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nish them with garisons; which was the beginning of the first civil war. For the Prince of Conde alledged the cause of his taking armour to be the defence of the King's edict, wherein consisted the safety of the commonwealth; and that it could not be repealed without most assured undoing of the nation of France, and destruction of the nobility, by reason of the exceeding great multitude of those that daily joined themselves to that religion; of which number such, as, being of noble birth, were in power, dignity, wealth, and credit above the rest, thought it not meet for them to suffer the punishments and cruelties accustomed to be exercised upon the professors thereof: besides that, they held them discontented, that the Duke of Guise, a new comer, a stranger translated from the forests of Lorrain into France, did take upon him, in France, so great courage, and so high dominion and power. Thereto was added the Queen-mother's singular care (as was reported) for conservation of peace, and repressing the. rage of the Guisians. Upon which opinion, it is certain, that above twenty thousand men, having regard only to the Queen's inclination, joined themselves to the side of those of the religion, and to the defence of their profession, which at that time had besieged the force of the King's power.

After certain battles, and many losses on both parties, and the Duke of Guise slain, within a year peace was made, with this condition, That they of the religion should have free liberty thereof, and should have assemblies and preachings for the exercise of the same in certain places.

This peace continued in force, but not in all places, during five years; for, in the most towns and jurisdictions, the officers that were affectionate to the Romish side, whom they commonly call Catholicks, did all the displeasure they could to those of the religion. Therefore, when Ferdinando Alvares de Toledo, commonly called Duke of Alva, was leading an army not far from the frontiers of France, against those of the Low-countries, which embraced the reformed religion; against the will of the King of Spain, the Queen-mother caused to be levied, and brought into France, six thousand Switzers for a defence, as she caused it to be bruited; but, as the success hath proved, for this intent, that the Prince of Conde, the admiral, and other noblemen of the religion, if they escaped the treasons prepared for them, and listed to defend themselves by force, and try it by battle, might be suddenly oppressed before they were provided. For the courtiers, which then had the managing of these matters, did not, at that time, well trust the soldiers of France. Many things pertaining to the course of that time, and the renewing of the war, must here, for haste to our present purpose, be necessarily omitted.

When the war had endured about six months, peace was made with the same condition that we have above rehearsed, That all men should have free liberty to follow and profess the reformed religion. For this was ever one and the last condition upon all the wars. But, within a few days or months after, it was plainly understood, that the same peace was full of guile and treason; and finally, That it was no peace, -but most cruel war, cloaked under the name of peace. For, forth

with, all those towns, which they of the religion had yielded up, were possessed and strengthened with garrisons of soldiers on the contrary side, saving only one town on the sea coasts in the parts of Xantoigne, commonly called Rochelle. For the men of that town, about two hundred years past, had yielded themselves to the King's power and allegiance, with this condition, That they should never be constrained, against their will, to receive any garrison soldiers.

Also the Prince of Conde, and the admiral, were advertised, that there was treason again prepared to intrap them, by Tavaignes, a man given to murther and mischief, who had lately been made Marshal of France; and that, if they did not speedily avoid the same, it should shortly come to pass, that they should be deceived and taken by him, and delivered up to the cruelty of their adversaries.

Upon the receipt of these advertisements, they immediately make haste to Rochelle, carrying with them their wives and young children, which was the beginning of the third civil war, the most sharp and .miserable of all the rest.

There was, at that time in the court, Charles, Cardinal of Lorrain, brother to the Duke of Guise, who, as is abovesaid, was slain in the first war; one accounted most subtle and crafty of all the rest, but of a terrible, cruel, and troublesome disposition, so that he was thought intolerable, even at Rome itself. This man they of the reformed religion reported to be the most sharp and hateful enemy of their profession, and him they abhorred above all others, for the cruelty of his nature, and named him the firebrand of all civil flames. He, at the be ginning of the third civil war, persuaded the King to publish an edict, That no man profess any religion but the Romish or Popish, and that whosoever would embrace any other, should be counted as traitors. In that same edict, printed at Paris, this sentence was expressly con tained; and, for the strangeness of the matter, and for that it stained the King's name with the most dishonourable spot of perjury and breach of faith, it was, in other impressions afterwards, omitted. And it was further then declared, that, albeit the King had, in many edicts before that time, permitted the freedom of religion, yet his meaning ever was to retain, and cause to be retained of all men, the only Ro mish or Popish religion within his realm.

After many overthrows on both parts given and received, whereas the end of this third war was thought likely to be the harder, by reason of the breach of faith in the years before; and, on the other side, the state of the realm, by reason of the waste that the cities were brought unto, and the extreme poverty of the mean people and husbandmen, did require some treaty of composition; the King sent messengers to the Admiral, to signify unto him, in the King's name, that the King himself had at length found out a most sure way of peace and concord, namely, That the armies of both parts joined together should go into the Low Countries against the Duke of Alva, who had been the author of the late calamities in France. He signified further, That he had great causes of quarrel against the King of Spain, and this principally, that he had invaded, and held by force, suddenly slaying all the soldiers there, an island of the new found world. called

Florida, which had been taken by the French, and kept under his do minion; and likewise the Marquisdom of Final, the inhabitants whereof had but a little time before yielded themselves to the King's subjection and allegiance. He said, that the most stedfast band of concord should be that foreign war, and that there could no other better means be devised to drown the memory of the former dissensions, in eternal forgetfulness.

