUofpital, afterwards Chancellor of France,
who attended the King in that Journey, un-
derftanding that it was Greek, took up the Pa-
per, read the Epigram and admired it ; then he
took Amiot by his Head, and looking him in the
Face afkcd him, who was the Author thereof ?
He blufhed and all-trembiins; acknowledged it
for his own. VHofpital qaeftioning not his
Sincerity, told his Majefty, that did the Morals
of that Lad'^nfwer to his Learning and fuper-
fine Tafte, he deferved to be made Tutor to
the Sons of France. Whereupon his Ma-
jefty afked the Mafter of the Houfe the Cha-
ra(^er of Amiot, and having had an excellent
one.
yS Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV,
HenrylV. one, he was without any further delay admit-
vlt^Git- ^^^ ^"^^ ^^^ Employment. The King after-
goryXIV. wards beftowed upon him the Abby of Bello-
\fane, and was fo well acquainted with the
bright Parts of that Abbot, that he fent him
his Embaflador to the Council of Trent, for pro-
tefting againft it. He remained in the fame
Condition he was in without any further Ad-
vancement till Charks IX. But one day at the
King's Dinner, as the Difcourfe ran upon
Charles V. that Emperor was commended upon
feveral accounts, efpecially for having raifed
his Tutor Adrian VI. to be Pope. As every one
magnified that Piece of Gratitude, King Charles
faid, that he would do the fame for his own
Tutor, (who was obliged to be prefent when-
ever his Majefty fat at Table) if ever Occafloa
was offered unto him. A little time after the
great Almonry became vacant, and Charles
offered it to Amiot^ who out of Humility de-
clined it at firft ; but the King infifted, faying,
that it was not all that he intended to do for
him. The Queen Mother, who had promifed
that Preferment to fome other, underftanding
that the King had difpofed thereof in behalf of
his Tutor, fent for Amiot in her own Clofet,
and told him in a rage, I have made the Guises
and the Ch astillons, the Constables and
//&<? Chancellors, the Kings of Navarrz
and the Princes c/Conde buckle to me, andyoUy
Sorry Priest, Jhall I meet you in nty way ?
Amiot was Thunder-flruck at thefe Words, in
vain did he endeavour to excufe himfelf, the
imperious Queen filenced him with this Threat-
ning, that in twenty four Hours he would be a
■dead Man if he accepted. Amiot found no bet-
ter means for extricating himfelf out of this
Trouble than by hiding himfelf in fome fecretPlace
3 where
m
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 79
where he could rtbtbe found. Three Days af- HenrylV.
ter Amiot not appearing as ufual when the King „ ^59^-
fat at Tabic, his Majefty afked what was be- g^xiv'.
come of him ? and commanded to look for him y
till he could be found. But that Search was ia
vain. At laft the King fufpeding how it was,
What^ fays he, becdufe I have made him GreM
Almoner, he has been taken away I Whereupoii
he flew into fuch a violent Paflion, that the
Queen Mother dreading the Confequences there-
of, caufed Amiot to be inquired for with all
Diligence pofTible, and till he could be found out
at any rate, giving unto him all the Securities
he could defire. Some time after he was promo-
ted to the See of Auxerre. He is charged with
a fordid Avarice, Charles IK. upbraided him
for it one day, and told him in a Banter, that
the Neats Tongues whereupon he fed, put People
in remembrance that he was Son to a Butcher,
But the worft thing wherewith he was charged,
was a black Ungratefulnefs towards the Kings his
good Pupils ; for it is faid, that living conftant-
Jy in his Diocefe, whether becaufe of his Infir-
mities, or becaufe he thought himfelf in Duty
bound to refide, he was too complaifant for the
Inhabitants, and connived at their Rebellion a-
gainft their Sovereign. However, he died ia
the iixty-firft Year of his Age, and was, and
has been renowned amongft the Learned for his
Tranflations of the ALthiopicks or the Romance
of 'Thcagenes and Charicka^ done by the famous
Heliodorus Bifhop of Traca in Thracia, who
chofe to renounce his Bifhoprick rather than to
burn his Book ; of Longus's Poemenicks ; Ae
tranflated afterwards Diodorus and Plutarch {q).
The
(q) Thuan. lib. c, p. 139. Teifier Eloge des Homme*
favans, f r. Tom. 11,
I59I-
Pope Gre
gory XIV
XLV.
De Chan-
dieu'j
Death,
fome Ac-
count of
him.
80 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. The Reformed loft about the fame time one
of their moft renowned Divines, namely, An-
thony of Chandieu, defcended of the ancient and
noble Family Barons of Chandieu in the Coun-
try of Fore ft. Great Miftakes have been made
either about his Age when he was received Mi-
nifter of Paris^ or about his Age when he was
chofen Moderator of the third National Synod,
or when he died. It is granted that he died in
1 59 1, in the fifty-feven Year of his Age •, now
how could he be but 23 Years when he prefi-
ded in the third National Synod held at Orleans
in 1 562, as Aymond and ^lick have affirmed
pofitively? ^^/^fr will put us in the right, he
tells us that in the fecond Year of his Miniftry,
he was charged with Herefy, and fent to Goal
for it, but was immediately after releafed by the
King of Navarre'^ Orders, who went to the
Chajlelet in perfon, as vve have obferved in our
firft Book, pag. 97. That Event fell in the
Year 1558, fo that he was then twenty-four
Years old, and confequently twenty-eight when
he prefided in the National Synod in 1562.
He was in great Efteem and much refpedled,
not only by the Reformed, but even at Court,
for his Mien, the Sweetnefs of his Deportment,
his Eloquence and his great Learning; he pub-
lifhed feveral Treatifes upon different Subje(5ls
of Divinity, under the Name of Sadeel and
Tfamariel,two Hekreiv Names which anfwered to
that under which he went. It is obfervable
that he received no Salary for his Miniftry :
Being obliged to leave the Kingdom, to avoid
tlr Danger wherewith he was threatned^ he re-
tired to Geneva, was admitted in the Number
of the Paftors of that Church, and died there
of a Confumptive Fever (r).
Tho*
(rj Eidem Ibid.
Book VII. Tie formed Churches /« Fr A n c e ' 8 1
Tho* the Winter was very fevere that Year, Herryiv.
the King marched to befiege Chartres. 1 he p '^^q^^,
Garifon was of two hundred Meii, but there were gory XIV.
300O Militia^ who being perfuaded that they v«-«^,,-.j
fupported the C^ufe of God and of the B'fJJtd J^^\^'
Virgin, withftood all the AfTaults with an un- ifr ^^^
paralielled Bravery. The Siege was long and Chartres,
bloody, and His Majefty was two or tl^ree and
times upon the point of railing it. But Chi- ^^^^' ''•
verny, who had a private I.itereft in the taking
of that City, becaufe he was Governour ofthat
Country, and had moft part of his Eftate
therein, br thereabout, oppdfed thfe King's
Refolution, and his Obftinacy was attended
with Succefs, for the City furrendered on tlie
19th of yf/>r// after having held out for tlree
Months togethc^r ; which Succefs was particu-
larly owing to the Bravery and the ingenious
Conti-ivances of the Count of Coligny 's).
It is not to be conceived how far the Pari-
fians carried their Extravagancies during this
Siege. On the 5rh oi March all the Preachers
took for the Subjetft of their Sermons the Hi-
flory of the Canaanitijh Woman, it was the
Gofjoel for the Dav, and faid that that Woman
reprefented the City of Paris \ her Daughter,
that of Chartres \ the D-^vil who tormented \\ct
"Was the Be arnese who befieged this laft City;
they exhorted and intreated their Hearers to be-
feech earneftly the Lord for ihe Deliverance of
that poor City, wiiich was tormented by the
Devil. On the 15th oi April the Faculty of
Divinity pubiifhed a Vow to walk in Proo {Tion
to Our Lady^s Church at Chartres, if the City
was not taken ; for if it was taken, her Crtdit
was at an end; She would be deemed a Po-
(i) Mezeray, Henry IV. p. 50. Hift. des Chofes memo-
jables, p. 736.
Vol.. IV. G iiciclan,
82 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. litician, as poor St. Genevieve had been, for
p ^59V having fufFered the Town of St. Denis to be
gory XIV. taken by the Bearnese the very Day of her
V— V-— ' Feaft, and a thoufand other Pranks more ex-
travagant one than another (/).
XLVII.^ During this long Siege two Things hap-
Peril'"^ ^ pened, which were Uke to be very prejudicial to
figf^ the King's Affairs, and gave him much Uneafi-
nefs. Firft, The young Cardinal of Bourbon
took that Opportunity for endeavouring to ex-
ecute his ambitious IDefigns of obtaining the
Crown for himfelf ; for which purpofe he tam-
pered as much as he could with the Catholick
Lords, and fent to Rome for treating with the
Pope about that Affair : But Cardinal Lenoncour
opened to the King the whole Intrigue, the
Effeds whereof were happily prevented before
he had time enough to execute them.
XLVIII. Secondly, It was during that Siege that the
The Pope Pope fent his Referendary Marjilio Landriano into
excommu- pj-^.^fg ^q publifh his Bull of Excommunication
King and againft the King and all his Adherents. Which
his Ad- ferved only to afford a favourable Opportunity
herents. ^.o the King for granting his Reformed Subjeds
their juft Petitions \ and to provoke the Par-
liament of Tours^ and the Chamber fitting at
Chaalons againft the Court of Rome.
'The Pope's The Chamber of Chaalons, Member of the
Bull con- Parliament fitting at 1'ours, declared by a De-
Chaalonr ^^^^ °^ ^^^ ■'^'^ °^ Juney the Bulls of the Pope
void and null, as abufive, fcandalous, feditious,
full of Impoftures, contrary to the holy
Decrees, Cano; s and Councils, and to the
Rights and Liberties of the Gallican Church ;
ordered that they fhould be torn in pieces and
burnt by the common Executioner : That Lan-
driano
(t) L'Etoile Mem. pour fervir a THifl:. de France,
Tom. II. p. 33— 38.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Trance, 8j
driano fhould be feized, loooo Li vres offered HenrylV.
to whomfoever fhould bring him to juflice, for- _ '^ 59I,-
bidding all the King's Subjeds to receive him jgoryXIv!
or to keep any Correfpondence at all with*— y— *^
Rome.
The King having miffed La Fere^ taken
LouvierSy received Chatean-Gaillard by Com-
pofition, and got fome other Advantages over
the League, came to Mantes by the middle of
June ; he held there an extraordinary Council,
wherein he had called fome of the Members of
the Parliament of Tours, and of the Chamber
of Cbartres, to deliberate upon the Proceedings
of the Court of Rome, and having heard their
Opinions, he gave a Declaration, which was
fent to Tours.
But the Parliament went m.uch further than '^^^ P^f^
the King had gone -, nay, than the Chamber oif^l"^'^"/ "f
Chartres itfelf: for they declared Pope Gregory .^lent fur^
an Enemy to the Peace and Union of the Church, ther.
an Enemy to the King and State, adhering to the
Spanijh Confpiracy, Abettor of Rebels, and
Accomplice of the Regicide perpetrated upon
the late King.
But the Parliament of Paris reverfed that
Sentence, as given by People not authorifed,
Schifmaticks and Hereticks, Enemies of God,
Deftroyers of his Church •, ordered that it fhould
be torn during the Audience, and the Frag-
ments thereof burnt upon the Marble Table by
the common Executioner.
The King, in the fame Council at Mantes, XLIX".
improved the prefent Opportunity for procuring '^^e King's
to his Subjeds of the Reformed Religion the^^^'"^^'"
Sadsfadion they longed after. He fet forth in fi_^s £/:
a moving Speech the fad Condition they wtvtformed,
in, the Danger of provoking them any longer,
confequently the Necefhty of relieving them
G 2 in
84 Bijlory of the Refcrmatlon, a?jd of the Vol . I V,
HenrylV in their Diftrefs as far as the prefent Circum-
PolP^'t ^^^^^^ ^^ Times could allow it. Then he pro-
goryXlV. poied the repealing of all the Edids publifhed
»-i-V— I' againft them by the late King, fince the Year
I585inclufive, and reftoring them to rhe full In-
joyment of the Edid of Peace granted by the
fame King in 1577, with the Additions and
Conftrudl-ions given at Flex and Nerac, at leaft
till God m his Mercy fhould have put him in
a condition of re-uniting his Subjedls in the
Pale of the Church, by the Determination of
a free General or National Council. Every one
applauded that Proportion, the young Cardi-
nal of 5i?«ri^o« excepted, who, out of an un-
feafonable Zeal either real or pretended, got
up ftammering in a paflion, and feigned to go
out of the AfTembly ; but far from being fup-
ported, he provoked them to laugh, and the
King feeing that no body took his part, and
that the Archbifliop of Bourges, the Biftiops of
'Nantes^ of Maiilezes, of Bnyeux^ nor any o-
thcr of the Bench of the Bifhops did follow
him, he recalled him, and defired him to fit
again. Then a new EJi<5t having been drawn
up accordingly, James Aiigvftm ThuanuSy the
Hiftorian ; who was prefent at that Deliberation,
was charged to carry the two Edids, that a-
gainft the Legate^ and that in behalf of the
Reformed, to the Pariiament at Tours, in or-
der to be read and regiftered there, which was
done on the 5th and 6th oi Auguji, and three
Days after in the Chamber of Accounts {v).
L. The King liad exhorted the Bifhops, that at-
'YTc'i ^^^^^^ ^^^ Court at Mantes, to provide for
zyat ^'^themfelvcs and the reft of the Clergy, left they
if antes, fhould be Sufferers by the Pope*s Bulls lately pub-
lifhed ; for which purpofe they held an AfTem-
bly
(a-) Thuan. lib. ci. p. 163, 163, 164.
Book VII. Reformed Churches //? France. 85
bly in that City, while the King was at Com- HenrylV.
piegne making the neceflary Preparations for the p'59?,-
Siege of Noyons. But the Cardinal o^ Bourbon^ °^^y^l^^
Head of the third Party asabovefaid, betrayed a*— v-*^
great Weaknefs of Mind on this Occafion, by his
putting off the Conclufion from Day to Day, till
at laft the Duke o{ Mayenne made an Attempt
upon that City in the night time, which proved
fruitlefs, thro* the Care and Diligence of Mor-
nay De Buhi Lieutenant of jD'O j the faid Car-
dinal was much fyfpedted of havjng a hand in
that Attempt : however the faid Aflembly wa^
transferred to Chartres, for greater Security. Transfer-
hut far from endeayouring to reprefs the Pope^s ''^d to
Audacioufnefs, or to fupport the Honour of ^'^'^''^^^^'
the Crown., the Liberties of the Galilean Churchy
and to help the King to extricate himfelf out of
his Troubles ; they carried their Audacioufnefs
almoft as far as the Pope himfelf; they en-
croached upon the Right? and Prerogatives of
the Parliament, and they entangled his Majef-
ty in a world of Difficulties; a Sketch of their
Refolutions and the Propofitions made by theni
in confequence thereof, with Du Plejfis^s, Re-
marks npon each, will evince what I fay.
1. 'That the Pope's Excommunication Jhall be y,
deemed void, and the Pope not acknowledged jie/oiuthnt
therein. . of the faid
Becaufe the Clergy adhering to the King, -^pmbly.
were nearly concerned therein, as being ex-
communicated i but the Lay-Men were only
admonifhed by the fame Bull.
2, That the King (hall be be/ought to grant them
leave to write to the Pope, and to fend fame De-
puties to his Holinefs.
Nay, they named thefe Deputies without
waiting for his Majefty's Anfwer, contrary to
the Decree of the Parliament, whereby it was
G 3 forbidden
S 6 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. forbidden to fend to Rome upon any account
Po)>^ Gre- Soever, which Decree was no lefs obligatory
goryXr. .to the Clergy than to the Lay-men. Such a
Behavnour occafions his Majefty*s Subjeds to
queftion his own Authority, and that Diver-
fity and Contradiction of Opinions trouble the
Confciences of the Catholicks.
3. 'That in the mean while the Order which
cught to he fettled for the Provifion of Benefices
fhall be fuperfeded.
That being the only point whereupon they
were to attend, and for which they had obtain-
ed leave to aflemble ; they ought to prefuppofe
according to the Parliament's Decree, that the
Pope had no longer any Power in France as to
that.
4. That the Court of Parliament fhall be in-
ter di 51 ed and forbidden to take any Cognizance of
that Affair^ or of any thing that relates to it.
But that is to deprive the Parliament of a
Right and an Authority which they have
enjoyed time out of mind, to take Cogni-
zance, exciufive of all other Courts, either
Civil or Ecclefiaftical, of all the Differences
arifing from time to time betwixt the Kings and
the Popes, concerning the pretended Power of
thefe, and the Privileges of the Kingdom. It
is, not only to abrogate what the Parliament
iias enaded now for the Support of the King*S
Authority, but whatever they can do for the
future to the fame end.
5. That the King fhall be befought to turn Ca-
tholicks and be infiru5led.
It is for th it very purpofe that all the fore-
going Articles are drawn up, W2. to the end
that his Majefty not humouring them, there
fliould be no Parliament for deciding that every
Man is bound to obey his Prince, notwittftand-
ing
Book VII. Reformed Churches //? Fr a n c E . ^j
ing any Pretence foever of Herefy ; according- Henryl V
ly fome of them went much further in the faid '59'-
Aflembly ; for they faid, that his Majefty goryXlV
ought to be compelled to turn Catholick, or
elfe they could no longer ferve him in good
Confcience. That is the true Foundation of
that pretended Chimasra, The third Par-
ty, which indeed fubfifts only to this day, in
the whimiical Fancy of Men ; and which, how-
ever, muft not be negleded, becaufe the Fancy
only fometimes works out fomething.
6. That the Kingjhall be defired to grant that
the faid AJfemhly of the Clergy fhould interpofe for
making Peace.
Juft as if the King did not mind enough his
own and his People's Reft and Quietnefs, and
let flip the Opportunity of procuring it -, juft
as if his Majefty had not always faid, that for
one Step that his Enemies ihould make towards
him for that purpofe, he would make four ;
juft as if the Lords, the Officers of the Crown,
and State Counfellors that were near his Perfon
wanted fufficient Aoilities for that purpofe ;
juft as if the Clergy, who fafter the leaft, were
more concerned therein, than the Nobility that
fhed their Blood, and the Commons that ex-
hauft their Subftance in the purfuit of this War.
But their Intention is very plain, they want
to be Arbiters that they might re-unite all the
Catholicks, as much as they can, under the
fame pretence, for offering Violence to his Ma-
jefty as to his Religion, whenever they fhall
think proper. Which prefuppofes likewife
fome Underdealings and Inteliigencies with the
Enemies, quite intolerable. For if they have
none, why! what can they do in that Bufinefs
better than others? And if they know therein
any thing better than others, why did they not
G 4 lay
88 Wftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
Hinr^'IV lay it open before his Majefty that he might
' 59 V improve their Lights feeing that they have a
goryXl v! "^^^y ^^^^ accefs to him, nay, fome of them are
chief Members of j.is JPrivy Council.
It miift be added that wliile that Aflembly
fat at Cbarfres the Decree of the Parliament a-
gainft the Pope^ his Bull, and Landriano^ Bearer
thereof, could not be publifbed in that City \.
nay, they fent pofitive Orders to the Lieute-
nant General not to do it ; whereof the Parlia-
ment doth complain the more juftly, in as
much as their Decree ought to have been pub-
liihrd chiefly there, where the King's Council
rtfide.
It is very obfervable that the King's faithful
S-Tvants, making the greateft Number in that
Affembly, they would have carried their point
by a Majprity of Votes, to prevent which, the
Heads of the contrary Party thought proper to
admit the voting by Proxy, fo that a fingle
Perfon voted for fix or feven Abfentees ; tho*
i^ Aflemblies of that nature wherein they had
tp deliberate upon Affairs of fo great Impor-
tance, a; d whereupon they ought to receive
Inftrudlion and Light one of another, Proxies
cannot be admitted : for it is plain that in fuch
a cafe wherein every body is concerned, one may
alter or reform his own Opinion, and model it
upon another's, whereas a Procuration is mute,
iacapable of giving or receiving any Inftruc-
tion.
Moreover, the Decree of the Parliament hav-
ing been brought forth, they faid that they
had no Value for it, as being done in an Af-
fembly wherein 26 H reticles had a Right to
vote. And neverthelefs feveral Members of
that Court were in the Orders, (they call them
in French^ Confeilkrs CUrcs •■,) they added that
the
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr A n c E I 89
the Ganons of St. Martin at Tours had deputed Henry IV.
an Heretick, fo they ftiled Mr. De St, Fufcian p^^^^,
Counfellor Cierk, Brother to the late Mr. D'Ef- goryx/v*
fejfes. Canon of Our Lady's Church at Paris, i
Furthermore, all the Archbiiliops and Bifliops
fent word to all the Curates of their refpedlive
Diocefes and Provinces ; that ti.ey praifed God
for the good Succefs of their AfTemblies, that the
Holy Ghofi had prefided therein, to the Prefer-
vation and Welfare of the Catholick, Apcjiolick and
Roman Church -, they fent to them the Articles
above mentioned, whereby many fcrupulous
People were troubled in their own Confcience,
and diftradted from their Allegiance to the King,
queftioning what is unqueftionab'e. That the
King holds his Authority from Gody and not from
the Pope (u).
Du PieJJis was hard at work to prevent the
Mifchief that would have refulted from that
bold Attempt of the Clergy, had they had the
defired Succefs. He not only fent the above-
mentioned Obfervations to the King, but he
fent likewife a Memorial very fuli upon the {ame
Subjed to the Parliament of Tours, who re-
ceived and read it with a great deal of Satif-
faclion. They defired him to come into th^t
City, and to concur with them for finding ways
and means of fruftrating the ambitious Defigns
of the Clergy. Which he did, and it was a-
greed to advife His Majefty to protrad the
time as much as he could for anfwering their
Demands, and when he could not delay any
longer, to anfwer them in fuch a manner
that they might underftand how little plea-
fed he was with their Proceedings and Pe-
titions.
Accordingly
(«) Memoires de Du Pkflis, Tom. II. p. 1 17 — m.
9 o WJiory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l .1 V.
HenrylV. AcGordingly, when the Cardinal of Bourbon
p ' 590- attended by the Bifhops of Beauvais^ Mans^ An^
^'yy^ly g^rsy iSc. came on the i8th of December to de- |
»^— y-i^fire his Majefty to anfwer the three Articles
propofed unto him by their Aflembly, viz. (i) •
to turn Catholick", (2) to confent that the
Clergy fliould interpofe in making Peace ; (3)
that they might depute to the Pope-^, he
anfwered as to the firft,
IJI. That he was always ready to receive Inftruc-
The King s {■^Qf^^ that he prayed God every day to en«
"r^^''' lighten him, if he was in the Wrong •, and was
in hopes that he would give him grace to put
an end to the Controverfies in the Church,
whenever he (hall be at reft: Which would ba
much more honourable and commendable, thari
to depart alone from a Religion wherein he was
born and had been brought up. But that fince
hts Acceffion to the Crown, it had been his
Misfortune to be continually, as he was ftill,
diftra(5t:ed by the Bufinefs of the War, which gave
hini no refpite; and that in truth, the Canons
of the Church could not be well hearkened to
amidft the noife of the Cannons of an Arfenal.
Neverthelefs, that he will always maintain the
Clergy in every thing he had promifed them,
and that he would not do nor fufter to be done
any thing contrary to it.
As to the fecond. That God and Men may
witnefs the Truth, that he defired nothing
more than Peace; and had let flip no occa-
iion for obtaining it, even he had oftentimes
taken the Shadow thereof for the Reality ; that
he did not mince it, as fome who fcrupled to
fpeak the firft, left they ftiould prejudice their
own Affairs; contrariwife he fhall be always
before-hand, and fhall look upon any Overture
of Peace as a fpecial Favour of God. And
thofe
Book VII. Reformed Churches ?« Fr a n c e. 91
thofe who thought otherwife of him, wronged HenrylV.
him much, and took him not only for a bad p^pl^'^^.
Prince, but for a Dunce, fince it was certain gory XIV.
that no body was fo deeply concerned therein
as he was, confidering that he would be a
Lofer in the War, one whofe Houfe is in
flames; and who could not be a King, but as
he was in Peace with his Subjedls; whereas
during the War, he was no better than Cap-
tain-General of the French, every one encroach-
ing as much as he could upon Royal Au-
thority.
As to the third. He told them, that it was
an Affair of State very important, and not
an ecclefiaftical one only. That the late Pope
{he meant Gregory XIV. who was dead when he
delivered this Anfwer) had not dealt with him
and the Kingdom as a common Father, as he
ought, but as a foreign Prince and an Enemy.
That the prefent Pope, (Innocent 11^.) had
gone on and fent the Army, which the Jaft had
raifed, for the fame purpoie, and promifed to
recruit it with Men and Money, as it was plain
by his intercepted Letters. That his Reputa-
tion was concerned not to fuffer his Subjeds to
go and court him at Rome, while he did him
ail the harm he could. Befides that the Refo-
lutions of his Parliaments differed widely from
the Clergy's, the firft forbidding exprel'fly to
fend to Rome upon any account foever ; That
he had fent for the firft Prefidents of his Par-
liaments of Paris and Rouen fitting at Tours
and Louviers, that he might know their Ad-
vice thereupon. And whereas the Duke of
Parma was entering the Kmgdom with his Ar-
my, feveral Princes and Officers of the Crown,
Lords and Knights of the Reahn, would not
fail to join with him, (the King ;) and that the
more
92 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . IV.
HenrylV. more weighty the Affair was, the more it re-
p^9^j.g quired to be debated in themoft folemn Afiem-
gwy XIV b'y- Therefore he ad vifed them to repair in the
u— y»i— » mean while to their refpdlive Diocefes, there tQ
ferve God and their King, i^c.
The Cardinal of Bourbon gave feveral AfTu-
rances of his own and the whole Clergy's Obe-
dience and AfFedicn, the Bifhop of Mans did
the fame ; they infifted again upon the Em-
bafly to Rome -, but His Majefty flood his ground.
The faid Cardinal then took his leave of His
Majefly that fame Moirnirig^ ai;i4 went to Gail-
Ion for Chrrftmas Holidays, from whence he re-
turned to the King then befieging Rouen {x).
Thefe Tranfadions, which I chufe to relate
all in a Thread, fbew forth plainly the Spirit
of the Roman Clergy, and how ready they are
to facrifice the Honour of the Crown, and the
Liberties of the Subjeds, to the vile Palnons of
the Court of Rome.
LIII. During thefe AfTemblies of the Clergy, the
The Duke young Duke of Guife made his Efcape out of
£/* r ^' the Tower oi Tours, where he had been clafely
confined fince the Death of his Father at Blois,
It is faid that the King had connived at it, in,
order to create greater Jealoufies amongfl the
Heads of the Leaguers, not queftioning in the
leaft but the fight of that Prince would revive
in his behalf the former Inclinations the People
had had for his Father j and indeed if fuch was
the King's Defign, and if he had any hand at all,
in that Efcape, he was not deceived in his Ex-
peftation. Bonfires and other Demonflrations
of Joy were (ten in all Places holding for the
League throughout the Kingdom, as foon as
the News of his Liberty came to be known y
the
{x) Mem. de Da Pleflis Mornay, Tom. II. p. 126, 27,
?8. 131, 2, 3.
BookVII. Reformed Churches inV-RA^c-E. 93
the Pope went in Proceflion to St. Lewis's^cnrylV,
Church at Rome to give thanks to God for that p*59!!,- ,
liappy Deliverance, and we fliall fee in its pro- ggryj^iv!
per Place that nothing forwarded fo much the u ■^■■■«#
King*s Intereft as the Jealoufies between the
Duke of Mayenne and that of Guife his Nephew.
The Prince of Dombes Son to the Duke of
Montpenfier was obliged to raife the Siege of
Lamballe in Britanny^ which had lafted 25 Days ^
the Lord of La Noue died of a Wound he had
received in it, equally regretted by Foes and
Friends, as we have faid in our third Volume
andfirft Part, pag. 267. But a few days after the
fame Prince routed the Duke of Mercisufs Ca-
valry.
On the 1 7th of Ju?uji the King took Noyon, ny^
in Picardy in the Duke of Mayenne*s {ight. Glorious
Three Bodies of Trcops which he had fent to^^^^I°f .
reli-ve that Place w. re totally routed. LesDigm.
On the other hand, the Lord of Les Diguieres
performed Vv onders in Dauphine and Provence^
he routed the Duke of Savoy in two pitched
Battles, the firft at St. Martin of Pallieres^ or
Sparron according \o others, becaufe the Rear
of the Enemy's Army was lodged in the firft
Place, and their Van in the fecond, where the
Duke loft about 6ooHorfe, almoft all his Infan-
try, with moft part of his Cannon and Baggage.
The fecond Battle was near Pont-Charra, the
6th or 7th of September •, the Enemy was twice
the Number of Les Diguieres^ neverthelefs they
were totally routed, and loft about 5000 Men,
{lain on the fpot, 900 Prifoners, 32 Pair of
Colours, one Standard, a Cornet, and their
Artillery ; the Booty was very great, it a-
mounted to above 200000 Crowns, which were
divided equally amongft the Soldiers-, the
Royalifts had but 40 Men (lain, and very few
wounded.
o4 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. wounded. After thefe two Vi(5torIes, and an-
*59i,' other Rout before Finon, which he befieged,
ffof yXIv' ^^^ Duke of Savoy and the League loft moft
K.^^>^r^ P^f ^ ^^ ^h® Places which held for them in Pro-
vence {y).
LV. About the fame time Pope Gregory's Army
*rhe i'oX^ commanded by his Nephew, whom he had
il!TthT created for that purpofe Duke of Monte Mar-
Kingdom, ^^^«^ arrived at Verdun^ where the Duke of
Mayenne came to receive them. The King at
the fame time received his German Auxiliaries
commanded by the Prince of Anhalt ; that Ar-
my was about 16000 ftrong, Horfe and Foot, it
had been raifed at the Expence of Queen Eliza-
heth and the free Cities of Germany^ fupported
by George Marquifs of Brandebourg, Cqfimir
Prince Palatine, and fome other Princes •, the
Vifcount of 'Turenne had been charged with that
Negociation, as abovefaid. The King went
to meet them with 1000 Horfe, and muftered
them, in Vandy's Plain on Michaelmas Day.
From thence he marched direftly to FerduXy
in order to offer battle to the Dukes of Lor-
rain, Mayenne, and Monte Marciano, fhut up
in that City, but they durft not venture to take
the Field.
LVI. The King being In thofe Parts, he thought
Marriage proper to fccure Sedan to his Intereft. The
9f^^~ . , Dukes of Lorrain, Mont-penfier, and Nevers
^the^Beilefs woo'd the Heirefs thereof for their Sons ; the
0/ Sedan, firft by force of Arms, the two others by
Courtfhip j but their Religion was an infupe-
rable Obftacle to the gratification of their Defires,
befide that fuch an Alliance would have made
them too powerful upon that Frontier. There-
fore his Majefty chofe rather to marry her with
the
(y) Vie de Connef'^ble de Les Diguieres, liv. iv. ch. i,
2, 3, ^c, Thuan. lib. cii. p. 181, ^'c.
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches ?« France. 95
the Vifcount of Turenne, whofe Pofleffions and HenryJV.
Eftates were fituated very far diftant from Se- p^^^X'
dan. Therefore having prefented him with agoryxlV.
Staff of Marfhal oi France he concluded the Mar- Sessv-'iM
riage, which was confummated on the i itjh, pf
Ociober^ the Vifcount having taken Stenay by
Efcalado, in the Night before his Wedding (2).
From Sedan the King marched to Noyon, and
from thence at Queen Elizabeth^s Inftances he
fent Marfhal of Biron to form the Siege of
Rouen.
On the 15th of O£lohr died of the Stone LVI.
at Rome Pope Gregory XI V. having held the ^"t^ Gre-
Chair for ten Months and ten Days, he was^o'"/'^
fifty- feven Years old, he wafted during hi&
fhort Pontificate the vaft Treafure laid up by
his Predeceflbr, part whereof was laid out for
the War in France. A dreadful Famine and a
peftilent Fever continued to rage in Italy undw
his Pontificate, and it is credibly reported, that
only in the City of Rome, 60000 Perfons died
from Auguji 1590 to Aiiguji 1591. The Se?
was vacant only for a fortnight. Cardinal
"John Anthony Fachinetto fucceeded him, being
eledled the 29ch of OSiober-, he took the Name ^^""ocent
of Innocent IX (a). ^^•
Every thing was in the utmoft Confufion at y yx j
Paris ; the young Duke of Guife being arrived Crm/
there, the Sixteen renewed their Intrigues Cow^o -
againft his Uncle the Duke of Mayenney xhty^'°"i'^^
had a mind to make that young Prince Head of ^^^^'
the League \ they offered the Crown to the
King of Spain for his Daughter, if he would
marry her with the faid Duke j they had ob-
liged their Adherents to take a new Oath of
Union, whereby they excluded from the Crown
ail
(»;) Thuan. lib. cii. p. 198, 199,
{p) Idem ibid, p, 192.
9 6 mjlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . IV.
Henry IV, all the Pinces of the Blood, and had forced all
^59'- the Recufants to quit the City, amongft whom
cent IX°"^^^ ^^^'^ ^'^'^ Bifhop, Cardinal o^ Gondy. For'
being abfolute Mafters of Paris^ they wanted
only to be rid of a part of the Parliament, who
-watched over them Night and Day, and
thwarted their wicked D:figns» They fucceed-
ed in their Attempt, but it coft them very
dear, even the lofs of the Lives of feveral of
them, and the utter Extinction of their Au-
thority.
The Parliament had acquitted one Brigard^
whom the Sixteen had impeached for keeping
Coneipondence with the Royalifts i the moft
paflionate amongft them refolved to be dread-
fully revenged upon fome of the Heads of the
Parliament, who had exerted themfelves moft in
behalf of the Prifoner ; for which purpofe they
created a fecret Council of ten, which they
chofe amongft themfelves, who were to have
the Diredion of the moft important Affairs.
That Council thought proper to difpatch out of
the World, Prefident ^r,^(?», Counfellors L<2r-
cher and Tardif. They attempted at fir ft to
have them murdered by fome Aftaflines, but
having miffed their end, the Plot having been
revealed by the Aftaflines themfelves, they re-
n ri t Solved to ad more openly. Accordingly they
BriiLn ^^^^ ^P ^ Sentence of Deith againft thofe thfee,
and tnvo wherewith they filled up a Blank, wherein they
Counftllors ^2idi procured, upon fome other pretence, the
fe'''" Signatures of feveral notable Citizens. Which
done, they feizcd them in feveral Places, and
brought them to the little Chajielet, where they
ftrangled them all, and the next Night they
caufed their Bodies to be carried to the Greve^
where they remained hanging for two Days.
They had expcded that the People would have
approved
Book VII. Reformed Churches //? Fr A n c E . 97
approved their Inhumanity, for which purpofe HenrylV.'
they had fpread many falfe Reports to blacken *592.
the deceafed*s Memory ; but when they under- ^^^ JJ°"
flood that fuch a fight worked out Compaffion and '
Pity in their Hearts rather than Indignation, they
began to be fenfible of the Odioufnefs of their
Crime, and to dread the Confequences thereof.
Therefore fome of them were for arrefting the
Duchefs of Nemours^ Mother to the Duke of
Mayenne^ that fhe might be a Pledge againft
her own Son*s Refentment •, others had a mind
to complete the Tragedy, and to murder the
faid Duke if he ventured to come to Paris,
and then to eledt another Chief of their own,
that fhould be entirely their Dependant. But
their Hearts failed them, and having perpetra-
ted a Crime without Neceflity, they knew not
how to commit a fecond which was neceflary
for covering the firft.
The Parliament, the PrincefTes, the Royalifts
themfelves, feigned to be zealous Leaguers,
and warmly infifted with the Duke, who was
then at Laon, to come to Paris to deliver them
from that Tyranny : but he did not think proper
to yield fo foon to their Importunities ; he fup-
pofed that the Sixteen would not have attempt-
ed fuch a horrible Crime, were they not ftrongly
fupported by the Spaniards and the Duke of
Gutfe, and was afraid left their Cabal fhould
be powerful enough to exclude him. How-
ever, underftanding they wanted Courage, and
that no body was ftirring for their Support,
(at leaft openly) he took with him 300 Horfe
and 1 500 Foot, and marched diredly to Paris.
He was met by a Company of them headed
by Boucher Curate of St. Benoijl, who was to
fpeak for them,but he proceeded further without
giving them Audience. Another Company
VoL.iy. H met
98 Hijlory of the Refer ?naticn, and of the Vol. iV.
Henryiv. met him, and deliberated to murder him, nay,
n'592- one of them offered his Services for that pur-
cent IX. po»^» but was not accepted. When the Duke
<— — ^»-^ had informed himfelf about the State of Affairs
at Paris, he fent Orders to BuJ/y Le Clerc to
refign unto him the Government of Bojlille :
that Hector had not Refolution enough either
to offer to defend himfelf, or to declare for the
King, he compounded with the Duke, and
neverthelefs he went out with Drums beating,
and Colours fiying •, but he took no care to fe-
cure a Place of Safety, and went to lodge with
all his Booty in St. Anthony^^ Street.
Four of the Few Days after, when the Sixteen thought
Sixteen i-j^gj^jf-giyeg ygj-y (-^fg^ having underftood that
Parfs! ^ ^^^ Parliament did not dare to enter an Action
againft them, the Duke on a fudden drew up
with his own hand a Sentence of Death againft
nine of the moft guilty amongft them, and fent
in the Night between the 3d and 4th of De-
cember to arreft them. Only four of them
could be apprehended, namely, Anrotix, Em-
monet., Ameline., and Louchard\ they were
brought into the Louvre^ and inftantly hanged
on a Gibbet eredled for that purpofe, by the
Common Hangman ; the five others took to
flight, and after having remained concealed for
fome Days, they retired into the Low Countries.
As to BuJJy, one of them, he narrowly efcaped,
but he could not carry off any thing of all the
Booty which he had got by Plunder, and other
wicked Means. He went to Bruxelles with his
Wife, where he lived to a very great Age, for
he was alive in the Year 1634.
As to the other feven which remained out
of the Sixteen, the Duke willing to put a Blur
upon them, fent- a Deed of Abolition of their
paft Crimes, to be read and publiffied in the
Parliament >
Book VII. "Reformed Churches //zFranceJ 99
JParliament -, and whereas he knew that all theHenrylV*
Mifchief they had done proceeded from their „ '592-
fecret AHemblies, he forbid the fame on pain cTnt IX.
of death, and the razing the Houfe wherein they u.-^--!
ifhould meet together. So that potent Fadion,
who had fo much beloved the Duke of Guife^
and had almoft raifed him to the Throne, was
in an Inftant diihonoured and almoft fubverted
by hi« own Brother. Which was indeed a
lucky Event for the King, with whom it was
impoflible that they fhould ever agree.
The Dake wrote to all the Governours of
Provinces to juftify his Proceedings, and to
render that Fadion deteftable j and in order to
keep the faid Governours more ftridliy united to
him, he obliged them to fwear that they would
never forfake him •, that they would never fup-
port the Election of a King without his Con-
fent •, that they would approve of any Treaty he
fhould make with any body foever^ and that they
would keep no private Correfpondence with the
Spaniards. At the fame time, the Parliament of
Paris being wholly deftitute of Prefidents, he
created four new ones, which he took to be bet-
ter affeded to his Ferfon and Adminiftration j
but this proved to be his Ruin {b).
We h^ve faid, that at Queen Elizabeth's In* LVTTT.
ftances the King had fent the Marihal oi Biron ^^^K^ °f
to furround Rouen. That City was very well^°"^"*
provided with every Thing, well fortified, and
fully refolved to hold out to the laft extremi-
ty, the King arrived at his Camp before that
Place on the ift of December. On the 31ft
of O^ober the Troops, which Queen Elizabeth
(b) L'Etoile Mem. pour fervir a I'Hift de France^
Tom. IT. p. 55j ^c. He was then at Paris when thefe
things happened. De Serres Invent, de I'Hift. de France
Tom. II. p. 16. D'Avila and D'Aubigne fay almoft the
fame, but Thuan. lib. cii. differs a little from them all.
H 2 fent
1 00 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. fent to the King's AfTiftance on account of that
plpeVnno- ^^^S^' ^^^ landed at Bologne, confifting of
cent IX. ^oo Horfe, and 2500 Foot under the Com-
mand of the Earl of EJfex. They were receiv*d
by the Duke of Longtieville, and having joined
the King*s Army on the loth of November^
they began the Siege on St. Martin's Day ;
the Englijh had ftormed a little before a Gate
of Rouen called La Porte Cauchoife ; wherein
Edward Devereux Nephew to the Earl was
flaiii (c), I fhall not enter into the Particulars
of
(c) ThiJal hys that It was Walter Brother to the Earl,
and he quotes Sttnv, p, 762. Rapin's Hiftory of England,
Tom. II. fcl. p. 140. the Note. There are feveral Mif-
takes in Raphi's Relation of the State of Affairs in France
at that Time; as when he fays that Sixtus V. fupported the
T>eiigr\s of Spain \xfon France to the utmoft of his Power,
pag. 139. that is utterly falfe, he died much embittered a~
gainji the Court 0/^ Spain and the Leaguers. In the fame
Paragraph, he charges our Henry with Infincerity in his
Dealings with Queen Elixabeth, and fpt:aks of him, juft
as if he had defignedly laid a fnare for her Majefty; in-
deed either Rapin knew little of Henry's Charafter, or he
was very little acquainted with his Circumftances at that
time. No Prince in the World had been more ftridl to his
Word ; that was his favourite, and moft confpicuous Vir-
tue, acknowledged even by his greateft Enemies : but
then it was not always in his power to perform what he had
thought before he Ihould be able to perform ; efpecially at
the I'ime we are fpeaking of, when his Defigns were fo
many times thwarted not only by his Enemies, but by his
greedy Courtiers. In another Paragraph of the fame Page,
he fays, that when the Earl landed in France with the
Supply, the King was employed before Noyon. But ac-
cording to Ihuanusy Noyon was furrendered before the 26th
oi September, and the Earl landed but the 3 ill of O^oA^r
following, ztBoloign. Finally, Rapin fays in the fame Page,
that the Earl went to France for the fecond time, contrary
to the Queen's exprefs Orders. To be fure it was againft
her own Inclination, but not againft her exprefs Orders,
that cannot be, fmce fhe gave him leave to take a Regi-
ment of the old Troops in Flanders ; and Rapin would have
done better to have been filent upon that point, or to lay
full open the true Motives of that great Queen's Behaviour
on this Occafion, than to afperfe the Character of King
^enry without the kaft foundation.
Book VII. Reformed Churches /» France, ioi
of that memorable Siege, but only take notice HenrylV.
of fome of the moft remarkable Tranfadlions, p'^P'
while it lafted. /4't ix!'
Pope Innocent, the great Support of the «— v-*j
League, who had promifed them fifty thoufand LIX. ^
Crowns a Month for fix Months time, as foon ^j^°""f^
as the Duke of Parma fhould have entered the yj^^^^^^^^
Kingdom with his Army, died on the 29th of h Cle-
December in the feventy-fecond Year of his n^entVIII.
Age, having held the See but two Months.
Cardinal Hyppolite Aldohrandini was eleded on
the 30th of January after, and took the Name
of Clement VIII,
The King being arrived before Rouen, had LX.
fummoned that City to furrender, for which ^ -^
r 1 1 1 r '-r-. 1 T\ /r Jummons
purpole he had lent a Trumpet to the Mayor Rouen.^a/
with a Letter exhorting them to improve the in 'vain.
prefent Opportunity for experiencing his Cle-
mency, and not fuffer themfelves to be impofed
upon by the Spaniards and others, Enemies of
the State ; nor to beheve what they falOy pub«
liflied, that he intended to extirpate the Ca-
tholick Reh'gion, that fuch Calumnies were
furmifed only to diftradl them from their true
Intereft, and to gratify more eafily their own
Ambition, after having deftroyed them one by
another ; that they ought rather to confider
how thofe who had fubmitted themfelves had
been dealt with, and put themfelves in a Con-
dition of receiving of him the like Favours.
Otherwife they would force him to make ufc
of the moft fevere Methods, &c.
But far from hearkening to the King's Ex-
hortations, they fent him the moft impudent
Letter that could be written ; nay, whereas
fome Officers and fome Citizens were difcover-
ed keeping Correfpondence with his Majefty,
after having put them to death, the Parliament
H 3 published
102 Tlijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
Henry IV. publidied a Decree on the 7th of January for-
„^59Z; bidding on pain of death every one of what
mentVIII.^^^^ and Quality foever to favour in any wife
I the Party of Henry of Bourbon ; ordering them
to defift inftantly, commanding Gibbets fhould
be eredled in the publick Places of that City,
there to hang and ftrangle without any other
form of Tryal whomfoever (hall be found plot-
ting againft their own Country, and 2000
Crowns are promifed to the Informers thereof,
and forgivenefs of their Crimes if they have
been Accomplices therein. The Oath of U-
nion taken on the 12th o^ January 1589, fhall
be renewed every Month, i^c, injoining ex^
preffly all the Inhabitants to obey all the Com-
mands of the Lord of Villars^ Deputy Gover-
nour of my Lord Henry of Lorraine, in all
things concerning the Prefervation of this City,
^c. The fame Parliament had given hereto-
fore feveral like Inftances of their Rebellion
during the Life of Henry III. and after his death,
and had executed feveral Officers in the King's
Party, tho' they were Prifoners of War.
Secondly, The King having certain Advice
that the Duke of Parma was entering into
France with his Army, fent Launcy to demand
a new Supply of 5000 Men of Queen Eliza-
beth, the Troops which he had fent before,
being extremely diminifhed by Sicknefs or o-
therwife. About the fame time the Earl of Ef-
fex, knowing that tlie King was arrived before
Rouen, was gone over to be prefent at that Siege,
he went much againft the Queen's Will; in or-
der to deter him from the Voyage, her Majefty
refufed him to raife any new Levies in Eng-
land, but had given him leave to take a Regi-
ment out of the old Regiments in Garifon in
Flanders, which was paid upon the footing
Qt
Book Vlf. Refor??ied Churches i?i France. 103
of 1000 Men, tho* there was not above ^ooHenrylV-
efFedive, but all of them old brave Soldiers in a '592-
very good Condition. The Queen was fo ^^^- mtntYlll.
pleafed with the Earl's Ablence, that fhe returned
a very rough iVnfwer to the French EmbafTador,
{Beauvais La Node) who prefented Launoy^s
Memorial to her Majefty, and flatly denied the
demanded Supply. The King underftanding
that Parma was a(5lually iii full March, fent
Miremont one of his Chaplains, and fome Days
after Du Plejfis Mornay\ to her Majefty ; he
landed at Rye^ where he met Miremont return-
ing into France without any Succefs.
Du PleJfis arrived at London the 4th of Janu-
ary N. S, he had his firft Audience on the 6th,
being accompanied with the Embaflador in or-
dinary, having told the Queen his Bufinefs,
Ihe betrayed too great a fondnefs for the Earl
of Ejfex^ which blinded her fo much at that
time, that fhe was infenfible of her own true
Intereft, her Threatnings againft him were moil
terrible, and notwithftanding the ftrong Re-
monftrances of Du PleJfis^ and of her own Mi-
nifters of State, after the third Audience, he was
obliged to return v/ithout obtaining any thing ;
buttheEarl ofEJJex being comeback to England,
he foon found means to appeafe the Queen ;
and /he fent a new Supply to King Henry of
2000 Men, which arrived too late for being of
any Service for the Siege of Rouen j which was
raifed (d).
Thirdly, The Duke of Parma being in fuH
March with an Army of loooo Foot, 3000
Horfe, 40 Cannons, and 2000 Waggons, for
carrying the I'ooLs, Provilions, and Ammu-
nition, was met at Landrecy by the Duke of
Guife^ and at Guife by Mayenm. Their Forces
(dj Mem. de DuPleffis Mornay, Tom. IL p. 134—186.
H 4 joined
1 04 Hifiory of the Reformatiorty and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. joined together, made up 15000 Foot and above
mentVIIl ^^^ three Dukes held a Conference at Guife^
and Parma feigning an Unwillingnefs to pro-
ceed any further if he had not fome Place where
to fecure his Artillery, Mayenne was forced to
give him La Fere for that purpofe, where Par-
ma put 400 Men in Garifon. But that was
not all, for Diego ]y Ibarra^ EmbafTador from
Spain, opened his Matter's Intentions, that he
required the Crovv n of France for the Infanta
his Daughter, promifing to marry her with
fome French Prince. {It was no more than
what he had been offered laji Tear by the SlX'
TEEN, as above faid.) Several Conferences were
held between the Minifters of Spain and May-
enne. Jeannin was the Chief of the laft, he
endeavoured to elude the Queftion, oppofing
feveral weighty Confiderations, efpecially the
General Eftates which were to be held fhortly,
then the vaft Sums of Money for fupporting the
War, at leaft for two Years longer. (Two
millions five hundred thoufand Pounds Sterling
a Year were afked for that purpofe.) But the
Spaniards granted without difficulty all his De-
mands, and promifed further the greateft Ad-
vantages for the Duke of Mayenne \ fo that
that Prince having nothing more to fay, was
put to his laft fliift, wz. to dilTemble and fpift
out the Time (e).
Fourthly, The King knowing that they
were marching, marched himfelf out of his.
Camp before Rouen.^ with 3000 Horfe by the
latter end of January, m order to meet them ;
at his coming he beat up the Duke of Guife's
Quarters which were in the Van, near Albeville,
He coped with the Enemy for three Weeks
together »
(f) Thuan. lib. cii. p. 203, 204, ^c.
Book VII. Reformed Churches hi Fraijce. 105
together; but at lad, he was very near being HenrylV.
furrounded, and was wounded in the back with pj/^^jg.
Piftol-fhot at Aiimale^ where he endeavoured mentVIII.
to keep a Defile. His Prefence of Mind, his
Courage, the darknefs of the Night that came
on, and above all the Almighty God's Providence
delivered him from the greateffc Danger he had
ever been in, in his whole Life ; and if he was
blamed for having expofed himfelf like a Cara-
bineer, he was highly commended for having
extricated himfelf like a great Captain.
Fifthly, But his Abfence was very prejudicial
to his Camp before Rouen. No Order or
Difcipline was kept in it ; as foon as he was gone,
the Befieged came out frequently, walked in
the Camp, took notice of every thing, and
made their Reports to Villars^ who command-
ed in the City, no ftrid watch was kept in the
moft dangerous Places, every one did what he
pleafed, and the greateft Confufion reigned
there. The Marfhal of Biron was at Dernetal,
and befides that he could not be prefent every
where^ his private Intereft and Inclinations
did not obHge him to fuch a Stridnefs as
was requifite in like Occafions. Villars im-
proving that Opportunity, and having ex-
horted the Citizens to mind their Duty, made
a Sally upon the Befiegers on the 26th of
February with 20000 Men, Inhabitants and o-
thers, wherein he was fo fuccefsful that he made
a Slaughter of all that he met in his way, or put
them to flight ; he burnt Tents, and Huts,
deflroyed the Works, filled up the Trenches,
fired the Gunpowder, carried away five large
Cannons, and nailed up the others. They were
Mafters of that Quarter {namely before St.
Catherine*^ Fort) till the Arrival o^ Biron y who
came from Vernetal with the Nobility attended
io6 Hijlory of the "kefortjiation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV-by the Switzers and Lanjkenets. He engaged
'592; thefj^ without Reconnoitre^ but their Horfe
jofntVIIj^ftood their ground, to give time to their Foot
to retreat. Biron was wounded in the Thigh
with a Mu(ket-fhot, the Royalifts had 500
flain, and 100 carried Prifoners into the City,
moft of whom were Perfons of Diftindion.
Sixthly, The three Dukes received that
News juft when they had refolved in their
Council to march all the Night, and to attack
on the next Day, the Quarter of Dernetal.
The Jealoufies of the Duke of Mayenne did not
allow them to improve that Succefs, fo that
they were contented to throw only a Supply of
800 Men into the Place •, which done, they
retreated, and crofled the Somme with their
Army.
Seventhly, Notwithftanding all their Re-
joicings for a Fortnight together, the Inhabi-
tants found themfelves after all reduced to fuch
a ftrait for want of Provifions, that Viltars
fent word to Mayenne that he fhould be forced
to capitulate with the King, was he not relieved
by the 20th oi March. Whereupon the Dukes
crofTed again the So}nme, and came three Leagues
diftant from Rouen upon the Day appointed.
The King intended to give them battle, but
feeing the bad Condition his Troops were in, he
chofe rather to ralfe the Siege about the middle
oi April. The fame Reafons as above hindered
them from attacking the King to their advan-
tage -, Mayenne and Monte Marciano obliged
Parma to befiege Caudebec^ which he took
without much ado ; then he infilled upon the
taking of Tvctot., In order to cover Caudebec,
That Place was very bad for them -, they were
not a long time in it before the King cut off
their Army's Provifions, and having taken
his
Bo 0 K VII. Reforfned Churches //z Fr a n c e . 107
his Quarters between Vljlehonne and their HenrylV*
Camp, he annoyed them by continual Skir- ^^^59^-^^^
mifhes, having been worfted in feveral, andmencYlII.
confidering that they could be forced In thaf*
Place, they diflodged without Trumpet or
Drum in the Night-time, and came near Cau-
debec % but they were no better there than in the
former Place, they wanted Provifions and even
Water, their Troops were ruined thro* Sick-
nefs ; the Dukes of Parma and Mayenne^ with
the renowned George Bafie who commanded
their Horfe, were obliged to keep to their Beds •,
the firft for a Mufket-Shot he had received in
his Arm at Caudebec-^ the fecond for an old
venereal Difeafe whereof he had not been well
cured ; the third was fick with a double Quar-
tan Ague. Befides that, the Marfhal of Biron
gave them no reft, he took one Quarter of
their Light Horfe, with the Military Cheft
deftined for the Payment of their Army. It
was publickly faid, nay, he was told by his
own Son, that if he had charged them as briflc-
]y as he could, he would eafily have routed the
whole Army. Bat his Ambition did not al-
low him to put an end to the War fo foon, left
he ftiould not have fo many occafions for grati-
fying his PafTion,
The great Danger wherein Parma faw his Ar-
my expofed , obliged him to make a Retreat which
was no lefs glorious to him than any of his for-
mer Feats, feeing that he diflodged from that
Place, In the King's prefence, without being
perceived by him. His Majefty fent to purfue
him; about 500 Foot, which, thro' their great
Fatigue and Wearinefs, could not follow the
Army, were furprlfed and furrendred them-
felves. But the Duke marched with fuch a Di-
ligence, that in.four Days he arrived from Cau-
dihec
1 0 8 Hijlory of the "Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
UemylV . tiebec at Charenton, 35 Leagues^ and thought
Wi^Cle ^^"^^^^^ "o^ ^*^^ *^^^ ^^ ^^^ reached the Pro-
mentvril. vince of 5nV in Champaign, Mayenne went to
K^i-'sr*^ Rouen to be cured there of his Difeafe, and was
dangeroufly ill.
LXL After the raifing of the Siege of Rouen ^ mofl:
^^^^'^'^part of the King's Army marched into Cham-
Heath andP^^S^-> ^"d befieged Efpernay^ which they took.
Cbara^ier, The Marfhal oiBiron was killed there byaCannon-
Ball, which fhot off his Head. That Marfhal's
Death was a great Lofs to the King, he was
reputed one of the greateft Captains and Poli-
ticians of his Age, born of a moft ancient and
noble Family in Gafcony ; he had been brought
up Page to Margaret Queen of Navarre, the
King's Grand- Mother, and had received fome
Tindlure of the Reformed Religion : he pafled
through all the Degrees of the Military Art,
and diftinguifhed himfelf by his Prudence and
an uncommon Bravery ; his great Reading, and
continual Application rendered him capable
of the Places of the greateft Truft, and of the
Management of Affairs that required the moft
exquifite Parts. He was very well fhaped, of
a very ftrong Conftitution, having lived to the
jixty-eighth Year, without being fick, or other-
wife indifpofed but by the Wounds he received
on many occafions ; he was a great Eater, fa-
cetious in his Converfation, profufe in his Ex-
pence, very liberal. One day his Steward
told him, that he ought to difmifs out of his
Service feveral People that were ufelefs to him,
and increafed his Expence. Well^ fays he,
Majier, ycu fay right, they are ufelefs unto me^
lut pray inquire of thenifelves whether I am ufe-
lefs unto them, and whether they have a mind
to leave my Service ? He flept but very little,
and was ufed after his firft ilumber to didate to
I his
Book VII. Reformed Churches In France. 109
his Secretary, who lay conftantly at the foot Henry IV.
of his Bed, whatever he was to do the next pA^^pt .
day, what Orders he was to give to the Officers mentVIII.
of the Army, ^c. then he fell afleep again,
and when he was awakened, he got up out of
his Bed, and examined what he had dictated,
before to his Secretajy, and made what Altera-
tions and Improvements he -thought proper;
fuch were his good Qualifications. As to the
bad ones, he was much felf- conceited, very
proud, and much more paflionate ; and where-
as his Family Eftate, nor even his Salaries
could not afford the Expences his Profufenefs put
him to, he was obliged to make ufe of other
Means very little agreeable to the Charader of
an upright Man, efpecially he did not improve
his Advantages over the Enemy fo much as he
could have done, in order to render himfelf ne-
ceflary by protradling the War as much as he was
able. Brantome one of his own near Rela-
tions, and one of his greateft Admirers, tells us,
that it was faid, that after the raifing of the
Siege of Rouen, and when Parma was ftill at
Caudebec, his Son defired the King to give him
only 4000 choice Men, Horfe and Foot, with
whom he promifed to rout intirely the Ene-
my's Army. The thing was very feafible for
many good Reafons, but his Father oppofed
him with all his Might, and told him when a-
part, JVhy Biron! don* t you fee if you go on that
way^ the King will no longer fi and in need ofus^
and that we Jhall he obliged to go back to the
Cajile of Biron, and plant Cabbages there. How
many Bi RONS have been in the World iince
that time, and will be ftill (/)?
The
(f) Addlt. aux Mem, deCaftelnau, Tom. K. p. \o6,
107, &c. Thuan. lib. ciii. p. 318, Brantoms Vie d'Ar-
inand Gontaud de Biron,
I lo tlijlory of the Rcformatiou^ajidofthe Vol. IV,
HenrylV. The King had had a greater Lofs by the
*592- latter end of the laft Year In the Perfon of
inTntVIIL Count of Chatillon^ Son to the late Admiral,
V—-V-— ^ who died with a Fever caufed by a great dif-
LXII. content. He was a young Lord about 3 1 Years
Cha^r"' ^^'^ ^^ *^^ brighteft Parts, and the greateft
lon'j Hopes, civil, courteous, expert in every thing
Death ««i which concems the Military Art, efpecially Ma-
Cbaraaer. thcmaticks, a great Engineer. It was by his
Contrivance that Ctartres was taken -, he was
Admiral of Guienne^ and when he died he was
about advancing with great Application the Na-
vigation in the IVtJi Indies. The King was
deeply afFedled with that Lofs, and fo much
the more when he heard that his Fever had pro-
ceeded from Grief, for fome ra(h Words which
his Majeily had inconfiderately fpoken unto
him, out of impatience at the Siege of CbartreSf
jfrom v/hence that Lord had inferred, that his
Services were no longer agreeable to the King.
He died at his Caftle of Chatillon upon
Loin {g).
I, XI IF. Francis Duke of Montpenfter died like wife at
Tbe Duke Lifieux on the 2d of June., being not yet fifty
♦/"Mont- Yea^rs old. He was a Prince of great Courage,
^D^fflh. ^ "^^O' ^°y ^^ ^^ ^^^ King, his only Son Henry of
Bourbon Prince Oi Dombes fucceeded him in his
Titles, Honours, Dignities and Riches, as
well as in his Government of Normandy.
LXIV. After the taking of Efpernay, the Royal
taking of Army marched into Brie^ and befieged Pro-
Efpernay ^^-^^^ jj^g chief City of that Province, which
viaa, ^v. Surrendered on the 5th of September^ after a
few days Siege. Then the King built a Fort
at Gornay upon the Marne to ftop the paflage
of Provifions that go done that River to Paris^
and
(g) Thuan. lib. cii. p. 199 L'Etoile Mem. pour
ferv;r a I'HiivOire de rram^c, 'icm.Ii. p. 66.
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c E . 1 1 1
and he trufted Odet de La Nou'e\ Son to the HenrylV.
Lord Francis de La 'None Iron-Arm^ with the '592-
Guard thereoF. mfntVIIl".
While the King was before Rouen^ Nicholas u— v— «
jpj/M?^^. Biihop of Beauvais was come to the LXV.
Camp, in the name of the Clerg-y that were ^'''^ ^^^^0
in the King's Party, to intreat his Majefty ^^^/^ j„_
to turn Catholick, and grant them leave to fiances to
fend a Deputation to the Pope without offend- *^^ ^%;
ing the Parliament, who by their lat€ Ad had
forbidden all manner of correfpondence with
Rojne, as abovefaid. The King took the Mat-
ter of that Petition to be of fuch Confequence,
that it could not be refolved without the Con-
currence of his Parliament fetting at 'Tours.
Therefore he fent for the firft Prefident Achilles
du Harlay and three other Prefidents, who being
come to the Camp, the Matter was debated
before his Majefty m his Council. They moft
humbly but earneftly intreated him not to con-
fent to fuch a Deputation, whereby the Par-
liament's Authority would be made void. Rey-
nauld de Beaune Archbilhop of Bourges, who
had fucceeded Amiot in the great Almonry of
France^ was then prefent, and was thought to .
fupport the Parliament in their Demand for
fettling a Difcipline in France, for regulating the
Ecclefiaftical Affairs without the Pope med-
dling with them ; he was in hopes, as his Ene-
mies gave it out, that he himfelf, who by his
Quality was already Patriarch of France, would
be chofen to be at the Head of the Bifhops in
things relating to Difpenfations, and Collation
of Benefices, as long as the Schifm Ihould iaft
in the Kingdom. Cardinal of Lenoncour had
been thought to have afpired to the fame Dig-
nity, for which Caufe he had been traduced
and very ill ufed at the Cgurt of Rome, and
had
r 1 2 Hifiory of the Reformation, ana of the Vol.IV.
Henry IV. had died with Grief at Blois a few Months before.
»592- Now every one had his Eyes upon the Arch-
mentVin. ^'^°P ^^ ^^ propereft Man for that high
^ -^- _> Office. And indeed the King's Council would
have proceeded further, had not Cardinal of
Bourbon interpofed, out of jealoufy, becaufe
he not being a Prieft, he was incapable of holding
the faid OfHce.
Therefore to avoid all Jealoufies, another
Method was propofed, and admitted, whereby
every Bi(hop or Archbifhop that followed the
King's Party was to ad: in the Capacity of a
Patriarch in his own Diocefe ; and if there hap-
pened any Vacancy by Death or Deprivationj
the Authority was devolved to the Archbiihop
^c. (b).
^^ The King being at Argent euil^ at the In-
J Deputa- ftances of Cardinal of Gondy Bifhop of Paris^
uc>!feiit who was going to Kome and had offered his
10 Rome. Services to his Majefty, and at the Intreaties of
the Birtiops that followed his Court, he was at
lafi: prevailed on, to fuffer that an Embafly fhould
be fent to the Pope in the Name of the Princes,
Bifnops and other Lords that adhered to his
Party, for defiring his Holinefs to receive him
into his Favour. The Marquifs of Pifani^ who
had been formerly Embaflador at Rome^ was
named for that purpofe -, the Senate of Venice was
to join their good Offices for that purpofe. The
Cardinal and the Marquis fet out in OSlobety
they pafTed almoft through all the Cities that
held for the King, and having crofied the Alps^
the Marquis ftayed at Defenzano upon the Lake
of Garcia m the Venetian Territory, and the Car-
dinal proceeded on his Journey to Rome, hav-
ing fent his Secretary before, in order to blot
out the Reports which the SpaniJJo Fac^ti^n rad
railed
(h) Thuan. lib. ciii. p. 220 — 222.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 113
raifed againft him ; which however had made HenrylV,
fuch an Impreffion upon the Pontiff, that when „ '592-
he heard of the Cardinal's coming to Rome^ he mentVIII
difpatched inftantly Alexander Francefchini a Do-
minican Fryar, with very fharp Orders, for-
bidding him Entrance into the EccUfiajiical
Territories, becaufe, faid he, in the Affairs of
France he had behaved himfelf neither like a
good Cardinal, nor a good Chriftian ; he enu-
merated all his pretended Faults, which were
rather as many Inftances of the Spaniards Wic-
kednefs, and of the Pontiff's Pride, than any
thing elfe.
Francefchini having delivered *his Charge to
the Cardinal, his Eminence returned a fuitable
Anfwer, and after having declared that all the
things that were laid to his charge were intirely
groundlefs and falfe, one excepted, viz. that
he had conferred with the King of Navarre ;
(fo the King of France was flyled by the leaft
pafTionate Leaguers) he fet forth the wicked
Defigns of the Spaniards, the boundlefs Am-
bition of the Heads of the League, who aimed
at nothing elfe but the utter Ruin of the King-
dom under a falfe Pretence of Religion, ^c.
He apologized afterwards for his Behaviour and
fhewed forth that he had done nothing unwor-
thy his Charafter as a Bifhop of Paris and a
Cardinal, and inveighed againft the Cardinal
of Plaifance the Pope's Legate at Paris, who
had been againft his Journey to Rome, only
becaufe he was afraid left he (hould inform his
Holinefs of the true State of Affairs, i:^c.
That Anfwer mollified the Pope a little, he
granted the Cardinal leave to come into the
City provided he would not fupport underhand
the Hereticks nor their Favourers, and that he
fhould do penance for the* little Regard he
Vol. IV. I had
114 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. had paid to Pope Gregory XlVth's Orders ;
^592 wherewith the Cardinal complied, and was
mentvill henceforward very ferviceable to the King {i).
1— V— — » It would be too tedious to relate the Operations
DfcVlI. of the twoParties in other Provinces, and their
^'j^^[^f various Succefs : In Poi^ioUy Languedoc^ Pre-
forties. '^'^^^'^ 2.nd Dauphine the Leaguers were worfted
every where •, but they were not always fo un-
fortunate: Vienne in Dauphine was taken by
the Duke of Nemours thro* the Treachery of
Scipion Maugiron Governour thereof. Hacque-
ville did the fame, and delivered Pont Audemar
m Nbrmandy to the Duke of Mayenne. The
jyukcbf Merc£eur routed the Army of the Princes
of Conti and Montpenfter in Britanny through
the Mifunderftanding of the two Princes, whor
did not agree well together, whereby it hap-
pened that the Enemy's Party became pre-
dominant in that Province. So that tho* the
League was weakened, it was very far from being
crufhed -, the greateft Cities fided ftill with them,
, it was not poflible to take them by Force ; the
King of Spain and the Pope fupported them, if
not as much as they could have done, at leaft
fufficiently to keep them alive for a long while.
But luckily for the King, Jealouiies, Miftrufts,
and Divifions prevailed amongft the chief of
that Party. The Spaniards were much difTatif-
fied with the Duke of Mayenne^ and this
Prince hated the Spaniards \ the firft had at laft
difcovered their Intention to place their Infan-
ta upon the Throne of France^ and to marry
her with fome of the French Princes, who
fhould be propofed by the States, and they
infifted warmly upon the fpeedy Convocation
of the faid States, to refolve upon the Eledlicn
of a Catholick King. The fecond, feeing that
by
(i) Thuan. lib. ciii. p. 224 — 226.^
Book VII. Reformed Churches //z Fr A N c E ,' 115
by the Pretenfions of the Spaniards^ if confent-HenrylV*
ed to, he would be deprived of his ufurped Au- p '^^^ I
thority, becaufe, being a married Man, hemTntV^lI
could not be the Prince chofen by the Srates,
for Hufband to the Infanta^ fpun out the time
as much as he could, and feeking all means
poffible for extricating himfelf out of his Diffi-
culties, he had agreed to a Conference with the
King. Villeroy on his part and Du PleJJis
Mornay on the King's, were the Perfons named
for that purpofe, they agreed well enough up^
on the general Points j the King's Inftrudlion,
provided it ftiould be done in a way agreeable
to the royal Majefty of a King of France, iti
fix Months time after the Ratification of the pre-
fent Treaty. That in the mean while he would
give leave to the Catholick Princes, &c. of his
Party to fend a Deputation to the Pope ; and
in the Interim, they fhould treat of the Peace,
which Treaty being concluded. His Majefty
fhould be acknowledged by the Chiefs of the
League. It was not very difficult to agree as to
the Points concerning the League in general ;
but when they came to the Particulars, the
Demands for each of the Chiefs were fo exor-
bitant and extravagant, tending dire(5lly not
only to the difmembring of the Kingdom, but
even to the rendering the Royal Authority de-
pending on their own, that Du Plej[Jts^ juftly of-
fended at them, broke off the Conferences by
the King's Orders.
They could not be held fo fecretly, but the
Spaniards had fome fcent of it., therefore to
thwart the Duke of Mayenne^ they offered his
Majefty to let him enjoy the Crown peaceably^
without requiring any thing as to his Re ig;o..,
provided he would yield unto them Brttanny
and Burgundy. But that was not in the King's
I 2 power.
1 1 6 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. power, to part with the Demefti of the Crown,
1592. (q i-j^j^j. i^js Privy Council rejeded that Propo-
mTntVIII fition.
V-.-V— -^ At lafl the Duke of Mayenne, not being able
LXVIII. to do any thing worfe againft the King, con-
^™r ^^"^^^ ^^ ^^^ holding of the General States,
'the Gene- which the Spa72iJlo and the Duke of Guife*s Fac-
ral States, tions had fo warmly infifted upon long ago, in
full hopes that they might prevail with that
AfTembly to have the Infanta of Spain elefted,
and married to the faid Duke. Mayenne had
more than once promifed that Affembly, but
had always delayed the convening thereof upon
feveral Pretences, wherein he was himfelf deep-
ly concerned. But after all, he could not with-
iiand any longer againft the earneft Inftances
made by the great Cities, the Spaniards, the
Pope himfelf and his Legate ; and the Duke of
Parmah Death which happened at this time,
when he was preparing to enter the Kingdom
for a third time with a ftrong Army, confirm-
ed him in his Refolution, Therefore he ap-
pointed that great AfTembly for the Month of
January, at Paris, notwithflanding the In-
ftances of the Spani/h Faflion, who endeavour-
ed to have it appointed at Rbeims, knowing
that the Duke^s Party was the ftrongeft in the
firft City.
LXIX. All this while the King was in the greateft
97-^ /f/w^'i Anxieties, the third Party^ received every
Jnxieties. j^y {oxnt new Addition of Strength ; it was
even to be feared left the Duke of Mayenne
ihould join himfelf with them in order to eleft
a Catholick King. His Majefty and his moft
faithful Servants had conceived great hopes of
the Marquis of Pifani^s Dexterity in his Nego-
ciation with the Court of Rome. But thofe
who had the greateft afcendancy over the King
would
Book VIL Reformed Churches in Fr A n c e . 117
would have been very forry, had tJie Pope fhe wed HenrylV.
himfelf tradable upon any other Terms ^^^^^ p^JJ^CIe-
their own, and by their Under-dealings they nientVIII
crofTed the Marquis's Negociation as much as
they could. The Clergy efpecially fhe wed
themfelves the ftiffeft. They had petitioned
for leave to hold another Aflembly at Chartres
in fpite of the Parliament, wherein they were
refolved to petition the King to turn Catholick,
threatning him, in cafe of a Refufal, to be for-
faken by moft part of the Catholicks, who
would fhift for themfelves. Cardinal of Bour-
bon was at the bottom of all thefe Pra(5lices.
Du Plejfts^ being informed thereof, conferred
about it at Tours with fome of the King's faith-
ful Servants, and wrote to his Majefhy to let
him know that fuch an Addrefs was to be pre-
'fented to him. He told him, that he knew not
for what purpofe that AfTembly was to be held,
which ought to be delay'd till he had received
News of the Marquis of Pifani. Then he
advifed him, if the Pope perfifted in his for-
mer Reioiution, to come to Tours^ on pretence
of vifiting Madame his Sifter, and to come
into t:''. '..niamenr, to deliberate about the pre-
fent poftiire of Affairs ; that he might even be
crov/ned there, as Charles VII. had been for-
merly crowned at Poitiers. That there was no
Ceremony in thefj two Adions contrary to
his Profcilion ; that his M ijefty would certainly
find there a Parliament fully refolved to exert
themfelves in his Behalf, and let your Majefiy^
fays he, firmly believe^ that you will eafily jhew
the Pope, that you might have fooner made a
Pope in France, than he a King of France at
Rome. That Coanfel was followed but in
I 3 part.
1 1 8 Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol . IV.
Herryiv.part The King came to ^ours^ in order to go
*593- and meet his Sifter at Saumur (k).
mertVin '^^^ Occafion of that Princefs's Journey was
Li-,-rLj' ^^'g A Match had been propofed in 1585,
between the Count of SoiJJons and fhe, as we
have faid in our former Volume, but upon Non-
Performance of certain Arrticles, the Conclu-
iion had been deferred. Since rhat time the
King had altered his mind, efpecially fince his
Acccffion to the Crown ; neverthelefs the Prince
and Princefs being inamoured with one another,
had conftantly kept a fecret Correfpondence by
Letters •, the Countefs of Guiche, out of re-
venge for the King's Inconftancy, was the M^.-
nager of ^ that Intrigue. During the Siege of
JRoudn, fhe wrote to the Count in the Princefs's
Name, and advifed him to improve that Op-
portunity, and on pretence of a Vifit to his
Mother who was fick at Tours, to come poft
to Pan, in Beam. The Count obeyed, and fet
out. But the King being informed of the
whole Affair, by means of a Maid of Honour
to the Princefs, fent proper Perfons to inter-
pofe his Authority, and put a flop to her Mar-
riage. They arrived at Pau at the very nick
of Time, for the Count and the Princefs had
already figned their Contrads, and nothing more
was wanting to make them happy, but the laft
Ceremony, which was to be performed on the
ne.vt Day. The Parliament of Pau, having re-
ceived the King's Orders, forbad them to pro-
^ beed any further, they fet guards over the
Princefs, and cbhged the Count to quit the
City. Her Highnefs fent very bitter Complaints
of fuch Rudenefs to the King her Brother-, who
by his foft Anfwer engaged her to come to
Court, and he went by the latter end of Fe-
bruary
(k) Mem. de Du PlefTis Mornay, Tom. II.
BOOK VII. Reformed Churches hr France, 119
hruary to meet her at Saumur. He had fent HenrylV.
before for the Duke of Montpenjier, with ^hom p^A^h .
he had a mind to marry his Sifter ; and the mentVIlI
Duke, very well pleafed with the Match, had <— v— »
already yielded many things as to Religion, and
very likely would yield much more, could the
Princefs have been prevailed upon to complj^,
but her Inclinations for the Count were ftill
too ftrong. The Reafon why His Majefty was
fo much againft it, was becaufe the Count had
betrayed a Defign of fupplanting him, and of
fetting up himfelf as a Pretender to the Crown,
wherein his Marriage with the Princefs would
have helped him much (/).
About the latter end oi December 1592 the lXX.
Duke of Mayenne had publifhed a Declaration MayenneV
for the Re-union of all the Catholicks of the ^^^^«'"«-
Kingdom, as abovefaid -, it was but an inve6tive
againft the King, covered with a Pretence of
Religion, fummoning the Royal Catholicks, to
forfake his Majefty, and appointing the Ge-
neral States at Paris for the 17th oi January y
there to confider of the propereft means of pre-
ferving the Religion and State, v/ithout any
Partiality or Paflion. While Charles Cardinal
of Bourbon was alive, the League fpoke quite af-
ter another Strain. But fince his Death, know-
ing in their own Confcience that the Crown was
devolved by right to Henry IV. they brought
forth the Pretence of Religion, to dazzle the
People's Eyes.
To this Declaration o^ Mayenne, the ^ing fhe King' s^
oppofed another, wherein he fet forth the Ar- Anfvjer.
tifices of his rebellious Subjedls, efpecially of
their Chief and Ring- Leaders-, the Felony of
the Duke of Mayenne, who took upon him to
(I) Thuan. lib.cv. pag. 115. Vie de Du Pleflis Mor-
nay, liv. i. pag. igi, ^c.
I 4 fummon
1 20 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
enrylV. fummon the General States, ufurping plainly
pJ/'f^CIe ^y ^^^^ means the Royal Authority ; he con-
mentVIIlf^ites his Subterfuges and frivolous Pretences;
^— — v*— "-^ maintains his own Right to the Crown ; and
as to Religion he declares, that if befides a Ge-
neral or National Council, they could find fome
better and fpeadier means, for his Inftru6lion in
a way fuitable to his high Station, far from re-
jefting it, he was ready to improve it with all
his heart, as he had fufficiently evinced, fays
he, by granting leave to the Princes, Officers
of the Crown, and other Catholick Lords of
his Party, to fend to the Pope, to defire his
Concurrence in that Inftrudion. Furthermore,
the King charges the Leaguers of having op-
pofed that Inftrudlion ; he treats of the Duty
of true Frenchmen; promifes to receive Inftruc-
ticn ; and declares himfelf againft that pretend-
ed AfTembly of the States at Pan's, as being
done againft the Laws, the Welfare and Tran-
quility of the Kingdom ; and whatever fhall
be enacted by them, fhall be of courfe deemed a-
bufive and void ; declares the Duke of May-
enne and his Adherents guilty of High Treafon ;
promifes a free Pardon to the Cities, Commo-
nalties, Corporations, and all private Perfons fe-
duced by the Leaguers, who fhall return to
their Allegiance a Fortnight after the publifhing
of thefe Prefents.
'^o^'^nie ^^^ Princes and Catholick Lords of the
Royal-.ji' King's Council, drew up likewlfe a Declara-
Lords. tion of their own, which they fent to the faid
States by a Trumpet on the latter end of Ja-
nuary. Wherein tb - / required that proper Per-
fons well qualifie:' for that purpofe fhould be
deputed on both fides for confulting together
about the propereft means of pacifying the
Kingdom, and preferving the Roman Catho-
I lick
Book VII. Reformed Churches //z Fr a n c e . 1 2 1
^ick Religion and the State. The Duke of HenrylV.
Mayennc and his Adherents anfwered, that they p/.^^^'j
were ready to fend their Deputies, provided mentVIIL
they had not to deal with the King of Navarre v— v-^j
or any other Heretick, but only with true Ca-
tholicks. On another hand the Pope's Legate
publifhed an Exhortation to all the Catholicks
of the Kingdom, full of Injuries againft the
King, who was defmied and reviled on all
fides.
The Duke of Feria EmbafTador of Spain LXXI.
came to the States at Paris, and exhorted them '^^^ ^P^"
to eled a new King; then he tendered the Let- ^'^fj^^^
ters of his Mafter aiming at the fame thing, Oje/sVo
with Promifes to affift the Leaguers with all his ths States.
•Might if they eleded the Infanta of Spain,
which fhould be married with fome Prince of
the Royal Blood of France, (young Cardinal of
Bourbon was meant then :) he was thanked for
his Speech by Cardinal de Pelleve Afchbifliop of
Rheims, a downright Slave to the Houfe of
Guife.
While thefe things were tranfa6ling at Paris, LXXIL
the King was ftrongly follicited by feveral Per-^'^'? J^i»g
fons, even by fome profeffing the Reformed '^-^'''''"''^''
Religion and Members of his Privy Council, fuch Catbolkk
as Baron oi Rofny^ afterv/ards Duke q{ Sully, to
forfake the outward Profcffion of the Reformed
Religion, and turn Catholick, no Artifice was
omitted which Converters make ufe of on fuch
Occafions. At one time the Abufes of the
Roman Church were extenuated, they repre-
fented them as too flight, to give any juft
Scruple to a reafonable Man. At another time,
they granted him that they ought to be cor-
rected, and reformed, and he was made to
hope that they fhould be looked to, when he
would be turned ; and fo many other Devices,
too
122 Hifiory of the Reformat ioriy and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. too tedious to be here enumerated, were put in
p' 59^^^ ufe, that it is no wonder if a Prince of his Cha-
mentVIlU^^^^r and in his Circumftances yielded at laft
to the Temptation. Rofny told him that one
may be faved in both Religions indifferently,
that a Catholicity would be much to his ad-
vantage; and that it would be the moft effica-
cious means to quell all Confpiracies againft his
Perfon; he magnified the Toils, Troubles,
Dangers, Anxieties, i^c. &c. whereto he would
be expofed all the Days of his Life, did he
perfevere in his Religion, without being able
of ever enjoying with Satisfadion any Pleafure,
or any Indearment. He reduced the whole
Religion to the Apoftles Creed, the Ten
Commandments, the Love of God and our
Neighbour, the Confidence in the Merits of
Jefus Chrift; and that being fuppofed, all o-
ther Differences in Religion either in the Doc-
trine or Difcipline and Worfhip feemed to him
of fmall confequence -, however, he declared
that as to himfelf he would never change, and
indeed he perfevered a Reformed, but his Re-
ligion was no hindrance to his Advancement.
Nay, fome Miniflers, whofe Ambition and A-
varice rendered them tradable, were fometimes
made to confefs in the King's Prefence, that
one could be faved in the Roman Religion ;
fometimes they were made to difpute, as by
chance, with Bu Perron, to whom they would
yield ill-difputed Vidories. And to the end
that what they faid might appear, as faid with-
out any private View, and be of a greater
Weight, they were not obliged to turn Catho-
licks, their Prevarication being thought more
beneficial than a publick ProfefTion of the Ro-
man Dodrine. By thefe Artifices it was that
the King was fupplied with the Argument
whereof
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 123
whereof Converters have fince made great ufe -, HenrylV.
viz. You Reformed, you grant that one '593-
may be faved in the Catholick Religion ; On mentVIIll
the contrary the Catholicks fay that none can ' 1,-11 1'
be faved in the Reformed Religion ; Prudence
would have us ftick. to the fureft, and to take
to that Communion wherein the two contend-
ing Parties grant Salvation to be poffible.
Thefe Minifters had been prepared long before-
hand, whereof Morlas, Rotan, De Serves^ and
Vaux, were the moft noted ; the latter of
whom being troubled with fome Remorfes, re-
vealed, it is faid, the whole Myftery. Cayer
was alfo of their Number ; but for fome Books
which he wrote in defence of Adultery and o-
ther like Crimes, and his lewd Behaviour, he
was depofed by a Synod, and out of fpite he
turned Catholick.
While the King was thus perplexed by theLxXIIl.
contrary Opinions of his Courtiers, the Parlia- Some fur-
ment of Paris exerted its Authority in a way therTranf.
fuitable to the ancient Integrity of that Auguft p^^?"* ^*
Body. The Spanijh EmifTaries prevailed almoft
in the States for the Subverfion of the Funda-
mental Laws of the Realm, as to the Succeflion
of the Crown. Being informed of the Intrigues
of the Spaniards to engage the Deputies of the
States in the Intereft of their Mafter, they or-
dered that Remonllrances fhould be made to
the Duke of Mayenne^ exhorting him to main-
tain the Laws, and not to fuffer that the Crown
of France fhould be transferred to Foreigners,
declaring void and unlawful all Treaties which
had been made or fhould be made upon that
account, as contrary to the Salick Law. Ac-
cordingly the firft Prefident Le Maitre made
very lively and bold Remonftrances to that
Prince, and reprefented that the Domination
of
124 Hiftory of the Reformatio?!, ana of the Vol.IV.
e rrylV.of Women in France^ even of Regents, had al-
^593- wjfys occafioned Seditions and Civil Wars.
^^^ VlU. ^" ^^^ other hand, the Papers Legate and his
^^" ' Adherents left no Stone unturned, to have the
'^Council o{ 'Trent received and publifhed by the
General States Authority \ but they laboured in
vain, for they were ftrenuoufly oppofed by the
firft Prefident he Maitre and William Du Fair,
who fet forth in a full Light, how much that
Council was contrary to the Liberties and Difci-
pline of the Gallican Church, and to the Rights,
Privileges and Immunities of the Kingdom.
Their Opinion was extraordinary well received
by fome, but the greateft number who were
Slaves of the Courts of Madrid and Rome were
much offended at the noble Liberty wherewith
thofe grave and learned Senators delivered it,
efpeciaily the Legate, who, however, thought
proper to diffemble his Refentment, left the
Aflembly (hould break up thro' the Heats of the
Debates (;«).
Now the time of the Conferences appointed
cSrl- '^^^^ ^^^ Catholicks of the King's Party, being
cesat Su- ^"^^^'' ^t hand, proper Preparations were made
rennc. ^ for that purpofe. On the 21ft of April, Lodg-
ings were marked out at Surentie a. Borough near
Paris, for the Deputies of both Parties. Two
Days after the Archbifhop of Lyons, the Bi-
fhop of Avranches, the Abbot of St. Vincent of
haon^ the Lord oiVillars created Admiral by
the Duke of Mayenne, the Count of Belin Go-
vernour of Paris, Prefident Jeannin, Prefident
Le Maitre, and five or fix more, deputed by
the Leaguers, having received the Legatees
Blefling and performed other religious Ads, ar-
rived ia that Place atone o' Clock in the After-
noon
(ffi) Thuan.- lib. cv. Chofcs memorables arrives en
France, ^"C. F^S- 74°"~~745*
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches //z France. 125
noon. Reinauld de Baulne Archbifhop and Pa- HenrylV.
triarch of Bourges, Francis de Chavigny, Pom- pA^^Qig.
pone de Bellievre, Nicholas T^Angenne Lord ofmentVIII.
Ramhonillet ^ Gafpard de Schomberg Count of'
Nanteiiil, Godefroy Pontcarre^ James Augiiftus
Thuanus, (our noble Hiftorian) and Lewis De
RevoU Deputies of the Royalifts, were arrived
few hours before •, Domiiiic De Vic Governour
of 6"/. Dznis came along with them and affifted at
the Conferences, tho' he was not named Deputy,
the Leaguers having obtained the fame Faculty
for Nicholas De Ville-Roy who had not been
named by the Duke of Mayenne, After hav-
ing fettled the Ceremonial and Order of the
Conferences, and agreed that none of them
fhould fet down his Title, but only his bare
Name when he fhould fign, to avoid Difputes,
the firft Debate arofe concerning Rambouillet,
againft whom the Leaguers would except, be-
caufe they charged him for having been an Ad-
vifer of the late Duke and Cardinal of Guife*s
Execution ; but his Reafons being admitted, and
the King infifting that he fhould be prefent, they
proceeded to other Things, A CefTationof
Arms to a certain Diftance of the Place wherein
they were afTembled was agreed, then they gave
one to another reciprocal Affurances for their
Safety, they produced their full Powers, and
on the 6th Day, the Archbifhop of Bourges
opened the Conference upon the chief Bufinefs
of their meeting.
It is not to be conceived how far the Lea-
guers carried their Impudence in their Demands -,
they would not treat as Subjeds with their na-
tural Prince, but as Equals. They required that
the King fhould turn Catholick in three Months
•time for the furtheft. That the Catholick Re-
ligion fhould be publlckly reflored in all Cities,
Towns, Boroughs, ^c, all over the Kingdom
without
126 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. without exception. That if the King would
*S93- allow the Reformed to live in the Kingdom,
mentVIIh *^^^ ought to be done only by an Edid of To-
leration for a certain limited time, which might
be prorogued, if it was thought proper. That
no Reformed could obtain any Charge, Office^
Dignity, Captainfhip, Government, EmbalFies,
Benefices, £s?r. That the King jfhould nomi-
nate none to the Benefices but according to the
holy Decrees and Canons ; they divided the
beft Governments of the Kingdom amongft
the Guifes and their Creatures. Four new
Marfhahhips of France ought to be created in
their behalf. The King could not put Garifon
in any Cities held by the Heads of the League
which fhall be named in the Treaty, nor in
any other, unlefs they be fituated upon the Fron-
tiers. The Company of Gendarmes belong-
ing to the faid Heads ought to be maintained
and kept at the King's Charge in the Provinces
whereof they were or would be Governours.
The King ihall join to the Government of i/ar-
gundy that of the Lyonefe, Forefi^ and Beaujolois,
in behalf of Monfieur de Mayenne, together
with the Nomination to the Offices and Bene-
fices. In a word, they divefted the King by
their Pretenfions of the Reality, and leave un-
to him nothing but the Name of a King.
Thefe Propofitions had been formerly made
by Jeannin in the name of thofe proud and
ambitious Chiefs, who, under the holy name
of Defenders of the Faith, hid the mod dete li-
able and fhocking Defigns that could be ima-
gined i they had been fcornfuJly rejeded al-
ready, but the Propofers had not been dif-
heartned, they renewed their Pretenfions at
this time ; and to be fhort, after twelve or four-
teen Conferences, they parted without agreeing
upon
Book VII. Reformed Churches iiz France. 127
Upon a fingle Point ; notwithftanding theHenrylV.
King's Promife that he would inftantly pro- p '^^fj] _
ceed to his Inftrudion, that was to fay, to his jnentVIII.
turning CathoHck ; he was anfwered, that it be- < -^— ^
longed to the Pope to judge of his Sincerity,
and that he would not be acknowledged by
them till he had received his Abfolution, which
they oppofed with all their Might for a long
time.
During thefe Conferences the King fet out
from Mantes^ and went to befiege Dreux^ which
he took by S::orm ; Noyon had been retaken by
the Leaguers after fome Weeks Siege.
The Spanijh EmbafTador, the Pope's Legate, LXXV.
D^Efpinac Archbifhcp of Lyons^ and fome o- Proceed-
thers of the fame foi t, did their utmoft at Pa- spaVifti'^'
ris to hinder the People from accepting the Emij/hriet
Truce offered by the King, and for "^vocmmgin the
the Eledion of the Archduke Erneji to be King ^''^'^^-
o^ France-, they mifcarried in both, for as to the
Archduke, Rofe himfelf Bifhop of Senlis, tho' a
furious Leaguer, oppofed the Propofition, and
carried his point. And the Parifians under-
flanding that their Chiefs endeavoured to ftifle
the King's Offers of a Truce, rofe up tumultu-
oufly, and were appeafed with much ado. The
Emiffaries of Spain were very hard at work at
Paris to procure a King of Philip's, liking ; as
they propofed always a French Prince who
fhould marry the Infanta, La Chaftres Gover-
nour of Berry defired them to name what Prince
they had in view, Feria named the young
Duke of Guife. Mayenne who was prefent dif-
fembled for that time, and feig-ned to confent
to that Nomination, but Bajjompierre Repre-
fentative for the Duke of Lorraine interpofed
in his Matter's Name -, and La Chaftres oppo-
fed openly the Propofition. Neverthelefs the ,
Duke
128 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . I V.
Henry IV. Duke oi Guife began to be courted by every
„ ^ 593- one as a rifing Sun, and the Duke of Mayenne
mentVIII. ^^^ almoft left alone, whereat being moved
u««x^^««^ with Jealoufy, he refolved to oppofe or diilurl?
the Eledion. For which purpofe he fent Ad-
miral De V'lUars to Rou'in with Orders to offer
his Intereft to the young Cardinal of Bourbon^
if he had a mind to renew his Preten/ions to the
Crown. But that Prince who was then at Gal-
lion, and whofe Health was much impaired,
feeing that his former Defigns having been de-
teded in time had been difippointed, refufed
to hearken to the Duke of Mayenne^^ Fropo-
/ition.
Bajjcmpierre being intent to hinder that E-
le<ftion, made ufe of Michel de La Huguerie for
publirtiing a Book wherein he fet forth the
great Danger wherewith fuch an EIe6lion would
be attended if it was procured by the King of
Spain. On his fide the Duke of Mayenne will-
ing to hinder it by all means, took to his laft
ihift, and renewed the mention of a Truce
which had been propofcd by the King ; which
De ha Ckajires found means to perfuade as ufe-
ful and neceffary •■, and that Prince excufed
himfelf from proceeding to the faid Eleftion,
faying that it was a thing as yet out of Seafon.
LXXVI. -^^'■'^ ^^"^^ while, his Majefty was in the greateft
The King's Anxieties, his Life or at leaft his Liberty were
Anxieties. Jp the utmoft danger \ he knew the Plots that
were laid every day againft one or the other,
the Catholick Lords of his Court had openly
threatned him to forfake him, and fome of
them to {ide with his Enemies, if he did not
inftantly turn Catholick. In thofe Anguifhes,
finding himfelf und^r this fad Dilemma, either
to renounce his Crown or his Religion, he
yielded to the Temptation. Henry was a great
Prince
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr A n c E .' 12^
Prince m feveral refpedls, but he Was a Man. He Henry IV.
refolved to be inftru6led out of form only, for „ '593-
he knew much better than his Teachers ; thementllll
Archbifhop of Bourges and fome Bifhops, a- v— -y-^i^-
inongfl: whom was the famous James David Da
Perron, named to the Biflioprick of Evreux
were chofen for that purpofe 5 the Inftrudion
was fhort, His Majelly himfelf propofed and
refolved the Difficulties, no Minifter or Lay-
man of the Reformed Religion that could be:
able to afTert the Truth was admitted, for tho*
His Majefty had agreed with Du PleJJis, to
hold a Conference between the bell: Divines of
both Parties, wherein the controverted PointsS
fhould be freely debated, and that in confe-
quence of that Refolution he had notified to
the Refornled Churches to fend their Deputies to
Mantes, and to chufe fome of the moft eminent
amongft their Divines ; neverthelefs^ when he
faw that Truth could not be viftorious without
an evident Danger of his own Ruin, To that it
was better for him to yield to the NecefTity of
the Times, he freely granted Vu Plejfis^a Re-
queft, who defired to be excufed for not ap-
pearing at that Conference, and who intreated
His Majefty not to expofe the Truth to be vi-
lified, fince he was fully refolved to fatisfy the
Catholicks at any rate.
His Majefty came from Mantes to St. Denis LXXVIL
on the 2 2d of July, where the Prelaites were af- ^"^f ^'"f^
fembled by his own appointment for proceeding '^■' '^
to his Inftrudlion : He was received with great
fhoutings of a Multitude of People, Inhabitants
and Foreigners, that were come from PariSy not-
withftanding the Duke o^Mayennc^s fevere Prohi-
bitions. The next Day which was a Friday^
the Archbiftiop of Bourges, the Bifhops of
Nantes, of Chart res, of Mans, Du Perron Bi- ■
Vol. IV. K {hop
130 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. {hop eled of Evreux, and fome Curates of Pa^
'593- ris were admitted to a private Audience. The
mentVlil Cardinal of Bourbon was come likewife thither,
but the King, being well informed of his fe-
cret Machinations, would iiot have him
prefent at that Tranfacftion, knowing certainly
that he was rather a Spy, than a Witnefs ; and
added in a joke, that was the Difputation to be
had only between them two, he was fure that tho'
he had never ftudied in Divinity, and that his
Antagonift was a Cardinal, he fhould for all
that, get the vidlory over hint. The King
heard the Bifhops very patiently from fix of
the clock to eleven before Noon ; then rifing
up from his Seat, he gave them thanks, for
that they had taught him what he knew not
before, and told them that he would think of
it a little more, and defired them to pray to God
for him, that he might take a Refolution which
might prove wholefome to the Kingdom as well
as to himfelf.
It is to be obferved, that for fome Weeks
before, he had had many Conferences with fe-
veral Divines which he had fent for from Pa-
ris, efpecially Rene Benoit, Curate oi St. Eu~
Jiache, Edward Chavagnac, Curate of St. Sul-
pce ; Claude Morene, Curate of St. Mederic, and
a few others. One of them faid the Day after
the laft Conference, that he had never feen a
Heretick better inftruded in his Error, nor
one who maintained it with better Arguments,
than the King. As they fpoke of the Prayer
for the Dead, Pray, fays his Majefty, let alone
the R £ Qjj I E M , / am not dead as yet, nor have I
a mind to die fo foon. As to the Purgatory, /
do believe it, fays he, 710 1 as an Article of Faith,
but as a Belief of the Church ij!:hereof I am a Son,
it is alfg to pkafe jf, knowing that it is the
Priest's
Book Vll. Reformed Churches in Fii a n c fi, 131
Priest's Livelihood. As to the Adora- HenrylV-
tion of the Sacrament, he infifted for a ^o^g />^!,f ^rj^
time, tnd at laft told them, Tou dorCt fatisfy w^mentVIII
upon that Article fo well as I could deftre and had'
expelled. Lo, I truji this day my Soul into your
Hands^ take €are of ity I bsg of ye, for where
you oblige me to enter ^ there I fhall live all the
Days of my Life, and that I do promife upon my
Oath : whereupon being extraordinarily moved,
he wept.
TheA they tendered to his Majefty a Wri-
ting containing a Form of Abjuration, and De-
teftation of the chief Articles he had believed
heretofore^ pretending that he ought to proteft
againft them, and to fign the faid Proteftation,
before he fhould be received into the Pale of the
Church -, whereupon he told them, Methinks I
have done enough, and you ought to refi fatisfied \
neverthelefs leave that Paper, I will perufe it.
The next Day the 24th of July, he fent
early in the Morning for the firft Prefidents of
the Parliaments of 'Tours and Caen, then at
St. Denis, and told them, / have done what
was in my power to fatisfy our Mafters about my
Converfion, and my Return to the Catholick
Church, wherein I will live and die, as I have
promifed them ; but I did not imderjiand that I
fhould be conjlrained to take fuch extraordinary
Oaths, and to believe andjign idle Stories, which
I am fure, you don*t believe yourfelves, fuch as
the Purgatory : upon your Confcience, do you be-
lieve it ? Whereupon they gave no Anfwer,
but turning the Difcourfe upon the SubjecJl of
their coming ; It is not reafonable, fay they,
to force your Majefiy any further^ and if you.
fleafe, we fhall go to thefe Gentlemen, and re-
monflrate to them. Pray do that^ fays the King,
K 2 ^ and
J 3 2 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. tV^
HenrylV.and tell them to be content, I have done enough ;
p ^ ^^c\ V ^hey go any further^ fome Mi f chief will enfue,
mentVIII The Reverend Mr. La Faye went to the
V—v-—» Chancellor to complain of the Violence put upon
the King's Confcience. His Lordfhip anfwer-
ed, that it was not reafonable, and that he would
take care of it.
Chauveau Cuntt of St. Gervais hid in' pr6-
fence of the Prelates a/Tembled to draw up that
Form of Abjuration, that the King was neither
/zTuRK, nor a 'Pag An i to force him to make
fuch an Abjuration ; he is a Chriflian^ fays he,
md if he hath erred, he mufi be reclaimed by fair
means, from Error to Truth, and not dealt with'
jujl as if he was totally ignorant thereof. He
was fupported in this by the Bifhop of Mans
and fome others ; fo that, that Form was fome-
thing altered, and Rofny, afterwards Duke of
Sully, had a hand in iff. But however alter-
ed it was, there remained ftill enough, to make
a fincere Lover of Truth tremble -, Tranfub-
ftantion. Purgatory, Worihip of Saints and I-
mages, the Pope's Supremacy, i^c. were plainly
alTerted ; and the Truths oppofed to thefe Lyes
as plainly condemned and detefted.
He abjures However, ^//Wi^-sjy the 25th of July was the
the Be- fatal Day, wherein the King made the
•^f''!"^'^^^" TUMBLING Trick, as he was pleafed to ex-
St. Denis, pj^^^s himfeif in his Letter to his beloved Mif-
trefs the fair Gabrielle D'E/lres Duchefs of Mon-
eeaux and Beaufort, dated the 23d of July. He
came about eight in the Morning to the great
Church Door of St. Denis attended by a great
number of Princes, Lords, &c. of his Courts
furrounded by his Scotch and Switz Guards
new cloathed, and amidft a vaft Croud of
People come from Paris, notwithflanding the
fevere
f MemoiresdeSully, Tom. I. ch.xl.p.ri4, 115 — itj.
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;? Fr a n c E . 133
fevere Prohibitions of Mayenne and of theHenrylV*
Pope's Legate, (it was Death and Excommu- p/.^^pi^.
nication for whomfoever fhould come out to mentVIIl
go to St. Denis without Licence, which was
. £atly denied to every body) the Archbifhop of
: Bourges attended by the . Cardinal of Bourbon^
nine BifKops and the forementioned Curates
•waited for His Majefty. The Archbifhop afk-
ed the King, Who he was ? and what he want-
ed ? He anfwered , / am the King, and want to
he admitted into the Pale of the Roman CathoUck
Apojiolick Church. He was afked again Whe-
ther he defired it fincerely and earnefily ? having
anfwered affirmatively, he fell down on his
Knees, and promifed upon his Oath, to live
and die in the Communion of the faid Church,
to defend it and proted it at the peril of his Life
againfi all Oppofers, that he freely renounced all
Opinions contrary to the Roman CathoUck Apo-
■Jfolick Church *, then having delivered his Pro-
feffion of Faith, fubfcribed with his own Hand,
to the Archbifhop o^ Bourges*, he and the
Cardinal of Bourbon helped him to rife up, and
was led by them to the great Altar, where he
repeated the fame Oath on his Knees, and mak-
ing the Sign of the Crofs, he kifled the faid
Altar ; from thence he went to a Pavilion be-^
hind the Altar eredicd for that purpofe, where
he confefled himfelf to the Archbifhop, who
gave him Abfolutlon . Then Te Deum was fung ;
and having heard Mafs celebrated by the Bi-
fhop of Nantes, he returned to the Caftle at-
tended as before, amidft the loud Acclamations
of the People (n).
Whoever
* That above mentioned, correfted by the Bifhop of
Mafis and Ro/^y.
(n) Thuan. lib. cvi, & cvii. Mem. de I'Etoile pour
fervir ^ THift. d.^ France, Tom. II. p. 140, 141, cfc,
it 3 Mem,
134 Hljlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Whoever fhall confider impartially this Ac-
*59^ tion with what preceded, will be at a ftand to
mentVlfl determine whether to admire or blame moft,
^...-v— ^ the King's Complaifance, or his Enemies Qb-
LXXVIIIftinacy? and amongft. his Enemies, I reckon
u'ffthat ^^°^^ Catholicks of his Part, who bore the
Event. fway in his Council, and had thie chief ma-
nagement of his Affairs, fuch as UO and fome
pthers, and fome felf-interefted Reformed pf
his Court like Rofny.
The King had been brought up from the
Cradle in the Profeffion of the Reformed Reli-
gion, Queen Jane his Mother had taken great
care to have him iuftrudled in his Religion ; he
was very fenflble of the manifold Errors of the
Romijh ; the four Years time he had fpent at
Court, much againft his Will, were mor^ than
fufficient to acquaint him thoroughly with the
true Spirit of that cruel and deceitful Religion ^
neverthelefs, againft his own Experience and
certain Knowledge, he forfakes his own to fol-
low this. What Torture did he not feel
in his mortally wounded Confcience! Hoyr
cruel the Anguifhes of his Soul! He wrote
with his own Hand feveral Letters to l>u Plef-
fts, defiring, nay, intreating him very earneftly
to come near his Perfon, that he might unbur-
then himfelf into his Bofom, In one of them
he defired him to let him know what the Re-
formed faid of his Change. Whereto Du Plef-
fis fent him this Letter, which tho* long, de-
fer ves to be here inferted.
S;r,
Mem. de Du Plefiis Mornay, Tom. It. Recueil dcs
thofes memorables arrivees en France, &c. p. 762 — 764.
trpifieme Edition a Heydetiy \ ^03 .
Book VII. Refonned Churches in Fran c e , 135
HenrvIV-
SINCE Your Majefty has been plcafed tOj^^j^^ym
enquire about the Sentiments of your moft \ — -v-^t
humble* Subjeifts of the Reformed Religion, D^ Plei^is'
they fay, that having the Honour to have '^^^ flT^in^j
their King, the fame Perfon who had honour'd
them with his Protedlion ; and who had, a-
midft {<:> many Dangers, prefented their Peti-
tions, now invefted v/ith the requifite Power for
granting them; they thought they might juftly
flatter themfelves with hopes, that he would
take care to eafp them from Troubles, without
their ftirring much about it. For which caufe
they had refolved to wait patiently, till your
Majefty's Affairs were fettled. But they have
juft reafon to complain that in four Years time
Your Majefty had not {q much as taken the
Halter from their Necks, far from doing any
thing that might tend tQ their Eftablifhment ;
the tyrannical Edids which the League had
publifhed for your own Ruin and theirs, re-
maining in full force, in feveral of your Par-
liaments : {But how could the King remedy thefe
Eiiils as long as the faid Parliaments -perfijied in
their unnatural Rebellion againji Royal Majefty ?)
Though your Majefty might have been put in
mind of them, by the Continuation of their
sSeryices \ for which they at prefent have no o-
ther Reward, than a well-grounded Fear for
the future, and a great Grief for what has
been tranfafted of late. (His Change of Re^
iigion.)
However, they faid, that by their Petitions,
they required not the Law of the State to be
altered m their behalf, or in fome foreign
Prince*s behalf, as the Leaguers have done.
And as little, that their natural Prince ftiould
*K 4 change
136 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
TT
cnrylV. change his Religion after their own Fancy, as
plp^^Cle-^^^ /?cw^« Catholicks adhering to Your Ma-
pentVIIljefty. And lefs ftill, that the State fhould be
' torn in pieces to gratify the Ambition of fome
People at your and the publick's Expence ; but
only to enjoy their own Confciences in Peace,
and their Lives in Safety, every one accord-
ing to his Quality and Condition, (which is
a common Riglrt to all Men, and not a Pri-
vilege) being fully refolved to obey what-
ever Prince, God fhall be pleafed to give
them, without any Exception as to his Reli-
gion, and under his Command to defend even
to the laft Drop of their Blood, -the facred
Laws of the Kingdom.
And for all that they complain that the matter
©f their juft Petitions which had been granted
unto them by the late Kings, and been required
and maintained by yourfelf with fo much Zeal
and Vigour, has not been regarded fince Your
Majefty's Acceffion to the Crown, when they
ought to expedt the greateft Advantages, and
when indeed, were it not for their Zeal for
your Grandeur, and their Aflurance of your
Good- Will towards them, they might juftly
and ufefully make ufe of the fame means, as
they have been forced to employ under the
Kings your Predecellbrs. But what could they
not have expedled, and hoped for from him,
whom God had, by the Proteftion of his
Church, brought to the SuccefTion of this King-
dom? And what could thofe, who had {bed
their Blood fo freely for you, expetft lefs than
their Liberty and their Lives ?
Now after their long Patience, they fee that
Your Majefty has changed his Religion in an
inftant, without providing for them. There-
upon the Ccmmon People (who fee no farther
than
Book VII. Reformed Churches' /'« France. 137
than the outfide) fay, if it was of his own ac- HenrylV,
cord, what can we further expect from his af- p^l^Qi^^
f^dlion? And if he has been forced, W|e can mentVIJI
expefl lefs ftill ; or we muft exped nothing but
Mifchief and Misfortune, fince our Mifery
is in other People's power, and that it is no
longer with him to do us good.
Indeed, Sir, the mofl: circumfped, think,
that it is impoflible for your Majefty ever to
forget the many Favours you have received
from God, who, by fuch extraordinary Ways,
has brought you from the bottom of the Moun-
tains to place you on the Throne, even by
your Enemies Arms, any more than the Ser-
vices which, in your greateft Extremities, you
have received from the Reformed, fince their
Enemy's ill Offices fufficiently put you in mind
thereof. On the contrary they believe, that if
you think of your felf once a day, you can
hardly help thinking of your Confcience to-
wards God, and of your former Affedion for
your former Servants all the Year round.
But, Sir, they alfo argue in this manner, if
in the midft of his Profperity he has forgotten
us, if when God has granted him fo many fig-
nal Vidories, he has not taken any care to re-
ftore us at leaft to our Liberty ; what will he, or
what will he not do, after this Change ? Where
fhall he find Refolution enough, amidft fo*
many Contradidions, to do us good? And
who can warrant us, that thofe who have had
Power enough to fhake his Confcience, fhall
not have enough to force his Will, and to
make an ill ufe of his Authority? To this are
added the infolent Difcourfes of fome Roman
Catholicks ; the Inftances of the Time paft are
alfo alledgedj and to all this no other fatis-
i fadory
138 Hijlory of the Reformation, arid of the Vol . IV,
Henry IV. faftory Anfwer can be given, but what is in-
T ^^^Cl ^^^^^^ ^'"^"^ your Magnanimity and Conftancy.
mentVJII Which however have been both flackened as
to what concerns God, as to what concerns your
own Soul i and therefore they again infer from
thence, What will he not do as to what con-
cerns others ? How fhall he be more courageous
and conftant in behalf of his Subjeds? In what
fhall he be more tender, when he has been fo
little as to his Duty towards God ? How fhall he
be more virtuous for us, than for himfelf ? For
indeed, there is a far greater Diftance between
true Religion and Idolatry, than between J-
dolatry and Perfecution •, from Good to Evil
there muft be fome Effort, fome Steps to leap
over, but from one Evil to another it is plain
Ground, the Tranfition is fo eafy, how great
foever the Crime be, that it is fcarce per-
ceived.
See, Sir, by what Steps they have brought
you to Mafs, they fay, you defire a Reforma-
tion ; we are full of Errors. Enter only into
the Church, and you will reform them. But
before you was admitted, they forced you to
the grolTeil and moft unwarrantable Pradtices.
Thofe who are deemed by every one not to be-
lieve in God, have made you fwear to the I-
mages, Relicks, Purgatory, Indulgencies, i^c.
They told you, Sir, Give your People that
Satisfatiion, you floall believe ijuhat you pleafe of
jt, as little of the Mafs as you w///, only let the
People fee you there ^ zvith a Veil between ^ if you
pleafe. But what Rigour have they not kept
with you ? They have forced you to fwear a-
gainft your own Confcience, and to recant in
the moft precife and the lefs tolerable manner,
which they would not have required of a Ma^
bametan, or a Jeiv, In a word, they have de-
lighted
Book VII. Reforf}ied Churches /« Fr a n c e . 139
lighted in triumphing over your Faith ; a Faith Henryiv.
which heretofore had withftood fo many Temp- „' 593-
tations and triumphed over them, when Satan, mentVIII
to make you forfake God, offered you the<
World with all its Pomp, and when the World
defpifed by you armed all its Monarchies a-
gainft you.
The moft cunning made you believe. Sir,
that this was the beil way to get Satisfadlion
from the Pope ; to deprive him of his ufurped
Authority iri your Kingdom ; which done you
would call a National Council, and by that
means put an end to the Schifm, which hath,
long fince afflidted the Church, a Work worthy
a moft Chriftian King. But look how well
they have provided for this. They made you
fwear a§ an Article of Faith, the Pope's Au-
thority. What then becomes of your Parlia-
rnents, and their Decrees ? And to hinder all
Conferences, they force you in the moft ex-
prefs Words to belieye all their Interpretations
under the pretended Name of the Church ;
where is then the Neceflity of aflembling a
Council ? And what can we expe<5t better from
it, than from that of Trent ?
Your poor Subjects fee, that by the fame
Way, you will be led further. They fee you
fubmitting yourfelf to Rome,-, they knew that
without Penance, there can be no Abfolution.
They read that in the like Cafes, Popes have
oftentimes impofpd on your Predeceflbrs to go
beyond Seas againft the Infidels. They are af-
fured. Sir, that before it be long the Pops
will fend you the confecrated Sword, and order
you to wage War againft the Hereticks, in-
cluding under that Name the moft Chriftian
i^nd Loyal Frenchmen^ the wholefomeft part of
Your Subjects,
That
140 Hi/lory of the Reformation^ ana of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. That Order will at firft look very hard to
x» !^^i^; you ; it will oifend your Good-Nature, no
Tope Cle- "1, ,V r -i. cr -an
inentVIII Qoubt ot it. io wage war againjt my mojl
■ faithful Servants^ whofe Blood I have drank in
piy Neceffities! But they will find Means e-
nough to mitigate it. Sir, fince you have
gone fo far, you muft go on ; you muft mako
yourfelf peaceable and eafy at any rate ; grant it
them at laft, to take away all their Pretences,
try only for three or four Months, you will be
acknowledged. When you will have regained
your Authority, you will reftore them unto
Peace ; a Petition fhall be then tendered to you
'to that effeit ; your People tired with Suffer-
;ings will beg it of you on their Knees. {Such
will he the Arguments madeufe of to enfnare your
Majefiy^ you will he allayed hy them ; you will
fHter into their Meafures ; and gratify their
Pajfwns. What will he the Confequence of this ?)
fie who formerly defended you, will take up
arms againft you ; and againft fuch an Enemy,
there is neither Counfel or Strength. They
will oblige you to burn your good Subje(3:s, as
a Bonfire for the Peace concluded with the
League^ you will put in flames with your own
Hands the Rubbifli of your Kingdom.
Thefe are, Sir, the Difcourfes of your poor
Reformed Subjects ; and confidering the Tranf-
adlions of that Conference (at Surenne) they are
inclined to believe that things will come to
pafs as they imagine, and moil humbly befeech
your Majefty to reprefent it to yourfelf, as it
were in a Pidlure.
. That Conference has been (^t on foot by a
Body who did not care to be authoi-ized by you ;
it was fufpeded even at that time, by all honeft
People, and fince that time it has proved too
pernicious to yourfelf. The firft Condition ha§
been.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France; .141
been, that they ihould not treat therein either Henry IV.
about the Heretick or with the HcrCtick, and pj/^cie-.
fuch was you then reputed arr-y^^**^*. them. mentVIII
Who does not fee, that their S#» arwas laidv-
againft you, and againft us ? Ag wi^t'you whofe
Confcience they have forced, ->i?id whom they
hope to exafperate againft us by degrees.
They reprefented to you the League ready to
receive you with open Arms, the great Cities
ftriving who fhould firft open their Gates, the
Governours of others bringing you their Keys
from all Parts. Sir, where is now the Gentle-
man, where the little paltry Town? and where-
have all thefe fine Promifes ended ? but to this ;
Jhow us that your Converjion is not a feigned oney
let the Pope interpofe his Authority \ let us fee you,
ahfohed. And in the mean while, they mo-
nopolize your Penance, that is to fay, they
will impofe upon you the Obligation of waging
War againft us.
For hath not the Truce, to all true French-
men's grief, reduced you to be only a Chief of
Party, even after your pretended Converfion,
whereby you was, as they fay, to be acknow-
ledged King ? Did not Paris fhut up its Gates
to you inftead of opening them, as you was
promifed ? And thofe Advifers of yours have
they not deprived you of the only means of re-
ducing that City, {viz. thro' Want and Fa-
mine, by opening the Paflages for carrying
Provifions into it ? If you make a Peace pro-
portionable to this Truce:, Sir, as it feems
you are going to do, what can they exped but
that of a King being made Chief of a Party by
the Truce, you fhall become by the Peace from
Chief of a Party their Captain General againft
the Hugonots ?
Whereupon^.
142 Hijivry of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. V^i
HenrylV. Whereupon, Sir, your moft humble Re'
Popl^Cle- ^^^^^^ Subjefts fay, that that Peace could no^
mentVlIl be treatf/*' K_ the Catholicks with your Ene-
» mies, ^ ^Jerva their being called and admitted
into it,*^ § S^^' 1 manifeft Iniquity, and afFord-
ing a jAi'^ '^^ '1'^ o^ Jealoufy ; for why fhould
not thofe who were called into a Suit com-
menced againft the League, be alfo called to
the Agreement ? Is it juit that thofe, who in
their Extremities defired to be aflifted by the
Reformed under your Authority^ when the
late King knew not whither to retire, in the
Limqfine or in Britanny ; when the Duke of
Mayenne held him, and they too, as It were^
by the Throat -, who were reftored to, or main-
tained in their Honours and Eftates j is it juft,
I fay, that now thofe very Perfohs fhould ne-
gotiate a Peace v/ith the League, without in-
cluding their Benefactors and Defenders in the
Treaty ? They, who (befides that Obligation)
make a part of the State, as welt as them ; and
perhaps more found, lefs pallionate, as to what
concerns your Majeily and the State.
Confequently too an Occafion of Jealoufy :
For what can be the aim of this Precaution at
the very beginning of the Treaty, not to ad-
mit the Reformed ? unlefs it be, to refolve at
their coll all the DiiEculties which may therein
occur, to make the whole Storm fall upon them,
as it did upon you by the Edid of Union j for
to imagine that the Clergy will turn their Ad-
vocates, is that likely, fince they have already
dared to propofe to you the utter Extirpation
of Hcrefy ? To you. Sir, who had but juft
quitted the Profeffion which they call fo ?
Neither can the Reformed be fafisfied with
faying, that your Majefty has fent for the De-
puties, to be prefent at the Conference of the
25th
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 143
25th oijuly, feeing that your Letters of Sum- HenrylV*
mows {^wt mto Lafigtie doc, Provence, a.nd Dau- p^^^h
phifie, could hardly reach the Churches of thefe mentVIII
Provinces before the ift of Augufi, and in the
mean while they treat not only without them,
but of them, of their Condition, of their Ppf-
terlty •, while Promifes are extorted from your
Majefty againft them, and to their prejudice,
to evade and make void, whatever may here-
after be done in conjundion with them.
To thefe Jealoufies Fads are added, betoken-
ing the evil Defigns of thofe who poflefs you,
and Forerunners of more dangerous things to
come. The Liberty of Preaching is taken from
your Court, in order to exile the Reformed from
your Houfhold, for who can or will Hve there
and ferve you, without the Worfhip of God ?
They have baniihed it even from your Armies,
in order to remove them from your Service, and
confequently from all Offices and Honours.
For what honeft Man can fubfift there, every
day being expofed to the Danger of being
wounded, or killed, without any Hope of Com-
fort ^ Without any AfTurance of being buried
after his Death. Their Enemies meditate to
exclude them from the chief Offices of the
State, of the Law, of the Exchequer, of the
Police ; tho' their Modefty and Patience as to
that hath been fuch that they may call your
Majefty to witnefs, that they did not much,
importune you about it. But they do intreat
you to judge, whether it is reafonable that they
ihould do their Children the Injuftice to deprive
them, by their Supinenefs, of their Birth-Right, to
be hereafter deemed in this Kingdom, like Jews,
or Moors, inftead oi the Titles of Honour
which they could have derived from their An-
- ceftors.
■ 144 tiiJloryoftheRefofmaflon,andqffhVoL.TV^
Henryl V. ceftors, and which the Services done to your
p^'593;j^_Majefl:y deferve.
mentVin How tolerable, fay they, was it for us to
' live under the Benefit of the Truce made with
the late King, tho* an Enemy to our Religion,
whereby he granted us the free Exercife of it
in his Army, and at his Court, had our Mi-
nifters paid out of his Exchequer, gave us cau-
tionary Towns in each Senefcal-ihip or Baily-
wick ; and at the end of the Year was to re-
ftore us, in their whole, all the former Edi<5ts ?
To all this your good Servants know not
what to anfwer. Formerly they were ufed to
fay, have patience, the proper time is not come
yet, but that time is gone. The Fruits are
grown rotten as they grew ripe. But they can-
not conceal to you, that the Spirits are in a great
Ferment, they paft from Expedation of Good
to the Expectation of Evil ; from their long
and needlefs Patience, to the Search of a Remedy.
And you, Sir^ we krtow it very well, you are
not free from fome Dread thereof, you will not
be well pleafed to fee another Protector ;
you will be jealous if they make their Addrefs
elfe where than to yourfelf.
Sir, have you a mind to deter them from
any fuch Thought ? remove the NecelTity of a
Protedor : be their Protedor yourfelf, continue
unto them that former Care, that former Af-
fe6lion ; prevent of your own accord their
humble Petitions, and their juft Demands by a
free Grant of the neceflary Things. When they
fhall know that you vouchfafe to take care of
them, they fhall take none of themfelves. But,
do forgive any one who fhall tell you, that they,
all quetlion whether you take cp.re enough of
yourfelf. 'fou know yourfelf what can hurt
then?; and what may do them good. The
Petitions'
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches in France. 145
Petitions which you did tender formerly inHenrylV*
their Name to the Kings your Predeceffors p * 593-^^^
for their Liberty, their Security, their Digni- mencVlII
ty, tender them to yourfelf, far from being lefsv— -y-^i^i
grounded upon Juftice than they were hereto-
fore ; contrary-wife they have been Ipaded fince
that time with good and faithful Services, which
deferve your Attention; you can report, and re-
drefs their juft Grievances; and be, if you
pleafe, without any other Deputies, the Judge
and the Advocate ; the Grantor and the Grantee
all together {0).
THE King was extremely moved by that LXXIX,
Letter, which indeed was very free, and even Refie^ions
fomethirig rafh in fome Places, wherein the noble ^^"'^ *^^^^ ■
Author pretends to fol-etel what would be the
ConfequenCe of His Maje{|;y*s Change; but
that mud be afcribed to his unfeigned Zeal for
his Religion, and to his fmcere Attachment to
the King's Intereft, and the Good of his Soul,
which carried him too far out of the Rules of
true Policy on this Occafiori.
For whoever fllall coniider impartially the
Circumftances of thofe Times, fhall neceflarily
own that the King had but one of thefe three
Gourfes to follow, either to do what he did, or
to refolve upon a continual War for all his Life,
or to renounce the Crown of France and reft
fatisfied with that of NavaVre.
The League, as we have obferved, was
weakened, but in a Condition to recover its
Strength, nay, to become ftronger than ever,
fhould the King of Spain exert himfelf to the ut-
moft of his Power, That Prince was indeed
(oj Vie de Du Pleffis, liv. ii. p 201 — 207. Memoires
de Du PlefTn, lom. II. I have related it word for word,
as much as poflible i but in a few Places I have taken on!/
the Meaning.
Vol. IV. L fome thing
146 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. fomething weary of the Duke of Mayenne, who
Pole^Oe- *^^warted under-hand his Defigns, but could he
mentVIII have had any certain Profped of bringing about
the Ele<5lion of the Infanta his Daughter, or of
reaping fome other confiderable Advantage, for
all his Troubles and the vaft Expences he was at
for keeping his Party dive, by the means of the
General States, certainly he would have ftuck
at nothing nor fpared no Money or Men -, and
at this time he was not without hopes of com-
pafling his Ends. Tho' the General States
feemed fo much averfe to the Propofitions of
the Spaniards^ neverthelefs it was not very dif-
ficult to bring them in ; nothing elfe was to be
done for that purpofe but to deyife a means
whereby to fatisfy the Spaniards without of-
fending a.^in{i the Salique Law, that great
Idol of the French Nation ; and that means they
had in hand, viz. to put afide the King, and
eledl ojie of the Princes of the Blood in his
ftead ; they had efpecially three, the Cardinal of
Bourbon, the Count of Soijfons, and the Prince
of Conty, all three good Catholicks, each of
whom would have been very glad to accept the
Crown upon the Terms offered by the Spa-
niards of fharing it with the Infanta. The
Duke of Mayenne would have gladly joined to
that Intereft out of Jealoufy againft the other
Princes of his own Houfe, whom he could not
bear to fee raifed above him ; and it cannot be
denied, the Cardinal of Bourbon had a great In-
tereft, not only in the King's Party, but alio in
the Leaguers' 5 and indeed he flood very fair
for the Crown at this time, tho' he feigned to
decline the Propofition fent to him at Gaillon
by the Duke of Mayenne as abovefaid •, but in
this cafe we may fafely fay of him what has
been faid of John the Faster, when he _de-
2 dined
feooK VII. Reformed Churches in France. 147
clined his Eleaion to the Patriarchal See of t^enryiy.
Conjiantinople : Et fugit adiSalices, et p '^9^^^^
SE CUPIT ANTE VIDERI. mentVIH
In a word, it is certain that not only the
Officers of the old Court and the Catholick
Lords that followed the King were tired with the
War, and had openly declared to his Majefty,
that they were fully refolved to forfake him
anii make their Agreement with the League
the be^ they could, did he not proceed inftant-
ly and without delay to his Inftrudlion ; that is
to fay ir^ the Catholick Phrafe, to turn Catho-
lick; but that the whole Kingdom, I mean th«
Cathojicks, were fully bent to have no King
but a Catholick, they muft proceed without
delay tp . the Election of a King, they muft
liaye one, but that one ought to be a Catho-
lick. The States affembled at Paris had al-
ready appointed a Day for that Eledlion, and
were refolved to give Henry IV. the Exclufion
as an obftinate Heretick ; fo that had he put
off only for a Fortnight longer to publifh his
Refolution to turn Catholick upon fuch a Day,
he was undone to all Intents and Purpofes.
For what could he have done alone with his
Reformed Subjeds ? Could he cope with the
Catholicks, one againft fikeen at that time ?
The Queen of England^ the Proteftant Princes
of Germany, the Protejiant Cantons would have
fent to his AQiftance. But how could he rely
on either ? Queen Elizabeth had failed him at
the Siege of Rouen, and had occafioned his
Mifcarriage before that Place, only on the
Earl of EJfex^s account. And was he in a con-
dition to gratify the Greedinefs and infatiable
Avarice of the Germans and Switzersj who
would not ftir without Money ? and fuppofe
that Queen Elizabeth would have drained her
L 2 Kingdoms
1 48 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l . IV.
HenrylV. Kingdoms of Men and Money ; fuppofe, that
_'593- thro' a Miracle, the Germans and Switzers
^gntYjjj would have turned generous, what would that
c— V-— » havefignifiedagainft the whole Power of ir^wc^,
Spain, Jialy, the Catholick Cantons^ the Houfe
of Aujlria, &c ? Could they have long fubfifted
before thefe formidable Enemies. Befides that
one mud be exceedingly fanguine, who can rc-
folve to pafs his Days and fpend his whola
Life in a bloody Civil War, attended with all
thofe dreadful Circumftances that are ufually
concomitant therewith, to make of a fine King-
dom a continual Vulcan *, of fo many rich and
populous Cities, fo many frightful Defarts ; to
put every thing topfy-turvy, without knowing
when there will be an end, and all that for the
fake of a Man of his Opinions. Is that Chri-
ftianity .? But read what our great Lawgiver
Luke Ix. faySj ^e know not what manner of Spirit ye art
54> 55- of-> /^^ ihe Son of Man is not come to deflroy
Men^s Lives, but to fave them.
Whereas then the French would have no
King who was not a Catholick. Whereas
Henry was not in a condition to force them to
receive him, and that it was a cruel inhuman
thing to engage the Kingdom in a perpetual
Civil War •, it remained that he fhould turn Ca-
tholick or renounce his Title to the Crown : and
as this laft was more agreeable to Chriftianity,
fo would it have much more redounded to his
Honour and Glory. But Henry was none of thofe
who think themfelves in Confcicnce bound to
facrifice their worldly Advantages in order to
obtain unfading ones hereafter, he was carnal as
much as any Man in the World ; and fuch be-
ing his Temper, he could not do better than
to change as he did ; he followed the Rules of
true Policy, he adred the part of a good worldly
Prince,
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c b . 149
Prince, but not that of a Chrlftian. So much I have Henry IV*
thought proper to fay concerning that memo- ^593-
rable Event, againft thofe who have confulted n°t\\t\'\il
only their Zeal for Religion, without giving any v— -v-*«j
heed to the Circumftances either of Times or
of Things, and what I have faid upon this ac-
count is grounded not upon meer Conjedlure,
but upon Matters of Fa6l (p).
Bu Plejfts arrived at Cbarires in the Month LXXX.
oi September, and was no fooner alighted, but D" Pleffis*
was fent for by his Majefty, who gave him a pri- ^°Xl^T'^'
vate Audience, wherein he excufed what he had f[;„^^ '
done upon the NecefTity of the Times ; that he
had been obliged to Jacrifice himfelffor his Siihje^fs^
even that he might be in a condition of procuring
more eaftly fome Reji to the Reformed. To which
Du Plejfis replied, that there were feveral better
means, had he been willing to make ufe of
them \ and that his Reformed Subjedls would
have chofe rather to facrifice themfelves a thou-
fand times for his Salvation.
Several other Difcourft;s pafTed between His
Majefty and that Li.rd, efpecially concerning
his Abjuration, which the King denied to have
made, faying, that the Paper wherein it was
^contained had been fubfcribed not with his own
Hand, but Lomenies his Secretary, who coun-
terfeited his Hand mighty well. To which Du
PleJfis anfwered, that this was a fhift whereby
God Almighty could not be deceived, feeing
that it had been done by his Orders, and fent
to the Pope as his own, and with his Confent,
and that he would be very forry did the Pope
queftion in the leaft its being authentic. I)u
Pkffis made no long ftay at Court at this time,
becaufe His Majeily defired that he would t:on-
(f) D'Aubigne, Toip. III. liv.iii. ch. xxiv. D'Avila, .
Tern. II. liv. xiii.
L 5 fer
1 50 Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV.fer with the Deputies of the Churches before
„ ' 593 • they {hould come to him at Mantes^ where they
Pope Lie- ^ • ^ J
anentVIII Were appointed.
c — V— — » They had been fummoned by the King's
LXXXI. Letters fent by the Lords of Fifouze and Beau-
S or%7 ^^^^^P-> ^^ ^^^^ together by their Deputies in
Reflrmed that City, On the 2Qth of July -, but Du Plejfis
arrive at having examined their Letters, and feeing that
Mantes, ^^i^y vvere directed only to fome of the moft e-
minent Minifters, and fome of the Lords and
Gentlemen of the greateft Litereft in the Pro-
vinces -, and being informed that his Majefty
was refolved to change, he thought proper to
alter and reform the Difpatches as the King had
given leave to do ; but his Change occafioned
fome new Alteration, and the Reformed in the
Provinces were at a ftand to know what to do
when they had been certified of that Event.
Neverthelefs Du PleJfis exhorted them to fet
out on their Jourqey, fliewing forth that they
were not fent to difpute about Religion, but tQ
fettle the Condition of the Churches in the pre-
fent Circumftances, whereto they complied.
They arrived at Saumur to the Number of
fixty. The Court endeavoured to reduce them
to fix that fhould wait upon his Majefty, and
that the others fhould remain at Vendome.
Whereupon Du PUffis remonflrated, that by
that nuans they would deprive them of a Sa-
tisfa6tii'n which they all defired, to know the
King's Intention from his own Mouth ; that
bis Majefty would deprive himfelf of the Ad-
yantage of fending them all contented back into
thtir Piovii ces -, and that his faid Majefty was
belt: r acquainted with their Tempers than thofe
who gave him fuch Counfel, that he knew very
well that fuch a Choice of fome of the Depu-
ties
Book VII . Reformed Churches in France. 151
ties would be attended with great Jealoufies a- HenrylV.
mongft them all. p'^^rl
That Advice prevailed at laft, and It was a- mfntVia
greed that they fhould be all admitted to the < ,^<^
King's Audience, for which purpofe they came Admitted
to Mantes in Ooiober, and Du PlefFis with them, ^t*'^^ .
T^ ■ 1 • ^ tz- -n»- King's Jti-
During that time the Knig was gone to i-^ieppe dience.
to fecure the Fort of Fefcamp^ which had been
of late delivered unto him by the Governour.
Here his Council endeavoured to keep him and
prolong the time of the Audience promifed to
the Deputies. But upon Du FleJJis's ftrong Re-
monfi-rances, his Majefty was at lafl: prevailed
to come back to Mantes without any further
Delay. There he gave the Deputies a very
kind Audience, he received their general Pe-
tition, and was gracioufly pleafed to promife
them a Redrefs of their Grievances.
Here again, lyO and feveral others of his
Majefty's Privy Council infifted upon a Delay of
three Months, faying, that if their Petition was
examined and anfwered before the Pope had re-
ceived Satisfadion, that would make him more
ftiff, ^c. But the Duke q{ Bouillon and the
Lord T>a Pleffu remonftrated, that by that means
the Refult of that AfTembly would prove quite
the reverfe of what the King expeded ; that it
would put in a Ferment thofe who ought to be
appeafed i that the Reformed Churches had no-
thing at all to do with Rome, and by feveral o«
ther ftrong Arguments they carried their point,
and by the King's Orders their Petition was ex-
amined by Chancellor of Chiverny, D*0, Be-
iievre., Schomberg, Poutcarre, Chandon, Mem-
bers of the Privy Council, De Frefne Forget, Se>-
cretary of State, who were all Catholicks ^ they
had feveral Conferences with the Deputies, and
owned freely that they knew not where to
L 4 make
7 52 Hijiory of the Refcrmation^ and of the Vol. IV.
KenrylV. make a Beginning. So that the King ordered
p^' 593- the Duke of Bouillon and Du Pleffis to join
me
ntVllI themfelves with the former. An Order was
fettled amongft them, vix. that the Lords Dti
Plejfis, and Calignon Chancellor of Navarre,
with the Lords of Champigny and Chandon,
fhould meet every Day in the Afternoon at Du
Pleffii^s Lodgings, there to make the firft
Draught of the Articles that were to be propo-
fed to the whole Aflembly. It was unanimouf-
ly agreed to offer the Reformed the following
Articles.
Articles That the Edi(5t of 1577, ^^ Conferences of
confented to ]^£yac 2in6. Flex, and the fecret Articles be re-
*beha?r. ^0''^'^ ^nto them, and put in execution j re-
pealing all other Edids publifhed againft them
jfince that time by the League. That in order
to rnake a Compenfation for the Changes and
Alterations occafioned by the Troubles, a par-
ticular Regulation fhould be made, to be as a
Rule to the Lord Chancellor and the Secretaries
of State, wherefrom they could not recede ;
whereof notice fhould be given to the Parlia-
ments and other Magiflrates throughout the
Provinces, when Occafion fhould require it.
That the Roman Religion fh6uld be fettled a-
gain in the Places wherefrom it had been ba-
nifhed, without any Prejudice to the Reformed
Religions That in the Cities under the King's
Obedience the free Exercife of the Reformed
Religion fhould be allowed, for the greater
fifety of the ProfefTors thereof: Even at Court
during the Refidence of Madame the King*s
Softer; but in her Abfence, with fome little Re-
flraint •, in the Lords Houfes, without finging
of Pfalms ; efpecially in the Dukes of Boutllofiy
La Trir/iouille, Rohan, and the Lord Bit Phffis,
their Houfes. In the Army, the King prefent
or
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fra^jcv^. 153
or not, in the Tents of the Captains of G^«j- HenrylV.
d*Armes and the Colonels. That thefe Ar- pl^^^Q^^
tides fhould be exaftly obferved, notwithftand- mentVIII
ing any Oath taken or to be taken .to the'
contrary. {This was a/ided^ becaufe of the
King's Coronation, and the holding of a Chapter
of the Order of the Holy Ghost, both of
which Ceremonies were near at an end, and in
hoth they fwear the Dejiru^ion of Hereticks.)
That Provifion {hould be made for the Main-
tenance of the Minifters, according to the Lift
of them certified by the Provinces, and that the
Stock fo provided fhall be im ployed under the
Name of the King's Sifter. That all Legacies
made by the Reformed to their Churches and
their Poor fhall be good and lawful, and the
Executors, Adminiftrators, l^c. might be
compelled to pay them. That the Children
fhould be brought up in the Religion of their
Parents, even tho' they (hould die without a
Will. That it fliould be free for the Reform-
ed to build and endow Colleges for their
Youth's Inftrudion and Education. This laft
Article, by common Agreement of all, was
not fet down in writing.
There was no further Provifion made for the
Security of the Reformed, but notwithftanding
the reiterated Remonftrances of their Deputies,
they could obtain nothing elfe, but to hold their
Provincial Afliemblies to acquaint their Princi-
pals with the Succefs of their Deputation, and
then to hold a National Synod and a General
Political Aflembly, andfo they were difmifled ;
but before they parted they renewed, in the
face of the Court at Mantes, their former AfTo-
ciation under the King's Authority, which had
been ratified foruierly in feveral AflVmiolies,
namely, at Nims^ Millaud^ Montauban, and
Kochdle^
154 -H^iJry of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. RocheUe, to live and die for the Maintenance
pj_593- and Defence of their Confeflion of Faith pre-
mentVIII ^^"^^^ to the late King in J560 and 1561, and
u«-v-»»^ they declared to his Majefty that they were refol-
ved fo to do. Whereupon the King told them,
that they did well, but exhorted them to be
fober and prudent. That Negociation lafted to
the latter end oi January 1594 {q).
LXXXII. Before we make an end of this Year 1593,
Se-ueral we muft briefly relate fome Occurrences that*
Occurren- happened fince the King's Change. The drift
^e^ns's °^ ^^ Spaniards and the obftinate Leaguers
Change, was, to render that Change fufpicious; they de-
claimed againft it in France., and in the foreign
Countries, efpecially at Rome^ where the Duke
of Nevers fent by the King was haughtily and
fcornfully received by the Pope, who refufed
to hearken to any Reconciliation between the
King and his See. And not fatisfied with that,
they attempted to murder his Majefty, by the
Barriered i^eans of one Barriere a Waterman of Or-
Miempt. leanSy who having been feduced particularly by
Jefuit V A R A D E, was feized at Melun with
a large Knife fit for that purpofe ; he owned
his Intention was to murder the King, and was
ientenccd to be pinched with red-hot Pincers,
to have his Hand with the Knife hanging to it
burnt, to be broken alive upon the Wheel, and
be burnt alive, v/hich Sentence was executed
upon him j that happened about the latter txid
of Jugufi.
^nsesixith Now v/hereas the Cities fliewed an IrrJInation
^■Lea- for acknowledging the King after his Change,
imy/. 3jj(j_ waited only to be affaik^d for furrendenng
themfeives, the Duke ot Mayennc found no
better means to retard the Ruin of his pA-ty
■ han
('fj Vie de Du Pleifis, Hv, il. pag. 208— 212, Thuan,
lib, cviii.
m
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr an c E . 155
than by propofing a Truce with his Majefty, Henryrv*
which was confented to, tho' by the knavery of „ *5^^",
his Party, it was treated not as between the KingmentVlII
and his Subjeds, but as between two Parties < — y*i.J
upon equal footing, the King not being fo
much as named in it. It began the laft Day of
July^ and was to end the laft of October ; but it
was continued for three Months longer (r).
Queen Elizabeth feigned to be much con-
cerned at the King*s Change, fhe wrote to
him the following Letter.
'* T T is hardly pofTible to exprefs the ex- ^een Eli-
*' JL treme Grief and DifTatisfadion which has zabeth'x
" feized me upon MorlanCs Reprefentatipn of^^^'^lTj^
*' Things. Good God! what a miferable
*' World do we live in? Could I have ever
'* thought, Sir, that any worldly Confidera-
" tion could have prevailed with you to dif-
*' card a juft Senfe of God and his Fear? Or
^' can you ever reafonably expedt that Provi-
*' dence will grant this Change of yours a
" happy Ifliie ? Or could you entertain any
" Fear or Sufpicion that the gracious God,
•' who had fo long fupported and preferved
*' you, would fail, and abandon you at laft ?
" It is, believe me, a dangerous Experiment,
^^ to do evil that good may come. But I hope
*' you may be yet recover'd to a better Incli-
*' nation, even the Spirit of a found Mind-
'* In the mean time, I ftiall not ceafe to recom-
" mend your Cafe to God in my daily Prayers,
" and earneftly befeech him that Efaii*s Hands
" may not pollute the Bleffing and Birth-right
" of Jacob. The Promife you make of a fa-
" cred and friendly Alliance, I conceive my
" felf to have deferved, and even earned at a
" vaft
(rj Thuan. lib. cvii, cviii.
156 Hiflory of the Reformation^and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV." yaft Expence : but I had not mattered that,
p'593— " had you ftill kept yourfelf the Son of the
mentVIIl" ^ame Father. From henceforth I cannot
"* look on myfclf as your Sifter, in refpedt to our
" common Father, for I muft and fhali always
" pay a much greater regard to Choice than
«« Nature in that relation j as I may appeal to
" God, whom I befeech to recover you into
" the Path of a fafer and founder Judgment.
Tour lifter after the old-fajhioned way^
as for the new, I have nothing to do
with it,
ELIZABETH (j).
Nothing more Godly and Chriftian- like can
be feen than that Letter •, but \i Brandies Ab-
treviator is to be credited, who will think,
that the great Queen Elizabeth who wrote it,
was the fame Queen Elizabeth who feventeen
Years before returned the following Anfwer to
St.Allegonde, Buis and Malfon Embaffadors of
the States of Holland and Zeland at her Court ?
Poor People^ fays fhe, would it not have been bet-
ter for you to go to Mafs, than to expofe yourfelves
to Jo ma7iy Evils ? If you don't believe in it^ why
don^t you go to it as to a Puppet-Show? Tou fee
that I am dreji in white ; and if, at this Injiant,
J had a mind to play a Comedy, would you think
it a Crime to be prefent at it ? Perhaps fhe had
changed fince that time. However Henrfs
Change caufed no real Alteration in that great
and wife Princefs's Conduft towards him; (he
continued to aflift him with Men and Money (/).
The
(s) Rapln'j Hiftory of England, Tom. 11. Book xvii.
p. 142. Edition of 1733.
(i) Hiftoire abregee de la Reformation des Pays-Jbas,
Tom. I. liv. xi. p. 237. a la Haye 1726.
. Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c E . 1 57
The Truce granted to the Duke of Mayenne H"enryIV.
and accepted by him, exceedingly chagrined p ^59 J*
the Pope's Legate zt Paris -, he declaimed a- ^entV HI
gaijift it, as if it had been a Sin againft the Ho- «— v—^
ly Ghoft, his mercenary Preachers thundered ^'"^""'e/^
from their Pulpits •, and to be fhort, nothing ^ J^"^ ^y'
could make amends for it, and fatisfy his "E- 1^^ s tat f.
minence but the Reception and Publication of
the Council of Trent^ which indeed was re-
ceived without Reftridion, by part of the
States aflembled at Paris •, but his Joy was not
of a long Duration, for what that AfTembly
had done at this time, could never be ratified
after the furrender of Paris ; and notwith-
ftanding the preffing Inftances of the Clergy, it
was at laft rejedled by the King in 1606 {v).
The Truce being at an end, it was debated i«^94-
in the King's Council whether it was proper to ^^^^^
grant a further Prolongation; but whereas ity^^^.^iJ^
was certainly known that the Enemies had no-
thing elfe in view but to fpin out the time, to
the end that the Courts of Spain and Rome
might have enough for refolving upon the Sub-
fidies and Troops that were to be fent to the
Dukes of Mayenne and Guife^ for which pur-
pofe their Deputies were negociating in thefe
two Courts ; it was agreed to grant no further -
time, and to renew the Hoftilities {u) .
That Refolution was no fooner publilhed but
it was attended with extraordinary good Sue
cefs. The King was crowned at Chartrss on
the 27th of February. Aix acknowledged him,
feveral Commanders and Governours of Places
and Provinces were glad of this Opportunity of
fi-curing their Fortunes, by making the beft
bargain
(v) Thuan. lib. evil. p. 374. lib. cxxiii. p. 893. lib,
^Xxxiv. p. 1195—6. lib. cxxxvi p, 1246 =
(u) Idem, lib. cyiii .
1^8 Hi [lory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo i .IV.
HenrylV. bargain they could for the Places and Provinces
^594- they held. The Marquis of ^;7ry furrendered
mTntVlII ^^^^^ ^"d renounced the League •, D*A'mcourt,
,v— -V— — jSon to Villeroy^ furrendered Pontoife, and was
LXXXIV not forgetful of his own Concerns. The Mar-
ProZtLs^^^ ^^LaChatres followed the Stream, with
ar^ Cities Orleans and the Orleannefe, Bourges and the
acknowo- Bervy (x),
ledge the guj- the Beft Acquifition of all was Farts it-
^'"^: felf On the 2 2d of March, the Count of
Pans fur- j^Yijjac Governoiir thereof furrendered it to the
King, upon Promife of being created Marfhal
oi France', he adled in Concert with the Parlia-
ment, and the moft eminent Burgefles. The
Spanijh EmbaiTador, and the Pope's Legate
quitted the City the fame day, with what fo-
reign Troops they had with them. That was
done without any other blood fhed befides
that of 25 or 30 Lanjkenets^ who had a
inind to refift. In the Afternoon the Shops
"were opened, and every thing was as eafy in
the City, as in time of Peace. On the 30th
of the fame Month, the Parliament enaded that
whatever had been done or written fince the
29th of Deceml^er 1588, againft the laft and the
prefent Kings, ihould be buried in an eternal
Oblivion •, the Accomplices in the late King's
Murder and the Abettors thereof, as well as
the Murderers of the Prefident Brijfon, and of
the two Counfellors, their Abettors and Accom-*
* plices were only excepted. On the 2d of A-
pril the Redor of the Univerfity begged the
King's pardon for the pad ExcefTes j and on
the 22d, the Faculty of Divinity recanted all
their Decrees and Decifions mace fince the be-
ginning of the League againft Henry III. and
the prefent King, and declared that the whole
Natior^
(x) Idem Ibid.
Book VII. Reformed Churches In Fr an ce'. i 59
Nation was in duty bound to acknow- HenrylV.
ledge HenrylV. for their lawful Sovereign, ^^^94-^^^
and to obey him, notwithftanding he had not mentVIU
as yet received the Pope*s Abfolution. Moft ^-.— y— J
part of the feditious Preachers, and fome of the
Sixteen, chofe to follow the Spaniards rather
than to fubmit. vyvtv
The Surrender of Paris had been preceded s^%^jl_
by that of Lyi?^ J, where tht Dukt oi Nemours then fol-
was arrefted and fent Prifoner to Pierre Ancife. lo-iv the
It was likewife followed by the Redudion ^^^f^^^"
Rouen ; Villars Governour thereof made his^ ^^'
Treaty with the King, he kept the Pcil of
Admiral : Havre de Grace, Harfleur, Pont~Au-
demar, Verneuil, fubmitted themfelves at the
fame time. Each Day was remarkable by fom$
new Lofs of the League. Troye, Agen, Pe-
ronne. Sens, renounced it ; Laon befieged by
the King, furrendered after two Months Siege.
The Duke of Elbceuf engaged Poitiers to fub-
mit. TheMarfhal of Aumont, affiled by the
Englip Fleet, retook ^imper and Morlaix in
low Britanny, the Spaniards were driven out
of Breft ; St. Malo came of its own accord un-
der the King's Obedience ; Amiens, Albeville,
Dourlens, and Beauvais did the fame ; and to
complete the Profperities of this Year 1594, the
Duke of Guife made his Agreement with the
King, and furrendered Rheims, Rocroi^ St. Di-
dier, Guife and feveral other Places and Caftles.
But all thefe Advantages were got at theLXXXV.
Coft of the poor Reformed j the Leaguers ne- ^^_ ^°^'
ver failed to ftipulate in their Treaty fome Ar- ff'^J! ^
tides or other to the prejudice ot the iovmer, formeJ.
and they faw themfelves deprived by degrees
almoft of all the Privileges granted them by
the Edi6l of 1577, which however was to be
the Scandard of their Liberties, and of all the
future
1 6o Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. future Conceflions, which they were made to
pj'^g^-j^ exped when the King*s Authority fhould be
inentVlIl ^^^^1^^, Nay, the Deputies of the Churches
I at Mantes had the mortification to fee, before
their parting, that by the Articles granted to
the City of Meaux, they were deprived of the
free publick Exercife of their Religion within
its Walls and its Suburbs ; and the faid Treaty
ferved as a Precedent for all others. True it is,
that all the Cities and Towns did not fhew a
like Averfion againft the Reformed, but they
all agreed as to this, that no other Religion be-
fides the Catholick fhould be publickly pro-
feffed within their Walls.
Some of thefe Treaties made between the
King and his rebellious Subjeds the Leaguers,
were publifhed before the Reformed could hold
the Political and the Ecclefiaftical Aflembly
which they had been allowed to hold ;• fo that
they had time to fee what they were to expedk
from the Reconciliation of thefe their old E-
nemies with the King. Another ground of
their Jealoufies, was the Favour into which the
Jefuits had crept at Court, efpecially fince the
Kedu6lion of Paris. Cardinal of Bourbo7t and
the Duke of Nsvers fupported them with all
their might againft the Oppofitions of the U-
niverfity •, and many other Lords openly pro-
teded them. They had a ftrong Party in the
Parliament; the King himfelf, who was eafily
brought to any thing which he thought to be
conducive to the Pope's foftening, favoured
them. Their Caufe, which had been depend-
ing for fo many Years before the Parliament, was
pleaded a-new, the Rights of the Univerfity
were fet in their full Light by Arnaidd their
Advocate •, he did fet forth in a very lively
manner the Inclination altogether Spanip of
that
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« F r a n c E . i 6' I
that Society,, and ftiewed how formidable their HenrylV-
Credit and PoW^er was j and indeed they had p '594-
increafed in c^'^ Years to that degree^ that they mentVIII
pofleiTed 228 Houfes and two Millions of «--%—— i
Livres, yearly Rent in France^ which was
owing to their turbulent and reftlefs Spirit,
their Avarice and boundlefs Ambition. The
Reformed and many of the wifeft amongft the
Catholicks beheld the Settlement of that So-
ciety in France^ as a thing very prejudicial to
the Kingdom. But the Attempt of John Chafiel
upon the King's Perfon put an end to that
Law-Suit, by the latter end of this Year.
in. a wordj^ the Condition of the Reformed LXXXVI
was very precarious at this Time, ahd feemed ^^^ t^^'r-
paft all Recovery. They held a National Sy- ^''"Jl'is''''
nod at Montauban^ which opened its SefTiohs on 1°"/ ^'
the I sth o£ June. None had been aflembled
fmce that o£ Vitre in 1583^ but tliis of Ai^y;^-
tauban, a City far remote from Court, and
very jealous for Religion and the common
Caufe, made amends for that long Interval of
Time loft. Affairs of great Importance wer&
debated therein.
Their firft Care was to order publick Prayers
to be put up in all their Churches over the
Kingdorn for the King's Profperity ; to the
end that it might appear that they did not think
themfelves difingaged either from obeying or
ferving him, tho' he had forfaken their Reli-
gion ; and that there was a wide difference be-
tween them and feveral Orders of Monks, v/ho
refufed to pray for his Majefty, tho' he was a
Catholick and had been crowned with the ufual
Ceremonies. But at the fame time, left this
Mark of the Synod's Affedion to the King's
I^rofperity ftipuld be miftaken for a tacit Ap-
probation or Diftimulation of his Change, they
VoL.iy. M Ordered
1 62 liijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo t . I V.
Henry IV. ordered that Prayers fhould be put up for his
Popl^C\c~ Majefty's Converfion -, and that the MinifterJ
mentVJII that were ftill at Court, or fhould be fent there^
fhould tell him of his Duty to God in that re-
fpe(5t.
Then they took into their Confideration the
Conduct of the Churches of the IJle of France.
They had fallen into a Snate of the Court, who
had given them a Tafle of a Projeft of Accom-
modation with the Catholicks, under pretence of
uniting with them in defence of the Liberties of
the GallicanChurchzgiin^ thePi?/'^'jUfurpations.
Therefore they fent their Deputies to the Synod>
with Charge to propofe the faid Union'*, and to
add another for naming proper Perfons on both
fides, to whom the two Parties, Reformed and
Catholicks, fhould refer themfelves for the De-
cifion of the controverted Points between them*
And becaufe the Court did not relifh well tho
frequent AfTemblies either Ecclefiaftical or Po-
litical of the Reformed, the faid Deputies wera
alfo charged to require that it fhould be enadled
that the faid AfTemblies fhould be held but rare-
ly and only upon very important Occafions.
The Mifchief proceeded from hence : The Cour-
tiers lofl no Opportunity of laying before the
Reformed Nobility and Gentry of that Pro-
vince, amongfl whom they lived, the King's
Power, who gathered new Strength every day $
they gave them to underfland that if they were
over-nice to-day, they might have occafion to
repent to-morrow, and by fuch Threatnings as
well as by fair Promifes, they had engaged
them to take that Step. But the Synod which
fat in a Place of Security, was not fo weak as
to relifh thofe Propofals, which were utterly re-
jected. Neverthelefs this was the Rife and Be-
ginning of that ftrange Variety of Opinions
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches //zFRANcfe. i6j
and Condu6t, which has been obferved finceHenrylV
this amongft the Reformed. The fouthern „ ' 594-
Provinces of the Kingdom, as the remoteft„,entVlII
from Court, have been always lefs dazzled with u— ^-ki^
its Grandeur \ or elie being the ftrongeft both
for Number and Quality of the Reformed, or
for Number and Strength of Places held by
them, were generally inclined to move vigorous
Refolutions ; whereas the Provinces adjacent to
. Paris had followed the Example of that Me-
tropolis, which has always recommended Sub-
miflion and Patience by its Example as well as
by its Courifels,
The Synod refolved likewife that the Union
made at Mantes in December 1593, fhould be
fworn by all Churches in the Kingdom, and a
Breviate was ordered to be prefented to the
ifiext AfTembly at St. Foy\ complaining againft
thofeofthe^^ of France^ and feveral others,
becaufe in the Name of the Churches they had
profecuted the Verification of the Edid of 1577^
whenas it was expreffly contrary to the Refo-
lution taken at Mantes.
Alfo Letters were fent in the Synod's Name
to Her Royal Highnefs Catharine the King's
Sifter, to congratulate her upon her Stedfaftnefs
in her Religion, befeeching her to perfevere.
Several other Refolutions of lefs moment
were taken in that Synod which ended its '^^i-
iions on the 28th o^ June.
On the 1 5th of July was held a Political Af- jxxxvlj.
fembly of the Reformed at St. Foy upon Dor- J political
do^ne, under the King's Authority and by his Affembh
fpecial Command. Where, after having taken ^/'^'^-"^ ■^'■•-
into their Confideration the fad Condition they^^'^^*^*
were in, thro' the open and daily Breaches
that were made in the Edidl of 1577, by the
Conceflions granted to the Leaguers in the
M 2 Treatiss-
164 mjlory of the Reformation^ and of the VoL.IV
HenrylV. Treaties made with them, they refolved to fend
1 594-- again their Deputies to his Majefty, and the
^^\yi\'i ^'OYds of Chouppes and Tixier were named for that
purpofe •, they were charged moil humbly to
intreat the King to anfwer their Petitions, to
fet before him the ill Ufage they received every
where by the Parliaments and the Commonal-
ties: And indeed they were intolerable. At
Paris^ where his Majefty ufually kept his Court,
the Lieutenant Civil put out an Order to oblige
every one upon corporal Punifhments to bow
before Images, Crofies, Banners, Shrines, i^c.
which they met in their way. At Lions thofe
who fhould refufe to profefs the Roman Reli-
gion were ordered to quit the City and the Pro-
vince on pain of Death. At Rennes the Par-
liament forbad upon corporal Punifhments to
fell, read, or keep any Book treating of th*
Reformed Religion. At Bourdeaux^ the Par-
liament ordered to dig up the Bodies of the Re-
formed that had been buried even fifteen Years
before in the Churches or Church- Yards. Befides
that the Leaguers took care when they treated
■with the King to exclude the Reformed from
all Offices of Juftice, Police, Finance, ^c. and
even to deprive thofe who were already inveft-
ed with them. In confequence thereof, thofe
of the Reformed at Orleans who had any civil
Employment in the City were deprived. The
Parliament of Rouen forced the Attorneys and
Lawyers to abjure their Religion. That of
Tours, a little before their Removal to Paris^
forced likewife the AfTeflbr of Saiimur to abjure,
tho' that City had been granted by his late
Majefty to the prefent King for the Security of
his Reformed Troops. Ail which violent Pro-
ceedings are fo many Infractions of his Majefty *s
gracious Concefilons and Promifes made in the
laft
Book VII. "Reformed Churches in Fr A n c Eo 165
laft Year at Mantes ; and while the Leaguers, HenrylV
Enemies to his Majefty, negled: nothing to fe- '^^i;,
cure their Condition, the poor Reformed, ^--■^^^x.\\\l
ways faithful and loyal, remain unfettled ; for
•gratifying the former, there is no Hour trouble-
fome, even in the Night; to oblige thefe, not
a quarter of an Hour in the whole Day can
be fpared. Neverthelefs, they don't envy
the Favours which his Majsfty heaps upon
their Enemies ; but it is very hard, that it
ihould be always at their own Coft and Preju-
dice. That his Majefty had always promifed,
that when he fhould be fettled, he would then
fettle them ; but contrary to their Expedlation
they faw themfelves expofed to a greater Ruin
tlirough their long Forbearance, and upon that
fpecious Pretence of the King's own Settlement.
That now fmce by the Favour of God he was
received in Paris and in the beft Cities of the
Realm, they mofl: humbly befought him not to
delay any longer the Acco/nplifliment of his
Promifes (jy).
Indeed nothing was more juft than that Pe-
tition, and one muft be very partial who will
not acknowledge that the Reformed having pot
the Gift of diving into the inmoft Recefles of
the King's Heart, and all the outward Appear-
ances offering them nothing elfe but a dreadful
Scene of Calamities for the future, they could
not be blamed, if they began to think of them-
felves, and to try all lawful means to (heher them-
felves againfh the Storm which feemed to threaten
them. Some of the Deputies had Orders from
their Principals to infift upon the Eledion of
another Protedor, and it is faid, that the
Duke of Bouillon caufed it to be propofed under-
(y) Memoires de Du Pleflis, Tom. II. Supplement aux
dits Memoires, pag. 262, ^c.
M 3 hand
1 6 6 Hijlory of the Reformation, mid of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV.hand to name the Elector Palatine, whereof
^594; he fhould be the Lieutenant, but that Scheme
pientVIIl C3.me to nothing. That AfTembly renewed
'their Oath of Union, that is, to live and die
together for the Defence of the common Caufe
they made feveral Regulations for the Main-
tenance of good Order amongft themfelves,.
and the Payment of the neceflary Expences^
then they broke up in the Month of Novem-
hr.
■ Their Deputies at Court went to St. Germain
en Laye to have an anfwer to their Petition, but
were obliged to wait three Months together be-
fore they could receive any. At laft they were
referred to the Edidt of 1577, which had been
fo much curtail'd by the Treaties made with
the Leaguers, and to the Anfwers given then!
in the Conferences at Mantes^ where a Copy
of the Articles was fhewed unto them •, but the
principal Articles, concerning the Exercife of
their Religion at Court, and in the Armies, the
Salary of the Minifters, the Continuance of the
Cautionary Towns were purpofejy blotted out ;
fome others were intirely alter*d either to re-
train them, or to obfcure the Meaning there-
of. Nay, they refufed them to draw a Copy of
the Original, but they were told that it fhould
be put into the hands of a Gentleman of their
Perfuafion, Member of the Privy Cx)uncil,{igned
by the King and one of the Secretaries of State ;
fo the Deputies were obliged to depart without
any further Satisfadion. And a little after the
faid Edid: of 1577 ^^^ verified in the Parlia-
ment of Paris, at the Inftances of the King's
Council. They pretend, that by fuch a Con-
ceffion of an Edid: defeftive in all its Parts, to
put a Stop to the juft Purfuits of the Reform-"
ed. And even in this the monftrous Partiality
I of
Book VII. Reformed Churches //^ Fr a n c E . 167
of the Judges was very plain ; for tho'the Par- HenrylV-
liament oi Paris was the wholefomeft of all o- '594-
thers, neverthelefs the Reformed carried it onjy mtntVlS
by fix Votes, whereas when the fame Edidt u- -y-—.^
had been verified at Toursy before it had been
abridged in any Part, that had been done with-?
out any Contradidtion. The other Parliaments
refufed to verify it, and that of Bourdeaux car-
ried their Infolence fo far, as toput off ror,
A Year to deliberate whether they
ought to deliberate upon that
Point (2).
This Year the King was rid, by Death, of a Ixxxviu.
dangerous Competitor, viz. the Cardinal o^ Death of
Bourbon, v/ho entertained ftill his ambitious ^^'^"^'^^
Thoughts, that were revived in him from time ^^j^ °"^'
to time by Perfons who wanted an Opportuni- o/'D'O.
ty to fifli in troubled Water, and caufed great
Anxieties to the King. The Superlntendant
jyO died alfo as he had lived ; His Majefty was
very well pleafed with it, for tho* he knew per-
feftly well the fcandalous way of that Man's
Jiving, and that he wafted his Exchequer to
gratify his Luxury, neverthelefs he knew not
how to remedy that Diforder, and was afraid
to difoblige a Man who had fo great an Intereft
at Court, and in the Council. At firft he put
his Exchequer in commifiion of five Perfons, but
a little time after he thought proper to alter his
Scheme, and the Lord of Sancy was put in the
ftead of D'O.
But on the 27th of December the King was ixxxlx.
preferved in the midft of a much more threatning Ckaibrj,
Danger. His Majefty being juft arrived from ^'^^'•/^
the Frontiers of Artois, he was in the Room of "^^f '
tliQ Dnch-Qk of Beauforty where the Court was
then afi^mbled ; as he was ftooping to embrace
(«) Idem Ibid. Thuan. lib. cxii. pag. 525.
M 4 Montigny,
tas
K-ing.
i68 Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
Henry IW.Montigny, a young Lad about nineteen Years,
p\l^C] "^"^^^y John Chastel Son to a Draper of
mentVlIl P^^^^i attempted to ftab him with a Knife; but
'happily for the King, his prefent Pofition faved
him •, he received the Stroke in his under Lip,
and had one of his Teeth broken. The Villain
was feized imn^ediately, he was a Difciple of
the Jefuits. He own'd that his Defign was to
murder the King, to make amends for his own
manifold Sins 5 he afTerted to the laft the lawful-
iiefs and meritorioufnefs of that heinous Aft j
he declared that he had been brought up in the
College of Clermont under the Tuition of thq
Jefuits, and that they had led him oftentimes
into a Chamber where Hell and many dreadful
Figures were reprefented to the Life. He was
condemned to the ufual Punifhment inflidled
upon fuch Traitors.
The Jefuits equally odious to the Reformed,,
and to a great Number of Catholicks, being
charged by the Depofitions of their Difciple,
were profecu ted. Being, then, more 6'/'<^;?/^r^jr
than French-Yike. affedled, they had diftinguifh-
ed themfelves by their Zeal for the League,
they had much contributed towards its Forma-
tion, they had been flridly united with the
Fadion of the Sixteen, and to them were
afcribed moft part of the feditious Writings
that had been publifhed againft the late and
the prefent King. Some of them were found
in theCuftcdy of Father JOHN GUIG-
N A R D in Manufcript, he had been Tutor
to Cbdtel ; he v/as airefted and fentenced to be
hanged. By the fame Decree the whole So-
ciety was banifhedout of the Kingdom. Some
other Parliaments followed the Example of
Paris ; but Tboulouze and Bourdeaux refufed to
40 the fame, and that Plague of Mankind
found
Book VII. Reformed Churches ifi France, i 69
found a Refuge in Guienne ?indi Languedoc, tillHenrylV.
they were recalled ten Years after. p^^^^m
Now the King being ftrengthened by thCj^e^ntVUI
AccefTion of fo many Cities which had fub- « — v-— >
mitted themfelves, the Council thought pro- XC.
per to proclaim War again ft 6'/>^z« for feverai , '^'' ^^''"
good Reafons, which was done on the 17th oigain/i
January. Spain.
The Reformed held another Political Aflem- xcr.
bly at Saumur on the 24th of February^ by the -^Jfembly
King's own Appointment. The Lords of^^ ^^^"
Chouppes and 'Tixier, the two Deputies at Court,
gave account of their Negotiation of the laft
Year, which afforded matter of great Difcon-
tent, which was much increafed by the Ac-
ceflion of new Complaints of great Hardfhips
whereunder the Reformed groaned in the Pro-
vinces. Therefore they began to dread more
than they expeded from the Court 5 tho' they
were thoroughly perfuaded that the King was
of fuch good Nature that he would never hurt
them of his own accord. Therefore, befides
the general Petitions for Redrefs of Grievances
drawn up at Mantes afid St. Foy, and fo many
times prefented, befides that lately drawn up
at Saumur and prefented to the King's Coun-
cil, they refolved to make their Addrefs di-
rectly to the King, in hopes that their Up-
rightnefs would move his Majefty to pity their
fad Condition. For which purpofe the Lords
of La Noue and La Primaudaye were deputed
to Court, which was then at Lyons, m the
Month of Jutyy where they ftayed long enough,
and at laft could obtain nothing but the An-
fwers to their former Petitions at Mantes^ with
the Subftrac^lions and Reftridions made fince
the firft time, and a Promife of his Majefty to
fend GommifTaiies into the Provinces to put
the
I/O mjlory of the V^eformatlon^and of the Vol. IV.
HetirylV.the Edift of 1577 in execution; which Edi<5t
1595- by the feveral Treaties made with the Lea-
mentVin §"^^^> as abovc faid, contained almoft nothing
w^^v-m^j but what was to the Advantage of the Ca-
tholicks.
So all the fruit of thefe three Deputations
was reduced to Anfwers delivered at Mantes ;
in the firft, they had only the reading of them ;
in the fecond, they were read again, but very
different from the firft; in the third, they were
put into the hands of La Noue\ with this Caution,
that he fhould not ihow them but to the Af-
iembly, and even that only in three Months
time : what a fpecial Favour ! The League was
not treated at that rate, the Edids granted in
their behalf were inftantly concluded in the
King's Council, verified by the Parliaments,
publiihed and received in all the Cities with
loud Acclamations of Joy, and executed with-
out delay. An Inftance thereof we have in
the Treaty of Aix, whereby the Exercife of
the Reformed Religion was interdided through-
out all the Province, which was immediately
verified by the Parliament, and executed with
the utmoft Rigour.
XCII I" ^^^ Month of June this Year the Duke
Some o'c- of Mayenne was routed at Fontaine Francoife ^
curremes that Battle, wherein the King performed
ffthn Wonders, gave a decifive Stroke to the
League. The Duke defpairing ever to recover,
was very glad to accept the King's generous
Offer, to retire to Chaalons and remain there
fafely till his Treaty fhould be concluded. The
Caftles Bijon and 'Talan furrendered to the King,
by the faid Duke's Interpofition.
At the end of this Year, the young Prince
of Conde^ firft Prince of the Blood, who was
kept wjth his Mother at 5/. John of Angely^
was
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. iy,i
was delivered into the King's hands. His Henryiv.
'tj
Mother's Tryal having been revifed by the^59?-
Parliament of Paris, ihe was acquitted for mentVlljf
want of Evidence, as it was pretended j fee \,a>m>ymmd
what we have faid concerning that Affair in
the fecond Part of our third Volume. Then fhe
turned Catholick, and the young Prince too,
tho' an Infant of about (tv^n Years of age, a-
gainft the Intention of the great Henry Prince
of Conde his Father, nay againft an Article of
the Edidl of 1577, whereby it is enadled that
the Children of thofe who die without Tefta-
ment fhall be brought up in the Religion of
their Parents, Which Article had been con-
firmed by the Agreement made at Mantes.
And it is very obfervable, that, before that
Prince was delivered to the King, the Court,
in order to bring the Reformed to that Com-
pliance, affedled to fay, that they ought to re-
ceive Satisfaction upon their juft Demands. But
they had no fooner got from them, what they
defired, but they kept no account of their Pe-
titions, and 'twas talked no more of fending
Commiflaries into the Provinces {a).
All this while the King's Reconciliation XCIIL
with the Pope was negotiating at Rome. The Thf Pope
Pontiff underftanding that the King's Power^^'^^y.^''
was daily rifing upon the Ruins of the League, Abhluti n
began to relent and to hear more favourably
thofe who took it in hand to procure the faid
Reconciliation. Cardinal of Gondy Bifliop of
Paris, and then D'OJfal, Du Perron, and
fome others that came purpofely to Rome, over-
came by degrees the Difficulties that were
thrown in their way. But nothing contri-
buted more to the Conclufion of that ridicu-
lous and at the fame time ihameful Mummery,
than
(«) Supplement au.x Mem. de Du Pleffis, p. 265, 266.
1/2 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. than the profperous Courfe of the King's Af-
PetPcXe- ^^^^^•> feeing that certainly he would foon bring
mentVIII his Enemies under, Clement began to be afraid
left the King ihould make himfelf intirely eafy
in his Throne before he was reconciled with
Rome^ and that afterwards he would not trouble
himfelf any further about that Reconciliation.
He perceived even that the wifeft Men of his
own Court difapproved his rigid Way of pro-
ceeding, and faid loudly that he hazarded the
lofing of France^ as Clement VII. had loft
England in the time of Henry VIIL And thefe
Confiderations prevailed upon and obliged him
to grant his Abfolution.
The King had oftentimes declared that he
would never confentto do any thing mift)ecoming
himfelf, or the Dignity of the Crown. There
were two forts of People in his Council who
thought, that the Pope ought to be left alone to
make the firft Steps himfelf, being perfuaded
that by Perfeverance they would bring him to
grant a bare and fimple Ratification of the Ab-
folution the King had received at St. Denis.
The one were the Reformed, who could not
endure that the King's Honour fhould be profti-
tuted to the Intrigues of the Court of Rome.
The other were the Catholicks not bigotted,
who loved the King and the Kingdom, and
who not queftioning but the Pope's Aim was
to make the King purchafe his Favour by fome
ignominious Condefcenfion, were defirous the
King ftiould avoid that Snare, by letting the
Pope alone till he fought after him. But the
High-flown Catholicks carry 'd it, becaufe the
King defired to be rid of his Trouble. He
was weary of the toilfome Life wherein he had
fpent fo many Years. He purfued eagerly the
Diflblution of his Marriage with Margaret of
Falcis.
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches in France, i 73
Falois, and defired to marry the fair Duchefs HenrylV.
of Beaufort. He knew that the laft Excufe o^p/^^^lg,
the obftinate Leaguers was, that he was not ab-n^gntvill
folved by the Pope -, the Duke of Mayenne had
fworn never to pay him Allegiance till he was
reconciled with the See of Rome. Which things
he thought impoflible to bring to pafs without
the Pope's Affiftance. So that the Commiffion
was given to D'OJJai and Du Perron, this laft
was as notorious a Knave, without Religion
and Honefty, as the firft was remarkably ho-
neft and upright, who was not a little vexed,
when he faw that his Companion granted morc^
to the Pope than he had advifed. This was
the King's Misfortune, that of thofe two Prae-
tors, that were to reprefent his Perfon in this
Affair, he, to whom the Secret was intruded
and who was the chief Manager thereof, was
not the moft honeft. However to get what he
could from the King, the Pope at firft made all
the Demands which the Spaniards fuggefted to
him, tho* he knew very well that they would
never be granted. The King had clearly ex-
plained his Mind ; he had expreffly fet down,
in his Inftruclions to his Prodors, what he
would grant, and what he would refufe ; and
they were ftriftly enjoined not to confenc to
afly thing that might be injurious to the royal
Majefty, efpecially to forbear the Word of Re--
habilitation, which infinuated that he could not
be a lawful King without the Pope's Approba-
tion; and to inllft upon the Validity of the
Abfolution he had received at St. Denis. There
was alfo an Article in the faid Inftrudions in
behalf of the Reformed, whofe faithful Services
to the Crown he commended with Encomiums.
But whatever Caution was taken to preferve
^he King's Honour, Du Perron forbore not to
comply
i 74 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l .IVo
HenrylV. comply with the Pope's Demands ; his Excufe
P '^^ci ^^^' ^^^^ ^^^^' could not do otherwife, and
mentVIIl that they were fain to accept of certain Condi-
tions, to avoid others that would be more irk-
fome. The main queftion in debate was the
Dependance or Independance of the Crown of
France % and neverthelefs it was . unfolded on-
Jy by equivocal Expreffions, from whence e-
qual Advantage rnight be drawn as well for
the one as for the other. This was by no
means relijfhed by the honeft Frenchmen^, much
iefs did they relifh thofe Slaps with a Wand
which the Prodlors received upon their Shoul-
ders in the King's Name, in prefence of the
'Cardinals, during the Ceremony of the Ab-
folution. Dti Perron betrayed in this, as well
as he had done before on (everal other Occa-
fions, his King's and his Country's Honour ;
he afpired to a Cardinal's Hatj for which he
would have ventured whatever is deareft to an
honeft Man -, (I fhall give his Charader when I
come to the Year j6oo.) The Spaniards
made it the Subject of their Sport and Merri-
ment, the French Catholick Politicians mur-
mured at it, the Reformed ftormed at it, as
the higheft Affront that could be put upon
toyal Majefty. The Court itfelf was afhamed
of fuch a pitiful Condefcenfion ; and Du Per-
ron had much ado to ward off the bloody Re-
proaches that were caft upon him, for fo great
a Prevarication.
And as he had confented to fuch Indignity^
fo had he agreed to fixteen Articles which the
Pope impofed upon the King by way of Pe-
nance, moft of which were of fuch a naturq
that His Majefty could not perform them.
without
m
Book VII. Refirmed Churches irw Fr a n c e 1 1^5
without intangllng himfelf in the greateft Dif- HenrylV-
ficulties {b). ^ ^ ^ Pole^ae-
While this Affair was under Negotiation atmcntVIII
Rome, the Reformed of Chafiaigneray were ^— v— «J
maflacred by the Garrifon of RocheforL The ^^J^'
Lady of the Place, who had heretofore figna- Uajfacre
lized herfelf by other Ads of Violence, taking 0///^^ i?^-
notice that the Reformed, who met together^j"*"^^ ^'
there from fundry Places in the Neighbour- t^jgnerar.
hood, carried Arms about them in their own
Defence, becaufe the Garrifons of the Ene-
jmles were always fcouting abroad, forbid the
Meeters to come armed upon her Lands ; and
/upported that Inhibition with fo many dread-
.ful Threats, that they obeyed. In that Con-
dition it was that the Garrifon of Rochefort fur-
prized them at the Lord of Faudre*s Caftle,
where they had met together. About two
hundred were maflacred, without fparing ei-
ther Sex or Age, nay they murdered a young
Infant that was carried to be chriftened, and a
little Boy who offered them eight- pence for
his Ranfom. This piece of Inhumanity put
the Reformed into a Ferment equal to the
Cruelty of the Fa6t, They held feveral Aflem-
blies to confider of It. They petitioned the King
never to pardon the Authors of fuch a Maflacre.
The King gave out Letters Patent, which de-
clared that this Aft of Cruelty fhould not be
comprehended under the Name of Military
ViolencCvS, which Treaties of Peace generally
provide for. In purfuance thereof the Duke of
La Triniouille and Du ^ejfis caufed five or fix
of thefe Executioners^ that fell into their hands,
to be executed {c).
Ths
{h) Thuan. lib.cxiii. tettres du Cardinal D'OiTat*
liv. ii. lettre 77. a Monfieur de Villeroy.
(f) Vie de Da Pleffis Mornay, liv. ii. p. 226.
1/6 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . IV;
kenrylV. The King's Reconciliation with the Pope
^59^- . was followed by that of the Duke of Mayenne
mentVIlI^^^^ his Majefty ; his Treaty was publifhed
v^Jv— ''^"der this Title, The King's^ Edi5l concerning
XCV. the Jrticles granted to the Duke of Mayenne
^/S! f^ ^^^ ^^^'^^ ^J^ ^^^ Kingdom: All the Lea-
/inking, gu^rs, the Duke of Aumale and another except-
ed, were comprehended in this Treaty.
The Marfh^ll of Joyeufe and the City of
Thoulouze fubmitted themfelves to his Majefty
in March following.
XCVI. ^^ ^^^' Month of April the Reformed held
Jjpemblyof^n AfTembly at Loudun, by the King's Au-
the Re- thority^ wherein the Lords of La None and
•v^j^' La Primaudaye gave an account of their late
Deputation -, whereby the Aflembly judged
that after fo many Deputations which had
proved fruitlefs, it was in vain to expe6l any
good from Court. They confidered what they
ought to be done in their fad Circumftances,
it feemed unto them, that the fhorteft way was
to re-enter into the fame Condition wherein
they had been put by the late King's Truce,
and which the prefent King had acccepted of
N in the Name of all the Reformed Body. Their
Reafons were that His Majefty as SuccefTor of
the late King was bound to make good his
Promifes and Engagements which he had ac-
cepted not only in his own private Name, but
in the Name of the whole Body of the Re-
formed. And that the late King being dead
a iQ'^w Months after the faid Treaty, the pre-
fent King had folemnly promifed, at his Ac-
ceffion to the Crown, to perform every Article
of the faid Truce -, till Religion fhould be provi-
ded for by a General or a National Council
and by the General States.
That.
Bo 0 K VII. Reformed Churches /;z Fr a n c e . 17^
That confequently they were well-grounded HenrylV.
upon the Declarations of his Predecefibrs and '597-
his own, to require the Execution of the faid j/^m^ i II
Truce, fince they had no other Lav/ whereby
they could ftand, but that.
Neverthelefs, for Peace fake, arid out of Re-
fpedl for his Majefty, they deputed again Mr.
VulfoH, Counfelior in the Parliament ot Greno-
Iky with an humble Addrcfs to his Majefty
containing fummarily their Dennands. He met
the Kinii at la FcYe^ arid had his Audience-, but
was difmifTtd with the fame Anfwer as before ;
and his Majelly fent Orders to the fa id Afiem-
bly to depart, and to eo into their refpedive
Provinces for acquainting their Principals with
his royal Intention, That Order was miftaken.
for an open Defign to break and difunitc them,
without doing them Jaftice, and redrelling
their Grievances. Therefore their Patience be-
gan to be tired, they were ready to depart, fully
refolved to provide for their own Prcfervation,
by putting in Execution the Articles of the
Truce agreed on with Henry III. at)d to do it
with as little Confufltin, and Inconveniency to
the King^s Affaits as could be.
The King being informed of that Refolutionj
was vexed at it, and dreading the Confequences
thereof, he Wrote to Du Plcjjls^ to let him know
that his Intention had been milreprefeated, that
he dslired him to difpofe the Members oi' that
Afiembly to ftay at Lcudun^ and that he would
fend thither fome Depu'-ies of hiti Frivy-Conncil
to confer with them, about the M-^ans of giv-
ing them Satisfsc^^tion: That Letter was dated
the nth oVJune. The AlTensbly rec^^ived that
gracious Meffage with Hearts lull of Gratitude^
they gave thanks to God, that he liad moved
the King*s and the Lords of his Cnuiicii's
Vol. iV. N Hearts,
178 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.IV.
Henry IV. Hearts, foj. t^gy defired no better than the
i'^^^Vle-'^^^^^^y °^ Serving God in Reft and Quietnefs,
mentVIIiand would have been vexed, had they been
forced to do otherwife.
The Deputies which the King fent, were the
Lords De Vic, and Calignon, Members of the
Council of State, and of his moft honourable
Privy-Council •, thefirft was ?i Roman CathoUck,
the othei^ Reformed, but both were confpicuous
for their Integrity and Capacity : But their
Power was not full enough for bringing that
Affair for which they were fent, to a happy
Conclufion. They arrived at Loudun on the
2orh of July. They offered nothing better than
the Edidl of 1577, ^° many Times and for
fo juft Caufes rejeiled •, true it is, that they of-
fered fome inconfiderable Compenfation for the
Articles which had been cut off, which was not
accepted. So that they could not proceed any
further. But the King's Deputies had an Op-
portunity of convincing themfelves, that the
State of the Reformed, and their Grievances
had been ill-reprefented at Court, that they had
been too flightly confidered. They defired the
Affembly to depute two of their Body to wait
with them upon his Majefty, as Witneffes of
their Sincerity, and at the fame time for join-
ing with them in folliciting a Redrefs, which
being granted, tho* without any great Hopes
of Succefs, Meflieurs De Rieux, and Be la Motte,
fet out with them for Court. In their way,
they found feveral places in the pofleffion of the
Reformed, ready to be ruined for want of Pay,
fome of them were without Garifon j in fome
others, the Money deftined for their Mainte-
nance had been laid out in other Ufes, and the
Receivers were exprefly forbidden to advance
any, befides for the four firft Months of the
a Year j
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;2 Fr a n c E . i ^9
Year: The Court was at laft obliged to pro- Henry IV
vide for the moft urgent Neceffities of a few of pj^^?5'
them th^t were in the greateft Wants, but that mentvS:
was done with filch a Circumfpedllon and
Sparingnefs, that it was plain enough, that they
did it by Force, and much againft their Wills.
For it Was publickly known that the Garifons
had been taken away out of fome Places, pur-
pofely that they might fall more ealily into
the hands of the Leaguers, to whom they had
been promifed by the feveral Treaties made
with them.
The Lords T)e Vic arid Calignon came back
to Loudun otily, the 10th of Otloher: which
long Delay afforded the Affcmbly a Pretence
of fufpedling the Court's Sincerity and Inge-
nuity •, and that they intended to amufe them
till the Treaties with Spain^ and the Duke of
Mercceur^ which were then oh foot, fKould be
'concluded, and then, to deny them Jultice. But
their Sufpicions were dill more increafedj when
they faw that the Deputies* Powers were not
fufficiently full for bringing Matters to a Con-
clufion, and that the main Scope of their Com-
ing was only to perfuade them to fend fome
more Deputies to the King, and to rem.ove .
themfelves to fome Place nearer the Court *
Whereto the AfTem.bly readily confented, ia
order to abridge the Difficulties, being promifed
withal, that the King's principal View in pro-
pofing that Removal was only to hear more
eafily their Reafons^ and confer with them in
the Forms reqaifite in fuch Cafes, The Lord^
of La Noue\ and Chouppes^ the Baron of Fons^
Meffieurs La Molte^ Brunier and 'Tixier were
fent by the AlTembly, and met the King at
Rouen, the 4th of 'November, and in Obedience
to his Majefty's Command, the faid Affemby
N 2 was
i8d Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
Henry IV. was transferred from Loudun to Vendome on the
pl ^^Ck- ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^"^^ Month.
mentVIII Then" Deputies found the King pre-poflefs'd
\— ^^^.*;by the Calumnies of their Enemies, who loaded
them v,'ith the Odir-m of the bad Succvifs of his
Affairs in Picar / . But tho' it was eafy for
them to evince their Innocency, and the Inte-
grity of their Proceedings, and to fatisfy fully
his Majefty as to that, neverthelefs they did
not much better fucceed in this Negociation
than in the former ones, tho' they receded as
. far as poffible from their juft Pretenfions •, for
they infifted purely and only upon Articles
which were of a publick Nature, wherein no
private Perfon was any further concerned than
as a Member of the Society. Therefore the
Deputies took their Leave of his Majefty with-
out having received any Satisfaction ; they fet out
from Rouen on the beginning of J^^w^ry 1597,
the Lords De Vic and Calignon followed them
to Vendome^ by the King's Command j they were
fent on purpofe to exhort the AfTembly to reft
fatisfied with the King's Offers, confidering the
prefent Circumftances of Times (d.)
XCVII. •>, On the 5th of June, was held at Saumur the
^:>e i^th 1 4th National Synod of the Reformed Churches ;
Tnod"^ the Rev. Mv.JDe la Toiiche was chofen Moderator.
This Ecclefiaftical Affembly meeting at the fame
time with the Political, and in a Place fo near
to Loudun, gave the Court fome Uneafinefs.
They were afraid left thefe two Councils deba-
ting aJmoft the fame Things, their Refolutions
would be more effedual, and that the Minifters
would carry along with them to their refped:ive
Churches, that Spirit of Difcontent, which was
prevailing at Loudun. Bui BuPleJfis aflured the
Court,
(d) Suppism, aux Men;, dc X)u Pleffis, p. 2C7, ^c.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Vrai^cir^ 181
Court, that Ecclefiaftical Matters only, fhould HenrylV.
be treated of in the Synod. p^^'^ri
The faid Synod wrote to the King on the^nentVIII
general Aitairs, and fent Deputies to him. They
thanked his Majefty by their Letters, for thofe
frefh Affurances of his Good-Will, brought to
them by the Revd. Mr. DcSerres, which they
afcribed partly to his natural Goodnefs, and
partly to the Remembrance he had of the good
Affe(5tion the Reformed had for his Perfon,
and the great Services they had done him.
They complained next, that their Grievances
were mifreprefented to his Majefty, who was
made to believe, that they were ufed almoft as
well as their paft Services deferved, and accord^
ing to his good Intentions ; whereby he was
hindered from thinking more earnefl:ly of their
Relief; whereas, on the contrary, they had
new Wrongs done them, which they did in-
ftance in manifold Particulars. That the Ca-
tholicks would have them be contented with the
Edi(5l of 1577, and the Conferences of FkXy
and Nerac, though it was almoft made void by
the feveral Conceffions granted to the Leaguers
to oblige them to return to their Allegiance.
In confequence whereof, they were treated in
raoft Parliaments, according to the bloody
Ed ids of the League. That the Reformed had
Reafon to think it ftrange, that they v/ho had
ferved the King from his Cradle, and whofe
Services had been attended with the Bleffing of
God, were in a worfe Cojidition under his
Reign, than they had been under his Predecef-"
fors, who v/ere fo much pre-poftefs'd againft
them. At laft they excufed themfelves for
troubling his Majefty with their Affairs, at a
Time when he had fuch weighty ones in handj
hut they thought that the making fuch a con-
N 3 fiderabk
men
182 Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the V o l . I V.
IlenrylV.fiderable Part of his Subjeds, and of the mpf^
» l^ / -T faithful too, their Concerns could be none of his
rope Cle- . n • r> r r
tviiiiealt important pun nets.
The Synod anfwered alfo the Lord High-
Conftable's Letter upon the fame Heads -, but
for all that, they could get for the prefent, no-
thing elfe but a renewing of wonted Fromifes.
The Revd. Mr. D'Orivaiy M'mi^Qr of Sancerre^
having made a Moti6n, Whether it was conr
venient that the Minifters fhould be fent De-
puties to the Political Affemblies -, it was refol-
ved in the Affirmative, becaufe the prefent
Jun6lure of Affairs did require it. I don*t
underfland how fuch a Refolution could be
very pleafing to the Court, as the Revd. Mr.
Benoit pretends, unlefs we fhould fuppofe that
the Court fore-faw that the ivliniilers would be
more dependant, and more eafily influenced by
the Court than the Lay -men ; but fare I am,
that it was afterwards very prejudicial to the
Interefl: of the Reformed Churches.
Several Regulations concerning Difcipline
were made in this Synod -, for Inftance, they
decreed that the Provinces fhould be admonifh-
cd to do their utmoft for ereding and endow-
ing a College in each of them, and that by
them all jointly, two Univerfities fhould be
ereded in the Kingdom ; the Lord Du Tlejjis
received the Thanks of the Company for his
noble Foundation for that purpofe at Saumur.
|t was alfo decreed that the Crimes which
would expofe the Penitent to a certain Death,
or brand him with Infamy, fhould not be fpe-
cified in the publick ConfefTion he was oblig-
ed to make, before he could be received to the
Peace of the Church.
Some Minifters like Cayet were depofed as
fcandalous i'erfons, others who had been fuf-
pended
Book VII. Refonned Churches in Fra^ceI 183
pended or depofed by Colloquies, or Proviii- HenrylV.
cial Synods, were re-eftabliflied. I fliall t\ow pgD1^f^_
but juft mention the Civil Occurrences of thismentVIII
The City of Marfeilles was delivered from XCViri.
the Danger of falling into the hands of the^^^^'^^^
Spaniards, juft upon the Point of Execution, ces of this
by one Libertat^ and the Duke of Guife^ help- Tear,
cd by the Reformed of the Province. The
Gallies of Spain, commanded by Doria, had
already entered the Haven. The whole Pro-
vince was fubdued for the King by the faid
Duke, fupported by the Reformed commanded
by Les Digiiieres : They had to fight againft the
Leaguers^ the Spaniards, and the Duke of
Efpernon, who endeavoured to ftrengthen him-
felf in that Province, againft the King's Will.
The Parliament of Aix declared Genebrard,
Archbifhop of that City, attainted of High-
Treafon, condemn'd him to a perpetual Banish-
ment, and an injurious Pamphlet he had written
againft the King, was burnt by the common
Executioner.
The Marftial, Duke of Joyeufe, with the
City of Thoulotife made their Agreement with
the King. After Paris, that City had been
the moft rebellious, and had publiftied bloody
Decrees againft the late, and the prefent King.
The Marftial o^ Joyeufe, known during the Life
of his eldeft Brother, by the Name of Count of
Bouchage, had been a Capuchin, the Pope had.
difpenfed him from his Vows, at the Requeft
of the Tholoufans; but, after he had made his
Treaty with the King, he refumed his former
Profeftion,
In the Month of April, an Impoftor, who
pretended to be Son to the late King Charles IX . 1
N 4 was
1 84 Hljlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . lY.
HenrylV.was arrefted in Poitou^ brought to Paris, and
mentVIJI '^'^ the lame Month, the Spaniards feized
Calais ; De Rone, a famous Leaguer, and a
grear Captain, who had been very imprudently
neglected, had the Diredion of that Enterprize \
the Town did not hold out long, the Caftle
"Was carried by Storm after a flout Refi (lance,
•whatever was found in it was put to the Sword.
The Royalifts took La Fere, in May, after
fome Weeks Siege, the Duke of Mt.yenne fig-
nalized himfelf on this Occafion, for the King's
Service.
In the fame Month, De Rone furprized Ar-
dres, tho' the Garifon was above 1400 Men
ftrong ; the Count of BelijJ, Governor thereof,
"was tried for the Fadt, but acquitted.
An Alliance offenfive and defenfive was con-
cluded between France, England, and the Seven
United Provinces, and Queen Elizabeth fent the
Order of the Garter to the King.
The Provinces of Auvergne, Fcretz, and
Cevennes fubmitted to his Majefty in June.
On the 25th of Juiyt Alexander of Medicis^
Cardinal of Florence, the Pope^s Legate, made
his Publick Entry at Paris. He was a Pre-
late of great Moderation, and was very far
from countenaiicins; the Remainders of the
League, when they brought their Complaints
to him.
In Augpft the Marfnal of Biron routed and
took Prifoner the Governor of Artcis, he treat-
ed that Province as the Spaniards had treated
the Bolonefe, he put them to Fire and Srvord.
By the latter End of this Year, the King
after feveral Commands, obliged the Parliament
ofRcuen to regiftcr the Edict of 1577, In behalf
of the Reformed. And all that could be granted
them,
Book VII. Reformed Churches ?« France. i8 5
them, over and above this, was to give themHenrylV*
fome new Places for their Worfhip, in ^^^^ pll^Qi^,
of thofe that the feveral Treaties with thCmentVIII
Leaguers had taken from them. Tho* the"
CathoHcks themfelves confented to that Kind
of Compenfation, which indeed was not fufEcir
ent for the Reformed, who aimed at more
Liberty and Security than what was given
them by that Means ; neverthelefs this Veri-
fication was at firft very ill-refented at Rome,
D* OJat difplay'd all his Skill and Ability when
he informed the Pope of that Tranfacflicn ; '' He
" inlarged upon the great Advantage of Peace,
" after a Civil- War of 35 Years {landing*
*' which could not end, but by this Edidt ;
** he added, that Peace was necefTary for the
" Converfion of Hereticks, wherein the King
*' did daily make confiderable Progrefs ; he in-
*' larged upon the Miferies which War had
" brought upon the Catholicks themfelves, and
*' the Spoil of the ecclefiaftical Revenyes, oc-
" cafioned thereby j he fhewed forth, that this
." Edi(5b was not the Work of the prefent King,
" but his PredecefTor's, when he was obeyed
'* by all the Catholicks at home and affifted
*' by thofe abroad ; that this was the leaft fa-
*' vourable of all thc'fe ever obtained by the
" Reformed ; that fo long as it was obferved,
^' their Religion did vifibly decline ; that this
" Edi^l confining Herefy to certain Places, re-
" flored every where the Catholick Religion*
" fo that one would hardly believe that the
** Reformed, after having so much con-
*' TRIBUTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF
" THE State, and ftrengthned themfelves,
*' during the War, v/itli above 50 ftrong Pla-
*^ ces more, and qbove what they had before
" the laft War, would be ever contented with
" it.
1 86 HlJloryoftheReformathn^andoJ the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. « it, at a Time when they might, perhaps, have
Fot Q\p " extorted more from the King, almoft over-
mentVIII *' whelmed with other Affairs. He laid a great
' Strefs upon the Examples of all other Ca-
'*^ tholick Princes, efpecially on the King of
*' Spain ^ who tolerated the Moors ^ and offered
" the Dutch Liberty of Confcience, and the
" freeExercife of their Religion, if they would
'* return to their Allegiance-, he fhewed forth
'• that the Oppofitions of Parliaments were but
*' Forms, fince they knew well-enough,thatthey
" muft obey at laft. He fubjoined feveral other
" Confiderations to the fame purpofe, and con-
*' eluded with putting the Pope in hopes, that
*' this Peace would bring all other Things to
" a State moft agreeable to his Holinefs." The
Pope feigned to be fatisfy'd with thefe Rea-
fons {e).
The King had fummoned the Notables of the
Realm to meet together at Rcuen^ to -confider
of the propereft Ways and Means of procuring
the Welfare of the State ; accordingly they met
at the beginning of November ; and his Majefty
opened the Seflions with this fhort, but moft
gracious Speech.
" Had I had a mind to fet up for an Orator,
" I would have learn'd fome long and fine Ora-
" tion, and would have delivered it with a
*« fuitable Gravity. Gentlemen, I do aim
" at two more glorious Titles, viz. to be the
" DELIVERER and the RESTAURER
" of this State. For attaining which, I have
*' convened you in this place. You know at
" vour own expence, as well as I at mine, that
" when God firft called me to this Crown, I
*.' found France not only almofl ruined, but al-
*' mofl intirely loft for the Frenchmen. Thro'
" the
{e) Lettres du Cardinal D-'OfTat. 1. 2. lettre 92. anne 1597.
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches in France. 187
*' the Grace of God, the Prayers and good Henry [V.
*' Counfels of my Servants, by the Sword ofp ^596.
" my brave and generous Nobility, (from whom mentVIII
" / iion*t difiinguijh the Princes of my P'^^rrf), ' -^,-i j
" our moft glorious Title being, upon a Gentle-
" man^s Honour^ by my Troubles and Labours,
*' I have faved it from Lofs, Jet us now fave
*' it from Ruin. Be Partakers with me, My
*' Dear and Beloved Subjects, of this
" fecond Glory, as you have been of the firft,
** I have not called ye together, as my Prede-
" ceflbrs did, to have you approve of my
*' Wills, and Refolutions, but to receive your
*' Advices, to believe them, to follow them, in
*' a word, to put myfelf under your Tuition.
" Very feldom fuch a Fancy comes into a King's
*' Head, a King v/ith a grey Beard, a King
" vidlorious. But the ftrong Affedion and
*' Love I have for my Subjeds, the e^rneft
^' Defire I burn with, of adding thofe two
*' above mentioned fine and glorious Titles to
*' a King's, make every Thing eafy and
'' honourable for me. My Chancellor will
" explain my Will more fully unto you if).
DeViCf znd Callgnon, the King's Commifli- XciX.
oners arrived at Vendome the 2d of February Conthiua-
1597, and tho' they had no other Power \,\xt^i<>» of the
that of reprefenting the King's Intention con- {1^^^^^^
cerning the Demands of the AfTembly, ne-a/Ven-
verthelefs the AfTembly thought proper to ac-dome.
commodate as much as poflible their juft Ne-
cefTity to his Majefly's Will ; and for that End
not only to anfwer the Articles brought by
them, but alfo to recede as much as poflible
upon each of them, even much farther than the
In-
(f) Recueil des chofes memor. arrivees en France fous
Henry IV. p. 794. Thuan. lib. cxvii. with fonie little Dif-
JTcrence, but not material.
1 88 Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Inftrudlioiis they had received of their Princi-
p ^^^ci - P^^^ ^ould bear ; in Hopes that the faid Princi-
mentVIII P^^^ would eafi'.y forgive them, whatever they
fhould do, confidering that they did it only for
Peace-fake. Therefore, as to the Places wherein
they had at firft required the free, publlck Ex-
ercife of their Religion, they accommodated
themfelves by Reftridlions to whatever was con-
ducive to the publick Peace. As to the Sub-
fiftance of the Minifters, they brought it (o
low, that the Sum was hardly fufficient for the
fourth Part thereof: As to the Adminiftration
of Juftice, inft'ead of a niix*d Chamber in
every Parliament, they defired but one in four :
As to the Garifons, each Deputy required no-
thing more, but what he thought in Honour
and Confcience was abfoluteiy necefTary for the
Security of his Principal : And fo on, as to the
other Articles in proportion. Whereupon the
King's Commiilioners, feeing that their Powers
were not full enough to make any further Con-
ceflions, and owning that the Deputies were
gone far enough, and required nothing but
what was juft and reafonable to grant, they
refolved to fend the Lord of Caligncn to his
Majcfty, for a more ample Power •, and to
require at the fame time, that the Lord of
Schomherg^ Count of Nanteui!^ and James Au-
gufl I'huanus^ the Hiftorian, Prefident in the
Parliament of Paris, (who were at 'Tours, on
account of the Treaty with the Duke of Mer-
f£ur) to be adjoined with them, to render that
Tranfad:ion more folemn and authentiek. Ca-
lignon, Ds Vic, Scho'mberg, and Tbuanus arrived
at Saiimur, whither the Afiembiy had been trans-
ferred, on the 1 8 th oi March,
The Deputies queftioned not in the leafl:,
^ut that fuch Perfons of that Rank, Quality
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr an CE^ 1 8^
and Probity, being employ 'd in that Negocia- HenrylV.
tion, it would come fpeedily to a happy Con- ^597-
clufion : Bul they were much furprifed, when mentVIII
they found that theif lnftru(5lions and Powers u-^v--.^
were r.ot fuller than the former, and that they
were not authorlfed to grant them any thing
more than the laft Year •, giving for Reafon,
the fad Condition the King and the Kingdom
were then in, Amiens hav liig been taken by the
Spa7iiards. And tho' the Lord De Vic, went
again to Court, to try whether he could ob-
tain any thing more, the' his Majefty was will-
ing, neverthelefs his Council oppofed to their
utmoft his gracious Intentions, and fent back
De Vic, as he was come, charging calumnioufly
the Reformed with all the Misfortunes the
Kingdom groaned under, and which indeed
were intirely owing to their own Treachery
and Wickednefs. So then, the AfTembly broke
up, the King's Commiffioners returned to Court,
and moft part of the Deputies to their Provin-
ces, refolved to meet again very foon, as they
did in June n^rX at Chat eller and {g).
The particular Relation of the Tranfadlions C.
of this Ailcmbly A'ith the King's Commiffi- Some fur-
oners, of their refpedive Goings and Comingjs, 'f'' °"'
f. . . ^ '-' . o ' jideY'at ions
from this Time to the Conciufion of that knotty ;^^^,^ ^^^^
Affair in April next Year, are not at all necef- Jffair,
fary for the right underftanding of our Hiftory,
and in truth they are too tedious in them-
felves, not to be naufeous to the Reader as well
as to the Writer, I'herefore it v/ill be more
proper to end this Article, with three or four
Reflexions fufHcient to fet forth the Occafion
of the King's Delays •, of his Reformed Sub-
jed:s Snfpicions and Jealoufies j of their back-
wardnefs in aflifting the King, when he under-
took.
{z) SuppUment py,x Mem. de Monf. Du Pleffis, ibid.
, 190 Hiftory of the Reformation, andoftheYo-L.W,
Henry IV. took the Siege of Amiens -, and of the King's
»!.^^oi granting them at laft the famous Edid of
rope Cle-^r ^
inentVIII-^^«^2:.
c— ^^.^ One muft be furprifed to find fo much Re-
^^- ]u(5lancy in the King, to grant his Reformed
the'KiSs S^y^'^s the juft Satisfadion they required, fo
Delajsf niany Difficulties ftarted in their Way, for fo
many Years fince his Majefty's Acceflion to the
Crown. They who, for fupporting his Right,
had fo freely fhed their Blood, and expofed
themfelves to fo many Hardfhips, for above
22 Years together. They, without whom, it
"would have been impoffible for him to get into
his own Inheritance, at leaft at the Time when
the Providence of God called him to it. They,
in a word, to whom he flood indebted for his
very Life ! It would be needlefs to obfcrve that
Gratitude is not always the favourite Virtue
of Princes. That is not the Cafe at prefent,
and we mufl look elfewhere for the true Grounds
and Reafons of this extraordinary Condudt.
The befl Account that I can give is, that
Henry could not fafely, and much lefs effica-
cioufly, grant the Reformed their juft Petitions.
I fay, that he could not do it fafely as to him-
felf, before he had fubdued his Enemies, either
by Force, or by the manifold Favours which
he heap'd upon them. He had been forced to
abjure his Religion for defeating the Defigns
not only of the Leaguers, but even of the Ca-
tholicks that had at firfl adhered unto him, anct
whofe Views, tho' different from the Leaguers,
agreed neverthelefs in this Point to exclude him
from the Crown, if he did perfift any longer
in his Religion, Tho* he complied at laft out-
wardly, they had ftill much more reafon to
queftion- the Sincerity of fuch a Prince, whom
they knew to be almoft as learned in both Re^
ligions
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, 191
ligions as any of the Prelates and Divines with HenrylV.
whom he had to confer at St. Denis -, and who, pAf ^^ie^
they were very certain, had complied only bymentVIir
Force, and for extricatinjg himfelf out of his^
Troubles. His Enemies miffed no Opportu-
nity of rendering his pretended Converfion du-
bious and fufpedful at the Court of Rome,
Some hot-headed Reformed helped much, by
their Imprudence, to keep up thefe Jealoufies,
bragging publickly that the Catholicks polTefTed
only ihe Body of the King, but that they,
the Reform.ed, had his Heart and his very Soul,
which he would fhew forth, as foon as he was
firmly fettled upon his Throne. Thefe things,
and fuch like other Stuff being fpread abroad
in the Kingdom, and at Rome, produced thefe
three bad Effedts -, firft, that it rendered the Pope
more difficult to be reconciled with the King,
which Reconciliation could not be purchafed
but upon very hard Terms and fhameful Con-
ditions. Secondly, the Catholick Zealots took
from thence a Pretence to plot againft the
King's Perfon and Government, he had already
efcaped twice from the Hands of two Murder-
ers, which had been procured to murder him ;
and, this very Year about the 17th of Marchy
wr.s providentially difcovered another Plot a-
gainft the King and the Government. For as
the Lord Du PleJJis went to pay a Vifit to the
Dutchefs of Eib^f'f, who lodged near the Poft-
Office at Saumur, he met there a Courier jufl
arrived, who waited for frefh Horfes; he knew
him, and afked him from whence he came, and
whither he went, he told him, that he came
from the Lord- Chancellor, and went to the
Lord of La Rochepot, at Angers. Whereupon .
Du PlfJJis caHi^ up to the Duchefs*s Chamber,
but recollei5ling himfelf, and confidering that
there
102 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV. there was little or no Correfpondence between
"597- the Chancellor and Rochepot, he began tofufpeSt
tlintVIufi^^^hing^ and came down to examine the Man
rmore ftri(5Hy ; he grew pale, and having been
fearched. Letters and Memoirs of the Cardinal of
Aufiria^ direded to the Duke of Mercosur^ and
to Dom Mendozza, Agent of Spain in Britanny^
were found upon him ; whereupon the Courier
was arrefted, fent to Paris, tried by the Parlia-
ment, condemned and executed with his Uncle,
Carpentier an Attorney, who was Head of a
fecret Council which the King oi Spain iiad at
Paris for diftributing his Bribes. By thefe Pa-
pers, it appeared that the faid King did keep
Intelligences in feveral Provinces and Cities,
fuch as Paris, Orleans, Rouen, Rheims, &c.
and v/ith feveral great Lords ; that the Duke
of Mercceur was obftinately bent to the Ruin
of the State, pretending to re-unite in his own
Perfon the chimerical Pretenfions of the Princes
of the League, who had fubmrtted to the King;
and the Kingdom was to be rended in feveral
Parts, to gratify the Ambition of as many great
Lords, whofe Names the Parliament thought
proper to fupprefs, as well as feveral other Ar-
ticles of the Plot itfelf, for not provoking the
great Men who had a hand therein. The
Duke of Mercosur held ftill obftinately in Bri-
tanny, being fupported by Spain ; Picardy was
opened to the Spaniards, they had taken feveral
Towns in that Province, and of late the City
Q^ Amiens, which having been left by its Treaty
with the King, to the Guardianfhip of its In-
habitants, had been furprized by Ferdinand
Tello de Portocarrero, which Accident put the
whole Court into the utmoft Confufion. Third-
ly, thefe States Reafons obliged the King to be
extremely cautious, and not to grant any thing
to
B 0 o K Vn. Reformed Churches in F r-a n c e . ■ 1 9 3?
to the Reformed, whereby he fhould give Of- HenrylVM
fence to the Leaguers newly reconciled, left p '^'■^^j ^
they (liould ftir up new Wars. Nay, it .wa?.mentViH
l)u Plejfis^s Opinion after the King's" Change,, '
as he told him in his Letter, that he had put
it out of his power to grant, of his own ac-s^
cord, any Favour to the Reformed, and that his
intereft required that, for the future, he fhould
be importuned, to the end that thofe, with
whom he fought to be reconciled, might be
fully convinced that his former Affedlions were
thoroughly altered, ^c (h). That was indeed
a Secret, known only to four or five of his
moil trufty Counfellors, fuch as Dii Plejfts^
Schomberg., DeCalignofii &c.
Not only, Henry could not fafely relieve his
Reformed Subje^s during the firft eight Years
of his Reign, but it was not in his power to
do it efficacioudy. Their Enemies in his Privy-
Council oppofed to their utmpft his good In-
tentions, and if he prevailed at ^ny time, he
was fure to be thv/arted, either in the great
Council, or in the Parliaments ; his Authority
. was then fo fickle and unfettled in thofe Times
of Trouble and Confufion, that generally fpeak- .
ing, his Orders were negle(5led, and thofe who
had any Relation to the Reformed for their Re-
lief, were quite unregarded. To what purpofe
then fhould he have granted the Reformed fuch
an Edid: as they required ?
But I am not at all furprifed, to find not only CIt
fome Writers of thofe Days, but even the whole ^<^<^nfa^'^
Body of the Reformed complain bitterly of the "jJ^l'^T
king's Difregard to them, which they confider- tht Re-
ed as a Piece of Injuflice' and ingratitude; formed,
they v/ere not able to dive into the inmoft Re-
ecffes of his Heart, and the cruel Hardfhips
Vol. IV. O where-
(h) Memoires de Du PlefFis, Tom. H.
1 94 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol .IV,
HenrylV. where.under they groaned every where, affbrd-
P 6^^Cle ^^ them but too juft Reafons to complain. At
n^ntVIlI their Reqaeft Bu Plejfis had pubhflied a Book
this Year without the Author's Name, under
this Title ; Complaints of the Reformed Churches
in France, about the Violences they fuffer in many
Places of the Kingdom, for which they have at
feveral 'Times applied themfelves, with all Humi-
lity, to his Majefty and the Lords of his Council.
It contained in Subftance the fame Complaints,
that were fet forth in a Petition prefented to the
King at the Siege of Z-fl Fere, with an Addition
of fome new Matters of Fa6l, befides an Al-
teration in the Form. It is not to be imagin-
ed what the Reformed fufferedfrom Catholicks
in Places wherein they were the weakeft ; and,
burning excepted, their Condition differed not
from what it had been under the worft of the
four preceding Reigns. No wonder then, if they
murmured loudly ; it is rather to be wondered
if they did not exceed the juft Bounds againft
ungrateful Wretches whom they had but juft
now delivered out of the Bondage of the League,
at the peril of their Lives. And indeed their
long Forbearance was chiefly owing to the In-
treaties of D« PleJfis, and of a few others, very
moderate Men, who were thoroughly acquainted
with the King's good Intentions. But that Lord
could not perfuade the AfTembly to fend any
Succours to the King, for the re-taking of
Amiens ; their Reafons were plaufible enough ;
their Forces were hardly fufficient to cope with
the Duke of Mercosur, who made frequent In-
curfions in all the Provinces bordering upon
Britanny. Neverthelefs the Lord of Schombergy
having met the AfTembly at Chdtelhcrauld, pre-
vailed fo far upon them by the Strength of his
Arguments, that he perfuaded the Dukes of La
'TremQuille, and Bouzllon, the firft to raife three
3 Regi-
Book VII. Reformed Churches //z Fr A n c E . 195
Regiments of Foot in Poitou ; and the fecond HenrylV.
to do the fame in the Lhnojine, for the King*s ^A,^^J^■Jg^
Service. Which however could not join hiSmentVlII
Army, becaufe the firft were employed to watch « ■r^**H
the Motions of Vilkbois who had I'ebelied of
late, and of three or four other Rebels who
ranfacked the Country, And, whereas the
Countries of Auvergne and Givaudan were in.
great Confufion by the Siege of Mandes^ the
Duke of Bouillon was obliged to ftay fo long in
thefe Countries, that he could not join the
King's Army foon enough for being prefent
at tht Siege of Amiens^ as he had promifed (j).
This I willingly obferve againft the Duke of
Sully, who has not been afhamed to gratify his
Jealoufies at the Expence of Truth itfelf \ ca-
lumniating Virtue itfelf, I mean the Lord
Du Plejfts, whom he charges in his Memoirs
with the Dukes of Bouillon, and La 'J'rimouille^
as if they had been of the Number of fome few
hot-headed of the Aflembly at Chatelherauld^
who were for coming to Extremes {i). Thuanus^
and Tiu Plejfts Mornay, are indeed' better to be
credited than Sully, whereof I fhall give the
Charafter in its proper Place.
After the Retreat of Arch-Duke Albert^ who CIIL
was come at the Head of an Army of twenty ^^'"^"J^""^
five thoufand Men ftrong, to force the ^\^%'Kin^s
to raife the Siege of Amiens, that City {vccx^n- granting
dered in the End of Se-pt ember ; which Sur- ''^ ^!^fi ^^^
render was attended with very good Confequen- i^l^x.%
ces for the King and the Kingdom. For the
Treaty of Peace with Spain, which had been
on foot for fome Months before the taking of
O 2 Amiens^
{J) Thuan. lib. cxviii. p. 749, 750.
(/) Mem. de Sully, Tom. I. pag. 189. And it is certain
that whole Regiments of Reformed, as that of A^a--varre,
aftd feveral Lords Voluntiers, were in the King's Army
before Amiens.
196 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
•HfinrylV. Amiens^ :and had been carried on with Succefs
p^597/ at the Pope^s Interpofttion by Bonaventure of
mentVIlI Calatagircne^ General of the Francifcan Fryars^
».-rv-*-^ was renewed, and happily concluded at Vervins.
. The Duke of Mercceur was very glad to accept
of a Sufpenfion of Arms for three Months,
1598. At laft the King took the Field in the Month
of February^ and marching at the Head of
, 12,000 Foot and 2,000 Horfe for the Re-
;4u(5lion of the faid Duke, feveral Places upon
the Frontiers of Brilamiy, as Craon and Roche-
fort in Anjou^ Mont j an in Mayne^ Mirebeau m
ftouraine^ Tifauges in Poitou^ &c. furrendered
themfelves, and brought their Keys to hisMa-
jefly while upon the Road -, fo that the Duke
of Mercceur ftupify'd at this extraordinary Pro-
grefs, fent the Duchefs his Lady to the King
at Angers, to treat with his Majefty. The*
the Duke had been exceedingly obftinate for
many Years, neverthelefs, in Confideration of
the Marriage of his only Daughter with Cafar
Duke of Vendome, natural Son to the King, his
Majefty granted him Terms almoft as honoura-
ble and advantageous as he could have obtained
for himfelf, when in the height of his Profperity.
"While that knotty Affair was tranfafting, the
King*s Council fat in earneft upon that of the
Reformed, which had been the fecond Reafon
whythe King had undertook this Journey at
the Inftances of De Vic, Thuanus, Calignon, and
Schomberg. This laft, tho' a Lutheran, had
told more than once to his Majefty, that his
poor Reformed Subjefts were fick, not with the
■Fumes of Rebellion, but with juft Fears and
Jealoufies, and that it was but juft to cure them,
by granting their juft Demands. The Dukes
oi Bouillon and La Trimouille were very kindly
received by the King at Angers. And almoft
all
Book VII. 'Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c Eo i 97
all the Difficulties having been adjufted in thatHenrylV'
City, the Articles and Forms of Grants were „ ' 59^-
nnally agreed upon, and the Whole was carrred mentVIII
to Nantz^ where the King having altered what
he pleafcd, to fhow that he granted it freely
and' with a full Authority, it was at laft figned
and fealed up in that City, on the 30th of
April 1598, and delivered into the Deputies
-Hands, who tranfmitted it to RocheIl% where
•the general Records of the Reformed Churches
•were kept. That jEdiil was .as follows :
^TyicrfffNANTZ: ;^^-
HENRT, hy the Grace of God^ King 'of
France and Navarre^ to all thofe prefent,
and others to come. Greeting. Among
thofe ineftimable Bleffings, it has pleafed Ai-
mighty God to impart unto us, the greateft
aad moft remarkable is, to have given us the
Conftancy, Virtue, and Strength, not to fink
-under the horrible Troubles, Confufions, and
Diforders, which were on foot at our coming
to the Crown of this Kingdom', which was
divided into fo many Parties and Factions, that
that which was the moft lawful, was almoft the
leaft •, and yet, neverthelefs, to have borne up
fo ftiffly againft that Storm, as in the End to
have overco'me it, and to be now entered into
the Haven of Safety and Repofe of this State.
■ The abfolute Glory whereof be afcribed to
him alone, and to us the Favour and Obliga-
"tion, in that he- was pleas*d to make ufe of
our Labour for the Performance of fo good
a Work, in which it has been viiible to the
whole World, That we have, over and above
the Difcharge of our Duty and Pov/er, done
fomething further, which perhaps at another
O 3 time
198 Hijiary of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
JlenrylV.time would not have been fo agreeable to our
p *59^| Dignity, which we have not been fcrupulous
jnentVIII ^^ expofe to that end, fince we have fo often
land fo freely expos'd our own Life for the
fame. And in this great Concurrency of fuch
weighty, and fuch perilous Affairs, which
could not be compos*d at one and the fame
Time, We have been oblig*d to follow this
Order, Firfi^ to undertake fuch as could not
be determined otherwife than by Force, and
to defer and fufpend for a Time fuch as were,
and could be treated by Reafon and Juftice.
Such as the general Differences among our
good Subjeds, and the particular Grievances
of the founded Part of the State, which m
our Opinion will be more eafily cur*d after
having remov'd the principal Caufe thereof,
which was the Continuation of the Civil War.
Which having, by the Grace of God, fuccefs-
fully ended, and Arms, and Hoftilities being
quite laid afide throughout our Kingdom ; We
hope for as favourable Succefs in the other
Affairs that ftill femain uncompos'd, and that
thereby we fhall obtain the Eftablifhment of a
good Peace, and quiet Repofe, which has
ever been the Aim of all our Wifhes and In-
tentions, and the only Prize we look for, after
. fo many Toils and Hardfhips wherein we have
pafs*d the Courfe of our Life. Among thofe
Affairs we were obliged to delay, one of the
chief has been the Complaints we have re-
ceiv'd from feveral of our Catholick Provin-
ces and Cities, in that theExercife of the Ca-
tholick Religion was not univerfally re-efta-
blifh'd there, according to the Edids, hereto-
' fore made for the Pacification of the Troubles
upon the account of Religion. As alfo the
Supplications and Remonf^rances that have been
■■"' - ■ made
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 19^
made to us by our Subjedls of the Pretended HenrylV-
Reformed Religion, both upon the Unperform- „ ^^^q\
ance of what is granted them by the faid Edidls, mentVin
and their Defire of having fome Additions made
thereunto for the Exercife of their faid Religion,
the Liberty of their Confciences, and the Surety
of their Perfons and Fortunes ; pretending juft
Caufes of new and greater Apprehenfions, by
reafon of the laft Troubles an4 Commotions ;
the chief Pretence and Foundation of which
was their Ruin. All which, not to over-charge
Ourfelves with too much Bufinefs at one In-
ftant ; as alfo becaufe the Terror of Arms does'
not fuit with eftablifliing of Laws, tho' never
fo good, we have ftill deferr'd from time to
time to make Provifion for, and take care of.
But now, fince it has pleas'd God to give a
Beginning to our injoying of fome Repofe and
Tranquillity, We efteem that we cannot im-
pioy it better, than in applying Ourfelves to
what may concern the Glory of his Holy
Name and Service, and in procuring his being
ador'd and pray*d unto by all ourSubjedis:
And that lince it is not his PJeafure as yet, to
grant that it may be done In one and the fame
Form of Religion, it may be done at leaft
with one and the fame Intention, arid with
fuch Rules, that it may occalion no Troubles
or Tumults among them : And that both v/e,
and. all this Kingdom, may always deferve
the glorious Title of Moft Chriftian, which
hath been fo long, and fo defervedly acquir'd :
And by the fame means to remove the Caufe
of the Grievances and Troubles which might
arife hereafter upon the Point of Religion,
which has always been the moft prevailing
and moft dangerous of all others. Therefore,
obferving that this Affair is of very great Im-
O 4 portance.
200 Hijlory of the Refer matlon, and of the Vol . IV.
HeoryilV. pbrtance, and vVdrthy 'of 'weighty Confidera-
K'^lcie '■^°"' ^^^^^ ^ refolving of all the Petitions and
j^^^^y^l Complaints x)f our Cathblick Subjc(5ls ;• and
having, alfd permitted our faid Subjedls of the
faidPretendedReformed Religion to affemble by
Deputies to draw up theirs, and to put all their ^
Remonftrances together ; and havihg conferr'd
feveral Times with them upon this Subje(?l-, and
review'd the pretedent Ed ids •, we have thought
fit,"at 'this time, upon the'Whole, to give our
faid Subjects an univerfaT, clear, intelligible,
ajid abfelute Law, by "which they fhall be
limited, and "govern'd in all DiiFerences that
jfave heretofore hr4ipen'd among them upoil '
tliat'Subjeft, or that "may hereafter happen,
whereby both Parties may remain fatisfy*d, '
according as the Nature 6f* tHe Time can al-
low it. We being entred into t'his Delibera-
tion^ for^nO"9ther End, but the Zeal we have
for the Service of God, in order that hence-
forward it may be pertorm'd by all our faid
Subjects •, and to eftablifh a iirm and perpetual
ifeace among them : Wherein we implore,
j^nd expeft from his Divine Goodnefs the
fame Protetflicn and Favour, which he has
ever vjifibly conferr'd upon this Kingdom,
from the firft Eiedion thereof, and during
the many Ages it hath continued •, and that
he would beftow the Grace upon our faid Sub-
jed:?, truly to apprehend that in the Obfer-
vation of this our Ordinance (next to their
Duty towards God, and towards all Men,)
confifts the main Foundation of their Utiion,
Concord, Ti'anquillity, and Quiet, and the
Reftoration of this State to its priftine Splen-
dor, Wealth and Power. As we on our part
do promife to have it exadly performed with-
out permitting it to be any ways tranfgrefs'd.
■' ' ■ For
Book VII. Reformed Churches z';^ Fr a n c e . 2 o I
For thefe Reafons having by the Advice of theHenryl V-
Princes of our Blood, other Princes and Officers p^L^Qe.
of our Crown, and other great and notable Per- mentVIII
fons of our Council of State about us, maturely
and diligently weigh'd and confider'd the whole
Bufinefs ; We have by this Ed id perpetual and
irrevocable, denounc'd, declar'd, and ordain'd,
and do denounce, declare, and ordain,
I. That the Remembrance of all things pafs*d
on both lides, from the beginning of March
1585, until our coming to the Crown, and du-
ring the other precedent Troubles, or upon the
account thereof, fhall remain extinguifh'd and
raz'd out, as matters that never had happen'd.
And it (hall not be lawful for our Attorneys-
General, or other Perfons whatever, publick or
private, at any time, or upon any occafion fo-
ever, to make mention of, or to commence any
Pnocefs or Suit thereupon in any Courts or Ju-
rifdi(5lions whatfoever.
II. We forbid ail our Subjeds, of what Eftate
or Quality foever they be, to renew the Re-
membrance thereof; to a flail, urge, or pro-
voke one another by way of Reproach of what
is paft, upon any Caufe or Pretence whatever;
to difpute, conteft, quarrel, or outrage, or
OiTend each ether about it by Word or Deed;
but to contain themfelves, and live peaceably
ogether as Brethren, Friends, and Fellow-Ci-
tizens ; on pain for the Delinquents of being
puni'li'd as Infradors of the Peace, and Difturb-
ers of the publick Quiet.
III. We ordain. That the Catholick Apo-
(lolick Roman Religion fhall be re-eftablifh*d and
reftor'd in all Places and Parts of this our King-
dorn and Countries under our Obedience, where
the Exercife thereof hath been interrupted,
there to be peaceably and freely put in pradice
without
202 HiJioryoftheReformation^andofthe Vol. IV,
HenrylV. without any hindrance or difturbance. Fof-
'598- bidding mod expreffly all Perfons of what
jjj^^^^yjjj Eftate, Quality, or Condition foever, on the
Penalties above-mentioned, to trouble, moleft,
or difturb, the Ecclefiafticks in the Celebration
of divine Service, the enjoying and taking of
Tythes, the Fruits and Revenues of their Be-
nefices, with all other Rights and Immunities
appertaining unto them -, and that all thofe,
who during the Troubles, have feized the
Churches, Houfes, Goods, and Revenues be-^
longing to the faid Ecclefiafticks, detain and
poflefs them, fhall fur render unto them the en^
tire Pofi*effion, and peaceable Injoyment thereof,
with fuch Titles, Liberties, and Security as
they enjoyed before their being difpoflefs'd of
the fame. Alfo expreffly forbidding thofe of
the faid pretended Reformed Religion, to
preach or perform any other Exercife of the
faid Religion in the Churches, Houfes, and
Habitations of the faid Ecclefiafticks.
IV. It ftiall remain at the Choice of the faid
Ecclefiafticks to buy the Houfes and Build-
ings erefted in prophane Places, whereof they
were difpofi^fs*d during the Troubles, or elfe
to conftrain the Poflefibrs of the faid Build-
ings to buy the Ground, the whole according
to the Eftimation that ftiall be made thereof
by the Viewers, agreed upon by the Parties; and
in cafe they ftiould not agree, the Judges of
the Place fhall appoint fome, referving ever to
the faid Pofteftbrs their Recourfe againft whom-
foever it ftiall belong. And where the faid
Ecclefiafticks ftiall conftrain the Poflefibrs to
purchafe the Ground, the Money it fiiall be
valued at, ftiall not be put into their hands,
but fiiall remain in the hands of the faid Pof-
feflbrs, to be improved at the rate of 5 per
Cent.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 203
Cent, until it be imployed for the benefit of HenrylV.
the Church, which fhall be done within the ^598.
Space of a Year. And the faid Term being mentvni
pafs'd, in cafe the Purchafer will no longer con-
tinue the faid Rent, he Ihall be difchafged
thereof, configning the faid Money into the
Hands of feme folvable Perfons, by Autho-
rity and Order of Juftice. And as for facred
places, Information thereof fhall be given by
the Commiflaries, who fhall be ordain'd for the
Execution of the prefent Edid, in order to our
taking a Courfe for the fame,
V. Neverthelefs, no* Grounds and Places
imploy'd for the Reparations and Fortifications
of Cities, and other Places within our King-
dom, or the Materials therein ufed, fhall be
claim*d, or recover'd by the faid Ecclefiaflicks,
or other Perfons, publick or private, until the
faid Reparations and Fortifications are demolifh-
ed by our Ordinances,
VI. And to remove all Occafions of Conten-
tion and Trouble from among our Subjeds, we
have and do permit thofe of the faid Pretended
Reformed Religion to live and refide in all the
Cities and Places, within this our Kingdom and
Countries under our Obedience, without being
examin'd, molefted, troubled, or conflrain'd
to do any thing in matter of Religion againft
their Confcience; or examin*d in their Houfeg,
or Places where they fhall inhabit; in all other
things behaving themfelves according to what
js fpecified in our prefent Edi(5l.
VII. We have alfo permitted all Lords,
Gentleman, and other Perfons, as well Inhabi-
tants as others, who make Profeflion of the
Pretended Reformed Religion, enjoying within
pur Kingdoms and Countries under our Obe-
dience,
1.04 Hifiory of the Reformation^andofthe Vol. IV.
HenrylV. dience, High Jurifdi(5lion, or * full Fitf d*Hau-
Pole Cl'e- ^^^^'> ^^^ "^ Normandy'] either in Proper, in
liientviil the Ufe-Fruit thereof, in the whole, or moiety,
or for a third part, to have in fuch their
Houfes of the faid High Jurifdidlion, or Fiefs
abovefaid, which they fhall be obliged to no-
niinate before, to our Bailiffs and Senefchals,
every one within his Limits, for their princi-
pal Abode, the Exercife of the faid Religion,
while they refide there ; and in their abfence
their Wives or Familes, or part thereof And
the' the Right of Jurifdiftion, or full Fief
d^ Hauhert h^ in controverfy j neverthelefs the
Exercife of the faid Religion fhall be aliow*d
there, provided the abovefaid be in a6tual Pof-
feffion of the faid High Jurifdiflion, altho' our
Attorney-General be a Party. We alfo allow
them to perform the faid Exercife in their other
Houfes of High Jurifdidlion, or abovefaid
Fief d^ Haul? ert^ while they are there prefent,
and no other wife ; both for themfelves, their
Families, Subjeds, and others, who ihall de-
fire to repair thither.
VIII. In Houfes of Fiefs, where thofe of
the faid Religion fhall not have the faid High
Jurifdidlion or Fief d^Haubert, they (hall only
be allowed the faid Execife for their Families.
Neverthelefs, we do not mean, that in cafe o-
ther Perfons fliould chance to come in, to the
number of Thirty, befides their Family, either
upon the account of Baptlfm, Vifitation of their
Friends, or otherwife, they fhould be troubled
lbr,the fame : Provided alio the faid Houfes are
neither within Cities, Towns, or Villages, be-
longing to Gatholick Lords, High-Juftlcers,
befides our felf, wherein the faid Catholick
Lords have their Manfions. In wiiich cafe
thofe
* An Inheritance held dlreftly in Capite of the King,
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;2 Fr a n c e . 205*
thofe ©f the faid Religion fhall not be allowed HenrylV.
to perform their faid E^ur^ife in the faid Cities, _ ' 59^-
_, ^ -ir-it I • rr J "ope LiS-
lowns, or Villages, except by permiliion and jj,ent:y|£[
Jeave of the faid Lords High-Jufticers, and
no otherwife.
IX. We alfo permit thofe of the faid Reli-
gion, to perform and continue the Exercife
thereof in all the Cities and Places under our
Obedience, where it was eftablifh'd, and by
them pubhckly perform'd at fiindry and divers
times in the Year 1596, and in the Years 1597,
until the end of Auguji^ all Decrees and Judg-
ments to the contrary notwithftanding.
X. The faid Exercife in like manner fhall
be eftablifh'd and reftor'd in ■ all Places and
Cities where it has, or fhould have been efta-
blifhed by the Edid of Pacification, m.ade in
the Year Seven ty-feven, particular Articles and
Conferences of JSlerac and Fla<; neither fhall
the faid Eftablilhment be obfcruded in the Parts
and Places within the Demefne granted by the
faid Edi(!^, Articles and Conferences, for
Places of Bailiv/icks, or that fhall be granted
hereafter, though they have been fince alienated
to Catholick Perfons, or here^.fter fhall be.
And yet we do not intend that the fiiid Exer-
cife fhall be re-eflablifli'd in the Parts and
Places of the faid Demefne, which have been
heretofore poffefs'd by thofe of the faid Pre-
tended Reformed Religion, in which it had
been allowed out of refpeft to their Perfons, or
upon the Account of the Privileges of the Fiefs,
in cafe the faid Fiefs be at prefent poifefs'd by
Perfons of the faid Catholick, Apoilolick Re-
ligion.
XI. Moreover, in every one of the 'ancient
Bailiwicks, Senefchalfliips and Governments,
liolding the Place of a Biiiliwick, having direft
Reie-
2o6 Hiftory of the Refortnafion^ and of the Vol.IV.
HenrylV. Reference, without Mediation to the Courts of
1598. Parliament, we ordain, that in the Suburbs of
Po^fCIe- Qj.y^ befides thofe that have been granted
them by the faid Edid, particular Articles and
Conferences : And where there are no Cities,
in a Borough or Village, the Exercife of the
faid Pretended Reformed Religion fhall be pub-
lickly performed for all fuch as will repair
thither-, altho' the faid Exercife were already
eftablifh'd in divers places of the faid Bailiwicks,
Senefchalfhips, and Governments; excepting
out of the faid place of Bailiwick, newly granted
by the prefent EdicSl, the Cities in "which there
are Archbiftiops or Bifhops ; in which cafe
thofe of the faid Pretended Reformed Religion
fhall be allow'd to demand, and to nominate
for the faid Place of the faid Exercife, the
Boroughs and Villages near the faid Cities.
Excepted alfo Places and Lordfliips belonging
to Ecclefiafticks, in which we do not allow the
faid fecond Place of Bailiwick to be eftablifh'd,
we having by fpecial Grace and Favour except-
ed them. Under the Name of ancient Baili-
wicks, we mean fuch as were in the Times of
the late King Henry our moft honoured Lord
and Father- in- Law, held for Bailiwicks, Se-
nefchalfhips and Governments, having imme-
diate reference to our faid Courts.
Xn. We do not mean by this prefent Edidl
to derogate from the Edidls and Agreements
heretofore made for the reducing of fome
Princes, Lords, Gentlemen, and Catholick
Cities under our Obedience, in what relates to
the Exercife of the faid Religion ; the which
Edids and Agreements fhall be maintain'd and
obferv*d for this refpeft, according as fhall be
fpecified by the Inftru(ilions of the Commif-
iiofiers
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 207
fioners that fhall be appointed for the Execu- HenrylV.
of this prefent Edift. plpe\\e-
XIII. We exprefly forbid all thofe of the mentVIII
faid Religion, to perform any Exercife thereof,
either as to the Miniftry, Government, Difci-
pline, or pub lick Inftrudlion of Children, and
others, in this our Kingdom and Countries un-
der our Obedience, in what relates to Religion,
in any Places, but thofe that are allowed and
granted by the Edid.
XIV. As alfo to perform any Exercife of the
faid Religion in our Court or Attendance, nor
likewife in our Lands and Territories beyond
the Mounts, nor yet in our City of Paris, nor
within five Leagues of the faid City. Neverthe-
lefs, thofe of the faid Religion who live in the
faid Lands and Territories beyond the Mounts,
and in our faid City, and within five Leagues
round about it, fhall not be examined in their
Houfes, nor conftrained to do any thing in re-
fpe(5t of their Religion againft their Confcience,
behaving themfelves, in other Matters, accord-
ing as it is fpecified in our prefent Edi6t.
XV. Neither fhall the publick Exercife of
the faid Religion be performed in the Armies,
unlefs in the Quarters of the Chief Officers who
profefs the fame ; neverthelefs it fhall not be
done in the Quarter where we lodge.
XVI. According to the fecond Article of
the Conference at Nerac^ we give leave to thofe
of the faid Religion to build Places for the Ex-
ercife thereof, in the Cities and Places where it
is allowed them -, and thofe they have built here-
tofore, fhall be reilor'd to them, oi'''the Ground
thereof, in the Condition it is at prefent, even
in thofe Places where the faid Exercife is not al-
lowed them, unlefs they have been converted
into other Buildings. In which cafe the Pof-
fefibrs
2o8 Hijiory of the Reform at ion y and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV'.fe(fQt-s of the faid Buildings fhall give them
'59^- other Places of the fame price and value they
mentVlFp^e^s of, before their building upon them, or
4— y-i^ the true Eftimation of them by the Judgment
of Viewers; always referving to the faid Own-
ers and PoflefTors a Remedy againft whomfoever
it {hall concern.
XVII. We forbid all Preachers, and Read-
rers, and others who fpeak in publick, to ufe
any Words, Speeches, or Difcourfe, that may
tend to excite the People to Sedition ; but on
the contrary we have injoin'd, and do injoin
them, to contain and behave themfelves mo-
deftly, and to utter nothing but what may
tend to the Inftrudion and Edification of the
Auditors ; and to maintain the Peace and
Tranquillity by us eftablifh'd in our faid King-
dom, on the Penalties fpecify'd in the pre-
cedent Edids. Injoining moft exprefly our
Attorneys-General, and their Subftitutes, to in-
form out of their Office againft fuch as fhall
tranfgrefs the fame, on pain of anfwering for
it in their proper and peculiar Perfons, and
Forfeitures of their Offices.
XVIII. We alfo forbid all our Subjeds, o^
what Quality and Condition foever, to take
away by Force or Induftion, againft the Will
of their Parents, the Children of thofe of the
faid Religion, to baptize, or confirm them in
the Cathollck, Apoftolick Roman Church :
The fame Prohibitions are made to thofe of
the faid Pretended Reformed Religion, the
•whole on pain of exemplary Puniftiment.
XIX. Thofe of the faid Pretended Reformed
Religion fhall be no ways conftrain'd nor re-
main bound by reafon of the Abjurations, Pro-
mifes and Oaths thcv have heretofore made,
or Cdutions by them given, upon the ac^iount
of
Book VII. Reformed Churches in YKAiict, 26^
of the faid Religion, neither fliall they be any HenrylV.
ways troubled or molefted for the fame. „ ^59^-
XX. They fhall alfo be bound to obferve mentVll'l
all Feftivals ordain'd in the Catholick, Apo-
ftolick and Roman Church ; neither fhall they
work, or fell in open Shops, on the faid
Days ; neither Ihall Handle rafts- Men work
out of their Shops, or in clofe Houfes, or
Chambers, on the faid Feftival Days, and
other prohibited Days, in any Profeflion, the
Noife whereof may be heard without by Neigh-
bours, or Perfons paffing along: Which never-,
thelefs fhall only be fought after by Officers of
Juftice.
XXI. The Books touching the faid Pre-
tended Reformed Religion, fhall neither be
printed nor fold publickly unlefs in fuch Cities
and Places in which the Publick Exercife of
the faid Religion is allow'd. And as for other
Books which fhall be printed in other Places,
they fhall be fi^^en and examined both by our
OfHcers and Divines, as it is fpecify'd by our
Ordinances. We forbid mofl exprelly the
Impreflion, Publication, and Sale of all defa-
matory Books, Libels and Pamphlets, under
the Penalties contain'd in our Ordinances ; in-
joining all our Judges and Officers to keep a
ftridl Hand over it.
XXII. We ordain that no Difference or
Diftindtion fliall be made on the account of
the faid Religion, for the receiving of Scholars
to be inflrucfted in Univerfities, Colleges and
Schools, and the Sick and Poor in Hofpitals
and Publick Alms.
XXili. Thofe of the faid Pretended Re.
formed Religion fliall be oblig'd to keep ths
Laws of the Catholick, Apoftolick and Roman
Church, received in this our Kingdom, in re-
VoL.IV. P fpedt
2 1 o Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l .1 V.
HenrylV. (peS: to Marriages contra6led, or to be con-
„ '598- tradled as to the Degrees of Confanguinity and
1 ope cie- /\a''.-
mentVIlI^mnity.
XXIV. T4iofe of the faid Religion fhall
alfo pay the Fees of Entrance, as is cuftomary,
for the Places and Offices they fhall be pro-
vided with, without being obligM to aflift at
any Ceremonies contrary to their faid Reli-
gion : And being call'd to their Oath, they
fhall only be obliged to hold up their Hand,
fwear, and promife to God, that they will
fpeak the Truth : Neither fhall they be oblig*d
to take a Difpenfation for the Oath by them
taken, at the pafTing of the Contrads and
Obligations.
XXV. It is our Will and Pleafure, that
all thofe of the faid Pretended Reformed Re-
ligion, and others who have been ingag'd in
their Party, of what State, Quality, or Condi-
tion foever, fhall be obliged and conflrained by
fair and reafonable Means, and under the Pe-
nalties contain*d in the Edids upon that Sub-
jedV s to pay and acquit the Tythes of Curates,
and other Ecclefiaflicks, and to all other to
•whom they fhall belong, according to the^fe
and Cuflom of the Places.
XXVI. The Difinheritations or Privations,
either by difpofing among the Living, or by
way of Teflament, made only out of Ha-
tred, or upon the account of Religion, (hall
neither be valuable for the 1 ime pafl, or Time
to come, among our Subjeds.
XXVII. In order the better tore-unite thf
Wills of our Subjefts, according to our In»
tention, and to remove all Complaints for the
future, We do declare all th e who do, or
ihnll profefs the faid Pretended Reformed Re-
iigion, capable of holding or performing all
Eftates,
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France, iii
Eftates, Dignities, Offices, and Publick Places HenrylV.
"Whatever, either Royal, Signorial, or of the „' 59^-
Cities of our Kingdom, Countries, Territories mentVIII
and Lordfhips, under our Obedietice, all Oaths
to the contrary notwithftanding, and to be
indifferently received into the fame : And our
Courts of Parliament and other Judges fhall
only make Inquiry, and inform themfelves
about the Life and Converfation, Religion and
honeft Converfation of thofe who are, or fhall
be provided with Offices, as well of the one,
as of the other Religion, without exadling any-
other Oath from them, but well and faith-
fully to ferve the King, in the Difcharge of
their Offices, and to obferve the Ordinances,
as it has been obferv'd at all times, And in
cafe any Vacancy ffiall happen of the faid
Eftates, Places and Offices, as for thofe that
fhall be in our Gift, they ftiall be difpos'd of
indifferently, and without Diftind:ion, to ca-
pable Perfons, as Things that concern the Uni-
on of our Siibjedls, We intend alfo that thofe
of the faid Prbtended Reformed Religion fhall
be admitted and receiv'd into all Councils,
Dehberations, AfTemblies and Functions de-
pending on the abovefaid Matters-, and that
they fhall not be ejedted or hihder'd from en-
joying them upon the account of the faid Re-
ligion.
XXVIII. We order for burying of the Dead
of thofe of the faid Religion, within all the
Cities and Parts of our Kingdom, that in each
Place, a convenient Place fhall be provided for
them forthwith by our Officers and Ma-
glftrates, and by the Commjffioners who fhall
be by Us deputed for the putting of this pre-
fent Edid in e;cecution. And fuch Church-
Yards as they had heretofore, which they*
P 2 have
2 1 2 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. have been depriv'd of by reafon of the Trou-
pj/ue- ^^^^' ^^' ^^ reftor'd to them, except they be
mentVin at prefent built upon -, In which Cafe, others
fhall be provided for them Gratis.
XXIX. We moft exprefly enjoin our Offi-
cers to take care that no Scandal be commit-
ted at the faid Burials, and they fiiall be bound
within a Fortnight after requeft made, to pro-
vide commodious Places for the faid Burials
of thofe of the faid Religion, without the leaft
Protradtlon, or Delays, under Penalty of five
hundred Crowns, to be felz'd on their proper
Names and Perfons. The faid Officers and
others are alfo forbidden to exadl any thing
for the Conveyance of the faid dead Bodies,
on pain of Extortion.
XXX. To the end that Juftice may be done
and miniftred to our Subjects without Partiality,
Hatred, or Favour, which is one of the princi-
pal Means to keep Peace and Concord among
them i We have ordained, and do ordain that
a Chamber fhall be eflablifli'd in our Court of
Parliament of Paris, confifling of a Prefldent
and fixteen Counfellors of the faid Parlia-
ment -, the which fhall be called and enti-
tled, The Chnmber of Edi^I -, which fhall not
only judge the Caufes and ProcefTes of thofe
of the faid Pretended Reformed Religion
within the Jurlfdidion of the faid Court, but
alfo thofe of the Jurifdidion of the Parlia-
ments of Normandy and Britany^ according to
the Jurifdidtion hereafter conferr'd upon It by
this prefent Edidt, and that until a Chamber
be eflablifh'd In each of the faid Parliaments,
to minifler Juftice upon the Place, We alfo
ordain, that the four Offices of Counfellors
in our faid Parliament cf Paris, remaining of
the laft Eledion by us madej ihall be forthwith
be-
Book VII. "Refonned Churches in Fr an c Ea 213
beftowed on four of thofe of the fald Pre-HenrylV.
tended Reformed Religion, fitly qualify'd, and pl^'^Qi^
capable to ferve in the faid ParHament -, who mentVIII
ihall be diftributed, vtx. The firft fhall be re-
ceiv'd into the Chamber of the Edid:, and the
other three in order as they fliall be receiv*d
into three of the Chambers of the Inquefts.
Moreover, the two firft Offices of Lay-Coun-
fellors, that ihall become vacant by Death,
fhall alfo be given to two of thofe of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion ; and the Per-
fons thus recelv'd, jfhall be diftributed into
the two other Chambers of Inquefts.
XXXL Befides the Chambers heretofore efta-
blifti'd at Cajires for the Jurlfdidion of our
Court of Parliament of Thouloufe, which fhall
be continu'd in the State it now ftands -, we
have for the fame Confiderations ordain*d and
do ordain, that in each of our Courts of
Parliament of Grenoble and Bourdeaux^ fhall
alio be eftablifh'd a Chamber, confifting of
two Prefidents, the one Catholick and the
other of the faid Pretended Reformed Reli-
gion, and of twelve Counfellors ; fix of which
fhall be Catholicks, and the other fix o^ the
faid Religion : which Catholick Prefidents and
Counfellors ftiall be by Us fe!e6led and chofen
out of the Body of Our faid Courts. And
as to thofe of the faid Religion, a new Crea-
tion fhall be made of a Prefident and fix Coun-
fellors for the Parliament of Bourdeaux •, and
of a Prefident and three Counfellors for that
of Grenoble-, the which, v/ith the three Coun-
fellors of the faid Religion, that are at pre-
fent of the faid Parliament, fti;dl be employ'd
in the faid Chamber of Bauphine. And the
faid Offices of new Creation^ fhall be allow'd
F 3 the
'Z 14 Hi/lory oft be Reformation, and of the Vol. IV,
;HenryIV. the fame Salaries, Honours, Authorities, and
pJ/ck P^^-^J^i^^np^s, as the others of the faid Courts,
mentVIII ^""^ t^e faid SefTions of the faid Chamber of
Bourdeaux, fhail be held at Bourdeaux, or at
Nerac, and that of Dauphine at Grenoble.
XXXII. The faid Chamber of Dauphine
(hall determine the Caufes of thofe of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion of the Jurif-
didtion of Our Parliament of Provence^ with-
out being oblig'd to take Letters of Summons,
or other Citations, any where but in our Chan-
cery of Vauphine : Neither fhall thofe of the
faid Religion of Normandy or Britany be oblig'd
to take out Summons, or other Citations any
yrhere but in our Chancery of Paris.
XXXIII. Our Subjeds of the faid Religion
of the Parliament of Burgundy, fhall have the
Choice and Eledlion to plead in the Chamber
ordain'd in the Parliament of Paris, or in that
of Dauphine^ neither fhall they be oblig'd to
take out Letters of Summons, or any other
Citations, but in the faid Chanceries of Pa-
ris, and of Dauphirie, according to their own
Choice.
XXXIV. All the faid Chambers composed
as abovefaid, fhall determine and judge in So-
vereignty by Sentence Definitive, by Decrees
excluding all others, of Suits and Differences
mov'd and to be mov'd -, in which thofe of
the faid Pretended Reformed Religion are con-
cern*d as Principals, or Warranties, either as
Plaintiffs, or Defendants, in all Matters, as
well Civil as Criminal, whether the faid Pro-
ceffes be by Writ, or Verbal Appeal, if the
faid Parties like it fo, and one of them re-
quires it, before any Plea in the Caufe, in re-
lation to Suits to be mov'd : Always excepting
all matters of Benefices, and the Poffeffors of
Tythes,
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches if? France. 215
Tythes not enfeoff'd, Ecclefiaflical Patronages, HenrylV
and Caufes vyherein the Demefne of the Church p/^^f j
fhall be concern'd, which (hall all be try'd and mentV fll
judg'd in the Courts of Parl'ament; and the
faid Chambers of the Edid fhall not be allow'd
to take Cognizance of the fame. It is alfo Our
Will and Pleafure, that in order to judge and
decide Criminal Caufes, that (hall happen
among the faid Ecclc(iafticks,and thofe of rhe
laid Pretended Reformed Religion, if the Ec^
clefiaftick is Defendant, the Judgment of the
Criminal Caufe fhall belong to our Sovereign
Courts, exclufively to the faid Chambers ; and
the Ecclefiaftick being Plaintiff, and he of the
faid Religion Defendant, the Cognizance and
Judgment of the Criminal Caufe fhall belong
by Appeal, and in lafl Reference, to the faid
Eflablifh'd Chambers. The faid Chambers alfo
in Vacation-Times fhall determine of Matters
referr*d by the Edids and Ordinances to the
Chambers eftablifh*d in times of Vacation, each
one In their Jurifdidion.
XXXV. The Chambers of GrenoMe fhall
from this prefent be unired and incorporated
to the Body of the faid Court of Parliament,
and the Prefidents and Counfellors of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion, intitled Prefi-
dents and Counfellors of the faid Court, and
held in the Number and Rank of them. To
this end they fhall be firft difpcs'd of in the
other Chambers, and then call'd and drawn out
of them, to be employ'd, and to ferve in that
which we inftitute a-new ; yet they fliall afTift,
and have a Vote and Scflion in all the Delf-
berations that fhall be made when the Cham-
bers are affembled, and fhall enjoy the fme Sa-
laries, Authorities and Pre-eminer.cies, as the
other Prefidents and Counfellors do.
P4 XXXVI,
'216 Hijhry of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV,
HenrylV. XXXVI. It is alfo Our Will and Pleafure,
p/^^^Cle ^"^^ ^^^ ^^^^ Chambers of Caftres and Bour-
mentVIII deaux, fhall be re-united, and incorporated into
the faid Parliaments, in the fame manner a$
the others, when it fhall be needful, and the
Caufes that have mov'd Us to eftablifh them
fliall ceafe, and fubfift no longer among our
Subjeds: And therefore the Prefidents and
Counfellors of the faid Chambers, being of the
fame Religion, fhall be call'd and held for
Prefidents and Counfellors of the faid Courts.
XXXVII. There fhall be alfo newly cre-
ated and erefted in the Chamber ordain'd for
the Parliament of Bourdemix, two Subflitutes
of Our Attorney and Advocate-General, of
which the Attorney's Subftitute fhall be a
Catholick and the other of the faid Religion,
who fhall be invefled with the faid Ofhces,
with competent Penfions.
XXXVIII. All the faid Subflitutes fhall
take no other Quality than that of Subflitutes ;
and when the Chambers ordain*d for the Par-
liaments of Bourdeaux and Thcidoufe.'0[\2i\\ be
united and incorporated into the faid Parlia-
ments ; the faid Subftitutes fhall be provided
with Counfellors Places in the fame.
XXXIX. The Expeditions of the Chancery
of the Chamber of Bourdeaux fhall be per-
form'd in the prefence of two Counfellors of
the faid Chamber; of which the one fhall be
a Catholick, and the other of the faid Pre-
tended Reformed Religion in the Abfence of
one of the Mailers of Requeft of our Hotel,
or Houfhold : And one of the Notaries and
Secretaries of the faid Court of Parliament of
Bourdeaux^ fliail refide in the Place where the
faid Chamber fhall be eflablifh'd ; or elfe one
of the Secretaries in Ordinary of the Chance-
ry,
Book VII. Reformed Churches ?« France. 217
ry, to fign the Expeditions of the faid Chan- HenrylV.
eery. ^ p/Zoe-
XL. We will and command. That In the j^l^xVlll
faid Chamber of Bonrdeaux^ there be two
Clerks of the Regifter of the faid Parliament ;
the one Civil, the other Criminal ; who fhall
officiate by Our Commiflions, and fhaM be cal-
led Clerks of the Regiftry Civil and Cri-
minal ; and therefore fhall neither be difplac'd
nor revok'd by the faid Regifters, or chief
Clerks of Parliament : Yet they fhaH be oblig'd
to yield the Profit of the faid Regiftries to
the faid Regifter ; the which Clerks fhall re-
ceive Salaries from the faid Regifters, accord-
ing as it fhall be thought fit, and order'd by
the faid Chamber. Moreover, Catholick Mef^
fengers fhall be appointed there, who fhall be
taken out of the fa^d Court, or elfewhere, ac-
cording to our Pleafure ; befides which, two
'new ones fhall be eredled, being of the faid
Reformed Religion, without their paying any
Fees : All the faid MefTengers fhall be direfted
by the faid Chamber, both as to the Execution,
and Precindl of their OfHce, as well as to the
Fees they fhall receive. A Commiffion fnall alio
be difpatch'd for a Pay-Mafter of Salaries, and
a Receiver of the Fines levy'd by the Chamber,
v;ho fhall be chofen by Us, in cafe the faid
Chamber be eftablifh'd in any other Place but
the faid City ; and the Commrflion heretofore
granted to the Pay-mafter of the Salaries of
the Chamber of Caftres^ fhall remain in full
Force, and the Commiflion of Receiver of the
Fines levy'd by the faid Chamber fhall be
annex'd to the faid Office.
XLI. Sufficient AfTignations fhall be pro-
vided for the Penfions or Salaries of the Of-
ficers of the Chambers ordain'd by thisEdidt.
2 XLII,
2 1 8 Hijiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol . IV*
HenrylV. XLII. The Prefidents, CounfelJors, and o-
^596- ther Catholick Officers of the faid Chambers,
*:Jjyjj j fhall be continu'd as long as polTibly may be,
i and as we fhall find it mod expedient for Our
Service, and the Good of Our Subjeds : And
in difmiffing fome, others fhall be appointed
in their room before their Departure ; and they
fhall not, during the time of their Waiting,
abfent themfelves, or depart from the faid
Chambers, without their Leave, which fhall
be judg*d by the Proceedings of the Or-
dinance.
XLIII. The faid Chambers fhall be efta-
blifh'd within fix Months, during which, fif
the Eftablifhment continue fo long a fettling :)
the Suits mov*d or to be mov'd, in which
thofe of the faid Religion fhall be Parties,
within the Jurifdidion of Our Parliaments of
Paris^ Roiien, Dijon, and Rennes fhall be re-
mov*d, or fum.mon'd to the Chamber at pre-
fent eflablifh'd at Paris, by virtue of the
.Edift of the Year 1577, or elfe to the
Great Council, at the Elcdion and Choice of
thofe of the faid Religion, if they require
it: Thofe that are of the Parliament of Bcur-
deaux, into the Chamber of Cq/ires^ or to the
faid Great Council, at their Choice : And thofe
that are of Provence, to the Parliament of Gre-
noble. And in cafe the faid Chambers be not
eftablifh'd within three Months after the Pre-
fentation there made of this Our prefent Edidl,
fuch of Our Parliaments as fhall have made
Refufal thereof, fhall be prohibited to take
Cognizance, or judge the Caufes of thofe of
the faid Religion.
XLIV. Suits not yet determin*d, depending
in the faid Courts of Parliament, and Grand
Council, of the Nature abovefaid, fhall be re-
turn'd,
Book VW.Refonned Churches in France. 2 Ig
turn*d, in what State foever they (land, into HenrylV.
the faid Chambers, each Caufe to its Court of „ '59^*
Reference, in cafe one of the Parties of the mentVIII
faid Religion requires it, within four Months
after the Eftablifliment thereof; and as for
fuch as (hall be difcontinu*d, and are not in a
State to come to trial, the above-mention*d of
the faid Religion fhall be oblig'd to make a
Declaration at the firft Intimation and Signi-
fication they fhall receive of the Purfuit ; and
the faid Term being expir'd, they fhall no lon-
*^er be receiv*d to demand the faid Returns.
XLV. The faid Chambers of Grenoble and
Bourdeaux^ as well as that of Chartres^ fhall
obferve the Stile and Forms of the Parliaments,
within the Jurifdidions of which they fhall be
eflabiifh'd, and fhall judge in equal Numbers
both of the one, and other Religion, unlefs the
Parties agree to the contrary.
XLVI. All the Judges, to whom the Ex-
ecutions, Decrees, Commiflions, of the faid
Chambers, and Letters, obtained out of their
Chanceries, fliall be directed ; as alfo all Mef-
fengers and Serjeants fhall be bound to put
them in execution -, and the Me/Tengers and
Serjeants fhall alfo be oblig'd to ferve all their
"Warrants in all Parts of the Kingdom, without
demanding Placet^ ^(/^, nor Pareatis, on pain
of Sufpenfion of their Places, and paying the
Damages, Charges and Interefts of the Par-
ties : The Cenfure whereof fhall belong to
the faid Chambers.
XL VII. No Removal of Caufes fhall be al-
low*d, the trial of which is referr'd to the
faid Chambers, unlefs in the Cafe of the Or-
dinances, the Return whereof fhall be made
to the nearefl Chamber eftablifn'd according
to Our Edid: And the IfTues of Suit§ of tb*?
faid
220 Hifiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV.faid Chamber fhall be try'd in the next Cham-
p/J^CIe- ^^^' obferving the Proportion and Forms of
mentVIII ^^e faid Chamber, from whence the ProcefTes
fhall proceed, except for the Chambers of the
Edi(5l in our Parliament of Paris -, where the
faid Party -Suits fhall be difpos'd of in the faid
Chamber, by Judges that (hall be by Us no-
minated by our particular Letters to this end,
unlefs the Parties had rather attend the Re-
novation of the faid Chamber. And if it
fhould happen that one and the fame Suit ftiould
pafs through all the Party- Chambers, the Ifluc
thereof fhall be returned to the faid Chamber
of Paris.
XLVIII. Refufals propos'd againfl the Pre-
fidents and Counfellors of the Party -Chambers
fhall be allow'd to the Number of fix, to which
Number the Parties fhall be reftrain'd, other-
wife they fhall go forward without any regard
to the faid Refufals.
XLIX. The Examination of Prefidents and
Counfellors newly ere died in the faid Party -
Chambers, fhall be perform'd by Our Privy-
Council, or by the faid Chambers, each one
within its Precin(5ls, when their Number fhall
be fufficient : Neverthelefs, the ufual Oath
fhall be by them taken in the Courts where
the faid Chamber fhall be eftablifh*d, and upon
their Refufal, in Our Privy-Council -, except
thofe of the Chamber of hanguedoCy v/ho fhall
take their Oath before Our Chancellor, or in
the faid Camber.
L. We Will and Ordain, That the Re-
ception of Our Officers of the faid Religion,
fhall be judg'd in the faid Party-Chambers by
the Plurality of Votes •, as it is ufual in other
Judgments, it not being requifite that the
Votes fhould furpafs two Thirds, according
to
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Traijc-e. 221
to the Ordinance, the which in this refpedl HenrylV.
is abrogated, _ _ _ PopJ^cie^
LI. All Propofitions, Deliberations and Re- nientVIlI
folutions, relating to the Publick 'Peace, and
for the particular Eftate and Policy of the
Cities, where the Party-Chambers fhall refide,
ihall be made in the faid Chambers.
LIT. The Article of the Jurifdidion of the
faid Chambers, ordain'd by the prefent Edidt,
fhall be follow'd and obferv*d according to its
Form and Tenor, even in what relates to the
Execution, Omiflion, or Infraction of Our
Edids, when thofe of the faid Religion fhall
be Parties.
LIII. The Subaltern Officers Royal, or o-
thers, the Reception of which belongs to Our
Courts of Parliament, if they be of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion, may be exa-
mined and receiv'd in the faid Chambers : viz,
Thofe of the Jurifdidtion of the Parliaments of
Paris^ Normandy, and Britany, in the faid
Chambers of Pans, thofe of Dauphine and
Provence, in the Chamber oi Grenoble \ thofe
of Burgundy, in the faid Chamber of Paris ;
or of Dauphine, at their Choice •, thofe of the
Jurifdidtioa of 'Thouloufe, in the Chamber of
Caftres ; and thofe of the Parliament of Bour-
deaiix, in the Chamber of Guyenne % and no
other to oppofe their Receptions, or make
themfelves Parties, but Our Attorneys-General,
and their Subftitutes, and thofe placed in the
faid OBices, Neverthelefs, the accuftomed
Oath fhall by them be taken in the Courts
of Parliament, which ihall not be allow'd to
take cognizance of their Reception ; and upon
the Refufd of the faid Parliament, the faid
Officers (hall take the Oath in the faid Cham-
bers } which being thus taken, they fli^U bs
obliged
222 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol JV.
HenrylV. oblig'd to prefent the Ad of their Receptioilj
Pwj^^Gle ^y ^ Meflenger or Notary to the Regifters of
nientVIII ^^ ^^'^^ Courts of Parliament, and to leave a
compar'd Copy thereof, with the faid Re-
gifters ; who are enjoin'd to regifter the faid
Ads, on pain of paying all the Charges, Da-
mages and Interefts of the Parties: And in
cafe the Regifters ftiould refufe to do it, it
ftiall be fufficicnt for the faid Officers to bring
back the Ad of the faid Summons, drawn by
the faid MefTengers, or Notaries, and to caufe
the fame to be recorded in the Regifters of their
faid JurifdidiQiis ; there to be view'd when
Need fhall require, on pain of Nullity of their
Proceedings and Judgments. And as for thofe
Officers, whofe Reception is not to be made
in Our faid Parliaments •, in cafe thofe by whom
it ought to be made fhould refufe to proceed
to the faid Examination and Reception, the
faid Officers ftiall repair to the faid Chambers,
where care ftiall be taken for their faid Re-
ception.
LIV. The Officers of the faid Pretended
Reformed Religion, who ftiall be chofen here-
after, to ferve in the Body of Our faid Court
of Parliament, Grand Council, Chambers of
Accounts, Courts of Aids, and in the Offices
of the Treafurer-General of France^ and other
Officers of the Exchequers, fliall be examin'd
and receiv'd in the Places where it was ufually
perform'd ; and in cafe of Refufa], or Denial
of Juftice, they ftiall be conftituted in Our
Privy-Council.
LV. The Reception of Our Officers made
in the Chamber eftablifti'd heretofore at Cajlres^
ftiall remain in force, all Decrees and Ordi*
nances thereunto contrary, notwithftandingv
The Reception of Our Judges, Counfellors and
other
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 223
other Officers of the faid Religion, made inHenrylV.
Our Privy -Council, or by Commiffioners by Us pA^^^Ie-
nominated upon the Refufal of Our Courts of jnentVIII
Parliament, of Aids, and Chambers of Ac-
count, fhall alfo be as valid, as if they had
been made in the faid Courts and Chambers
and by other Judges, to whom thofe Recepti-
ons appertain. And their Salaries fhall be al-
low'd by the Chambers of Accounts, without
Difficulty : And if any have been difmifs'd,
they fhall be re-eflablilh*d without any farther
Mandamus than this prefent Edid: ; and the
faid Officers fhall not be oblig'd to fhow any
other Reception ; all Decrees given to the
contrary notwithflanding ; the which fhall re-
main void, and of no efFedt.
LVI. Until Means be procur'd to defray
the Expences of Juftice of Our faid Chambers
out of the Moneys of Fines and Confifcations,
we will affign a valuable and fufficient Fund
to difcharge the faid Expences, which Money
fhall be return*d out of the Eftates of the
Perfons condemned.
LVII. The Prefidents and Counfellors of
the faid Pretended Reformed Religion hereto-
fore receiv*d into Our Courts of Parliament of
Dauphine, and in the Chamber of the Edi6l,
incorporated into the fame, fhall continue and
hold their Place and Order there, viz. The
Prefidents as they did and do enjoy them at
prefent i and the Counfellors according to the
Decrees and Pat.'nts they have obtain'd about
it in Our Privy-Council.
LVIII. We declare ail Sentences, Judg-
ments, Decrees, Proceedings, Seizures, Sales,
and Orders made and given againft thofe of
the faid Pretended Reformed Religion, v/h?-
ther dead, or alive, fmce the Dsath of the late
2^4 'Hiftory of the Reformatio?!, and of the Vol.IV;'
HenrylV. King Henry the Second, our moft honoiir*d Lord
Po^ e^Ch ^"^ Father-in^ Law, by reafon of the faid Relw
mentVIII gio'"'? Tumults and Troubles happen'd fince,
together with the Execution of the faid Judg-
ments and Decrees from this prefent, cancelled^
revoked, and nullified, and the fame do cancel,
revoke, and nullify. We order the fame to
be raz*d and wip'd out of the Records of the.
Regifters of Courts, as well fovereign as infe-
rior. As it is likewife our Fleafure, that all
Marks, Tracks and Monuments of the faid Ex-
ecutions, Books and Ads defamatory to their
Perfons, Memory and Pofterity, (hall be re-
mov*d and defac'd t And that the Places in
which have been made upon that account, De-
molifhments or Razings, fhall be reftor'd to
the Owners in fuch a Condition as they are,
the fame to injoy and to difpofe of as they fhall
think fit. And we have generally revok'd,
cancell'd, and nullified all Proceedings and In-
formations made for any Enterprizes whatever,
pretended Crimes of Lefe-Majefty and others.
Notwithftanding which Proceedings^ Decrees
and Judgments, comprehending Reunion, In-
corporation, and Confifcation, it is our Plea-
fure that thofe of the faid Religion, and others
who have been ingag'd in their Party, and their
Heirs, {hall re-enter into the real and adtual
poffeiTion of all and every their Eftates.
LIX. All Proceedings made. Judgments
and Decrees given during the Troubles, againft
thofe of the faid Religion, who have born
Arms, or withdrawn themfelves out of our
Realm cr within the fame, into Cities and
Countries held by them upon another account
than that of Religion and the Troubles, toge-
ther with all Nonfuits and Prefcriptions, eltiier
legal, conventional, or cuilomary, and feodal
Seizures^
Book Vll. Reformed Churches in France. 225
Seizures, befallen during the Troubles, or by HenrylV*
]av/ful Irnpediments proceeding from them, ^^^ pl^^Qx^.
cognizance v/hcreof (hall remain in our Judges, mentVIII
fhall be efteem'd as not perform'dj granted, or
happen'd ; and fuch we have declared, and do
declare them to be, and have annihilated and
do annihilate them ; for all which the faid Par-
ties iliail have no other redrefs : but to be re-
ftor'd to the fame ftate in which they were be-
fore, the faid Decrees and Execution thereof
notwithftanding ; and the PoffefTion they had
formerly, fhall be reftor'd to them in this re-
fped:. What is above-mention'd fhall alfo take
place, in relation to others v/ho have been in-
gag'd in the Party of thofe of the faid Religion,
or that have abfented themfelves out of our
Kingdom, by reafon of the Troubles. And as
for the Children under age of thofe of the Qua-
lity abovefaid, who died during the Troubles,
we reftore the Parties to the fame Eftate in which
they were before, without refunding the Char-
ges, or being bound to confign the Fines or
A merciaments •, but yet we do not mean that
Judgments given by prefidial or other inferiour
Judges, againft thofe of the faid Religion, or
thofe who have been ingaged in their Party^
fhould remain void, if given by Judges, hold-
ing Seflions in Cities held by them, to which
they had a free Accefs.
LX. The Decrees given in our Courts of
Parliament, in matters, the Cognizance where-
of belongs to the Chambers ordain'd by the
Edict in the Year 1577. and the Articles of
Nerac and Flex^ m which Courts the Parties
have not proceeded voluntarily, that is, they
have alledg*d and propos'd Ends declinatory,
or that have been given by Default or Exclu-
VoL. IV. Ct ^^<^n>
226 Bijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HfenrylV. (ton, either in Matters civil or criminal, not-
'59^. withftanding which Ends, the faid Parties have
^/njyjjjbeen conftrain'd to go forward, fhail likev/ifebe
annihilated, and of no value. And as for the
Decrees given againft thofe of the faid Religion,
who have proceeded voluntarily, without pro-
poling declinatory Ends, the faid Decrees fhall
remain in force ; yet nevertheleefs without pre-
judice to the Execution thereof, they fhall be
allow'd, if they think good, to take fome
courfe by civil Requeft, before the Chambers
ordain*d by the prefent Ed 161: ; and the Time
run on, mention'd by the Ordinances, fhall
be no prejudice to them ; and until the faid
Chambers, and their Chanceries are eftablifh'd,
the verbal Appeals or thofe by Writ brought in
by thofe of the faid Religion, before the Judges,
Regifters, or Commiffioners, Executors, of De-
crees and Judgments, fhall take the fame Ef-
fefl, as if they had been fued out by Letters
Patent.
LXI. In all Inquiries that fhall be made up-
on any Occafion whatfoever, in Civil Matters,
if the Inquifitor or CommifTary be a Catholick,
the Parties fhall be obliged to agree about an
AfTociate •, and in cafe they cannot agree about
one, the faid Inquifitor or CommifTary fhall
take one out of the Ofhce, being of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion ; and the fame
fhall be pra^lifed when the CommifTary or In-
quifitor fhall be of the faid Religion, for a Ca-
tholick Adjun<51;.
LXII. We will and ordain. That our Judges
fhall determine the Validity of Teflaments, in
which thofe of the faid Religion fhall be con-
cern'd, if they require it ; and the Appeals of
the faid Judgments may be fued out by thofe
of the faid Religion, notwithflanding all Cuf-
toms
JBooK VII. Reformed Churches in Fr AH CEb 227
toms contrary thereunto, even thofe of Brittany. HenrylV.
LXIII. To prevent all Differences that ^'598-
might happen between Our Courts of Par- mfntviIX*
liament, and the Chambers of the faid Courts,
ordainM by Our prefent Edi6l ; We will fet
down an -ample and plain Order between the
faid Courts and Chambers, by which thofe of
the faid Pretended Reformed Religion fhall
fully enjoy the Benefit of the faid Edid. Which
■ Order ihall be verified in Our Courts of Par-
liament, which fhall be kept and obferv'd
without having a Refpedt to thofe that have
been made before.
LXIV. We prohibit and forbid all Our
Sovereign Courts, "aiid others of this King-
dom, to take Cognizance ; and judge the Pro-
cefles, Civil and Criminal, of thofe of the faid
Religion, the Trial whereof, by Our Edid, is
referr'd to the faid Chambers, provided the
Return be demanded, as it is fpecify'd by the
fortieth Article above- written.
LXV. Our Will alfo is, by way of Pro-
vifion, until We have otherwife ordain'd it,
that ir\ all Suits mov'd, or to be mov'd, in
which thofe of the faid Religion fhall ftand as
Plaintiffs, or Defendants, principal Parties, or
"Warrantees in Civil Caufes, in which our Of-
ficers and Prefidial Tribunals have Power to
judge definitively ; they be permitted to de-
mand that two of the Chamber, where the
Caufe is to be try'd, abftain from the Judg-
ment of them ; who without alledgiug any
Cauf.;, fliall be bound in this Cafe to abftain,
notwithftanding the Ordinance by which the
Judges cannot be excepted againft without juft
Cauie ; there remaining to them befides. Re-
fufals of Right againll the others. And in
Criminal Cafes, in which the faid Prefidial
Q. 2 Judge^j^
228 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.IV.
HenrylV. Judges, and other fubaltern or inferior Judges
p/J^CIe- ^°y^^' j^^gs definitively ; the Perfons im-
mentVIII peach'd being of the faid Religion, fhall alfo
be allow'd to challenge three of the Judges
peremptorily. The Provofts of the Marfhals
of France^ Vice-BailifFs, Vice-Senefchals, Lieu-
tenants of the Short- Robe, and other Officers
of the like Quality, fhall alfo judge according
to the Ordinance and Rules heretofore given,
in relation to Vagabonds. And as for Houfe-
keepers charg'd and impeach'd with any Pro-
voftal or publick Crime, if they be of the faid
Religion, they fhall alfo be allow'd to demand
that three of the faid Judges, who may take
Cognizance thereof, abftain from the Judg-
ment of their Caufes, which the faid Judges
fhall be oblig'd to do, without any ExprelTion
of Caufe •, except when in the AfTembly where
the faid Caufes fhall be judg*d, there hap-
pen to be the Number of two in Civil Mat-
ters, and three in Criminal Cafes of thofe of
the faid Religion, in which Cafe they fhall
not be allow'd to challenge peremptorily,
without fhowing Caufe •, the which fhall be
common and reciprocal to Catholicks in Man-
ner and Form above- mention'd in refpedl to
the Refufal of Judges, where thofe of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion fhall exceed the
others in Number, Neverthelefs, We do not
mean that the faid Prefidial-Tribunals, Pro-
vofts-Marihals, Vice-Bailiffs, Vice-Senefchals,
and others, who judge definitively, fhould by
virtue of what is abovefaid, take Cognizance
of the Troubles pafl. And as for Crimes and
Excefl'ts committed upon other Occafions,
than that of the Troubles paft, from the Be^
ginning of March 1585, to the End of the
Year 1597, in Cafe they do take Cognizance
of
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, 229
of them: It is Our Will, that Appeals may Henry IV-
be had from their Judgments, before the'p^J59^^-
Chambers ordain'd by the prefent Edid ; asmentVIir
fliall in the like manner be pradis'd for Catho-
lick Accomplices, where fome of thofe of the
Pretended Reformed Religion fhall be Parties.
LXVI. We alfo W^ill and Ord.-.In, That
henceforward in all Inftrudions, except Infor-
mations of Criminal Caufes, in the Senefchal-
(hips of 1'hoioufe, CarcaJJonne, Rouergue, Lau-
ragais^ Beziers, Mo'/2tpelier and Nimes^ the
Magiftrate, or CommiiTary, deputed for the
faid Inftru6lion, if he be a Catholick, fhall be
bound to take an AfTociate of the Pretended
Reformed Religion, which the Parties fliall
agree about ; and in Cafe they cannot agree,
one of the faid Religion fhall be taken out of
the Office, by the aforefaid Magiftrate, or Com-
mifTary : As in like manner. If the Magiftrate,
or Commiifary, be of the faid Religion, he
Ihall be oblia'd in the Manner and Form afore-
faid to take a Catholick' Affiftant.
LXVII. When any Houfholder of the faid
Religion, being charg'd and accus'd of any
publick Crimes, fliall be try'd before the PrOf-
vofts Marfhals, or their Lieutenants, the fiiid
Provoits, or their Lieutenants, being Catho-
licks, fhail be obliged to call to the Proceed-
ings of fuch a Matter, an AlTiftant of the faid
Religion ; who fhall alfo aflifl at the Trial of
the Competency of the Indidlment, and at the
Judgment definitive of the Matter ; which
Competency Ihall only be try'd at the next
Prefidial Tribunal, in open Aflembly, by the
chief Officers of the faid Court, being adlually
there on pain of Nullity, unlefs the Perfons
accus'd, defire to have the faid Competency
try'd in the Chambers ordain'd by ti.he prQ-
0^3 fent
230 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and cf the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. fent Edl6l. In which Cafe, in refpeft to the
'598- Houftiolders of the Provinces of Guyenne, Lan-
xnlntVlllK^^'^^^-> Provence, and Dauphine, the Subftitutes
of our Attorneys-General in the faid Cham-
bers, fhall at the Requeft of the faid Houf-
holders, caufe the faid Charges and Informa-
tions againft them, to be brought before them,
to know and determine, whether the Caufes
are liable to Provofts-Courts or not •, in order,
according to the Nature of the Crimes, to be
return'd by the faid Chambers to the Ordinary
Judge, or elfe to be try'd by the Provoftal
Judges, according as they fhall judge it rea-
fonable, and fuitable to the Contents of this
Our prefent Edid: And all the faid Prefidial-
Judges, Provofts-Marfhals, Vice-BailifFs, Vice-
Senefchals, and others, who judge definitively,
fhall be oblig'd refpedively to obey and ob-
ferve the Commands they fhall receive from
the faid Chambers, as they ufe to refped the
Orders of the faid Parliaments, on Forfeiture
of their Places.
LXVIII. The Publication of Sale, and Sei-
zures, Outcries, and felling of Inheritances by
the Spear, in purfuance of a Decree, fliall be
perform'd at the ufual Places and Houfes, if
poffible, according to Our Ordinances ; or elfe
in publick Market-Places, in Cafe there be
any Market- Places in the Place where the faid
Inheritances are feated ; and where there are
none, it fhall be done in the next Market-
place within the Precind of the Scffion where
the Adjudication is to be made, and the Paper
of Notice fhall be faflen'd on a Pofl: in the
faid Market ; and at the Entrance of the Au-
ditorys, or Seffions-Hoiife of the faid Place ;
and in fo doing, the faid Publications fhall be
good and valid, and they fhall proceed to
'■ the
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr an CE. 231
the Faffing of the Order for the Sale of the HenrylV-
Goods, without minding the Nullities that pAJ q.-
might be alledg'd in that refpe^l. mentVUl
LXIX. All Titles, Papers, Inftruments, and
Informations, that have been taken, fhall be re-
ftored on both Sides to the Owners, altho' the
faid Papers, or the Caftles, or Houfes, in which
they were kept, were taken and feiz'd, either
by fpecial Commlffions from the late King,
Our moft honour d Lord and Brother-in-Law i
or from Us, or by the Command of the Go-
vernours and Lieutenants-General of Our Pro-
vinces, or by the Authority of the Chiefs of the
other Side, or under any Pretence whatever.
LXX. The Children of fuch as have with-
drawn themfelves out of Our Kingdom, fince
the Death of the kte King Henry II. Our
moft honour'd Lord and Father-in-Law, on
the account of Religion, and the Troubles,
tho* the faid Children be born out of this
Kingdom, fhall be held for true Frenchmen
and Natives, and as fuch We have declared
and do declare them to be, without their be-
ing obhg*d to take Letters of Naturalization,
or other Warrants from us, but the prefent
Edid : All Ordlrances thereunto contrary
notwithftanding ; to which We have deroga-
ted, and do derogate, upon Condition, that
the faid Children born in foreign Countries,
fnall be oblig'd within ten Years after the faid .
Publication of thefe Prefents, to come and
refide in this Kingdom.
LXXI. Thofe of the faid Pretended Re-
formed Religion, and others who have been,
ingag'd in their Party, who fhall have taken ;f-;^j
to Farm, before the Troubles, any Offices, or
other Demefnes, Cuftoms, Foreign Impofuions,
or other Duties to Us belonging, the which
0^4 they
232 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV.they have not been able to enjoy, by reafon of
p ' 59^ the Troubles, fball remain difcharg*d, as We do
mentVlfi ^^'■^^y difcharge them of what they have not
receiv'd of the faid Farms, or what they have
paid without Fraud, any where out of Our
Exchequer: All Obligations enter'd into by
them upon this Account, notwithftanding.
LXXII. Ail Places, Cities, and Provinces
of Our Kingdom, Countries, Lands, and Lord-
fhips under Our Obedience, (ball have and
enjoy the fame Privileges, Immunities, Liber-
ties, Franchifes, Fairs, Markets, Jurifdidlions,
and Seats of Juftice, as they did before the
Troubles, begun in the Month oi March 1585.
And others preceding, all Letters-Patents
thereunto contrary, and the Translation of fome
of the faid Seats notwithftanding ; provided
it was only upon the Account of the Trou-
bles : which Seats fhall be re-eftablifh'd in the
Cities and Places where they were before.
LXXIII. In Cafe there be yet any Vx\r-_
foners detain'd by Authority of Juftice, or
otherwife, even in the Gallies, by reafon of
the Troubles; or of the faid Religion, they
fhall be fet at liberty.
LXXIV. Thofe of the faid Religion fhall
not hereafter be furcharg'd or opprefs'd with
any ordinary or extraordinary Impofition, more
than the Catholicks, and according to the
Proportion of their Eftates and Subftance ; and
the Parties that think themfelves over-bur-
then*d, may have Recourfe to, and ftiall be re-
drefled by the Judges appointed for that Sub-
J26I : And all Our Subjeds, whether Catho-
licks, or of the faid Pretended Reformed Re-
ligion, fhall be equally difcharg'd of all Char-
ges that have been impos'd on both Sides
during the Troubles, on thofe that were of a
contrary
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 233
contrary Party, and not confenting ; as alfo of Henryl V.
Debts, created and not paid, Expences made '598-
without their Approbation -, but yet there fhall mfntVn'r
be no Returns made of the Fruits that fhall ^^-y^,u
have been imploy'd for the Payment of the
faid Charges.
LXXV. Neither do We allow that thofe
of the faid Religion and others, who have
been ingag'd in their Party ; nor the Catho-
licks, who dwell in the Cities, Towns, and
Places, held and detain'd by them, and who
have contributed to them, fhould be profe-
cuted for the Payment of Taxes, Aids, Grants,
Increafe, AfTeffments, Waftes, and Reparations,
and other Impofitions and Subfidies due, and
imposed during the Troubles that happen*d
before, and fince Our coming to the Crown ;
either by Edicts, Orders from the late Kings
Our PredecefTors, or by Advice and Delibera-
tion of the Governors and Eftates of the Pro-
vinces, Courts of Parliament, and others,
whereof We have difcharg'd, and do difcharge
them i forbidding Our Treafurers-General of
France^ and of Our Exchequers, Receivers
General and Particular, their Clerks, Inter-
meddlers, and other Intendants and Commif-
faries of our Exchequer, to profecute, moleft,
or trouble them for the fame diredlly or in-
diredlly, in any Way whatever.
LXXVI. AH Commanders, Lords, Knights,
Gentlemen, Officers, Corporations of Cities,
Towns, and Commonalties, and all others, who
have aided and affifted them ; their Widows,
Heirs, and Succeflbrs, ihall be acquitted and dif-
charg'd of all Sums, that have been taken and
rais'd by them, or their Orders, as well belonging
to the Crown, to whatever Sums they may a-
mount ; as out of Cities, Towns, and Commonal-
ties,
2^4 'Hlftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol JV,
HenrylV. ties, and from particular Perfons, Rents, Reve-
'598- niies, Plate, Sale of Moveables belonging to Ec-
tnnetVIl'l clefiafticks, and others ; High-Forefts belonging
u— yr--' ^^ ^^ Demefnes, or to other Perfons, Fines,
Booties, Ranfoms, or Sums of other Natures
by them taken, by reafon of the Troubles be-
gun in March 1585, and other precedent
Troubles, until Our coming to the Crown ;
for which neither they, nor thofe by them
imploy*d for the raifing of the faid Sums, or
fuch as have given or furnifhM them by their
Order, fhall be any ways profecuted either for
the Time being, or to come •» and both they
and their CommiiTioners, or Cterks, fhall remain,
acquitted and difcharg*d for all the Manage-
ment and Adminiftration of the faid Money,
bringing in for a full Difcharge, within four
Months after the Publication of the prefent
Edi6t, made in Our Court of Parliament of
Paris^ Acquittances duely expedited by the
Chiefs of the faid Religion, or from thofe who
were imploy'd by them for the Audit and
' clearing of Accounts, or from the Commonal-
ties of Cities, which had Authority and Com-
mand during the faid Troubles, They fhall
in like manner remain acquitted and difcharg*d
of all Ads of Hoftility, Levies, and Condudt
of Soldiers, Coining and Rating of Money,
done by Order of the faid Chiefs ; Calling and
Taking of Artillery and Munitions, Making
of Powder and Salt-peter ; the Taking, For-
tifying, Difmantling, and Demolifiiing of Ci-
ties, Caftles, Towns, and Villages, Enterprizes
upon the fame ; the Burning and Demoliihing
of Churches, and Houfes, ' Eftabiifhing of
Courts of Juftice, Judgments and Executions
from the fame, whether in Matters Civil or
Criminal, of any Policy or Government efla-
2 blifh'd
PooK VII. Reformed Churches in France. 235
bJiih'd among them, of Voyages and Intelli- Henry IV.
gences, Negotiations, Treaties, and Contrails o^^^q
made with all foreign Princes, and Commonal- merit VIII
ties, and the Introdu6lion of the faid Foreigners
into the Cities, and other Places of our King-
dom, and generally of all that has been done,
or negotiated during the faid Troubles, fince
the Death of the late King Hemj II, our moft
honour'd Lord and Father- in- Law, by thofe
of the faid Religion, and others who have
been engaged in their Party, tho* it be not par-
ticularly fpecify'd nor exprefs'd.
LXXVII. Thofe of the faid Religion fhall
alfo be difcharg'd for all General and Provin-
cial AfTemblies, made and held by them both
at Nantx and elfe where fince, until this prefent
Time -, likewife for the Councils by them efta-
blifh'd andordain'd in the Provinces, Delibe-
rations, Ordinances, and Regulations made by
the faid AfTemblies, and Councils, Eflablifli-
ment and Augmentation of Garifons, Affem-
bling of Soldiers, Railing and Taking of Mo-
ney either from the Receivers- General, or from
particular Perfons, Colledlors of Parifhes, or
others, in any kind whatever -, Seizing of Salt,
Continuation or new ErecTcion of Impofitions,
and Tolls, and Receipts of the fame, even at
Roya?iy and upon the Rivers Charante, Garonne^
Rhone^ Bordogne, equipping of Ships and Sea-.
Fights, and all Accidents and ExceiTes, occa-
fion'd by obliging People to pay the faid fm-
pofitions. Tolls, and other Moneys, Forti-
fications of Cities, Caftles, and Places, Im-
pofitions of Money, and Average, Receipts of
the faid Money, turning out of our Receivers
and Farmers, and other Officers, eftablifhing of
others in their room, and for all Unions, Dif-
patches, and Negotiations, made either within
or
236 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and oj the Vol . IV.
Henry IV. or without the Kingdom:' And generally for
'59^. all that hath been done, deliberated, written,
^fnjyjjj and ordain'd by the faid Aflemblies, and Coun-
icils, for which neither thofe who have given
their Advice, fign'd,^ executed, and caus'd the
faid Ordinances, Regulations, and Deliberati-
ons to be fign'd and executed, fhall neither be
profecuted or troubled, nor their Widows,
Heirs, or SuccefTors, either at prefent, or for
the future, altho' the Particulars are not fpeci-
fied here. And upon ^the Whole, perpetual
Silence fhall be impos*d to.our Attorne-y.^-Gene-
ral and their Subftitutes, and to all fuch as
could have any Pretence to it in any kind, or
manner whatever ; all Sentences, Judgments,
Informations, and Proceedings to the contrary
notwithllanding.
LXXVIII. Moreover, we approve, con-
firm, and authorize the Accounts that have
been heard, allow'd, and examined by the De-
puties of the faid AfTembly. And order the
fame, together with the Acquittances and Pa-
pers that have been return'd by the Accoun-
tants, to be carried into our Chamber of Ac-
counts at PariSy within three Months after the
Publication of the prefent Edift, and deliver'd
into the Hands of our Attorney-General, to be
deliver'd to the Keeper of the Books and Re-
gifters of our Chamber, there to be view'd as
often as ftiall be neceflary •, neither fhall the
faid Accounts be examined a-new, or the Ac-
countants be obliged to appear, or to corred:
any Thing, unlefs in the Cafe of OmifTions of
Receipts, or falfe Acquittances : Irapofing Si-
lence to our Attorney -General, to whatever elfe
might be thought defedive, or the Formalities
omitted. Forbidding thofe that keep our Courts
of Accounts, either at Faris^ or in other Pro-
vinces
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 237
vinces where they are eftabJiih'd, to t^ke any HenrylV-
Cognizance thereof in any kind whatever. pA^^cie-
LXXIX. A.S for the Accounts that have not mentVIII
been deliver'd yet, they fhall be heard, pafs'd
and examined by Commiffioners appointed by
us, who fhall without Difficulty pafs, and allow
all the Accounts paid by the faid Accountants,
by virtue of the Ordinances of the faid Aflem-
bly, or others, who were in Power.
LXXX. All CoUedors, Receivers, Farmers,
and others, fhall be well and duly difcharg*d
for all the Sums by them paid to the Commif-
fioners of the faid AfTembly, whatever nature
they were of, until the laft Day of this Month.
We order the Whole to be pafs'd and allow*d
in the Accounts that fliall be given thereof, in
our Chambers of Accounts, meerly by virtue
of the Acquittances they (hall bring along with
them ; and in cafe any fhould be expedited or
deliver'd hereafter, they fhall be void ; and
thofe who fhall accept or deliver them, fhall
be fin'd as Falfificators. And in cafe any of
the Accounts already deliver'd fhould be blot-
ted, or raz'd, and excepted againft, we do in
that refped remove the faid Scruples, and allow
the faid Accounts to be good, by virtue of
thefe Prefents, and there fhall be no need for
all that is above-faid of any particular Letters,
nor any Thing elfe, for all which the Extra6b
of the prefent Article will fuffice.
LXXXI. The Governors, Captains, Con-
fuls, and other Perfons imploy'd for the Col-
ledion of the Money to pay the Garifons of
the Places held by thofe of the faid Religion,
to whom our Receivers and Colledors of Pa-
rifhes fnall have furnifli'd by way of Loan up-
on their Notes and Bonds, either by Force, or
to obey the Commands made to them by the
Treafurers-
23S Hifiory of the Reformatlon^andofthe Vol. IV^
HenrylV-Treafurers-General, fuch Sums of Money as
plp^'oXt- ^^^^ "ecefTary to pay off the faid Garifons, to
mentVIllthe Value of what was fpecify'd in the Settk-
'ment we caus'd to be made in the beginning
of the Year 1596 •, and the Additions that have
been fince by us granted, are hereby acquitted
and difcharg'd of what has been paid for the
abovefaid Ufe, altho' it is not exprefly men-
tion'd in the faid Notes and Bonds, the which
fhall be reftor*d to them as annihilated. And
in order thereunto, the Treafurers-General ini
every Generality, ihall order the particular
Receivers of our Taxes to give the faid
Colledlors their Acquittances, and the Recei-
vers-General their Acquittances to the faid
particular Receivers : For the Difcharge of
which Receivers-General, the Sums they {hall
have accounted for, as abovefaid, fhall be
endors'd upon the Orders given to the
Treafurer of the Exchequer, fign'd by the
Treafurers-General of the Extraordinary of
our Wars, for the Payment of the faid
Garifons. And in Cafe the faid Orders do not
amount to as much as is fpecify'd by our
faid Settlement of the Year 1596, and the Ad-
ditions, it is our Pleafure, in order to fupply the
fame, that new Orders fhall be given, for as
much as may be wanting for the Difcharge of
our Accomptants, and the Reftitution of the
faid Frornifes and Bonds, to the end that no-
thing may be requir'd hereafter, from thofe that
have given them -, and that all necefTary Letters
of Inforcement, and Ratification for the Dif-
charge of the faid Accomptants, be ilTued out
by virtue of this prefent Article.
LXXXII. And therefore, thofe of the fud
Religion fhall give over and defift, from this very
timej-
Book VII. 'Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 2 39
time, all Pradices, Negociatlons and IntelHgen- Henry IV.
ces, both at home and abroad -, and the faid Af- _ ^59^«
femblies and Councils efl:ablifh*d in the Pro- mentVIIi:
vinces fhall ftrait break up: And all Leagues'
and Aflbciations made or to be made, under
any Pretence whatever, to the prejudice of our
prefent Edift, fhall be cancell*d and annulled,
as we do hereby cancel and annul them ; for-
bidding all our Subje6ls moft exprefly hence-
forward to make any AfTeflments and Raifings
of Money, v/ithout our Leave, Fortifications,
Liftings of Men, Congregations and Afiemblies,
befides thofe that are allow'd them by the pre-
sent Edids, and without Arms ; which we do
prohibit and forbid them, on pain of rigorous
Puniihments, and as Contemners and Infra<5tors
of our Commands and Ordinances.
LXXXIII. All Prizes taken at Sea, during
the Troubles, by virtue of the Permiflions
given, and all fuch as have been taken by Land,
upon thofe of the contrary Party, which have
been judg'd by the Judges and Commi/fioners
of the Admiralty, or by the Chiefs of thofe
of the faid Religion, or their Council, fhall
Jie dormant under the Benefit of our prefent
EdiAs, and no manner of Profecution fhall be
made for the fame ; neither fhall the Captains,
and others who have taken the faid Prizes, and
the faid Judges, OfRcers, their Widows and
Heirs be any wife profecuted or molefted upon
that account •, notwithftanding all Decrees of
our Privy- Council, and Parliaments, and all
Letters of Marque, and Seizures depending and
ingag*d, for all which we do releafe and dif-
charge them..
LXXXIV. Neither fhall thcfe of the f>Jd
Religion be call'd to an account for their having
heretofore, and even fmce the Troubles, op-
pos'd
240 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol.IV.
HenrylV. pos*d and hindered the Execution of the De-
Pole^Cle ^^^^^ ^"^ Judgments given for the Re-efta-
mentVIII bliftiment of the Catholick, Apoftolick and Ro*
'man Rellgion»in divers Places of this Kingdom.
LXXXV. As for what has been taken or
done during the Troubles, otherwife than by
way of Hoftihty, or by Hoftility contrary to
the Publick or particular Regulations of the
Chiefs, or of the Commonalties of the Provin-
ces who were impower'd, they fhall be profe-
cuted according to Law.
LXXXVI. Neverthelefs, whereas, if what
has been done againft the Regulations on both
Sides were indifferently excepted from the Ge-
neral Pardon granted by this our prefent Edid,
and liable to be profecuted, there are few Men
in the Armies, who might not be put to trou-
ble, which might occalion a Renovation of
Troubles ; it is our Will and Pleafure, that none
but execrable Crimes fhould be excepted out
of the faid General Pardon, viz. Ravifhments,
Incendiaries, Murders and Robberies commit-
ted with a Defign and Premeditation, not in
the way of Hoftility, but out of private Ends
and Revenge, againft the Laws of Arms -, In-
fradion of Paflports and Safeguards, together
with Murders and Plunderings without Orders,
in relation to thofe of the faid Religion, and
others who have followed the Party of the
Chiefs that had Authority over them, grounded
upon particular Occafions that may have mov*d
them to command or order it.
LXXXVII. We alfo crder. That the Crimes
and Offences againft Perfons of the fame Party
fliall be puniih'd, unlefs in Ads commanded
by the Chiefs of either Side, according to the "
Neceflity, Law and Orders of War. And as
for the Raifings and Exadions of Money,
Bearing
Book VII. Reformed Churches //? Fr a n c e . 241
Bearing of Arms, and other Exploits of War Henry IV.
committed by private Authority, and without „' 598-
Command, they fliail be profecuted according mentVIIl
to Law,
LXXXVIII. The Ruins and Demollfhrnents
that have been made in Cities and Towns dur-
ing the Troubles, may be rebuilt and repair'd
with our Leave, by the Inhabitants at their
proper Coft and Charges, and the Letters- Pa-
tent allow*d heretofore to that end, Ihall re-
main in force.
LXXXIX. It is our Will and Pleafure, and
pofitive Command, That all the Lords, Knights,
Gentlemen and others, of what -Quality foever,
of the faid Pretended Reformed Religion, and
others who have been ingag'd in their Party^
fliall re-enter, and be effedually reftor'd to the
Enjoyment of all and every their Eftates, Ti-
tles, Names, Reafons, and Adlions, notwith-
ftanding the Judgments given againft them dur-
ing the Troubles, and by reafon thereof; which
Decrees, Seizures, Judgments, and all that fol-
lowed thereupon, we have'declar'd to that end,
and do declare null, and o'i no EfFed: and Va-
lue.
XC. The Acquifitions which thofe of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion, and others, who
have been ingag'd in their Party, have made
by other Authority than that of the late Kings,
our PredecefTors, about the Immoveables belong-
ing to the Church, fhall be void and of no Ef-
fed: ; and therefore we order, and it is our Will
and Pleafure, that the Ecclefiafticks (liall be re-
jlor*d immediately, and without Delay, and
/hall be preferv'd in the Pofleffion, and real
and adual Enjoyments of the Eftates thus alie-
nated, and without being oblig*d to return the
Price of the faid Sales ; the faid Contrads of
Vol. IV. . R Sale
242 Jiijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV.Sale notwithftanding, the which therefore we
Pi^Cle- have revok'd, and do revoke i neverthelefs,
mentVi 1 1 allowing the Purchafers their Recourfe at Law
againft the Chiefs, by whofe Authority the faid
Eftates fhould have been fold. However, for
the Reimburfement of the Sums by them really
and without Fraud difburs'd, we will grant our
Letters- Patent to thofe of the faid Religion, to
impofe and equal upon them.felves the Sums to
which the faid Sales will amount ; and the faid
Purchafers fhall have no Adions againft them
for Damages and fnterefts for want of Enjoy-
ment, but fhall reft fatisfied with the Reftitution
of the Money by them dift3urs*d for the faid
Acquifitions -, including upon the faid Price the
Fruits by them receiv'd, in cafe the faid Sales
are found to be made at a low unjuft Price.
XCI. And to the end that our Jufticers, Of-
ficers, and other Subjeds may be clearly and
with Certainty acquainted with our Intentions ;
and to remove all Ambiguities and Doubts that
might arife upon the account of the precedent
Edids, by reafon of the Diverfity thereof ; we
have and do declare all other preceding Edi6ls,
fecret Articles, Letters, Declarations, Modifi-
cations, Ratifications, Interpretations, Decrees
and Regifters, as well fecret, as other Delibe-
rations heretofore by us, or by the Kings our
Predeceftbrs made in our Courts of Parliament,
or elfewhere, relating to the Cafe of the faid
Religion, and the Troubles happen'd in our faid
Kingdom, to be null and of no effed ; to all
which, and the Derogatories therein contain'd,
we have by this our Edid derogated and do
derogate from this Time forward, as well as for
that Time, do cancel, revoke and annul them :
Declaring exprcfly, that we will have this our
Ed id to be firm and inviolable, kept and ob-
ferv!d
Book Vlh Reformed Churches in France-, 24^
ferv'd as well by our faid Jufticers, Officers, HenrylV,.
as by other Subjects, without any Regard to pj/^^^,
any thing that might be contrary, or derogating mentVIIf
to it.
XCII. And for the better Afllirance of the
Maintenance and Obfervance we defire to have
thereof, we will and ordain, and it is our Plca-
fure, that all the Governors and Lieutenants-^
General of our Provinces, Bayliffs, Senefchals,
and othec Judges in ordinary of the Cities of
this our Kingdom, immediately after the Re-!
ceipts of this our Ed 1(51, fhall fwear to have it
kept and obferv'd, every one in their feveral
Precinds ; as aifo the Mayors, Sheriffs, Capi-
touls, Confuls, and Jurats of Cities, annual
and perpetual : Enjoining alfo our faid BaylifFs,
Senefchals, or their Lieutenants and other
Judges, to make the principal Inhabitants of
the faid Cities of both Religions fwear to ob-
ferve and maintain the fame, immediately after
the Publication thereof. Putting all thofe of
the Cities under our Protedlion, and under the
Guard of one another ; charging them refpedive-
ly, and by publick Ads, to anfwer at the Civil
Law, for the Tranigrciiion that fliall be made
of this our faid Edids in the faid Cities by the
Inhabitants thereof, or to reprefent and deliver
the faid Infradors into the hands of Juftice.
We command our Trufty and Well -Beloved,
the Perfons holding our Courts of Parliament,
Chambers of Accounts, and Courts of Aids,
immediately upon Receipt of the prefent Edid, "
to put a flop to all their Proceedings, on pain
of Nullity of all the Ads they fhould pafs,
and to take the Oath above mention'd, and this
our Edid to publilh and regilier in our laid
Courts, according to the Form and Tenor there-
R 2 of,
244 ^iftory of the 'Reformation^ and of the Vol .IV.
HenrylV. of, exa6lly as it is, without any Modification,
^59^- Reftridions, fecret Regifters, or Declarations,
mentVIlI^"^ without expeding any farther Order or
!-—/»-> Command from us; and our Attorneys-General
to require and pTofecute the faid immediate
Publication thereof.
We alfo order our faid Perfons holding our
faid Courts of Parliament, Chambers of our
Accounts, and Courts of Aids, Bailiffs, Senef-
chals, Provofts, and others our Jufticers and
Officers to whom it may belong, and to their
Lieutenants, to caufe this our prefent Edidl and
Ordinance to be read, publifh'd and regifter*d
in their Courts and Jurifdidions, and the fame
to maintain, keep and obferve iii every Parti-
cular •, and to make all fuch whom it may con-
cern, enjoy and ufe the Benefit thereof ; put-
ting a flop to all Troubles and Hinderances
thereunto contrary. For fuch is our Pleafure.
For Witnefs whereof we have fign'd thefe
Prefents with our own Hand -, and to the fame,
in order to its being firm and lafling for ever,
"^^e have caus'd our Seal to be affix'd.
Given at Nantes^ in the Month o( Jpril, in
the Year of our Lord 1598, and of our Reign
the Ninth.
Sign'd,
HENR2:
And underneath, By the King, being in his
Council,
FO RG ET,
And on the Side. Visa.
And feal*d with the Great-Seal of Green-
Wax, upon Knots of red and green Silk. Read,
publifii'd and regifier'd, heard, with the ap-
probation
BOOK VII . Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 2 45
probation of the King's Attorney -General at^^"'"ytV.
Paris, m Parliament, on the 25th of February^ pll^Q^^^
1599' mentVIII
Sign'd,
vorsiN,
Read, publifh'd and regifl:er*d in the Cham-
ber of Accounts, heard, and approv'd by the
King's Attorney-General, on the laft Day of
March, i599-
Sign'd,
DE LA FONTAINE,
* Read, publifh'd and regiftred, heard and
approv'd by the King's Attorney-General gt
Paris, in the Court of Aids, the 30th of
April, 1599.
Sign'd.
B ERNARD.
Particular Articles, extra^ed from the General
mes, that have been granted by the King to
thofe of the Pretended Reformed Religion, the
which his Majefly would not have compre-
hended into the faid General Articles, nor in
the Edi6t that hath been made and drawn up-
on the fame given at Nantes, in the Month
^ April iaji ; and yet never thelefs, his Majefly
has granted that they (Is all be fully accomplifh^d
and obferv^d^ in the fame Manner as the Con-
tents of the faid Edict. To which End they
Jhall be Regijiered in his Courts of Parliament
and elfewhere^ where it fhall be neceffary \ and
all necefj-ary Declarations and Letters-Patent
to that End, fhall be forthwith expedited.
I. rpSHE Vlth Article of the faid Edid,
about Liberty of Confcience, and Leave
R 2 tor
t^6 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. for all his Majefty's Subjeds to live and inhabit
_ ^59^- Jn this Kingdom, and Countries under his Obe-
jjientYjIj dience, fhall remain in force, and fhall be ob-
ferv'd according to the Form and Tenor there-
of: Even for Miniflers and Teachers, and all
others that are, or fhall turn of the faid Re-
ligion, whether a6lual Inhabitants or others,
behaving themfelves in all other Things con-
formably to what is fpecify'd by the faid Ed id.
II. Thofe of the faid Religion fhall not be
oblig'd to contribute towards the Reparations,
and building of Churches, Chapels, Parfonages,
nor towards the buying of facerdotal Orna-
ments, Lig;hts, Cafting of Bells, Holy Breacl,
Rights of Fraternity, and other like things, un-
lefs oblig'd thereunto by Foundations, Gifts, or
other Difpofitions made by them or their Pre-
decefTors,
III. Neither fhall they be oblig'd to hang
and adorn the Front of their Houfes on Feftl-
val-Days, on which it is order'd ; but only to
fuffcr them to be hung and adorn'd by the Au-
thority of the Magiflrates, without Contribu-
ting any thing towards it.
IV. Neither fliall thofe of the faid Religion
be oblig'd to receive Exhortations, being fick,
or near Death, either by Condemnation of Juf-
tice, or otherwife, from any but thofe of the
faid Religion ; and their Minifters fhall be al-
lowed to vifit and comfort them without any
Difturbance : And, as for fuch as fhall be con-
demn*d by Juftice, it fhall alfo be lawful for the
faid Minifters to vifit and prepare them for
Death, without making publick Prayers, un-
lefs in fuch Places as are allow'd by the faid
Ed id for the faid Publick Exercife.
V. It fhall be lawful for thofe of the faid
Religion, to perform the Publick Exercife there-
of
B o o K V ir. Refonned Churches //z F R a n c E . 2 47
of at Pimpoid -, and for Diepe, m the Suburb Henry IV.
du Paulet and the faid Places of Pimpoul and p'^^ri^.
du Paukt, fhall be ordain'd for Places of Baili- mencVIII
wicks. The faid Exercife fhall be continued at
Sancerre, as it is at prefent ; the faid free and
publick Exercife fhall alfo be re-eftabliih^d in
the City of Montagnac in Languedoc.
VI. In refpe<5t to the Article which relates to
Bailiwicks, it has beei^ declared and granted, as
followeth ; Firft, For the eftablifliing of the
Exercife of the faid Religion, in the two Places
granted in every Bailiwick, Senefchalfhip, and
Gpvernment, thofe of the faid Religion fhall
nominate two Cities, in the Suburbs of which
the fliid Exercife fhall be eilabliih'd by the
Commiifioners that fhall be deputed by his
Majefty for the Execution of the Edidt. And
in cafe the faid Commiffioners fhould not ap-
prove of them, thofe of the faid Religion fhall
nominate two or three Towns or Villages in the
Neighbourhood of the faid Cities, for every one
of them, out of which the faid Commiffioners
fhall chufe one. And if through Hoftility,
Contagion, or any other lawful Impediment,
it cannot be continued in the faid Places, others
fhall be allow'd while the faid Impediment fhall
continue. Secondly, That only two Cities fhall
be provided in the Government of Picardy^ into
the Suburbs of which, thofe of the faid Religi-
on fhall be allow'd the Exercife thereof for all
the Bailiwicks, Senefchalfhips, and Govern-
ments depending of the fame ; and where it
fhall not be thought fit to eftablifh it in the
faid Cities, they fhail be allow'd two convenient
Towns or Villages. Thirdly, By reafon of the
great Extent of the Senefchalfhip of Frovencey
and Bailiwicks of Viennois, his Majelly does
grant a third Place in each of the faid Bailiwicks
R 4 and
^ 4^ Hiflm^y of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV.and Senefchalfhips, the Choice and Nomination
Tope^Qlc-^^ which fhall be made as above-faid, there to
mentVIII eftablilTi the Exercife of the faid ReHgion, be-
"ti iiiw.^1^ fides the other Places in which it is already
eftablifh'd.
VII. What has been granted by the faid Ar-
•flcje for the Exercife of the faid Religion in
Baihwicks, fhall alfo ferve for the Territories
which did belong to the late Queen Mother-in-
Law to his Majefty, and for the Bailiwick of
Beaujolois.
VIII, Befides the two Places granted for the
Exercife of the faid Religion, by the particular
Articles of the Year 1577, in the Ifles of Mar-
rennes and Oleron^ two more /hall be allow'd
• them, for the Convenience of the faid Inhabi-
tants •, viz. one for all the Ifles of Marrennes,
' and another for the Ifle of Oleron.
IX, The Letters- Patent granted by his Ma-
jefty, for the Exercife of the faid Religion in
the City of Mets Ihall remain in full Force,
and Virtue.
X. It is his Majefty's Will and Pleafure,
That the 27th Article of his Edi<5t, relating to
the Admillion of thofe of the faid Pretended
Reformed Religion into Offices and Dignities,
fliall be obferv*d and maintain'd according to its
Form and Tenor, the Edids and Agreements
heretofore made for the Redu^ion of fome
Princes, Lords, Gentlemen, and Catholick Ci-
ties notwithftanding ; the which fhall not be in
force to the prejudice of thofe of the faid Re-
ligion, only in what relates to the Exercife
thereof. And the faid Exercife fnall be regu-
lated according as it is fpecify*d by the follow-
ing Articles, according to which fhall be drawn
the Inflrudtions of the CommifTioners that fhall
be deputed by his Majefty for the Execution of
his
Boo K VII . 22 eformed Churches zVz Fr A n c e . 2 49
l^is Edid, according as it is ordain'd by theHenrylV.
fame. _ pA^Cle-
XI. Accorjding to the Edid made by ^^^^ mlntVlll
Majefty for the Redudion of the Duke of «
Guife, the Exercife of the faid Pretended Re-
formed Religion fhall neither be allow'd, nor
eftablilh'd in the Cities and Suburbs of Rheims^
Rocroy^ St. Difier^ Guife, Joinville, Fimes^ and
Moncornet in the Ardennes.
XII. Neither fhall it be aliOw*d in the other
Places adjacent to the faid Cities, and Places
forbidden by the Edidb of the Year 1577.
XIII. And to remove the Ambiguity that
might arife upon the word Adjacent, his Ma-
jefty declares, that he means the Places that are
within the Circuit of a League of the faid Ci-
ties, being the Precin6t, or Liberties thereof,
in which Places the Exercife of the faid Reli-
gion fhall not be allow'd, unlcfs it were per-
mitted by the Edid of 1577.
XIV. And forafmuch as by the fame, the
faid Exercife was allow'd generally in the Fiefs
poflefs'd by thofe of the faid Religion, without
any Exception of the faid League's Circuit ; his
Majefty declares, That the faid Allowance fhall
remain in force even for Fiefs within . the faid
Circuit, pofTefs'd by thofe of the faid Religion,
as it is fpecify'd by his Edid, given at Nantes.
XV. Likewire,.accordinn: to the Edidt made
for the Redudion of the Marfhal de la Char-
ires, in each of the Bailiwicks of Orleans and
Bourges, fhall only be ordain'd one Place of
Bailiwick for the Exercife of cRe faid Religion,
the which however may be continu'd in fuch
Places where the Continuation thereof is allow'd
by the faid Edid of Nantes.
XVL
250 Hiftory of the Reformation ^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. XVI. The Conceffion of Preaching in Fiefs,
Pop^CiQ- ^^'^ ^^^^ extend to the faid Bailiwicks, in the
mentVIII manner fpecify*d by- the faid Edi6b o{ Nantes.
XVII. The Edid: made for the Redudion
of the Marfhal of Bois-Dauphin^ fhall alfo be
obferv'd ; and the faid Exercife Ihall not be al-
low'd in the Cities, Suburbs, and Places brought
over by him to his IVIajefty*s Service -, and as'
for the Circuit, or Liberties thereof, the EdicT:
of 1577, fhall be obferv*d there, even in the
Houfes of Fiefs, according as it is fpecify'd by
the Edi6t of Nantes.
XVIII. No Exercife of the faid Religion
fhall be allow*d in the City, Suburbs, and
Caftle of Morlais, according to the Edidrs
made for the Redudion of the faid Citv, and
the Edid of 1577 fhall be obferv'd for the
Precind thereof, according to the Edid of
XIX. In confequence of the Edid for the
Redudion of ^inpercorantin^ no Exercife of
the faid Religion fhall be allow'd in all the
Bifho prick of Cornouaille.
XX. Alfo according to the Edid made for
the Redudion of Beauvais, the Exercife of the
faid Religion fhall not be allow'd in the faid
City of Beauvais, nor "within three Leagues
round about it. Nevcrthelefs, the eftablifhing
thereof fhall be allow'd in the Remainder of
the Extent of the Bailiwick, in the Places al-
low'd of by the Edic^ of 1577. Even in Houfes
of Fiefs, according to the Edid of Nantes.
XXI. And whereas the Edid made for the
Redudion of the late Admiral de Villars, is
only provifional, and until the King's farther
Pleafure, it is his Majefly's Will and Pleafure,
the faid Edid notwithftanding, that his Edict
of Nantes fhall remain in force for the Cities
3 and
Bp o K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 251
and Jurifdidions reduced to his Majefty's Obe-HenrylV.
dieiice by the faid Admiral, as well as for the „ '59?,-
other Parts of his Kingdom. mentVIII
XXII. By the Edid made for the Redudion '
of the Duke of Joyeufe^ the Exercife of the
faid Rehgion fhall not be iwllow'd in the City
or Suburbs oi'Thoulotife, nor within four Leagues
about it, nor nearer than the Cities of ViUemury
Carmain^ and the lile of Jourdan.
XXIII. Neither ihall it be reftored into the
Cities of Alet^ Fiac^ Auriac^ and Montefquiou :
Neverthelefs, in cafe any of the faid Religion
in the faid City fliould be defirous to have a
Place for the Exercife thereof, the Commiffi-
oners that ihall be deputed by his Majefty for
the Execution of his Edidl, fhall affign them,
for every one of the faid Cities, a convenient
Place and of eafy Accefs, within a League of
the faid Cities,"
XXIV. It ihall be lawful to eftabliih the faid
Exercife, according as it is fpecify'd by the faid
Edid: of Nantes^ within the Jurifdidion of the
Court of Parliament of T'houlonfe^ excepted- al-
ways in fuch Bailiwicks, Senefchalihips, and o-
ther Precinds, of which the principal Seats fhall.
have been reftor'd to his Majefty's Obedience
by the faid Duke oijoyeufe^ in which the
Edid of 1577, fhall take place. Neverthelefs,
his Majefty means that the faid Exercife fhall
be continued in fuch Places of the faid Baili-
wicks and Senefchalihips, where it was per-'
formed at the time of the faid Redudion •, and
that the Co-iCeihon thereof in Houfes of Fiefs,
(hall remain in force in the faid Bailiwicks, and
Senefchalihips, according as it is fpecify'd by
the faid Edid.
XXV. The Edid made for the Redudion
of the City of Dijon fhall be obferved, accord-
ing
252 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vo l . I V,
HenrylV-ing to which, no other Exercife of Religion
„ '59^ fhall be allowed in the faid City than that of
mentVIII f^e Roman Catholick Apoftolick Church, nor
• yet within the Suburbs thereof, nor within four
Leagues round about it.
XXVI. The Edidl made for the Reduftion
of the Duke of Mayemte, fhall in like manner
be obferved j according to which the Exercife
of the Pretended Reformed Religion fhall not
be allow^ed in the City of Chalons^ nor within
tvvo Leagues round about Soijfons, during the
Term of Six Years, to begin from the Month
of January -1596, after which the Edidt of
Nantes fhall be obferved there, as in the other
Parts of the Kingdom.
XXVII. It (hall be lawful for thofe of the
faid Religion, of what Quality foever, to in-'
habit, and to have free Egrefs and Regrefs
into the City of Lyons, and other Towns and
Places of the Government of Lyomwis-, all Pro-
hibitions made to the contrary by the Syndics,
and Sheriffs of the faid City of Lyons, tho' con-
firm*d by his Majefty, notwithflanding.
XXVIII. Only one Place of Bailiwick fhall
. be allow'd for the Exercife of the faid Religi-
on in the whole Senefchalfbip of Poitiers, be-
lldes thofe where it is already eftablifh'd -, and
as to the Fiefs, the Edict of Nantes fhall be
obferved. The faid Exercife fhall alfo be con-
tinued in the City of Cbauvigny : But it fliall
not be reflored in the Cities of Jgen, and Pe-
rigueuXi altho' it was allowed by the Edid:
of 1577.
XXIX. Only two Places of Bailiwicks fhall
be allow'd for the Exercife of the faid Religion,
in all the Government of Picardy as above faid,
neither fhall the faid two Places be allow'd
within the Precindls of the Bailiwicks and Go-
vernments,
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 253
vernments, referved by the Edids made for the HenrylV,
Redu(5lion of Amens^ Peronm and Abbeville, p '^ qi^
Neverthelefs, the faid Exercife fhall be allow'd mentVIII
in Houfes of Fiefs throughout the whole Go-
vernment of Picard)\ according to what is fpe-
cify*d by the faid Edid of Nantes.
XXX. The Exercife of the faid Religion
fhall not be allowed in the Cities and Suburbs
of Zens i and only one Place of Bailiwick fhall
be granted in the whole Precind; of the Baili-
wick, but ftill without prejudice to the Per-
miflion granted for Houfes of Fiefs, which fhall
remain in force, according to the Edidlof iV/^^/^j.
XXXI. Neither fhall the faid Exercife be
allow'd in the City nor Suburbs of Nantes^ nor
any Place of Bailiwicks be granted for the faid
Exercife within three Leagues round about
the faid City : Neverthelefs it ihall be allowed
in Houfes of Fiefs, according to the faid Edidt
of Nantes.
XXXII. It" is his fiid Majefty's Will and
Pleafure, that his faid Edid of Nantes fhall be
obferved from this very time, in what relates to
the Exercife of the faid Religion, in fuch Pla-
ces where by the Edids and Agreements made
for the Redudion of fome Princes, Lords,
Gentlemen, and Catholick Cities, it was pro-
hibited only provifionally, and until it was other-
wife ordained. And as for fuch where the faid
Prohibition is hmited to a certain time, that
time being expired, it fhall be no longer in force.
XXXIII. A Place fhall be allowed to thofe
of the faid Religion for the City, Provoftfhip,
and Vice- County of Paris .^ within five Leagues
at fartheft from the faid City, in which they
fhall be allowed the Exercife of the faid Reli-
gion.
XXXIV.
2 54 Hifiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
Henryiv. XXXIV. In all fuch Places where the Exer-
plte^\\ ^^^^ °^ ^^^ ^^^^ Religion fhall be performed
mentVIII p^jblickly, it fhall be lawful to afTemble the Peo-
ple, even by the Sound of Bells, and to per-
form all A(5ts and Fundlions belonging either
to the Exercife of the faid Religion, or to the
Regulation of their Difcipline, as to hold Con-
fiftorles or Veftries, ' Colloquies, and Provin-
cial and National Synods by his Majefty's
Leave.
XXXV. The Minifters, Elders, and Dea-
cons of the faid Religion, fhall not be obliged
to appear as Witnefles, and to anfwer in Juf-
tice, for things that fhall have been revealed
in their Confillories, in the Cafe of Cenfures,
unlefs it were about Matters relating to the
King's Perfon, or towards the Prefervation of
the Stats.
' XXXVI. Such of the faid Religion as live
in the Country, fhall be allowed to affift at the
Exercife thereof in the Cities and Suburbs,
and other Places where it fhall be publickly
eftablifli'd.
XXXVII. Thofe of the faid Religion fhall
not be allowed to keep publick Schools, unleTs
in fuch Towns and Places where the publick
Exercife thereof is alldwed : And the Patents
that have been granted them heretofore for
the eref^ing and maintaining of Colleges, fhall
be verify'd if necefiary, and fhall remain in
full force and vigor,
XXXVIII. It fhall be lawful for Fathers
profefTmg the faid Religion, to provide fuch
Teachers for their Children as they fhall think
fit, and to fubftitute one, or feveral by Will,
or other Declaration pafs*d before a Notary,
or written or fign'd by their own Hands, the
Laws received in thi? Kingdom, Ordinances
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 255
atid Cuftoms of Places remaining in full force HenrylV.
and virtue, as to the Gifts and Proviiions of '59^-
Tutors and Guardians. mStVii'r
XXXIX. As for the Marriage of Priefts,
and other Religious Perfons, that have been
heretofore contraded, his Majefty for divers
good Confiderations, will not allow their being
profccuted or molefled for the fame •/ upon
which Sub] eft. Silence fhall be impofed to his
Attorneys-General and other Officers. Never-
thelefs his Majeliy declares, that the Children
proceeding from the faid Marriages fhall only
fucceed to the Perfonal Eftates, and Acquifi-
tions made by their Fathers and Mothers, and
in default of the faid Children, the neareft Re-
lations at Law : And the Wills, Gifts, and other
Difpolitions made, or to be made, by Perfons
of the faid Quality, of the faid Perfonal Eftates
and Acquilfitions by them made, are hereby de-
clared good and lawful. Never thelefs, his faid
Majefty will not allov/ that the faid Perfons
having 'been admitted into Religious Orders,
fhould be capable of any diredl or collateral Suc-
ceflion •, but only fhall be allowed to take fuch
Eftates as fhall be left them by Will, or Gift^
or other Difpofitions, ftiil excepting thofe of
the faid dired; and collateral Succellions ; and as
to thofe who fhall have taken Religious Orders
before the Age mentioned by the Ordinances of
Orleans or Blots., fhall be followed and ob-
ferved, in what relates to the faid SucceiTion,
the Tenor of the faid Ordinances, every one for
the time they have been in force.
XL. Neither will his faid Majefty allow
thofe of the faid Religion, who have hereto-
fore, or fhall hereafter contrad Marriages in
the third or fourth Degree, to be profecuted or
molefted for the fame ; neither (hall the Vali-
dity
256 . Hiftory of the "Reformation, mid of the Vol. IV".
HenrylV. dity of the faid Marriages be queftloned, nor
PoL^Cle- ^^^ SuccelTion taken from, or difputed againft
mentVlIithe Children born, or to be born of the fame:
And as to the Marriages that might already be
contracted in the fecond Degree, or from the
fecond to the third, between thofe of the faid
Religion, the faid Perfons applying themfelves
to his faid Majefty, fuch Letters- Patent as fhall
be neceflary fhall be granted them, to the end
that they may neither be profecuted nor moleft-
ed for the fame, nor the SuccefTion difputed
to their Children.
XLI. The Validity and Lawfulnefs of the
faid Marriages thus made and contraded, ihall
be judg*d, the Defendant being of the faid Re-
ligion, before the Judge Royal : But in cafe of
his being Plaintiff, and the Defendant a Catho-
lick, the Cognizance thereof fhall belong to the
Official and Ecclefiaftical Judge ; and both Par-
ties being of the faid Religion, the Cafe fhall be
try*d before the Judges Royal : His Majefty
willing that the faid Marriages, and the Diffe-
rences arifing from the fame, fhould be judg'd
refpeflively by the Judges Ecclefiaftical and
Royal, and by the Chambers eftablifh'd by his
Edi<5ls.
XLII. The Gifts and Legacies made, or to
be made, whether by Will, in cafe of Death,
or among the Living, for the Maintenance of
Minifters, Dodors, Scholars, and Poor of the
faid Pretended Reformed Religion, and upon
other pious Accounts, fhall be of full force and
Power, all Judgments and Decrees to the con-
trary notvifithftanding ; but yet without Preju-
dice to his Majefty's Rights, and others, in
cafe the faid Legacies and Gifts fhould fall into
Dead hands : And all neceffary Adtions and
ProfecutioTAS for the. Recovery of the faid Le-
gacies,
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr a n c E . 2^^ ^^"^^
gacies, pious Gifts, and other Rights of all Henryiv,
kinds, fhall beallow'd to be made by an Attor- '59^-
ney in the Name of the Body and Corporation mentVIII
of thofe of the faid Religion who fhall be con-
cern*d ; and in cafe it happens that any of the
faid Gifts and Legacies have been heretofore
difpos'd of, otherwife than is fpecify'd by the
faid Article, no other Reftitution fhall be de-
manded, but what fhall be found in being.
XLIII. His faid Majefly permits thofe of
the faid Religion to affembls before the Judge
Royal, and by his Authority to affefs and raife
among themfelves fuch Sums as fhall be judg'd
hecefTary to be imploy'd towards the Charges
of their Synods, and for the Maintenance of
thofe who are employ'd for the Exerclfe of
their faid Religion, of which the true Eflimate
fhall be given to the faid Judge Royal, to be
kept by him : The Copy of which fhall be
fent every fix Months by the faid Judges Roy-
al to his Majefly, or to his Chancellor, and the
faid Taxes and [inpofitlons fhall be liable to
Execution, all Oppofitions or Appeals to the
contrary notwithllanding.
XLIV. The Minifters of the faid Religion
fhall be exempted from Watching, and from
Quartering of Soldiers •, affelTmg and collefting
of Tallies, or Subfidies -, as alfo from Ward-
fliips and Guardianfhips, and Commiflions for
the keeping of Eilates feiz'd by Authority of
Juflice.
XLV. Thofe of the faid Religion fliall be
neither profecuted nor difturb'd for the Burials
heretofore made by them in the Church- yards
of the faid Catholicks, in any Place or City
whatever, and his Majefty fhall order his OfH-
cers to take care of the fame. As to the City
of Paris, over and above the two Church-
VoL.IV, S yard^.
258 Hijhry cfthe Refer jn at i en, and of the Vol . IV*
HenrylV. yards, thofe of the fame Religion pofiefs there
0*598- already,' 'i;/^. that of 1'rinity, and that of St,
mentVlil Germains, a third convenient Place fhall be al-
low'd them for the faid Burials in the Suburbs
of St. Honcre^ or St. Denis.
XLVI. The Catholick Prefidents and Coun-
felloi'S that fnall ferve in the Chamber ordain'd
in the Parliament of Pciris^ fliall be chofen by
his Majefty upon the Roll of the Officers of
the Parliament.
XLVII. The Counfellors of the faid Pre-
tended Reformed Religion, who fhall ferve in
the faid Chamber, fliall afHll:, if they think fit,
at fuch Procefles as fliall be decided by Com-
milTioners, and fnall have a deliberate Vote in
the fame, but fliall have no Share of the con-
iign'd Money, unlefs they ought to affift at
them by the Order and Prerogative of their
Reception.
XLVIII. Thefenior Prefidentofthe Mixt-
Chambers fhall prefide at the Audience, and in
his Abfence the fecond ; and the Diftribution
of Suits fliall be made by the two Prefidents
jointly or alternately, monthly, or weekly.
XLIX. A Vacation of Offices happening,
in PofTeffion of, or to be pofTefs'd by thofe of
the faid Religion in the faid Chambers of the
Edi(5l, they fhall he given to capable Perfons,
having Atteftations from the Synod, or Col-
loquy, to which they do belong, of their be-
ing of the faid Religion and Perfons of In-
tegrity.
L. The Pardon granted to thofe of the faid
Pretended Reformed Religion, by the 74th
Article of the faid EdicfV, ffiall ftand good for
the taking of the Money belonging to the
Crown, either by breaking of Coffers, or other-
wife,even in refpedt to that which was rais'd upon
the
Boo It Vll. Heformed Churches in FrancJ-J ^5p
the River Charante, tho* aflign'd to particular HenryiV",
Perfons ^ ^ plp?Q\e.
LI. T4ie 49th of the fecret Articles, madementVlll
in the Year 1577, concerning the City and
Archbifhoprick of Avignon^ and County there-
of, together with the Treaty made at Nimes^
ihall be obferv'd according to their Form and
Tenor ; and no Letters of Mart fhall be granted
by virtue of the faid Articles and Treaty, un-
Jefs by Letters- Patent from the King, under
the Great-Seal. Neverthelefs, fuch as fhall be
defirous to obtain the fame, fhall be allow'd by
virtue of this prefent Articlcj without any other
Commif?ion, to make their Application to the
Judges Royal, who fhall examine the Tranf-
greflions, Denial of Juftice, and Iniquity of the
Judgments, propos'd by thofe who ihall be de-
firous to obtain the faid Letters, and ihall fend
the fame, together with their Opinions, feal'd
up clofe, to his Majefly^ in order to his order-
ing the faid Matter according to reafon.
LII. His Majefty grants and wills, that Mr.
Nicholas Grimoult fhall be re-eftablifli'd and
maintain*d in the Title and PofTelTion of the
Offices of Ancient Lieutenant-General Civil,
and Lieutenant-General Criminal, in the Baili-
wick of Alenfon, notwithstanding the Refigna-
tion |by him made to John Marguerii^ his
Reception, and the Patent obtain'd by William
Bernard, of the OfHce of Lieutenant-General
Civil and Criminal in the Tribunal of Exmes i
The Decrees given againft the faid Marguerite
reiigned during the Troubles in the Privy-
Council, in the Years 1586, 87, and 88^ by
which Nicholas Barbier is fettled in the Rights
and Prerogatives of Ancient Lieutenant-General
in the faid Bailiwick, and the faid Bernard, in
the Office of Lieutenant at Exmes^ the v/hich
S 2 his
2 6o Hificry of the Reformation, and of the Vol .IV*
HenrylV. his Majefty has nullify 'd, and all others here-
PoL^Cle- ""^° contrary. Moreover, his Majefty, for
mentVIII certain good Confiderations, has granted and
ordained, that the fsLidGri/iiouh fhall, within
the Space of three Months, reimburfe the faid
Barhier the Money by him fiirnifl\'d or dif-
burs*d for the faid Office of Lieutenant-General
Civil and Criminal, in the Vice-County of
/Ikv.ccn, and fifty Crovi^ns for the Charges :
And the faid Reimburfement being made, or the
faid Barl'icr refufing, or delaying to receive it ;
his Majefty forbids the faid Barhier^ as alfo the
faid Bernard, after the Signification of this pre-
fent Article, any more to exercife the faid Of-
fices, on pain of the Crime of Falfity, and fends
the faid Grijnouh to the Injoyment of the faid
Offices and Rights thereunto belonging: And
in fo doing, the Procefles which were depend-
ing between the faid Gri7}wult, Barbier^ and
Bernard, in his Majefty's Privy-Council, ftial!
remain deterrnin'd, and lie dormant, his faid
Majefty forbidding the Parliaments, and all
others to take Cognizance thereof, and the faid
Parties to make any Profecutions for the fame.
Moreover, his Majefty has taken upon himfelf
to reimburfe the faid Bernard^ the Sum of a
thoufand Crowns, paid for the faid Offi.ce, and
fixty Crowns for the Mark of Gold, and Char-
ges •, having to that end, already order'd a good
and fufficient Alhgnation, the Recovery of
which ft^all be made at the Suit and Charge of
the faid Grimoiilt.
LIIL His faid Majefty ftiall write to his
Ambaftadors to obtain for all his Subjects, even
for thofe of the faid Pretended Reformed Re-
ligion, that they may not be difturb'd as to
their Confciences, nor be fubjcdt to the Inqui-
sition, going or coming, fojourning and trading
through-
Bo 0 K VII. Rqonned Churck's in France. 261
throughout all foreign Countries, in AllianceHenrylV;
and Confederacy v/ith this Crown, provided ^ ^'^ 9^^-
they do not offend the Civil Government of j^^fj^jyuj
the Countries where they lliall be. ^.,— »^,^..,»/
LIV. His Majefty forbids any Profecution
for the gathering and receiving of the Impofi-
tions that have been levy'd at Royan^ by virtue
of the Contrad made with the Sieur de Caadelay,
and others, made in Continuation cf the fame ;
making the faid Contra'it vahd, and approving
it for the time it has been in force, in the
whole Extent of it, until the 8th o^ May^ next
enfuing.
LV. The ExceHcs committed againft ylr~
fsjand Coiiriines^ in the City of Millant^ in the
Year 1587, and John Rehies, and Peter Seig-
?ieuret ; together with the Proceedings made be-
tween them by the Confuls of they^/JAf///(3»/-,
fhall remain aboliih'd, and fhall lie dormant by
the Benefit of the Edi<5t ; and it fhall not be
lawful for their Widov/s and Heirs, nor his Ma-
jefty's Attorneys-General, their Subfti^ates, or
other Perfons whatever, to mention the fame,
or to make any Inquiry or Profecution about
it : Notwithftanding, and without regard to the
Decree given in the Chamber of Cajtres, on the
loth of March laft, the which fhall remain null,
and without eifeft, together v/ith all Proceed-
ings and Informations made on either fide.
EVI. A 1 Profecutions, Proceedings, Sen-
tences, Judgments and Decrees, given either
againft the iate Sieur de la Noiie^ or againfl his
Son Odel de la Noile^ lince their Detention and
Imprifonment in Flanders^ which happen'd in
the Month of May 1580, and November 1584,
and during their continual Occupation in the
Wars and Service of his Majefry, fhall remain
annihilated and nullify'd, and whatever has fol-
S 3 low'd
262 Hi ft or y of the Reformat lon^ and of the Vol. IV,
l^enrylV. low'd in confequence thereof: And the faid
1 598. j)^ i^ Noile's fhall be admitted to make their
n^l'^jyjj^l Defence, and fhall be reftor'd to the fame Con-
dition they were in before the faid Judgments
and Decrees -, without their being oblig'd to re-
fund Cofts, nor to confign the Fines, in cafe
they had incurr'd any : Neither fhall it be al-
low'd to ailed ge Nonfuits or Prefcription a-
gainft them, during the faid time.
Done by the King, being in his Council at
Nantes^ the 2d oi May i/^pS.
Sign'd '^ HENRT.
And lower,
FORGET.
And feal'd with the Great-Seal of yellow
Wax.
'ENRT, by the Grace of God, King of
_^ France and Ndvarre^To our Trufly and
Weil-beloved the Perfons holding our Court of
Parliament at Paris, Greeting. In the Month
of j^pril laft paft, we caufed our Letters of
Edi6l to be expedited, for the Eftablifhment
of a good Order and Repofe among our Ca-
tholick Subjeds, and thofe of the faid Pre-
tended Reformed Religion : And we have
moreover granted to thofe of the faid Religion
certain fecret and particular Articles, which we
will have to be of equal force and power, and
to be obferv*d and sccomplifh'd in the fame
manner as our faid Edid:. To this end. We
will, and m.oft exprefly order and command
you by thefe Prefents, To caufe the faid Arti-
cles, fign'd by our Pland, join'd hereunto under
the Counter-Seal 'of our Chancery, to be re-
gifter'd in the Regifters of our faid Court •, and
the Contents thereof to keep, maintain and
obferve from point to point, like unto our faid
Edift;
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 263
Edl(5l ; ceafin;?, and caufing all Troubles and HenrylV.
Impediments thereunto contrary to ceafe. For_'59S-
r u • 01 r ^^-*'' C'^'
iuch IS our rlcaiute. , mcntVIII
Given at Nantes^ the 2d of May^ \\\ the Year u — y^— .^
ofoiir Lord 1598, and of our Reign the
Ninth.
Sign'd by the King.
FORGED.
And feal'd upon fmgle Labels of yellow-
Wax.
Brief granted hy Henry the Great, to his Suh-
je5is of the Pretended Reformed Religion on
the 30//6 ^/ April, 1598.
THIS third oi Aprils 1 598, the King being
at ISantes^ and being willing to gratify his
Subjedts of the Pretended Reformed Religion,
and to help them to fnpply many great Expen-
css they are obhg'd to undergo, has ordain'd, that
for the future, to begin from the firft Day of this
prefent Month, fhall be put into the hands of
Mr, De Vierfe^ commilTion'd by his Majefly to.
that end, by the Treafurers of his Exchequer,
every one in his Year,Refcnptions to the Sum of
45,000 Crowns to be impIoy*d in certain fecret
Affairs relating to them, which his Majefty does
neither think fit to fpecify, or declare : The which
Sum of 45,000 Crowns, fhall be afiign'd upon
the general Receipts as folio weth •, n)iz. Paris
6000 Crowns •, Roiien 6000 Crowns; Caen 3000.
Crowns ; Orleans 4000 Crowns ; Tours 4000
Crowns i Poitiers 8000 Crowns; Limoges 6p'oo
Crowns ; Bourdcaux Sooo Crowns ; the whole
together amounting to the aforefaid Sum of
45,oco Crowns •, payable at the four Quarters
of the faid Year, out of the firft and cleareft
Money of the faid General Receipts; out of
■which nothing fnall^be retrench'd, or put off,
S 4 upoa
? 64 Hiflory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV.upon any account whatever. For which Sum
Pcv^cie-°^ 45,000 Crowns, he {liall caufe Acquittances,
raentVill to be deliver'd into the hands of the Treafurer
of his Exchequer, for his Difcharge, in giving
the fiiid Refcriptions intire for the faid Sum of
45,000 Crov/ns, upon the faid Generalities, at
the Beginning of every Year. And where, for
the Convenience of the abovefad, it (hall be re-
quir'd to caufe part of tjie faid AfTignations to
be paid in particular Receipts eftablifti'd ; the
Treafurers-General of France^ and Receivers-
General of the faid Generalities fhall be order*d
to do it in Deduction of the faid Refcriptions of
the faid Treafurers of the Exchequer -, the
which fhall be afterwards deliver'd by the faid
Sieur dc Vierfe^ to fuch as fhall be nominated
by thofe of the faid Reh'gion at the Beginning
of the Year for the receipt and laying out of
the Money to be rcceiv'd by virtue thereof ;
of which they fnall be oblig'd to bring a par-
ticular Account to the faid Sieur de Vierje at
the End of the Year, with the ^Acquittance
of the Parties, to inform his Majefly with the
laying out of the faid Money : For which, nei-
ther the faid Sieur de Vierfe^ nor thofe that
ihall be imploy'd by thofe of the faid Religion,
ihall be oblig'd to give any Account in any of
the Chambers : For all v/hich, and whatever
may ::cpcnd thereon, his Majefty has com-
manded aii necefiary Letters- Patent to be ex-
pedited by virtue of this prefent Brief, fign'd
by his ov^n Hand, and counterfign'd by us,
Counfeilof in his Council of State, and Secre-
tary cf his Commands.
Sign'd, HENRI-.
And lower,
DE NEUFVILLE.
This
Boo K VII . R eformed Churches in France. 265
THIS laft Day of April 1 598, the King be- Henryl V,
ing 2iX Nantes^ and being very defirous tOpJJ^pj
afford all manner of Satisfaftion to his Subje(5ls mentVIII
of the Pretended Reformed Religion, upon the'
Petitions and Requeils he has received from
them, about fuch things as ti-;ey think neceffary
for the Liberty of their Confciences, and for the
Security of their Perfons, Fortunes and Eftates :
And his Majefty being convinced of their Fi-
delity, and fincere Afieftion for his Service *, as
alfo for divers other important Confiderations
relating to the Quiet and Welfare of this State,
him thereunto moving •, his fiid Majefty, be-
fides what is contain'd in the Edid, which he
has lately made, and is to be publilli'd for the
Regulation of what relates to them, has granted
and promifed them, that all the Places, Towns
and Caftles they held until the End of Aiiguji
Jaft paft, in which Garifons are to be kept, by
the Settlement that fliall be made about it, and
fign'd by his Majefty, fhall remain in their
keeping under the Authoriry and Obedience
of his faid Majefty for the Term of eight
Years, to begin from the Day of the Publi-
cation of the faid Edift. And as for the
others which they hold, in which there are to
be no Garifons, there fhall be no Alteration
or Innovation m.ade. Neverthelefs, his faid
Majefty does not mean that the Cities and
Caftles of Vendome and Pontorfon fhould be
compris'd in the Number of the faid Places
left in keeping to thofe of the faid Religion.
Neither ftiall the City, Caftle and Citadel of
Auhenas be comprifed in the faid Number, .
which his Majefty will difpofe of at his own
Pleafure ; and tho' it were into the hands of
o\\^ of the faid Religion, it jhall be no Pre-
cedent for the future, like the other Cities that
ar^
2 66 Hijlory of the Reform at ion ^ and of the Vol.IV,
Henry IV .are granted unto them. And as for Chawvignyy
'59^ it (hall be reilored to the Bifhop of Poitiers^
jjjgiJ^yjf^'Lordcf the faid Place, and the new Fortjnca-
(tions made there, raz'd and demohlli'd. And
for the maintaining of the Garifons that fiiall
be kept in the faid Towns, Places and Caflles,
his faid Majefty has granted them the Sum of
1 80,000 Crowns, without including thofe of
the Province 0^ Dauphin c into the faid Number,
for which other provifion fhall be made, be-
fides the faid Sum of 180,000 Crowns yearly.
And his faid Majefty promifes and afilires
them, that he will give them good and valuable
Aflignations for the fame, upon the cleareft
Part of his Revenue, in fuch Places where the
faid Garifons (hall be eftablifn'd. And in cafe
the faid Revenues fhould not be fufficient, the
Remainder fhall be paid them cut of the neareft
Places of Receipt-, neither iliall the faid Re-
venues be imploy'd to any other ufe, until the
faid Slim is intirely furnirhed and acquitted.
Moreover, his faid Majefty has prcmifed and
granted them, that he will call, at the mak-
ing and eftabliftiing of the Settlements of the
faid Garifons, fome Perfons of the faid Reli-
gion, to take their Advice, and hear their Re-
monftrances about it \ which fhall be done, as
much as poffible can be, to their Satisfadlion.
And in cafe, during the faid Term of eight
Years, there ftiould happen any NecefTity to
alter any thing about the faid Settlement ; whe-
ther it fnall be thought fit by his Majefty, or
at their Requeft, it fnall be done in the faid
Manner, as it fhall be refoived upon tlie firft
time. And as to the Garifons of Dauphiniy
his Majefty fhall take the Advice of the Sieur
de Lefdigiiirr-es about the Settlement thereof.
And in cafe of Vacancies of fome Gcveraors
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 267
and Captains of the faid Places, his Majefiy Henry IV.
alfo promifes and grants to them, that he will p^l^Q^^_
put none in their room, but fuch as fhall bejnentVIir
of the faid Pretended Reformed Religion, hav-^-
ing Atteftations from the Colloquy where they
refide, of their being of the faid Religion, and
Perfons of Integrity. And it (hall be fufficient
for the Perfon who fliall be mvefted of the
fame, upon the Brief that fhall have been ex-
pedited about it, before his receiving his Letters-^
Patent, to produce the Atteftation of the faid
Colloquy as abovefaid ; the which, thofe of
the faid. Colloquy fhall be oblig'd to give him
fpeedily without Delays -, or in cafe of Refufal,
fhall acquaint his Majefiy, with the Reafons
them thereunto moving. And the faid Term
of eight Years being expired, altho' he fhal!
then be acquitted of his Fromife in relation to
the faid Cities ; nevertheiefs, he has moreover
granted and promifed them, that in cafe he
iliall think fit, after the faid Time, to keep
Garifons in the fame, or to leave a Governor
to command there, he wiil not difpoffefs the
Perfon then being in pofTeilion of the fame, to
put another in his room. He alfo declares,
that it is his Intention, both during the faid eight
Years, as well as after it, to gratify thofe of
the faid Religion, and to give them a Share of
the Imployments, Governments, and other
Honours, he fhall have to difpofe of, indiffe-
rently and without any Exception, according
to the Quality and Merit of the Perfons, as
among his other Catholick Subjeds : Yet never-
thelefs, without being obliged for the future,
particularly to hefiow the Cities and Places thus
committed to them tiierein to command, to
Perfons of the faid Religion. Moreover, his
■ikid Majefiy has alfo granted them, That thofe
I that
268 Hijlojy of the 'Reformation^ and of the Vo l . I V.
HenrylV. that have been imploy'd by thofe of the
„ '5?,^ fald Religion for the keepino; of the Stores,
^^^^Y III Ammunition^ Powder, and Cannon of the
faid Cities, and fuch as fhall be left in keep-
ing to them, fhall be continued in the faid Im-
ployments, taking Commiffions from the Ma-
ilers of the Ordnance, and Commiffary-General
of the Provifions. Which Commiffions fhall
be expedited gratis, they delivering unto them
a particular Account of the faid Magazines,
Ammunition, Powder and Cannon, fign'd in
due Form j yet they fnall not be allow'd to
pretend to any Immunities or Privileges upon
the account of the faid CcmmifTions. Never-
thelefs they fhall be imploy'd upon the Settle-
ment that fhall be made about the faid Ga-
rifons, and fliall receive their Salaries out of
the Sums above-granted by his Majefty, for the
Maintenance of their Garifons, for which his
Majetly's other Revenues fhall no wife be
charged. And whereas, thofe of the faid Re-
ligion have intreated his Majefty, to acquaint
them with what he has been pleafed to order
about the Exercife of the fame in the City of
Metz, by reafon that it is not fufficiently ex-
plained, and comprifed in his Edid: and fecret
Articles; his M"jefty declares, that he has or-
dered Letters-Patent to be drawn, by v^hich it
is declar'd, That the Temple heretofore built
in the faid City by the Inhabitants thereof,
fliall be reiiored unto them, to make ufe of the
Materials, and to difpofe of them as they fhall
think fit ; but they fhall not be allowed to
preach in it, nor perform any Exercife of their
Religion : Neverthelefs, a convenient Place
fhall be provided for them v.'ithin the Enclofure
of. the faid City, where they fhall be allowed
to perform the faid Exercife publickly, with-
out
Book Vll. Reformed Churches in FrAnce. 26^
out any Neceffity of expreffing it by his Edid. HenrylV.
His Majefty alfo grants, that notwithftanding pl^^^{^_
the Prohibition made of the Exercife of thementVlir
fiid Religion at the Courts and Dependance <-
thereof, the Dukes, Peers of France^ Officers
of the Crown, Marquiffes, Counts, Governors
and Lieutenants-General, Marfhals of Camp,
and Captains of his Hiid Majefty's Guards, who
fhall be in his Attendance, fhall not be molefted
for what they fhall do within their Floufes,
provided it be only for their own particular Fa-
milies, their Doors being (hut, without fmging
of Pfalms with a loud Voice, or doing any
fhing that might difcover it to be a Publick
Exercife of the faid Religion ; and in cafe his
faid Majefty fhall remain above three Days in
any Town or Place, where the faid Exercife is
allowed, the faid Time being expired, the faid
Exercife fhall be continued as before his Ar-
rival. His faid Majefty alfo declares. That by
reafon of the prefent State of his Affairs, he
has not been able at prefent to include the
Countries on the other fide of the Mounts
Brejfe and Bnrcelona^ in the Permiflion by him
granted for the Exercife of the faid Pretended
Reformed Religion : Neverthelefs, his Majefty
promifes. That when his faid Countries ihall
be reduced under his Obedience, he will ufe
his Subjedh inhabiting in ^the fame, in relation
to Religion, and other Points granted by his
Edidl, like his other Subjeds, notwithftanding
what is contain'd in the faid Edidls; and in
the mean time they fhall be maintained in the
fame Condition they are in at prefent. His
Majefty alfo grants, That thofeof the Pretended
Reform.ed Religion that are to be provided
with Ofnces of Prefidents and Counfellcrs cre-
ated £0 ferve in the Chambers ordained a- new
by
2^0 mjlory of the Reformation y and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. his Edi(5l, fnall be invefted with the faid Offices
plb^\\ ?'*^^'^» ^"*^ without paying any Fees for the
m^tVJII ^I'ft Time, upon the Roll that fhall be pre-
fented to his Majefty, by the Deputies of the
Affembly o{ Chat ellcr and \ as alfo the Subfti-
tutes of the Attorneys and Advocates-General,
eredled by the faid Edidfc in the Chamber of
BrAirdeaux : And in cafe of an Incorporation of
the faid Chamber of Bourdeaux^ and that of
^'houloiife, into ilie faid Parliaments, the faid
Sabftitutes fhall be provided with Counfellors*
Places in the fame alfo gratis. His Majefty
will alfo beftow on Monfieur Francis Pittou^
the Office of Subftitute to the Attorney- General
in the Court of Parliament of Paris ; and to
that end a new Eledion fhall be made of the
faid Office •, and after the Deceafe of the faid
'Pitou^ it fhall be given to a Perfon of the fiid
Pretended Reformed Religion. And in cafe of
Vacation by Death, of two Offices of Mafters of
Requeft of the King's Hoit^^l, his iVIajefty fhall
beftow them on Perfons of the fiid Pretended
Reformed Religion, fuch as his Majefty fliall
judge fit and capable for the good of his Service;
they paying the ufual Price of the Sale of the
faid Offices. And in the mean time, two
Mafters of Requeft fhall be nppointed in every
Qiiarter to make Report of the Petitions of
thofe of the faid Religion. Moreover, his
Majefty permits the Deputies of the faid Re-
ligion ailembled in the faid City of Chatelle-
rniid^ to remain in a Body to the Number of
ten in the City of Saumur, to profecute the
Execution of his Edi(5l, until his faid Edid is
verifv*d in his Court of Parliament of Paris i
notwithftanding their being injoin'd by the
faid Ediil, to feparate immediately : Yet never-
thclefs, without their being allowed to make
any
Book VII. Refer med Churches in France. 271
any new Demands in the Name of the fald HenrylV*
Aflembly, or to meddle with any thing befides pj^^cie-
the faid Execution, Deputation, and Difpatch mentVlir
of the Commiflioners who lliall be ordainfed "»^ — /— i^
to that End. And his Majefty hath given «>^
them his Faith and Word for ail that is above-
written by this prefent Brief, which he has been
pleafed to fign with his own Hand, and to
have it counter-fign*d by Us, his Secretaries of
State ; Willing the faid Brief to be of the fame
Force and Value to them, as if the Contents
thereof were included in an Edi6l verify'd in
his Courts of Parliament ; thofe of the faid
Religion being fatisfy'd, out of Confideration
for the Good jof his Service, and the State of
his Affairs, not to prefs him to put this Ordi-
nance in any other more authentick Form,
being fo confident of his Majefty's Word and
Goodnefs, that they afTure themfelves, that he
will make them enjoy the fame fully : Having
to that End ordered all necefTary Expeditions
and Difpatches for the Execution of what is
above- written, to be forthwith expedited.
Thus Sign'd,
H E N Rr.
And lower,
FORGET.
Such was the famous Edidl oi Nantz, where*
upon we think proper to make the following
Reflexions.
FIRST, That it was not fuch as the Af- ^-jj
fembly of Chatelheraud had defired to be. Some gene"
'l"he King, in order to fhew his Authority, ''^^ '^^'!/'^-
and that he adled freely and without the leafl ^^^'l''T .
ConHraint, had made feveral Alterations in the Ydia.
Articles,
^72 Hifiory of the Reformation, undo/ the Vol .iV,
^^j'^^^^- Articles, fome of them he denied abfolutely,
PopeCie- ^0"^e Others he h'mited ; I'hat was not all, but
nientVlIinew Alterations muft be made before it could
^""•"v"'**' be regiftered in the Parliament of Paris^ as
we fhaii fay, when we fnall relate the Tranf-
adions of the next Year.
Secondly, The Situation of the King's and
of the Reformed's Affairs, when that Edid was
granted, deferves to be particularly taken notice
of. The Reformed were difarmed, and, as one
may fay, at the Difcretion of a victorious King,
who was come to Angers^ at the head of an
Army near 15,000 Men ftrong, Horfe and
Foot, whereby tlie AlTembly of Chalelherand
'^*^'?\Si put in a great Fright, left the King (hculd
fall upon them, vind force them to accept his
own Terms : he fpoke very roughly to their
Deputies, nay he threatned them \ fo that, be-
ing not able to dive into the real Intention of
his Mrijeriy, they were aimoft brought to De-
fpair. This Paflage is fo much the more ob-
fervabie, as it is a moft proper Argument againft
the Gilumny of fjme Catholick Writers, who
have boldly afVerted, that the faid Edi(5l was
but a Grant which had been extorted by Force.
True it is, that his Majefty was very far from
being fo angry as he feigned to be ; that is very
plain, by the kind Reception the Dukes of
Bouillon^ and La Trimotiille^ (the two great
Sticklers for the Liberties of the Reformed
Ciiurches in France.) met with ?LtSaumur, where
the King welcomed them, both with fuch fignal
Demonitrations of Love, that thereby one might
eafily perceive, that his Threatnings had been
rather to maintain his Royal Authority, or to
dazzle the Pope% his Legate's, and the Lea-
guers' Eyes, than out of any real Anger.
Thirdly,
So 6 K Vll. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 273
Thirdly, Befides the Reafons above-mention- HenrylV,
ed of thefe long Delays, before that Affair could p ^^^S-
be concluded, there were fome others, arifing memVIII
from the very Nature of the Things which the
Reformed demanded, and which I fhall relate
fummarily. Great Difficulties arofe both about
the Thing itfelf, and the Form thereof, and
the Court had no lefs Difficulty for agreeing upon
the one than on the other. The Demands of the
Reformed came to fix or feven general Articles,
but each of thefe Articles was fub-divided into
a great Number of others, neceflary either for
the Explanation, or for the Security of the
general Demands. Therefore, having brought
at firft all their Propofitions into the Compafs of
^6t or 97 Articles, the Debates which arofe
during the Courfe of that Negotiation, obliged
them to add feveral new Articles to the former,
either to remove or prevent the Difficulties,
which might occur either in the Conclufion, or
in the Execution of theEdid. So then, without
defifting from the Subftance of their Demands,
fave only in fuch Things, wherein they had
approved the Alterations made by the Court, ^
they made feveral Additions to their Memoirs
from time to time, and altered the Form and
Style thereof, as they thought proper. They
gave two feveral Titles to thefe new Articles ;
fome of them, which were put at the End of
all, and were few in Number, were called Ad-
ditions^ the others were called Explanations, be-
caufe they were Articles, whereupon they de-
fired the King to explain himfelf. Thefe Ex-
planations followed the Article the Contents
whereof wanted to be explained j fometimes,
feveral fuch Explanations were made upon one
and the fame Article, which went by the Name
of Firft, Second, ^c.
Vol. IV, T Their
2^4 tJiflory of the Refcrmatwn^ and of the Vol . iV*
HenrylV. ThEIR FIRST GENERAL ArTICLE WaS
p ^59,^' a new Edid, becaufe they could not reft fa-
ttiemVllltisfy'd with thofe formerly granted, and that ifl
their Opinion, their paft Services deferved to be
better rewarded ; they could not bear to be no
better treated under the Reign of Henry the
Fourth (their Fojler-Child^ whom they had
brought up with fo great Care and Tendernefs,
whom they had fed with their own fweating
Blood, and Subftance) than they had been un-
der Henry III. theii' greateft Perfecutor. They
faid, that upon the King's turning Catholick,
they had been folemnly promifed a better Edift,
at ManteSy which Prorriife had been renewed a
Year ^fter at St. Germain. So that their Pre-
tenfions were not grounded {as the Promoters
cfthe Repealing of the Edi5i o/Nantz tuould fain
have perfuaded the World,) upon the Prejudice
they had fuffered by the feveral Treaties made
with the Heads of the Leaguers, which were
■fo many Infringements of the Edi6l of 1577 ;
but upon the Greatnefs of their Services,, for
■which they demanded an Edift, as a Reward
due to them. As to the Breaches made to the
faid Edi6l by the faid Treaties, they were very
little concerned in them, for they plainly de-
clared that they would not have it, thinking
themfelves rather prejudiced than favoured by
it. The King was much puzzled at that, for
he would fain to perfuade the Pope and the
Catholick Party, whom he dreaded above all
Things, that he did nothing in Behalf of his
Reformed Subjefts, but what his PredecefTor
had done. The Catholicks had a Notion that
the Edift of 1577, ought to be reftored to the
Reformed; and whereas by the feveral Trea-
ties made with the Leaguers it had been dero-
gated from in many Inilances, they thought
IS
Book VII. Reformed Churches itt FrancbJ 27^
it was juft to make them fome amends for it,HeriryIV;
but then they refufed obftinately to have that ,,^^9^ •
Amends go under any other Name but that mint VIII
of Compenfation^ for the Damages they had
fuffered by the faid Treaties. However^ that
Difficulty which for fo long a Time had kept
them at a Stand, was at laft removed as foon
as the King*s Commiffaries were arrived ; the
Word of Compenfatton remained, for to fatisfy
the zealous Catholicks and the Court of Rome,
iBut on the other hand they had alfo a Regard
to the Demand of the Reformed, and they ob-
tained many things over and above the promifed
Compenfation, becaufe the King^ who loved
them intirely, was willing to reward their long
and faithful Services, In a word, he gave
them a new Edidt which repealed all others,
and therefore it could not go by the Name of
a mere Compenfation for the Infringements
made to the former, fince they were all aboliih-
cd by this, which, for the future, was to be the
Handing Law in tHeir (lead. And this is to
be obferved againft the abov'e- mentioned Pro-
moters of the Repealing of the Edi<5t oi JSfantz^
who pretended tnat fince the faid Edi6i was
only a mere Compenfation for what had been
derogated from the Edidt of 1577, ^7 ^^^
Treaties with the Leaguers, it was likely enough
that thefe Damages were not very confiderable*
and confequently that the Intention of the
Edi6l of Nantz was to grant but little to the
Reformed. That Principle being falfe, the
Confequencc can be but very unjufl.
The second General Article had
refpedt to the Freedom of Exercife, and was
of a very large Extent, for it contained the
Grounds of the Right of that Exercife, which
was to be eftablifhed or continued ; the Bounds,
T a ^f
<2 7 6 WJlcry of the 'keformatkn^ and of the Vo L .1 V*
•HenrylV-of that Privilege, according to the Times, Per-
.■p^598- fens, and Places; and generally all the Cir-
j^e*tVl[jcumftances of the faid Exercife, together with
the Exemption from certain things related to
the Roman Worfhip, which their Confciences
could not comply with. The Altembly had
at firft demanded a full Liberty of Exercife all
over the Kingdom, without any Diftindtion of
Places •, but they defifted from that Point, ei-
ther becaufe in feveral great Cities there was
not one fingle Reformed, and confequently
the Grant of an Exercife in fuch Places would
be to no purpofe i or becaufe in fome of the beft,
fuch as Boiirdeaus, Ihouloufe^ &€. they would
have rather renewed the civil War, than fuf-
fered the Exercife of the Reformed Religion
within their Walls *, or becaufe it had been
granted to other Towns, that no fuch Exer-
cife {hould ever be introduced amongft them.
Therefore they reftrained that Demand, to a
general Freedom of dwelling wherever they
pleafed, and to have a free Exercife in certain
Places only, lince it was impoflible to have it
every where : But they ftood faft. to their Re-
folution of getting it with a larger Extent than
before. This was at laft granted them, and
two Articles were fet down in theEdid.for
that purpofe : By the firft whereof, their Ex-
ercife was permitted in all Places where they
had eftabliftied it ever fince the Edifts of the
League in 1585, till the Truce between Hen-
ry IIL and the King o^ Navarre, in 1589, and
after the Truce, fo long as the War continued
with the Leaguers ; and after fome Alterca-
tions all thofe Places were comprifed under the
general Claufe of Places, wherein the Exercife
of the Reformed Religion had been made in
the Years 1596 and 1597, not that it ihould
be
Book VII. Reformed Churches ifi France. 277
be requifite for grounding a Right that the Ex-HenrylV*
ercife /hould have continued in thofe Places for „ '598.
thofe two Years ; but the Meaning of it was, memVHI
that the faid Exercife fhould have been fettled
in thofe Places at leaft in either of thefe two
Years, fo that a Place where it had not been fet-
tled but in Jiigujt 1597, ^i^d the fame Right, as
that where it had been fettled in 1596. The
Reafon thereof was, that whereas the Reformed
required the Prefervation of their Exercife,
wherever it was fettled at the Day when they
fubfcribed their Memoirs to be fent to Court,
the Catholicks were afraid, left during the new
Delays of the Negotiations, which were not as
yet finifhed in Juguji ^597, new Churches
might be fet up, and the Confirmation thereof
demanded, as well as of thofe of 1596; therefore
they caufed all the Dates of thefe Settlements
to be fixed upon the Month of Juguji 1597.
The fecond Article granted that in each Bai-
liwick or Senefchalfhip, where, by the Edi(5t
of 1577, fhe Reformed had a publick Place
for their Religious Worihip, either in a Bur-
rough, or in the Suburbs of a Town, another
fhould be given them, befides the firft. And
it is to be obferved, that in all this, the Ro?nan
Catholicks fecured the whole Advantage to
themfelves, and would never fuffer that the
Reformed Religion fhould fland upon even
Ground with theirs, by granting them a Li-
berty equal to their own ; the Rom^n Religion
had a Right to be profefTed publickly every
where, but the Reformed was limited to certain
Places, and reftrained by certain Conditions, as
being only tolerated. Debates arofe like wife,
about the Nature of the Places to be granted
for the publick Worlhip, whether they fhould
be within the Walls of Towns or in the Sub-
. . ; T 3 urbs J
2yS Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. urbs ', whether in Burroughs, or Villages. There
1598- were fome concerning the Manner of declaring
jjientYjIjthe Places wnere the new PofleiTion p^ave a,
Righc of Exercife, becaufe the fafeft Way ap-
peared to be the lefs advantageous -, it was pro-
pofed to get all thofe Places named one by one,
in the Edidl, which indeed was the beft, or
to comprehend them all under fome general
Denomination. This laft was followed, becaufe
a very odd Notion of the Antichrift's fudden
Fall prevailing then amongft many of the Re-
formed Divines, they thought that it would be
more advantageous for them to have the Places
of their Exercife comprehended under fome
general Denomination, than if they were men-
tioned one by one : And that wrong Notion
induced them to feveral Miftakes, not only
on this account but on feveral others, for many
Years afterwards. All other Points which ha4
any Reference to this General Article, fuch as
the Liberty of vifiting and comforting the Sick,
even in the Hofpitals; of affifting the Prifo-
ners i of exhorting the Criminals, and attending
them to the Place of Execution ; the Exemptio^
from feveral things, whereat the Confciences of
the Reformed were offended, as being Parts, or
Circumftances of the Catholick Worfhip, and
feveral other Articles of the fame Nature, met
with proportionable Difficulties before they
could be agreed upon ; but that concerning the
Burials occasioned the warmeft Debates of all
the reft. The Catholicks having, through a
blind Zeal, contrived Canons, which under co-
lour of Piety, deftroy all Senfe of Humanity,
in forbidding all fuch as the Councils or Popes
have declared Hereticks, to be buried in holy
Ground, as they call it, their Clergy could not
endure the Reformed fhould be buried in com-
mon^
3o o K VII. Reformed Churches in France, ij^
mon Church-yards, nor even the Lords andHenrylV*
Gentlemen in the Chapels pf their own Houfc j p '^ (-}g_
or in the Churches wherein they had a Right of mtntVIII
Patronage. On the other hand the Reformed,
tho* no longer infatuated with the Conceit,
that one Spot of Ground is holier than another,
earneftly required that the fame Church-yard
ihould ferve for both Parties, becaufe they
could not brook that Diilindlion, by which
they were injurioufly refledbed upon : For He-
reticks being excluded out of common Church-
yards, the Burying of the Reformed in other
Places, was a plain Declaration of their being
Hefeticks -, and by fuch a publick Blur, they
faw themfelves expofed to the Hatred of the
Catholicks, a People always jiealous, even tQ
Fury and Madnefs, againft any thing that ap-
pears tp them in the Shape of Herefy. Now
this important Article was explained by the
Edid, or executed by the King's Commiflaries
in fuch a Manner as proved under Lewis XIV.
the fatal Spring of innumerable Vexations and
Injustices.
A THIRD General Article of the De-
mands of the Reformed, was concerning the
Subfiftance of the Minifters and the MaintCr
nance of the Schools. The Reformed required to
be freed from paying Tenths to the Roman
Clergy, they thought that they owed them
nothing, fince they did not own them as their
Paftors j and they thought it unjuft,that being
at the Charge of maintaining their own Minifters,
they ihould alfo contribute to the SqbfiftaiKe
of the Priefts of a contrary Religion. They
required, that, at leaft, their Minifters fhould
be paid out of the publick Money, according
to an Article of the Treaty of Truce with
limr^ III. They alfo defired Schools for th«
T 4 In.
2 8 o Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Inftruftion of their Youth, with a publick Al-
Popet:\e- ^owance for the Matters ; and moreover, that
mentVinthey might be admitted Doftors, ProfefTors an4
Teachers in all the Univerfities and Faculties,
to the end that their Children might freely
take their Degrees in the moft flourifhing Col-
leges. In this Pretenfion of publick Salaries,
they thought not fo much of faving their own
Money, as they aimed at the moft important
Point of being owned Members of the State,
equal to the Catholicks, and capable as well
as they, of all Sorts of honourable and profir
table Employments. Therefore the Catholicks,
who could not endure that Equality of the Re-
formed with them, ftoutly oppofed this Article.
As to the Minifters' Salary, it was put to an
end, or rather eluded by the King's Promife,
to pay the Reformed a yearly Sum of Money,
to be employed, as they fhould think fit, with-
out giviug an Account thereof: But ftill they
trifled about the Quantity of that Sum, about
the Aflignations of the Money, and about
the Security of the Payment. And after all
this, the Meafures they took were fo uncertain,
that, a little time after the Conclufion, they
complained of their being ill paid, and they
enjoyed not the Effed: of this Promife much
longer than twenty Years. Moreover, as the
Sum promifed was not fufficient to maintain
fuch a great Number of Minifters, that was in
a manner made up by the fecret Articles,
whereby they were allowed to accept Gifts and
Legacies for the Subliftance of Minifters, Scho-
lars, and the Poor, and to make AflefTments
upon their People on certain Conditions. As
to the Schoolsi their fantaftical Notion of the
fpeedy Fall of the Antichrift, above-mention-
«4, occafioned their Eagernefs for being freely
admitted
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr an c e , 281
admitted into the Unlverfities and other pub- HenrylV.
lick Colleges of the Kingdom •, and whereas the p'^^^A,
Reformed were then generally reputed for Men mentVlII
of a greater and more polite Learning than the
Gatholicks, they did not queftion but that
Daqon would fall to the Ground, and their
Religion be triumphant as foon as their great
Men could appear either in the Profeffors'
Chairs, or in the Pulpits, and as foon as Mea
could embrace their Dodrine without being
debarred from any temporal Advantage. That
Notion made them to negle(5l to take proper
Securities for their ov/n Schools, Colleges and
Univerfities ; they ran after a Shadow, forfakr
ing the real Body, which Negled of their
F;6re-fathers their Children paid very dear for
ii^ another Time. Their Demands in that re-
f^ed: were granted without much Difficulty,
but the Conditions were fo ill-explained, that
the Conceflion proved fatal unto them, as we;
fhall fee in its proper Place.
A FOURTH General Article where-
upon the Reformed infifted, was concerning
the Security of the Eftates, and of Civil and
natural Properties ; by virtue whereof. Chil-
dren, or the next of Kin, inherit their deceafed
Parents or Relations* Eftates -, and the Mem-
bers of the fame Commonwealth are made ca-,
pable of receiving Benefits, Gifts and Legacies,
of Buying and Selling, of Contradling, Ading
and Difpofing of what belongs to them accord-
ing to Law. The Nobility and Gentry had^
befides the general Concern, a fpecial Intereit
therein, in regard to their Fiefs, Lordfhips,
Patronages and Honours : And, whereas by
the Canons 'of the Church, the Hereticks were
deprived of thefe Rights, and that by the"
y^oxd HERliTlCK, they meant whomfoever
I oppofsd.
282 Hijlory of the Reformation, mid of the Vol. IV,
HenryIV.Qppofe(3^ not the Holy Scripture, but the Te-
Pej>« Vie- '^^^s ^^ ^^^ Church of Rome^ and confequently
mentVlII the Reformed •, the NecelTity of making fome
Provifions againft fuch an unjuft and cruel Law
was obvious enough ; nothing was wanting in
that refpedl but the Renewing what had been
already enaded by the former Edidls ; and this
was accordingly done, with fome Exceptions
relating to fome particular Cafes, fome whereof
were explained in the fecret Articles, and others,
left undecided, for Reafons of State.
A FIFTH General Article whereupon
the Managers of the Edi6t on the Reformed
Side infifted much, was for obtaining an equal
Number of Judges of both Religions in every
Parliament. The 111- Will of thefe Courts, who
daily did notorious Pieces of Injuftice to the
Reformed, and ftarted a World of Difficulties
and Scruples in the verifying of the Edidls
granted for their Security, rendered that ne-
cdTary. But the fame Parliaments had fuch an
Intereft to prevent the Multiplying of Offices
in their Bodies, and the Difmembering of their
Jurifdidions, that this Affair met with many-
Difficulties -and Obftacles. Neverthelefs, the
King granted one Chamber, compofed partly
of Reformed and partly of Catholicks, in the
Parliaments of 'J'houloufe, Bourdeaux and Gre-
noble^ where the Caufes of the Reformed fhould
refpeftively be brought. There was already
one at Ccijlres, and fome Reformed Judges had
been eftabliffied in the Parliament oi Grenoble,
and it feems that the Reformed of Dauphine,
where Lejdiguieres had a full Power, had no-
thing common in feveral Affairs with thofe of
the fame Religion in other Provinces-, three
Judges were then added to the former, to
make up a Mixt- Chamber, which at the very-
Time
Book VII. Reformed Churches in "pRAiiCE, 28 j
Time of its Creation, was incorporated with Henry I V-
the Parliament, infomuch that its Members p' 59^*
were called in, whenever any thing was to be mentVIII
debated in a full Houfe. Moreover, the King
proraifed to ered a Chamber at Paris, con-
iifting of ten Catholick Judges, and fix Re-
formed ; and the Reformed who lived withiti
the refpeftive Jurifdidions of the Parliaments
of Roue'}!, Rennes, and Dijon, had their Choice
either to bring their Caufes before that of their
own Province, or before any of the Chambers
granted, in the neareft of them. The King's
Promife to the Reformed in refped of the Par-
liament of Paris, was not executed ; but, he
made fome amends for it, by creating fome
new Offices of Judges in that of Rouen, and
a Chamber of the Ed id: like that of Paris ^
which the faid Parliament of Roueti was very
glad to accept of, tho' a great L'aeray to the
Reformed -, nay, they declared rhat the Treaty
concluded with the Marquifs of Vi liars; their
Governour during the Time of the League,
was not againft that Conceffion j the Reafon
for fuch a great Condefcenfion was taken from
their Self-Intereft ; they were made fenfible by
Experience, of the great Damage they were
to fuffer, if the Reformed of Norviandy^ who
were very numerous, continued to briiig their
Caufes to Paris ; the Catholicks themfelves of
that Province, ftuck not fometimes to beg their
Intervention in their own Caufes, when they
had fome fecret Jealoufy, or other Exception
againft their Judges. The Reformed of Bri-
tanny had not the fame Favour in the Parlia-
jnent of Rennes, which were fome of the mod
furious againft them, either becaufe they -yjvould
jiot confent to it, or, that being fo partial an4
paffionate, a fufficient Number of equitable Med
' ' could
2 84 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV,
HenrylV. could not be found among them to make up
p*598j a Chamber, or finally, becaufe the Number of
inentVlH Reformed in that Province was then but in-
4.— yii^j considerable. Nothing was altered in what had
been agreed upon concerning the Parliament of
Dijon.
i^ SIXTH General Article was, for
a free Admittance to all Offices of State, War,
Juftice, Policy, Treafury, and to all Com-
miflions, Employments, Profeffions, Arts and
Trades, from the higheft to the meaneft, with-
out Danger of being excluded from any on
account of Religion. It was diredly againft
the Canon-Law, which debars from all thefe
Rights, fuch as are not obedient to the Roman
Church, and who are for that Reafon termed
Hereticks ; and it had been the Original of all
the Oppofitions made to the Reformed, during
fo many Years together ; but it was of fuch
great Confequence to them, that they would
never defift from that Article •, becaufe, befides
the Honour and Credit of Offices, which they
would not have their Families to be deprived
of, they were fenfible, that, if that honourable
Door was fhut to them, fuch as had more Am-
bition than Religion; would foon forfake their
iiaked and barren Religion, and thereby bring
the Reformation to a declining State. The
greateft Oppofition came from Parliaments,
\n\o refufed to admit them to Offices of the
I^aw. But at lair they obtained their Defire,
and the King declared them capable of hold-
ing all Sorts of Offices ; whereby they thought
they had gained a confiderable Point, becaufe
that Honour being denied to Hereticks by the
Canons, as above- faid, their being admitted to
them, was a Difcharge from that odious and
hateful Name. Yet in this important Affair,
th©
So o K V"1I. tteformed Churches /« France. 285
the Reformed were highly miftalcen, when they HenrylV.
contented themfelves with a bare, and general _ '>9^*
Declaration of their Capablenefs of Offices, „ie„tVIU
without folidly engaging the King to declare <.
that they (hould be really and adually conferred
upon them. There were fome among them,
"who fore-ieeing that fome time or other, this
general Declaration would be mif-interpreted,
moved in the Aflembly, for fixing, in each
Kind of Employments or Offices, a certain
Number of Places, that ffiould be conferred
upon the Reformed. Du Plejfis treating fome
Years before with Villeroy^ had obtained the
fourth Part of all Places in the Kingdom, and
was even in hopes to obtain a J:hird. But
the Aflembly thought that fuch a General De-
claration had fomething more flattering than
the Limitation of a certain Number of Places,
becaufe thereby the Reformed were more fully
equalled to the Catholicks : They did not con-
fider that there was a vaft Difference between
declaring one capable of a Place and beftowing
it upon him. It is alfo what d* OJfat faith to
the Pope^ in order to excufe what his Mafter
had done, and to appeafe him, becaufe hs
feigned to be very angry againft his Majefty.
True it is, that at the Time of the publifhihg
of this Edidl, the Reformed got fome Advan-
tage by that Article, the beft part of all infe-
rior Offices fell immediately to their Share, and
even the Catholick Lords were fo well per-
fuaded, that they had either more Capacity or
Honefty than others, that they ftuck not to
prefer them, before the Catholicks, to fuch
Places as were in their Gift : Moreover, moft
Part of the Offices being venal in France^ the
Reformed bought them dearer than others ;
and by that Means, overcame all Sorts of Op-
pofitions.
2 86 Hifiory of the Refonnation\,andofthe Vol. IVi
Henry IV. pofitions, which happened efpecially for Places
Po^Pcie- ^^ ^ "^^ Creation, when he that bids more is
mentVJil fure to be the Buyer. But this happy State of
the Reformed lafted not above 27 Years ; the
Event has fhewn that it would have been better
for us, had our Fore-fathers been more exadt
, in ftipulating the Number of Places and Offices
that were to be the Share of the Reformed ;
for our implacable Enemies did not forget that
perfidious Maxim above-mentioned, that to de-
clare one capable of atiy Office, and to t)eftow
it upon him, are two different Things; for,
very far frorii being admitted to high Offices^
or preferred to the greateft Dignities, according
to our Merits, we have been fiiifced with, even
about the meaneft Offices, and the fiioft incon-
fiderable Trades of the Kingdom.
A SEVENTH Genera L Article, was con-
cerning the Securities, the principal whereof was,
in the Opinion of the Reformed, the keeping of
thcfe Places which they had now in thc-ir Pof-
feffion, and were numerous and ftrong enough
to refifi: their Enemies in cafe of an Attack. But
this very Thing made the Difficulty -, for the
Council was very unwilling to leave fb many
FortreiKiS in the hands of brave and bold Men,
amongft: whom there was a great Number of
warlike and courageous Nobility, who had
ht^v, permitted to unite together for their mu-
tual Defence. But the AfTembly was inflexible
upon this Point, and would by no means
hearken, of parting with what they had ; the
t^xperience of the Times paft, made them afraid
that the Edid might be ufed as a Pretence to
difarm them, and that the Catholicks would
hot fcruple to break their Oath, as foon as
their Places of Surety fhould be taken from
them, and they would no longer be at the Dif-
cretioii
iBooK VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 287
cretion of tlieir Enemies and irreconclkable Henry IV.
Perfe'ciitbrs. Befides that genetal Intereft, no ^59^
doubt but feveral private ories were iriixed ^j^tYjIj
with it; for there was no Lord, or Captain,
but who had fome Place or other under his
Command, and none of them would have
yielded willingly his own. However, the
Council, defirous to hinder the Multiplication
of thefe Places, limited the Time during which
a Place ought to have been in the polTeflion of
the Reformed, for its being reckoned a Cau-
tionary Place. All this Article was very dif-
ficult to refolve, for they debated about the
Number and Quality of the Places, about the
Strength of the Garifons ; about the Nomina-
tion of Governours, and the Oath to be taken
by them •, about the Change in cafe of Death 1
about the Difpofition of the Under- Offices ; a-
bout the Time of the keeping of them ; and
about feveral other things which refpedled the
Circumftancesof that Truft. The Affembly de-
lired chiefly to have it declared, that thefe Pla-
ces that fhould be afcribed to the Reformed,
ihould not exclude them from other Govern-
ments, whereto they might be chofe, according
to their Merits. The Council made ufe of all
their Arts to eyade thefe Preteniions, and above
all, to have the Nomination of the Governours
tefiding in the King, to the end that fuch as
were admitted might be rather in the Court In-
tereft than the Caufe*s. In order to get this
Point, the Court was obliged to grant, that
thofe who fhould be nominated by the King,
fhould have a Certificate from the Colloquy,
to the end that the faid Colloquy might chal-
lenge them, if they were fufpicious ; befides,
that the King promifed them to take their Ad-
rice whenever any Government fhould becom«
racant.
288 Hijtory of the Reformatio}!^ and of the Vol .1 V;
Henryiv, vacanf, that he might not chufe fuch Perfons
p\}?}^^ into thofe PJaces, as would be difasreeable to
^ope Lie- , ^
"'cntVIIltnem.
It mud be obferved, that the granting of
thefe Places to the Reformed, was not fo con-
trary to the King's Interefts, nor even to his
Intentions, as fome have pretended, and as his
Majefty himfelf was fometimes forced, out of
Policy, to fay. This Prince was not yet free
from the Perplexity, wherein the Uncertainty
of the Succelfion, the Authority of the greateft
Lords in the Kingdom, and the Power of the
Chief Officers of his Troops had put him.
The Seeds of thofe Confpiracies which had
been raifed again ft him and the State, were
rather hidden then quite ftifled : And there
was too much reafon to fear, that fo many Men
being corrupted by the Pra6lices and Gold of
Spciiii^ they might form fuch a Party as would
give him a great deal of Trouble to deftroy 5
whereupon he complained very often, that there
was none about him, whom Prudence could
permit him to confide in. But, on the other
hand, when he recolledled to himfelf, the ftrong
AfT'jlion that the Reformed had fo feafonably
ihew'd towards him for fo many Years together,
he was fitisfy'd that they were his approved
Friends, from whom, in the greateft Emergen-
cies, he might promife himfelf all Aftiftance.
It is true, at that time they were diffatisfy'd
with his Indifference towards them, and hi» ,
delaying their Affairs j but he was certain he
lliould always find them ready to lay down
their Lives for his Service, as foon as ever he
ihould give them any Token of his former
Confidence and Truft in them : And therefore^
he thought it a very material Point wherein
he was deeply concerned, to preferve them,
and
Book VII. Reformed CBurcbes i?2 France. 2^g
and fpoke afterwards to his Confidents of the HenryV^'
Peace he had granted them, as a Thing he had „ '598-
mod: ardently wiflied for, and which would be mentVIl'l
very lifeful to him in his greateft Undertakings.
He look*d upon the Reformed as his own
Party, and their ftrong Places as his own : He
knew very well, that whatfoever Intrigues
Sj)ain might carry on with the turbulent Spirits
of the Court, yet that Part of the State which
was held by the Reformed, could not be taken
from him, and that they might be ferviceable
even for keeping others in the Bounds of theii?
Duty and Allegiance. He defired only to have
a Power of Naming the Governours of their
Towns, to the end that he might place in
them, fuch who were as much adhering to his In-
tereft as to their Religion, and who eonfequently
fhould depend more upon him, than upon the
Councils or political Afremblies ; and for pro-
curing their Confent to this Article, he found
cut the Expedient above-mentioned.
But there was another great Difficulty, about
the Payment of the Sums neceffary for the
Maintaining of the Garifons, the Fortifications,
and the Walls of thefe Towns : For the Ca-
tholicks were much offended, to fee fuch great
Sums paid by the King to the Hereticks, for
Maintaining fo many Fortrefies that rendered
them very formidable; Neverthelefs it could
not be refufed to Men who could fay, that the
like had been done for the Leaguers, the great-
eft Part whereof had Penfions, and their Gari-
fons paid out of the King's Coifers : So that
the Debate was reduced to confider the Means
how to fave the fting*s Money ; and the Re^
formed were contented with fo little, that it
can hardly be believed that all their Garifons
could be paid with fo inconfidcrable a Sum.
Vol. I v. U When
2po JJiJlory of the 'kefcrmation^ and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV.When all was thus fettled, a new Debate arofe
Tote^QX ^^°"^ ^^ Security to be given to the Reformed
luentVIII for the Payment of thefe Snms promifed ; they
would have been very glad, had they been
allowed to ftop the King's Money in the Re-
ceivers-Office^ in their refpedive Provinces,
rather than to accept of fuch Alignments as
they feared would be both inconvenient and
uncertain. But it was not thought becoming
with their Duty to fhow forth fo great Diftruft
cf the King's Word, and therefore they were
contented with the Promife he gave them of
convenient and certain Alignments. There were
fome private Perfons alfo, having no Employ-
ment, either in the Cautionary Towns or in the
Army, who made private Requefts, fome of Ar-
rearages of Penfions, others for fome Gifts to
fettle their Affairs, others for fome Recompenfe
for their paft Services, whi ch had not yet been
acknowledged, ^^r. under feveral Pretences; but
the whole of their Demands amounted to fo
fmall a Sum, that being put all together it would
fcarcely equal the leaft Reccmpcnfe that fome
of the Leaguers- had obtained.
Fourthly, When all Things were agreed on,
there ftill remained a general Difficulty con-
cerning the Manner how thefe Conce£ions
ihould be publiflied. An Edidl feemed to be
the moft authentick Way, but there were fo
many Obftacles, fo m.any Fears of offending
the Catholicks, and of giving any Pretence to
the Difaffe(5lcd of beginning new Difturbances,
and fuch Hopes given to the Churches of mend-
ing their Condition with the Times, that at
laft they agreed upon feveral P'orms under
•which feveral Conceffions fhould be granted,
as it had been done on other Occafions. Firft,
They gave an Ed;t% which contained the Ge-
neral
Book VII. "Reformed Churches in VVih^i^C'^, 291
neral Articles to the Number of ninety two,HenryIV.
as you have {^?:\\ them. Then Tome particular „ '598-
Heads were added to the Edidl under them/ntvill
Name of fecret Articles, to the number of",
fifty fix, among which were many of great Im-
portance, which well deferved to have been
inferted into the Body of the Edii5l ; but the
Reformed contented themfelves with placing
them in the Appendix ; becaufe it was directed
to the Parliaments, feveral of whom verify'dit.
What is very fingular in that Appendix, is,
that fome of the Articles are worded after fuch
a Manner, that it feems that they regarded only
the Time paft, and the prefent, but not the
future, which neverthelefs have been executed
from the Time of the Publication of the Edid,
to the Time of its Repealing, without calling
them inqueftion; fuch were the Articles con-
cerning Marriages in fuch Degrees which the
Catholicks are not allowed of without a Licence
from Rome. This in a manner made fome
Amends for fome other Articles of the Edi6l
itfelf \yhich could never have been put in exe-
cution \ fuch as that which allowed the Re-
formed to live in all Places of the Kingdom \
for there were feveral Tov/ns wherein they
could never appear with Safety, much lefs
live therein without Difturbance. But a par-
ticular Obfervation muft be made here, concern-
ing the Liberty of Confcience ; the Edidt aimed
purpofely at the fettling and confirming thereof,
and yet there was no formal Article therein,
whereby all the Frenchmen were allowed it :
Bat it was plainly pre-fuppofed by the Ediift,
and the Spirit of Liberty was fuch amongft
them, that they fancy'd themfelves, that France
was the only Kingdom in the World, wherein
Liberty fuflfered lefs Encroachment , fo that all
U 2 the
292 Hijlory of the Reformation, andoftheVoh.W',*'
HenrylV.the King's Subjeds were allowed to enjoy it,
P^^^^Qg.as to Religion, for many Years together, with-
mentVIII o^it the leaft Difturbance \ and that Privilege
has not been violated, until the Edicft hss been
made void in its moft important Conceffions.
Fifrhly, The other Things which could be
mentioned neither in the Edid, nor in the fe-
cret Articles, were promifed by private Patents,
wherewith the Reformed were fatisfied, tho'
thefe Sorts of Letters have not force of Law,
but continue fo, only at the King's Pleafure,
who m.ay revoke them v.henever he has a
mind to it. Neverthelefs, having a particular
Regard to his Majefty's Affairs, they yielded
to his Will in this Refpe6l. There were three
Patents of this Nature. By the firil:, which is
of the 3d of April, a Sum of 45,000 Crowns
was granted for the Payment of the Minifters.
As the Court durft not declare openly the Ufe
for which that Sum was deftined, left the Catho-
licks fhould murmur, feeing Part of the King's
Revenue employed for the keeping up of He-
refy ; fo they were obliged to put in feme Claufe
which might fccure it from giving them any
Scandal. Vii Plejfis, having inferted an Ar-
ticle upon this Subje(5i-, amongft thofe which
had been agreed upon at Mantes, had obtained
that the promifed Sum fhould be paid under
the Name of Lady Catharine, the King's own
Sifter, becaufe fhe could receive greater Gra-
tifications of the King her Brother without
giving any Sufpicion : But fhe could not live
iihvays, and therefore fome other Device muft
be found out, which might ferve them at all
Times •, (o that it was declared in the Patent
that this Sum was given to the Preformed, To
he laid cut by them in their fecrct Concerns, which
his Mnjejly ivoiild hcje neither fpscifyd nor de-
cUred. The
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 293
The fecond Patent was dated the 30th of HenrylV.
April, and concerned the Cautionary Towns, pj/ q
and Places ; as their Number amounted to mentVJll
above two hundred, large or fmall, the Court
was afraid to offend the Catholicks, had an
Article thereof been inferted in the Edid, fpe-
cifying them one after another. This Patent
explained likewife feveral other Things which
feemed to be left undetermined by the Edidt.
The King declared therein, by way of a Pre-
face, the iVIotives that induced him to grant
them the keeping of thefe Fortreffes. And in
the Conclufion we find a very honourable Men-
tion rnade of the Reformed's Complaifance, and
of their Regard for his Majefty's Intereft. Thus
as the private Articles were a kind of Inftruc-
tions for the Executors of the Edid, wherein
the King explained many Things, which the
General Articles had left obfcure and un-
decided -, fo we may fay alfo, that this Patent
ferved as a Kind of a Salvo to certain Articles
of the Edi6l which the Times would not per-
mit to be put in more favourable Terms, altho'
the King's Intention and Inclination was not
averfe from it. And above all, he juftify'd
the Reformed from the Reproach of having
made any Advantage of the Conjundure of
Affairs, in forcing him to grant them what
tliey pleafed, fince he declared, that they were
contented with the King^s Word^ upon fo many
important Points •, becaufe the State of his Af-
fairs zvould not allow him to give them better
Securities.
The third Patent, which I have omitted,
was for the Diilribution of 23,000 Crown?,
to feveral private Perfons, to fome for one
Time, to others for two Years, to fome for -
four, and to others again for eight Years :
U 3 To
294 Hiflory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. To fome by way of Gratification, and to others
^59?- as Arrears due for paft Services. Thus all the
nientVIIIp2^^°"^^ Favours, that the King granted to the
i»— .^, f Reformed, amounted to a very fmall Matter,
whereby it appeared, tiiat private Intereft was
rot the Motive of their Purfuits, as they de-
clared in all their Requefts. All the Sums
amounted not to 250,000 Crowns : And, even
at the End of eight Years the Whole v/as to
be reduced to lefs than a fifth Part, which they
gave to the Reformed in Comipenfaticn of the
Tenth, which they were obliged to pay to the
Catholick Clergy.
These Obfervations which I have made
upon the Edi(Ct o{ IS antes ^ and which for the
jnoft part are abftraded out of the Vth Book
of the Ift Volume of the Revd. Mr. Benoit*3
Hiftory of the faid Edi6r, feems to me fufficient
for giving a true Notion of that knotty and
important Affair, of the Difficulties v/hich the
Managers thereof had to overcome, before they
could come to a Conclufion.
QWl, And now, I think it very proper to fay
r^-^r^^fFfrfomething of thefe chief Manager?, either on
rf fome of jj^^ King's Side, or the Reformed. The Count
ibe chief r c t- r> \
Mana'^crs ^^ i>C K CM C E R G , T H U A N U S, C A L ! G N ON, and
ih£n^\ DE Vic, were the King's Commiffaries, charged
to tranfa6t with the Deputies of the Reformed
afiembled at Chcitd-hcrauld ; to whom we may
join the B:iron of Rony, who, tho' he was
but feldom pref.:nt at the Conferences, in-
fluenced, neverthelefs, the Afkmbly by his
great Credit.
€>/■ G?f- Gasp a r d or Scho m e e rg. Count of Nan^
•rnrd^?/* teiiil^ was born of a moll noble ai^d ancient
Schom- Family in Germany \ he was at Jrgcrs for his
berg. Studies, when the firft Civil War broke out,
in 1562, and withilood, at the Head of the
Reformed,
B 0 o K VI r. Reformed Churches in France. 295
Reformed, the firfl: Onfet of the Catholicks HenryfV.
that came to furprife that City, but having been „' ^^f-„
forfaken by his Troop, he was forced to re- mentVill
treat; ilnce that time, he took Party in the
King's Army, where he ferved firft as Voluntier,
then as Captain, afterwards as Colonel of the
Rei'iiers, and then their Major-General ; in
which Capacity he made himfelf fo neceflary,
that King Charles IX. ingaged him, by his
Efteem^and Favours, to fettle in the Kingdom,
with the Command of thefe foreign Troops,
under the Title of Colonel of the black Bands.
He was a Man of a wonderful Genius and
Sagacity in the Management of Affairs, elo-
quent, perfuafive, a good Soldier, and a great
Captain ; to thefe great Qualifications, he joined
a great Probity, and Integrity, he was courte-
ous, affable, obliging, liberal even above his
Fortune •, and being a great Courtier he was
naturally officious to every one, which is very
rare amongft the Courtiers ; his Virtues and his
Sollicitude for the Glory and Welfare of the
Kingdom, endeared him to the three Kings
under whom he ferved, and commanded the
Efteem of all the great Lords -, his Houfe was
opened to the diftreffed and thofe who were
in low Circumllances, efpecially to theLearned^
and he admitted them to his Table, and alTifted
them in their Wants. For thirty fix Years to-
gether, he was employed in feveral Negocia-
tions, and was always at the Plead of the moft
important Affairs, and enjoyed very great
Honours either in Peace or War -, he feemed
born rather for his Friends and the Publick
than for himfelf, for he died very deeply in
debt, which he had contraded much more for
the Service of the Publick and for his Friends,
than for his own Ufe. His Lady Johanna\
U 4 Chajieignet^^
2()6 Hijlory of the Refcrmation^ and of the Vol.IV,
HenrylV. Qhajleigner of La Rochepozay, difcharg'd them
^598- all by her good GEconomy, feveral Years after
mentVIIl^^^ Deceafe. He died fuddenly of a Suffoca-
tion, in his Coach, as he came from Co'iifians^
a Mile from Paris, before he could reach any
Inn, on the 17th of Mrj'ch 1599 •, he had
been there in the Morning with Prefident
Tbuanus, to receive the King's Inftruftions,
having been named his Commiffary in the
Southern Provinces, for putting the Edi6t in
execution -, his Corpfe was opened, and to
their great Surprize and Wonder, the Surgeons
found that the Membrane, and the flefliy Part
that covers the left Region of the Heart, and
js neceifary for the Refpiration, was become
as hard as a Bone, through the too great heat
^nd too much ea.ting, (for he was tall and big
of his Shape,j fo that he could breathe but
with difficulty, and was at lad the Occafion of
his pre-mature D^ath. For along Time be-
fore, he had laboured under that Difeafe, and
when he was feized with the Fits thereof, he
felt a violent Pain in the Film of the Heart,
was all over in a Sweat, and ready to faint away
for Weaknefs. But as he was naturally very
patient, his Difeafe never hindered him frorfi
going to Court every Day, and was fo well
ufed through a long habit to thefe Fits, that
even his ov/n Family troubled themfelves very
little about it. He was Governour of the Ili^b
and how March, a Country in \\^t Lyonncjc,
and one of the King's moft honourable Privy-
Council, Charles IX. had favoured his Ac-
quifition of the County of Nanteuil which he
bought of the Duke of Guife. He had two
Sons and three Daughters by his Lady above-
named, viz. Henry and Junibal, this laft was
killed \r\ the Wars of Hungary before his
Fathei's
Book VII. Reformed Churches /?2 France. 297
Father's Death {c) -, Henry was Knight of the HenrylV.
Kiiig's Orders, Superintendant of his Exche- '598-
quer, and Marihal o^ France, he died in 1632 •, mentVlfl
his firft Wife was Frances^ Marchionefs of u— y— J
Efpinay and Barhefieu:<, Countefs of Diirejlal^
t>y whom he had Charles of Schomberg Marfhal
o\ France, and Colonel-General of the Switzers^
&c. &c. {d) fo well known in this Kingdom*
whither he came on account of his Religion, aC
the repealing of the Edid; o^ Nantes : He was
killed at the Paffage of the Boyne in Ireland,
^nd left two Sons, the eldeft was killed in
Piedmont at the Battle of La Mar faille, the
youngeft fucceeded to his Titles and Honours,
and died in London, leaving a Daughter mar-
ried firft to the Earl of Holdernefs, and now
to the Earl of Fitzwaller.
SO F REDE, Lord of CJL IGNO N, O/Sofrede
Chancellor of Navarre, was born z.t St.John^°^'^,'-f
near Voiron in Datiphine, he was a Man of ^'^2^^°"'
fuch great Parts and fo defervlng, either as to
his Learning, or as to his Wit, or as to his
Experience in Affairs, either as to the Sweet- v
nefs of his Temper or the Integrity of his
Morals, that few Perfons can be paraliel'd with
him. He adhered in his Youth to the Re-
form.ed Religion, which he profefied for all
Jiis Life, without being deterred from it by
the 4-lhirements of the Court, or by th^
pofitive Promifes of the greateft Preferments ;
for had he been willing to turn Catholick,
Henry IV. had declared oftentimes, that he
would make him Chancellor of Fr^;/r^. He was
at firil Secretary to the King of Navarre, then
Counfellor .
(f) Thuan. lib. xxx pag. 102. Idem lib. cxxii. p. ^65.
{d] Addic. aux Memoires de Calleln. Tom. 2. 1. vii. c. 9.
psg- 75!, l^f. Thuanus fays that Calignon was hou\ a,t
<jrenobie.
298 Hijlory of the Reformatmi , ajidofthe Vol.IV.
HenrylV. Counfellor, after that Prefident in the Cham-
E>J.^^r>'!» ber of the Edid at Grencble^ and laftly, Chan-
mentVIII celJor of Navarre. At his Intercemon the Rc-
t— -y— ^ formed Inhabitants at Paris had their publick
Exercife removed from Blandy four or five
Leagues diftant of Paris to Charenton, which
is but two Miles or thereabout. He died in
the Year i6c6, afrer a lingering Siclcnefs, be-
ing in the 57th Year of his Age (e).
O/James JAMES AUGUSTUS THUANUS,
ThSi^us' ^^ ^^^'^^^-'^ DE THOU, was born zt Paris,
the 9th of Ouloher 1553; his Father \NdiS Chrijt c-
phle de Thcu, firft Prefident of the Parliament
of Paris, his Grandfather had been made Pre-
sident a MoRTiER, in the fame Parliament,
by Erancis I. He was not 25 Years old when
he was made Counfellor Clerk in the faid Par-
liament; about fix Years after, he was made
Mafter of the Requefts -, in 1586, he had the
Reverfion of the Place of Prefident a Mor-
tier, which his Uncle enjoyed then -, the next
Year he married Mary of Barbanfon, Daughter
to Francis of Barhanjon-Cany, and of Antonia
of Vdjisrcs, a very rich and noble Heirefs -, that
excellent Lady died in 1601, without leaving
any Child, for which Caufe, two Years after
he married Gafparda of La Chdtre, youngeft
Dsiughttr to Gafpard of La Chdtre, Count of
Nancey, Knight of the King's Orders, and
Captain of his Guards: he died in 1576, of
the Wounds he had received at Dreux, about
fifteen Years before, which opened itfelr" again
this Year thro' a too hard Riding, flie was
firft Coufin to the Marfiial of La Chdlre ; fhe
died in July 1616, leaving behind her fix
Children, three Sons and three Daughters, and
a
(f) Thuan. lib. cxxxvi. pag. 1246. Teffier Elog. des
iommes favansTo.ii. 2. pag. y^S. Edit, of Utrecht, 1696.
Book VII. Refonned Churches in Yra-nce. 299
a tender Hufband in a difconfolate Condition, KenrylV.
who out-lived her only ten Months or there- „ ' 5p8-
about, for he died in May following, of a Schir- mentvhl
rus in his Stomach, which caufcd to him the bit-
tereft Pains for almoft a year together. I fhall
fay nothing about the Charadler of that truly
great Man, hisWorks,and cfpecially the Hiftory
of his own Times, which proclaims him one of
the greateft Politicians, the learnedeft, the fen-
fibleft, the moft upright and the beft Man that
ever was in the World fpeak for him. His Im-
partiality and ftrid Adherence to the Truth
without any refped: for Perfons, drew upon
him the Hatred and Perfecutions of thofe,
whom his own Probity and the Rules of Hi-
ftory did not allow him to regard ; the wicked
Arts of the Courts of Rcme and Madrid were
fo well difclofed, the Charadters of feveral Popes^
and of Philip II. was fo well drawn to the
Life, that thefe two Courts, efpecially the firft,
was very eager to fliow forth its Refentment,
Tho' the King had a great Value for him,
neverthelefs he gave him over to the revengeful
Spirit of Rome ; that Hiftory was condemned
on the 9th of Ncvemher 1609, cs a pernicious
Book, the reading whereof was forbidden to all
the Faithful in what Language foever. He was
]upbraided above all for having been one of the
chief Managers of the Edid: of Nantz, and
having approved of it, as well as for havincr
aflerted the Rights of the Kingdom with a Li-
berty ill-relifhed by the Italian Divines. In the
Year 1640, the fame Hiftory was condemned
by the Inquifition of Spain ; and feveral Paf-
fages thereof v.'ere inferred into the Index expur-
gatorius, printed at Madrid in 1667. Tho*
King James I. of England received it very
kindly, and read with a great deal of Pleafure
the
300 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. firft Volume ; neverthelefs, when became to
i*J/ae ^^^ Affairs of Scotland^ the Charader the Au-
mentVIII^hor gave of Queen Mary, and of Queen Eli-
zabeth, provoked his Majefty, he defired that
he would alter that Part of his Hiftory after his
own way : But Thuanus knowing perfedly well
his Duty in the Capacity of an Hiftorian, re-
fufed to comply with King Jameses Dedre, and
chofe to offend his MAJESTY rather than
TRUTH. His own Country was very little
lefs unjuft, unto him, than the Foreigners ;
whereas he had fpcken freely his Mind con-
cerning the League and the Leaguers, Vllleroy,
who had fided with them, and the other Mi-
iiifters o{ Mary of Medicis, put upon him the
deadlieft Affront that a Man of his Charadler
could receive, for tho' he had agreed for the
Charge of firft Prefident with De Harlay his
Brother-in-Law, tho' he had fo good Title to
that Charge, neverthelefs the Court put him
afide, and gave it to De Verdun, then firft Pre-
^fident at Tbouloufe. Thenceforward he con-
tinued his Hiftory, which he had interrupted
for fix Years together, and brought it down
to the Year 1607, which is all that we have of
that great Man upon Hiftory beftdes his ovm
Memoirs. It feems that he had a mind to
bring it dcAvn to the Death of Henry IV. but
very likely he was hindered by his late painful
and lingering Sicknefs, and at laft Death put
an end to his laborious Life, which had wholly
been employed in the Service of his Princes,
Country, and the Pubhck. The hard Fate of
his eldeft Son, who was beheaded at Lyon.',
for having not revealed a Plot contrived again ft
Cardinal De Richelieu, thq' he was neither Ac-
complice nor Approver, proclaims loudly the
cruel Temper of that Minifter, the Weaknefs
of his Mafter, and the Wickednefs of thefe
Times. MAX-
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches in Fr an ce!! 301
MAXIMILIJN o^BETHUlSlE, Ba-HenrylV.
ron oUWS TVr and created Duke o^SUL L I ' 598-
by HE NRTIV. was born in the Year i56i,^'4'tVIij[
of a moft noble and ancient Family. His Pa-L^ — ^^^
rents adliered to the Reformed Religion, ando/z/^?
brought up their Son in the fame; in 1572, h^ Duke of
entered Page to the Prince of Navarre. He^^^'X*
gained the Confidence of his Mafter by his
Complaifance for him i (Which increafed prO'
portionaUy to the Probabilities of his fucceed-
jng to the Crown of FRANCE, and was car-
ried to the higheji Fitch after the Surrender of
PARIS:) together with his other good Qua-
lifications, and was advanced by degrees to the
Places of the greateft Truft ; being made Sur*
Intendant of the Exchequer^ Great-Mafter of
the Artillery^ Governor of the Bafiile, Gover-
nor of PoitoUy created Duke of Sully m 1606,
and when he was 73 Years old, he was made
Marfhal of France by Lewis XIII. in the Year
1634. He died feven Years after. As to his
Charadler ; in general we may fay, that very
few can be paralelled with him, as to his civil
and political Virtues, he was every way quali-
fied for his Employments, and indeed he was
a Man of great Order, careful, faving," ftridt
to his Word, averfe from all Extravagancy ei-
ther in Gaming, or Feafting, or Building or
Furniture, ^c. ^c. Furthermore, he was vi-
gilant, laborious, diligent in difpatching Bufi-
nefs, giving up almoft all his time to his Office,
and but very little to his Diverfions. Befides that,
lie was endowed with a quick and very clear
Underftanding, and unravelk-d admirably well
the Windings and Knots wherewith the Finan-
ciers are ufed to ptrplex their Accounts, and to
cover their Extortions, when they have a mind
to rob the Publick ; he v/as thoroughly ac-
quainted
302 Hifiory of the Reformation^aiid of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV.qualnted with all the Revenues of the King-
*59^; dom, and the Expences necefiary to be done •,
mentVIlI ^^ acquainted the King thereof, but his Ma-
/jefty wanted not fuch an Information, for he
knew fo well every thing of this Nature, that
it was impoffible to lay out a hundred Crowns,
but he knew whether it was right or wrong. In
a v/ord, he difchargsd his Duty in that Poft,
with fuch a Fidelity and Exadlnefs, that, tho'
he got a very great Fortune, his Enemies have
been obliged to own that he had got it but by
lawful, fair and honourable Means. He difcharg-
ed the King's Debts which were immenfe j he
eafed the People from Taxes, and filled up the
King's Coffers with feveral Millions of Livres ;
he was no lefs induftrious aud diligent in the
Difcharge of his Duty, as Great-Mafter of the
Artillery, and the Kingdom had never been be-
fore in fo good Condition in that refped, as it
was during his Adminiftration. Thefe excellent
Qualifications, conjointly with his exceeding
Complaifance for the King, endeared him to
his Majelly, v»'ho took a particular Care oi his
Advancement ; and raifed him as high as he
could. As to his Religion, he had been brought
up in the Reformed, but v/as never over-fcru-
pulous ; by his Father's Orders, he turned Ca-
thohck after the Maflacre in 1572, then he
recanted again in 1576, when the King of
I^avarre nmde his Efcape ; he was the Man
who advifed the King (/) to turn Catholick, in
order to enjoy peaceably his Inheritance •, he
had a hand in the drawing up of the Form of
the Kinq's Abjuration (g) •, and he was em-
ployed by his Majelty, under-hand in 1599,
for procuring the Reformation of fome Articks
of the Ed id, and for abridging of feveral Con-
ceflions
(/O Mcmcires de Si:l!y, Ton:. I. ch. 37, 38. [r) Ch. 40.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr a n ce." 303
ceflions which had been granted at A^<^«/2 (';&), HenrylV.
In a word, he is charged by moft of the Re- p'598-^^^
formed Writers with fuch a Coldnefs for hisj^gptviu
Religion, that they infinuate plainly enough,'
that had the Profeflion thereof put an Obilacle
to his Advancement, he would nothave fcrupled
to renounce it, fo that, during the Reign of
HenrylY . he was much fufpeded by the whole
Party, who miftrufted him. But in his old
Age and fome Years before his Death, he was
reclaimed from that Indifference as to his Re-
ligion, by a young Clergyman, his Chaplain,
and ihewed thenceforward a greater Devotion,
affifting at his Chapel with more Decency and
Refped: than he had done heretofore {j.) As
to his Temper, he was very proud and haughty,
refpeding no body, and caring not how they
would take his Rudenefs, whereof the King
himfelf had a good Specimen, at a time when
Rofni thought little, that his Majefty would
ever inherit the Crown of France^ and con-
fequently when he expefted very little Ad-
vancement from him {i). He was envious
againft all thofe whofe bright Parts could eclipfe
his own, and did his endeavours to keep them
out of his Way as much as he could ; he had
a great hand in the Difgrace of the Dukes of
Bouillon^ and La 'Tremouille, of Du Plejfis Mor-
nay^ and feveral others ; his Envy and Refent-^
ment went fo far, that he fpared not Calumny^
whenever that would ferve his Turn, as I have
faid above in the Cafe of Du PleJfis ; and he
behaved himfelf in fuch a manner during his
Profperity, that very few pitied him when he
was divefted of his Charges of Sur-Intendant,
Governor of the Bajiitle, and Great-Mafter of
the
[h] Memoires de Sully, Tom. I. ch. 89. (_/) Eenoif
Tcni. il. Vxv. X. {i} ibid, Tgm. I. ch. 15.
304 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and oj the Vol. 1 V*
lienrylV.the Artillery. If in his publick Capacity he
»?9^- was a great Man of State, if he gave feveral
mentViTl Proofs of a great Courage and good Condu6t
v-^y— ^ in many Occafions when he had any Command
in the Army, as indeed it cannot be denied
without Injuftice, his private Behaviour a^
Baron of Rofni^ and Duke of 5«//y, rcflecfts
indeed a Blemifh upon his Charafter. His
Memoirs, written either by hinlfelf, or by his
Secretaries, as it is pretended in the Title, irt
4 Vol. folio, contain many Events, Tranfadli-
ons and PafTages worthy the Curiofity of the
Reader; tho* at the fame time they are full
of Inftances of his Self-conceitednefs, and one
may fay of him ,what has been faid of the Mar-
Hiai of Montluc^s Memoirs, Plura fecit.
Mult A scripsit, that he had written of
himfelf more than he had done.
As to the Managers of the Edid on the
Reformed Side, no Doubt but every Deputy
of the Churches had a hand in it more or lefs,
but Du Plejfis^ the Duke of La 'Tremoidlle^
jy Aubif^m , and the Revd. Mr. Chamer may
be confidered as the Chief. Of Du PUJfis, I
have already fpoken in my former Volume, it
remains to fav fomething of the three others.
p,,^^ CLAUDIUS of lJ TREMOUILLE^
Duke of Duke of THOU ARS, was the Head of the
La Tre- Nobility in Poitcu^ where he had a very great
naouiUe. j^fj-^te ; his Riches, perfonal Merit, and great
Alliances rendered him, with the Duke of
Bouillon^ the moft confiderable amongft the
Reformed ; he was bom a Catholick, and his
Father had been one of the gfeateft Per-
fecutors, and one of the hotteft Leaguers hav-
ing made himfelf their Chief in Poitou. As
to Claudius., being fenfible of the Wi'ong done
to the King of JNavarre^ the Prince cf Ccnde^
and
SooK VII. Reformed Churches in France). 305
and the whole Reformed Party, he offered his Henryiv;
Afliftance to the Prmce, and joined him with p^}^Qi ^
a numerous Attendance of Nobility in the Year mentVIIt
1585, tho' he was then very young, as being i -m*'^,
born in the Year 1570 : A little after he turned
Reformed, and the Prince married his Sifter.t
He was a Lord of the brighteft Parts,' and one
of the main Supports of the Reformed ; his Sin-
cerity and Stedfaftnefs to that Party was fuch, -* '
that he could not be prevailed upon to recede
the leaft in the world, from v/hat he thought
to be their true Intereft ; his Inflexibility
was fuch, thatihe incurred the King's Difpleafure
for it, but he gained the Efteem and Confi-
dence of his own Party. The Court endea-
voured all poifible Ways for engaging him to
forfake the Common Caufe, for that end, Pre-
fident ^huanus was ordered to offer him the
greateft Advantages ; but he told him gene-
roufly, Wbatfoever you could do for me would
avail nothings as long as the jujl Requefis of
the Reformed remain unanfwered -, but^ fays he,
gratit them Security of their Confciences and of
their Lives^ and then hang me up at the Gate
of the Afjemhly^ mid he fure that no Diflurbance
will enfue. They endeavoured likewife to flir
him up with Emulation and Jealoufy, whem
the Duke of Bouillon came to the AfTembly,
•where La ^remouille, being much younger,
gave him the firil place, that he had held for
two Years together ; but he was not at all
concerned for that Pundilio of Honour, which
would have fhaken a Soul lefs noble and ge-
iierous than his, he yielded the Precedency,
even without being afked, and confequently
without regret. He had been Tutor and Go-
vernor of his Nephew the young Prince of
Conde, who was for feveral Years the pre-
VoL.lv. X fumptiv*
306 Bijiory of the Reformation^ aitd of the Vol . IV,
HenrylV. fumptive Heir to the Crown, (Henry IV.
^59^. having no lawful Child, and being irrecon-
j^^^j^jYjljcileable with his Confort Margaret of Valois) ;
and that Quality made him more refpedred
by the Reformed. He was ftriftly united with
the Duke of Bouillon, efpecially when they
had married the two Sifters of Maurice Prince
of Orange. He was very valiant and coura-
geous, ftedfaft, open-hearted, refolute, gene-
rous, an Enemy to Oppreffion, a great Stick-
ler for Liberty, and confequently, obnoxious
to the Perfecutions of the King's bafe Flat-
terers, who begun to ftruggle for raifing the
royal Prerogative over and above the Privi-
leges of their Fellow-Subjedls. And indeed,
tho' he perfevered to the laft in the Bounds of
his Allegiance, neverthelefs, his Freedom of
Speech was mifreprefented to the King, by
fome envious Men, who prevailed fo far with
his Majefty, that dreading the Duke*s great
Credit, he had a mind to prevent him. It is
what Thuanus infinuates very plainly, when he
fays, j!^d hac Dicdx i^ in kquendo Ulterior, nee
deerant qui di£la ah eo fequius interpretarentur,
fcf ad Regem malign e dferrent^ qui magna fe per
ejus mortem anxietate liheraium gavifus eft 5
nam Princeps, alioqui a fundendo fanguine alie-
nuSi i^ pop Bironi fupplicimn omnem feveritatem
exofus, cum tamen Contumelias ah homine invifo
illatas negligere non pojjet, agrc fihi ultiones ne-
cejjitatem impofitam dolebat. Then he adds,
Credittmque eft a 7nultis, fato Gentis illuftrijfim^
contigijfe, ut iffe pr<f mature e vivis excederet, ne
qui in tantam Regis Indignationem, s£u veris,
SEu FALSis Delationibus inciderat, in m anus
fjus incideret, ^ indigno fuorum gloria exitu
decus avitwm cbfcuraret. He died in 05Joher
1604, having juft begun the 35th Year of his
Age.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in ¥k ah Qtl 307
Age. Some have pretended that he was poifon- Henry Vi-
ed, and have charged Rofni with it, bccaufe '598^^
having {ijpped with him at his Houfe he fellmentVIIt
inft.mtly into Convulfion-Fits, whereof he Ian- ^— «-y-*w«
guiflied for three Months, and when he feem-
ed to be in a mending way, he was feized
again with the fame and died. But 'Thuanus
tells us pofitlvely that he died with the Gout,
whereby he was brought to Skin and Bones ;
he left one Son after him, Heir of his Titles
and Eftate, but not of his Virtues {k).
THEODORUS AGRIPPA, Lord ofO/D'Au.
AUBIG NE, Son of John D* Aubigne, Lord'^'Sne.
cf Brie m Xaintongc^ Chancellor to Jane Queen
of Navarre, &"c. &c. and of Lady Catherine de
heftang, was born at St, Maury near Lons in
Xaintonge^ the 8th o'i February iSS'^' He was a
Man very extraordinary in all his Life, whether
we do confider him, either in his Childhood,
or in his Youth, or in his Manhood, or in his
Old Age. As to his Childhood, he tells us him-
felf, that biding but fix Years old he could read
French ^Latin, Greek,^ndiHebrew\ that being but
feven Years and a half, he tranflated the Crito of
Plato •, that a Year after his Father brought him
to Paris, and put him under the Care of Mat*
the-iv Bsroalde, a very learned Man, Nephew to
the renowned Vat able •, that a few Years after,
the Prince of C(?;/^(? having feized upon Orleans^
and the Perfecution raging againft the Reform-
ed, he and his Preceptor Beroalde, with his
Family made their Efcape out of Paris, but
were arrcfted upon the Road by a Party com-
manded by the Chevalier D* Achon, who de-
livered them into the Hands of one Demo-
chares, a cruel Inquificor, wlio condemned
X 2 them
(k) Thuanus, lib. Ixxxii, p. 131. Benoit, Tom. i,
Uv. I. III. V. IX.
men
308 WJtory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV.them all to be burnt -, that they were miracu-
p^^/^Qg, loufly, as one may fay, delivered, by Achon
tVIII himfclf, the Eve of their Execution. He fays,
that on that Occafion he never cried, fave only
v/hen they took from him a little Sword which
he had by his Side ; and that being told that
he and his Company would be burnt the next
Day, if they did not inftantly recant, he
anfwered, That the Dread he had for the Mafs^
was greater than what he had for Fire. That
about five Weeks after being arrived at Or-
leans^ where his Father was, he was feized with
the Plague that raged in that City ; during
which, his Father made a Journey into Gui-
€nne ; that at his Return, he found him per-
fedlly well recovered as to his Health, but a
little given up to Debauchery, for which having
been puniflied, he was forgiven, but he re-
Japfed during the Siege. His Father being dead
at Amhoife a few Months after the firft Peace,
lyAuhigne continued his Studies under Beroalde
for a Year longer -, and being thirteen Years
old, his Tutor fent him to the Academy at
Geneva; that being too feverely handled by
his Maflers there, he ran away two Years after,
and went to Lyons^ where he v/as reduced to
great Straits for want of Money. At the Be-
ginning of the fecond Civil War, he went back
into Xaintonge to his Tutor's Houfe, and ob-
flinately refufing to go on with his Studies,
fhewing a very ftrong Inclination for following
the Profefiion of Arms, his faid Tutor thought
himfeif in Duty bound to reclaim him, if it
Fas pofllblc, for which end. he kept him in
rifon for a long while, and had his Clothes
brought into his own Chamber in the Night-
time. But all his Precautions were in vain,
toiing B^^Mbigne made his Efcape : The third
Civil
B 0 o K VII. Reformed Churches ///France.' 3 o p
Civil War breaking out, fome young Men of Henryiv*
his Acquaintance promifed to call for him ^^ pl^^{^
they fhould pafs by the Houfe, v/herein hementVIII
was i they were as good as their Word, and '
the Prifoner with the Help of his Bed-Sheets
got down bare- foot, and having nothing elfe
upon him but his Shirt, he followed the Com-
pany with great ado, and had Occafion one
or two Days after to make proof of his un-
daunted Courage and Refolution. Such were the
firft Beginnings of the moft renowned UAu-
bigne\ whereby it appears that if he gave early
Proofs of his Capacity, he gave no lefs of an
exceeding Unrulinefs and Stubbornnefs which
influenced his A(5lions for the three firft Parts
of his Life. He was extremely violent and
cruel in his Youth, as he himfelf confefs'd in
the Hiftory of his Life, written by himfelf,
and he tells us further, that had it not been for
the vaft quantity of Blood that he loft in a
Quarrel which a Gentleman had picked with
him, when he was about 22 Years old, he
could not have lived long, nor reformed his
Manners, for the great Petulancy and Fierce-
nefs of his Temper. He entered as Efquire of
the King oi Navarre in 1574, while his Ma-
jefty was Prifoner at Court ; but his Rudenefs
and Roughnefs put an Obftacle to his Ad-
vancement, at leaft to fuch a one as his Ser-
vices, his great Courage and other good Quali-
fications entitled him to. He was very zealous
for his Religion, and what he fays upon that
Subjeft is very remarkable. When his Father
brought him firft to Paris^ they took their
Way through jimboife^ and obferving upon a
Gibbet, the Heads of feveral Gentlemen of his.
Acquaintance which had been lately executed
for ths Amboiftan Plot, he told his Son, My Son^
X ^ thou
3 10 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol.. IV.
"enrylV. thou inufi never fpare thhte Head, c^fer mine,
p^^^Cl f^^ re'uenging ihofe mrft hcncurahle Chiefs \ if
^l\^^\/illthcu doefl olhevxife, I do curfe tbce. He was
jU*-v-**i/ made Governor of Maillezais, in 158S. He
was very free with the King, which Freedom
exceeding the due Bounds, expofed him feve-
ral times to the Refcntment of his Mafter.
The Reformed Churches of Poiiou, thoroughly
acquainted with the Firmnefs of his Soul,- his
Capacity, and his Incorruptibility, chofe him
for one of their Deputies to the Afiembly
^bove-mentioned, and the faid AfTembly named
him to be one of the four, to whom the di-
gefting of the Edi»5l was committed. At laft,
having fallen Into Difgrace with the Court,
%vho had given Orders to arreft him where-
ever he could be found, he retired to Geneva^
m 1620, where he died the 29th of April
1630, being eighty Years old. The Lady of
jSdaintenon, fo much renowned in the Reign of
X^*k.7j XIV. v.'as his Grand-Daughter, He
wrote an Univerfal Hiftory of his own Times ;
the Memoirs of his Life ; the A^d ventures of
Baron De Fcjnejfe ; and the Confeffion Oi Sanci,
and fome others. The firft, the third, and the
lalt were publifhed in his own Time, and his
Hiftory occafioncd his Difgrace. As to the
Memoirs of his Life, they have been publifhed
fince his Death (/).
ie>nht - The Revd. Mr. DAlSilEL CHAMIER
JKc<vd.Mr.\sz.s born at Mon'ielimar m Dauphine, and was
^hamier. f^j. ^ jQj-^g ^'^^^ Minifter of that Place; I refer
the Reader to what I fay of that Learned Man,
under the Year 162 1, when he was killed at
the Siege of Montauban, And nov/ I muft
refume
(I) See Vie D'Aubigne ecrite par luy-meme, which
makes the firft Fart of the lit Vol. Des Avantures da
Earon de f oenelle.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Vk ah ce, 311
refume the Sequel of this Hiftory, and confiderHenrylV.
firft, the EfFeds of that famous Treaty madcp '598.
between the King and his Reformed Subjeds. mentVIII
The Edid being thus decreed did not allay,<— v— J
all of a fudden, the general Difcontents. When CIV.
it was brought into the Provinces, many Peo- ^^"^ ^^^'
pie over-nice, found that feveral things ^^^recelwT^
been omitted, others ill-explained, others trou- /« ^^ />;■<?.
blefome, which the Reformed had lefs reafon I'^^^^^j.
to be contented with than the Catholicks. The
Delay of the Verification made them very un-
eafy. And all the Duke of Bouillon's Intereft,
who had taken upon him to engage them to
Patience, was not fufRcient to filence every one.
But the Court made ufe of feveral Means to
bring them to that Submiffion which fhe de-
fired. She had her Emiflaries in all Places,
who knew how to vary their Arguments and
Remonftrances according to the Genius and
Temper of thofe with whom they converfed.
"With fome they put a great Value upon the
King's private Promifes, and remonftrated, that
in his prefent Circumftaiaces he could not do
better for them for fear of offending the Ca-
tholicks; but that having given them his Word,
they might depend upon it, that for the future,
he would go even beyond their Expectation.
To fome others they gave to underftand that
the King was flill of their ReHgion in his
Plearti and indeed, tho* all his outward Ap-
pearances were Catholick, it is certain that at
this time his fecret Devotions relifhed flill of
the Reformed^ and had every day in his Mouth,
when he was with his moft intimate Confidents,
thofe PafTages of Scripture, efpecially of the
Pfalms^ which the Reformed know very well
how to apply to every Accident of Life. Many-
Reformed believed this very heartily, and pitied
X 4 ' the
312 mjlory cfthe "Reform a tlon^ and of the Vo l .1 V
HenrylV. the Fate of their Prince, who was obliged to live-
^598- under fuch a Reftraint ; and it was very eafy
inentVin^^ win them over, and make them fit down
^p*-y-*^ contented wirh the prefent, in a fure Expeda-
tion of a better Condition for the future.
With fome others eafy to be frightned, they
rnagnlfied the King's great Power and happy
Succefsj they reprefented how formidable he
began to make himfelf both at home and
abroad, being in a Condition to command Re-
fpeft from Foreigners, and. to force SubmilTioii
and Obedience from his own Subjeds of either
DenoiTiination, ^c. But the moft refined of
all the Court's Artifices, was to frighten out of
their WiLs thofe who dared to vent their Dif-
contents, by fending for them to Court, in
order to account for murmuring Words, which
they had uttered, or for the violent Counfels
tbey had given, and then to lull them with
a thoufand Carefies, inftead of treating them
with Severity'; and after having loaded them
with fair Promifes, to fend them home fom.e-
what tamed and mcllify'd, ready to believe
themfelves, and to perfuade others, that the
beft Courfe they could take, was to cop.ply
with the King's Pleafure.
(2y In the mean time, the fifteenth Nationd
^heff- Synod was held at Montpelier^ the 26th of"
ieenth^ na- May : The Reverend Mr. Bernult^ Minifter of
ttonalSy- MQjjtr.iihan was chofen Moderator. Their
' principal Bafinefs was to draw up a State of
the Churches ; they examined how many there
were in every Province, and having cafe up
the Number, they amounted in all to it\t\\
hundred and fixty. But then it is to be ob-
ferved, 1°. That in that Number were reckon-
ed only thofe of an old flanding, and not
'^hpfe which were to be fettled according to
■ the
Book VII. Reformed Churches //z France. 3^3
the Edi6l for having had divine Service per- HenrylV;
formed in the Places where they were fituated plp^Qi^.
in 1596, and to the Month oi Auguji inclusive- n^entVIII
ly in i597» becaufe they were not fettled as'
yet. 2*^. The Churches which had been di-
fperfed during the Wars, were not compre-
hended in that Number, becaufe they were
not as yet reftored. 3°. That many of thefe
Churches named in the Lift, had one or more
other Churches annexed to them, which went
under the Name of the principal Place where
the Minifter refided. To return to the Synpd,
they made the firft Diftribution of the Money
granted by the King's Warrant for the Sup-
port of the Miniftry, and there was a Divifion
of a hundred and thirty thoufand Livres among
the Provinces.
Then they confidered what could have ob-
liged the General Aflembly of Chatelheraud
to depart fo freely from the Pretenfions of the
Churches whereof they were the Reprefenta-
tives, to content themfelves with an Edid fuch
as they had obtained : No better Reafon could
be found out, but the Difunion and Mifunder-
ilanding amongft the Members. Bat it was
more eafy to declaim againft the Difeafe than
to cure it -, therefore they refolved only, that
for the future, the Union fubfcribed and fworn
at Mantes, fhould be better and more ftridlly
kept and obferved than ever, that fo the Ar-
ticles of this Edid might be performed, and all
other things neceflary for their Prefervation,
under their Obedience to his Majefty, and to
his Edidls.
Then they took Cognizance of certain
Schemes for re-uniting the Reformed with the
Roman Catholicks. Many Bufy-Bodies there
were at that time amongft the Reformed, and
^mongft
314 tlifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo l .1 V .
HenrylV.amongft the Catholicks, who out of private
P^^ cie ^^^'■'^^» v^tnX. about to perfuade the World that
mentVIIl the Difference between the two Religions were
not fo wide or effential that they fhould be irre-
concileable : Several Books and Pamphlets had
been publifhed upon that Subjeft, whereat the
Churches oi Geneva^ Berne ^ BafiU and of the
'Palatinate took Offence, and wrote to the pre-
fent Synod, who having taken the Matter un-
der their Confideration, they pafftd Sentence
againft fuch Books and Pamphlets, as contain-
ing fevcral erroneous Propofitions.
They likewife took Cognizance of the in-
tended Marriage of Madame, Sifter to the
King, with the Ynnz^ol LO RR A IN^ at the
Requeft of the faid Princefs, and declared it ut-
terly unlawful, becaufe the Prince was a Catho-
lick, and the Princefs a Reformed, and that it
fhould not be permitted in any of their
Churches, and all Minifters were enjoined
carefully to obferve this Article on pain of
being fufpended, or even depofed. I fhall
fpeak prefently of this Marriage,
They next debated upon the ereding and
fettling two Univerfities, one at Saumur^ and
the other at Montauhan^ and two Colleges of
Divinity, one at Nimes^ the other at Montpe-
Iter ; and for the Maintenance of thefe Settle-
ments they appropriated the third Part of the
Money granted by the King's Warrant for
the Support of the Churches.
Another Affair, which they took under their
Confideration, was the Lord of Lefdiguieres*
Condud. The Province of Languedoc had
raifed a Sum of 17,760 Crowns, which they
had fent to Gejieva^ to be laid up in Stock for
the Maintenance of their Students in Divinity v
Lefdiguieres ^ who, at this time, minded nothing
fo
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr A n c E . 315
fo much as to heap up Riches, feized upon this HenrylV.
Sum, under pretence that it had been raifed '598-
contrary to Law, and without the King's Li- mentVIll
cence: And, that he might have fome fpecious »— y~*^
Title to detain it, he had procured his Ma-
jefty's Grant of that Sum ; notwithftanding
which, this prefent Synod judged that Ap-
propriation unjuft and unlawful, and ordered
that Remonftrances fhould be made to Lef-
diguia-es upon the Heinoufnefs of fuch a Pro-
ceeding of his, and that he was bound in Ho-
nour and Confcience to reftore the fajd Sum,
and to fee it laid out according to its primi-
tive Intention. They decreed further, that if
he refufed to yfeld to Reafon, he fhould be fued
jit Law in the Chamber of Cajires. But tho*
CommifTaries were fent unto him upon that
Subjed, who endeavoured to touch his Con-
fcience, he was infenlible : So that after many
Years, and feveral Importunities, they had
much ado to get him to reftore fome Part.
By this it may be judg'd, that if he per-
fevered in the Reformed Religion for feveral
Years longer, it was not out of Principle of
Confcience, but out of Self-Intereft ? — But
more of him in another Place.
Then the Synod having approved the Ads
pafTed in the Aflembly of Chatelheraud^ ended
their Seffions in June (m).
The Treaty between the two Kings of CVF.
France, and S^ain, was on foot, fince the Be- Pf^'^^_ °f
ginning of 1597; the tcikmg of Jmi ens had ^ *^''^'"''*
interrupted it, but that City having been re-
taken, Villeroy on the King's fide, and John
Richardot on the Archduke's, and confequently
on King Philip's, had an Interview together
upon the Frontiers of Fiiardy and Artois, and
agreed
(,m) Quicl^ Synodicon, 4ymon Sy nodes Nationaux.
3^6 HiJIory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol .IV.
Henryiv. agreed that the two Kings fhould fend their
Tote\\z- f'^^J'^ipotentiaries to Vervins, where the Papers
mentVIII Legate was to alTift in quality of Mediator.
The two Kings were equally defirous of a
Prace, Hcf^ry becaufe he was tired with the
"War, and was afraid left by fome unlucky
Turn he fhould lofe the Fruit of his pail
Labours , and Philip fenfible of his dying
Condition, and of the V\^eaknefs of the Prince
his Son and Succefibr, was unwilling to leave
his Kingdom embroiled in a War with fuch
a Prince as Henry was. Such being the real
Difpoliticns of the two Tenants, their Mi-
nifters proceeded with a greater Sincerity and
Diligence than ufual. Pompone de Belicjre^
and Nicolas Brtijlard de Siilery, were named
Plenipotentiaries of France, and the Arch-Duke
being empowered by the King of Spain, named
John Richardoi, Prefident of the Catholick
King^s Council in the Lozu-Ccunlries, John
Baptifi ^ajfis. Knight of St. James, and Audi-
tor Lewis Vereiken, firft Secretary and Trea*
furer of the Council of State.
They met together at Vervins, m Fehruary
1598, and after fome Debates about the Cere-
monial, and other Points concerning the Allies
of the two Crowns •, they figned the Treaty
on the 2d of May, and put it into the hands
of the Legate, defiring him to keep it fecret,
till the two Months of CeHation of Arms
tiranted to the Allies of the Crown oi France^
ihould be expired. During th^t Negotiation,
Queen Elizabeth, and the States of Hclland,
had fent their Embaffadors to the King, to
perfuade his Majefty to continue the War,
they met the Court at Angers, and followed, it
to Nantz; but notwithftanding all their In-
fiances, Intreaties and Offers, Henry could not
be
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr an c e i 317
be deterred from his Refolutlon ; and indeed HenrylV.
after fo long and cruel a War, whereby ^.^^ ^J 59^-^^^
Kingdom \\A been brought upon the Brink jnentviir
of its Ruin, v/as it reafonable to require that
the King Jihould rejedl the honourable Terms
propofed unto him, that he fbculd mifs a fair
Opportunity for reftoring the Realm into Its
former Splendour ? Therefore it was agreed
only that his Majefty ihould pay to the States
of Holland at different times ftipulated, the
large Sums of Money for which he was In-
debted to the Queen of England^ for helping
the faid States to carry on the War againft
Spain •, befides what the faid King owed to
the States, which he promifed to pay In the
fame Manner : Furthermore, he promifed not to
ratify the Treaty, till forty Days after it had
been figned by the Plenipotentiaries. So on
the 1 2th oijune, the Peace was proclaimed,
and on the 21(1:, it Vv^as fworn by the King
at Paris^ In our Lady''s Church. It was fworn
likevvife at Bruxelles by the Arch-Duke^ the
26th of the fame Month. ' And by the Duke
of Savo)\ at Cbamber)\ the 2d of Aiigufi.
It had been agreed In the Conference at Ver-
vinsy *■ That, as to the Diixerences which
* fubfifted between the King and that Prince,
' concerning the Marquifate of Saluces, which
' the faid Duke had ufurped in 1588, th^ Pep e
' fhould be the only Judge of thefe Differen-
' ces ; That his Holinefs fliould decide thems
* in a Year ; That if he chanced to die be-
' fore that time, after his Death there would
' be a Truce for three Months, during which
' the two Parties fhould agree upon other Um-
* pires i 1 hat without any further Delay, the
* Duke fhould reflore to the King the Town
* of Berre in Provence -, a/id difown the At-
' tempt
31 8 Hijlory of the Rcformatkn.aitdofthe Vol. IV".
HenrylV.* tempt of Captain La Fortune^ who had feized
Po^^^cie-' ^^^'-^^ ^'"^ Burgundy ; that the Duke fhould
mentViil ' obferve an exad Neutrality between the two
*— V-*— * Kings oi France and Spain* King Philip 11.
figned the Treaty of Vervins^ but his Death
prevented him from fvvearing upon it. So
Peace was fettled at home and abroad, at
leaft for fome time, through the Ccnftancy^
Courage, and Prudence of H E N R 2' THE
GREAT.
CVII. King Philip II. did not long eijoy the
King?h.x- Sweetnefs of Peace, for he died at the Ejcurial^
Death. ^^^ '3^^ ^^ September., being 72 Years old,
whereof he had reigned 42 Years and nine
Months fince the Abdication of his Father
Charles V. For above 15 Months before, he
had been feized with an heftick Fever, which
"wafted him % when he was feized with a violent
Fit of the Gout, on St. John's Eve, the Acrimo-
hy of the Humours produced Abfcefks, which
broke out firft at the Knee, then at feveral Pla-
ces of his Body, from whence a Swarm of Lice
iflued out, which could hot be drained, with
feveral other Difeafes. The purulent Matter
iffuing from his UlcerSj exhaled fuch a Stinky
that the Servants which attended him were in-
fe(5led by it, he was infupportable to himfelf^
and he died amidft the bittereft Pains. Such was
the lamentable End of a Prince, which may bei
fet up as a Pattern of the moil; boundlefs Am-
bition, for gratifying which, he not only
fpared no C01I-, but was guilty of the blackeil
of Crimes, Pcrfidioufnefs, Perjury, Treafon,
Poifonino;, Murderino;, i^c. Bat let us hear him
him/elf, fpeaking to his Son in the laft Days
of his Life : ' Abuling of my Profperity, fays
* he., I foon forgot the wife and wholefome
* Iniirudions of the Emperor my Father, and
' gave
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, ^j,
* gave way to all the extravagant Projeds of HenrylV.
* an unbridled Ambition, .... and now I am p '59j-
* obliged to own, forced to it by the Truth of mentVIII
* things, and the Succefs thereof far different
' from what I expeded : That after having
* coveted the Empire pofTefTed by my Uncle
* Ferdinand^ endeavoured by feveral Cabals
' and under-hand Dealings, to force him to
" name me King of the Romans^ inftead of his
' own Son Maximilian \ afpired to be declared
' Em.peror of the New-World^ to ufurp Italy^
' to fubdue my rebellious Subjeds of the how-
' Countries, to get the Crown of Ireland^ to
* invade England by the Means of that great
' and formidable Armada^ in fitting out of
' which, I was about fix Years, and laid out
* above TWENTY Millions of Ducats;
' to do the fame with the Kingdom of France^
' by the Means of the fecret Intelligences
' (which I bought very dear) which I did
* keep with the higheft and moft ambitious
' Spirits of that Kingdom, on pretence of the
' then reigning King's Lazinefs, and of the
* Civil Wars of Religion, which I had kindled
* and took care to foment by the Means of
* Clergymen my Penfioners, and after having
* fpent in the Execution of thefe Schemes 32
' Years of my Life, and above six hundred
' Millions of Ducats, in extraordinary
* Expences, the Account whereof you will
' find amongfl my fecret Papers written with
* my own Hand -, after having occafioned the
' Murder and Death of aboye twenty Millions
' of People, of all Ranks, Sex, and Age, the
' Deilrudlion and Depopulation of many more
* Provinces, and of a larger Extent of Land,
* than I do pofTefs in Europe, all what I have
* ^t after (o many Labours, is uo more than
* the
320 mjlcn-y of the'keformation^and of the Vol. IV;
HenrylV. « the fmall Kingdom of Portugal^ &c (w).' This
p^*598^-j^ don't require any Commentary, habemus reum
mentVII confite?item\ and now let the Wit, Sagacity,
V-v-*-' Prudence, and Religion of that Prince be
extolled to the Sides, as he made all thefe
Qualifications fubfervient only to the Execu-
tion of his v/icked and pernicious Defigns, they
cannot be confidered but as fo many Swords in
the Hands of a Madman ; his Religion was
but Hypocrify, his Conftancy in his laft Sick-
nefs was but a Hard-heartednefs againft the
heavieft Judgments of God. He was fhort of
Stature, his Limbs were v/ell compared, of
a grave Countenance and Mien, his Hair yel-
lowifh, of a ftrong and healthy Conftitution^
He was fucceeded by his Son Philip III. who
"Was in the twentieth Year of his Age.
It was in this Year that Du Plejfis publifhed
his Book about Mafs, whereof 1 fhall fpeak
under the Year 1600.
i^QQ. One of the fixteen Conditions impofed by
CVIir. the Pope upon the King, when he received
l^larrwge ^he Abfolution, was, that he fhould engage
|J^™''thePrincers his Sifter to turn Catholick, and
the Kim. to marry her with a Catholick Prince. Ac-
cordingly his Majefty endeavoured to per-
fuade his Sifter to follow his Example ; but his
Attempts proved fruitlefs, no Temptation was
ftrong enough to prevail over the Conftancy
of the Princefs, (he was ftedfaft in her Religion.
It vv^as more eafy for him to gain the other
Point ; her Royal Hio^nefs thought it a Duty
incum.bent on her, to yield to the King's De-
lire, to overcome her Scruples and receive
Henry^
(n) Mcimires De Sully, Tom. I. pag. 420. 21, ^-j.
Thuan. Lb. cxx. pag. 791, l3c. D'Aubigr.e Hift. Uni-
verlclle, Tom. III. Liv. V. ch. i S. Thefe two laft allow
him but 40 Years of Reign, and D' Aubigne, but 60 Jca?*
cf Age.
Book V"II. Reformed Churches in Frai^ce^ 321
Henry, Duke of Bar^ Son lo Charles, Duke ofHenryiy.
Lorain, for her Hufband. There were two Years „ '>^9-
gone fince that Treaty was on foot *, the P^/'^'Sj^''4jVin
Stiffnefs, who abfohately refufed a Licence, oc-
cafioned that Jong Delay ; all the Archbilhops
and Bifiiops in France, declined to perform the
Ceremony, dreading the Pope's Cenfures. At
hft Rcqiielaiire, by his Jeerings and Jeitings
prevailed fo far with the Archbiiliopof i^owd-Vri
formerly Biiliop of Leytoure, who was the
ICing's Natural Brother, that he confented to
do the Ceremony, which was performed in
the King's Clofet on the laft Day of January,
without waiting for the Pope^s Licence. As
Toon as the Cerernony of giving and receiving
the Ring was over, the Duke weni: one way
to hear Mafs, and the Princefs another to hear
a Sermon. She had for her Dowry 60,000
Livres yearly Penfion, 300,000 Crov/ns once
paid, and all the Rings and Jewels belonging
to the Houfe of Albret. After the fix iirfl:
Months were over, fhe had much to fufFet
from her Hufband, on account of her ReligioHj
for that Prince being gone to Rcnie, in order
to get, what they call the Pardons or In-
dulgences, in the next Jubike- Year, the Pope
would not admit him to any publick Audiencci
nor fufFer him to afTift at any publick Cere-
mony, but granted him Abfolution in private*
and upon Condition that he fliould divorce his
Confort if fhe perfifled in her Religion ; fo that
at his Return, fhe lived feparatcly for about
two Years. She was near forty Years old, when
fhe was married, and had been fued for by
feveral great Princes, fuch as James King of
Scotland, who fucceeded to Elizabeth -, the
Duke of Savoy ; and fome others, befides the
Count of Soijjons, for whom Hie had a flrong
VoL.IV. Y Indina^
322 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV.
Henrylv. Inclination, and the Duke of Montpenfier 5 but
p' ^^^,^_rnore of that Princefs when I fhall relate her
sncntVlII Death (<?).
^*— v-*^ While the Court was in their Mirth and Di-
CIX. veriions. occafioned by that and three othe Mar-
3{i^^'^ riages, of the Dukes of Montpenfier^ UJi-
&c r°^^* guillon^ Son to the Duke of Mayenne, and Ne-
gificred ill vers^ the King was bent to have his Edift of
Parlia- J^antz Verified and regiftered in the Parliament
""'"'' oi Paris.
The Catholicks taking advantage of the
Delay of that Verificatioa, endeavoured to fub-
vert it, if they could, or at leaft to abridge the
ConcefTions granted at Nantz. It was attacked
by all. the Orders of the Kingdom, both be-
fore and after the Legatees Departure. The
Clergy^ the Parliaments^ the tlniverfity., the
Sorbcnne^ ftarted all the Difficulties imaginable.
The Sorbonne refufed to confent that the Re-
formed fhould take their Degrees amongft
them. The Univerfity would not receive them
in their Colleges, nor admit them either to be
Matters of Arts, or ProfefTors, or Regents in
any Faculty. But the gi eatcft Oppofitions came
from the Clergy. They had been aflembled at
Paris fmce May laft, and maae very heavy
Complaints by their Deputies to the King>
about the Penfions affigued to the Laity upon
Benefices, and to the Payment whereof the In-
cumbents were obliged, either by Writ of No-
jninaticn, or by feme fecret Refervation. The
Reformed had a Share in thefe Favours as weli
as ethers, as alfo in the Trufts ; and the Cler-
gy aimed elpeciaDy at them, under a Pretence
which was plaufibJe enough ; for it feemed un-
reafonable that the Hereticks, Enemies to the
Ca-
(0) Thuan, Lib. cxx. pag. 787. Mfmoires de Sully*
Tom. I. ch. a3.
Book VII. Reformed Churches z ;/ Fr a n c e . 323
Catholick Church fhould enjoy the Revenues HenrylV.
of her Altars. The King confented to one „ '599-
Part of then- Demandsj but as to the reft, henifjij.Yi[i
told them, "That he ivould ail in fucb a man-
ner^ by God*s AJjyiance^ that the Church foculd
be in as good a Condition^ as it had heeen a
hundred Tears before^ as well for the Dif charge
of his Confcience as for their own SatisfaBion ;
but, fays he, Paris was not built in a Day. ,
The Reformed took very little Notice of thefe
Words, taking them only for a Compliment:
But the Catholicks being puffed up by them,
took Advantage of it, to make fome Attempts
to alter the Edid. They demanded, 1°. That
in the Provinces on this fide the Loire, the
Reformed fhould content themfelves with hav-
ing the free Exercife of their Religion in fucK
Places whereof they had made themfelves Ma-
flers during the War ; whereby they would •
deprive them of the new Pofleirions granted by
the Edi(5l. 2°. That the Exercife of the Ro-
man Religion fhould be reftored in thofe Places
where the Reformed were the moft powerful, *
even in their Strong-Holds. 3°. That the Ca-
tholicks fhould be difcharged fi-om paying for
the Maintenance of the Minifters in thofe Pla-
ces held by the Reformed -, they made feveral
other Demands, no more, and even Icfs rcafona-
ble than thefe. But they moft warmly infifled
againft the Liberty granted them to hold Sy-
nods when they pleafed, without being oblic^td.
to any Acknovvlegement of Dependency, to ad-
mit Foreigners, and to fend Deputies of their
own to AfTemblies of like Nature without the
Kingdom. Bertier, one of the Clergy's De-
puties, was very hot upon this Point ; he pre-
tended, that fuch a Liberty without Reftricli-
ott, gave them an Opportunity of holding a
Y 2 Corrj-
324 I^i/iory cfthe KefcrmaUon^ and of the Vol . IV".
HenrylV-Correfpondence abroad with the Enemies of the
^ 599- State, of making Leagues, and entering intoCon-
^^/jJjYj^ fpiracies, and of rifmg in Arms whenever they
iplcafed. He affirmed that Schombcrg^ Thuanus^
and even Prefident Jeanniny who had con-
cluded the Edidt, were but a fort of mungrel
Catholicks, meaning by that Name fuch as were
not intoxicated with their Bigotries, and Su-
perftitions ; and, if Sully ^ or the Authors of
his Memoirs are to be credited, the King
upbraided them very feverely for having con-
fented to that Article. However, Bertier would
never defift till he had obtained AfTurances that
the Edi6b fhould be reformed in fome of thefe
Articles. The Parliament fupported his De-
mands, and fet forth tliat greater Privileges were
gmnted, in that refped:, to the Reformed than
to the Catholicks, and that the Reformed
ought, at leaft, to beg Leave to afiemble, and to
admit Foreigners in their Afiemblies. They
oppofed likewife the Eredion of a mixt Cham-
ber at Paris ; and revived the old Query,
Whether they were capable of holding any
Oiiice ; and feveral Writings were publifhed
on both fides upon that Subjed:.
The General Aflembly at Chatelheraud, that
waited for the Verification of the Edid, were
hard at work for preventing the Mifchiefs
which tliofe Oppofitions might produce, and
fent frequent Deputations to Court for that
purpofe. The King, being defirous to bring
things to pafs with Mildnefs, was much per-
plexed at thefe Obftrudions, he knew not how
to get clear of thefe Difficvdties without giving
fomebody an Occafion to complain, he made
ufe of all his Prudence to bring them to Rea-
fon by all fair Means : But fometimes he fpoke
to them as a Mafter, whenever the Parliament
ex-
Book VII. Reformed Chtirche$iin'FKA'iiCE. 325
exceeded the Bounds of Refped •, and when Kenryiv*
they propofsd to make Tome fecret Refervati- „ '^^ri
ens, not to admit the Reformed to Offices j^fntVIII
in the inferior Courts of Juftice; and neverthe- v—- v-*xf
Jefs, to verify the Article whereby they were ,
declared capable of holding them, the King
told them with fome Indignation ; / don^t
think it fai}\ to intend on^ thing and write mw-.
ther J and if there be any of my Predeceffors who
have done it, I will never do the fame : Deceit
is odious among all Men ; more efpecially among
Princes, whofe IVords ought always to be un-
alterable.
At laft, tho' the Reformed had much abated
of their general Pretenfions, by accepting the
Edid fuch as it had been given at Nantz, they
condefcended 2:i!l, to forego feveral other Ar-
ticles, which were highly contefted, Marfnal ^
of Bouillon gave, his Confent, and Du PleJJis
himfelf enjoined the Revd. Mr. Beraud, one
of the Deputies of the Aflembly, to come to
an Agreement upon the Articles which were
in debate : They obtained that there fhould
be no Limitation of the Liberty as to the free
Exercife, nor in the Article concerning Offices
and Employments. But, at the Requeft of the
Univcrfity, the King granted that the Reform-
ed fhould hold no Office in it which might
authorife them to dogmatife upon Religion,
and that they fhould be admitted into Re-
gencies, Profeflbrfhips in all other Faculties
but that of Divinity. And indeed, I don't
know how to blame that Refolution, tho'
contrary to an Article agreed at Nantz. For
what a greater Abfurdity can be, than for
a. Society of Divines to admit as one of their*
Members, a Man who either in Faith or Wor-
Y 3 lhip3
326 Hiftory of the Rejcrmation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. fbip, holds Opinions quit© contrary to thofe
1599- received in the faid Society of Divines ?
nwntVIli The King refufed the Clergy only the firft of
the three Articles al)ove-mentioned, and pro-
niifed them Sadsfadlion upon the two others.
He limited the Liberty of Synods, and leaving
the Reformed the appointing of the Time and
Place, he obliged thern ooly to addrefs them-
felves to him for Leave to afTemblc, and even
that Obligation was confiderably mitigated after-
wards during his Reign. Some other Altera-
tions were agreed upon concerning the Cham-
bers of the Edid:, and other Courts of Judica-
tvire to be erected in behalf of the Reformed.
But, nctwithftanding all thefe Condefcenfions,
the Parliament continued to thwart the King's
good Intentions, and his Majefty vas obliged
10 fend for them to the Louvre, where he let
them know his Will and Pleafure in a very
pathetick Speech, fhevving forth the Neceffity
of granting reafonable Terms to the Reformed,
in order to enjoy Peace at home, as they did
abroad. * When you fee me, y2z)'j ^^, coming
* to confer with ycu, not with a royal Attire
* and Pomp, nor with that Apparel of Princes
' when they admit EmbafTadors to their Au~
* dicnce •, but in an ufual Drefs, in Slippers,
* and without a Sword, don't you think you fee
* and hear a Father talking and ccnverfing with
' his own Children. ? I, by the Will of God,
* have been the Arbitrator of War and Peace,
* I have experienced the firft at my Peri), that
^ I might embrace the fecond to your greater
* Advantage; this I don't propofe unto you
* with the Spaniards, and others, ancient Ene-
* niies of the Kingdom, but with your own
' Countrymen, and amcngft yourfelves. Whatl
\ Shall I have made Peace with the Enemies
' tQ
Bo QK VII. Reformed Churches /V2 Fr A n c E . 327
' to have War at home ? Let not the Clamours HenJyIv.
' of the Seditious, who feparate human from „ '599-
* divine Peace, move you ; they feek only fome mentvj|i
* Pretence to excufe their Faftions, and to co-
* ver their Inclinations to foment Troubles and
' Confufions. We fay every Day in our Pray-
ers, Give usPeace,OGod,in OUR Days.
Religion ftands by Peace, Peace flyengthens
the Laws, he who defires, who prefers a cruel
War, is without Religion, without Juftice,
without Law. The Difputes about Rtli-
* gion are kindled by Arms, Concord and
Union amongft Countrymen is requifite to
extinguilh them. Thofe who have fepara-
ted from us, don't conlider the Tortures
and other Penalties infli(5led upon them, on
* account of their Religion, as a Judgment of
God upon them, but as an Effect of the
Hatred of their Enemies. Don't you know
that ? What then have we improved by thofe
dreadful Calamities of fo many Years .^ But
" now I affume upon you the Right of a Father
over his Children •, it is the Duty of a Father
to advife his Children, to re- call thofe who
are fallen into Madnefs, or adl imprudently,
or go aftray through Ignorance, and to in-
ilru6t them by wholefome Counfels. — You
have found me a very kicky General during
the War : Now hearken to a very prudent
King in Peace, that, I beg of you, I intreat
you. You are indebted to me for your For-
tunes, Lives, and Dignities, I have reftored
them to you by my Valour and Courage, If
you defire to keep them a?id tranfmit them
iafe to your Pofterity, entertain the Peace
given by me. To Prayers and Counfels, I
add a Command, which Authority God Al-
mighty has given me, to compel the Difobe-
Y 4 « dien^t.
328 Hiflory of the Reform at ion, and of the Vol . IV,
H enrylV.' dient. I don 't value thofc Preachers, nor
ro^^c'x * of^^'* Trumpeters, of Seditions of the fame
nicntVJJl ' kind, refounding to the Ears of a frantick.
V— v"**^ ' Mob. I, who have been always at the head
' of my Armies, in the midft of Swords and
* Fires ; I, who fo mnny times have cxpofed
'myfelf yi the Sieges, with an undaunted
' Courage, to the Cannon-Shots, fhould I be
* frightened, either by Janglers in the Pulpits,
* or Brawlers in the Crofs-ways, or Fences
* made with Hogiheads full of Earth in the
' Streets and publick Places ? Pray don't
' remember that melancholy Day fo diame-
' ful to the French Nation, wherein Royal
' Majefty, which had been abufcd before
* v/ith opprobrious Language in this City,
' was even afiaulted at laft with open Force \
' Or, if you do remem.ber that Day, remem-
' ber at the fame time, that I, who have been
' always invincible in all the Battles, had it
*- been my cafe, I v/oulcl not eafily yield to
' an outrageous, cowardly Mob; and as to the
' Barricadces, either I vvould not tamely have
* fuffered them to be ereded, or the Thing
' being done, I would have deftroyed them in-
I ' ftantiy. . . . , . Then, he fpoke of the good
Harmony that fabfifted between him and the
Pope^ and his Legate, and of the Nature of the
Edict, which he vvilleth to have pub.lifhed
without any farther Delay, and which he calls
his own'-, as Henry III. called that of 1577,
his own Editl. Then he goes on, * It remains,
* fays he^ that what I do command, I have
* done after the Example of my Predeceffors,
' what 1 have refolved after a mature Conful-
' tation, that you fhould receive and embrace
* as juft and equitable, and that you fhould
*^ take the Duk? 0^ Mayenne for a Pattern.
I * That
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches. /;z Fr a n c e . 529
That Prince, formerly the Head of the League, Henryiv*
has no fooner been received into my Favour, p'^^^-
but tho' he has been ftrongly follicited and jj^^^^^^yj^
intreated by the Fadlious and Seditious, to u— y—^
improve the Opportunity of the prefent
Edid for renewing the Troubles, he has con-
ftantly refufed to confent, faying that he was
fo much beholden unto rap, that he could
not without a great Crime, defile himfeif
again with fomenting Parties and Fatftions in.
the Kingdom, i^c. And you, you whofe
Fidelity has never been fickle and wavering
during the Wars, what becomes you to do in
Peace ? Shall you difobey now this whole-
fome Cornmand ? After having fo faithfully
obeyed me amidft the Uncertainties of
Times and Things ? If any one has any
Scruple, if any one is ftill at a Stand, thro*
fear of Danger, leave that to my Piety and
Prudence, and be perfuaded that this Edidt,
fo fubtly canvafTed, is given, not fo much
for making fure the Peace v/ith the Reform-
ed, as for not being obliged to renew War
amongft us.*
Every one was moved by the King's Speech,
and Prefident Coqiieley.^ tho' formerly a moft
violent Leaguer, having fpoken in the Parlia-
ment to the fame purpofe, after fome Debates
it was at lafl refolved that the Ed id ihould
be verify 'd and regiftered with the Reftridions
and Amendments agreed upon on both fides,
which was accordingly done, on the 25th of
February {p).
The Edid was no fooner publiihed, but a CX
very odd Thing happened, which vexed the ^^'^^;^'
King,|y,' '
{p) Thuan. lib. cxxii. pag. 860. — 864. Mem. de Sulli,
Tom. I. chap.Ijfxxix, Vie de Du PlelTis Mornay, liv. ii.
p. 255. Hift. del' Edit.de Nantes, Tom. I. Liv. vi.
3 3 o Uijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol J V,
HenryVI. King, and occafioned a great Difturbance in
Totl^QX ^^veral Parts of the Kingdom. Mr.ny fad^ious
mentVIII People, who pretended to be much Oi4end?.d at
the Advantages granted to the Reformed, and
fought but an Opportunity for renewing the
Troubles, hid hold of this with great Eager-
nefs, Jamss Brr'flisr^ born at Ro^iiora/it-in y a
Man of mean ExtraAion, who loathed to get
his Bread by liis honed Labour, chofe to get
2t by rambling from one Place to another ; like
Gipfies, he took with him his three Daughters,
Martha, Silvine^ and Mary ; MARTHA feign-
ed to be pofTelied with the Devil, they travelled
through all the Cities and Boroughs upon the
Banks of the Loire, to the great Aftonilhment
of a vaft Multitude of People who flocked to
fee her. The Monks of Orleans and Clery^
being affembled to examine that Affair, in
liiarcb and September before, had forbidden all
Pi-iefts of thftt Diocefe to exorcife the pre-
tended Demoniac on pain of Excommunica-
tion. Being come to Angers, Charles Miron,
Eifhop of the Place, was willing to examine the
Wench, before he fhould proceed to Exorcifm ;
he admitted her to his Table, and caufed holy
Water to be given to her as common Water>
which file drank without any Motion •, then he
fent for common Water, and told her that it
was holy Wster, whereupon fhe feigned to fall
into Convulfion-Fits : Whereat the Bilhop be-
gati to fufped the Cheat, and in ordef to be
fully certify'd thereof, he ordered, loudly, one
of his Servants to fetch him the Book of Ex-
orcifm, and feigning to read therein, he uttered
the firft Verfe of the AEneis, at the hearmg
whereof, fhe made mofl horrible Contorfions,
juft as if the Devil tormented her. W^hich the
wife Bifhop feeing, he difmiiTed her inflantly,
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /w Pr a n c e . 331
and advifed her Father to take her home, and Henry IV.
not to impofe any longer upon the People, p'5^9-
But inftead of obeying, he brought her to Paris^ mtntvm
where the wifefl Sort of People guefled rightly,
that it was an Artifice intended for renewing
the Troubles-, for the Wench talked of nothing
elfe in her pretended Fits, but of the Reform-
ed, of the Edift, of the Toleration, of coun-
tenanced Herefy. Whereby it was very plain,
that this Comedy was the Work of a Cabal.
Neverthelefs, the Party of thofe who coun-
tenanced and fupported the Cheat, either thro'
Wickednefs or thro' Superftition, was fo great,
that the Legiflature durft not take the Courfe
which that deceitful Creature and her Father
deferved. The CapuchineSy whofe Reputation
is grounded only upon an AfFe6lation of out-
ward Mortification, and who, for the moft
part, are grofly ignorant and zealous to the laft
degree, for the loweft and fillieft Bigotries,
were the firft who took pofleflion of this
Wretch, and caufed her to be exorcifed. Gondy^
Bifhop of Paris, fufpe(5ling fome Cheat, caufed
her firft to be examined by Phyficians ; a fingle
one, namely, Duret, aflerted that fhe was really
. poflefTed •, againft the Opinion of all his Col-
leagues, efpecially Marcfcot, who affirmed the
contrary. Neverthelefs, the Matter went fo*
far, that the moft fober were afraid left a Se-
dition ftiould be the Confequence thereof.
Therefore the King, who was then at Fonlain-
hleaUy by the Advice of his moft trufty Coun-
fellors, fent Orders to his Parliament to take
Cognizance of the whole Afrair, to interpofe
their Authority and oppofe thefe tumultuous
Aftemblies. Accordingly they decreed that
Martha fhould be put into the hands of a
Magiftrate to be ftridly examined by expert
Phyficiaas
332 Hiftory of the Reformat kn, and of the Vol JV.
^enrylV. Phyficians and others of the Faculty, and to
*599;^^^ deliver their Opinion in a Month's time. Which
jjientVlVx Order WuS executed, and having been vifiLvd for..
forty Days togethei- h^ fifteen of tlie moft ex-
pert either Phyficians or others, they unani-
moufly certified under their Hands, that they
fc:ind nothing extraordinary. in the Girl, and
ihe herfelf confefTed her Sins, and received the
Sacfament at Eajler. a,nd from that Time, her
Conviiidon-Fits were neither fo violent, nor fb
freqaent. But for all that, theMurmurings of
the People, nor the Roarings of the feditious
Preachers did not ceafe ; thefe Vi?: were not
afhamcd to bawl from the Pulp?., that Eccle-
.fiafrtca.' Liberty was forced by the King's Ma-
giftr t2 i that fuch a Violence was done at the
Inftigation of the Hereticks, who dreading fo
fair an Opportunity offered by God himfelf of
manifefting his own Glory, had no other way,
than to dazzle the Faithful's Eyes by a formal
Denial of Miracles, ^c -, and that defpairing
to evince the Truth of their Dodlrine by fuch
wonderful Works, they were afraid h?L the-
lawful Miniftersof the true Church fhould fhow
forth the Efficacioufnefs of the Word of God,
by performing what was impofllble for them :
and fuch otherlike Stuffy tending to raife a Se-
tfition amongft the People. The Parliament
took cognizance of that Audacioufnefs, and
punifhed thefe fcandalous Preachers, not indeed
as they deferved, but as the Times could per-
mit. Then they decreed that Martha with
her two Sifters and her Father fhould be fent
back to Romoranti?!^ by the Provoft of Paris^
and there put under her own Father's Cuftody,
with a ftri(5t Charge not to let her ramble or go
out of the Place, without the fpecial Licence
of the Judge of t-hat Town, on pain of cor-
poral
Book VII. Reformed Churches //2 Fr a n c e. 333
poral Punifiiment to be infiided on both. That HenrylV.
Mildnefs of the Court fcrved only to encreafe p^^J'^j^.
the Audacioufnels of the Guilty. A few Months mentvi ! f
^ftcr, Alexander of La Roche foticaud^ Abbot of*
xSV. Martin^ of the illuftrlous Houfe of the
Counts of Randan^ \sho had been fome of the
hotteft Leaguers, having confulted together,
as It was faid, with his Brother, Bifhop of
Clerfno'nt^ as he pafled by Romorantin^ he took
Boffiere^ Martha^ and Sihina^ along with him,
and brought them to Airoergne^ taking little
notice of two Decrees of the Parliament of
Paris, v/hereby he vind his Brother were (uni-
moned to appear before them at a certain Time^
whereto not obeying, they were both deprived
of their Temporalities. The King, juftly of-
fended at their Difobedience, and underfland-
ing that they weje going to Rcme^ Wrote to
Sillery his Embaff lor at that Court, and to
Cardinal U Ojj'izl^ enjoining them to inform ihe
Pope of the \-.'hoIe Affair, before the Abbot
and his Company had begun to play their
Pranks upon that gr^,tS:;age, as they had done
at Avigncn^ tho' without any confiderable Suc-
cefs. They both, but efpecially UOJJat^ ma-
naged that Bufinefs fo dexteroufly with the
Pope, and Father Sirmond^ Secretary to Ci:rdi~
nai Aqimviva, General of the Jv.fuits, that the
Abbot finding himfelf much deceived in his
Expexftations, v/as forced to fubmit to the King,
of whom, \\t moil humbly begged pardon, by
his Lettter, for himfelf, and for his Brother
the Bifhop ; and feeing himfelf defpifed at the
Court of Rome^ he died a little after with Grief.
As to Brojfjere and his Daughters, they {laid at
Rome, where they lived very miferably, receiv-
ing from the Hofpitals, a Portion fcarcefuiBci-
ent for their Maintenance j and to compleat the
Work,
334 ^iftory of the Reformation ^ andoj the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Work, and to cure perfedly the Minds of the
p'599;j^ People of Paris^ the King caufed the L€tter
mentViri which Cardinal U OJfat wrote to him upon that
U--V— -'Subjed: to be read publickly in the Parliament
of Paris ; fo ended that irkfome Bufinefs (^.)
CXI. I -^W] not infiil upon another Affair of a
y-j^^^^^''^^ higher Nature, which at firft feemed that it
much of- would be attended with bad Confequences, and
fended came however to nothing ; and that is, the Of-
^a/wy? the ^QT^QQ that the Pope took, or pretended to take,
'"^' at the publifhing of the EdiA. He fent for the
Cardinals of Jc}'fZ(/^ and D* OJfat, and feigned
to be in a great Paffion againft the King-, nay,
he went fo far as to threaten to excommuni-
cate him for having been fo daring as to pu-
blidi to his Face, fuch a cursed Edict,
which he looked upon as the gieateft Affront
that he could put upon him, juft as if lie had
made a Scar on his Face ; he uttered fuch other
like Expreffions, whereat the Cardinals feemed
much terrified. But notwithffanding all this
Buftle of the Holy Father, they found Means
to mollify his Heart, and he made it plain
enough by his Condud: afterwards, that he waS
not fo angry as he would feign to be, and that
he a6led only out of Policy, to impofe upon
the Spaniards, who attempted to deprive him*
right or wrong, of certain Ecclefiaftical Rights
which his Predeceffors had enjoyed in the King-
doms of Naples and Sicily, and would have him
to defift from his Pretenfions, on a Thing which
was of a great deal lefs moment, than what he
fuffcred in France, where the King countenanced
and openly fupported Herefy, publifhing fuch
an Edi(5t for the Settlement of Hereticks, not-
withilianding
{q) Thuan. lib. cxxiii. pag. 368—875. Lettrcs D'Oflat,
liv. 6. Lettre ccxi. It don'c appear byD'0^/<sr, that tiu
Father was with his Daughters at 'Rome,
Boo K. VII. RefBrmed Churches in France. 335
withftanding the ftrong Oppoiitions of the Henryiv,
whole Clergy, and of the Parliaments, A nd J 599-
indeed^ had the Pop bee!i fo much difpleafed .^f^^^jji
with that Edid, he had had Time enough to c— v— '
oppofe it; he could not be ignorant of what was
tranfaifting mFrance^M^on that Subje6t,his own
Legate had received many Complaints of th«
contrary Party againft the laid Edid: •, through
his great Moderation, he had conftantly refqfed
to meddle with that Affair : Would be not have
fupported the Plaintiffs with all his might, had
not the Pope thought proper to connive at, what
he could not hinder ? But fuch was then the
Policy of the Court of RDme, to v/ink at things
which they cannot hinder when they were a
doing, and to thunder againft them, when they
were done and could not be undone (r.)
However^ the Pope m his Expoliulations CXTL
■with the two Cardinals having upbraided the '^^^ Kin£i
' King with Remiffnefs for the Catholick Religi--^'^^^^^'
on, becaufe he had done nothing as yet towards cuours ta
the publifhing of the Council of Treni^ and ha<ve the
Cardinal Aldobrandhti having given them to ^°*"'<^i^<f
underftand, that if his Majefty would caitfe the ///^Jj
faid Council to be pubiilhed in France, and the
Roman Catholick Religion to be reftored in his
own Dominions of Beam, he would, by fuch
Steps, blot out the Sufpicions which the Pope
entertained concerning his Religion 5 they wrote
to his Majefty on that Subjed, and D' OJJat
efpecially, infifted warmly, in his Letters to the
King and to Villeroy, upon the publiftiing of
the faid Council ; pretending that it could be
done with a Salvo, as to what concerned the
Prerogatives of the Crown of France^ the Li-
berties of the Gallican Church, the Edidls of
Pacification with the Hugttenots^ &c. Thefe two '
things,
(r) Lcttres de D'Oflat, LJv. V. Lett. 169. is^c.
336 Hijhry of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. things, the publiihing of the Council, and the
„ *599; reftorino; of the Mafs in Bcarn^ were two of
inentVlII ^^e fixteen Articles whereto the King had
c— -v-^jconfented, when he received his Abfolution.
Therefore he fet himfelf to work, for executing
his Promife : But all his Endeavours proved
fruitlefs as to the firft Point, the Parliament of
Tarts oppofed that Publifhing, with ail their
might i fo that after feveral warm Debates, the
King himfeif yielded to the Solidity of their
Arguments.
CXIII. He was more fuccefsful as to the Reftoring
Be re- of the IVIafs in Beam. It had been banifhed out
'^°g^-^'*^'''''*^of that Principality about thirty Years before,
by Jane^ Qiicen of 'Navarre^ the King's Mo-
ther, with the unanimous Confent of the States
of that Country ; and, notvvithflanding that
Prince's Order, after the MafTacre in 1572, it
had not been reftored ever-lince that Time.
Now, his Majefty had a mind at firft to have
the CathoHck Religion reftored in that Country,
upon the fame footing as it v/as in France., that
is to fay, that the CathoHck ftiould be the Na-
tional Church •, but upon Du Plcjfts's and Ca-
ligjion^s Remonftrances, he quite altered his
Scheme, and gave the Catholicks of Beam no
more than what he had given to the Reformicd
in France. The chiefiReafon, whereby Du PleJJis
moved him to it was, that if he did reftore
fully the Catholick Clergy in that Country ;
he utterly ruined the Reformed, and loaded
heavily his own Exchequer •, for he would be
obliged to pay out of it, the Salaries of the
Parhament of Pau., of his Chamber of Ac-
counts, his Garifons, his Militia, his Artillery,
and other neccfiary Charges of the State, which
v.'cre then tak::n out of the Church Lands, and
other Eeclelialiical Revenues, which had been
fo;kit^d
Book VIL Reformed Churches z;2 Fr a n c e . 337
forfeited under the late Queen. His Majefty HenrylV.
being moved by thefe Confiderations, appointed » ^599-
only feme Places in certain ParilTies where thCmentVIII
Catholicks might perform their religious Ser- <>— v-**^
vices, and fettled a Penfion fof the Bifhops of
Lefcar and Oleron. The Bea'rnefe receiv'd and
regiftred that Edi6l without the leaft Oppofition j
as being much more favourable than what they
had expedled. And it, was but twenty-one
Years after, that the Catholicks were fully re-
ftored in that Country by open Force, as we
ihall fee under the Year 1 62 1 {s).
The main Spring of the King's AcTdons at CXIV.
this Time, was the great need he flood in of ]^^ ^'"^''
the Pope's Authority for divorcing him fromy-^^,^;^'^^^^
Margaret his Confbrt. He had not {^t\\ her Margaret,
tver fince the Year 1585, when fhe eloped from
him. Since his Acceffion to the Crown, he
had oftentimes endeavoured to obtain her free
Confent for a Divorce, Du Pleffis had been em-
ployed ill that Ncgociation, and the Matter
had been brought near a Conclufion •, but that
Princefs underftanding the ftrong Inclinatiori
tho, King had for Gahrielle of Etrees, Dutchefs
of Beaufort^ and that he would marry that
Lady if he was once divorced from her, feemed
fomewhat backward, and did not infift fo much
as fhe had done before, efpecially by her Inftru-
mtnt oi Febrnary \2i^ , upon the Diflblution of
her Marriage. The King was fo much vexed
at it, that fometimes he had a mind to have her
tried for Adultery, which was very cafy to
make out, and have her jullly condemned as
fuch, and had it not been for certain political
Confiderations, very likely the King would
have taken that Courfe ; his Paflion for the fair
Gabrielle was come to fuch a height, that
Vol IV. Z " nothing
(i) Vie de Du Pleflis Mornay, lir. ii. p. 254.
338 Hiftory of the Reform at io?i^ and of the Vol. IV
Henry IV. nothing could have flopped him, when an un-
'599; expedled Accident happened, which delivered,
jjj'^^ntYjjJatonce, the Kingdom from the Broils and Com-
<^— y-ii.^ motions which muft have unavoidably enfued,
and himfelf from the Blemifti which fuch a
Match would have c.^.ft upon his Reputation -, I
mean, the untimely and lamentable Death of
that fair Lady. She was gone five or fix Months
with Child, and, as it was then the Holy Week,
the King, for avoiding the Scandal, had thought
proper to part from her for a few days, and had
lent her back to Paris^ where fhe arrived on the
TFednefday, and lodged in the Houfe of a famous
Fartifan of that time, namely Znmet. The next
day fhe was fplendidly entertained at dinner by the
fame,and eat very heartily ithenfliewenttoChurch,
where fhe felt fomeSwoonings, which obliged her
to return home, and while fhe walked in the Gar-
den, fhe was feized with an Apople(51:ick Fit,
from which being a little recovered, fhe would
by no means ftay any longer in that Houfe, and
v/as carried to her Sifter's, where fhe was no
fooner put toBed, but fhefell again into the fame
Fits, with fuch Violence that fhe v/as quite
alter'd ; her beautiful Face became, in a few
Hourc time, the uglieft and the mofl hideous
Obje6l that could be it^w j fhe died the next
day tormented with the bitterefl Pains, and left
the King iiiconfolable {t). However, Queen
Margaret having received that News, readily
confented to whatever was demanded of her, in
order to obtain the defired Separation. 5/7/^?^ had
been at Rome fince April lafl upon that account,
and it was not a difficult Thing to obtain of due
Pope to name Commiffaries for examining the
Matter : The Cardinal of Joyeufe^ the Bifhop
of Modena, the Pope's Nuncio at the Court of,'
France i
(/) Mem.de Sully, Toxn. I. chap. go.
BookVII. Reformed Churches in VRA-iiC^] ^'^g
France, and the Archbiihop of Aries, were the Henryl V;
Perfons chofen for that purpofe, who conlEide- p ' 599-
ring that that Marriage had been contracfced in mlntVin
prohibited Degrees, without the Pope*s Licence, v..«-v~«^
that the Princefs had never confented to that
Marriage, but had aded againft her own Will
out of Fear, ^c. they declared the Marriage
void and null, and granted both Parties liberty
to marry with whomfcever they pjeafed : that
Sentence was pronounced in November. One
of the Reafons which the Pope had by himfelf,
for being fatisfied that that Marriage had been
contradled againft: the Princefs's Will, deferves
to be taken notice of. Het old Cardinal D^OJJat
that Cardinal Alexandrine having been fent to
King Charles for difTuading him to think any
more of marrying his Sifter with an heretick
Prince, his Majefty took him one day by the
Hand, and told him, My Lord Cardinal,
WHATEVER YOU SAY IS RIGHT AND GOOD,
AND I THANK THE PoPE AND YOURSELF FOR
IT; AND, HAD I SOME OTHER MeANSOF RE«
VENGING MY SELF UPON MINE EneMIES, I
WOULD NOT THINK OF THIS Ma R R lAGE J BUT
I HAVE NO OTHER Means. To which the
Pope added, that when the faid Cardinal heard,
at Rome, of the Maft^acre of St. Bartholomew*^
Day, he faid, God be praised, the King
OF France has been, with me, as good
AS his Word (u) This does not require any
further Commentary.
But an Affair of another nature was now CXV. '
upon the Anvil, which puzzled the King more Conferena
than any thing elfe. Du Plejfis, as above faid, ^^ ^°j""
had publiflied a Book concerning the Eucharift, hetn.veen
wherein he fet forth the Opinion of the Fathers Du Pleffis
and of the School-Men in the feveral Aees of ^'^'^ ^*
^ 2 the ^
(«) Thuan. Lib. cxxiii. p. 885, 886. Lettres D'Oflat,
iiv.v. Lettre 185.
3 4© Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. I Vk
HenrylV-the Chriftian Church, and fliewed forth by
D . <^L what degrees and means Error, Superftition
Pope Lie , T 1 1 1 J • 1 /--.I 1 1
mentVlIl ^nd Idolatry had crept into the Church •, he
did not fpare the Popes, but told them plainly
of their enormous Iniquities. But methinks
his Prudence failed him in one Point, may it
be faid with refpedl to that great Man ; viz.
he caufed his own Name, Dignities and Titles
to be fet down, which indeed drew upon him a
terrible Storm, which he could have avoided, had
he better confidered, that how great foever his
Fame was in Europe^ it could add no new
Force to the Strength of his Arguments, and
that he had to deal with a Matter who thought
himfelf much indebted to the Pope, and con-
Tequently obliged to take his part, and do many
Things for him. However, as foon as that
Book appeared in publick, theCatholicks made
a terrible noife about it. Several Writers en-
deavoured to anfwer it, and peftered the Pub-
lick with whole Loads of fooliih Pamphlets,
which were rather Invectives againft the Author
than Anfwers to his Work. The Faculty of
Divinity at Paris condemned it by a publick
Cenfure •, feveral private Perfons publifhed Ca-
talogues of falfified Paflages, and of Omiflions
of necefiiiry Words in the faid Paflages, For
'tis to be obferved that the Author had not confi-
ned himfelf only within the Bounds of Scripture,
but he liad over-run the vaft Field of Tradi-
tion, and had quoted in his Book above Five
Thoufand Paffages of the Fathers and School -
Men. This was, as it were, bringing the War
into the very Bowels of the Church of Rome,
attacking her in her flrongeft Entrenchments,
and violently wrefling her very lafl Weapons
put of her hands. There was nothing left for
her Defence, for after having taken away the
Scripture
Book VII. Reformed Churches //? France. 34I
Scripture from her, which indeed fhe has herfelf HenrylV-
forfaken, the Fathers and School-Men were ^ '^^j'^^
ravifhed from her too, and the Fountains of mentvill
Tradition, wherein fhe places her laft Refuge,
But all the Noife both of the Preachers and
Writers fervedonly to make theBook fell better,
and to raife the Reputation of its Author. They
attack*d it fo weakly, that certainly it would
have been much better for them to have let it
alone. The Pope was vex'd at his Heart to fee
himfelf- treated in fo fharp a manner, and that
too by a Perfon no lefs confiderable than the
great Du Plejfts ; that caufed him to fufpedl
the King's Sincerity as to Religion. There was
then at Rome a certain German who boafled that
he had learnt this Secret from a Proteflant at
Augjbourg^ who faid that Bongars, the King's
Envoy to the Proteftant Princes of Germanyy
affured them he had not changed his Religion
in his Heart ; and D'OJfat, who thought it
convenient for the King's Reputation to ftop the
fpreading of fuch Reports, left no Stone un-
turn'd for finding out what could have occa-
fioned them ; and acquainted his Majetty with
the Difcoveries he could make upon that Subjeft.
It was the King's InterePc that fuch Reports
fhould not find Credit amongft the Catholicks,
but on the other hand, they were ufeful to him
amongft the Proteftant Princes, whofe xlHiance
he courted as neceftary to his DeHgns. But
whereas he ftood, at prefent, vn need of the
Friendftiip of the Court of Rime^ he thought
proper to fatisfy the Pope, and to mortify Du,
Piejjis, which could not be done without mor-
tifying the Reformed Party at the fame time.
His Book afforded him a fpecious Pretence,
neverthcleis his Majefty would have been much
puzzled how to execute !iis Refolutioiij had not
^ 3 P'^
5 4 2^ Jiiftory of the Re f or ma f ion ^ and of the Vol , IV",
HenrylV .J)u Pleffu's Haftinefs pav'd the Way to it. All
PoJ cie ^^^ Aggreflbrs, how diflferent foever they were
mentVIlli" their Style and Method, yet agreed in this.
That many falfe Quotations were to be found in
his Book, That touch'd him in the moft fenfible
Party he had 'till then withftood all the Storms
that were raifed againft him, but now he could
not bear to be charged v/ith Falfification, and
thought that his Honour was deeply con-
cerned to make good the Infegrity of his Quota-
tions. But methinks he took a wrong Method,
for inftead of replying to his Adverfaries by -
the fame Means as they attack'd him, towards
the End of March he publifhed a Writing,
inviting his Antagonifts to join with him in pre-
fenting a Petition to his Majefty, befeeching
that proper CommilTaries fhould be appointed
before whom he might juftify his Quotations
from Line to Line. A few days softer Du Perron
received one of thefe Writings, and anfwered
it, accepting the Challenge, and offering to point
out Five Hundred enormoufly falfe Quota-
tions in the Book, without any Hyperbole ;
and he wrote at the fame time to the King,
defiring that the Conference fhould be ap-
pointed. Du PleJJis could not let this Bravado
pafs without a Reply ; but left this Multipli-
city of Writings fhould break off the Defignof
the Conference^ Villeroy advifed the Biiliop of
Evrcux not to anfwer this. At the fame time
T)u PleJJis wrote to his Majefty, and his Petition
was tendered by the Marftial Duke of Bouillon -,
The King being nolefs eagerafterthatConference
than the two contending Parties, readily com-
plied with the Rf^queft, and at the Beginning of
Aprils he gave Orders to the Chancellor,
namely Pcmp:7w of Behcvre, to procure it as
foon as poffible.
3ut
Bo 0 K VII. Reformed Churches zVz F r A n c e » 3 43
Bat feveral Difficulties were ftarted, which held HenrylV.
that Affair in fufpenfe for foine Weeks longer. „ '^'^°'
The Pops'5 Nuncio being afraid that fuch a mentVlll
Conference with an Herctick fhould prove de- v— v-*-'
trimental to the Catholick Religion, and befides
that, left it fhould be an Infringement of the
Eccleiiaftical Prerogative, fhould the King have
the Nomination of theCommiffariesthat were to
aflift at that Conference, oppofed it at firft with
ail his Might ; the Archblfhop of Bourses, the
Bifhop of Paris, Benoit Bifliop eleft of Troyes^
and feveral others made their Remonftrances to
the King againft it. But his Majefty fatisfied
them all, affuring them that it was not fordif-
puting about Points of Doflrine, but only for
examining a Matter of Fad, whether Z)« P/V^j's
Quotations were falfe or nor ; aixi withal, gi-
ving them his Word that care fhould be taken
that the Catholick Religion ft\ould lofe nothing
by it. On the other hand, feveral Perfons ad-
vis'd Du Plejfis not to carry that Affair too far,
but to defift, feeing his Adverfary left him
4500 Quotations, the Integrity whereof he did
not conteft ; fo that tho' there were 500 lefs, it
was no Dirparagement to his Caufe. But he
could not endure the Word Fal5..e, and tho*
he was very fenfible of the King's* high Difplea-
fure againft him, on account of his Book, ne-
verthelcfs his Prudeiue fail'd him again on this
Occaiion ; he relied too much on the King/s
Jufticc, and was in hopes that the Memory of
his Services, the Fear of provoking the Refor-
med, would'oblige that Prince to fee that he
fhould not have the leaft foul Play ; he
conftdercd not that the State of his Affairs re-
quired that the Pope fhould be fatisfied at any
rate, and by any Sacrifice that could be offered.
Z 4 At
344 'H.lftory of the Reforfnatton^ and of the Vol. IV.
Henry IV.' i\t laft the King, without any regard to Dii
»6oo. piejjish Remonftrances upon the regulating of
nientV in th^ Conference, appointed the Place, the Time,
and the Coramiflaries j Fontainebleau was the
place where the contending Parties were to
meeron the4th of Af<rzy, vfithThuanus, Francis
P'ithou, John Martin^ one of the King's Phy-
ficians, Philip of Canaye Lord ofFrefne^ Prefident
in the Chamber of Cajires, and Jfaac Cafauhon
royal Profeflbr of thcGreek Tongue ; they were
the five Commiflaries named by the King, the
three firft on the Catholick Side, the two laft
on the Reformed ; but it is obfervable that Ca-
7io.ye T>u Frefne had already promis'd to turn
Catholick, which he did a very little time after
the Conference.
Du Pl^Jfis was ufed with very great Rigour,
and firft of all the King, feeing that he could not
be diiTuaded from coming to a Conference,
gave orders to the Chancellor to fend for the
contending Parties to Court ; but the Chancellor
fent notice thereof only to Du Perron, whereby
he intended to blame Du Ple£is, as if, miftruft-
ingthe Juiliceof his Caufe, he had a mind to
ihun a Conference which he had fo eagerly pur-
sued, not appearing at the prefixed Time.
But If fuch was the Chancellor's Intention, he
miffed his Aim, iox Du Plejfis having private
Notice thereof, foMowed the Bifhop oi Evreux
fo clofe, that he v/as at Court the next day after
him. Secondly, Du Pl][fn intreated that the
Paflages of his Book migiit be examined one
after another, and thofe which were not charged
with any Falfification might be deemed as good ;
befides that, he required that the Bi/hop ihould
give him the 500 Quotations which .'le charged
with Falfification, figned with his own Hand.
Ihefetwo Demands were but reafoiiable and
Bo o K VIL Reformed Churches /;2 Fr a N c e . 3 4 f
juft, nevcrthelefs the Bifhop was too cunning ta HenrylV.
comply with either. As to the firli, he faid he p/,J°pj ^
had already anfweredand (hewn the Reafons of j^^e.^-yrn
his Denid, which were all included in the pro-
digious Length of Time requifite for fuch an
Examination -, which Reafon, in truth, was
too weak to be fatisfacfbory, nevcrthelefs the
King received it as good. As to the fecond,
the Bifhop offered to put the 500 Quotations
into the King's hands, out of which, he, the
Bifhop, fhould pick out 50, of his own Choice,
to be examined every day. The Defign of that
Device was plain enough -, hadZ)/i;P/(?^j received
all thefe Quotations together, as he defired, he
might have been afTifted by thofe to whom he
fliould have communicated them, and fo come
better prepared to the Conference, Befides
that the Bifhop having his Choice of the Quo-
tations, which were to be examined every day,
he might hold Du Pkffis in perpetual Perplexity,
upon which lide he had a mind to attack him ;
fo that he fhould never have any longer Time
to prepare himfelf than what his Adverfary was
pleas'd to allow him. Laflly, the Bifhop might
pick out of the faid 500 Quotations thofe that
feemed mofl likely to be quoted wrong, and to
prepofTefs, by this Artifice, the People's Minds,
and infinuate to them that the reft was of the
like Nature.
Du Pk[fis was very fenfible of the fnare that
was laid for him ; he rejected thefe the Bifhop's
Offers, and petitioned the King to have at lead
the faid Quotations put into the hands of two
of the CommifTaries, hut Du Perron vt^us^d to
comply with it. Du PleJTis remained flill in his
firft Refolution for fome time, but after many
Debai . 5 betv/een himfelf, the Chancellor, Rofni^
i^nd four of the King's Commiflaries, as the
ChaaceUor
34^ Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Chancellor told him, in the King's Name, that
p4^°Cle- "wh^^^^^ ^^ would or not accept the Bifhop's
wentVIII Terflis, his Majefty was " fully refoived to
have the Quotations examined, even in his Ab-
fence, he yielded at laft : which was another
Error that he committed, for knowing what
Turn that Affair took, he ought never to enter
into that Conferenee but upon equal Terms -, it
would have been much better for him^tohave
been condemned being abfent than prefent, for
tho' in that Cafe he would have been ^pofed at
firft, to the Cenfure of the Publick, it would
have been very eafy for him to juftify his Con-
dud in this refpedt, by publifhing the fnameful
Methods that were pradifed in order to get the
Vidory.
The third Hardfhip that was put upon him
was, that he had not above eight Hours time al-
lowed to e:-:amine6i Quotations, and to compare
them together with tHe Context. Du Perron
fent them to him only at Eleven of the Clock*
in the Night of the third of May^ to be ready
the. next Morning at Seven o' Clock. Du
PleJJis had not his own Books but was obliged
to make ufe of thofe which his Adverfary was
pleas*d to lend him ; he fat up all Night, and
could verify but nineteen. The Biihop was fo
unjuft as to complain bitterly thereof, as if it .
had been poiTible for that Nobleman to com-
pare fixty Quotations with the Originals and
the Context in fo fhort a Space of Time as was
fcarce fufficient even to perufe them only. And
he was willing to begin the Conference with
other Qiiotations than thofe which Du Plcjfis
had examined, thinking it would be more eafy
for him to prove the FaKification thereof, but
he did not iiafift thereupon.
The
Book VII. Reformed Churches in^RA^c-E, 347
The Conference was opened at One in theHenrylV.
Afternoon, the King was prefent with the ^ '^°°-
Chancellor, fome Bifhops, the Secretaries ofmTntvlli
State, and fix or feven Princes. The Chan-
cellor who was to prefide, declared that the Mat-
ter to be debated was not a Matter of Right, or
to call in queftion the D )d;rine of the Church ;
but a Matter of Fa6t, to know whether the
Paflages quoted by Du Plrjfis were genuine or
not. His Majefty confirmed what the Chan-
cellor had faid, and added further that hig
Pleafure was, that in the Difputatlon, they
Ihould intirely forbear the Words False or
Falsification; that was another cunning
Device for facilitating Du Perron^ Vidory.
The Challenge had been propos'd by Du Pleffis
on account of the Charge of False or Falsi-
fication, which was laid againil him ; that
Bilhop had publickly promifed that he would
fhow in Du Pleffis^s Book 500 enormous Fal^
siFiCATioNS ; he was in honour bound to
make good his Word, which puzzled him to
be fure -, but, by the King's Favour, he was
eafed from that heavy Burden, and obliged
only to fhow that Du PleJJis had either mifr
underfbood, or miftranflated, or mifapplied his
Quotations, which is quite another Thing
than to falfify them. On the other hand, Du
Plejfis was furpriz'd at this unexpedbed Turn,
he had prepared himfelf to fhow that his Au-
thors had indeed faid what he related, but not
whether he had rightly underftood them or
not.
However, the two contending Parties having
taken their Se^t, and the Books being broui^iit
upon the Table, nine Paflages were examiried
that Day. It is to be obicrved, that there wag
a vail perfonal Difference between thera buth 5
Du.
" 348 HiJloryoftbeReformatwnynndofthe'Vo-L.TV^^
HenrylV". Perron was a learned Man endowed with a pro-
^^^2.. digious Memory, a fine Speaker, eloquent, bold
j^i^tVUl^zyond Expreffion, who could fpeak better, or
I at leaft as well, even ex tempore, as Du Pleffis
could write ; and being fupported on this Occa-r
iion by the King and the whole Court, and the
hopes of a Cardinal's Hat, wherewith his good
Succefs was to be crowned, nothing was want-
ing to raife his Spirits as high as could be. On
the other hand, Du .Pleffis was fick for fome
Days before, heavy and tired Vvith fpending the
whole Night in the irkfome Bufinefs of com-
paring his Quotations with the Oris inals, even in
other Editions than his own, dejeified through
the S^n^t of his Mailer's Difgrace, and rnay be,
repenting for having gone fo far in that Career,
and for having yielded too eafily to the Perfua-
iions of Rofni and fome others of the fame fort :
l>c{ides that, he knew better how to write than
how to fpeak, efpecially ex tempore. But for
all that, Mezeray is not to be credited intirely
in his Relation of the Trouble and Confufion
Du Plefhs was in, and of the Triumph of his
Adverfary •, he is much niiilaken therein, and
'Tbuanus^ who was prefent at that Conference
as Commlfiary, deferves furely a greater Credit
than ons who wrote above fifty Years after-
wards. Nov/ here is the Account which that
noble Hiilorian gives us of that Tranfa(5lion.
* Firft, fiys he, the Pafiages of Jc^;; S"^*?/ and
* P^ir^:;?^, concerning theTranfubfliantiationand
* the corporal Prefence of Qur Lord in the Sa-
* crament were examined, and the Opinion of
* the Comniifiaries thereupon being required, it
* vvas declared that Du Ple//is, being deceived
* through tne ufual Method of the Schoolmen,
* had m'llaken the Objsdlion for the Solu-
"■ tion in both thele Authors. They came next
'to
Book VII. Reformed dburchei in France!.' 34^
to fome Places of Chryfojiome and Si. Je- HenrylV.
romCy concerning the Invocation of Saints, „ ^^°^'
and the Commiffaries pronounced, that I^a mcntVilt
PleJJis ought to have related the wholeu— y— .j
Paflage in its full Length. Then as to the
PaiTage of St. Cyril^ concerning the A-
doration of the Crofs^ they could not find it
in his Works ; that he had omitted fome
Words in tranfcribing the Conftitution of
Tbeodofius and Valentinmn \ and the Chan-
cellor pronounced, that he ought not to
have made ufe of the Authority of Peter
Crinitiis^ who was a Modern of no great
Reputation. Then T)u Perron argued upon
two huddled Pa/tages of St. Bernard., con-
cerning the Blejfed Virgin, which Du Pleffis
had quoted, as making againft her Mediation
between God and Men, and the Chancellor
by the Advice of the Commiflaries declared
for Du Perron* The laft Paffage that was
examined was Theodoret^s Commentary on
the t CXIIIth Pfalm 5 Du Perron {aid, , r,,.
' That the Word was to be render'd by Z^^^/j, J ^^''"'^
and not by Ifrnges, as Du Pkjfu had tranfia- 1 \^th of
ted. At laft, after a long Difpute about the "''^ ^"^^r-
Ufe of Images J the Chancellor pronounced j^''^*
that the Paffage was to be underftood as
meaning the Idols of the Gentiles, and not
the Images of the Chriftians.* (A. fine De-
cifion indeed ! as if in Theodore t^s Time there
had been any other Image worlhipped bs/ides
the Idols, or any other Worshippers of
Images befides the Idolatrous Pagans, or as if
the Words Idol and Image were not often-
Times fynonymousj
Such is Thuanus his Account of that Con-
ference, whereby it is very plain, i. That the
Charge of Falfification laid at firft againft Da
Plefis
3 50 WJi'ory of the Reforinatton^ and of the Vo l .1 V.
HenrylV 'Phjfis Was very wicked and falfe itfelf, feeing
i6oo. ^^^2it^ Cjn/'s excepted, the Words of his other
j^^:*i.^ jfl'Quorations were in the Authors referred to ;
and as to Cyril^ he own'd himfelf, that he had
not related his own Words, but only an Ab-
ftrad of his Opinions 2°. That Du Ferron^%
Vidory was very far from being fo com pleat as
Mezeray pretends. Tbmmus had fome Mea-
fures to keep with the. Court, and durft not '
unrcvvel the whole Myftery. Now we learn
by DiiPIeJJis^s Biographer^ that had it not been
for the King's Interpofition, at Du Perron's
earneft Requeft, the CommifTaries would have
pronounced upon Durand^s Pafl;ige, what they
had already declared upon Scol*s, viz. ibat it
required to he more ftri5lly examined ; but upon
the King's Order, they decided as abovefaid.
As to Chryjojiome^ the PafTages in queftion were
taken out of his firft Homily upon the ift
Epift. to the Theff. and his 15th Horn, upon
St. Matth. St. Jerome upon Ezekiely Book I.
Ch-. iv. A
The King beliaved himfelf upon this Occa-
fion in a way very little becoming Royal Ma-
jefty, he had paft the Night preceding the
Conference in fuch Perplexities about the
Succefs of the Day, that any thing like had
never been obferved before, even when he was
in the greateft dangers ; and at the Conference
he was fo much afraid, left the CommiiTa-
ries fhould be too fcrupulov.s or, confcientious,
that he added exprefs Commands to decide in
every thing according to his own Champion*s
Opinions, wherein however hs was not fo
ftridly obeyed as he could have wifhed. Be-
lides that he ordered his Supper to be brought
up in the fame Room where the Conference
had been held, and toldDa Perron during he
Sup-
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr an ce. J^i
Supper, Let us fpeak Truth, the good Caufe HenrylV.
vjas u)antinz fome Help. He wrote alfo to „ '^°5,',
the Duke of Eypernon, beginning as rollows : nreutVIlI
My Frieud, the Diocefe of Evreux has con-
quered that (7/Saumur, ^c. The reft was of the
like Style. In one place he faith. The Bearer
will tell ye, that I have done Wonders m
the Conference. That Letter was publilhed, and
moft part of the People that read it, could not
help laughing, even the Duke himfelf, feeing
1°. that he ftyled his Friend, one whom he ha-
ted above all Men in the World ; and 2°. that
he owned that he had been obliged to exert his
Authority, for that is the meaning of thefe
Words, / have done Wonders in it.
However, the Conference could n^ot be re-
newed, as T)u Plejfis could have defiredj for he
was feized in the Night with fuch vomiting
Fits, that the King's firft Phyfician ordered
him not to ftir abroad if he would not en-
danger his Life. His Majefty fent Secretary
Lomenie to vifit him, and to tell him that for all
what was paft, he v^-ould be always his Mafter
and his Friend ; and that if he would forbear
writing any more againft the Pope, he would
employ him more than ever. But Du PleJfis
was too generous, and had too noble a Soul
for complying upon fuch Terms, which would
have refledled a Blemifli upon his Rehgionj
as well as upon his own Charadter; therefore
he chofe to live in the King's Difgrace, rather
than to facrifice the Truth to his private In*
tereft : he came to Paris, where having fet-
tled fome Family Bufinefs, and being reco-
vered of his late Fit of Sicknefs, he fet out for
Saumur without taking the King's Leave. Hq
met there the Deputies of the Churches wait*
ing for the Execution of the Edid, whereby
I he
352 Biflory of the "Refer jnatlon^and of the Vol. IV.
KenryiV. he had a favourable Opportunity of informing
1600. all the Churches of all the Particulars of that
mfntVIII Conference. Two Years after, he publifhed a
new Edition of his Book about the Sacrament ;
he tranfcribed in the Margin all the Quota-
tions at length, and in the very Language
of* the Authors. His Majefty was very far
from attaining his End, which was to engage,
at Jeall:, fome of the reformed Courtiers to
turn Catholicks, and Tin Plejfis^ not to write
any more ; for tho' he fupported Du Perron^s
Relation of the I'ranfadtion in the Conferences,
Du PleJJli^s Reply was deemed fo full, and
befides that fo agreeable to Truth, that not
only it remained unanfwered, but none of the
Reformed, befides two or three fuch, like Pre-
sident La Canayr^ who had already pro-
mifed before to change, thought proper to re-
iiounce. Nay, the Catholicks themfelves did
juftice to Du Plejjis and his Book ; and the
iirft Buftles of the Bifliops, who proclaimed his
Victory every where, were no fooner over^
but many of them, efpecially amongft the
Taity, who had Capacity enough to be Judges
for themfelves, were curious to examine the
faid Book, and to compare the Quotations with
the Originals •, by which means feveral being
convinced of the Truth, renounced their
Errors, {a) And now it will not be amifs to
acquaint the Pleader with the Charadler of that
famous Man, the Biihop of Evreux. .
JAMES DAVr DU PERRON,,
Cardinal Priefl of the Title of St. Agntz^ Great
Almoner of Fr^wr^, Commander of the King's
Orders, Bifhop of Evreux^ and then Arch-
{a) Thuan. Libro. CXXIII. Mezeray, Tom. VI.
Part iii. Vie de Du Pleiiis Mornay Li v. 2. Mem. de
SuUy, Tom. I. CJi.
bifhop
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 353
biftiop of Sens^ was born the 25th of iV^w»z- HehrylV.
her 1556. li D^Aubigne is to be credited, and '^°°-
he was particularly acquainted with.D« Perron, mentVIIt
that Cardinal's Father was Davy, Minifter and 1
Phyfician together, who lived at Geneva, in a
Street called Le Perron, from whence the faid
Cardinal derived his Name. That Account is
contrary to that of fome other Authors quoted
hy Morery in his Didionary, who pretend thatour
Cardinal was defcended from theHoufes o^ Per-
ron, CreUeville, and LangervHle in Loii^^ Norman-
dy, and was Son to Julian Davy, Lord Du
Perron, However, they all agree in this, that
he was born a Reformed ; that^ being a
Child, his Father, for avoiding the Ferfecutioa
under H£7iry II. retired with his Family to Ge-
neva, and from thence into Switzerland; that
he gave very early Proofs of a fublime Genius,
fit for any great Bulinefs •, he was endowed!
with a prodigious Memory, a very clear Un-
derftanding, a very uncommon Learning, and
fpoke with fuch a Gracefulnefs and Eloquence,
that he never failed to perfuade, at leaft thofe
who were not aware. He was extremely well
fhaped, handfome in his Face, majeftick in his
Mien, comely in his Drefs. In a word, he
would have been the moil accompliilied Man
of his Time, had his moral Virtues anfwered
the Endowments of his Mind, and the Perfec-
tions of his Body. Bat he was of fuch an afpi-
ring Genius, that he ftuck at nothing whenever
it was queftion to gratify the Defires of his
Ambition. Hypocrify, Deceitfulnefs, Cheat,
Treafon, aiy thing was good for him, that
could ferve to attain his Aim, He v/ent back
to France, b'/ing ftili very young, his bright
Parts were foon admired at Court, but he v/as
given to undcrfland, that unlcTs he fhould
Vol IV. A a renounces
354 mftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.1V.
Henryiv.renounce his Religion, he ought not to expe(5fe
p *^°^jg any Advancement. A Man of his Charadter
mentVIII could not be long ftopt in his Way by any fuch
Confideration -, Religion or religious Princi-
ples fhall never thwart him in his Defigns, to
be great in this World is, to him, a more folid
thing than to be faved in the next y therefore
he accepted readily of the Condition, and, ha-
ving abjured the Reformed Religion, he was
admitted Reader to King Henry III. and was
obliged to difcourfe upon one Subjedl or other
■while his Majefty fat at dinner. But, if two
feveral Authors his Co temporaries are to be
credited, and one of them was a Roman Catho-
lick, his Eagernefs after Favour and Prefer-
ment carried him fo far, that he was like
to lofe it intirely : for having one day dif-
courfed before the King upon the Being of a
God, the whole Court was charmed with his
Speech t puffed up with the Praifes beftowed
upon him without meafure, and very likely
thinking to pleafe the King, he faid, Sir^ J have
proved this Day^ by good and Jtrong Arguments^
that there is a God ; to-morrow, if yourMajeJly
will be pleafed to give me Audience^ Ijhall evince^
by as Jirong Arguments^ that there is no God ,-
•whereupon the King was fo provoked, that he
bid him go out and never come before him any
more. This happened on Friday the 25th of
November, 1583 ;_ I can't tell how long hisdif-
grace iafted,. nor how he was reftored to the
King's Favour, for want of proper Memoirs
upon that Subjec^t, but he wasasgr-eatat Court
as ever a few Years after, and was Author of
the Speech which the King delivered in the
States held at Bids in 1588. After his-
Mailer's Death he entered into the young Car-
dinal of BourlWs Houlhold, and was fooa
admitted.
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches in Fr a n c e . '^^^
admitted to his inmoft Confidence, and it vvasHenrvlV.
'he who put into that young Prince's Head to ^S^°?
■afpire to the Crown, and to declare himfelf ^en^YjU
Head of the third Party, mentioned in its pro-
per Place ; but, even on this Occafion, he had
no other View but to impofe upon his Mafter,
and to pave the way to his own Advancement ;
for he foon betray'd his Secret, and gave notice
thereof to King Henry IV. who knew very weU
how to improve fucix important Difcoveries,
Then he was one of the greateft Promoters of the
King's Change ; afterwards he was adjoined to
jyOjjat to procure the King's Abfolution from
the Pope. It feems that, in this Negociation,
wherein he had certainly a greater hand than his
Partner, he was quite forgetful of the Honour
of the Crown, and minded only his own Intereftj
for, willing to ingratiate himfelf into the Pope's
"Favour, and to obtain a Cardinal's Hat, he not
only left undecided the Independency of the:
Crown oi France from any other Power befides
God, and confented to Terms very unreafonable,
nay fome of them impoflible, but he yielded ta
that bafe and fhameful Penance whereby the
Crown q{ France became, as one may fay, the
Rubbing-brufh of the Pope's Slippers. His
Condud deferved the moft fevers Punifhment
at his Return, and indeed, had he been Jeft to
the Difcretion of the Parliament and of every
true Frenchman, he would not come oiF fo cheap
as he did. He vented very dangerous Opinions
concerning the Pope's Supremacy over crowned
Heads, in the States held ^t Paris in 1614,33 we
ihall fee hereafter. He died in the Month of
September 161 8, in the 62d Year of his Age {c).
A a 2 Now
(f) De L'Etoile, Mem. pour fervir a THift:. de France/
Tom. I. p. 172, D'Aubigne Hift. Univerf. Tom. lU.
liv. lii. chap. 24. Confeliion de Sancy, Epit. Dedicatoir^
a_Mr. I'Eveq. d'Evreux, & alibi, HilJ. d? V Edi; d? Nantes
iii, iv, V, vi; &;c.
3 5^ Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Now, to refume our Hiftory, the King
1600. was much perplexed when he heard of Du
m?nt\^n -P^C^-^'s fudden Departure ; he was afraid left
i_,-^-,_^ he ihould impart his juft Refentment to the Af-
CXVII. fembly of the Reformed, who from Chatelleraud
The King's ]^^^ rcmovcd to Sawmir fince November laft,
a^a/nfiTin ^^^ ^^^ flayed there all the Winter, waiting for
I^Ieffis. the Execution of the EdiA. And indeed, had
DuPleffls been a Man of another Charadler, he
had it in his power to improve the Difpofitions
wherein he found them at his Arrival, but that
great Man was always too generous to make a
general Affair of his own private Concerns, and
would not deviate from his ufual Principles
upon this Occafion, nor take advantage of this
Opportunity to trouble thofe who had fo un-
worthily treated him.
CXVIII. While the Affair of the Execution of the
War of Edi6l was on foot, the King made his Expedi-
Savoy. tion into ^avoy ; he took the Field in the
Month of Augvft^ and before the End of the
Year he was Mailer of the Province of Breffia,
of the Countries of Bugei and Gex, of Chamhery,
of the Valleys of Maurienney of the Tarentaife,
i^c. i^c. and forced the Duke to come to a
Treaty which was concluded at Lyons on the
17th of January 1601, by the Mediation of
V-eafons ^he Pope. Never a War was undertook upon
hereof, more juft Grounds than this. ^ The Duke of
Savcy, as already obferved, improving the Op-
portunity, had feized upon the Marquifate of
Sahices in 1588, and had kept it as a Country
which opened a PafTage for him to make Incur-
fions, as he had fuccefsfully done in Provence^
Dauphins y i^c. 'till 1597, when Henry IV»
iummoned him to reftore that Country which
belonged to his Crown ; which upon feveral
falle, or fit the bed:, fpecious Pretences, he
declined
Book VII. "Reformed Churches /"« Fr A n c e . 3 ^y
declined to do, and had fpun out the Time in Henryiv.
tedious Negociations till the Treaty o^Vervins n'^^^j
was figned in 1598, whereby the Pope was left ,jienty];f£
Umpire of thofe Differences fubfifting between t— ^,— ^
the two Courts of France and Savoy, which wer^
to be determined in a Year's time. But all the
Pope's Endeavours and Sollicitations with the
Duke proved incfFedual, and the prefcribed
Time being over, he thought that, if he himfelf
paid a Vifit to the King, he might come off at a
cheaper Rate ; ilnttering himfelf that, b.y his
Prefents, he might bribe fome of the King's
Council, and at the fame time keep up and fo-
ment the Difcontents of fome of the greattft
Men, amongft v/hom was the Marfhal of Biron,
with whom he had already joined a Correfpon-
dence. With thefe Difpofitions he came to
Paris in December laft, and had been received
with the utmoft Magnificence. But notwith-
ftanding all his Cunning, and the large Sums
of Money which he fcattered amongft the
Courtiers, all that he could effed: was only to
engage Biron and fome others more deeply in d^
Rebellion againft their lawful Sovereign i for,
as to the Ma-rquifaie, he found his Mgjefly in-
flexible, and all that he could obtain after above
two Months ftay at Court was, that he had the
Choice, eidier to reftore the faid Marquifaie^ or
to give the Province of BreJpM in lieu thereof.
That Ceflion was no lefs hard for the Duke
than the Reftitution itfelf ; neverthelefs, as he
fought a fair Pretence for fetting out with Ho-
nour, he feigned not to diflike the IVopofition,
but he defired fome further Time to confider of
it with his Privy- Council and the great Men Qf
his Dukedom. Full three Months were granted,
him for that purpofe, and he fet out a ftJV
days after for I'urin, There wanted nat
A. a ? Flat A
3 5^ Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vo i . I V ,
Henry IV. Flatterers at Court who would fain perfuade
PoL^Cle- ^^^ ^^"§ ^° arreHthe Duke till he had reftored
mentvili the Marquifate -, but his Majefty rejeded that
Propofition with Scorn and Indignation, as re-
flecting Difhonour upon his Charadler *, 1 chufe
rather to lofe my Crown^ fays that great Prince,
than to break my Word^ even iznth the worji of
wy Enemies. The three Months being over,
and the Duke not performing his Promife, the
King was very angry with him, and let him
know that he ought to determine himfelf for
either of the two Parties propofed ; he took a
further time, and made new Promifes, in the
mean while, he was ftrongly folliciting the
Court oiSpain for a fpeedy Afliftance, but tho*
that Council was fenfible enough of the Neceffity
of granting fuch a Relief, they went on fo
ilowly that it was along while before they came
^o any Refolution ; at iaft, the Count of F/^-
entes Governour of the Milanefe received Orders,
but two Months too late, to allift powerfully
that Prince. After having, by feveral Arti-
fices, fpun out the Time in fruitlefs Negotia-
tions, the King's Patience was tired out, and
he marched with a fni^Jl Body of Troops to
hyons •, which the Duke underftanding, he en-
deavoured to amufe hlni by three Ambafladors
which he (tvX into that City with an Inftru-
ment whereby they declared, that their Mafter
was ready to execute the Treaty made at Paris,
and to deliver up the Marquifate > but one of
the AmbaiTadors, v.'ho was in the Secret of the
Duke, refufcd to fign the faid Inftrument till
his Mafter had :een it, and required further
Time to acquaint him thereof; whereby the
Cheat was plain enough, that his Mader fought
nothing eHe but to give time to the Spanip Gq-
neral to come to his Afiiilance> The King was
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches ?> Fr A N c E . 359
no longer his- Bubble, and the Duke having at HenrylV"
--------- - - 1600.
iaft pulJed off the Mafk, he was forced to come „ ^
to the King's Terms in the manner above- faid. me.
Idtj that Treaty he delivered to his Majefty, the
Countries of Breffia^ Bugey^ VaURomey and the
Bailiwick and Barony of G^J>(:,in.lIeuoftheiVii^r^«/-
J(^f^, which the King yielded unto him and his
Succefibrs \ befides that, he was obliged to reftore
Chateau-Dauphin, to yslzq Becbe-Dauphin, and to
pay lOOjOco Crowns for the Artillery he had
taken at Carn:ag7toles about 12 Years before.
In this Expedition the King did feveral
Things very agreeable to the Reformed, but no
Jefs difpleafing to the Catholicks. As he came to
the Luifet a Mile diftant from St. Katherine'?,
Fort, not far from Geneva, that City fent a
Deputation to his Majefty, at the Head whereof
was Beza, then above 80 Years old, who made
a fine Speech to the King, tending to befeechhis
Majefty to deliver them from the faid Fort
which the Duke of Savoy had built to annoy
their City, The Deputies were very kindly-
received, efpecialiy Beza, whom the King was
pleafed to call his Father^ and prefenfed him
with 500 Crowns, behdes which he graiited
their Requefl, and was no fooner Mafler of the
fiid Fort but he delivered it into the MagiRratcs
Hands, who razed it to the ground wi<h alj
imaginable Expedition. Thefe Things of-
fended much the Catholicks, the Monks and
the Ecclefiafticks amongfl others, who were in
the Legate's Retinue, vvho could not bear that
his Majefty fhould have beftowed theTitleof
Father upon a Man whom they confidered as a
llerefiarch ; the Legate efpecialiy was enraged
at that delivering of the Fort, he made a terri-
ble Noife about it, and threatcn'd juft as if the
A a A Catholick
360 Biftory of the Reformation y and of the Vol . IV,
Henry Vl.Catholick Religion had been thereby brought
p/fSe to a certain Ruin.
nientvm ^^^ ^^ ^^^ Bailiwick of Cex, the Neighbour-
i— — V— ^ hood of the Canton of Berna had introduced
the Reformation amongft them, and it had
been tolerated by the Dukes of Savoy till a little
after the Council o^ 'Trent, when thefaid Dukes
ordered all their Subjedls to fubmit themfelves
to the Decifions thereof j but fome time after,
the Bernefe having pcfTefTed themfelves of that
fmall Country, the Reformed got the upper
hand fo far, that the Catholick Religion v/as but
tolerated -, they were, a little after the Peace,
permitted to enjoy the Benefit of the Edid of
Naittz. Bourg the chief Town of Brejfia, with
its Caftle, was put under the Government of
Peter d^Efcodeca Boejje who profefled the Refor-
med Religion, and confequently, fays Mezeray^
more fure to the King than any other ; but the
Court of Ro7ne was much offended at that
Preference given to a Heretick before a Catho-
lick (d). ■ '
CXIX. Some Months before this Expedition the King
^he Kifig'sXi^^ fent D'' Alincourt to Rome, to give the Pope
Marriage, j^jg thanks for the Juftice he had done him in
the Affair of his Divorce from, Margaret of
ValoiSj his firft Wife ; and at the fame time, to
let him know that, after a m.ature Confidera-
tion, he had fixed his choice upon Mary of
Medici 5 as the fittefl Princefs of ail others to be
his Confort ; flie was Daughter to Francis
Great Duke of 7/(/^?/ry, who died in 1588, and
Niece to Ferdinand his Succeffor. That Affair
was managed with fuch Dexterity and Diligence,
that theJMfarrrage-Contrad: was figned zt Flo-
rence ^ by his Ambaffadors, on the 4th of Jpril^
and
ft
(dl) Thuan, Lib. CXXV. D'Aubign? Torn, III. Liv.V-
chap, ixj X, XI.
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e » 361
and the Marriage was confummated at Lyons Henryiv.
on the 19th of December. pJ^^Se
The Creation of new Offices in all the Jurif- mf^^viTr
didlion of the Kingdom, even in the Parlia- u—Y-.-i'
ments, was one of the Means that Roni propofcd
to raife Money, and was like to afFed the Pri-
vileges granted to the Reformed by the Edi(5t.
Thefe new Creations are always detrimental to
thofe whopofiefsold Offices, their Fees become
lefs confiderable becaufe they are to be divided
between a greater number of Perfons, therefore
the ParliamentofPizm would have confounded
,thefe new Offices wjth thofe out of which the
King was to gratify the Reformed, according
to the Edicfi:, and v.'hich were of an old ftand-
ing. But whereas thefe new Offices were to be
bought, and that the Reformed were to be ad-
vanced gratis^ they did not agree with the
Parliament in this refped: ; they petitioned the
King upon that Subje(5t, who, out of his wonted
Goodnefs, was pleafed to promife that their
Offices /hould not be comprehended in the
Number of the new ones.
But the great Bufinefs of this Year, wherein exx.
the Reformed were more nearly concerned, was Execution
The Execution of the Edid:, for which purpofe'/^'^^-^^'^
Commiflaries had been fent into the Provinces.
they did not proceed equally every where, in
fome Places they were very ftrid, in fome others
lefs fo, according to the Temper and other
Circumftances of the Inhabitants ; in fome
Places the Catholicks were more fcrupulous, in
others-mbre moderate and tradable ; on the o-
ther hand, there were fome Places where the Re-
formed v.'ere ftrid and di]igent,and others where
they did their bufinefs with a great deal of Neg-
ligence: which Negled of theirs was occafioned
partly by that foolilh Conceit of the approaching
Fall
362 Hidory of the Reformation ^and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV.Fall of the Antichrift, as if they had had ex-
1600. pj.gfg Revelations upon that Subied -, partly
rope Cle-f ^ r J r> r 1 t * •
mentVIII^y ^ *°° ^°^*^ Keliance on the Integrity
fof the Catholicks, which made them believe
that their Settlements being once made, they
would never be interrupted in the Enjoyment
thereof; and as they had no Thought of ever
encroaching upon the Catholicks, they were
in hopes that the Catholicks would do the fame ;
and partly becaufe they believed that fince thefe
Settlements were done at the fight of the Ca-
tholicks, and that the Grounds of their Right
was fo publickly known, their Poflerity would
never call in queftion what had been fo evi-
dent and notorious in their Fathers time. But
from whence foever that Supinenefs proceeded,
their Children have abundantly felt the fad Ef-
feds thereof, and have had but too much rea-
fon to blame their Fathers for it.
The Commifl'aries on their part behaved
themfelves with all the Attention and Appli-
cation required from them. In order to pre-
ferve a Right of Exercife, they made Inquiries,
and took Informations, they received Depo-
fitions of Catholick or Reformed Witnefies
impartially, they examined all the Titles and
Inftruments that could be produced ; either
they, or their Delegates wxnt down to the
Places, when their Prefence was required by
any of the Parties ; they fummoned the Officers
of the Places before them ; they heard the
Clergy themfelves in their Pretenfions :,and De-
fences. The general Rule they followed vvas,
to examine the reciprocal Demands upon the
great Maxim of the Edid, to wit, to confirm
or eftablifh things fuch as they were fettled
by the Terms of the Edidl. They kept them-
felves fo exactly within the Bjunds of that
Rule,
Boo K VII . Reformed CJmrches /« Fr an c E . 363
Rule, that they gave much uneafinefs to theHenrylV.
Reformed ; I fhall produce a fingle Inftance. p !^°^|p.
The Article of the Edidl of 1577, which that n^TntVIII
of N^ntz referred to, as to the Exercife oft
the Reformed Religion in a certain Place, was
worded in fuch a manner, that it afforded.
Matter to many Cavils •, it declared that the
Places wherein the Exercife of that Religion
WAS SETTLED on the 17th of September^
fhould enjoy for the future the Liberty thereof.
Now that ExprefTion was fettled^ being a little
equivocal, the Commifraries would fain ex-
plain it, as if that ConceiTion v/as grant-ed only
to Places wherein Divine Service had adlu-
ally been performed upon the 17th of Septem-
ber of that Year, a Dny that did fall in that
Year upon a Tuefday^ wherein it was not ufual
to keep any religious AiTembly. They would
not allow of an Exercife made on the Sunday
before : They required precifeiy this Day with-
out minding any other, which indeed was ri-
diculous ; but the King was more equitable.
I fliall not infifl upon the Parriculars of this
Affair, what I have faid is enough to give a
Notion of the Method followed bv the Com-
miffaries, which Method occafioned many Ca-
vils upon feveral Articles, efpecially upon that
concerning the Burying-places, I fhall obferve
only, P. That if the Catholicks were very
rigorous and unreafonable in many. Places, and
upon feveral accounts, the Reformed were no
lefs in fome others, and gave too much way
to their Refentment againft their old Enemies
in the Provinces where they prevailed ; this
they fhewed forth \n the choice rhey made of
the new Places of Exercile which were to be
granted them by the Edicil, for infcead of tak-
ing the moft cornmcdtous for them, (in order
to
364 Hijlory of the Reformat ion ^ and of the Vol. IV.
Henry! V. to mortify the Clergy a little) they chofe, as
p '^°°* much as they could, the neareft of the Epifcopal
luentVin ^^^^^^- Thofe of Nimes demanded to have
that new Place at the Bridge of the Holy Ghofi^
or at Villcneuve d* Avignon, which is parted
from Avignon but by the Breadth of the Rhone^
thereby to give the Pope the mortification to
fee the Religion of his Enemies exercifed at
the very Gates of a City whereof he is the
Sovereign. A /lender Satisfatlon indeed, not
much worthy the IFifdom of our Anceflors !
11°. It was impoflible for the CommifTarles,
who were to pafs Judgment in fo many Places,
and upon fo many Affairs, always to pleafe
both Parties •, therefore there were Appeals on
both fides, and the King was to decide. But
the Reformed had almoft every day the bet-
• ter in thofe Decifions, and there are but very
few Inftances wherein the Regulations of the
Commiflaries have been correfted to their pre-
judice, but on the contrary, many there are
that were redified to their advantage. From
whence it is plain, that the King's Intention
was, that the Articles of the Edidt (hould not
be eluded by rigorous Conftrudions, fmce when-
ever there was any occafion for it, his Majefty
explained them himfelf to the advantage of
the Reformed.
,601. IIP. But though the Commiffaries had been
hard at work during part of this Year and the
next, there remained yet many things to be
executed. More efpecially, the Commifiaries
had been deficient in the principal Point of their
CommifTion, to wit, to oblige all the Officers
in the Provinces to fwear to the Obfcrvation
of the Edift, which could not be done in the
Places where they had not been as yet.
Wherefore the Deputies of the Reformed be-
ing
Bo OK VII. Reformed Churches hi France. 365
ing ftili aflembled at Saumur^ and fearing left Henry VI.
that Execution ftiould remain imperfed "po'^ p^!^ °CIg.
that account, and that they fhould lofe many mentVlII
of their Rights, by the unequal manner they u.i-v-«J
would proceed in every Place -, they had a
mind to continue their Affembly, and to re-
move themfelves to Loudun. But the King
would never allow it, and he fent them Orders
to break up inftantly.
The Queen Dowager Louifa of Lorraine CXV.
Widow of Henry III. died at Moulins the 29th ^^^ ^'"^
of January, aged Forty-feven Years. That ^j^^/l"^^'^ *
Princefs, who may be coniidered as a Pattern
of Virtue in fo corrupted an Age, was Daugh-
ter to Nicolas of Vaudemont, and Margaret of
Egmont his firft Wife, Sifter to the Count of
that Name, who was beheaded by the cruel
Duke of Mva. By her great Faftings, and
other corporal Aufterities, fhe brought herfelf
into a Dropfy whereof (he died {e). .She
appointed her Brother the Duke of Mercceur,
her univerfal Heir, but he did not enjoy that
Inheritance long, for he died the next Year at
Nuremberg^ afte; having performed Wonders
in the War of the Emperor againft th^ 'Turks.
On the 9th of May loor, was held the fix- CXXir.|
teenth National Synod at Gergeau^ the Rev. Mr. ^^^ '^'-^
George Pacard, Minifter of Rochefoucaud, was s^'Z"''^ ■
chofen Moderator. They fent a Deputation
to the King, befeeching him to grant the Con-
tinuation of the A-fTem.bly at Loudioi \ but his
Majsfty was inflexible for this time. He con-
fented however that they fhould ^ifiemble again
at St. Foy, the \c^'A\Qi'iO'cloher next, for naming
the Deputies that were to refide at Court, and
prefent him the Petitions and Grievances, that
might be fent to them from the Provinces.
Few
{e) Thuanus Lib. cxxv. He gives but Forty Years to
that Princefs, which is a Miftake ; (he was bora in "15 5+.
3 66 Hiji&ry of the Reformat itm^ and of the Vo l . I V
HenrylV. Few matters of Moment were tratifafted in
*^' • this Synod, befides the Examination of fome
^„^^yjjj Books about the Re-union of the two ReJi-
V -^-w^j gions, which had been publifhed under feveral
Titles. They wrote again to Les Diguisres^
about the 17,000 Crowns which he unjuftly
detained, but they received no more Satisfac-
tion than before. They wrote alfo to Cafaubotiy
to congratulate him on his Conftancy in Reli-
gion. They forbad Minifters to be the lirfl:
Aggreflbrs in Difputes concerning Religion :
It appears that the Marquefs of Rofny had been
very negleftful in paying the Churches the
45,000 Crowns allowed by the King for their
Maintenance, feeing that there were Arrears
due unto them for each of the three Years
paft fince the Grant. It appears alfo by the
Lift drawn up in this Synod, that the Number
df Churches amounted this Year to 753, a
great many whereof had Annexes which are
not reckoned. The Synod ended their Seffions
the 25th of May (J).
CXXIII. In June, the King forbad all manner of
^he King Trade between his Subjeds and thofe of Spaifjy
foibtds ^^ account of an Affront put upon his Am-
«J/A&Spain baflador at Madrid^ and was like to revenge it
at the Point of his Sword : But the Duke of
Lermes firft Mlnifter of Spain^ who dreaded
the renewing of the War, as the Ruin of his
ewn Fortune, intreated the Pope in his Ma-
iler's Name, to mediate fome Agreement be-
tween the two Courts, promifing that his own
was ready to give all reafonahle Satisfa6lion to
the King of France •, the Pope having inter-
pofed his good Offices with Henry^ a Recon-
ciliation foon followed.
Now
{f) Aymon Synod. Nationaux Tom. I. Quick Syiiodiv
con. Tom. I.
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches ?« Fr a n c 1 1 367
Now Queen "Elizabeth was earneftly defirous HenrylV.
to fee the King, to impart unto him the p^^^^'^Y^_
Ways and Means fhe revolved in her Mind njentVIII
for the humbling of the Houfe of Aufiria \ for «— v— •-»
which purpofe ftie had propofed an Interview ^^ ^°" '"
upon Sea between Calais and Dover, Accord- ^ **^* '
ingly the King fet out for Calais by the latter end
oi Augufi^ or beginning of September, but while
he was there, he received News that very likely
the Queen his Confort was very near her time y
therefore he fet out with all diligence to be pre-
feht at her Lying-in, and fent the Marfhal of
Biron with a numerous Retinue to pay his Com-
pliment to Queen Elizabeth, and make his Ex-
cufes upon this Difappointment. The Marquefs
of Rofny, to whom the King trufted intirely for
the moil important Affairs, had preceded zV-
cognito the Duke of Biron, with Orders to
knov; her Majeily's Intentions.
The Queen was fafely delivered of a Prince rxxiv
the 27th Q^ September \ the Pope was his God-:^,>/;5 ^^
father, and gave him the Name of Lewis. Dauphin.
The King was overjoyed on this Occaiion, as
Were all true Frenchmeji, (though Mezeray ob-
ferves that this Birth was preceded by an
Earthquake, which was taken as an Omen of
the great Comnnotions which happened under his
Reign) they faw by that Birth all the Seeds of
Civil War fuppreffed, which the feveral Pre-
tenfions to the Crown might have produced,
had Henry died without a lawful Heir. But
that did not hinder the Spaniards from pre-
paring themfelves to fow Diviiions in the King-
dom ; their Emlfiaries fpread indullrioufly a
Rumour amongft the People, that the King
having promifed under his Hand to marry the
Marchionefs of Ferneuil, before he was mar-
ried with Mary of Medicisy it was a dubious
thing,.
368 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol .IV*
Henryiv thing, whether the Succeflion to the Crown
p^^°^^jg belonged to the Children of that Princefs, ra-
mentVII ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ Marchionefs's.
In order to underftand this, one muft know-
that after the Dutchefs of Beaufort^ Death,
the King, whofe Heai t was not ufed to be free,
was taken with the Charms of Henrietta Tie
Balfac, Daughter to the Lord of Entragites^
and of Mary Touchet^ formerly Miftrefs of the
late Charles IX. She was very jovial, fprightly,
witty and engaging, but exceedingly ambitious :
Her Parents defiring to improve this Oppor-
tunity for the Advancement of their Fortune,
kept her very clofe, left the King's Flame might
be extinguifhed through the Enjoyment ; their
Daughter feconded perfedly well their Defign,
for tho* fhe had received ,of his Majefty a Gift
of 100,000 Crowns ready Money, neverthe-
lefs, flie feigned that her Parents were fo fcru-
pulous, that they would not confent that fhe
fhould comply with his Defires, unlefs he would
pleafed to give her a Promife of Marriage
under his Hand, and by her conftant Refufals
and a feigned Modefty, fhe heated the King's
Paflion to that degree, that at laft he granted
the faid Promife, whereby he did bind himfelf
to marry her in a Year's time, provided that
in that time fhe fhould be deliver'd of a Son.
That Promife was dated the latter End of the
lafl Year, and occadoned much trouble, for
the Lady did all her Endeavours to make it
declared good. Now whether his Majefly's
Miaiflers were afraid lefl their Mafler would
be as good as his Word, or for fome other.
Reafon, Cillery aad D'OJfat haftened as much
as they could the Couclufion of the Match
with Mary of Medicis^ and the King found
himfelf bound with her, aimofl unaware.
It
Book VII. Reformed Churches /;z Fr a n c e . 3 6 ^h
It cannot be conceived what trouble Henrietta^ Henry IV»
who had been created Marchionefs of Verncuil p ' °' j ^
a little after her Confent, was at, when ihementVIli
received the News ; fhe faw herfelf fallen from'— -v— ^
the great hopes fhe had of wearing a Crown,
neverthelefs fhe diffembled : but the Count of
Awoergne her Uterine Brother, as much out of
the Wickednefs of his own Temper, as out of
Refentment, refolved to be revenged upon the
King ; he joined himfelf with the Malecon-
tents, and altogether platted to (hut up the
King in a Prifon, to deprive him of his Crown,'
and to bellow it upon another Prince of the
Blood. Plis Majefty had fome hint of this
Plot during his Expedition in Savoyy which
made him agree to a Peace fooner than very
likely he would have done. The Count howevef
continued his Intrigues, and this Plot being
difcovered, he leagued himfelf with the Mar-
fhal Duke of Biran, and fume others, and
kept fecret Correfpondenees with Spain^ jyid
other Enerriies of. the State.
Such was the Situation of Affairs when two.
Dauphin was born,- the Spttnifio Faction, who
miffed no Opportunity of fowing Divifion in
the State, took this for railing Scruples in the.
Peoples Minds, concerning the Lawfulnefs of
the King's Marriage with Mary of Medici s •
There were fome Spanijh^ Gafuifcs who quefri-
oned whether the Difpenfatioh had been truly
obtained. Some Preachers in the Lew Coun-
tries were bold enough to affert the Nega-
tive iff their Sermons •, and at divers times Li-
bels were difperfcd in publick about that
matter.
The Deputies of the Reformed met to£re<rher 9'FP'!' ,'
at iit. toy, on the 15th ot Uacber^ as the King ^-'^^■^/,.^/
had promifed them; their chief Bufmefs- wasSc Foy.
Vol. IV, Bb to
370 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. to name fome Deputies to refide at Court, and
' ^° ' • take care of the Affairs of the Churches •, but
rafntVIII^^^y ^^^ ^°^ ^°P ^^^^> f°^ th^y took into their
Confideration feveral things which concerned
the Welfare of the whole Body in general, and
of each individual Part thereof in particular,,
and drew up a Petition to be prefented to the
King.
Two Months or thereabout before this Af-
fembly, his Majefty had favourably received
a Bill of Grievances tendered unto him by the
late Affembly. They complained that in Dau-
■phine the Reformed were obliged to pay Land-
Taxes for their Churches and theirChurch-yards v
that in feveral Places their Poor were depriv'd of
publick Alms, and that their Sick were forcibly-
fent out of the Hofpitals ; that at Bourdeaux and
Saintes, the MagiPcrates attempted to feize upon
the Money that was gathered for the Poor at
their Church-Doors ; that at Rousn they refufed
to receive the Petitions prefented in Parliament,
in the name of a Church or of a Corporation,
or Commonalty reformed, on account of their
Religion ; that at Orleans and elfewhere, they
obliged the civil Officers at their AdmifTion in-
to their Office, to take an Oath to live in the Ro^
man Religion •, that at Gergeau-^ the King's At-
torney haddepofed his Subftitute, only on ac-
count of his Religion •, that at Lyons, tht.
Knight of the Watch had got it into hisJ
Head to accompany their Funerals, for which
lie extorted extravagant Fees from them ; and
that the Keepers of the Hofpital of the Bridge
upon the Rhone, diflurbed their Funerals as-
much as they could. The King had been gra-
cioufly pleafed to grant them, upon all thefe.
Articles, v/hatever they could reafonably exped:.
He; granted like wife, that the Churches of the
Cpuntrv/
Book VII. Refonned Churches /« Fr an c e . 371
Country of Gex^ fhould be preferred in theHenrylV^*
fame State they were in at the Union of thatp'^^^^,',^^
Country to the Crown ; and that the Reformed mentVIII
fhould trade in all the Dominions of the DukeWrN--- ^
of Savoy ^ without being molefted for their Re-
ligion, according to the 53d of the private
Articles of the Edid: of Nantz.
The Afiembly of St. Foy having congratu-
lated the King on the Peace lately made with
the Duke of Savoy, and on the Birth of the
Dauphin, required the Redintegration of the
laft Edi6l of Nantz, fuch as it had been agreed
and granted at firft in this City; they pretended
that the King had promifed them fuch a Re-
dintegration as foon as the Affairs of the King-
dom could permit it. Then they infifted that
thofe Parliaments which had verified the Edidl,
but under certain Reftriftions and Modifica-
tionSj fhould be obliged to make them void 5
that certain Exemptions fhould be granted ta
the Colleges which the Reformed fhould
found j and other Articles concerning the
Chambers of the Edid:.
This firft Petition was followed by another %
and whereas the Affembly had been informed
that the Court denied abfolutely the firfl: ilr-
ticle of the former, they thought proper to
infift again upon the thing icfelf, and to lay
afide the Name ; therefore they required that
the Edi(5l fhould be executed throughout the
Vv'hole Kingdom, fuch as it had been verified
at Paris, whereby they referved to themfelves
the hopes of reiloring one time or other,
the Breaches which the King's Council had
made unto it, and feemed to accept of it only
by Provifion. Many other A; licles were added
concerning the Manner hcv/ the Edid ought
to be executed ; th.e Privileges- of their Chani-
B b 2 bers.
372 Hijlory of the Ref ormation^ and of the\ 01.. V^ ,
HenrylV.bers, and of the Prefidents and Counfellors Re-
P c:ie ^°^^^^ Members thereof: For the Catholicks
mentVIII Pretended that thefeChambers, either of theEdidt
or mixt, ought to be under the Jurifdi6lion of
the Parliaments, and under their Dependance ;
and that the Catholick Prefidents or Courifel-'
lors ought to have the Precedency before the
Reformed, though their . Reception was of a
newer Date than thefe ; whereto the Reformed
could not comply at all, the Firft, as contrary
to the Edidt ; and the Second, as contrary to
Right Reafon. They required alfb fome other
Privileges for thefe Chambers ; and above all,
to find out fome means to preferve the Re-
formed from the Rigour of the Parliaments of
I'houloiife^ Bourdeaiix and Grenoble, from whom
they could expedt no Juftice. As to the Af-
fairs, the Cognizance whereof was taken from
the Chambers of the Edift, they required fe-
veral other like Regulations for the Provinces,
for the Offices, and for the cautionary Townsr
that were in their hands, l^c.
The firft Petition was anfwered only iri
Ma7'ch 1602 J the Court denied ever to have
made any fuch Promife of redintegrating the
Edi6t, fuch as it was when figned at firft at
Nantz, and confequently refufed to make any
alteration : but as to the other Articles, the
King gave them what Satisfa6tion they demand-
ed. The fecond Petition remained a long^
while in the hands of the Council, at laft they
■were varioufly anfwered in the Month of Au-
guji 1 602 : Some of the Articles were purely
and fimply granted, others extended and am-
plify'd, others partly granted and partly re-
fufed, and others abfolutely refufed. There
were many on which the Council took time
to confuit the King's learned Council, for re-
viving.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 373
S)lving after their Advice : fome others where- KenryPv''.
. upon the King ordered the concerned Parties pj^ Qg_
fhould fue before him by way of Petitions : fomementVHI
others whereupon he defrred to fee the Decrees, '
and Ad;s mentioned in them : fome others the
full Cognizance whereof he referved to him-
felf, to ordain what he fhould think proper.
But in general, all the Anfwers were temper-
ed with fuch a Spirit of Goodnefs and Equity,
that plainly difcovered what were the King's
i^cret Intentions, and that he willed without
any Difguife or Equivocation, that his Edi6l
fhould be obferved, and that the Difficulties
that arofe upon the Execution thereof fhould
be favourably explained. Which Intention he
was pleafed to fhew forth by the Orders he
fent.to the Parliaments, Governors and other.
Magiflrates in the Provinces, in behalf of his
Reformed Subjeds : and indeed during the
remaining part of his Reign, he gave fufficient
proofs that he loved them fincerely.
Therefore I cannot join in opinion with the
learned Hiilorian of the Edid of Nantz^ who
acknowdedging thefe the King's goodlntentions
and Will in behalf of the Reformed, never-
thelefi afcribes to him fonie far- fetched politi-'
c:il View in the Settlement of the Deputies that
Vv'ere to refide near his Perfon, and take care
of the Affairs of the Reformed Churches, and
which took place only fome twenty or twenty-
five Years after, as if the King had had a mind
to fupprefs intirely thefe political AfTemblies.
True it "is, that his Majefty's Intention was to.
render them lefs frequent. The Reafon there-
of, befides that which is common to all Princes,
who are not well pleafed to fee their Condudt
and Government controll'd by their Subjeds,
reprefen ted in the States by their Deputies,
B b 3 ffor
374 JJ¥^0' ^f^^^^ Refer mafion, and of the Vol . IV.
HenrylV. (for tliefe political AiTemblies are to be con-
^^^1,- iider'd as the States of the Reformed) befides
xnTntVIIl ^hat, I fay, Sufpici )ns and Jealoulies were at
this time very rife in the Kingdom ; the Re-
formed were told by the King's Enemies that
a Plot was laid againft them for their utter
Deftruftion : On the other hand, the King was
given to underftand, that fome of the greateft
Lords in the Reformed Party did their Endea-
vours to raife Sufpicions and Jealoufies in the
Minds of their Party, and to foment Difcon-
tents amongft them, which might prove of
bad Confequence, if not prevented in time.
The Relu6lancy which the Aflembly at Loudun
had fhewn for breaking up when the King or-
der'd them, colour'd thofe falfe Reports. Thefe
Miftrufts and Jealoufies occafioned this new
Settlement of Deputies to refide at Court. At
iirft they wer6 nominated by the Reformed
themfelves, but a few Years after, the King
ordered that they (hould name fix Perfons, out
of which he fliculd pick two. Their time
of Service v/as to be one Year, but his Ma-
jefty obtain'd within a little time that thelrCom-
miflion fhould lafl for three Years : their Sa-
lary was to be paid out of the King's Purfe,
but at the Synod of Gap, they refolved that if
tjie Deputies did not receive the whole Pay-
ment of the Salary promifed by the Court, that
Deficieiicy fhould be made good out of the
Sums granted by the King for the Subfiftance
of the Churches, and for the keeping of the
Garifons : and this they enaded on purpofe to
tye the better thefe Deputies to the Intereft of
the Churches. But all thefe Regulations were
quite altered under Lcjjis XIII. and XIV. as
we fliall obferve in its proper place. ' The firfE
that held that OfHcc, were the Lord of 6"/.
G&-
Book VII/ Reformed Churches //7 Fr an c e ^ 375
■Germain^ and Vix.Des hordes •, they were named HenrylV^-
by the AfTembly at St. Foy for a Year, but^J^^^^j^^
were continued by the Synod of Gap ; the Firft mentVIII
was taken out of the Nobihty, the Second out v— ^^^-ij
of the Commons -, they had a mind to fubjoin
another out of the Body of the Minifiers, but
the Court did net agree to that.
Henry of Chatillon^ Grand-fon to the Ad- CXXVL
miral of Coligny, was killed in the Month of^l.f,}'^
September-, with a Cannon-fhot, ^t OJtend, ^^- Ca^itiWoxCs
fieged by Arch-duke Albert. That young Lord Death and
was very promifing, he was naturally inclined to Character,
War, and was endowed with all the Parts and
'Qualifications which conilitute a Hero ; efpeci-
ally he was extremely well beloved by the Sol-
diery. It is faid that he had fuch an Intereft
in the Army of the States^ that Prince Maurice
ofNaJfaw lookM on him with an Eyeof Jealoufy.
His Intcreft was not lefs amongft the Re-
formed in France^ who defcried in him the like
Virtues as in his Father and his Grandfather.
He fpoke always of their Adions, and afpired
to the Glory of being their Imitator : he wifhed
ardently to be like his Grandfather, at the Head
of the Reformed, and to give a Battle for their
Caufe. His Death was much lamented in
France and Holland (g.)
Bat there were very dangerous Motions in the 1602.
State, which were ftirred up by foreign Intrigues. CXX\ jr.
The Court was full of Malecontents, and en- ^^'?''"'"^
gaged therein under divers Pretencts. £^ro7i, f'l,'/'j^-;,„l
a Man of a prefumptuous Spirit, and without ^ow.
judgment, was fo deeply involved in them,
that it coIl him his Life. But whereas it was
believ'd, that the King was yet ftrong enough
to quafh this Confpiracy, as long as he had the
Reformed on his fide, nothing was left undone
B b 4 to
(^) Thuan. Lib. cxxvi. Mem. de Sully, Tom. IT. ch.^
576 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
lienrylV. tp engage them in that dangerous Party. From
Pojfcie- ^^^ beginning of hft Year, they had receiv'dAd-
mentVIII vice, as above faid, as by way of Friendfhip,that
the Peace of the State was the way to their Ruin -,
that a powerful League had been concluded
.jagainft them, while they were negociating the
Peace of Savoy -, that the Scheme for a kind of
Croifado againft' them had been drawn up »
that the Catholick Princes had fworn it by their
Deputies, upon the Sacrament adminiftred to
them by the Legate ; that each of them was
afiefled to a certain Sum, and a certain number
of Soldiers •, that this League was to laft till
the Proteftant Religion fhould be utterly de-
ftroyed ; that tliere were two Originals of this
Treaty figned by the Po^e^ the King of Spain,
and the Duke of Savoy i that the faid Duke
had one of them by himfelf, which he oirer'd
to put into the hands of the Reforrned. They
were then offered, if they would enter
into an Aflbciation with the faid Duke, and
the Malecontent Catholicks of the Kingdom,
to be put in pofTeffion of all the Weflern Part
of France parted by the Loire \ then what they
ihould or could conquer in Daupbine by their
own Forces, provided that they ihould not pafs
thefe Limits, and that they fhould leave the Ca-
tholicks free to do what they pleas'd with the
other part of the Kingdom ; they were to have
the Government of two of the moft important
Cities in the Diftrift of the Catholicks, and be-
sides that 200,600 Crowns for their Arm;ament,
and the like Sum yearly for difcharging the
Expences of the War, as long as it fhould laft.
No Peace or Agreement ihould be treated or
concluded without their Confent ; for Security
thereof, the Cities of Lyons and Dijon ihould
l>s immediately deliver'd into their hands.
•' • ■■ ■ ' ' Thtfe
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches m France^ 377
Thefe Propofitions had been fent to the DakeHenrylV.
o^ Bouillon, by a Perfon unknown ; whereupon, „ °pj
though he was fenfible enough of the Ridicu- mentVIII
loufnefs of thefe Propofitions, and that they i— -v— '
were but a Device to caft the Kingdom into
new Troubles, "v^hereof its ancient and irrecon-
cilable Enemies were to n^ke their Profit ;
neverthelefs, becaufe the whole Body of the
Reformed were concerned in them, he thought
proper to communicatee them to fome of the
Chief, in a certain number great enough for
giving notice thereof to the whole Body, if
there was any neceffity, and neverthelefs little
enough that the Secret might be kept the bet-
ter : they were nine in all, who having heard
the Propofals, and confidered fome Letters of
fome Prefidents in the Parliament of Paris^
voted all unanimoufly, that they ought to let
thofe wicked Difturbers of the publick Peace
vent out their PafHons, which would redound
to their own Shame without being Partakers
therein ; and in the mean v/hile, to take proper
meafures for avoiding either the Blame of Indi-
fcretion, or the Crime of High Treafon [h).
The Rev. Mr. Bmoit pretends, that that
Advice of a League fworn againfl the Reformed,
was confirmed by another given to the Marfhal
Duke of Bouillon, by one Brochard Baronius,
who called himfelf Nephew of the Cardinal of
that Name, and who pretended to be fent by
the Pope to the Catholick Princes, to make
them fign that Scheme of a new Croifade ; and
that having not been rewarded as he expedled,
he went into Germany and Holland, where he
made the fame Difcoveries as he did to the
, Duke
(/') D'Aubigne Tom. III. Liv. 5. ch. 13. Bat he don't
name the Duke of Bouillon ; I do name him by Conjec-
ture, grounded upon the Misfortuue that befel him about
this 1 ime, only for not having revealed what he knew.
37 S Hiflory of the ReforjJiation^and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Duke of Bouillon. But whereas the faid Hifto-
p^^°^lg^rian, according to his Cuftom, quotes no Au-
mencVIII thority for what he fays, and that I have found
•nothing in the Hiftorians or Memoirs, i^c. of
thofe days, that I know of, which could afford
me the leaft Light upon that Subjed ; I don't
think proper to aflert the truth of fuch a thing,
which has happened, if ever, above 90 Years
before Mr. Benoit wrote that Tranfadion (/).
The truth is, that there v/as a great ferment
kept up by the falfe Rumours which the Ene-
mies of the State caufed this Year to refound
to the People's Ears, vix. that the King was
going to retrench twoThirds of theirAIIowances ;
that they fhould receive no longer any private
Penfion of him, that he would not prolong the
Term for the keeping of their cautionary
Towns; that they would be admitted no longer
into any Employment without their turning
CathoJicks. Thefe Calumnies induftrioufly
fpread abroad by the Fadious, wereofaCon-
fequence fo much the more dangerous, that
People in the Provinces were in a great Fer-
mentj on account of a Tax of a Penny per
Livre, which they were obliged to pay fince
the Year 1 596. Neverthelefs, very few amongft
t\\^ Reformed were moved at the falfe Reports
above mentioned, and none ftirred out upon
that account.
The Tax of a Penny pr Livre granted to
the King, by the Notables of the whole King*
dom, alTembled at Rouen in 1596, upon the
Eftates, Monies, Goods, Merchandife of all
his Subjects, for fupporting the necefTary Char-
ges of the War againft the Spaniardsy who had
then feized upon Amkns^ was very burthen-
fome and grievous upon the Subjed : for in
every
(/) Benoit Mill, de L'Edia de Nantes, Tom. I. Liv. 8-
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fra^^ce. 379
every City, the Merchants were fearched, andHenrylV.
the Goods and Merchandife were unpack'd -, „ ^^°?^j
every one was obliged to fhow what he carried, mentVIII
either in his Pockets or otherwife, fo that there t^,,,^— ^
was no Liberty left in the Kingdom, either for
Merchants or Travellers. Befides that, that
Tax was exorbitant : for there are fuch Goods as
were fold ten or twelve times from one to ano-
ther, and fo it happened, fometimes, that their
Value was fcarce fufficient to pay that Tax,
becaufe, every time they were fold, they were
obliged to pay a Penny per Livre. Moreover
they were at a great Charge to raife it, for a
great Number of Clerks were employed for that
purpofe, who, endeavouring to raife their For-
tune, and to live as luxuriouQy as their Mafters,
expofed the Merchants to many Vexations, for
which they could obtain no Redrefs.
Their Patience being quite tired out, theyCXXVIII
attempted to do themfelves juftice, efpecially ^'^^ ^''^^
in the Southern Provinces. The King having IJ^^^^jf^^ °*'
Notice of thefe Commotions, was afraid hik pea/e t(;e»f,
. they fhould be excited by the Emiflaries of the
Duke of Biron and the Count of Auvergne,
whofe Plot his Majefty had but juft now difco-
vered ; therefore, a little after Eafier, he. fet
out from FontainelJeau and came to BloiSy and
from thence to Poitiers^ where he moft gra-
cioufly and favourably received the Petitions,
and hearkened unto the Complaints of his Peo-
ple: He remonftrated to the Deputies o^Guienne^
' That the Taxes which were laid upon his
' Subjedls were not employed to enrich his Mi-
* nifters and Favourites, as his Predece/Tois had
' done,butto fupporttheneceilary Charges of the
' Government ; that had his own Demefn been
' fufficient for that purpofe, he would never
* have taken any thing from his People, but
' having
2^o Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.IV.
HenrylV. ' having been obliged to lay out his own Pa-
P^f ae- ' ^^^"^o^y "P°" th^t account, it was but juft
raentvni ' ^hat they fhould contribute of their ov/n for
Cirrvr—^ ' their own Defence and Prefervation •, that he
' earneftly defired to relieve and eafe his Peo-
* pie, that they might earneftly pray for the
' Profperity of his Reign ; that the Sufpicions
' and Jealoufies they had conceived, as if he
* had a mind to build Citadels in their Cities,
. * were ill grounded, and the Effecfls only of the
' Malice of the Enemies of the State ; that
' he defired to build no other Citadels but in the
' very Hearts of his Subjeds (f)^
By thefe kind Remonftrances he put an end
to the Seditions, and there was no need of any
other Punilhment, only the Confuls of Limoges
were depofed, and. two or three were executed,
and the Pancart was fettled again , ffo they
called the Tax of a Penny per Livre) but it
was only to preferve the Royal Authority -, for
» that good and great Prince, fenfible of the great
Vexations caufed by it, revoked it and abolifhed
It intirely, a few Weeks after (/).
CXXIX. But there was another thing which much
MarjbalofYtQvp\txtd the King, to wit, Biron'^s Confpi-
p/'**"^^/- ^^Y- That Lord, who certainly was one of
•c'/rV th^ greateft Captains of his time, to whom the
King and the Kingdom flood much indebted
for the many faithful and important Services he
had done to the Crown and his Country, was
exceedingly felf-conceited and proud, thinking
that it was not in the King's power to rev/ard
fufficiently his Services, whatever Dignities,
Honours, Employments, Riches he could heap
upon him •, bcfides which, he was exceedingly
paflionate,
{}i) Mcmoires de Siilly, Tcm II. chap, i o. Mezerai,
Partlll. Tom. V!. Perefixe Hilt, de H.nry IV. p. 357.
Edit. d'Amii. 166^. [!] Id. Ibid. Thuan. Lib, iz-',
ad Init-
Book: VII. Reformed Churches in France. ^ 381
paffionate, and when in a paffion, he fparedHenrylVJ
Nobody, not even Majefty itfelf, but vented ^ ' Qe-
out, iri a Braggadocio's way, whatever he had mentVILI .
in h:s Thoughts. Now the Duke o^ Savoy be-
ino" come to Court, as above faid, lefs for treating
with his Majefty upon reafonable Terms for the
Marquifate of Saluces, than to pervert fome of
the greateft Lords and debauch tjiem from their
Allegiance ; accordingly, as he faw that he
could not impofe upon the King to obtain his
Ends ty his Cunning and Artifice, he under-
took to fow Jealoufies amongft the Courtiers,
and to increafe the Difcontents of thofe who
thought themfelves ill rewarded for their pad Ser-
vices -, on which account he obferved all the dii-
obliging Words which the King let drop, againfi;
the one or the other, and cauf;;d them to be re*
ported to the Per fon concerned : for thatpurpofe,
he made ufe of James Dc La Fin^ a Lord of a .
very noble ExtrafHon, Uncle to P regent De La
Fin^ Vidame of Chartres^ but the bafeft and
wickedeft of all the Villains cf his Time, for
which Reafon he durft not fhow his Face, publick-
ly, at Court -, he was intimate with the Marfhal
Dukeof5/r^;z,and had already began aConefpon-
dence between that Lord and the Duke of Savoy.
This Prince being thoroughly acquainted with
the Marflial's Charader and Temper, affedted
upon all Occafions to fpeak with the greateft
Encomiums of his great Feats and Merits -, he
extolled to the Skies, when he was with his
Majefty, the Courage, Fortitude, M.igiiani-
mity, Prefence of Mind, and other gr^at Parts
of Biron^ m the Command of the Armies. One
day, as he was upon that Subjed, the King
told him, that many there were who judged
wrong of his own Affairs •, that he had much
more trouble in fttt'.ing Peace and Concord
amonnl^
382 Hifiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol .IV.
HenrylV.amongft his own Subjeds, thanin fubduinghls
»6o2. Enemies ; that very often he had received more
jnentVIII Harm and Damage from his own, than from
I his open Enemies, and that through the rough
and untradlable Spirit of the Marlhal of Birony
and of the Duke his Son. This he fpoke with
fome Sharpnefs and Paffion j which Words
were curioufly collefted by the Duke of Savoy ^
and by him inftantly reported to Biron^ by the
means of La Fin, who failed not to magnify the
Gbjedl both as to the Words themfelves, and
as to the Manner they had been fpoken. The
Marfhal, who was exceedingly violent in his
Paflions, fell into a rage at the hearing of this,
and faid, that had he been prefent when thefe
Words had been fpoken, he would have filled
up with Blood the place where they were
fpoken, even at the peril of his own (m). He
field a Conference with the Duke of Savoy, at
Confians near Paris, and began a Treaty with
him, carried on afterwards by La Fin : before
and during the Expedition of Savoy, he con-
tinued the fame Correfpondence with the faid
Duke, and the Count of Fuentes, the Spanijh
Governor of Milan. But the King being come
to Lyons, there to meet the Queen his Confort
juft then arriv'd from Italy, he follow'd thither .
his Majefty„ and made him freely a thorough
Confeflion of his Crimes and Mifdemeanours,
for which his Majefty granted him his moft
gracious Pardon, upon promife that for the
future he fhould behave himfelf as it became
a loyal and faithful Subjed («). It is faid that
after this Conference, he met with the Duke
of Efpernon, to whom he told what he had de-
clared
. {m) Thuanus Lib. cxxiii. p. 888, 889.
{n) Id. Ibid. But as to thisi?/?Ws Confeflion, fee Peter
Mathiew's Hill, of Henry IV, Tom. II. Liv. v. Series
Hift.' de France^ Tom. II.
Book VII. "Refonned Churches In Trance. 383
clared to his Majefty, and the free Pardon heHenrylV.
had obtained-, whereupon the Duke asked him „ ^ ^l'
whether he had obtained an Ad: of AboHtion ?niaitVIII
To which the Marlhal anfwer'd, that the Duke'
of Biron ought not to be treated as other Sub-
je6ls of the common fort, and that the King's
Word was fufficient for him {0).
Biron perfevered not long in thefe good Dif-
pofitions of Loyalty to his King •, a httle after
he wrote to La Fin, who was then at Milan ;
and being come back to Bourg m Breffm, he
fent De Bofco to forward the Negociation which
was continued at Some, between the Duke of
Savoy, Fuentes and La Fin. But this Man be-
ing fufpedted by the Count, and the Duke of
Biron, and underftandlng that Baron De Lux
was got into the Confidence of Biron, he re-
folv'd to be reveng'd, and to make, for that
purpofe, a full Difcovery of all the Intrigues,
Plots, and Confpiracies, wherein the faid Mar-
fhal was engaged, and whereof he himfelf had
ht^w the Author and Abettor. For that end he {tt
out fromM/7^«, and fufpe<5ling fomething froni
the Count q{ Fuentes or the Duke of ^^i;^^, he
took his way thro' the Grifons, Baftl, Forentru
a,nd Be/an f on, and avoided by that means the Fate
of his Secretaryi^^^^z/, who coming thro' Savoy^
was arrefted Prifoner by the Duke's Orders.
La Fin being arrived in France, follicited his
Pardon, by the means of his Nephew the Vi-
dame of Cbarires, promifing to reveal the
whole My fiery to his Majetiy •, which Pardon
being granted in due form, he fent word to
the Marfhal, that he could not delay any longer
his going to Court, being fummoned by the
King, and that he defired him to let him know
what he fhould fay to his Mi^efty concerning
their
[c) Pierre .Alathiew, ibid.
384 HiJioryoffheReformathn^andoftlje Vol. IV.
HenrylV. their paft Tranfadtions. Biron anfwsred, that
P l^°c\ ^^ defired hint to difpatch out of the way all
mentVIlI thofe who had been Accomplices with him in
' his Negociations in Italy^ to put all his Papers
in a* Place of Safety, if he had not burnt them
already, and to remember that he had in
his power his Life, his Fortune, his Honour
and his All. All this while the faid Marfhal
continued his Pradlices in Spain and Savoy :
Spurred by his own Ambition, he negledled no-
thing that was in his power to compafs his
Endsi he had been promifed to haVe for his
Share the Sovereignty of Burgundy and Brejfia^
to marry the third Daughter of the Duke of
Savoy, with 500,000 Crowns Portion, and
fuch other like Advantages. Spain and Savoy
made great Armaments by Sea and Land under
very frivolous Pretences, but really for falling
upon Provence, Dauphin e, &c. The Misfor-
tune of the Kingdom was very near to be com-
pleated, had not La Fin revealed the Secret
time enough to prevent it.
He came to Fontainbleau, had feveral Con-
ferences with the King and his chief Minifters^
opened the whole Plot, charged feveral Lords
of the firft Rank with being privy or acceflary
to this Confpiracy, and delivered to the Chan-
. cellor feveral Letters of the Marfhal of Biron^
and other Papers, efpecially a long Memoir
containing the Particulars of the faid Plot, and
the Ways and Means of executing it, written
with Biron^s own hand. All this Difcovery
was kept very fecret. Though the King was
touch'd to the quick with it, neverthelefs he
diflembled fo far, that he told Baron De Lux,
who was come to Court upon fome private
Bufinefs, that he was very well pleafed with
the Account La Fin had given him of the
Marfhal
Book VIL Reformed Churches in Vra^ en* 38^
^arfhal of Biron*s Condudl, whereby he was Henryiv,
fully fatisfied as to certain Defigns that were „ J ^V
laid to his charge, and that he defired him tOmentViir
perfift in his Loyalty. On the other hand» v— -<^«^i
La Fin wrote to the Marfhal, to certify him
that he Had faid nothing which might do any
Prejudice to him, or create unto him the leaft
Uiieafinefs. Such ways Were then neceflar'y
not to fcare the Marfhal, and to engage hiiti
to cotiie td Court, as the King delired him.
That was the difficult Point •, for being con-
fcious of his own Guilt, and receiving frequeht
Intelligences froni Court whicH difluaded hihi
to comply, he was ^/ery averfe from that Jour-
ney, and refufed upon feveral frivolous Pre-
tences to yield to the King's Command, 'till
Prcfident Janin was fent unto him, who at
laft prevailed upon him to come to Court.
The Orders which the King had fent to the
Governors of the Southern Provinces to be
upon their Guard, to watch the Motions of the
Spaniards, and to put themfelves in a State of
Defence ; the good Succefs his Majefty had'
been attended with in his Journey in Poitou, *
and other Provinces of the Orledneje •, the Re-
folution he knew the King was in, to come him-
felf to fetch him out of his Government, if he
perfifted in his Difobedience •, and the proud
arid extravagant Conceit he had of himfelf, jult
as if the Kingdom could not fubfifl without
him, fo that no body could be fo daring as to at-
tack him •, were, conjointly withy<3;^?/2*s Infinua-
tions and line Pronfiifes, the chief things which
at laft overcame his great Reludlancy.
He fet out from Dijon by the beginning ofHecof^eJ
JuiiCi and arrived at Fontainbleait on the 13th,''' ^^'*^f'
when he was little expelled. When he had paid
his Refpeiis to the Kins, his Majefty took him
Vol. IV. ^a Q aGda
386 Htjlory of the Reformation, andoftheVoL.W,
Henry IV. afide in the Gardens, and exhorted him to a thorow
PtC\ ^"^ genuine Confeflion of what he had plotted
nientVIII^g^'^^^ him and the Kingdom, whereof, he faid,
Ui^-v— ^he was already thoroughly informed, but he
defired to have an Account of it out of his own
Mouth, promifing him that the matter fhould
not proceed any further, and that he would
forgive hkii, if he would now but deal fin-
cerely with him. But Biron was too haughty
to humble himfelf, and too hardened to be
mollified by fuch a kind Invitation : he told
his Majefty, that he was not come to juftify
himfelf, but to require Juftice agaiuft his
Accufers, or to have Liberty of doing it him-
felf; and feveral other RodomcniadoSy m.ore be-
coming a Knight Errant than a Man of his
Character, and under his Circumftances,
His Majefty held an extraordinary Council,
and defired the Opinion of the Judges, whether
tbe Charges and the Evidences againft the Mar-
shal Duke, were full enough to have him con-
demned ; he was anfwered unanimoudy in the
Affirmative. Neverthelefs he felt fuch a Re-
ludlancy, to bring to his utter Ruin a Man
■whom he had fo much loved, and who had
fo well deferved of the Kingdom and of him-
. felf, that he refolved to try again whether he
could bring him to an Acknowledgement of his
Fault, and to a Senfe of his Duty : but tho*
he intreated him two or three times more, tho*
he fent unto him the Count of Sojjfons upon
the fame account; far from prevailing, Biron
grew more and m.ore fancy and fierce, the lafl
time more than he had been the firft.
He is ar- At which his Majefiy being juftly provoked,
rejled. gave Orders to Vitry^ Captain of his Guards,
to arreft him, which however was not executed
without having on?e again tryej to bring him
to
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Fr a n c e . '^%y
to own his Crimes, but in vain, fo that he was KenrylV,
arrefted iti the Palace at Fontainhkau ; and at „ ^^°^-
the fame time the Count of Airjcrgne was like- mentVlII
wife arrefted in the fame Palace by Prajlin. < — y— aJ
The next day, which was the r5th of June^
they were both carried by water to the Bajlile.
Three days after, Biron's Brothers, and fcveral
others of his Relations, came to the King to
implore his Pv/fercy in the Prifoner's behalf ;
but his Majefty was inflexible, only he granted
them full liberty to vindicate his Innocence, if
they could, by all lawful Means.
The King named four Commifiaries to draw He is ex;-
tip the Charge again ft the Prifoner,^72;. Nicholas '"'■'"^-'^^'^'^
Du Harlay, Firft Prefident of the Parliament of ''"-^''^•
Paris, Nicholas Potter^ Second Preiident, Ste-
■phen de Fleiiry, and Philihert de Thurin^ Coun-
iellors in the fame. They went to thzBafiile^
and interrogated the IVlarihal ; he was in fuch a
Pafiion, that his Anfwers betrayed his Guilt,
and made more againft him than for him. Then
being aaked what Character he could give of
La Fin^ he gjlve him one of the beft, adding^
that he took him for his Friend ; but when lie
faw him before his face afterting; the Truth of
whatever he had depofed, decyphering fomei
new Letters, giving new Lights upon the vvhole
Affair, he quite altered his Language : La Fi'a
was then no better than a Sodomite^ a Conjurer^
and the v.?orft of all Mankind ; and added, that
was Renazd alive and prefent, he would give
him the Lye. That Man was La Fin's Secre-
tary, who, as above faid, had been arrefted ir»
Savoy, by the Duke of that Country's Orders,
and Eiron thought that he had been put to
death by this time i but haw great was his fur-
prife, v/hen that very fame IVIan was brought
before his Face, who confirmed whatever his
C c 2" Mafter
388 Hiftory of the Reformathn^ and of the Vol . IV.
Henry VI .Mafter La Fin had depofed*? (for having bribed
1602. his Guards, he made his Efcape with them,
metttVIII^"^ was arrived incognito at Paris one day be-
/forej. He was quite confounded at that fight,
and imagined that Hell had confpired his Ruin 5
at leaft, that the Courts of Spain and Savoy de-
fired no better than to be rid of him.
All the Informations being taken, and his
Caufc being drawn up in form, he was brought
to the Parliament in order to be tryed ; the
Peers of the Realm had declined to affift at
that melancholy Ceremony. The Chancellor
had reduced the whole Charge to thefc five
chief Articles.
P. To have conferred with one Picotc of
Orleans^ a violent Leaguer, who was a Fugitive
in Flanders^ for contriving a Correfpondence
"with the Arch- Duke, and to have given him
150 Crowns, for two Voyages he had made to
France for that purpofe.
11°. To have treated with the Duke oi Savoy ^
three Days after that Prince was arrived at
Paris, without the King's Licence, and to have
offered unto him ail Afiiftance and Service for
and againft every one, in certain Afllirance of
marrying his third Daughter.
111°. To have fent notice by Renaze, writ-
ten with his own hand to the Governor of St,
Catherine^ s-Fort ; that he would bring his Ma-
jefty before the faid Fort, upon fuch a dny and
fuch a time, that he would give him fuch a
Sign, and let him know what Coat he ftiould
wear, and what Horfc he fhould ride that Day,
to avoid any Miftake ; and that he might aim
at the King, and kill him, either by firing the
Cannon or bv fome Ambufli.
-IV°. To
Bo o Ic VII. Reformed Churches / « Fr a n c e ^ 389
IV?. To have difpatched oftentimes La jp/«HenryIV-
to treat with the Duke of Savoy and the Count p^'^^A
of Fuentes, againft the King*s Service. mentVlII
V^. To have held fecret Intelligence with'
the Duke of Savoy, in the taking of Bourg
and other Places, advif.ng him to fall upon the
King's Army, and even upon his Royal Per-
fon unawares, and to have given him feveral
other important Advices.
The three firft and the lafl of thefe Articles
contained nothing elfe but what Biro?i had
tranfaded before and during, the King's Expcr
dition in Savcy, v/hich confequently could not
be laid juftly to his charge, feeing that his
Majefty had granted him his mod gracious
Pardon at Lyons, for whatever was paft, had
not Biron perfifted in his wicked Courfe i but
his Obftinacy rendered him unworthy of any
P'avour, and obliged the King to revoke by
his Letters under the Great Seal, the free Par-
don he had granted him at Lyons about eighteeii
Months before.
The Marfhal fpoke much better to the pur-
pofe upon tl^e Stool in the Parliament, than he
had done before his Commiflaries in the Bajiile j
he pleaded the King's former Pardon, he re-
prefented his paft Services to the Crown and
the Kingdom, and afcribing whatever was
amifs in his Behaviour to the Violence of his
Temper, he pretended that having never been
beyond the Intention, Words or Writings ought
not to be puniftied after the Severity of the
Law, but rather to be ballanced with his
Aftions, and thofe great Feats whereby he had
faved the State from utter Ruin. His Speech
was fo^moving, that his Judges could not re-
frain from Tears j but his Crime was fo well
C c 3 proved 3
3 9 o Hifbi^y of the Reformat kit y and of the V o l . I V .
FienrylV. proved, either by his own Confefllon or by his
Po'e'o.e:- °^" Writings, or by the Depofirions of the
mentVIII WitncfTes, and by feveral other Circumiknces ;
t— V-— » and he had abufed for fo long time the King's
Patience and Forbearance, that he was unani-
moufly condemned to be beheaded.
JJe is con- Xwo Days after, the Chancellor went to the
I^rf' - B^Jlik to pronounce the Sentence, and he was
(Hted. executed in the Evening in the Yard.
So died Charles de Gmtaud Duke of Biron,
Marfhal of France, Governor of Burgundy,
one of the greatefi Captains of his time in Eu^
rope, illuftrious for having refcued his Country
from the Spanifh Bondage, and for the many
Favours and Honours which he had defervedly
received of his Mafter, and no lefs renowned
for his Ungratefulnefs ; his Pride and bound lefs
Ambition occafioned his Crime, and his Crime
brought him to this fhameful End. No lefs
defpicable in his Fall, than he had been intole-
rable in his Grandeur ; he afforded a great In-
ftance, that it is much more eafy, to dare
bravely any Dangers, even Death itfelf, as long
?.s there remains fome profpedt of Efcape, than
to face it when it is unavoidable : for from the
very Minute of his being arrefted to the lail
of his Life, he behaved himfelf not only like
a Madman, but alfo like a Coward. Equal to
the Earl of EJJex (who had been beheaded in
London the Year before j as to the great Ser-
vices he had done to his Country, as to
his Rife, and the many Favours heaped upon
him by his Mafter, as to his Crime and his
Fate •, he was very widely different from him
as to the Greatnefs of his Soul. He died unmar-
ried in the: fortieth Year of his Age •, he left a
Natural Son, and his Miflrefs big with Clild (p).
{p) Thuan. Lib. cxxviii. Serres Hift. de France, ibid.
P. Mathieu Hift. de Henry IV. ibid.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Ykk'^C'E.', 39 J
By his Death the Conrpiracy was at an end : HenrylV*
the Count oi AuiKrgne^ his moft intimate Ac- p/^^^p,
complice, deferved the fame Punifhment, but mentVIII
on account of his Birth, and efpecially in regard »— «y«-»^
to the Marchionefs of Verneuil^ his Life was
fpared, and he was condemned to a perpetual
Prifon, from which the King releafed him two
Months after.
Amongfl the many Accomplices charged by 7">^^ ^«^^
La Fin, the Marlhal Duke of Bouillon hr.d not ^f ?^i!-°^
been fpared -, and the Marquefs of Rofriy, out '^"'^J"'^'
of Jealoufy of the great Interefl that the Duke
had araongft the Reformed, did him all the ill
Offices he could at Court, and was fo unjufl
and unreafonable, that tho' he had been him-
felf charged likewife by the fame Deponent,
tho' he had no better ground for his Sufpicions
than that, tho' confequently he ought to have
judged of the Duke as he did of himfelf ; never-
thelefs he made ufe of that Depofition to ren-'
der that Lord fufpicious to the King : nay, he
went further, and had a mind to involve the
good Dii Pleffis in the fame Crime, and in-
creafed as much as he could by his falfc Infihu-
ations the King's Ill-humour againft him. This
I don't charge the Marquefs o^ Rofny with, but
upon his own Confeffion in feveral Places of
his Memoirs, Tom. II. and III.
However, the King being at Blois, and theu
at PoitierSj had talked with the Duke of the
falfe Rumours which his Enemies Induftrioufly
fpread abroad a gain ft his own Perfon and Go-
vernment, in order to raife Commotions in his
Kingdom -, to which the. Duke reply 'd with a
great Freedom, greater, may be, than it was
mpct for a Subjed : for he exhorted his Ma-
jefty to eafe his Subjefls from the heavy Taxes
iaiu upon them, and gave him fuch other Ad-
C c 4 vices
392 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
HenrylV.vices concerning the Reformed Churches, as
160^ did not at all pleafe his Majefty. Then he
nfentVllI ^sked leave to go to Turenne, to fettle his pri-
' vate Affairs, which he obtained ; but when he
was recalled to come to Court and juftify hini-
felf of fcveral things laid to his charge, he
promifed at firft to obey, but after a fecond
Thought, receiving Intelligence that his Ene-
mies prevailed there, and that it was to be
feared, left they, together with the Catholicks",
would engage the King to make him ferveas
an Attonement for the Fate of the late Duke
of Biron, (and indeed thefe Sufpicions were not
quite ill-grounded)" he altered his Mind, and
went diredlly to Cq/lresy defiring to be tryed by
the Chamber of the Edift, refiding in that City.
He wrote to his Majefty, and in very fubrnif-
five Terms he fet forth the Reafons of his Ab-
fence, taken from the Charafter and the too
great Power of his Enemies, againft whom he
inveighs moft bitterly, and begs of his Majefty
hot to take amifs his Proceeding, which ought
to be interpreted rather as an Argument of his
Innocence than of his Guilt, conlidering that
if he was confcious of any Guilt, he would
rather have had recourfe to his Majefty's Mercy,
than to fubmit himfelf to the Judgment of a
Court, which would be extremely fevere
againft him, was he really guilty of the Trea-
fons laid to his charge.
' When the King heard that the Duke was
gone to Ccijlresj m order to be tryed by that
Chamber, he was much difpleafed at it ; he
wrote again to the Duke, ordering him to come
without delay to Court, that there was as yet no
bccafioti for his Tryal, that he defired only tp
hear his Juftification from his own Mouth, and
that if he was to be tryed, the Chamber of
i -' • ' • Capes
Book VII. Reformed Churches ;« Fr A n c E ^ 3 "93
Cafires was incompetent. At the fame timeHenrylV.
he forbad the faid Court to take cognizance ofp^ p.
that Affair. In fo doing, his Majefty derogated mentVIII
from an Article of the Edi6t, whereby the Re- < 1 -^— ..j
formed, of what rank or quality foever, were
allowed to be tried by thofe Chambers if they
thought it proper *, and the Duke of Bouillon
reforted to that of Cafires^ as Vifcount of 'Tu-
renne^ fo he could not be denied with juftice
his Difniifiion to that Court. However, hav-
ing prefented himfelf voluntarily before it, he
demanded and obtained an authentick Aft of
his Submiflion : But underftanding that Cau-
martin v/as corning with the King's Order to
arreft him where-ever he could be found, he
fet out from Cafires and went to Montpelier^
where he found a Provincial Aflembly of the Re-
formed, to whom he reprefented his Cafe, and
defired the Interceflion of the Churches to the
King, and that he might enjoy the Privilege
granted by the Edid, of being tried by the
Chambers of the faid Edid \ and declared, that
left the publickTranquillity, which he earnellly
recommended unto them, fhould be diitUrbed
iipon his account, he thought proper to go our
of the Kingdom for a Time.
Accordingly he went to Orange^ and took
his way through Dauphim without making any
ftay : he fent one of his Gentlemen to pay his
Compliments to Les Diguieres ; he arrived at
Geneva^ from whence he proceeded to Hey-
/delberg {q).
' I ihall end this Year by the Relation of an CXXXI,
Event, which was like to be fata! to the Repub- "^f^ 5^^^'
l\c)^ oi Geneva. The Princes of 5^x>(7y pretended neva.
a Right to that City, which for feveral Ages
they
( •'
{q) Thuan. Lib. cxxvHi. Vie de Du Pleffis Mornay,
Liv. II. Mem, de Sully, Tom. U;
394 Jiiftory of the Reformation, and of the VoL.IVr
HenrylV. they had endeavoured to improve to their beft,
1602. Advantage, more or lefs, according to the Cir>
mentVJII cumftaiices they were in, and as the times ferved.
But not having been able to cbmpafs their Ends
by open Force, efpecially (ince that City had
been received under the Protedion of Francey
Chf.rUs Emanuel^ then Duke of Savoy, at-
tempted to furprife it by Treachery. Though
they had been included in the Treaty of Lyons ^
though the Duke of Savoy had fworn twice
the Peace with them *, neverthelefs, as he never
inade any fcruple to break his Word when he
found his own Intereft in fo doing, he plotted
to furprife it by Efcalado ; he made all his Pre^
parations as fecret as poflible. The Inhabitants
miflrufting fome Troops that were fent into
Savoy under the Command cf D^Albigny, he
took care to afiure their Deputies, that his moft
iincere Intention was to obferve ftridlly the
Treaties lately made with them j and he fent
Rochette, Prelident of the Senate cf Chamhery,
j few Days before the Execution, for to lull
the Magistrates and the People by fair Words,
and under the fpecious Pretence of a new Treaty
more advantageous to Geneva than the former
ones. In the mean while the Duke fet out Poll
from 'furin, on the 17 th o^ December, and ar-
rived on the 2ift at a place called La Rochette,
not far from Geneva, where jyAlbigny and the
Troops under his Command waited for him.
In the Evening he called together all the Of-
ficers, and told them his Intention, exhorting
them to behave themfelves like brave Men j
and left thofe of Geneva fhould receive notice
of his Defign, he caufed all the Avenues to be
guarded, fufFering no body to pafs. Jj^ilbigny
received the Oath of the Troops, to die rather
than not to conquer. Then he brought them
---... along
Book VII. l^eformed Churches /« France. 395
along the Banks of the River Arve^ m order Henry! V.
to conceal the better their March, and being ^ ^02:.
arrived in a Plain called Plein-Palaix, j^^^ ^^" mentVIII
one of the City Gates, in the Night between
the 21ft: and 216. o^ December^ he made a halt
there. Then thofe who were defigned for
Efcalading marched to the Wal!, well furniilied
with Ladders, Fafcines, and Hurdles to crofs
the Ditches that were full of Mud, v/ith other
Implements fit for cutting Iron Bars, and break-
ing the Locks, and Petards to force open the
Gates, Being come fafe to the Foot of the
Wall, they {tt up their Ladders againft it ;
they were wonderfully well contrived for the
jpurpofe, for they were in feveral Pieces in-
chafed one in another, fo that they could fhorten
or lengthen them as they pleafed •, they were
dyed in black, that they might not be per-
ceived in the dark, and they had Pulleys on
the Top covered with coarfe Cloths, to avoid
the Noife in lengthening them. That done,
the ftouteft began to go up, to the Number
of above two Hundred, and having got to
the Top of the Wall, fonie of them lay down
along the Parapet, while the others v/alked
two by two through the Streets of the City for
above an Hour, to fee whether the Citizens
were upon their Guard, for they intended to
begin their Execution in the City only at the
Break of Day. Thereupon a Gentry in the
Tower of the Mint hearing fome Noife, gave
notice thereof to his Corporal, who fent a Man
to the Wall to know what was the matter.
This Man feeing fome armed Men coming t(y
him, fired at them and gave the Alarm, the
Gentry of the Tower did the fame ; v/hereupon
the Enemy feeing themfelvesdifcover'd, thought
proper to begin the Attack fooner than they
intended,
3 9 6 Hifiory of the Reformat kti^ and of the Vo L .IV.
HenrylV. intended, and formed two Troops," one o^
i6o2. nvhJch went to the Gate that goes to Plein-
inentVIIl P^l^^>-\ foi^ introducing, if they could, the
Body that was in that Plain. It was eafy for
them to force the Corps de Guarde, which by
the Treafon of the Syndick of the Guard, con-
lifted, only of thirteen Men, one of whom un-
derftanding what they had a mind to do, ftole
up over the Gate, and cut the Rope which
kept thePort-cullis tied up, whereby the Pe-
tard was rendered ufelefs at that Gate. In the
mean while, part of the Citizens, awakened by
the Noife, ran out of their Houfes half drefTed
and half armed to that Gate, where they ftoutiy
fought againft the Enemy, who being at laft
overpowered by numbers, were obliged to
retreat near their Ladders. The other Troop,
"which was gone to the Gate of the Tarl'ajfe, was
no more fuccefsful ; fo that being every where
beaten and frightened out of their wits, they
took down their Ladders with fuch a hurry that
feveral of them chofe to leap over tlie Wall into
the Ditch, and many fradured their Limbs.
But juft as they were in that Fright, the Citi-
zens went to one of the Bulwarks, and fired
the Cannon in the dark ; one of them were
levelled fo juft, that the Ladders were broken
to pieces ♦, whereat they were fo terrified,
that the Body which was in Plein-Palaix
founded the Retreat, and ran away fafter than
they came. Thirteen of thofe that remained
in the City, were made Prifcners, the others
cither leaped over the Wall, or were killed.
The Council being aflembled at Noon for de-
liberating about the Prifoners, the Majority of
Votes carried it for having them punilhcd like
Highwaymen •, and accordingly they were all
hanged that very Evening, and their Heads
fever'd
Book VII. Reformed Churches inVi^AHcr^. 3 97
fever'd from their Bodies, were fetupon theV/allHcarylV.
with thofe of the others killed in the Fray, and^ '°^'
made up in all the number of fixty-feven : their j^entVIII
Bodies were thrown into the Rhone •, feveral u
more were killed in the Flight, befides the
wounded. The Inhabitants had about thirty-
wounded, and iiKteen or feventeen killed, which
were buried in St. Gervnis Church- yard, with
an honourable Epitaph. It is faid that ^hco-
dorus de Beza, who was eighty-two Years old,
had (lept fo found that Night that he heard
nothing of the Noife, and was much furprifed
in the Morning when he was brought to fee
the dead Bodies. He did not preach for fome
Years before, neverthelefs, upon this Occasion,
he came up into the Pulpit, and ordered the
X24th Pfalm to be fung, which fince that time
has been conftantly fung upon the Anniverfary
of that Day, which is kept at Geneva as a great
Feftival (r).
The Duke of Savvy was confounded at this
bad Succcfs of his Enterprife, the Bafenefs
whereof he endeavoured to colour the beft he
could by his Ambafiadors to foreign Princes.
King Henry efpeciaily refented this A6lion of
the Duke as a high Affront put upon him,
feeing that he knew, that that City was under
his fpecial Protection : he v/rote to the Magi-
ftrates, to congratulate them upon their happy
Deliverance, and to affure them that he would
protedi: them with all his Might againfl: every
Enemy whatever -, and he fent orders to the
Governors of the bordering Provinces to afford
them all the AfTillance they could : he fent
word likewife to the Duke of Savoy^ that if he
difturbed any further the Peace of that City,
he
/r) Thuan. Lib. cxxix. Vie du Connetable de Le^ Di-
guieres, Liv. VII. ch. 4. Spon Kiit. de Gen* ye, Li;-. i:i.
Bui they dilFvr fonicthing one fronj sncthec.
398 Hijlory cfthe Reformatwriy ajid of the Vol .IV.
Henry IV. he would have to do with him. At lafl, by
p '■^°^- the Mediation of feme of the Switz Can-
mentVIII^^"^' the publick Tranquillity was reftored by
I— v-i-jthe Treaty concluded at St. Julkn^ in the
Month o^Jnly 1603 (j).
The Queen of France had been delivered of
aDaughter in November preceeding, which was
afterwards married to King Philip oi Spain,
1605. Now the Duke of 5d?z^///o« having fled from
S^^'^i^' the Kingdom in the manner above faid, the
med of ' Deputies of the Churches that attended the
France /«. Court prefented an humble Petition to the King
tercedefcrm. the Fugitive's behalf, befeeching his Ma-
^^■^f'^^^efty to confider the Duke's Innocence, and not
to hearken too eafily to the Calumnies of his
Enemies, nor to believe that a Man of his
Charader and of his Religion (hould have plotted
with the Spaniards againft the Government ;
and to fee, according to his wonted Prudence
and Equity, whether he was not accufed out of
TJatred to his Religion ; and to grant that he
might be tryed by any^one of the Chambers ap-
pointed, by his Edid, for that purpofe ; and
not to indulge fo far the Wickednefs of thofe
who defired no better than to fprinkle the Altars
of R.07ne with Innocent Blood, as a Burnt- Of-
fering of a fweet fmelling to them.
The King having fent to Du Pleffis for his
Advice, that great Man anfwered, with his
wonted Freedom and Sincerity, almoft in the
fame Terms ; andreprefented to his Majefty, in
a Memorial v/ritten purpofcly on th.it Subje<ft,
* That it was very certain, that did his Ma-
* jefty rcfufe flatly the faid Duke to be tryed
' by a mixt Chamber, according to his own
* Edi(5i:, he would afford him a Pretence to
* make mod part of the Reformed believe, that
' there
(,() Thuanur. A: Spon, ibid.
Bo oviVll. Reformed Churches /?z France, ^c^^
there was a Defigti laid to opprefs his Inno-HenrylV*
cency, by denying him, in a Caufe of ilich ^ '^3-
Importance, what was granted even to thofe Jj^g^jyf ff
of the lo well Rank: confidering above all,
that it was already a very difficult Talk to
make it believed that he had really plotted
with the late Duke of Bh'on, who took, for
Pretence of his Rebellion, the Extirpation df
that Religion which heprofeired himfelf*, and
that he had confented to the Increafe of the
I^ing of Spai?i's Grandeur, which is totally
detrimental to the faid Religion, and efpe-
cially to Prince Maurice^ Brother-in-law to
the faid Duke of Bouillon. Thefe Reafons
are already in the Mouths of every one, againft
the pretended Confpiracies laid to the charge
of the faid Duke.
' They add farther, that this Profecution is
carried on at the Pope's Inftigation, who
being much difpleafed at the Execution of the
Duke of Bh'G7t^ if it is not covered with
another of the like Qualitj^ and of a contrary
Perfualion, pretended to be involved in the
fame Crime ; v/hereby it appears that his
Majefty ought to take care not to give the
Duke of Bouilkn Matter to multiply a Pre-
tence, (that of his Flight was the unjuii
Charge againft him, and the Fear of 'finking
under the great Power of his Enemies, was a
new Pretence of his) ' left it fhould breed
' f.ime Troubles, certainly fatal to thofe who
' fnall be engaged in them, but may be, very
* unfeafonable at this time, full of Sufpicions
* and Jeaioulies as well inward as outward.'
Then he advis'd his Majefty to take th.e
Duke at his Vv^ord, and to have him tryed by
one of the Mixt Chambers granted by the
Edidi or .at h?Ay that the ikid Duke of
BGuillon
400 Hiflory of the Reformation, mid of the Vol. IVi
Harvey IV. Bouillon fhodd have an Interview at his own
1603. Requeft, and confer with the Marfhal D*Or»^»fl
mentVIII^"^ fome others of the King's own Appoint-
i_ -^-^^J ment, that fhould be thoroughly informed of that
Affair (0.
At the fame time the Reformed of Languedoc
fent a Petition to the King tending to the fame
effect, moft humbly befeeching his Majefty to
grant the Duke of Bouillon, who was ready to
take his Tryal before impartial Judges, that he
might be judged by one of the Courts appointed
by theEdid for thatPurpofe. But thefe Peti-
tions and Sollicitations were very ill received at
Court, where the Duke was to be deemed
guilty right or wrong, at any rate ; and Rofny
miffed not fo fair an Opportunity to humble his
Antagonift.
^^^«Eli- In the mean time, the King was in a great
aabethd'oapgj.pig^jj.y j^f^ Qut^n Elizabeth . underftanding
the fume, ^y ^ . cr . n 1 j • -n r^ - • c
that Affair, inould conceive an ill Opmion or
him, which might prejudice his Intereft as to
the other Affairs which he negotiated with her ;
therefore he fent Orders to De Beaumont, his
Embaffador at that Court, to fet forth before
her Majefty the Crimes laid to the charge of
the faid Duke, and to let her know that he
was unwilling to determine any thing without
i knowing her Opinion about that Affair, and
what fhe would advife him to do. But the
' Queen had too much Wit and Reafon to be
impofed upon by fuch Compliments ; never-
thelefs, as fhe would not forfake a Lord for
whom fhe had a great Value, and whom fhe
thought to be calumniated only on account of
his Religion, fhe ordered her Embaffador at
the Court of France to give thanks to the King
for thefe Tokens ofFriendfliip dnd Confidence
of
(t) Metnoires de Dii Pleffis, Tom. Ill- p. U, &c,
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 401
of his in confulting her about that Affair, i^'c. HenrylV
and to tell him that the Charges preferred „ ^ ^°3-
agarlnft the Duk.Q of Bouillon, and the Evidences jj^gntVIlI
whereby they v;ere fupported, were altogether"
very weak, and could not ftand with fo m<iny
Proofs he had giv^n to his Majefty of the Sin-
cerity of his Zeal and Fealty, even in the
hardeft of theTimes. Then fhe goes on Article
by Article, to fhew forth the Inconfiftence of
each of them, with the known Charafcer and
the true Intereft of the faid Lord. She thought
it] very extraordinary, and altogether fufpedtfulj
that the Duke of Bouillon was either guilty or
innocent ; if guilty, a ftrange thing it was that
he fhould be the only Perfon profecuted for it,
feeing that there were many Accomplices, in
which cafe it was very plain that this Profecu-
tion was carried en out of hatred againft his
Perfon and Religion •, if innocent. It behoved
the Prudence of the King to fee how the Ho-
nour and Reputation of a Lord of that Quahty
could be repaired after fuch a Blemifh had been
caft upon it. Therefore fhe was very forry
that his Majefly had not taken another Courfe
with him from the beginning, ^c. &c.
The King was not at all pleafed with the
Englijh Ambafi~ador*s Freedom •, neverthelefs,
he thought proper to difTemble for this time.
A Libel was then publifhed againi't the Duke,
which was nothing better than a nonfenfical
Produdlion of fome impudent and bafe Calum-
niator, for he charged him with being the Au-
thor of the Plct for which the Earl of EJfe>:
had fufrerecl about two Years b.fore ; with
having fclliviited the States of the Low-Coun-
tries in behalf of the Spaniards ; with having
plotted to difmembc^r the Kingdom, for which
pu;pofc he m.cdiuted to turn Cathoiick, and
Vol. IY, D d v/aa
4P2 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the VoL . IV*
Hew-ylV. was to have Bauphine for his fhare •, that he
PoL Ue- ^^^ °"^ °^ Biron's Accomplices, and had de-
ment VI 11 vi fed the King's Death •, and fuch other like
' putrid Stuff, the Falfhood whereof was obvi-
ous to every common Underftanding, and it
was very eafy for Bouillon to juftify fully his
Innocence in that refpedt.
This is fummarily the Account which Tku-
cnus gives us of the beginning of that knotty
Affair, in the four laft Pages of the 128th
Book of his Hiftory ; and we fhall fee under
the Year 1606, that he took him to be inno-
cent of the Crimes and Mifdemeanours laid to
his Charge.
I have thought proper to dwell a litvle longer
upon this and the Duke of Biron's Affair than
1 would have done, had it not been that Rapin
gives us another notion of them both^ than 27^«-
anus who was prefent : for while he extenuates
Biron^s Crime, and feems to infinuate that it
was Gccaiioned by the King's Negle<5l of him ;
he reprefents Bouillon as really guilty of the
Crimes laid to his charge. ' But the Marfhal
' of Bouillon, fays he, who was alfo of the Num-
* ber (cf Biron'j Jccomplices) ' (a very bol d
Stroke indeed ! Seeing that there was no
Proof againft that Lord, and that Rapin him-
felf had no better Voucher for what he fays
upon this Subjed than Camden, whofe Hiftory,
fuch as it is now extant, cannot be compared,
as to Veracity, with Thuajius, But let us
go on) ' thought it fafeft to withdraw into
* Germany, from whence he wrote to Elizabeth,
* defiring her to intercede for him. The King
' of France wrote to her aifo, acquainting her
* with the Confpiracy-, and asking her Advice
' concerning the Marfhal De Bouillon. The
' Queen aniwered, ilie could not advife him,
' till
Bo o k VII. Reformed Churches hzFRAiJCE, 463
' till fhe certainly knew whether the Marfhal HenrylV:
' were guilty : She warned him alfo to take „ '^^;
^ care that it was not a Spanifh Artifice, to mentVlII
* caufe him to entertain Sufpicions of his beftv * *
* Subjects. But Henry not confidering the
* Marfhal as fuch, told the Englijh Ambaflador,
*• that the Queen his Miftrefs had a better
' Opinion of him than he deferved, fince it
' was certain he was concerned in the Earl
* of EJJ'ex*s Plotj and had not even difown*d
' it (1;)/
Amongft other things that I could obferve
upon this Relation, I fhall only infift upon thefe
three Particulars.
P. That neither the King of France, or the
Queen of England, wrote one to another upon
this Occafion, but they charged their refpedive
Ambafladors to makeReprefentations according
to the Inftru<5lions that were fent unto them.
11°. That the Queen in her Anfwer, went
a great deal farther to get the faid Marfhars^
Difcharge than Rapin infinuates ; for fhe told
the King by her Ambaflador, That the Proofs
for fupporting the Charge againfi him, were
very far from being as clear as Light in the
Mid day. As Rapin did not think proper to
i-elate the Queen's Anfwer at full length,' he
ought at leaft to have pointed out of it what
was more ftrong, and what was diredlly to the
Difcharge of the Marfhal, and not wholly and
lingly what leaves him expofed to Sufpicioh.
111°. King Hf^ry was not a Lyar, much lefs a
Calumniator: this laft he would have been prov-
ed, had he told the ArabafTador as Rapin will
haveit,THAT it was cert ain, BOUILLON
Was CONCERNED tN theEarl of ESSEX'S
D d 2 Plot,-
{'v) Rapin's Hiftoiry of Evglanci, by Tindal, Vol. II.
pag. 155. Edit. Fol.
404 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV*
Hena'yIV.PLOT, and had not even disowned it.
■ '^°3j How could that be, and that it fhould be per-
mentVIII f'^'^b' unknown to Queen Elizabeth? This
u»-ti— > was two Years after the Earl's Execution ;
how came it to pafs that the Duke of Bouillon
was not once named, not only in the Earl's,
but in his Accomplices Tryal'? Had the Queen
fufpedted him the leaft in the World to have
had any hand in the faid Plot, would not this
heavy Charge from a great King, for whom
fhe had fo great a Value, have confirmed her
iirft Sufpicions I and in fuch a Cafe would fhe
have been pleafed to become the Patronefs of
the Accufed, and plead for his Innocency ? Fur-
thermore, had he not difowned the Charge-
before, fuppofing that it had been laid upon
him when the Difcovery was ftill frefh, hov\f
could he be fo bold now as to fay in his An-
fwer to the Libel above-mentioned, 1'hat as to
the Earl 0/ E s s e x, no fuch thing had been
faid or thought of ever before, and to appeal
as he did to Queen Elizabeth her felf ? But
I am afraid left Rapin has miftaken the above,
faid Libel for the King's Anfwer ; had he
quoted his Authority for this, we might have
confidered whether it was reputable or not,
in the mean while, I think that we fhall do
well to rely on Thuanus*s Teftimony, who was
an Eye and Ear-witnefs of thisTranladlion, till
we could get a better Information if poffibJe.
CXXXlir This Plea of Queen Elizabeth for the Duke
^ee?iE\'\~Q^ Bouillon J was one of the laft, if not the
yjj?'"' ^^^ Service which that Princefs did for the Pro-
teftanc Caufe ; for about the End of Ja'tiuary^
fhe began to ieel the Iirft Attack of the Dif-
temper which brought her at length to her Grave i
Ihe languiftied 'till the 24th of March. 0. S.
when fh(i exoired in the Sentiments of the
greateft
Book VII. "Reformed Churches in France. 405
greateft Piety, Refignation to the Will of Al- HenrylV
■mighty God, and Confidence in the Mercy of ^'^^S-
God, thro' Chrift ; fhe was 6^ Years Six Months ^,^^'J}\\\
old, according to Thuanus, and {twtn Days more _ ^- j
according to the Reverend Mr. TzW^/; where-
of fhe had reigned, not 45 Years and more, as
the firft fays, but 44 Years, 4 Months and
8 Days (u). I fhall add nothing to the great
Charadler which Tbuanus and Kapin gav« of
that moil excellent Princefs, the Pattern of all
Princes who are animated with this noble De-
lire of being deemed the Delights of their Peo-
ple and the Glory of their own Crown.
King Henry being in Lorain in the Month of
February^ received Letters from Frederic, Ekcfor CXXXiy
Palatine, in behalf of the Duke of Bouillon his TheEie^ior
Brother-in-law j and it appears, by his Anfwer, ^^^^^^^'^ ^^
that he was not perfuaded of the Guilt of that BouiUou'f
Lord, but that he entertain'd only bare Siifpi- Behalf.
cions againft him, whereof he defired he would
perfonally juftify himfelf.
The Duke of Rohan, fo famous in the next
Reign, began this Year to be in great Credit CXXXV^
at Court and in the Reformed Party -, the King "^f/ ^j^'^'f
had a great Value for him becaufe of his bright ^^.,.°^.f^ ^
Parts, he owned him for his Coufm by his Mo- ?ncnt
ther's frde, and had been confidered, for that
Reafon, as next heir to the Crown of Navarre,
before the King had any lawful Iffue, his Ma-
jefty, defiring to unite more ftridly with the
Proteftant Princes, deiigned to marry him with
the Daughter (?/ C/^<2r/^j of Sudermania, Father
to the great GuJlavusAdolphusKing oiSwedeland.
This Charles was a declared Proteftant, and
had v/refted the Crown from Sigifmond his Ne-
phew, who was a very zealous Cathohck, and who
D d 3 endea-
(ft) Thuan. Lib. cxxix.
4p6 liifiory of the IRejorma tion, and of the Vo l .IV.
HenrylV. endeavoured to extirpate the Proteftant Reli-
pl^Q^lg. gion out of his Northern Dominions. This
mentVIIl Marriage was not efFeded. This young Lord
*— -V**' was made Duke and Peer this Year, and took
the Oath on the feventh of Juguft •, a few-
Years after, the King married him to the eldtft
Daughter of his Favourite the Marquefs of
'R6n)\ who was created Duke of Sully, and
Peer of France, in 1605. This Lndy was as
zealous for her Religion, as her Father was
cold and indifferent, and being aflifted by her
Mother-in-law, fhe got fuch an Afcendant
over her Hufband, that flie governed him al-
rnoft as fhe pleafed.
CXXXVI ^^ ^^^ ^^^° ^" t"Js Year that the Jefuits ob-
ST/^f-Jefuitstained leave to return into France. Father
repred in Magio had vifited the King at Lyons, in the
^■dosn^'"^' -P^P^'^ Name, during the War of Savoy, where
/..,.' his Majefty had given him AfTurances of his
Good- will. And this Year as he pafled thro*
Verdun in Lorraine, on his return to Paris, the
Jefuits who had a College in the firft City,
came to pay their refpe6ls to his Majefly, and
Father Charles La 'Tour, fpeaking in their
!Name, moft humbly befought not to be deem'd
as Comprehended in the Decree of the Par-
liament of Paris, whereby all the Jefuits were
expelled out of the Kingdom. The King re-
ceived them very gracioufly, and granted their
Requeft,- provided that the Youth tiiat were
at Pont a Mcufjon, at School, fhould be tranf-
ferred t© Verdun, and difmiffed them with
other Tokens of his Good- will. Now being
told \y]Varenne, ^\iO fupported them with
all his Intereft, that the King intended not only
to preierve their College of Verdun, but like-
wife to reftore them all over his Kingdom ;
they held an Aflemblv at Pont a Mouffon, and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 407
by Varennfs Advice, they fent a folemn De-^^"!'>'^^-
putation to his Majefty, who was then at p^^'^ °^^{^_
Metz. They were introduced by the faid Va- mentVIII
renne, and in a fet Speech made by the faid '
La Tour^ they moved the King to promife them
their Re-eftablifhment in France. Th^Jefuits
Armand and Cotton^ were ordered to come to
Paris j Cotton by his flattering Converfation,
by his Sermons adapted to the Tafte of the
Court, by his profligate Hypocrify, wherein
he was the moft expert of any of his Gown,
fo pofTefled himfelf of the King's AfFedion,
that he got immediately into the highell de-
gree of his Favour. They were as I have faid,
fupported by La Varettne, who by his Com-
plaifance in carrying on the King's amorous In-
trigues, and by the Intereft of the late Duche(s
of Beaufort^ had raifed himfelf from the Kitchen
Employment to that of the King's Council,
and had a greater ihare in Affairs than a great
many more worthy Men •, befldes him, by the
Duke of Efpernon^ Villeroy^ and De Gcvres^
and by all the Spanijh Fadion, at the Head
whereof the Queen was. But every true
Frenchman had fuch an Averfion to that Re-
eftabl.ifliment, that the King met with no fmall
Difficulties before he could obtain it. How-
ever, the King being gone to Rouen, caufed
an A<ft to pafs in the Parliament of that City
for their Recall, and fealed with the Great Seal
in the Month oi September. Bat being brought
to the Parliament of Paris, it met with great
Gppofltions, which could not be removed till
the beginning of 1604, when the Parliament,
notwithfl;anding the very moving Speech of the
Firft Prefldent Du Harlay, to deter the King
from his Refolution, was, as one may fay,
^onftrained to publifh and regift-er the Edid
D d 4 of
4oS Bi/hry of the Reformation, and of the Vol . IV,
KenrylV. of their Re-eftablifliment on certain Condit ions,
1603- jj^ jj^g places wherein they were adually, or had
mTntVIII ^^" ^" poiTeflion before their ExpuUion, upon
V*— y-««j certain Conditions however which were thought
very neceflary at that timt, but which the good
Fatliers have found means to abrogate one way
or another by the iapfe of tiine {x).
It was then publickly faid, that the Proceed-
ings of the Synod of Gap had nrach forwarded
that AiFair, which otherv/ife might have been
fpun out a longer time. But the Affront that
h^d been put there upon the Pope^ in making
it to pafs as an Article of Faith that he v/35 thq
Anticbriji^ had laid a Neceffity on the King to
break through all Obflacli's raifed agaiml: the
Re-eftablifhment of the Jejuits^ to the end that
he might by this means appeafe the Tope^ who
was much offended, and who befides that;
earneftly denred that Re-eltajblifliment, and
had even inferted it as one of the fixteen Con-
ditions of the King's Abfoludon.
cxxxvir Th?t Synod of Gap, in Daupmniy was held
TheSewen-^'^Q firft o^ Qclobcr^ and v/as the feventeenth
'^''^''5^'" National Svnod. The Rev. Mr. B.zmelCha-
Tcd. r.ner, was choien Moaeratorj and tne Rev.
Mr. Jeremiah Ferrier, Piftor and Profeffor of^
Divinity at Nimes, Afleffor. That Synod was
one of the mod celebrated that ever the Re-
formed held In France^ feveral important Mat-
ters were brought there upon the Carpet.
Amongft others, the Query concerning the
jintichrijty who it was ? The Reformed, and
all the Proteftants in general, agreed upon this
Point, that the P^/j^ is the y^A2//c^r//?, foretold
by St. Paul and St. Jobn^ and in their Sermons
and Writings, they applied to him all tlie Cha-
jaders
{x) Thoan. Lib. cxxix. & cxxxlf. S^rres Invent, gen.
de THill. de France;, Torn. IL yag, i6o> in folio.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 409
raders by which thefe Holy Writers have de- HenrylV.
fcribed him. The unjuftice done to Du PkJ/is, p'^*^ri
at the Conference above related, ftuck to the mentVIII
Hearts of the Reformed, and inflamed their c^-^— -^
Zeal, becaufe the Pretence thereof had been,
that he had called the Pope Antichrifi, m his
Book : the fanatical Notion of the approach-
ing Downfal of Babylon, was in the Heads of
moft of them-, the Pulpits refounded almoft
with nothing elfe. Indeed tho' v/e profefs a
more pure Belief, yet we are Men as much as
any other. But the Imprudence of Du Ferrier^
one of the Paftors of the Church, and Pro-
feflbr of Divinity in the Royal College at
Nimes, occafioned all this Uproar •, he was not
fatisfied with the general Aflertion that the
Pope was the Antichrifi^ but he named exprefsly
in feme publick Thefes, Cletnent VIII. then
fitting. The Parliament of Thouloufe took
Cognizance of this, and fummoned him to ap-
pear in three Days before them -, then they de-
creed againft him as a feditious Perfon, and a
Difturber of the Publick Peace, and ordered
his Thefes to be burnt by the common Exe-
cutioner. But Du Ferrier, unwilling to expofe
himfelf to the Judgment of that mercilefs Court,
fued at the Chamber of Cajires.
This was enough to fuperfede the Proceed-
ings of the Parliament, but the ProfefTor fought
for a better Support, for which purpofe he and
l^is Friends thought proper, to make his pri-
vate Affair, an Affair of the whole Party ; '
wherein he fucceeded better than it was requi-
iite for the Reputation of our Churches in
France, He obtained, that the Matter ihoiild
be debated in this Synod, and to have hisDoc-
l;ii:ine approved by it. It was not very difficult
for D^ Ferrier to obtain his End, being ad-
joined
4 'o Hijlory of the Reformation^ mid of the Vol .1 V^
HenrylV. joined in the Moderatorfhip to the Rev. Mr.
p*^°ij Chamier, who, tho' a Man without compa-
inentVIli"^°" of greater Learning, of more Solidity,
I and whoaded by quite contrary Principles than
Ferrier^ and was a Man of ftridt Piety and
Virtue, was however very hot upon the matter.
It was decreed that an Article ihould be inferted
in the Confeflion of Faith, whereby they de-
clared that the Pope was properly that Anti-
chrifi^ and the Son of Perdition, foretold in the
Word of God, the Whore clothed with Scarlet ^
fitting on the Seven Mountains, and the Great
City -, who had his Reign over the Kings of
the Earth, and that they did expeA that the
Lord, as he has promifed, and begun the over-
throwing of him by the Spirit of his Mouth,
will finally deftray him by the Brightnefs of
his coming.
That Article was to be inferted immediately
after the Thirtieth, which treats of the Equality
amongft the Paftors of the Church. But the
King having been informed of what they were
tranfadling, was extremely provoked againft
them : that was properly to upbraid him with
worlhipping tkeBeafi, 3cc. The Clergy and the
Pope*s Nuncio made very heavy Complaints
about it.
I fhall not take upon me to determine whe-
ther this Propofition, The Bifhop of RomCy or
the Pope, is that very Jntichrijl^ that Son of
Perdition foretold by the Sacred. Penmen, i^c.
can be looked upon as an Article of Faith ne-
ceflary in order to Salvation, being AWE D
by the Infallible Decisions of two vene-
rable Synods^ this of Gap, and the next of.
Rochet, who, very likely, had found the De-
cifion in fome Bible which I have never feen, or
elfe they would not have contradided one of
the
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 411
the Fundamental Articles of the Reformation, HenrylV.
whereby we are taught not to admit any thing "^^S-
in Religion, as an Article of Faith neceflary in mentVlff
order to Salvation, but what is exprefsly war-
ranted by the Scripture. For if I do not find
in that Sacred Book, that the Pope is that An-
tichrifi, that Son of Perdition which he meant,
I am not obliged to believe, as an Article of
Faith neceflary to Salvation, that the Pope is
that Antichrijl •, I confefs that I found in the
Pope fo many Charafters of the Antichrifi^
that if he is not the Perfon foretold by St. Paul^
at lead he feems unto me to be very much like
him •, but for taking my Oath that I fincerely be-
lieve him to be the Perfon, that I cannot do with-
out an exprefs and clear Revelation from God.
But now in the Capacity of an Hiftory Wri-
ter, I fhall afk whether, confidering the Cir-
cumflances wherein the Reformed were then
in France^ they ought in good and true Policy
to give fuch an Offence to the whole Catholick
Party, and to affront a Pope who had been
favourable unto them as far as they could
exped from a Pope ? We muft be zealous for
our Religion, it is true, but our Zeal muft be
prudent, and always be quickened by Love and
Charity. They were fo tender therafelves,
when they were reviled by any Nickname in
private as well as in publick, that they brought
their Complaints to the King, and required
Satisfaction : What ! did they think that the
Catholicks were grown infenfible, and that they
would tamely bear with being treated as Wor-
ihippers of the Son of Perdition ? The Edidl of
Nantz had provided againft all manner of Re-
vilings one againft another : What! did they
think that this Prohibition regarded only the
Catholicks, and not themfelves ^ But Du Fcr-
■ ' ■ ' - • • ^^^^
4i2 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. rier was put in trouble for aflerting that Pro-
pj* CI .po^^^^o'^ ^" ^"^'^^ Thefes. But why did Tju Fer-
mentVlII '^'^^^' g<^ further than his Predecefiors had been ?
S. -y-ii.'He and the other Minifters who were in the
Cafe, could they not attack the Pope's Doc-
trine, and let his Perfon alone ? And if they
were unjuftly dealt with, could they not addrefs
themfelves to the King ? But that Dodlrine was
not new, it had been taught in Books, and
preached in Pulpits from the very beginnings of
the Reformation. That is very true, and ne-
verthelefs, our Reformers and their immediate
Succeflbrs, were fo moderate and humble, or
prudent, or both together, that though the
Popes who fat in their times were fome of the
moft profligate Wretches that had ever been
known, though they groaned under one of
the fierceft Perfecutions that ever was, never-
thelefs it never came into their heads to infert
in their Confeiilon of Faith, this Article, 'That
the Pope was //6^ Antichrift, the Son cf Perdition ;
they trod in the Steps of Michael the Arch-
angel, when contending with the Devil, he
difputed about the Body of Mofes, and durft not
bring againft him, {Hovo Devil foever he was)
a railing Accafation, but faid, I'he Lord rebuke
♦Jude 9. iJ;)ee. * But other foreign Churches had this
Article inferted m their ConfefTion of Faith,
why (hall we not have the fame Liberty ? It
may be fo that fome other Churches had this
Article couched in their Confeffion of Faith,
though I would not be pofltive, becaufe I have
never (^&n it in any before. But I would aik,
were they in the right in that refpeifl, to give
out as an Article of Faith neceflary to Salvation,
what is purely problematical .'* and befides that,
what was agreeable to theirCircum{lat]ces,was it fo
as to t le CiiCLimftancssof theCuur ches in France^
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« France. 41^
and a little more Moderation, would it not a great HenrylV.
deal better fuit their Condition than fuch Heats ^^°3-
and Animoiitles about things of this nature. mentVIli
So far I am impartial, but it may be, that'
the Reader waits too long for the Conclufion of
this Affair. Th^ King fent for the General
Deputies of the Churches refiding at Court,
and bid them to write to their Principals, and
to let them know in his Name, that if that
Decree of the Synod was executed, he would
flop the felling of the Bibles, New Teftaments
and Pfalms, wherein that Article fhould be in-
ferted in their Confeffion of Faith, and profe-
cute criminally the Printers thereof. That this
would occafion much Trouble, whereof they
fhould be themfelves the Authors, but that all
the Evil would fall upon their own Heads.
That they oughi to improve this Warning, and
to anfwer without delay, and he bid them to
ihew him the Anfwers they fhould receive. He
v/rote almoft m the lame Strain to the Lord Du
Plejfis^ folliclting him to divert by his Prudence
that Evil wherewith the Churches were threat-
ned. This Lord anfwered Villeroy Secretary of
State, That he might affure his Majefty, that
this Refolution of the Synod proceeded neither
from any ill Intention of wilfully offending
his iNlajeily, nor from any private Suggeition ;
that the Parliament of Ihoiiloufe had been the
Occafion thereof, by interpreting for a Sedition
again ft the Edid feme Thefes in Divinity,
v,'hich had been fo many times afferted in all
the Reformed Churches •, that it a Stop was
put to that Profecution, it v/ould be an eafy
matter to heal the reft. At the fame time^ for
preventing ail m.i.nner of Difagreem.ent petweeri-^
the. ieverai Letters v/hich the Churches- were-''
to. fend to Cgurt, he fcnt the Deputies a Copyi-'
414 JlifloryoftheReformafioji^andofthe Vol.IV.-
HenrylV.of an Anfwer, whereupon he thought propef
Potfhxe-^^^^ the faid Churches fhould model their own^^
mentVIII ^o the end that they might appear unanimous
upon that matter. But, let it be faid with
refped: due to that great and worthy Man, he
had undertook to plead for a bad Caufe, no
wonder if he don't argue fo confequentialy on
this Occafion as he doth in others ; for an In-
ftance, he pleads for the fame Liberty upon
that Article, as was granted them by the Edidt
upon othets ; and yet he pretends that this
was no new thing for them, that the Catho-
licks knew what opinion of the Pope they did
entertain. AH that is wrong, the Catholicks
knew very well that the Reformed held the
Pope for the Antichriji, that they preached and
taught that Doftrine in their Sermons, and in
their Books, that is true ; but they knew too
that they had never as yet attempted to aflert
it fo publickly in their Academies in France,
much lefs to infert it in their Confefllon of
Faith, that was quite a new thing, for which
they could not claim the Liberty granted them
by the Edift, which could refpecft only the
Articles of Faith then extant at the time of
publilhing the faid Edid, and not thofe which
they fhould be plesfed to infert from time to
time, efpecially if they were of fo publick a
Nature as fhould refledl againft the Govern-
ment, and give Offence to the greateft part of
the Kingdom. That very fame Edift had pro-
vided, as already faid, againtt thtit, by forbid-
ing all the Subjeds of either Religion, to in-
veigh againft one another. However, his Ma-
jefty having feen the feveral Anfwers of the
Churches, who hyDu Plejps's prudent Forecaft,'
were unanimous, was gracioufly pleafed to order
his Attorney-General to withdraw his Profecu-
tion ;'
Book Vll. Reformed Churches in France. 415
tion-, and the Article was not inferted for that time Henry! V.
in the ConfefTions of Faith, that were printing *^°S,'j^,_
at the end of the Bibles, New Teftaments and,„entVlIf
Pfalms V only it was then inferted in ibme
Confeffions printed abroad without the King-
dom {y).
Though King James had no better Opinion
of the Pope than the Reformed of France^
neverthelefs he thought that this Synodical
Proceeding was very much out of feafon, and
ordered the P.everend Mr. De la Fontaine^ Mi-
nifter of the Walloon Church at London^ to write
to the Lord Du Pleffis upon that Subjedb, and
altogether to defire him to explain what the
Synod had meant when they declared that by
the Word Super-intendant in the thirty -fecond
Article of their Confeffion, they did not under-
ftand any Superiority of one Paftor above ano-
ther ; for it had been mifreprefented to his
Britannick Majefty^ as if the Senate condemned
tacitly the Ecclefiaftical Polity of the Church of
England. After having aniweied to the firfl:
Article, Du Plejfis declared upon the fecond,
that the Synod had no fuch meaning at all, that
they knew very well that the Equality or Un-
equality might be very well tolerated in the
Church Government, provided the one fhould
be without Confufion, and the other without
Tyranny.
That Synod likewife took into their Confide-
ration. Dr. Pifcator*s Opinion concerning our
Juftification, which he afcribed only to the
Imputation of Chrift's Sufferings and Death,
and not to his paflive and adtive Obedience ; and
■Letters were diredled unto him to defire him
to
[y) Thuanus Lib. cxxix. Vie de Du Plellis, Liv. ii.
|>. 296, See. Mcruoires de Du Pleflis, Tom. ii. ad Am.
i'6o3, ^ 1^4-
4 1 6 Hifiory of the Reformation, and of the Vol .IV.
HenrylV. to defift from his Opinion. That Affair was
1603. jjQj. terminated till the next National Syn«d
mfntvni^^ Rochely as we fhall mention in the Year
1607,
They condemned all private Ordination and
Impolition of Hands, and ordered a perfeft
Uniformity to be obferved in that refpeft in all
the Chufches in France. They enabled that
for the future, they fhould not call their Re-
ligion the Pretended Reformed Religion, de-
ciding that it was againft their Confcience, and
by the King's fpecial Licence, they were al-
lowed to ftile themfelves thofe of the Religion
Reformed acccording to the 'Terms of the Edi6ly
in the publick Deeds, l^c.
They received Letters from, the Eleflor Pa-
latine in the Duke of Bouillon's behalf, and an-
fwered them ; whereat the King was much dif-
pleafed, and even threatned to deprive then!
of the Liberty of meeting. They alfo receiv*d
a Petition from the Brethren of the Marquifate
of Saluces, exiled fof their Religion, and re-
folved to moft humbly recommend their Cafe
to his Majefty by their general Deputies, and
to write upon the fame account to the Duke of
Savoy, a.nd tliQ'LoTdof LesDiguieres; they wrote
alfo to thofe of the faid Marquifate, who had
abjured their Religion for avoiding Perfecution,
exhorting them to a thorough Repentance : As
alfo to the Brethren of the Valley of Barcelona,
who craved Advice how to behave themfelves
under their Apprehenfions of being deprived
of their Religious Liberty by the faid Duke of
Savoy ^ and aflured them of all Offices of Chri-
ilian Charity. They wrote alfo to the Uni-
verfities of England, Scotland, Leyden, Geneva,
Heydy.berg, Bafil and Herhorn, about Dr. Pif-
cator*^ Opinion, defiring them to join with
them
feooKVII. Reformed Churches ifi'pRA'iiCE. 417
them in the Cenfure parted againft it. TheyHenrylV.
defired Jikewife the faid UniVerftties, and fome ''^°3-
private perfons to concur with them in procur- ^''e^tvni
ing an Union, at leaft external, with the Lu- (..— .^^-■ui
theran Churches, , which indeed was efFedled
in fome Meafure, as we (hall fay under the
next Year. They made feveral other good and
prudent Regulations as to the Difcipline, and
having confirmed the Lord of St. Germain
Mon-roy^ and Mr. Da Bordes^ in the Office
of Deputies General of the Churches for the
two next Years, and fettled their Accounts of
the Moneys paid by his Mqjefty for the Ufe of
the faid Churches, they ended their SefTions
the twenty-third of O^fober (z).
King James I. having fucceeded to the Crown cxxxviu
of England after Queen Eiizabeth*s Death, '^'^^^^^'
King Henry thought proper to fecure ^'3^'^^y i^oLifent
that Prince to his Intereft, for which reafon he jlmbajfa-
fent the Marquefs oi Rofni as his Ambaifador^sr/oEng-
Extraordinary to England., not only to con-^^"
gratulate his Majefty upon his happy Acceffion
to the Crown of England, and to aflc the
Continuation of the Friendlhip that had fub-
fifted between Henry and Elizabeth, and to re-
new the defenfive Alliance 5 but alfo and efpe-
cially to found how that Prince ftood affedted
towards the United Provinces, whether he
w^ould freely continue to aflift them ; if he was
not in that Difpofition, to carry liimfelf pru-
dently, and not to open unto him his Majefty's
fecret Defigns as to the Houfe of Aujlria \ but
if he found him well-difpofed, he had Orders
to declare unto him the Ways and Means how
to humble that formidable Power, and to re-
duce it into the Limits of Spain, and of its
hereditary Countries in Germany ; fom which
Vol. IV. E e Qnd>..
Cz) Pierre Mathieu, Liv, vi. 5* Narration. Qaick/s
Synodicoa
4 1 8 Hijlary of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
Henryiv.gf-j^ a League might be formed, wherein Den-
p^,^°^"]g.wwM d.nd Szvedeland {hould be admitted, which
mentVIIIv/ould attack at fiv^k the. Z.oiv Counlries, and
'—-V—*-* then the Indies, which fhould be fhared be-
tween the Confederates : then at the fame time
they might raife a powerful Party in Germany,
for fnatching the Empire out of the hands of
that Houfe. He had orders to ijiake feme
otherDemands relating to the Liberty of Trade
between the two Nations, and to complain of
the Plunders which the Engli/Ij made upon the
French in a piratical way, having feized on
above three Millions of Livres of French Ships
fince the Peace of Vervi'ns.
The AmbafTador fucceeded well enough in
his Negotiation as to the defenfive Alliance :
he tells us in his Memoirs, that tho' he had
exprefs Orders from the Pving his Mafter, to
appear in Mourning with all his Retinue, at his
jfirll Audience ; neverthelefs, being forewarned
that he would difoblige the King, who would
doubtlefs look upon this Affectation as a Re-
proach, for not going himfeif into Mourning
for the Queen, he was obliged to comply.
After his return to France, he v/as made Go-
vernor of Poitou, to watch the Duke of ha
irrcmouille''sMot\ons,\\ho was ftrangely fufpeded
at Court, tho' without any ]uft Ground {a).
1604. At the beginning of this Year the Reformed
^-'py'"*'-' in France had a great Lofs to fuftain by the
^?^^^-^ Death of Catharina of Bourbon, Duchefs of
chefs "of ^^^y ^J^d Sifter to the King: that Princefs de-
BarVd'f«//& fired fo earncftly to be with Child, that fhe
miftook the leaft Appearances for the Reality,
fo that it happened that feeling an extraordi-
nary Swelling in her Womb, caufed either by
the bigr ^s of a Moon- calf, or by a Timpany,
her
(«) Memoires du Due de SuIJv^ Torn. ii. ch. 16, 17- kc
Book Vli . Reformed Churches />? France. 419
her Phyficians perfuaded her eafily that fhe was HenrylV*
with Child, and having fuch a Notion^ ^^ ^^' Pote^cie-
folutely refufed to take any Phyfick, or to ap- mentVJli
ply any Remedy proper to remove that Swell- <— «v-.*^
ing, which came at laft to an Iilfiammation ;
and even then fhe abfolutely refufed to take any-
thing, tho' Dr. Lawrence^ the King her Bro-
ther's Phyfician, which he had fent as one of
the moil; expert in the whole Kingdom, afllired
her Royal Highnefs that her Diftemper pro-
ceeded from quite a different Cafe than fhe fan-
cied : yet fhe perfifted in her own Notion to the
laft, recommending her Children to herFather-
in-Law and herHufband,and faying that fhe was
very willing to die, if that furvived hef. At
laft fhe was feized with a Fever, and died in
the greateft Mifery the thirteenth of February.
She was one of the beft PrincefTes of her time,
either as to her publick or private Char adler. Had
the King her Brother followed the DIredions of
Queen Jane their Mother, and married her as
foon as fhe was of Age to be married, as he
had many Opportunities to do it, very likely
he would have faved to himfelf, as well as to
her many Troubles and Vexations, efpecially
if he had accepted of the Match v/ith the King
of Scotland, which was propofed by Queen
Elizabeth her felf. She had much to fuifer for
her Religion, lince the King's Reconciliation
with the See of Rome ; fevera'l Conferences
were held in her Prefence between fome of the
beft Divines of both Parties ; but fhe would
never fufFer Error to triumph over the Truth,
through her Connivance ; and fhe chofe to be
expofed to the Refentment of her Brother and
her own Hufband, rather than to do any thing
againft her Confcience. The Popeh Difpenfation
ibr her Marriage arrived at Na?icy but a few
E e 2 days i .
420 Iliftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
Henryiv. days after her Death. Slie was buried at Ven-
p^°1', dome by her Mother's fide. King Henry was
nientVin^^^P^y ''^^^^^^ \y\t.\\ that Lofs ; the Remem-
(—V—*-' brance of his ill Ufage to her increafed his Sor-
rows. He received the Compliments of all
the Foreign Minifcers upon that melancholy
Occafion, the Pope's Nuncio excepted. That
Minifter was much puzzled, not knowing how
to behave himfelf on this Occafion : for that
Vrincefs having conflantly lived, and being
dead in the Communion of the Reformed
Church, he thought that it vvould be a Difpa-
ragcment to his iVIafler's Authority, did he
carry himfelf like others-, neverthelel's, having
maturely confidered.what he had to do, he
took a middle Way, whereby he thought he
could perform his Duty in this refpecl v.'ithout
giving Offence to the Pope ; he came to Court,
and being admitted to the King's Audience, he
told his Majefty, that amidil that General
Mourning of the Court, he wa*r afFedled with
a quite different feeling from the others ; for
while the King and his Friends lamented the
JLofs of his. Sifter's Body* he wailed for the
Salvation of her Soul, which was in great Dan-
ger. At this the King being highly offended,
anfwered lively, that he thought the Grace of
God to have been fufficient, even at the lafl
breath of her Life, to carry her into Eternal
Blifs, and to admit her into the Society of the
BlefTed Spirits {b),
CXL. A Thing happend this Year, which made
^eries a great Noife both at Court and in the City.
f''^'I^'^,^y HadricinaDuFrefne, a voung Girl born at Ger-
Peter Cot- '^^^'OS ntav Amiens, pretending to be poffefTed,
ton, to a was brought to Paris, fhe v.as fhewii in the
pofejed Bernardins-Street^ where Ihe lodged, and was
*'^' alfo.
{b) Thuan. Lib, cxxxii.
Book VII. Keformed Churches in France* 421
alfo frequently brought to the Monaftery of 5"/. HemylV.
yi5ior iov the fame purpofe •, a vaft Number „ ''^°'^-
of People reforted there every day, no lefs -nentvur
than had fome Years before for Martha Brof-
Jiere : amongft others, the Jefuit Peter Cotton
the King's ConfefTor went to exorcife her -, and
whereas he was very curious, or for fome other
■Reafons, he took this Opportunity to inquire
of her about many things which he defired to
know, and for eafing his own Memory, he
fet down in Writing feventy-one Queries,
whereupon he defired to be thoroughly fatif-
iied, fome of them were concerning the King's
Converfion, and Length of Life, whether the
firft was iincere, and the fecond long, or not ?
Some others concerned the St:ite *, fome the
Reformed, defiring to know the beft way to
convert or deftroy them •, fome v/ere learned
fuch as thefe, "Whether Languages came from
God ? Which was the plaineft Text of the
Scripture to prove Purgatory and Invocation of
Saints? How all the Animals could be con-
tained in the Ark of Noah? Who were the
Sons of God who fell in love with the Daugh-
ters of Men ? Whether the Serpent walked
upon his Feet before the Fall of Adam ? How
long our firft Parents remained in Paradife ?
Whom arethofe feven Spirits before the Throne
of God ? and fuch other like Queries. Some
others rcfpedled himfelf, and fome his Society.
He had put that Sheet of Paper, written with
his ov/n Hand, in a Book of Exorcifm which
he had borrov/ed of a Friend, and when he
return'd the Book, he forgot to take that Pa-
per back. That Gentleman unluckily knew
not Cotton's Hand-writing, and did not think
that he was the Author of thefe Queries ; he
gave the Paper to another Friend, and from
E e 3 this
422 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the VoL.lV •
HenrylV-this to anotlitr, till at laft it came into the
p'^°^jg hands of the Marquifs of Rofni^ who fhewed
n-,ep.rVIlI it to the King. Moft part of thofe who faw
c—v-— ' that Paper, deemed feme of the Queftiors con-
tain'd therein imf>iou,,.:ire tre:fonable,and feme
ridiculous and unworthy of a Man of his Gown,
and confequently condemned him as a Mart
whom the Law ought to profecute and punifh ;
very few looked upon it as the Effed of a pre-
poftercus Zeal for Religion. The King was
one of thefe lafl, he had exprefsly commnnded
the Marquifs of Rofni to keep the Original by
him, and his Majefty, v;ho was fo much taken
with Cotton^^ great Parts, that he confulted
him upon every thing, was very forry when
he heard that Copies had been drawn of that
Paper and fpread abroad, being fenfible that
it could not but be prejudicial to the Reputa-
tion of his new Favourite ; therefore to ftop
his Courtiers Mouths, he diffembled his real
Sentiments, zrd rommended what he inwardly
condemned, fo that that Affair went no further
for the prefent {c).
' CXLI. Cardinal Arnauld D'OJfat died at Rome this
jyo^^'s Y^^^' i" *^'^ ^°"^^ °^ March, aged fixty-
Death. feven Years, fix Months, and twenty Days :
he was born in a paultry Village near Aucbs
in Gmenne, of a Family fo obfcure, that he
himfelf knew not his own Relations ; forae
fay that his Father was a Mountebank, who
died fo poor that he left not enough to pay
the Charges of his Burial •, and fome others
fay that he was the Natural Son of the Lord
of the Manor where he was born. Howbe-
it, when he died he left no other Heirs than
the Poor and his own Servants. But God Al-
mighty had endowed him with fuch extraor-
dinary
(c) Thuanus, ibid.
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches //z Fr a n c E . 423
dinary and excellent Gifts of the Mlnd^ thatHenrylV.
they abundantly fupplied whatever was defec-p '^°+"
tive in his Birth. His Wit, Learning, Piety, memVllf
Probity and exquifite Sagacity, were no fooner v— -v— ^
difplayed at the Court of Rome^ but he was
thought to match all thofe who had made them-
felves confpicuous by their Nobility and other
Advantages of Fortune ; he went beyond many
of them, and behaved himfelf in a way fo
unbknieable, that he commanded Love and
Admiration from every one during the whole
courfe of his Life, (the Marquifs of Rofni and
. his Secretaries excepted).
He lived after fuch a maimer for thirty-one
Years together at the Court of Rome^ that he
appeared always free from all Ambition, and
with fuch a Modefty amid ft the high Digni-
ties wherewith he was invefted, that every one
agreed that he deferved to be raifed to the '
higheft Pitch of Grandeur whereat a Roman
Clergyman of his Parts can afpire. Flis Let-
ters ought to be read with Attention by every
Politician, for they are written with a conve-
nient Gravity, and full of an agreeable Diver-
fity of Narrations and judicious Reflexions,
and very proper to inform the Mind of a
Minifter of State {d). Du Perron inherited
his Cardinal's Hat.
While the King was bufy in his publick CXLIL
Buildings, in fettling Manufadories and other L'Hofte'f
like Employments worthy a great Prince when '^'■^''/''"•
he has fettled Peace at home and abroad, and
which are conducive to the Glory, Welfare,
and Happinefs of his Subjeds, the Enemies of
the State v/ere hard at work by their clandef-
tii^e and wicked Praftices, to plunge again the
E e 4 King-
(d) Thuanus, Lib. cx>Lxx. Wicquefort, de TAmbafTa-
deur, Liv. ii. Seft. 10, & 17.
424 JJJftory of the Reformafton, and of tbeYoi . IV.
HenrylV. Kingdom into its former Confufions and Mife-
1604. j-jes^ 'phe Spaniards feeing that they could
mentVIII "°^ compafs their Ends by open Force, fparecj
no Money or fair Promifes of Preferment, to
engage thofe who were in Offices of the greateft
Truft, to betray the Secrets of the King's Privy
Council ; and the Corruption of the Age was
fuch, that they found no great Difficulty to
facceed according to their Wifhes. Among
thefe Villains who fuffered themfelves to be
bribed out of their Fidelity, there was one
Nicholas VHojle^ Secretary to ViUe.roy^ who
was born, and had been brought up in his
Matter's Houfe, who was very fond of him
becaufe of his bright Parts, and that he was
his Godfather, he promoted, his Advancement
as much as he could, and employed him to
decypher the Letters in his Office. That Man
being ambitious to raife his Fortune above his
Condition, did ftick at nothing that might
ferve his Turn, and bafely betraying the Truft
repofed in him, revealed to the Spanijh Am-
baflador the moft fecret Defigns and Re-
folutions of the Privy Council. He had
been given by J^ilkroy to Rochepot, when he
went AmbafTador to Spain^ for learning the
SpnniJJj Language i and having contraded a
ftridler Fricndfhip with the Spaniards^ he pro-
ftituted his Faith and Honour for a Penfion of
1200 Crowns a Year : He kept likewife a ftridl
Familiarity with one Rqffisy who was an Exile
in Spain, having been one of the excepted
in the general Pacification, This Man, receiv-
ing frequent Letters from DHoJle, after his
return in France, thought to have met a pro-
per opportunity of obtaining his Pardon, by
betraying the Secret of his Friend. With this
View he went to Du Bar ail, who had fuc-
ceeded
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 42 5
cceded Rochepot^ and told him all the Secret ; HenrylV.
it happened juft at that time, that the Am- p'^°^j^_
baHador had occafion to talk with the Pope's mtntVIII
Legate at Madrid^ about fome fecret Affair
that was in agitation in the Council oi France-,
and the Legate told him, that he -had been
already informed thereof by the Spanifi Mi-
nifters, and even of much more than what Du
Barail had thought proper to declare ; where-
by that Ambaffador was fully convinced of the
Truth of Raffis^s Charge againft VHojie,
Thereupon, without any further delay, he dif-
patched his own Secretary Befcartes with the
faid Raffis to the Court of France^ with Let-
ters to Villeroy^ and thofe which Raffis had re-
ceived from VHojie. Their fudden Departure
made the Minifters of Spain to fufpecl that
VHoJle^s Treafon was detecfled ; they difpatch-
ed an Exprefs to Baltazar de Zuniga, the Spa-
nijh Ambaflador at the Court of France., or-
dering him to give timely Notice to VHojie
of the danger he was in. This Exprefs ar-
rived fooner than Raffis., fo that the Traitor
having been warned by Zuniga, came to Fon-
tainbleau., where the Court was, and confe-
quently Villeroy., in order to make fome Dif-
covery, and the neceffary Provifions for his
Efcape, As foon as he defcried Raffis with T>ej-
cartes juft arriving at Fontainbleau, he with-
drew fuddenly, and fled with a Fleming., which
Ztiniga had fent unto him for that purpofe,
Meffengers were out of hand difpatched after
him in order to arreft him ; they overtook him
at ha Fay, near ha Ferte., in Champaign., where
he was to crofs the Marne over a Ferry-boat,
'but the Wretch was fo frightned with the
Nolfe of the Horfes that ran after him, (it
was a very dark Night) that attempting to ford
. the
4 C 6 Hlftory of the Reformatton, and of the Vo l .1 V.
HenrylV. the River, he fell into a Pit, and was drow-
'^°+- ned. His Guide was taken and brought a-
inentVin^°"g with the Corpfe to Paris^ being ftrongiy
k— -V— -^ rufpe^ted of having procured VHcJle's Death,
by the S-panijh Ambaffadcr's Order, left, be-
ing taken alive, he fhould declare his Accomr.
plices •, neverthelefs, as there was no Evidence
againft the faid Guide, he was releafed. As to
the Corpfe, it was tried, the Parliament al-
lowing an Attorney to plead for it •, and be-
ing found guilty, he was fentenced to be quar-
te^red at four Horfe's Tails, and his Quarters
to be fet upon fo many Gibbets at the En-
trance of the City ; which Sentence was exe-
cuted. As to Villeroy^ he was in the greateft
Anxieties, efpecially on account of his Secre-
tary's Death, whereby he faw himfelf depriv-
ed of the prcpereft Means of clearing him-
felf j for there wanted not People that fufpeded
Him, as if he had had a hand in this Villany -,
but his Majefty was gracioufly pleafed to com-
fort him, and to filence at Court thofe who
attempted to reflcdi: upon that Minifter*s Con-
dud:.. R^jf'S obtained his Majefty's moft gra-
cious Pardon, as he had been promifed by the
Trench AmbafTador at Madrid^ and made fe-
veral other Difcoveries which occafioned that
of the Qowxitoi Aiivergne^ the Marquefs^*£«-
tr agues ^ and the Marchionefsof Ft-ri^/^w/V's Plot
againft the Government, {e)
CXLIir. The Count and the Marquefs had treated
The Count yfi\\)ci the Ambaftador oi Spain, with the Mar-
^/^p/'^'chionefs's Cqnfent, to have her, with her Chil-
^difcove!'d. ^'"^"s fafely conveyed into Spain. That Ne-
t^ociation had begun with 'Taxis, and had been
continued and brought to a Conclufion with
Zmiga his Succefibr ; and Morgan, an Engliflo
Gentle-
(e) Tliuan. Lib. cxxxii.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 427
Gentleman, who had been in the Service of Henry IV.
the late C^een of Scotland, was the Manager p^^;^''!^.
thereof. The Charge againfl them was, that mentVIlI
they had communicated to the Spanijfj Am- u— y-^J
baflador the Promife of Marriage above-men-
tioned, which the King had made to theMar-
chionefs of Verneuili to engage her to corn-
ply with his Defires, and had made a fecret
Treaty with him, whereby King Philip III.
promifed to affift him * for raifing the Mar- * ^^^Coawr
chionefs's eldeft Son upon the Throne ; and "/^"verg-
for that purpofe, to give him 500,000 Livres
ready Money, and to fend the Troops he
had in Catalonia to fupport the Malecontents
in Guienne and Languedoc. Nay, he was charg-
ed with having plotted to attempt to mur-
der the King, when he fhould go to the Mar-
chionefs his Sifter ; but that part of the Charge
was not much credited.
Now, when the Count had feen Raffis ar-
rived at Court, he queftioned not but that the
Intrigue was difcovered, and went away into
the Country of Awjergne^ on pretence of ibme
Quarrel, which he had pick'd at Court. The
King fent after him Orders to come back ;
he declined to obey, unlefs his Majefty would
be pleafed to fend his Abolition in due Form
for all paft Offences : That was granted him,
but upon this Condition, 'that bejhould injiantly
come to Court.
He could never be prevailed upon to trufi: 7^? Count
himfelf on the King's Word : So that his Ma-««^ his ^
jefty W2S obliged to have him arretted in y^;/- ^"^^'^^^'^'"^
vergne^ which could not be executed but by ^^^'^''^
Surprize ; he was brought to Faris under
a ftrong Guard, and clapt into the Baft He :
Entragues and his Wife were arretted in
th-ejr own Countrv Seat of Makjherhes -, the
firft
T^he^ are
fried.
And con
d^ninsd.
428 Hijtory of the Reformat io}2,a7id of the Vol. IV.
Henryl V, firft was brought to the Jail of the Parliament
'^°j- at Paris ; as to the Marchionefs their Daugh-
mentvm f^^» ^^ ^^^ ^^^ o^" HoLife for a Prifon, and
Guards were fet upon her : this happened in
Odober.
And not to break the Thread of this Rela-
tion ; I fhall fay, that the next Year they were
tryed by the ParJiament, found guilty of the
Crimes iaid to their charge, and condemned ;
the Count, Ent'ragues^ and Morgan to be be-
headed in the Greve, and the Marchionefs to be
fhut up in a Nunnery at Beaumont near 'Tears ^
till further Information could be made. But
his Majefty's AfFedion for the Marchionefs
was too ftrong for fufFering him to deal with
her, with the feverity fhe and her Relations
defervcd, nor even to let them languifli long
under the uncertainty of their Fate j for on
the 23d of March 1605 (the Sentence had
pafied the lil: of February) he caufed his Let-
ters-Patent to be drawn up under the great
Seal, which were verified in ParJiament, where-
by he granted her Liberty to retire to her own
Houfe oi Verneuil y but that (lie fhoujd con-
verfe or fpeak with no body elfe but her owa
Domefticks *, and at laft, in the Month of Sep-
tember following, he reftored her to her full Li-
berty, Honours and Favours, forbidding his At-
torney-General, and all the Courts of the King-
dom'to take any Cognizance of that Affair,
or make any Profecution againft her on that
Account for the future.
As to the Count of Auvergne, the Lord of
Entragnes, and Morgan^ the King, in the fame
Month of September, commuted their Puniih-
ment, and inftead of Death, the two firft were
condemned to Prifon for Life, and the laft
to a perpetual Banifhment out of the Kingdom ;
I he
The King
mitigates
l;he Stft-
ience.
Book VII. Reformed Churches in FkAiiCE, 425^
he reftored the twofirft to their FamCj EftatesHenrylV.
and Honours, depriving them, however, ofpJ^'^CIe.
all their Governments -, and even d'Enir agues jrientV lit
obtained Leave to keep himfelf Prifoner in his ^- — v— — '
Houfe. (f)
Thefe Difcoveries made not only the King, CXLIV,
but all his Reformed Subjeds very uneafy, be- j^Xvy^^j
caufe they looked upon all thofe who held o/ti>e King
Intelligence with Spaitty as their fworn Ene-«W//'(?i?e-
mies, and believed that all the Projed:s of that-/^'"'"^'^'/'''
Court aimed at their Ruin ; therefore they were "^j^"-^ £^-^_
continually watching to difcover the Defigns w/Vj/
of that Cabal, and to oppofe its growing too
powerful in France, where they had, as one
may fay, no Friend but the King, and even
they were not fo fure of him, as to have no
diftruft of him, feeing that he fuffered him-
felf to be too much influenced by the Jefuits,
their irreconcilable Enemies. His Majefly was
not ignorant of thefe Fears aiid Jealoufies of
his Reformed Subjedls -, and was gracioufly plea-
fed to do feveral Things in their behalf, in
order to -allay them as much as he could,
knowing that they proceeded from good Prin-
ciples. With that View it was that he favourably
anfwered their Petitions tendered this Year by
their Deputies General, and redreiled their
Grievances, Neverthelefs their Enemies were
continually fuggefting one thing or other to
the King to their Difadvantage, efpecially at
this time, that they were folliciting a Licence
for holding a Political AfTembly ; fometimes
they were reprefented as intending to canton
themfelves, and to form a kind of a Republick
in the State •, others faid, that they were ready
to rife in the Duke of Bouiiion*s behalf, and
were to introduce a German Army in the very
heart
(/} Thuanus Lib. cxxxii. and cxxxiv.
430 'Htftory of the "Reformation^and of the Vol. IV.
Henry IV. heart of the Kingdom, and that the Duke oiLa
1604 <rremouille. Du Pkjfis Mornay, and fome other
Pope Cle- Tv-^, r 11 o-- --oi--
mentVill Malecontcnts lomented that bpjnt or Sedition m
V—V-— 'their Party -, and fuch other like Stuff, which
had no better Foundation than the fancy or
malice of thefe Reporters, who endeavoured to
alienate the King from his faithfulleft Sabjeds,
Tho' that Prince was too wife . and prudent
to give an entire Credit to all thefe idle Sto-
ries ; nevertheless, he thought proper to fend
the Marquefs oi Rofni in Poitou^ that, under
pretence of taking pofiefrion of his Govern-
ment, he might dive into the Defigns of the
Reformed Lords, and fpy their Adlions, He
was honourably received at Snumur, when he
came there on his return to Court, by the
Lord Du Pkjfis^ and after fome Difcourfes ex-
changed about publick Affairs, Rofni told him,
'That: being one of the King^s Servants, he could
iiot deny thai he had done and known fcveral
things which he ought not, and whereof he
was in Duty bound to give Notice to his Ma-
jffiy. Whereto Du Plejfis anfwered, That the
greateji Honour his D/lajefiy could do him^ was
to order a thorough Inquiry to be made into his
'■j^hcle Behaviour \ that he (Rofni) 'H a 5 upon the
Place, and might inquire, if he had a mind^
that the more U'e King fhould be acquainted with
his Aulions, and his whole Proceedings, the
7ncre he would take them kindly of him, and zvould
find real Services in/lead of ill Offices. But that
N. B. he did not think itjirange, becaufe his Majefly
had reafon to fufpe^t him, judging of his Ac-
tiom, rather by that Pajfion which naturally
ought to caryy him beyond the bounds of Duty,
and not by that Confidence which was firong
enough to refirain him, and was the confiant
Rule ofi his Attions. As to what he had known ;
ha
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 43 1
he never thought that the King intended to era- Kc!^>;y IV-
ploy him as a Spy : That it was not worth the p^^^^^l^^
while of his Majefty, any more than himfelf, that mentVIII
he Jhoiild inform him of every Hafiinefs or mad «— v— ^
Prank, that may happen in a CountYy, which,
for the moji part are repented of as foon as com-
mitted, &c. This was faid efpeciaJly on the
Duke of ha Tremouillc's Account, whofe Dif-
courfes were fo ill reprefeiited at Court, that
he received repeated Orders to come diredly,
and was ready to obey, notwithftanding the
Advices of his Friends, when Death deliver-
ed him from all his Troubles in the Month of
Odtober, as aforefaid.
Rofni being returned to Court, the King CXLV.
was willing to grant the Reformed a Licence 7"/-'^ iT/K^
for holding a Political Aflembly, but upon (\ich.S^'^^f^ ^^^^
Terms which had never been heard of before -, ^ /;;^^^^^
for he willeth, i ° That fome Perfon of h\s for hdji,?.
own chuflng fhould preftde m his own Name« 'P^'V^'V^'
in the Provincial as well as in the General Af- ^«%- ^
femblies, to infpe(5fc whatever fhould be tranf-
ad:ed. 2*^. That the Deputies to that Affem-
bly, fhould fettle amongft themfelves fuch an
Order, that for the future, their General De-
puties at Court could be named without any
AfTembly, whereby the Council intended to
break, off the Union that fubfifted between
the Reformed Churches in the Kingdom, had
they flicceeded in that Attempt. But upon
Du 'Pleffis's, warm Remonftrances, his Majefty
quite altered his Mind, and granted them full
Liberty to aflemble the next Year as ufual
at Chatelheraud; nay, he was very angry a-
gainft Du Frefne Fcrget, one of the Secretaries
.of States, who had been the Author and Ad-
vifer of thefe Subtilties, and obliged him to
own that it was a grofs Miftake, and that the
Matter
432 Hiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol.IV.
HenrylV. Matter had not been well underftood, (for the
1604. abovefaid Conditions had been inferted in the
m^tVin^^ft Licence, and had much offended the Re-
formed. J {g)
The Froteftant and Reformed Churches of
Poland had held ferae Years before a Natio-
nal Synod, and drew up a ConfenfuS, where-
by the Churches of the Augujian, Bohemian y
and Helvetian Cohfeflion agreed together under
tertain Conditions very pious and prudent, for
their common Defence ; declaring, that the
Controveriy about the Lord's Supper ought
not to hinder their Brotherhood, feeing that
they agreed as to the Thing itfelf^ and dif-
fered only as to the Manner. That Union was
very neceflary for them, being oppreffc^d and
cruelly perfecuted by the Catholicks, and ef-
pecially the Jefuits of that Country, and it
proved much advantageous for them, inafmuch
fls from being formerly defpicublc, becaufe of
their difanion, they came much refpedable and
dreaded in the State. It ferved alfo as a Pat-
tern to the Froteftant and R formed Princes
of Germany^ who endeavoured to procure a
Reunion amongft the Divines of both Parties,
for which end they intended to hold a Na-
tional Synod i but more of this under another
Year, {h)
This Year three Popes were fucceffively {t^n
at Kcme •, for Clement VIII. died in the Month
of March, having fat for thirteen • Years, one
Month and five Days together \ it is faid, that
he died through a too great Application, for
fearching into the intricate and obfcure Quef-
-tion about Grace and Free-Will-, whereby he
heated
(g) Vie de Du PleiTis Mornay, Liv. ii. Memoires du
meme, Tom. ii.
(h) Memoires ds Du Pleflis M>?riiay, Tom. ii.
iboq.
CXLVl.
element's
Vllf.
Death'
Book VII. Reformed Churches inVYiK^clf, 433
heated his Blood, was feized with aFever, which^^"^/^^*
carried him off in a few Days. The Scholafticks, p ' ^jg_
being always affected with an itching Defire of mentVIII
calling every thing in cjueftion, (omo. Fathers J e-
fuits had moved the laft Year three Queries at
Rome^ which occafionedgreatHeatsinthatCoilrt,
and gave great Offence to all Chriftendom. The
firft, That it was not an Article of Faith to believe
that Clement Ylll. was Pope. The Pope was
fo much provoked at it, that, had it not been for
the powerful Interceflion of the Spanijh Ambaf-
fador, that Society would have been in great
Danger. The fecond, That the Sacramental Con-
fejjion could be made by Letters fent to a Dire^or
ofConfcience. The third was about Afo//»(2*s O-
pinion, concerning the Grace of God. As to the
two firft, the good Fathers were obliged moft
humbly to fubmit to the Pope*s Will, and recant
thefe two extravagant Propofitions : But as to
the third, concerning the Grace of God, they
afTerted it with all their Might againft the Domi-
nicans. Thefe laft oppofe it, as contrary to St.
Thomases Opinion, and even St. AiiftirL% which
had been received in all the Wcficrn Churches.
The Pope referred them to the Congregation de
AuxiliiSy which he had already appointed from
the Year 1598, for examining the Opinions of
the Dominicans and Jefuits, concerning thefe
Points. The faid Congres;ation fubfifted to the
Year 1607, when PaulV. put an end to it : The
Di vines whereof it was compofed, the P(?/)f J efpe-
cially, inclined much to condemn Molina^s Opi-
nion, aflerted by the Jefuits. ( Fhis Ludovicus
Molina, was a Divine in the Univerfity of the
Society ofjefus, ot Evora in Portugal], he wrote
a Book. De Concordia Gratia ^ Liberi Arbitrii^
wherein he widely differed from the Thomijls O-
pinion •, for he affsrted that fufficient Graces v/ere
Vol. ly. V f granted
4^4 Hiftory of the RefGrmatton, and of theYot . IV.
HenrylV. granted to every one, which produces different
p'^^[,*jgJEffe<fls, according to thedifferent Ufe that Men
mentVIIl niake of their Liberty ; and I don't know what
V-— ,^,-i— »' middle fort of Science in God, to know the fu-
ture Events under certain Conditions.) Never-
thelefs nothing was decided by that Congrega-
tion ♦, only they commanded Silence to both
Parties, till a publick Definition fhould be made •,
which Silence has never been obferved by either.
CXLVII. After dementis Death, there were great In-
eUaed ' ^^^S"^^ ^^ ^^^ Conclave, efpecially amongft the
hisfiead. Aldohrandim and Mont alt ine Fadions, for the E -
le<5lion of a new Pope. Cardinal Baronius was
challenged by the Spaniards^ on account of
his having faid in his Annals, that the King-
doms of Naples and Sicily were Fiefs of the
See of Rome ; whereupon the faid Cardinal
made feveral ridiculous Exclamations, (I mean
on his being excluded.) The FrencJo ¥?i&\o\\
carried the Point, and by the Intereft of Car-
dinal de Joyeufe., Cardinal Alexander of Medi'
cis was eledled Pope: It is faid, that this
Eledlion coft King Heitry above three hun-
dred thoufand Crowns. He took the Name
of Leo XI. and on account of the Queen of
j/'r(2;zf^ his Relation, his Acceffion to the Papal
Throne was ufhered in with the grcateft De-
monltratlons of Joy j the great Guns fired at
Paj'isy and Bonfires were made throughout
the whole Kingdom. But that Joy was foon
turned into Sorrow, and the great Hopes cou-
H/iZ>^a/^.ceived of him foon vanifned away by hisDeath^
for he was feized with a little flight Fever the
very Day of his Inauguration, through the great
Fatigue of the Day, which increafing violent-
ly upon him , carried him ofir'the 25th Day of
his Pontificate, in the 70th Year of his Age.
Paul V. e- The intrigues began again in the Conclave,
/fm^^ Po^e. gj^^ ^^^Q carried to a great Heat •, nay, it
happened
Book VII. ReformeJC/Mrcbes in Fran cbI 435
happened that two Cardinals, to wit, Cardi- HenrylV
nal 'Tofco da Reggio and Cardinal -S^''^^^'^-^ pl^°Paul
having been propofed by their feveral Par- v.
ties, were brought by the fame into different <—->r«^
Chapels, and their Party was ready to pro-
ceed to Adoration ; and no better way could
be devif^id to compofe thefe Difcords, than
what had been made ufe of in, the late E-
ledion, viz. that the Aldobrandine and Mon--
taltine Faflions fhould join their Votes and
Intereft together with the French^ which be-
ing accordingly done by Cardinal oi Joyeufe's
Intrigues, Cardinal Camille Borghefe was eleded
Pope on the i6th oiMay, and took the Name
of Paul V. {j )
And now to return to France^ the Reformed CXLVriL
were very bufy in holding their Provincial ^''^'^'.'^^'~
AiTemblies preparative to the National, which ^^^'^'7^
the King had granted them by his Warrant, Reformed
and was to meet at Chaielheraud the z ^th fir their Po"
of July. The Lord Bu Pleffis, always atten- ^'^'^f^/^^-
tive to whatever was conducive to the King's
Service, to the Welfare of the Kingdom, and
to the Security of the Reformed Churches, failed
not to write to feveral Provinces, adviiing them
of what they were to do, and how they ought
to behave themfelves in the prefent Juncture ;
he drew up a Memorial for that purpofe, con-
taining feveral Inftrudlions as to the Choice
of the Deputies which each Province was to
fend to the General Aflembly ; as to the Af-
fairs vvhich they were to treat oF in the faid
Aflembiy, and the Petitions they were to pre-
fent to the King •, as to the Manner of re-
newing the Oath of Union between the Re-
formed Churches of the Kingdom, which would
F f 2 be
(/) Thuanus, Lib. CJWxiv. Mezeray Troifieme Part.
Tom. 6.
436 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV,
HcnrylV-be much more acceptable to his Majefty, did
„ *^S5- they add this exprefs Claufe, that they did
V. unite themlclves together under the Ubedience
of the King, and of My Lord the Dau-
phin, &c. He propofed likewife, that an-
other Oath fhould be taken by all the Depu-
ties of the AfTembly, whereby they (hould oblige
themfelves upon their Faith and Honour to re-
nounce all Intrigues, Practices, &c. and to
follow only the Direction of their own Con-
fciences in all their Deliberations and Refolu-
tions ; as alfo not to divulge any thing out
ofthe Affembly without the Confent and Li-
cence of the fame. He advifed them alfo to
depute fome of the beft qualified of the faid
AfTembly to the Marquefs of Rofni^ for re-
turning their moft humble and hearty Thanks
to his Majefty for the fending fuch a Perfon
as the Marquefs was, to notify unto them
his moft gracious Intentions. And at the fame
time to give the faid Marquefs to underftand,
that if they had infifted with his Majefty for
not fending a Deputy to prefide in his Name
- in their Afiembly, it was not for want of Re-
fped for his Perfon and Merits, but not to
make a Precedent for others againft their
own Liberty, being not fure of having for
the future a Perfon in all refpedls fo well qua-
lified, and inclined for the good of their Churches
as he was •, and that was to be only a Com-
pliment, for preventing the Propolition which
the faid Marquefs could have been tempted
to make, diredtly or indirecfdy, to be admit-
ted in the faid AfTembly by way of Gratifi-
cation. As to the Places of Sureties, his O-
pinion was, that the Aftembly ought not to
infift upon any thing more, did the Mar-
quefs ofTer th;m purely and fimply the Pro-
longation
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 437
^ongation of the Term during which they wereHenrylV.
to keep them by the firft Warrant of his Ma- « \^°^' ,
jefty. But ir he did not make the expected v_
offer, they ought to fend a Deputation to the<— v*— J
faid Marquefs, if he was impowered to treat
with them upon that Article, or to the King
himfelf, if not. And if he diftinguifhed be-
tween Royal and Private Places, willing to
grant the firft and to take away the others,
the Deputies ought to be charged to make
proper Reprefentations againft fuch a Diftinc-
tion. Such and other like were the Advices
which Du Pleffts fent to feveral Provinces ;
whereupon they regulated the Inftruftions they
gave to their Reprefentatives in the Politi-
cal Afiembly of Chatelheraud ; and let it be
iaid, to the Immortal Glory of that truly Great
Man, notvvithftanding the wicked and bafe Ca-
lumnies of the Compilers of Suiiy's Memoirs,
had it not been for his great Credit amongft
the whole Body of the Reformed Churches in
France, and his great Moderation, Things would
not have been tranfaded in that AfTembly with
fuch quietnefs, nor fo much to the King's fa-
tisfadion, as they were.
If we do give as much Credit to thefe Scrib- CXI.TX.
Mers, as the Rev. Mr. Benoit has too confi- •**"'"■'''' i^'^-
dcntly done, in his Hiftory of the Edid of-^^^j/J*
yantz, the Reformed had been very trouble- Lvi/>//^>o
fome, nay. Seditious in the Provinces of G^Z-o/'Rofm'.-
emie and Languedcc, of Dauphine and Bttrgun- ^^'■'"'oi>i.
dy\ and elfewhere, where they held their Pro-
vincial Afiemblies for the Eled:ion of their Re-
prefentatives in the National, and for draw-
ing up their Inftrudlions. A Letter of the
Lord St. Germain^ one of the General Depu-
ties of the Reformed Churches at Court, di-
xt&.^<i to th-? Duke of Bouillon^ had been in -
F f ^ tercepted,
43^ Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the VoL.IVi
HenrylV.tercepted, which indeed was fufficient to prove
PfLplul the faid General Deputy guilty ofHigh-Trea-
V. fon, had it been genuine. A private MemoiJ*
'written by Du Pie/Jis, different from that a-
bove-mention'd, and difperied amongft the
Deputies of the Provinces to the General Af-
fembly, whereby he advifed them to oppofe
all the Proportions to be made by the Mar-
quefs of Rofni in the King's Name, and to
ftand their ground, was come into the hands
of the faid Marquefs, and fent by him to
Court. In fhort, according to them, the Si-
tuation of Affairs was fuch, that ■ the King-
dom was threatened with an approaching Re-
volution, if a fpeedy Remedy was not applied
to the Difeafe, and the Duke of Bouillon, Ro-
han, the Lords Du PleJJis, Lefdiguieres, &c.
were the Authors and Abettors of thefe Com-
motions ; whereof no better Proof could be
had, at leaft as to the Lord Du PleJJis, than
the inveterate Malice aild Hatred of Rofni a-
gainft him. The Truth is, that the Duke
of Bouillon^ feeing the King's Inflexibility, who
had not been moved by the Interceffions of
Queen Elizabeth., nor by that of the greateft
Princes of Germany, and of the four Prote-
ftant Cantons of Switzerland, but perlifted in
his Ill-will again ft him, tired with three Years
Exile, and underftanding that the King was
advifed to befiege Sedan •, did not care to ftop
the Motions of his Friends in Guienne and Lan^
guedoc, though they adled without his Orders,
in hopes to divert his Majefty's Arms, at leaft
for a time. Thefe Commotions were very rife
in thefe two Provinces, they had been raifed
by the late Duke of 5/ro», were kept up and
fomented by the Count of Auvergne and the
Spanijb Fadion ; Blrcn'*s Friends were inraged
Book VII. Reformed Churches in'^RAiiC'E. 439
at his Death, they looked upon his MajeftyHenrylV.
as a Tyrant, and mifled no opportunity ofre-p'^°^- .
viling his Government and Adminiftration. y.
The Duke of Bouillon J. ad like wife many Friends'
in thefe Provinces, where moft part of his
ample Eftates lay •, they very inconfiderately
joined with the Bironians^ and pretended an
Order from the Duke for fo doing ; nay, they
gave out, that in a (hort time he would come
at the Head of a ftrong Army to their re-
lief, and other like things, which had no bet-
ter Foundation than their ambitious or de-
luded Imagination ; being not at all warranted
by the Duke in what they did or faid, as
we fhall fee by unqueftionable Witneffes un-
der the next Year.
True it is again, that the Churches of fe-
veral Southern Province^ were much offend-
ed to fee a Lord, of fuch Quality and Rank
as the Duke was, fo obftinately perfecuted,
without any appearing Caufe, and denied for
three Years together what could not be denied
even to the meaneft of the Subjeds of his
Religion, viz. to be tried by one of the Cham-
bers of the Edift i therefore fome of them had
had a mind to charge their Reprefentatives to
make a Motion in the General Aflembly, for
interceding to the King in the faid Duke's
Behalf But they were diverted from that
Thought, by the wife and prudent Remon-
ftranccs of Du Flejjis.
It is true likewife, that the General Aflem-
bly had a mind to take notice of the Affairs
of the Principality of Or j«|-f, becaufe the Church
of that City, and the Governor of the Caftle,
namely Blaccons^ had given them to underftand
that Religion would be in danger, were the
Governour changed, as the King and the Prince
Ff4 ^ of
440 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vql*. I V^
Henry IV. of Orange * intended to do : but upon better
/'cp/paul^"f°^"^^^^°"' ^^^y wifely left that Affair to the
V. King's Difpofal.
*— v-^^ It is true again, that the Affembly had at
I^rSf ^'^ refoJved to infift upon the Settlement of
leafeaof ^ Council in every Province, who fhould cor-
latefrom refpond one with another for the Mainte-
his long nance of good Order among themfelves,
S^7« and the better Obfervation of the Edi6t : and
Spain. we fhall leave it to any judicious Reader,
whether Rofni afted the part of a good Re-
formed, who had at heart the Safety and Wel-
fare of his Brethren, or the part of a flavifh
Courtier, when going far beyond his Orders,
he oppofed with all his Might fuch a Settle-
ment? at leaft, if we believe what the Com-
pilers of his Memoirs have written upon this
Subjedl.
^ranfaai- Let US come to the AfTembly which met
ons of that on the 25th of July.
J/embly. Several Hiftorians, and Me^eray himfelf,
have confidently faid, that Rofni prefided in
it ; whereas the Compilers of his Memoirs fay,
he did not. But then, according to their wont-
ed Cuftom, they turn this to rheir Hero's ad-
vantage ; for they pretend that it was out of
Modefty, that he refufed that Honour which
the Aflembly would confer upon him as
foon as they met together. They pretend,
that the King underftanding that he did not
prefide, was fomething angry v/ith the Af-
fembly, but was appeafed by Rcfni^s Letter,
whereby he let his Majefty know, that it was
not the Aflembly, but his own Fault, if he
did not prefide, becaufe he had thought that it
was more for his Majefty's Service if he fhould
abftain, than if he did accept. But the truth
is, Thd.tRof}ii was no fooner arrived at Cha^
telheraudi
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 44 1
telheraud, than he endeavoured to bribe theHenrylV.
Deputies as they arrived one after a^noth^^ p J^ Pal,i
defiring their Votes and Intercft for his being y.
eleded Prefident of that AfTembly : That he"
was propofed for fuch in the faid AiTembly ;
but that Step was thought of fo great Con-
fequence, as making a Precedent for the fu-
ture, that he had but two Votes for him, and
the reft unanimoufly voted againft him. Af-
terwards, if we beheve his own Scribblers, he
behaved himfelf, during the time of the Af-
fembly, more like a Foe than a Friend to the
Reformed, and difputed the Ground Inch by
Inch before he granted them what the King
had empower'd him to grant.
Another thing, wherein he was more fuc-
cefsful, was to hinder the Aflembly from re-
ceiving any Deputies, or Letters from any pri-
vate Perfon of what Rank or Quality foever.
Foreigner or Native. This was done purpofely,
on account of the Duke of Bouillon and of
fome others, the Court being afraid left that
Aflembly ftiould take his Part, and oppofe
the Refolution his Majefty had taken to re-
duce him by force of Arms.
Rofni opened the Seflion with a Speech,
which, if it was fuch as it is mentioned by
his Secretaries, is no better than a Demonftra-
tion of his proud, haughty, rough Temper ;
nay, of an unpardonable Imprudence in him,
feeing that he treats therein the greateft Lords
of the Reformed Party (fuch as the Dukes
of Rohan and Bouillon, the Count of Chatillon^
the Marquefs of La Force, the Lords of Du
PleJJjs and LesDifguieres) with the utmoft Con-
tempt, even reviling this laft as to his Mo-
rals. He fpared not great Threatnings againft
the faid Aflembly in general, and every Mem-
ber
442 Hi ft or y of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.1 V.
HenrylV.ber in particular, to make ufe of his Autho-
„ ! D^' , rity as the King's CommifTary, and as Gover-
V. nour or the rrovince wherein they were af-
fembled, did they keep any Correfpondence
with, or receive any Deputy from the Per-
fons above mentioned or any other.
Three Points were chiefly debated in that
Afl"embly. i°. The Cautionary Towns, the
keeping whereof was, after many Struggles
With Rofni, confented to for four Years lon-
ger than the Term appointed by the Edid
of Nantz. 2°. The Nomination of new Ge-
neral Deputies to refide at Court. The King
ihewing fome Reludlancy againft the continua-
tion ot the Lord of St. Germain Monroy.^ De-
puty for the Nobility ; in compliance v/ith his
Majefty's Defire, the Affembiy infifted not
thereupon ; but the great Difficulty was to find
out a Medium, whereby they could preferve
their own Liberty, or at leafl: a Shadow there-
of, and the King a Prerogative of a new In-
vention, for his Majefl:y had been made to be-
lieve by the Flatterers, that it was his Right
to name the General Deputies that were to
refide near his Perfon. At laft they agreed to
name fix, out of whom the King {hould pick
two •, and the Lord De La Noue\ Son to the
great De La None Iron- Arm., for the Nobility,
with Mr. Du Cros for the Commons, were
the Perfons chofen by the King. 3'^. They
added a Claufe to their ufual Oath of Union,
to wit, under the Authority of my Lord
the Baiiphirt, whereas they formerly nam-
ed the King only. They made that Addition
for thefe two Reafons, firft to blot out of the
Queen's Mind the falfe Notion that their Ene-
mies had given her, that the Reformed deem-
ing t\\Q Pope to be the Antichrift, accounted
2 her
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 443
her Marriage with the King to be altogether HenrylV.
unlawful, and confeqiiently her Children to be p 'f p^yi
Baflards. Secondly, In order to know furely y.
whom they ought to obey,'fhould the Kingv— v----^
chance to die, and avoid thereby a Divifion
amongll themfelves. The King was fo much the
more well pleafed with thisToken of their Fide-
lity, as he had not required it from them, and
Rofni failed not to afcribe to himfelf the Ho-
nour thereof, though indeed DuPleJfis^2iS above-
faid, had been the Inftigator of that Motion.
That Commifiary, according to his Inftruc-
tions, endeavoured to make them confent to
hold no more General Aflemblies, on pretence
that having nothing elfe to do, as he faith,
than to call their General Deputies to ac-
count, and to name fome others, that might
eafily be done by their Synods, without putting
themfelves to fo much trouble and expences.
But the AfTembly rejefled that Propofition,
as being infpired by their Enemies, and as
a Snare laid on purpofe to break their Union ;
they knew very well that Affairs of great Mo-
ment might occur, which were not of the Re-
fort of thofe Ecclefiaftical Aflemblies, and
which could not be neglected without expo-
fmg the whole Body of the Churches to a cer-
tain Ruin ', however, they agreed to acquaint
his Majefty with the Reafons that fhould make
them judge it necefl^ry ; and in that Cafe,
if the King found there was occafion for it,
he promifed to give them Satisfadlion.
RofnPs Intrigues were more prevaih'ng than CXLVIII
all the Endeavours of the Marfhal of BouHIgjj The King
and his Friends ; for the Aflembly refufed to '"p^'^^^^'"*
concern themfelves in the Prefervation of his''' "^^^"^ '
Places, and left to the King to do with them
as he ihould think proper, though they were
reckoned
444 ^{flory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. reckoned amongft the Cautionary Towns. The
Tote Paul ^^^^ °^ ^^^^ Negociation was, that after the
V. breaking of that Alfembly, the King marched
i*— V— 'in 05iober with his Army into Guienne^ to
reduce the Places belonging to the faid Mar-
fhal, and fome others : but indeed he found
no refiftance ; for Bouillon^ having timely no-
tice of the King's Refolution, wrote to his
Majefty before he fet out for that Expedition,
offering to put into his hands whatever he
had in France^ and at the fame time fent
Orders to all his Servants to deliver up all
his Places to the King without the leaft Com-
puhion ; neverthelefs, it coft the Lives of fome
few of the moft adlive in thefe Commotions,
who were tried and executed.
CXLIX. The Lord Du Pleffis had not been prefent
Rofni'j ;7/at the Aflembly of Chatdleraud, for Reafons
Sfpieffis °^ Pi'udence, left he fliould be thought the
'Author of the Difficulties which might occur
in their Tranfactions. Now this very Abfence
was cried up as a Crime by Rofni^ who charg-
ed him, in a Letter which he wrote to him,
with negledling the King's Service, and with
being the Author of certain Memoirs that were
difperfed at Chatelheraud ; neverthelefs at the
fame time the faid Marquefs of Rofni had writ-
ten to the King, who (hewed fome uneafi-
nefs about Du Plejfi^, that his Majefty need
not be uneafy upon his account, for he had
(o well contrived things, that he was fure he
would not come to the Aflembly, having pro-
cured under- hand fome Perfons who had gi-
ven him to underftand, that if he came he
would be ill received. Did the Marquefs adl
on this Occafion the part of a Gentleman ? Let
the Reader be Judge. But it was not very
difficult for Du Pleffis to wipe off all thefe ma-
licious
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 445
licious Afperfions, when he had the Honour to HenrylV.
fee the King, who had fent for him at Cha- p^^^ p5j^j
telheraud as he went into Guienm^ and who v.
was pleafed to exprefs the great Satisfaction v—v—'
he had received of him in the Conference he
had with him at that Place. {I)
This Year the Jefuits triumphed over the ^^^yic.
Juftice of the Parliament o^ Paris, and of all ^^^^ ^ ^^^
true Frenchmen-, for by their Importunities xhtyje/uits at
obtained at laft of the King the pulling down Paris,
of the Monument which had been ereded in
Memory of their deteftable Attempt to mur-
der hisMajefty by the Hands of Ch AST el,
for which he had been executed, and the So-
ciety expelled the Kingdom about nine Years
before. All the Remonftrances of the faid Par-
liament were needlefs, they were forced to
fubmit to the King's Will j all the Favour they
could obtain v/as, that they were not obliged
themfelves to deftroy their own Work, (w)
The Beginning of this Year found the Af- 1606.
fembly of the Clergy met together at Paris ; *— v--^
Jerotn De VillarSy Archbifhop of Vienne '^^ jng,„iiy
Dauphine was their Speaker. He tendered to o;^//^^C/^r-
the King their Petition upon their Grievances,^-
he infifted warmly upon the Vexations which
the Chiirch underwent every-where, the in-
famous Trade of Benefices, the Simoniacal keep-
ing of Benefices, the Penfions paid upon them
to Lay-men, &c. and faid, all thefe Diforders
proceeded
(;n) Al! that I have faid concerning that Political
AfTcinbiy, is extraded Out of the Mem. of Du Pleflis,
'Jom. ii. froiu pag 107 to 128. Vie du mcme, Liv. ii.
309 — 10. Mem. du Due de Sully, Tom. ii. ch. li. p.
487 534. Vie de D'Aubigne, written by himfelf at
the beginning Des Avantures du Baron de Foenefie, Tom. i,
Thup.nus has not mentioned this Affembly, I can*t tell
the Reafon.
44^ Hijlory of the Refor7?iation,and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. proceeded from the denial to receive the Coun-
P^*^ Paul ^^ °^ "^^^^^ ' ^^^^^S^ ^^^^Z (^^ys ^e) t^^t, the
^Y. earthly Kingdoms^ which are but the Elements
^of this low TVorld, fhould attempt to with-
draw therafelves from the fweet Influence of
the Church, which is the heavenly World !
That tranfitory Things (hould oppofe the Ef-
feds of the everlafting ; and that they fhould
force Divine Reafons to yield to fome Hu-
man Confiderations, and that they fhould in a
manner render God fubjed to Men ! And fuch
other like Stuff.
*Tis the common Stile of thefe Harangues :
They always harp on the fame String ; and
it has been obferved, that the Roman Clergy
in the greateft Luftre they had been for thefe
500 Years pafl, has ftill made as bitter Com-
plaints, as if the Roman Church had been
brought into the utmoft Defolation. So this
moft Reverend Prelate made fuch mournful
Complaints about the Condition to which the
Catholick Religion was brought, that had
he been credil^d, the Catholicks in France
groaned under the heavieft OpprefTion. More-
over, he charged the Reformed v/ith feveral
Contraventions to the Edid of Nafitz^ and
with feveral Scandals given to the Catholicks ;
he accufed them particularly of Irreverence
and Prophanation in fome Places, of having
trampled upon the Sacrament at Milhaiid.
The King's Anfwer v/as adapted to the fe-
veral Articles of the Speech, and received dif-
ferent Conftrudtions, fome taking it to be fa-
vourable, and others difobliging. As to the
Council of Trent, his Majefty did not think
proper to fpeak the Word, that it was not
agreeable with the Liberties of the Galilean
churchy but he. told them, that he wifhed as
much
s
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 447
much as they, that it could be received inHenrylV.
the Kingdom, but was very ferry to find fuch p ' p^^j
great Difficulties that obftruded that Recep- y,
tion ; that he would fpare neither his Honour
nor his Crown to promote the Honour and
Glory of the Church : That as to Simonies,
&c. he was not the Author thereof, and did
not meddle himfelf with fuch a fhameful Trade,
as the Favourites of his Predeceflbrs had done,
but he beftowed the Bifliopricks gratis upon
defer ving Men. As to the ExcefTes laid to
the charge of the Reformed, it Is faid, that
he fpoke plain to them, and defired that it
might be proved againft them, promifing to
do them juftice, if they were guilty of (uc\l
Crimes.
The Clergy however obtained feveral fa-
vourable Regulations, fuch as the Redemption
of their Eftates and other Goods which had
been fold at a very low Price, provided there
(liould not be a Pofleffion of forty Years (land-
ing ; they alfo obtained leave fince the felling
thereof, for trying the Ecclefiafticks and Monks
for their Crimes or diforderly Con verfation, be-
fore they were admitted into the Pale of the.
Reformed Churches.
To underftand this, one muft know, i^._
That at that Time it was fincerely acknow-
ledged throughout the Kingdom, that the Edidb
of Nantz allowed Liberty of Confcience to.
all the Subjeds of either Religion, whether
Ecclefiafticks or Lay- men. 2°. That in con-
fcquence of that Liberty, many JPriefts and
Monks embraced every day the Reformed Re-
ligion. 3''. That thefe Converfions were moft
cruel Mortifications to the Clergy, efpecially be-
caufe they efteem'd as Affronts put upon them,
the cuftom of fome Churches in^ the Southern
Provinces
f
448 Hifiory of the Reformafhn^ a?idofthe Vol .IV,
UenrylY, Provinces, who were ufed to ftore up in their
t6o6. Veftry-Rooms the Habits of thofe Profelytes,
'^y ^" as Co many Trophies ereded in honour of
I the Reformed Religion. 4°. That the faid
Clergy daring not as yet to petition the King
for hindering thofe Converfions, becaufe the
Law which authorized them was as yet too
new to be fo foon infringed in fuch a Point,
they bethought themfelves of the abovefaid
Means, for putting a ftop to them. 5°. That
they fuppofed that no Prieft or Monk would
ever adhere to the Reformed Religion, was
it not for avoiding the Canonical Punifhment
of their Crimes and diforderly Life. Laftly^
they confidered this Conceflion as an efFec^tuai
Means to prevent that Defertion, fince it was
an eafy matter for them to frame an Accu-
fation right or wrong againft him, whom they
fufpedled to have a mind to change, and force
him by Threatnings and ill Ufage to alter his
Mind, or tire him with long Imprifonment,
or load him with ignominious Condemnations,
if at laft they were obliged to releafe him ;
which would have fruftrated the Hopes the
Reformed conceived from fuch Converfions.
Neverthelefs, the Clergy never received the
Advantages they expedted from that Concef-
fion, becaufe thofe who had a mind to re-
nounce the Roman Religion, for the moft part
found means to efcape the Fury of thofe un-
merciful Judges.
They obtained fome other Regulations as
to Religion: i'^. That the Reformed fhould
not be allowed to be buried either in Churches,
or Monafteris-s, nor in the Church- Yards be-
longing to the Catholicks, under any Pretence
foever. 2°. That no Temples would be buih
fo near their Churches as to difturb or fcan-
dalize
iio o iv. VIT. Reformed Churches w France. 449
lize the Jeaftin the World, Priefts or others, Henry ly.
while they performed Divine Service. S^-p^Lpaui
That Teachers, Tutors, or School-maflers of y.
Villages fhould be approved of by the Curates, '— v^-iJ
without prejudicing the Edidt of Nantz. (n)
Bat it is obfervable, that the Edid; which they
obtained upon thefe Articles, and feveral others,
could - not be verified in Parliament but in the
Year 1608.
The King was fo well pleafed with the good CLir.
Succefs he had had in the Affembly of Cba-^^fj^^^
Ulheraud, which he afcribed intlrely to the j)i,kg of
pt-udent Management of his Favourite the Mar- Sully.
quefs of Rofni, that, for his fake, not only
he received very kindly the Deputies cf the
faid Affembly, but he ereded the Manor of
Sully into aDutchy Peerdom, and he was re-
ceived in the Parliament of P^m in the Month
o( March, with the ufual Formalities, but with
a Pomp and Magnificence fuitable to a Super-
Intendant of the Finances. (0)
Now the King provoked at the Duke of CLifr.
Bouillon's Obftinacy, who for four Years pa ft ^^''^^^'"^i
had refufed to furrender himfelf to his Ma-^^y^^J/gg,
jefty's Mercy, before he was perfedly fure of dan.
his Reconciliation with him, refolved to march,
againft him, and force him at Sedan •, to which
he was ftrongly follicited by his firft Mi-
nifter Rofni, whom henceforward, I fhall call
Duke of Sully. Therefore having appointed
the 23d of March for his fetting out, he fum-
moned the Parliament, and told them the Rea-
fons of his intended Expedition, faying that he
marched to Sedan with both his Arms cpstt
(w) Thuan. Lib. cxxxiv. but he is riot fo fall. Mfzeray
3e Partie, Tom. vi. BjnoitHiir. de I'Ed. de Nantes, Tom.
i. Lib. ix. ■>
(a) Thuan. Lib. c:<:x::vr.
Vol. IV. G g ta
450 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. to receive the Supplicant into his Favour,
p '^°P 1 provided he did not render himfelf unwor-
"^ V. ^" thy thereof. Be La Noue and 'Netancour had
been many times from Court to Sedan, and
from Sedan to Court for negotiating a Recon-
ciliation, and the Terms thereof ; Bouillon pro-
fefled to be ready to fubmit himfelf to the
King, being willing to receive his Majefty and
the whole Court, not only within the Walls of
the City, but even within his own Caftle, and
offered to appear in Perfon as a Supphcant,
and aik Pardon for what was pad after the
manner his Majefly fhould prefcribe. But he
could never be brought as yet to furrender
his Caflle, as he was commanded, before he
■was certain ofafincere Reconcihation with his
Majefty.
During thefe Debates between the Marfhal
Duke and the King's Deputies, his Majefty
arrived at Donchery three Miles diftant from
Sedan, not only with his Army, which was
to have been in a few days twenty-five thou-
fand Men ftrong, with a numerous Train of
Artillery, but alfo with the whole Court, and
the Queen herfelf, who was but juft then
gone out after Lying-in, and who favoured
underhand the Marftial ; for before fhe fet out
from Paris, fhe had fent him Word by a
Confident, that fhe wifhed him well, and that
fhe would not be wanting to him in proper
time •, fhe defired him only to continue, and
not to fuffer himfelf to be carried through De-
fpair out of the Bounds of his Loyalty.
During fuch a long Space of Time, the
King had at last certainly found
OUT, that the Marfhal, though accufed of all
thofe things above-mentioned under the Years
s6o2 and 1603, was guilty rather for hav-
ing
B o o K VII. Reformed Churches //z France. 4^1
ing been acquainted with part of Biron andHenrylV.
■the Count o( Auvergne^s Plots, than for hav- "^°^' ■
ing had any hand in them % and that his De- v. ^"
figns at firft feemed to aim at nothing elfe, ' — -\—«J
than to oppofe the exorbitant Power ot a Fa-
vourite, who trampled under his feet the Laws
,of the Realm, the Liberty and Dignity of the
Nobles, and the greateft Lords : but as to
any criminal Correfpondence with Foteigners,
confequently with the Spaniards^ his Majefty
was now fully convinced, that the faid Mar-
fhal had never any thing to dd with them.
Nay, he certainly knew, that he had fted-
faftly rejedted the magnificent Offers lately
made unto him by the Court of Spam. There-
fore he was offended rather at the Obftinacy'
of that great Man, in other refpeds fo dear
to him, than at any thing elfe, and feemed
to be ready to improve any fair Opporm-
niity of reconciling himfelf with him upofi
honourable Terms •, even there were' feyeral
Courtiers and Miniflers of the King's Coun"-
cil, who dreaded the good Succefs of this Ex-
pedition, left Sully^t puffed up thereby, fhould
abufe more . than ever his Mafter's Authority,
to the detriment of others.
Therefore they improved that Great Maf- Tbe King
ter's Abfence, who was gone to haften the^^'"^';^^\
Artillery : They renewed the Neo;ociation at^°"''!°"
Torcy^ where the Uuke repaired upon ^ o^^'i- Fa-vour.
Condud •,- he ma;de not many V/ords, for Vil-
leroy^ whom the King had lent to treat with
him, having affured him of the King and
Queen's Aife6cion and Love to him, he con-
fented eafily to the Conditions, and .promifed
to furrender his Caflie as well as his City •,
the Treaty was figned, and the next Day in
the Morning lie v/aited upon his Majelly at
• G ^ » Bonchsryi
452 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol . IV*
^^-^'y^^'-Donchery. The King was in Bed, the Duke
fope Paul k"^e^ed do\yn, and beg'd pardon, but the King
V. fuiFered him to remain not long in that
Situation-, he embraced him, and the Recon-
ciJiation was fo fincere, that the Duke was
as great with him the very fame Day, as he
hadever beenj he was reftored to all his Eftates
in France^ and to all his Charges, and never
a Reconciliation between a Prince and one of
his Subjects was attended with greater, or more
fincere Demonftrations of Joy and Satisfadioii
on both fides than this : and what was more
agreeable, was, that this Joy and Satisfadion was
common to the whole Kingdom. Never the
Parliament of Paris verified and regiftered an
Order from the King with more Alacrity and
Diligence, than they did the Adl of Oblivion
which the King fent them from Vonchery by
an Exprefs •, fo well the Duke oi Bouillon was
refpeded and beloved! Bonfires were made
every where i Guns fired at Paris^ as well as
at Sedan, and the People of Paris feafted upon
this Occafion ; the Duke of Sully only was
fretting within himfelf, as he, or his Se-
cretaries infinuate it ; he was inraged when he
heard that the Treaty had been concluded
without him, he blamed the King's Clemency,
and refufed to obey his Orders at firft, when
he commanded the Cannon at Paris to be fired,
fending Remonftrances to his Majefty upon
that Subjed ; but the fecond Command being
pofitive, and worded in Term.s which left no
room for any further Refiftance, without in-
curring his Matter's Difpleafure, he was forced
to obey. We found thefe Particulars in his
own Memoirs. The King made a triumphant
Entry at Sedan, where he was received with
the loudefl and fincereft Acclamations of Joy ;
V_.. ^«
Book VII. Reformed Churchesln France.' 453
he ftayed but a few Days in the Caftle ; and flenryTV
though, by an Article of the Treaty, he was^ '^p^',
to be Mailer thereof for four Years together, y.
neverthelefs, being fully fatisfied with the Duke'— v-"*^
of Bouillon's Subraiflion, he reftored it unto
him a Month after. This is the Account which
Thuanus gives us of that Affair ; and is fully
confirmed by Mezeray^vfho looks upon the Ar-
ticles laid to the Charge of the faid Duke,
as fo many Calumnies of People ot no Re-
pute, or of ill Fame. So much I have thought
to fay, to the Dlfcharge of that Lord. (/>)
During thefe Tranfadions, v.'hich ended in CLIV.
the Month of Jpril, the Court continued to'^^^^J^y
caufe the Edid of Nantz to be executed in'^^'^.j^g/
the Places where it had not been as yet. Thelefe.
CommifHiries had reftored Mafs at RocheUe,
but that Worfhip had been interrupted there
for fo long a time, that People were quite un-
ufed to it, and confequently, that Reftora-
tion met with no fmall Oppofition. The Cler-
gy applied themfelves to the King for Re-
drefs ; but the Court was atalofs to anfwer
their Petition, daring not to do it favourably,
left they ihould occafion forae Commotion in
that City ; nor harfhly, left the Ecclefiafticks
fhould thereby lofe the- hopes oF returning
thither. The thing was referred to an Ar-
bitration, and Sull)\ in whom the Rochclefe had
fome Confidence, was chofen Mediator. The
Demands of the Ciergy were reduced to fix
Articles : Sully made them defift from the two
firft, which related to their Houfes and Re-
venues i he obtained a Grant for them upon
G g 3 the
(p) Thuanus, Lib. cxxxvi. p. 1242, 43. Mezeray 3*.
Partie, Tom. vi. p. 320, 321, 322, 332, 33, 34. Mem.
de Sully, Tom. 3*. ch. 4*^. p. 37, 38.
454 ^iftory of the Reformation^ and of theV ol . IV.
HenrylV-the third, for leave to vlfit their own Sick
'^'°p" ,in the Hofpitals, and Criminals, and other
V. Prifoners of their Religion, on condition they
' ihould perform their Office fecretly, and with-
out Pomp ; and he prevailed with them not
to attend the Criminals at the Place of Exe-
cution. Upon the 4th, he perfuaded the Re-
formed to allow the Priefts to be prefent at
the Funerals, but without carrying the Crofs
on high, and to permit that they fhould wear
their Canonical Plabits in publick, without be-
ing infulted or abufed. Upon the 5th, he
advifed the Catholicks not to pretend to any
civil Office, unlefs thty fhould be duly eledled
to it after the ufual Form ; but at the fame time,
he exhorted the Reformed not to oppofe their
Admiffion to Handicrafts and Trades, and not
to turn out of the City the Catholick Journey-
men, left the Catholicks fhould do the fame
v/ith the Reformed, in the Places v/here they
were the ftrongeft. By the 6th, the Catho-
licks defired a Place of Worffiip, pretending
that the King's CommifTaries bad appointed
one for them ; Sully advifed to give them leave
to build a Church, provided the Place were nei-
ther fufpicious nor troublefome ; that in fuch
a Cafe it would be proper to prevail with them
to accept of another, and upon their refufal,
to tender a Petition to his Majefty for a Re-
gulation, and to refrain from all violent Means.
Thefe Advices, which had been agreed up-
on by the King and his Council, and which
fcrved partly as a Law until the renewing of the
Troubles, ihow that the grand Maxim obferv-
ed in the Execution of the Edicl was, To leave
Things in the fame Condition as they were
in at the time of the publiPning thereof, and
to preferve to either Religion the Privilege
of
Book VII. "Refonmd Churches /;2 Fr a n c e , 455
of Superiority in thofe Places, where they were Henryiv.
fuperiour in number at that time, {q) p2> p i
I fhall but jufb mention the feveral other y.
Occurrences of thijs Year, The Edid of the ' — 'v— -J
Parliament of 7'/'^«/(?///d', publiflied in the Month _ CLV.
of June^ whereby the Priefts in their Jurlf- ^/,^^. q^,'''
di(5lion were ordered to pray for the King«/r/f««/.
in their Mafs, forbidding theufeofall Mafs-
Books printed at Paris^ Bourdeaux and Lyor^s
in the timeof the Rebellion, wherein the Prayer
for the King and the Royal Family had been
purpofely omitted ; for the Prieft and Curates
of that Jurifdicflion had perfifted till then not
to pray for the King, (r)
About the fame time the King, Qiieen, the
Princefs oi Conty^ the Dukes of Mdntpenfier
and Vendome^ efcaped narrowly being drown-
ed in the Coach, as they were going to take
the Ferry at Ntilly's Haven, for there was
no Bridge as yet in that Place : One of the
Horfes took a Frio;ht, and inftead of coming;
into the Boat ran into the River, and drove
the Coach into a deep Place ; the Gentlemen
that followed on Horfe-back, inflantly went
into the Water, and faved the King and thvi
otheis, but the Queen was more expofed, for
ilje v/as thelafl whom they could come at. f j)
By the Tr . aty of the Redudion of Paris^
the Reformed were not allowed the Exercife
of their Religion, nearer than five Leagues
diftant from that City ; afterwards it was al-
lowed at Ablon^ not quite fo far ; but yet
tiie Diilance was too great for going and com-
ing in a Day, efpecially in the Winter-Time.
^ g 4 «C
{q) Benoit Hi'l. de I'Edit de Nantz, Tom.- I Li;^.
ix. (r) Thuan. Lib. 156. pag. 1245.
{i) Ihuanus Lib. cxxxvi.
456 Hijlory of the Reformation y and of the Vol, IV.
HenrylV. It was Very inconvenient for fuch as had Children
'^p • J to be chriftened, who might chance to die upon
"^y^ the Road. Moreover, the Foreigners, and the
Reformed Lords of the Court complained, that
it was impoffible for them to pay their Duties to
God,- and to the King on one and the fame day,
by reafon of the too great diftance •, the Inconve-
nience was greater than ever, for they were de-
prived of the Advantage of Divine Service at
Court, by the Duchefs of Bar^s Death^ which
they had enjoyed whilft fhe was alive. There-
fore they intreated the King to grant them a
Place nearer -, and his Majeily willing to gratify
them, granted them the Village of Charenton
near the Abby of 5/. Maur^ within two fhort
Leagues of Paris \ they obtained his Letters
Patent for it, bearing Date the Firft of Auguji,
by virtue of which they were put in pofKflion
of the fame within a few Days. The King by
the faid Letters referved to himfelf the Cog-
nizance of all the Oppofitions and Appellations
that might be formed upon that account, and
forbid the Parliament and ail other Judges to
meddle with it.
But for all that, that Affair did not pafs
without difficulty -, the Lord of the Manor
was the Man who oppofed it, grounding his
Oppofition upon an Article of the Edidl of
Nantz, Vv'hereby it was enadled, that the Re-
formed fhall have no Place of publick Wor-
fhip in Manors belonging to Catholicks, with-
out the "Will and Confent of the Lords there-
of; but he was over-ruled by transferring of
the Caufe.to the Council •, neverthelefs his Suc-
cefTors have renewed their Pretenfions from
time to time till the repealing of the faid Edift.
The Tumult of the FLabble was not (o eafily
fuppreffed, as that Gentleman's Endeavours.
Soon
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 457
Soon after that EftabUfhment, they raifed a HenrylV-
Sedition at St. Anthonfs Gate, the neareft to p '^°p^yj
Charenton^ againft thofe who came back from "^^^^^
Church ; and though the Magiftrates imme- <....— y*---'
diarely repaired thither, it was not in their
power to quell it ; the Confequences theueof
would have proved very bad, had not the
King came back on purpofe from Fontainhleau^
his Prefence reftored Peace and Tranquillity
in the City, and confirmed the Reformed in
the Pofieflion of the Favour he had granted
them, [t)
About the fame time, the King received and
anfwered very favourably the Bill ofGrievances
of the Reformed, tendered to him by their
Deputies General ; it confifted of feveral Ar-
ticles about the Infradions of the Edid in fe-
veral Places, and their Grievances were as ful-
ly redrefied, as it could be done by the King's
Letters and Orders, {v)
* The Gunpowder Treafon, which was to * f^/j ^^,
be efFedled here on the 5th of November 1605, heen omit-
is a Thing fo well known, that I need not to ted thro'
infill upon it ; I fliall obferve this only. That ^^^'^'^^^^^
Father Cotton prevailed fo far with King Henry ^ /aji Tear.
ds to make him believe, not only that the
Jefuits had no hand in it, but alfo that the
whole was but a Contrivance of their Ene-
mies to work their Ruin •, upon which ac-
count it was, that his Majefty fent Orders to
feveral Sea- Ports to receive and entertain kindly
all the EngliJIj Exiles, who fliould take Refuge
in his Dominions, (u)
Thefe good and modefl Fathers attempted 1607.
a thing, at the very beginning of this Year, ^-^"v"^
which cTL ^ /
Ihejeju! s
(/) Benoit ibid, (v) Idem ibid. («) Thuan. Lib. cxxxvi. Attempt at
Mczeray ibid. Rochel,
458 Hijlory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. which would have been feverely punifhed in
T>\ I' i^ny other but themfelves. The Tefiiit Sepui-
Pope raul ^ ~, luoTi/r ri ^^1
^ V. ^^^-y one Oi the boldeiT Men or that Sect, be-
^mywm^ iHg countcnanccd by La Varenne their Pro-
tedlor, obtained Letters from two Secretaries
of State, without the King's Knowledge, tho'
in his Name, to the Rochelefe^ commanding
them to fufFer him to preach in their City.
The Jefuit came to the Gates, boldly told hi^
Name, Profeffion, Defign, and offered his pre-
tended Power from the King. The Rochekfe
refufed to let him come into their City, tel-
ling him that they were very well fatisfied
that Jefus had no Companion, nor he, any
Letters from the King. Seguiran made a great
Noife about the ReFufal •, and the King out
of Policy, not to difcredit his Secretaries of
State, or rather not to offend fo daring a So-
ciety, feigned to be very angry at the Ro-
chekfe proceeding ; and gave other Letters to
the Jefuit^ ordering the Rochelefe to receive
him for form-fake, which done he was com-
manded to retire quietly, {x)
CLVII ^^^ °^ ^^^ "^°^ material Occurrences of this
7he \it'h Year, was the holding of the iSth National
National Synod at Rochelle. It had been put off to this
Sjmed. Year, notwithftanding the Inflances of the Re-
formed, becaufe the Pope*s Legate was coming
for the Chriftening of the Dauphin ; his Ma-
jefty was unwilling to give him the Mortifica-
tion to fee fuch an Afiembly on foot, wherein
he was informed, that the Article about the
Antichriji was to be renewed.
They opened this Seilions on the Flrft of
March. Many things were propofed and tranf-
adted
{x) Mem. de Sully, Tom. ill. ch. He fays, that the
King tcld him that t.he Rochelele were in the right. Benoit
Toiu. i. Liv. ix. iMem. deDuPleffi?, rem. iii. p 171, 172.
jBooK VII. Reformed Churches in Fr an ce. 459
aded in that AfTembly, which were not at HenrylV.
all agreeable., not only to the Court, but even to „ p''' ,
the wifeft amongft the Reformed, efpecially to y.
the fober and prudent Lord Du Plejfis. But'
we mull: not follow, on this Occafion, the Re-
lation given by the Rev. Mr. Benoii, m his
Hiftcry of the Edi(il of Nantz ; for were we
to believe him in all the Circumftances he relates,
that AfTembly made itfelf guilty not only of
Imprudence, but even of Difobedience and
Rebellion againft the King •, when indeed they
went not {o far. He pretends, that the Synod,
ACCORDING TO Custom, fent three Deputies
to the King, as foon as they were afTembled.
That is a grofs Miftake, there was no ilich
Cuftom in ufe at that time, as to begin their
Seflions by fending of Deputies to Court ; and
the Reafons which he gives for that Depu-
tation are ftill more wrong ; They were, fays
he, charged to chta'tn chiefly three Things,
i^. That they might proceed- to the Nomination
of two general Deputies. Now by their Writ
of Summons given m December lafl:, they were
ordered to proceed to the faid Nomination.
But without paying a greater Regard to that
Gentleman's Relation than is due, I fhall make
the following Obfervations upon this Synod.
1°. I cannot tell what Reafon moved his
Majefty to order them to proceed to the Nomi-
nation of the General Deputies, if it was not
for putting a flop to the Political Affemblies,
for there was no more than eighteen or nineteen
Months gone (ince La None and Du Cros were
in charge, and they v/ere to continue for three
Years, as it had been confented to at Chatelhe-
raiid, and they were both very agreeable to his
Majefty. But if the King's Council had any
thing like this In View, they were muchdifap-
pointed ;
46© Htftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. pointed ; for the Deputies in the Synod pre-
'^p^' tending that they could not fwerve from the
'^y^^" Inftru6lions of their Principals, infifted upon
naming only two General Deputies, leaving
it to his Majefty to refer the whole matter to
a General Political AfTembly which he fhould
be pleafed to fummon, and wherein the Con-
dition, and Number of fix, and the three
Years Terms of their Charge, may be debated
and refolved on. It feems that the Nomination
of fix Perfons, out of whom the King was to
pick out two, having been refolved on and
followed in the AfTembly of Chatelheraud, and
the Term of three Years having been in fome
meafure confirmed by a Precedent, the Lord of
St. Germain Monroy^ and Mr. Des Bordes^ hav-
ing been in charge for three Years, this Aflem-
bly ought not to have made any difficulty to
comply with the King's Will in both thefe re-
fpeds. But it is to be obferved, that as to the
firfl, what had been done at Chatelheraudy
could not be brought into precedent, for the
Deputies of the Provinces had exceeded their
CommifTion in that refpeft, and confequently
their Principals were not obliged to ratify what
they had done ; befides which, no certain Regu-
lation as to that was fettled in that AfTembly
for the future ; therefore the Synod of Rocbel
might very well ad as they did without incur-
ring the Blame of Difobedience. As to the
2d Point, we mud remember that though the
two firft General Deputies had been in charge
for three Years together, they had been fo only
bccaufe they were confirmed and continued in
their Office by the Synod of Gap. Upon the
whole I fhall fay, that in my humble Opinion,
the prefent Synod would have aded in a way
much better confident with their ProfefTion,
I had
Boo K VII. Reformed Churches in France. 46 i
had they carried their Compliance a little fur- HenrylV^
ther, had they yielded freely what they were p^^^°^^^
obliged to confent to by force ; for the King y.
would be obeyed, and the Deputies which they
fent to Court during their Seflions could obtain
no Alteration at all ; they named but two Ge-
neral Deputies, namely, the Lord of Villarnoul^
Son-in-law to the Lord Du Plejfis for the No-
bility, and Mr. La Mirande for the Commons ;
but the King would not accept of that Nomi-
nation, nor hearken to any Remonftrances made
for that purpofe •, and at laft the King's Coun-
cil thought it to be more for his Majefty's Ho-
nour to grant them a Political Aflembly, which
was held the next Year at Gergeau^ than to
confirm an EJeftion which derogated from his
Royal Writ.
2°. As to the Doctrine, the Article of the
Antichrtfi came again under their Conlidera-
tion ; and what had been refoived thereupon in
the Synod of Gaf^ was confirmed and ratified
in this, contrary to all Rules of Chriftian Pru-
dence and Moderation ; neverthelefs, upon the
Charitable Remonftrances of Du PleJJis, that
Article remained decided, but not executed; that
is to fay, it was not printed in France in any
new Edition of the Confeffion of Faith.
As to Dr. Pifcator*^ Opinion concerning our
Juftification which had been cenfured by the
Synod of Gap, the Univerfity of St. Andrei^)
having defired the Lord Du Pleffis to interpofe
with the Churches of France, -to the end that
that Difpute fhould not be embittered by Wri-
tings which might provoke the faid Dodor,
and that the Article of the faid Synod fhould
be moderated, promifing that the faid Pifcator
nor his Followers fhould not write; that Lord
wrote to all the Provincial Synods, and was
as
' j^6i W dory of the Reformat ion, and of the V Oh IV ;
HenryVI.as favourably anfwered as he could defire ; and
Pots Paul ""'^^^^ ^" ^^^^^ Synod they not only moderated
V. the Decree of Gap^ but they feverely cenfured
>theBook of a depofed Minifter, namely, Felix
Huguetti^ who had attempted to confute Dr.
Fifcator*s Opinion without being licenfed by
the Synod : however, they difapproved the
abovefaid Dodrine, though they commended
the great Modefty of its Author, and ordered
all Minifters and Teachers of the Reformed
Churches in the Kingdom to conform them-
felvesto that Form of Sound Words which had
been hitherto taught amongft them, and is
contained in the Holy Scripture : That the
whole Obedience of Chrift, both in his Life
and Death, is imputed to us for the full Re-
miflion of our Sins, and Acceptance unto Eter-
nal Life. Dr. Sohnius^ Minifter and Profeflbr
in the Church and Univerfity of Montauhan^
received the Thanks of the Company, for his
Anfwer to Dr. Pifcator^ made by order of the
Synod of Gap, and communicated in MS to
the p'refent, biit was defired, for Peace-fake,
to keep it by himfelf without publiHiing it as
yet.
As to the Article of the Churchy whereupon
the Synod of Gap had made fome Innova-
tions which had given fome Offence to King
James I. it was unanimoufly decreed, upori
DuPleffis's RemOnftrances, to leave it fuch as it
was formerly, v/ithout any Addition or Sub-
traction.
3° This Synod, uiing the fame Liberty as'
the foregoing had enjoyed, received Letters
from foreign Princes, Churches and Academies,
and anfwered them; but they went further,
for, without aiking the King's leave,- they
called otiQMehin, whom King James detained
Prifoner
•Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 463!
Prifoner in London, for having oppofed theHenryI7,
Reception of the Bifhops in Scotland, to ferve '^p7-
in the Church of Roche! -, that Prince had pro- '^ ^ ^
mifed him his Liberty, provided he fhould out
of hand depart the Kingdom. King Henry
was much offended at this proceeding of the
Synod, neverthelefs, fome other Affairs put a
flop unto this.
4°. AVhereas there were Affairs of a Political
Nature which were to be treated of in this
Synod, and wherein the whole Body of the
Reformed were concerned, the Magiftrates of
Rochelle fent their Deputies, demanding to be
admitted, and to have a deliberative Vote in
the Affembly, as making a Province by them-
felves, efpecially whenever any Affairs not
relating to Dodrine or Difcipline, Ihould be
treated of. After a long Debate upon the faid
Proportion, it was refolved that theModerator,
Affeffor and Scribe of the Synod fhould be
chofen only by Minifters and Elders, and that
the Deputies of the City of Rochelle fhould be
admitted and have a deliberative Vote in the
Synod, according to the Decree of Chatelhe-
ratid, in cafe other Matters befides Ecclefiafti-
cal came under their Confideration.
Laftly, having caft up the Accounts of La
J^oue and Du Cros, the two old General De-
puties, and difcharged them with grear Enco-
miums, and given the neccffary In(i;ru(5lions to
the two new ones, namely, De Villarnoul, and
La Miraude, fuppofing that the King would
accept of them ; they ended their Seffions the
22d o{ April, having fit for above feven Weeks
together, the Rev. Mr. Beraud fenior, was
Moderator (y). Du.
{y) Bu-ncit Hi!l. de TEd. de Nantes, Tom. J LV. 9.
Vie de Du PkiTis — Liv il. p 330. Mem. du Meme,
Tom. Iir. p. 170174. Mem. de Su!lv, Tom. III. ch. 9.
& 15. Quick': Synodicon, Tom. I. p'. ::6 1 — 307.
'464 Jiiftory of the Reformation, and of the Vol. I V.
HenrylV. Bu Pkjfis was at Court all this while,
P^^V' \ where he was come for fettling the Affairs
Y_^" of his Majefty's Hoiife of Navarre, the
^ I— v-"-i Lord of Calignon, Chancellor thereof, being
CLVIII. dead in September laft. He was gracioufly re-
?" ^^^' ceived at Fontainhleau, and lodged in the Pa-
fwertohis^"^^^ '■> ^^ter fix or itYtn Months ftay at Court,
Majefty. he took his Leave of his Majefty, who told
him that he was very forry that he could not
employ him as he defired, but that he knew
the Reafon thereof, meaning the Offence that
he had given the Pope by his Writings ; never-
thelefs, he defired him to come to Court from
time to time, that he might the better be in-
formed of his Litentions, and impart them to
others; adding, that he ought to advife them to
be prudent, (he meant the Reformed) and to
remember that they could do or fay nothing,
iDut he was immediately informed thereof. To
which Du Plejfis anfwered, JVe don^t fear. Sir,
that your Majefty JJjould he informed of what
we do, but rather of what we do not. Some
mean People amo7ig us, who receive Penjions from
your Majefty, very often do tell "Tales in order
to defcrve it, whereby they raife Sufpicions againft
us in your Mind, and put you out of hu-
mour againft your faithfulleft Servants. But
let your Majefty judge what is to be believed
of thefe Reports, by what you have feen and
heard in our Affemblies for fo many Tears •, if we
never attempted any thing., if we never took
any unlawful Refohition againft the Kings our
Profecutors, zvho majfacred us, how much Irfs
• againft you, being maintained under the Be-
nefit of your Edi^s, and enjoining Liberty of
Confcience, and Security for ourEftates, Lives and
Honours ? iz)
In
{%) Viede Du Pleflis, Liv. ii. pag. 33*.
Book VII. Reformed Churches m Fr a n c E . 465
In the Month of Aprils the famous Quar-Henryiv^.
rel between the Venetians and Pope Paul ^ . p^ 1' .
was amicably adjufted through the Mediation y.
of France. Cardinals of Joyeufe and . Du Per- <- — ^r— ^
ron^ were much em.pJoyed in that Negotia- CLIX.
tion ; whereupon I Ihall not infift, that Affair ^^^^^^
being fo well known in the World -, I Ihall only the Vene-
make two or three Obfervations upon fome tians «».'^
Particulars. tlmTat-
i*^. There is a very great Difagreemtnt as^^*^^"^"
to the Terms of Reconciliation, and the man-
ner how the Interdid: was taken off, between
'Thuanus and the Author of Bifhop BedePs Life ;
the firfl; tells us poiitively, that Cardinal of Joy-
eufe abfolved the Senate^ all the Subjeds and
Orders of the Republick, in prefence of the
Doge and twenty-five Senators of the firil
Rank ; and he adds, that many could not fee
that Ceremony without fretting, wondering at
their being fo different from their Anceftors,
who in the time of Pope Sixtus the IVth,
after a War of two Years, could never be
brought to receive Abfolution. But the other
faysj that the Senate afferted their Right, and
maintained their Laws, notwithftanding all the
Pope's Threatnings ; nor would they so
MUCH AS ASK PaRDON, OR CRAVE ABSO-
LUTION i and fo me Pages after he fays, the
Senate carried the Matter with all the Dig-
nity and Majefty that became that moft Se-
rene Republick, as to all civil Things : for
THEY WOULD NOT ASK AbsOL U TION j but
the Nuncio, to fave the Popes's Credit,
came into the Senate- Houfe, before the
Duke was come, and croffed his Cufhion, and
abfolved him, i^c. That is quite the Re-
verfe of what Thuanus affirms, upon Cardinal
6i Joyeu[e\ Teftimony, neither doth it agree
Vol. IV, Hh with
466 Hiftory of the Reformat ton , and of theVoL . IV.
HenrylV.^ij.]^ the Relation given by Jkjfandro Maria
■plpe^?dL\i\ ^^^f^oli^ who fays, that when Cardinal of Joy-
V. ^«/^ came back irom Rome to Venice^ il fu re-
Uevuto come C Angelo delta Pace^ and that after
the Ceremony was over, every Place refounded
with loud Acclamations of Joy. {a)
2°. We read in Bifhop Bedell's Life, that
a Paffage fell out during the Interdict,
(jfc. viz. the coming of a Jefuit to Venice, name-
ly Thomas Maria Caraffa, who publifhed a
thoufand Thefes of Philofophy and Divinity,
which he dedicated to the Pope with this ex-
travagant Infcription, PAVLO V. VICE-
DEO, ^c. Now, tho' the Matter of Faft is
true, yet there is three grofs Miftakes in the
Relation : i''. Asto the Time, it was in 1608,
that is a Year after the Reconciliation. 2^. As
to the Place where they were printed, it was
at Naples, and not at Venice •, and they were to
be difputed thrice, once at Rome, and twice at
Naples. '^^. As to the Quality of the Pub-
liftier, he was not ^Jefuit, but 2. Dominican
Friar •, Bifhop Bedell ftyles him of the Order
of the Fryars Preachers. See that Bifliop's An-
fwer to Mr. fVaddefworth. {b)
3°. But there is another Event of much greater
Importance, which thefe Divifions between the
Republick and the Pope were very like to pro-
duce, had the good Inclinations of Fra. Paolo
and Bedell's great Abilities been countenanced
as they ought to have been ; the truth whereof
I found confirmed by Du Pleffis, though he don't
name the Perfons who aded on thisOccafion,
King
{a) Thuanus Liv. cxxxvii. pag. \ 270. The Life of
William Bedel, D. D. p. 6. 15. Hiftoria Yeneta di
Aleffandro Maria Vianoli, Parte 2*, p. 398, 399.
(h) Bp. Bedell's Life, p. 11. Copies of certain Letter*
of Bedell, Ch. iv. p. 365.
Book VII. Reforjned Churches in France. 467
King 7<«»z^j I. excepted, and it is as follows. HenrylV.
" That Breach was brought very near toan'^^',
" Crins i lo that it was expected a total Sepa- y.
*' ration, not only from the Court, but from'
*' the Church of Rome, was like to follow
" upon it. It was fet on by P. Paolo and the
*' feven Divmes, with much Zeal, and was
" very prudently conducted by them. In order
*' to the advancing of it. King James ordered
*' his Ambaflador [Sir iJif^ry iVottoti] to offer
*' all poflible Affiftance to them, and to accufe
** the Pope and the Papacy, as the chief Au-
" thors of all the Mifchiefs of Chriitendom. The
*' Doge and the Senate anfwered this in Words
" full of Refpeft to YJingJames^ and faid. That
*' they knew thing, were not fo bad as fome en-
" deavoured to make the World believe, with
*' defign to fowDifcord between ChriftianPrin-
" ces : And when the Pope's Nuncio * objedt- • /,
*' ed, that King y^»z^j was not aCatholick,andM//?rtir,
*' fo was not to be relied on •, the Doge anfwer- ^^^ ^°P^
" ed, that the King of £«?-/^«J believed in 7^- v'^"" ,
*' fus Chriji^ but he did not know in whom fome Venice ^«-
*' others believed. Upon which P. P^^/i?, zxi^ ring the
" the kwtn Divines prefled Mr. Bedell to move ^^'•'•^^J
" the Ambaflador toprefentKingJ^»^fj'sPre-cJ"/^i/
*' monition to all Chriftian Princes and States, 0/ joyeufs
" then put in Latin, to the Senate^ and they before he
* ' were confident it would produce a good Effedl. ^^"'\^'
" But the Ambaflador could not be prevailed °"^'"
" on to uo it at that time, and pretended tnat
** fince St. James's Day was not far off, it would ^
" be more proper to do it on that day. If this
" was only for the fake of a Speech that he
" had made on the conceit of St. J acnes' s
" Day, and King y^w^j's Book, with which
♦' he had intended to prefent it, that was a
^' Weaknefs never to beexcufedj but if this
H h 2 " was
a a
i6o
468 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vot.lV'
HcnryiV. « was oiily a Pretctice, and that there was
" a Defign under it, it was a Crime not to be
forgiven . Before St. Jameses, Day
came, the Difference between the Republick
and the Pope was made up, and that hap-
" py Opportunity loft ; fo that when the Am-
" baffador had his Audience on that Day, and
•* prefented the Book, he was anfwered, that
" they thanked the King of England for his
*' good- will, but they were now reconciled to
*' the Pope, and that therefore they were re-
** folved not to admit of any Change in their
*' Religion, according to their Agreement with
*' the Court of Rome.'* This 1 have tranfcri-
bed out of Bedell's Biographer.
Though, according to the noble Italian Au-
thor juft now mentioned, the Senate oi Venice
had by their Decree exprefsly forbidden, from
the beginning of their Quarrel, to write or
publifti any thing againft the CatholickReligion ;
neverthelefs that Prohibition had not hinder-
ed Fra. Paolo., and feveral other Divines of the
Republick, from holding frequent Conferences
with Dr. Bedel, wherein they had fo much
improved, that a Reformation in the Church
had been refolved between them. This Truth
is confirmed by Du PleJJis's Teftimony ; that
is to fay, he confirms that the Venetians had
a mind to work out a Reformation in their
Church, and that King James had a good hand
in that Refolution of the Republick. Nay,
it appears by his Letters of the 7th oi June
1607 to Mr. Rivet., of the 20th of ^n7 1608
to the fame, of the 5th of Febrtiary 1 609 to
the Rev. Mr. De La Fontaine, Miiiifler of the
French Church in London, of the 1 3th of March
1 609 to the Rev. Mr. Rivet, Minifter at Tbouars,
of the 37th of March of the fame Year, to
the
Book VII. Reformed Churcbes in 'Fb.a^^ce. 469
the fame, of the ^thoi April, of the i8th, of^enryiv.
the 24th of the fame Month to the fame,p^'^p^-
of thfe 1 3th of Aiiguft 1 609 to the Rev. Dr. y. ^"
Tilenus ; it appears, I fay, that notwithftand- *— yj
ing the outward Reconciliation of the Repub-
lick with the Pope, neverthelefs there remain-
ed ftill fuch a ftrong IncHnation for a Refor-
mation, that had it been curioufly entertained
and fomented by thofe to whom it did be-
long, certainly it would have brought forth
the de(ired Fruit. Again, it appears, that Fa-
ther Fulgcntioy one of Father Paul's Compa-
nions, preached the Truth fo plainly and open-
ly during the Lent of 1609, before a croud-
ed Audience of the Nobility and People, that
the Pope's Nuncio was much offended at him,
bitterly complaining, Che troppo exaltava la
Gratia di Dio^ and feverely threatened him ;
but the faid Father was ftrenuoufly fupported
by the Doge, and the People laughed at the
Nuncio, and turned his Reproach into a Pro-
Verb, Che troppo laudava Chrijio -, meaning that
Fulgentio was too good a Chriftian to be a good
Papift. {c) So much I have thought proper to
fay about that important Quarrel. g o
The beginning of this Year found the T?pv.«_ -^-Ij
Mr. Daniel Chamier at Court, where he was CLX.
arrived fince the 8th oi November laft i he had^^°"-^'^'
been deputed by the Churches of Daupbine,7fojt^"'
for to thank his Majefty in their Names, {ox the Reunion
the favourable Anfwer he had been pleafed?^'^^ '■^*^''
to give Monf La Colomhiere upon the Affairs ^*^^^""'*
of Qrange \ for befeeching his Majefty to grant
them the Settlement of a College at Monte-
H h 3 limar \
(<r) Life of Wm. Bedell, &c. p. 13, 14. Mem. de Du
PlelTis Mornay, Tom. 3*. Ambaflades Sc Negociations du
Card. Du Perron, Liv. 3*.
'470 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Ufjiar •, and he improved this Opportunity for
Po/^Sul J^^^^y'^S himfelf of feveral things calumni-
V. oufly laid to his charge, and for clearing others
*> which had been mif-reprefented : Indeed the
King was very angry with him, he was above
a Fortnight before he could be admitted to
the Audience, and the firft time he had that
honour, his Majefty fpoke to him in a very fe-
vere Tone •, but whereas his Royal Heart was
•never unacceffible to Reafoti and Equity, he
was at lafi: fatisfied as to his Innocence, and
when he took his Leave of his Majefty, after
about five Months ftay at Court, he had a
Jong Conference with him, which was conclud-
ed by the promife his Majefty made him, that
he would maintain the Churches in Peace,
and canfe his Edicts to be ftridly obferved,
and defired him to aflure the Churches thereof;
and as for his own regard, he needed but to
ferve him well, and that for certain, he would
prove a good Mafter unto him.
During his ftay at Court, they talk*d much
of a Conference for the Reunion of the two
Religions. D'Aubigne propofed to take for Rule
of Faith and Difcipline, the Dodrine and Dif-
cipline received by the Catholick Church in
the four firft Centuries ; fo that whatever was
taught orpradifed now in the Church, ftioold
be reformed by what was taught and prac-
tifed in the Catholick Church of thofe Ages.
Cbp.mer and the reft of the Company agreed to
that Propofition ; whereupon D^Aubigne waited
upon the King, who fent him out of hand to
Cardinal Du Perron ; where, after fome Com-
pliments exchanged between them both, the
Cardinal bewailing the fad Condition of the
Church, miferably torn by Schifm, afked whe-
ther there was no means to heal its Difeafes;
Where-
Book VII. Reformed Churches //z Fr a n c e . 47 1
Whereupon jyAubigne told him. Since you ^/?-HenryIV'
ftre to know my Opinion, me thinks, Guigci- „ S ,
ARDiNEj Maxim ts the bejv way we could y.
follow in the Churchy as well as in the Slate,
for healing our unhappy Divifions: which is, that
whenever any Society which was at firft well
ordered, comes to a decay, it can never be
well reftored, but by bringing it back to their
original Conftitution. So then, let us take for
inviolable J^aws the Conjlitutions fettled and oh-
ferved in the Catholick Church until the latter
end of the fourth Century, and upon the Ar-
ticles pretended to have been corrupted^ you who
fet up y our f elf for our Eldeft, do rejlore unto
us the firfi thing which we fioall demand, and
of our own accord we fhall rejiore the fecond ;
and fo on, till every thing floould be fettled a~
gain upon the ancient footing. To this the Car-
dinal replied, that the Miniders would never
confent thereto ; but D^Aubigne having given
him the ftrongeft Aflurances that they would,
the Cardinal faid to him, at leaft grant us 40
Years more befides the 400, JVell,, faith jy Au-
higne, I fee that you will have the Council of
Calcedon *, with all my heart, you (hall have
it, do but put us to work. The Cardinal hav-
ing fubfcribed to the General Propofition, told
him, you fhall be obliged, by your ConcefTion,
to confent to the lifting up of the Crofles which
was received in the Church of that Age, (from
400 to 450) Well faith D'Aubigns. for Peace-
fake we fhall do the CrofTes the like honour
as they did at that time ; but would you con-
fent on your iide to bring the Pope's Au-
thority upon the fame footing as it was at
that time, during zh.z firil four Centuries? Nay,
to pleafe you we fhall go fo far as the feventh ;
whereto the Cardinal anfwered, that that Af-
H h 4 fair
472 Hijkry of the Reformation, mid of the Vo l . IV.
HenrylV.faIr was to be concluded at Paris, and not at
Rome, (d)
The King feemed at this time fully refoiv-
ed to hold a National Council in France upon
thefe Matters ; he told the Rev. Mr. Cbamier^
that he defired the Affiftance of all his good
Subjedls, and efpecially his own : but I can't
tell for what, nor in whom the fault was, that
all that great Buftle came to nothing.
CLXI. Another Affair of great Moment, the Iflue
The^ Duke ^hereof redounded much to the Duke of Sul-
Ikitedto' ^*^ Honour, made a great Noife at Court, and
change, caufed great uneafinefs to the Reformed at
this very time, and is as follows. The King
had it put into his Head, to engage the Duke
of Sully, or at leaft his Son, to turn Roman
Catholick; for which end, he allured him with
the PromKe of the Conftable's Staff, (the Con-
flable Montmorancy was then very old) and
the Offer of marrying his Son with Madamoi-
felle De Vendofme, his own Natural Daughter.
TheReformed were much alarmed at thatNews,
whereto they gave fo much the more Credit,
that the Duke's Religion was much queftioned
among them, for he very freely received and
converfed with Priefls and Monks, every Year
he fpent great Sums of Money in repairing
their Churches, Hofpitals and Convents \ he
kept Correfpondence with Pope Paul V. who
had conceived great hopes of his Change, and
feveral Copies of the fecond Letter he had re-
ceived of him, had been feen every where over
the Kingdom ; fo that every one expeded, that
he would certainly prefer the Worldly before
the
[d) Journal du Voyage de Mr. Chamier a Paris in
1607, en Manufcript. Vie du Sieur D'AubignC dans les
Av'ant. du j^ajon dc Foenefte, Tom. i,
■ Book VII. Reformed Churches in France. 473
the Celeftlal Glory, his own Temporal Con- HenrylV.
cerns before the Spiritual. It was much ru- p ' p^' ,
moured, that a Conference fhould be held be- y
tween the Minifters of Charenton^ and fome
Catholick Divines upon that account ; and Du
Plejjis^ who knew by experience, what was
the main Defign of fuch Conferences, wrote
to a Friend at Paris^ and fent him a Scheme
how to proceed therein, if that Conference
could not be avoided. But his Trouble was
needlefs, the Duke, to the great furprize of
every one, overlook'd for this time his Tem-
poral Concerns, he ftood his ground, and an-
fwered Villeroy^ whom the King had fent to
infift with him upon his Change, with a
fuller Afilirance of whatever had been pro-
mifed him ; that he would be always a moft
humble Servant to the King, but that when-
ever his own Religion would be an hlnde-
rance to his Majeily's Service, he was ready
to refign all his Employments, and to retire
to his own Country-Houfe. Cardinal Du
Perron was likewife fent to him upon the fame
Errand, who told him, that he wondered at
him, feeing that for fome Opinions fake he
chofe tO' ruin his own Fortune and the King's
Service. To which he returned this Anfwer,
Sir, I have endeavoured long ago to perfuade
myfelf to turn Catholick, but I could never
prevail with myfelf to do it, unlefs you would
fhow me a new Bible unheard of before, where-
in the Tenets of your Church fhould be plain-
ly taught : for I found fo many things in thefc
Tenets, not only different, but quite contrary
to the Laws, Ordinances and Conilitutions of
the Chriftian Religion, taught in the Holy
Bible, that I cannot believe them to have been
infpired By one and the fame Spirit. If the
Debate
474 "H-'idory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV. Debate was only about Points of Speculation,
Poif Paul ^ ^^^'^^ ^^^- ^^^y "^^y ^^ fufceptible of different
Y^" Meaning ; but I confider only thofe Articles
V«i-y—»*/ which are the plaineft, which are either ex-
prefsly commanded or exprefsly forbidden, and
the meaning whereof cannot be any other but
what is obvious to every Man's Underftand-
ing ; fuch as the Invocation of Saints, the
Worfhip of Images, the forbidding of Marriage
to Priefts, of the Ufe of certain Meats, Divine
Service in an unknown Tongue, the Retrench-
ing of the Cup in the Holy Supper, £ff r. For
though fome of thefe Tenets might be of a
very ancient Date ; neverthelefs, Jefus Chrift
and his Apoftles being ftill more ancient, their
Do<5lrine is, by all means, to be preferred to
all others, i^c. So that he would perfevere in
his own Religion, until they had reformed
their own according to the Word of God. As
to his Son, he had already told his Majefty,
that as he would not deter him from changing,
lb he would do nothing to encourage him to
do it {e). This is the true and genuine Ac-
count of that Affair ; upon which the far-
fetched Refle6tions of the Hifcorian of the
Edi6i: of iV<;77z/2 appear to me very odd.
CLXir. About the fame time, or a few WeeK.s after.
Some Com- ^^ ■, j r r-^ .• ' t\ • .
motions in^^^^^ nappened lome Lommotions ux roitou
Poitou, and fome adjacent Provinces, whersm feme
^i' ten or twelve Country 'Squires of the Rcfo med
' Religion, with a few Soldiers, were ingav.ed.
They attempted to feize upon fome few paltry
Towns without Succefs j the Mifchief was ex-
ceedingly magnified in the King's Council, jufl
as
■V) The fame Manufcript of the Rev. Mr. Chamier.
Menioires deDu Pleius, Tom. 3. Mem. de Sully, Tom. 3.
ch. 21.
Book VII. "Reformed Churches in France, 47 5
as if the whole Body of the Reformed had took HenrylV.
up Arms on a fudden, and hisMajefty feemedp '°°p-
refolved to march in Perfon ; but upon theDuke y ^"
of Sully's Remonftrances, one Provoft with tyVNJ
twenty Archers only were fent after them,
•who took all thofe that flood accufed, fome
of the guiltiefl: were executed, fome others par-
doned, and others honourably acquitted. It is
Utterly falfe that the Duke of Bouillon, the Lord
Du PleJJis, or any other Lord of credit amongft
the Reformed had any hand therein (/").
The King having granted his Warrant to CLXIII.
the Reformed for holding a Political Affembly ■^^''^''f^^'^^
at Gergeau, in OSloher following, they niet Qg^^g^-^^
accordingly by their Reprefentatives ; the Duke
©f Sully was fent there by the King as his Com-
milTary. Though they were to treat only
about their general Deputies ; neverthelefs, they
took into their Confideration fomelnfringements
of the Edi6t, efpecially concerning the caution-
ary Towns. Some of them belonging to Ca-
tholick Lords, or being fallen into their hands
by Succeflion or otherwife ; fome of thefc
Lords had put Catholick Governors in them,
which was quite contrary to an Article of the
Edid. The Reformed had already loft, after that
manner, Caumont, Tartas and Montandre^ and
were like to lofe feveral others, if no Provifions
were made againft fuch Infradiions, efpecially be-
caufe Converfions were then much in fafhion,
and that feveral Lords had very little Zeal and
Regard for their Religion. The Duke of Sully
wrote to the King, and to Villeroy, upon that
Suty'ed, and propofed two Expedients for giv-
ing
(f) Memoires de Du Pleflis, Tom. 3, His Letter to the
Rev. Mr. Ri'vet, of the loth of /^./^w/? 1608. Mem. de
Sully, Tom. 3. ch. 21.
476 Hiftory of the "Reformatton^ and of the Vol. IV.
HenrylV.ing them Satisfaftion, either to put Reformed
'^^- Governors in Places of that kind, being Friends
y ^" or Relations to the Lords whom they belonged
u— V— — ' to ; or to engage them to infert thefe Articles
in their Bill of Grievances, to be tendered to
his Majefty by their General Deputies, upon
promife of being redreffed according to the
Edift. The King took the lafl Expedient, be-
caufe he was refolved not to treat about any
thing with the AfTembly, and to oblige them,
to keep themfelves in the Bounds prefcribed
them by him ; to wir, to nominate fix Perfons,
- out of whom, the King fhould pick two to
be their General Deputies ; however, his An-
fwer to the Duke, was very obliging for the
Reformed, he afTured them of his Protedlion,
and ackiiov/!e.:io;ed that they had deferved it
by their fteady Adherence to his Service.
The AfTembly iubmitted to the King's Will,
and nominated fix Perfons, Villarnoul and Mi-
rande were of the Number, and the King
chofe them, Ihewing thereby that his Rcfufal
of them v/hen they had been prefented to him
by the Synod of Rcchelle, proceeded not from
any diflike of their Perfons, but from the diflike,
of the manner of their Eledlion (g).
CLXIV. About the fame time was held an AfTembly
Jffemhljofoi tti^ Clergy at Varis \ they infilled as warmly
f^^'^ Clergy ^^ cver with the King, for the Reception of the.
^^' Council of Trent ^ but his Majefly anfwered them
too with more Refolution than ever, that what
they aiked could not be done ; and upon their
urging the Promife made in his Name a,bout it
by his Proxies at his Reconciliation with the
Pope, he flatly difowned them, as having
aded v/ithout his Knowledge and Confent.
The King put agreeably the Change upon the
Clergy
(g) Mem. de Sully, Tom. 3. ch. 23, 24.
Bo o K Vll. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 477
Clergy in another Affair. They follicited himHenryI\^.
to fottlea Fund out of which Penfions might ^^j^^^- .
be given to the Minifters who fhould renounce y^ ^"
their Religion ; they did not queftion in the < — y.^
Jeaft, but that the faid Minifters, having but
very fmall Salaries, would be glad to better
their Condition by their Apoftacy. But the
King not willing that fuch a Fund fhould be
taken out of his Exchequer, procured a Brief
from the Pope to the Clergy, defiring them
to find that Fund out of their own Revenue.
The Brief was prefented to the AfTembly by
Cardinal of Joyeufe. In confequence thereof,
they made a Fund of thirty thoufand Livres
a Year, out of which the Miniflers and Pro-
feffors only, who fhould turn Catholicks, were
to receive their Penfions ; but how inconfider-
able foever that Sum was, they never made
a fufficient number of Conquefts to exhauft it ;
the befl part thereof has been made ufe of
for the fupport of certain Miffionaries Lay-
men, who have troubled the Reformed in thou-
fand ways, in the following Years.
There were this Year great Rejoicings at '^°9-
Court, occafioned by the Marriage of Henry, CLXV
Prince of Conde, with Charlotta Margaret, Marriages
Daughter of the Conftable of Monimorancy,^*^^'*^'*^
confummated in March., and that of C<£far of
Vendome, Natural Son to the King by the fair
Gahrielle of Efirees, late Duchefs of Beaufort,
with the Heirefs of the late Duke of Mercceur,
accomplifbed in July, to the great Joy of the
King. The tranfcending Beauty of the Princefs
of Conde, occafioned great Troubles at Court,
the King took more Notice of her than was
neceffary, and the Prince her Confort, dread-
ing the Confequences of that new Inclination,
engaged the Princefs to quit the Court and
t}ie
478 JJiJlor'^ oftheRefo^matioh^andofthe Vol. IV.
HenrylV. the Kingdom, and to take Refuge with him at
p A^p^ 1 ^^^^^^^^^ » ^^ h^s ^^^" ^^^^> t^^t this Flight
Y. haftened the Execution of the great Scheme,
%i— v*'-^ which the King had been forming for feveral
Years before.
CLXVI. But the greateft Event of this Year, was a
Truce for 'YxxxzQ concluded at Antwerp for twelve Years
hetnjoeen between Spain and the iz^oxi United Provinces
Spain a«i of the Low-Countries^ by the Mediation of
theJJmtt^Prancei whereby they were acknowledged as
Provinces. ^ Pj-gg^ Sovereign and Independant Republick.
FrcC^dentJeannin had a great hand in that hap-
py Conclufion. Being come back to the Hague,
after the Publication of the Truce, he exhort-
ed the States, in a very moving Speech, to
grant their Catholick Subjeds the free Exer-
cife of their Religion -, and, what is very ob-
fervable, he made ufe of the very fame To-
picks to perfuade them, as the Reformed have
been, and are ftill accuftomed to ufe, that Reli-
gion ought to be perfuaded, and not forced
upon Mens Gonfciences ; that Fire, Sword and
other rigorous Means, are very improper Me-
thods to convert Men, ^c, Jeannin had been
a hot and zealous Leaguer, but a Man of great
Parts and Capacity, and above all an upright
Man.
CLXVII. The Reformed having prefented their Bill
^f%'°^R ®^ Grievances by their General Deputies, they
formed fL Were favourably anfwered. Certain annual So-
aiourably lemnities ufed amongft the Catholicks, in re-
anfvjered. membrance of the good Succefles they had
got over them during the Civil Wars, were
aboliflied •, fuch as the Feftival at Chartres^ de-
dicated to Our Lady of the Breach^ for a pre-
tended Vifion of the Blefled Virgin during the
Siege of that City in 1568 i the Proceffion
QiDrem, for the Vidory got by the- Duke
I of
Book VII. Reformed CbunM in France, 4.yg
of Guife over the Prince of Conde in 1562, ^c. Henryiv.
The Inhabitants of the Marquifate of Saluces, pjf p^ul
both Reformed and Catholicks that fhould come ^^ y^"
to fettle in France, were promifed the fame v^-y^s^
Privileges as the Natives -, and other Ar-
ticles concerning the Chambers of the Edi6b
and other Courts of Juftice were redreffed to
the Satisfadtion of the Petitioners.
A National Synod was held foon after at clxvih.
St. Maixant \ they began their SeiFion on th.Q'The 19/^
25th of May, and ended it on the iSth^^^^^"'"'^
of yune J the Rev. Mr. Merlin, Minifter at -^"° '
Rochelk, was Moderator, and the Rev. Mr.
Ferrier, Minifter and Profeflbr at Nimes, and
Andrew Rivet, Minifter at '^ouars, were Af-
fefibrs. They hardly treated of any thing elfe
befidesthe Difcipline. The Minifters were ex-
prefsly forbidden not to ftudy Chymiftry. They
were allowed to adminifter Baptifm to fick
Children at fuch times when there were only
publick Common Prayers, without Sermon,
provided the Sicknefs fhould be well averred.
They allowed maim'd Soldiers to wear the
Figure of a Crofs upon their Cloaks, for re-
ceiving the King*s Penfion. The Rev. Mr.
Chamier received the Thanks of the Synod for
his indefatigable Labour in compofing his Pa n-
STRATiA Catholica, and was cxhorted to
go on, upon Promife of a handfome Re ward j
for helping him to fupport the Expences he
had been at j and indeed the next National Sy-
nod held at Privaz three Years 'after, allow-
ed him two thoLifand Livres for that purpofe,
as they did two hundred Livres to the Rev.
Mr. Perrin, as a Gratification for the pub-
lifhing of his Hifrory of the WaUenfes. The '
Rev. Mr. Vignier received likewift the Thanks
of the Synod for his Book, The Theatre
OP
4^0 Hijlory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol .IV,
HenrylV.OF THE ANTICHRIST, whicli was oi-dered to
i6og bg perufed by the Academy of Saumur, and
ope^ au i^gjj^g approved by them, to be printed with
v^^^i— ^ the Author's Name, (h)
tLXIX. Marfhal TyOrnano being dead this Year, un-
*Ihe Mar^ der the Operation of the Stone, the King of
JhaVs Staff \(^^ own accord gave his Staff to the Lord of
uton"the ^^^ Dtguiercs, who was fent for to Court for
Lor^c/Ln^^^^^ purpofe ; and indeed, if we confider his
Diguieres. great Capacity, and military Atchievements^
the great Services he had done the Crown,
and efpecially to the King, while he was Prince,
and then King oi Navarre, and fince he was
upon the Throne of France, for almoft 50
Years together, no Man deferved better fuch
an honourable Reward than he ; fo was he re-
ceived by the King, when he arrived at Court
on the 29th of Augufi, with very diftinguifh-
ing Marks of Efteem and Affection. During
' his ttay at Court, his Majefty imparted unto
him his great Defigns, for which he was mak-
ing fuch vaft Preparations, and which he was
upon the point to execute, when he was pre-
vented by RAVAILLAC, as we fliall Aiy pre-
fently. As the Marflial was ready to fet out
on his return into Dauphme, the Kina; (cnt for
the Princes his Sons, and told him. Sir, 'There
are my Children, to whom I dejire you to be^
injtead of a Father, after 7ny deceafe, for IJJjalt
leave them youngs and ftanding in need of my
good Servants. To which the Marlhal hav-
ing replied, that his Majelly pught to enter-
tain better Hopes, and that he would fee them
in an Age fit to govern by themfelves : No,
Sir, faith the King, be fare that you fhall live
longer
[h) Quick's Synodicon, Tom. i.
(;■) Videl. hill, de Les Diguieres, Liv, vii. ch. 12,
bo OK VII. Ueformed Churches in Vra}^ eg, 482
•longer than / ; as if he had had a Prognoftick jjenryiv.
of his approaching Death, for the Marihal was 1609.,
then above 65. {j) Pope?axil
About this very time of Les Diguieres^s . __L»
Promotion, happened the fecond ExpuKion of CLXX.
the Morifcoes irom Spain, The moik power- T^eFxpul-
ful Promoter thereof was Don Bernardo de B.6i-fi°^ "ft^e
as y Sandoval, Cardinal Archbilhop of ^^/^- ji^^'^p^^^^
do, and Inquifitor General, and Chancellor of
Spain. This Prelate, who was Brother to the
Duke of Lermn, by whom King Philip III;
for fome Years before and for fome Years
after the Expulfion, was abfolutely governed,
was fo zealous to have the v/hole Race of
the Mo7-ifcoes extinguifhed, that he oppofed the
detaining of their Children that were under
itven Years of Age ; affirming, that of the
two, he judged it more advifable to cut the
Throats of all the Morifcoes, Men, Women,
and Children, than to have any of their Chil-
dren left in Spain, to defile the true Spanijh
Blood, with a mixture of the Moorifh.
I fhall not enlarge myfelf upon a Subjedt,
which has been fo fully and accurately treat-
ed by the Learned Chancellor of Sarum, any
further than for obferving,
1°. That this moft inhuman Ad: began ill
the Kingdom of Valencia in the Month of
September 1609, without the leaPc Provocation,
and notwithftanding the warmeft Reprefenta-
tions of the States of that Kingdom, the Clergy
excepted ; for the Archbifhop of that City was
fo unjuft and cruel, a*? to poftpone the pub-
lick Good to his own private Intereft, and Vv-ick-
fedly abufed the King's Simplicity, forging of
Vifions, Apparitions and Miracles,- which, as
he pretended, were fo many Calls of God upon
the King to perpetrate that heinous h.&..
Vol. IV. . . I j z'^. That
ij) Yi'Jelj Hii^, de Les Dlgmcresj Bit; vii; ch. 12;
482 Hiflory of the Reformation, and of the V o l . 1 V .
^X^^^' ^^* y^"^^ having, one may fay, depopulated
Po/^°&ul ^^ Kingdom of Valencia^ they went on to do
V. the like in the Kingdoms of Granada, Mur-
^cia, and Seville, Arragon, Old and New Cajlile,
Ejlremadura, and Mancha. So in the latter
Endofy^/y, 161 o, they were expelled out of
Old Spain, to the Number of fix hundred
thoufand People, Men, Women, and Children,
befides the Slain, and fome that were detained,
according to the moft modeft Computation ;
for fome raife their Number to a Million. This
great Lofs of People falling upon a Country
that was far from being over-Ilock'd with Peo-
ple before, (which in truth no Nation can
bej and which, befides thofe that were ex-
pelled, had few that were induftrious, or that
were Ikilled in moft of her profitable Manu-
fadures, it was fuch a fatal Blow to Spain,
that fhe has not to this day, nor is ever like
to recover of it, and muft be a Warning to all
Princes and Magifcrates, not to fufFer them-
felves to be impofed upon by the fottiih Bi-
gottry of Men who pretend to Religion.
f. The Hiftorian of the Edidl of Nantz,
fays, that thofe Wretches offered to fubmit
to the King of France, if the King would
take them mider his Protedlion •, but by what
T)r.Geddes faith, we may boldly affirm, that
that is not true : they were fo far from offer-
ing themfelves to thi King of France, that
they did not care to make ufe of the liberty
granted them by the King of Spain, to re-
tire into France. Benoit adds, that King
Henry fent them a Gentleman of the Reformed
Profeflion, nnrntly Panifauf, to fee what might
be expe<5led from their Offer •, that he ne-
gotiated with fo much Succefe, that fome
confiderable Advantage might have been cx-
3 pedled
Book VII. Reformed Churches in Vraiuce] 483
peded by it, had he been fufFefed to go on : Henryiv.
But the Bigots told the King, That he in- '^^9-
fpired them with the Dodrine of the Re- "^y^"
formed, which might be true, and would cer- < -><"^
tainly have been of great ufe, that Dodlrine
being better rehfhed by the Mahometans than
the Roman Catholick, the Worfhip whereof
they look'd upon as grofsly idolatrous, to adore
"What one eats. However, Pamjfaut was re-
called, and a Roman Catholick. fent in his
ftead, who proceeding upon other Principles,
his Negociation had no fuccefs. This I re-
late upon the Rev. Mr. Benoii's Authority,
and no further, for want of a more proper
Evidence to fupport his own. (k)
Now, we are come to the laft Year, of the 161 0;
glorious Reign of our Great and Good King J^^T^C^
Henry IV. a Year, in this refpedt, never to ^^^ Kim''s
be remembered without Horror and Detefta- -^^y? Pr^-
tion. After the Peace of Vervins^ his M2.- parathns ^
jefty thought ferioufly of reducing the Houfe-^^'*'?^^^^
of Auftria into its juft Boundsj and to fettle ^/"^^^'^^^
a Balance in Europe. Whether that Thought Deftgn,
had been fuggefted unto him by Queen Eli-
zabeth, as well as the Means of putting fuch
a Scheme in execution^ or whether it was one
of his own Conceptions, we cannot pofitively
affirm. It is certain, as we have faid in its
proper place, that that Great Queen defired
earneftly to confer with his Majefty upon fbme
very great Enterprize ; the Place of the Con-
ference had been appointed ; the King was come
as far as Calais, when on a fudden he was per-
fuaded, upon fome pundlilio to return, on pre-
tence to be prefent at the Birth of the Dauphini
111 but
.{k) Geddes Mifcell. Trafts, Vol. I. Tfad. L Mezeraj^
3*. Part. Tom. vi, Benok Hift; de TEd, de Nantes;^ Torn, r.
Liv. \xi
484 Hiftory of the Reformatton^ and of theVoL . IV.
HenrylV- but the Duke of Sully was come over, htcog-
„ ^^^°- ,niio, to EnFland by his Order, and had feve-
fope Paul '. ^ r ^ -TiA/r-n
Y. ral private Lonrerences with her Majetry, wno
V— -v*-J approved of and applauded that Scheme ; which
was fummarily as follows.
■^^" He defired to reunite fo perfectly the whole
Cbrijfendom, that it fhould form but one Bo-
dy, to be known under the Name of the
Christian Commonwealth. He intend-
ed to divide it into fifteen States, which fhould
have been, as much as conveniently it could
be, of equal Force and Power, and the Boun-
daries thereof be fo well fpecified by the una-
nimous Confent of the I5tri, that no Incroach-
ment of one upon another could he feared.
Thefe 15 Powers ought to be the Popedom^
the Gej-man Empire, France^ Spain, Great- Bri-
tain, Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, Denmark, Swe-
den, Savoy or the Kingdom of Lombardy, Ve-
nice, the Repiiblick of Italy, compofed of the
fmall Potentates and Cities of the Country,
th.Q, Belgc€ or tht Low Countries, and th&Swit-
zers. Five of thefe States v/ere to be fuccef-
five, viz. France, Spair, Great- Britain, Szve-
den,znd Lombardy. Six ElecSlIve, tht Ejnpire,
Popedom, Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, and Den-
mark. Four Republicks, two whereof were
to be Democratical, viz. the Low -Countries,
iind Switzerland i and two Ariftocratical, viz.
Venice, and that of the petty Princes and Ci-
. ties of Italy.
The Pope, befides what he pofTefTed already,
was to have the Kingdom o^ Naples, and the
Ifland of Sicily, as well as the Republick of
''Italy, were to be his Homagers.
The Venetians were to have Sicily, paying
Homage to tlie Holy See, but without any
other
BookVII. Reformed Churches in^R Ai<ic^. 48^
other Redevatice^ beiides a kiffing of the Pope's HenrylV*
Feet, and a Golden Crucifix every twenty Years. ^^^°-
The RepuMkk o^ Italy was to be compofed °^^y^^
of the States ot Florefice^ Genoa^ Lticca^ Man-
tua^ Parma^ Modei^a^ Monaco^ and other petty
Principalities and Lordfhips, and were h'ke-
wife to hold ofthe Holy See ; to whom, how-
ever, they were to pay no other Redevance^
but a Golden Crucifix of 10,000 Li vres Value.
The Duke of Savoy was to have the Mi-
laneje for his Share, which, together with his
other Countries and Demain, was to be eredt-
ed by the Pope into a Kingdom, namely Lom-
bardy^ out of which the Cre?nonefe iliould have
been fubftraded for the Monferrat^ v^^hich was
to be yielded unto him.
Free- County, Alfatia, the ^irolefe, the Coun-
try of 'Trent, with their Dependances, were to
be given to the Helvetians, to form their Re-
publick -, and they were to pay a Fee -Simple
to the German Empire, every twenty-fifth Year
only.
The feventeen Provinces of the Low Coun-
tries were to be ftrengthned and increafed by
the Accellion and Addition of the Duchies of
Cleves, Juliers, Berghen, and La Mark, of Ra-
venfiein, and other fmall Lordiliips, upon the
like Condition as the Helvetians.
'Tranfylvania, Moldavia, Valachia, were to be
added to the Kingdom of Hungary.
The Emperor {Rodolph II, fat then upon
the Imperial Throne) was to be obliged to re-
nounce the aggrandifing of himfelf or his Fami-
ly, or Relations, by the means of any forfeit-
ed Eftate, Difinheritance, or Reverficn of Male
Fiefs •, but he could difpofe of the vacant Fiefs
in behalf of any other Perfon, not related to
him, by the Advice of the Eledlors and Princes
I \ 2 oC
486 Hiftory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV.
HearylV-of the Empire. It was likewife to be agreed,
r ! Tj°' 1 that for the future, the Imperial Crown (hould
rope raul . r • 1 t-. •
y. never devoive conlecutively upon two rrmces
of the fame Houfc, left it (hould perpetuate
it felf in it, as it had happened in that of
yiujiria.
The Kings of Htmgary and Bohemia were
to be elected at the Majority of Votes of fe-
ven Eleftors, to wit, i. The Nobility, Clergy,
and Commoners of each refpedive Kingdom.
2. The Pope. 3. The Emperor. 4. The
King of France. 5. The King of Spain. 6.
T^he King of Great Britain. 7. The Kings of
Sweden, Denmark, and Poland •, all thefe three
together making but one Vote.
Befides that, they were to eftablifh in fome
City in the Center of Ftircpe, or as near as
poiTible, luch 5S T^'kiz, Nancy, or Cologn, a
General Council compofed of fixty Members,
iov: for each State, which was to take cog-
nizance of, and decide every thing •, and fix
others Inferiours, fettled in different Places, and
compofed of 20 Members each, all depending
on tiie General, to which they were to re-'
fort when requifitc.
By the means of that General Council, they
intended to prevent Tyranny and Oppreffion
in the Sovereigns, and Sedition and Rebellion
in the People. As alfo to provide for the Pre-
fervation of the States bordering upon the Fron-
tiers of the Infidels.
Then when all thefe States fhould have been
firmly fettled and regulated, they were to at-
tack the Infidels with their joint Forces ; every
State, by the common Confent of the whole
Body, was to be affefTed at fo much for its
Contingent, their Army joined together was
to be two hundred and twenty thoufand Foot,
and
Book VII. Reformed Churches /« Fr a n c e . 4S7
and fifty three thou fand Horfe, 217 Cannons, HenrylV.
and all the reft in proportion ; with an hundred ^^if*
and feventeen Men of War and Gallies, of the '^V
firft and fecond Rate, befides thofe of a lefler
Size, Fire-Ships, &c.
Now, as to Religion, three only were to be
tolerated in Europe, the Roman Catholick, the
Proteftant, and 'the Reformed; but in fuch a
manner, that if any of thefe three Religions
was predominant in any of the fifteen States,
all the Subjefls of that State were to fiabmit
themfelves to that Religion, or to leave the
Country after a Year and a Day notice given
unto them, to difpofe of their Eflates, Goods,
and their other Eifecfts, unlefs the Number of
thefe Non-Conformifts fhould be io great as
to give occafion to fear fome great Commo-
tions in that State, upon that account •, in
which Cafe, the faid State was obliged to re-
fer the whole Matter to the Decifion of the
General Council ; and in the mean time to
forbear all violent Methods, and forcible Means
againft the faid Non-Conformifl:s. As to the
Pope^ the Proteftant and Reformed Powers
were to confider him only as a Temporal Prince,
and to deal with him in that Quality, without
any hatred or jealoufy, as with the firft Po-
tentate of Europe.
Such were the Defigns of Henry IV. how
far they were folid and pradicable, confidering
the various Humours and Interefts of the fe-
veral Nations that were to enter into this Af-
fociation, and the Age of that Prince, who was
then in the 57th Year of his Age, I leave it
to the Reader to determime. The King judg-
ing of others by himfelf, did not queftion but
all the Princes of Europe would fi ncerely jump
in a Dsfign as great and honourable as it was
I i 4 ufeful
48 8 Hijhry of the Reforwatiojj, and of the Vol. IV.
HenVylV.ufeful to the whole Chriftendom. I cannot
'^'°- ^tell whether he could forefee all the Diffi^
V_ ^" culties which might be met with in the Exe-
u— V— -'cution, and put an infuperable Obftacls to the
Succefs thereof ; at leaft, it is certain, that he
had very v^ifely provided againft thofe which
he had forefeen.
By what we have faid, it is plain, that his
Scheme would be very advantageous to all the
Chriftian Princes oi Europe, the Houfe o^ Auf-
tria excepted, which was to be ftript of mcft
part of the Countries fhe had ufurpsd at fe-
veral times from others, to reftore them to
their Natural Lords, or to be otherwife difpo-
fed of; but it v/as refolved to engage that Houfe
to adhere freely to this Defign, or to force her
to do it,
The Means ^OY comparing his Ends, the King, after
heemploydtht Peacc of Vervins^ endeavoured to fet-
io execute ^\q jj^ Y\\s own Kingdom a folid and lafting
Tranquillity, and thought it neceffary to chufe
fome Perfons confpicuous for their great Fi-
delity and Capacity for examining the Nature
of his Revenues, and how they might be bet-
tered, and to take himfelf cognizance of his
own Affairs, that he might be enabled to dif-
cern the good from the bad Counfels, the En-
terprizes practicable from the unpracPcicable, thofe
which did not exceed his Means, from thofe that
went beyond ; for he held as a Maxim, Thai
the Exphces that go beyond a Princess Revenue^
draw upon him the Curfes of the People, which
are ufitally attended with God's.
Therefore in order to execute this, he grant-
ed the Reformed the Edid of Nantz, to the
end that the two Religions might fubfift peace-
ably together. Then he fettled a certain Or-
der for difcharging his own and the Kingdom^*
Debts,
Bo o K VII. Reformed Churches m Fr an c e ^ 489
Debts. In the Year 1607, it appeared, that fince Henry I V:
the Peace of Vervins^ he had already dif- „ ^^'°- ,
1 J n T\/rMT r T • Pop^ Paul
charged 87 Millions or L,ivres. ■' y
Then he went on to engage all the Chriftian «— -y— J
Potentates in his great Defign, offering to give
them all the Advantages wherewith their Suc-
cefs fhould be attended, referving only to him-
felf the Glory of having contributed towards it.
He endeavoured to compofe amicably all
Differences between the Chrlflian Princes as
foon as they came to his knowledge. He
began to make his Friends and Allies, all thofe
States which he knew ftood v/ell affedted with
France, and were the leaft oppofed to its In-
tereft, fuch as the United-Provinces, Venetians,
Switzers, and Grifons ; he tampered likewife
with the Crowns of England, Denmark, and
Sweden. He did the fame with the Eledlors,
Imperial States and Cities ; then he endeavom*-
ed to fift out the Inclinations of the Nobi-
lity of Bohemia, Hungary, 'Tranfihania, and
Poland, The Duke of Savoy entered into that
Alliance, being fure to obtain the King's eldeft
Daughter for his Son Viclor-Amadeus ; the
Duke of Bavaria being promifed the Impe-
rial Crown, after Rodolph*s Death, was to exert
himfelf with all his Might, and the Pope ap-
proving of the Defign, was to fupport it pow-
erfully.
As to himfelf, for feveral Years together, HisPrepa-
the King had made Preparations fuitable to therations.
greatnefs of his Defigns. All his Magazines
were well ftored with Arms and Ammuni-
tions of all forts -, he had in his Arfenal of
Paris, above 100 Cannons with all their Fur-
nitures and Implements, and other Arms and
Ammunitions in proportion : and whereas Mo-
Hey is the Sinev/ of all Undertakings, his Ex-
chequer
490 Hifiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol.IV.
Henryiv. chequer, thro' the Care and good CEconomy
flteY 1^^ Super-Intendant, was plentifully pro-
v/" vided with it ; he had in ready Cafh (all his
c—v-.*^ Troops being paid for three Months, all his
Places and Magazines well ftored, his Cap-
tains gratified with many fine Gifts he had
beftowed upon them for Encouragement)
thirty fix Millions fix hundred feventy eight
thoufand five hundred Livres ; Item, twenty
{zvtxi Millions for the current Year, and be-
fides that, his Super-Intendant gave him Secu-
rity for forty Millions a Year extraordinary,
for three Years together : fo that he was in
a Condition to wage War for five Years to-
gether, without vexing his Subjects with any
new Impoft. But he intended to carry it on fo
brifkly and vigoroufly, that he might foon put
an end to it ; for he held it as a Maxim, That
a wife and prudent Prince^ when he is obliged
to wage War^ mujl do it brijk and JJoort^ and
on a fudden fur prize his Enemy by formidable
Preparations and quick Executions, becaufe in
fuch Occafions, to fpend much is a favin^.
jr . He waited only for an Opportunity to ex-
iiy toLjn ^^^ himfelf, for it was agreed with his Allies,
to execute that he fhould not begin unlefs he had fome
''• Pretence or other to take the Field. Now
the Succeflion of Bergues and Juliers^ afforded
him what he fought for.
John-WtlUam Duke o^Juliers, Cleves and
Bergues^ Count of L^ Mark and Ravenfburgh^
Son to tVtUiam, by Mary of Juftria his Con-
fort, Sifter of the Emperor Charles V. and
Grandfon to John Duke oijuliers, i^c. be-
ing dead v/ithout Iflue on the 25th oi March
1609 ; his Succefiion put all the neighbour-
ing States in motion, not only the Ifilie of
his four Siiiers, but the Duke of Saxony , _ as
defcending
Bo OK VII. Rsformed Churches in Fr a n c e I 491
defcending from an eldeft Daughter of Duke HenrylV.
John, Grandfather of the late Duke John- ^^'°'
JVilliam. The Duke ofNevers pretended like- "^^^^^
wife to the Dutchy of Cleves, as bearing alone
the Name, and quartering alone the Arms of
that Duchy. For the fame reafon the Count
of Maidevrier demanded the County of La
Mark^ as being the eldeft of that Houfe, and
in that quality he pretended a Right to the
Duchy of Bouillon^ and the Principality of Se-
dan. But the Emperor iniifting upon this, viz.
thatthefe Countries were Male-Fiefs, the Pre-
teniions of thefe Candidates were all ill-ground-
ed, and confequently that thefe Fiefs were de-
volved to the Empire for want of Male-IfTue ;
he fecretly inverted therewith Leopold of Au-
Jiria, Bifhop of Strajboiirg^ and fent him with
an Army to feize upon them.
But t^Q Marquiffes oi Brandebourg and New-
hourg^ whofe Rights were lefs difputable, refolv-
ing to expel him, befought the Afliftance of
their Friends and Allies, and efpecially the
King's, to whom they deputed the Prince of
Anhalt., with Letters from the Ele<5tor 'Palatine
and the Duke of Wirtemhurg^ affuring his Ma-
jefty, that his Arms could not be more juft,
and would certainly be attended with a glo-
rious Succefs. That Prince was very graciouf-
ly received, and his Propohtions very gladly
accepted of, as by one who longed after fuch
a favourable Overture for beginning the Exe-
cution of a Deilgn premeditated for fo long
time before.
During all the Winter he prepared every
thing for that Expedition, which was but a
Covert for a greater one ; and v/hereas he was
refolved to command himfelf his Army, he
fettled fuch a good Order for the Government
of
4 92 Hidory of the Reformation, and of the Vol .IV.
Henry IV. of his Kingdom during his Abfence, that his
T^e 'paul people could not receive any Prejudice there-
V. by. The Queen his Confort was to be Recent
V— %'-— 'of the Kingdom, but her Power was fo far
' limited, that fhe could do nothing without
the Advice and Confent of a Council comno-
fed of fifteen Members ; and he was to efta-
blifh another Council compofed of five Per-
fons in every Province of the Kingdom,
which would have reforted to the great one,
wherein every thing was to be decided by
the Plurality of Votes, the Qiieen having but
her ov/n, and they could not refolve any thing
but according to the general Inftrudions, which
he had drawn himfelf -, and in Cafes wherein
« his Inftrudlions fhould not be full enough, they
were to fend for his Advice and Will,
BisMarch While he was bufied upon thefe Regula-
deferred tions, fome People, and efpecially C(7;zf/^;>z?, and
Galigai his Wife, put into the Queen's head,
to be crowned before he fet out. The King
"Was vexed at this Fancy, for feveral Reafons ;
1°. Becaufe that Ceremony would take up
. much time. 2°. Becaufe it would coll: a great
deal of Money. 3°. Becaufe the Queen's Au-
thority would be increafed thereby. He was
extremely impatient to be out of Paris. I
don't know what fecret Forefight he had,
which made him uneafy under the Apprehen-
iion of fome fatal Blow •, however, he could
not refufe that Token of his Afte6i:ion to the
Queen, who (o earneftly defired it.
She was crowned at St. Denis, on the 13th
of May, and on the i6th ihe was to make her
publick Entry at Paris.
The King's Troops had already repaired
to their Rendezvous upon the Frontiers of
Chanjpaign i the Duke oi Rchan was ready ta
fee
Book VII. Refofh^d ChurchsinFRAi^CE, 493
fetout to receive fhe 6000 Switzers that were Henry IV.
to join the Army, and fifty Cannons with all pj./paui
their Furniture were already out of the Ar- v.
fenal in order to be carried to the Camp : every
Hour of Delay was a Year for the King, fo
much he long'd to be upon his Journey.
There had been at Paris^ ,for two Years
together, a certain Villain, namely FRANCIS
RAVAILLAC, a Man of the meaneft Ex-
tradlion, born in Angoumois -, he had been for-
merly a Monk, then having forfaken the Monk-
ly Order before he was profefled, he had kept
a School -, then he fet up himfelf for a Solli-
citor, and came to Paris. It is uncertain whe-
ther he came on purpofe to perpetrate this
Dcvililh Adion, or if being come upon fome
otlier account, he was induced to this execra-
able Attempt by People who knowing that he
preferved ftill fome Relicks of the League,
and the Notion that the King was going to
overthrow the Catholick Religion in Germany.,
judged him fit for that defperate A(5tion.
if *tis afked. Who were the Devils or Fu-
ries that infpired this Wretch ? We can't be
pofitive as to that. But we know with as great
a Certainty as any thing can be in Hiftory,
1° . That from many Places the King had re-
ceived Advice, that there was a Plot againft
his Life. 2°. That the Rumour of his Death
was publidied in Print in Spam and at Milan^
before it happened. 3°. That eight Days before
the fatal Blow, a Courier paffed thro* Liege,
who faid that he brought News to the Princes
of Germany., that the King had been mur-
dered. 4*^. That on the 19th o^O£fober^ the
Year before, the Lord Du Pkjfis received
Notice from a Gentleman, that a large Book
had been difcovered at La Fkche., kept by
one
494 ^{fto^y of the Reform afton, t ndofthe Vol. IV,
Henry IV. one Medor, Tutor to fomfe young Gentlemen
P*^P° I ^^^0"g'"g ^o t^^ College of the Jefuits in that
V. Place, which Book contained a formal Promife,
< — v^-j with Oath blindly to obey the Pope's Orders
whatever they be, and feveral Hundreds of
Subfcriptions ; it was written partly with Ink,
and partly with Blood 5 the Names of the Sub-
fcribers were moftly written with Blood. The
faid Book had been difcovered by chance in
Me dor's Chamber, and was transferred imme-
diately after from the Houfe where he lodged
to Du Crw's, a Native of Auvergne^ Member
of the Society of Jefuits^ who formerly be-
longed to the Duke of Mercosur^ and who
lived then near St. Germain*s Gate at La FUche.
Du Plejfis fent his Information to the Duke of
SuUy^ who made all Search poffible, but un-
luckily he miftook St. Germain^s Gate of Paris
for that of La Fleche., where he did not fend.
He ismur- Now to come to the Execution of this hor-
^ered. ^.j^ pj^j.^ r^^^ j^^j^ ^f ^^y ^j^e King Came
out of the Louvre^ about Four of the Clock
in the Afternoon, in order to go into the City,
he fat in the Back- fide of his Coach, with the
Duke of Efpernon on his Side •, the Duke of
Mojitbazon, and five other Lords, fate in the
Fore- part. His Coach coming from St. Honor e-
Jireet into la Ferro7jnerie*s v/as ftopt by two
Carts, one loaded with Vv^ine, the other with
Hay, which incumberedthe Way, the Street
being very narrow -, his Footmen for avoiding
the Incumbrance, had paffed under the Charnels
of 6"/. Innocent, fo that no body Handing by the
Coach the Villain, who forfeveral Weeks before,-
had obftinately followed the King, took this
opportunity for executing his damnable Plot.
He took notice of the fide" where his Majefty
fat, dipt on that fide between the Shops and
the"
Book VII. Reformed Churches in France, 495
the Coach, and putting his Foot upon one Henry VI.
Spoke of the Wheel, with an inraged fierce- p^^^^p°j^j
oefs fmote the King with a long Knife, be- y. "
tween the fecond and third Rib. At thisu- v-*-*
Blow the King cried, I am wounded; but the
Wretch without being frightned, repeated his
Stroke, and this time hit him juft at the Heart,
whereof the King died upon the Spot ; the
Villain was ftill repeating, but the Stroke was
loft in the Duke of Montbazon*s Sleeve. He
was fo confoundedly defperate, that he did not
care either to fly or to hide his Knife ; but he
ftood in the place, and was taken without the
leaft Refiftance.
The King being dead, the Duke of Efper-
non ordered the Coach to go back to the Louvrey
where the Corpfe was opened in the prefence
of 26 Phyficians and Surgeons, and all his.
Parts were found fo wholefome, that accord-
ing to the Courfe of Nature, he might have
Jived 30 Years longer. His Bowels were in-
ftantly carried and buried at St. Denis with-
out any Pomp or Ceremony; his Heart was
given to the Jefuits^ who carried it into their
Church at La Fleche ; and his Corpfe being
embalmed, was put in a Leaden Coffin, and this
in a Wooden one, covered with a Golden Cloth,
and remained under a Canopy in his Bedcham-
ber, where Mafs was faid for eighteen Days
together, over two Altars ereded for that pur-
pofe ; and then it was brought and depofited
in St. Denises Church. (I).
So died Henry IV. in the middle of the
57th Year of his Age, in the 38th Ydar o^^^'^fj''"
his
(I) Memoires cle Sully, Tom. III. from pag. 360 to
481. Vie de Du Pleflis, Liv. ii. pag. 337. Memoires da
Du Pleffis, Tom. Ill*, pag. 306. Perehxe Hift, deHenr/
]« Grand 3' ptrtic.
49 6 Hijiory of the Reformation^ and of the Vol. IV:
HenrylV.his Reign o^ Navarre^ and in the 21ft of that
1610. of Prance. With him died the Protector.
y_ ^" of the Reformed^ the Restorer oI France:,
»the Father of his People, the Pattern
of all royal, political and military Virtues, the
Dread o^ Spain and her Adherents, the De-
light of his Friends and Allies, the Won-
der of the World. As his glorious Feats in
time of War proclaimed him the greateft, fo
his Cares in tirrie of Peace, for procuring the
Wealth and Welfare of his Subjefts, proclaim-
ed him the beft of Kings. He was no lefs
confpicuous for his Affability and Clemency,
than for his Striftnefs to his Word and Pro-,
mifes, being ufed to fay, that if Veracity and
Fidelity was loft in the World, it ought to be
fought for out of a King's Mouth. He loved
extremely his Nobility, and took it as a great
Honour to ftyle himfelf the Head of that
illuftrious Body. He loved {o perfedly well
his People, that he was continually attentive
to find out ways and means to eafe them,
to procure their Safety and Welfare. Some
Troops with he fent to Germany, having plun-
dered fome Peafants Houfes in Champaign
he told their Captains, that had flayed a few
Days at P^m, Set out in all haft e, put a ft op
to thefe Robberies, or elfe you foall anpiver in
your own Perfons for them. What I If my Peo-
ple is ruined, who will maintain me, who will
bear the Charges of the State, who will pay your
Penjions, Gentlemen ? By God, to ajfatdt my People
is to ajfault jny felf
But was he perfect ! Were there no Blemifheg
in him? Indeed he was a Man, and as fuch,
fubje6t to the Frailties of human Nature, But
one muft not believe inconfiderately whatever
the Hjftorians, Reformed or Catholicks, have
Writtenf'
Book VII. Reformed Churches InVviK'^Q.^', 497
written upon that Subjed, the firft could not HenrylV-
forgive him his Change of Religion, the fe- ^ ' p^^j
cond were moft part of them Leaguers 'or y.
bribed by them. He has been charged with
Avarice, but never a Prince was lefs avari-
cious than him, he paid all liis Debts exadly,
even thofe contraded at Play ; he paid exadly
all his Merchants, Artificers, l^c. that wor-
ked for him, he ereded feveral public Build-
ings, iSc. encouraged Trade and Manufadu-
ries, recompenfed thofe who had well deferved
of him or the State, unlefs there fhould be
fome particular Reafon which hindered him to
fhew his Gratitude •, he difcharged many great
national Debts, he eafed his People from
feveral burthenfome Taxes, and he did fpend
every Year above three Millions of Livres in
Penfions and Gratifications all over his King-
' dom. Where is then his Avarice ? True it is,
he was not fo prodigal as his Predeceffors ; but,
if he did husband well his Finances, it was
for faving the Subftance of his poor People,
being thoroughly perfuaded that nothing is
more unjuft for a Prince than to vex whole
Provinces for gratifying fome greedy Cour-
tiers, the Leeches of the People.
I much wifh that I could fo eafily vindicate
his Reputation as to two other Points, his
Lewdnefs and his Paffion for Playing ; the
firft v/as the Occafion of many domeftick
Troubles and Vexations, and notunhkely of his
Death ; the Queen his Confort's Ill-humour
was continually increafed by the Reports which
^er Italian Servants, efpecially La Galigai^
made unto her ; fhe very feldom gave a good
Word to the King her Husband.
As to his Religion, I cannot perfuade my-
fclf that he was a thorough Roman Catholick,
Vol. IV. Kk though
49 S Hijlory of the Reformation, &c.
though he was obliged to appear fo in publick*
becaufe he was too well inftruded in the
Chriftian Dodrine to admit the Tenets of that
new Paganifm. True it is, that he flood in a
terrible dread of the Pope and his Satellites,
efpecially the Jefuits-, and that he endeavoured,
by all means, to win them to his Intereft, doing
many things in their behalf, and overlooking
many of their Mifdemeanors, not to be obliged
to punifli them as they deferved -, but it was
not out of Love, or Refpedl, but rather out of
Fear of their Knives, which however, he fell a
Vidim to.
He left three Sons and three Daughters by
J\/lary of Medtcis ; Lewis^ who fucceeded him ;
the fecond, had no Name, he died before he
was chriilen'd, in the fourth Year of his Age ;
he was ftiled Duke oi Orleans, which Title was
devolved to the youngeft Son, named John Bap-
tifi Gajion. His three Daughters were Eliza-
beth, Chrijliana and Henrietta Mary ; the firft
was married to Philip IV. of Spain, the fecond
to ViSlor Amadem Duke of Savoy, and the laft
to Charles I. King of Great- Britain. His
Baftards were in much greater number •, fix
by Gabrielle of Etrees, two by Henrietta of
Balzac, one by Jacqueline de Bueil, and two
by Charlotte des Ejjars ; befides feveral others
which he refufed to acknowledge for his own.
The Cataftrophe of that great Prince gives
us this Inftrudion, that we are not to depend
upon the Grandeurs of this World ; whatever Ad-
miration we have for them, they are but Bubbles,
they vauifh the fame Minute that they appear.
Sic transit Gloria Mundi.
HISTORY
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