To the performance hereof, he said, It was a matter of most apt opportunity, that Lodovick, Count of Nassau, brother to the Prince of Orange, had been now two years in the admiral's camp, to whom the admiral gave principal credit in all things; and that by him and his fellows of the Low-Countries, and others whom he understood to favour his part, it might be easily brought to pass that certain cities might be surprised, and thereby great advantage be attained to the atchieving of the war.

The admiral, hearing these things, was marvellously troubled. For, albeit he doubted not of the King's fidelity, yet, therewithal, many things fell into his mind to be considered; as the power of the eardinal, and the rest of the Guisians, who were well known to have been at all times most affectionate to the King of Spain: for the Duke of Guise had left a son, a very young man, called Henry, to whom the Queen had given all the offices and places of honour that his father had borne before, being unfit thereto by age, and against the ancient laws and customs; and also through the traitorous infidelity of certain of the King's counsellors, whom she knew, for their affection to the Popish religion, to be most addicted to the Spanish King, and that divers of them had great yearly pensions of him, and did disclose unto him the affairs of the realm. He remembered how hereby it came to pass, that the same King's ambassador (which, amongst strange nations, seemed utterly incredible) was admitted into the privy council of France; and that one Biragio, a Lombard, and, as it is reported, a traitor to his own country, otherwise altogether unlearned, and especially ignorant of the civil law, was yet, for the subtlety of his wit, advanced to so great honour, that he executed the chancellor's office, Michael Hospitall being displaced, a man known to be such a one, as there was not, in all degrees of men, any either more wise, or more learned, or more zealously loving his country. Herewithal he considered the slanderous cavillations of his adversaries, to whom, hereby, might seem an occasion given, as if the admiral were of a troublesome nature, and could not abide any quietness, nor could Jong rest at home without some tumultuous stir. Hereupon the mes sengers replied as they were able, and therewithal alledged this cause of so sudden hatred against the Spanish King, that one Albeny, late returned out of Spain, had informed the King, and the Queen-mother, for certainty, that King Philip, a few months before, had poisoned his wife, the French King's sister, and had spread rumours of her throughout all Spain, such as, for the honour of many persons, are not meet to be disclosed. But nothing moved the admiral so much as the chearful earnestness of Lodovick of Nassau, who, as soon as he was adver

tised of that purpose of the King, omitted nothing that he thought might serve to encourage the admiral thereunto.

The admiral, persuaded hereby, nothing fearing the infidelity of those of the court, gave his mind to hearken to composition. And so was the third civil war ended, and the peace concluded with the same conditions that were before, that every man should have free liberty to use and profess the religion.

Within few months after this, divers princes of Germany, that fa voured the reformed religion, and, amongst those, the three Electors, the Palsgrave, the Duke of Saxony, and the Marquis of Brandenburgh, sent their ambassadors into France to the King, to congratulate him for the new reconciliation of his subjects. And, because they ac counted it greatly to behove themselves, that the same concord should remain stedfast, and of long continuance, they promised, that, if any would for that cause procure trouble, or make war upon him, either within his own dominions, or without, they and their followers should be ready to defend him. To this ambassage, the King first, by words, and afterwards by a book, subscribed with his own hands, answered, and gave his faith, that he would for ever most sacredly and faithfully observe his edict of pacification.

Hereby so much the more willingly the admiral suffered himself to be drawn to the said purposes for the Low-countries, although oftentimes, calling to mind the nature of the Queen-mother, he used to say to divers, and especially to Theligny, to whom he afterwards married his daughter, that he greatly suspected the rolling wit of that woman, For, said he, so soon as she hath brought us into that preparation against the Low-countries, she will leave us in the midst.

Nevertheless, the Count of Nassau writeth to his brother, and they, conferring their advices together, send messengers to the King, that, if it please him to deal with the Low-countries, they will shortly so do, that he shall, by their many and great services, well perceive their af fection and devotion towards him. The King writeth again to them in most loving terms, saying, That their message most highly pleased him, and he gave to them both his hearty thanks.

About the same time Maximilian the Emperor, pitying the estate of the Prince of Orange, as he said, treated, by his ambassadors, with the King of Spain, and had, in a manner, obtained, that the Prince should have all his goods restored unto him, but with this condition, that he should have no house within the territory of the Low-countries; but, settling his residence and dwelling elsewhere, he should freely enjoy all his revenues. Which matter being reported to the French King, he immediately sent messengers to the Prince of Orange, willing him to look for nothing by that dealing of the Emperor; saying, that it was but a fraud and guileful device, intended for this purpose, only to break up his levying of soldiers that he had begun in Germany; and assuring him, that, if he would credit and follow him, he would give him aid sufficient to recover his estate.

The Prince of Orange, persuaded by these promises of King Charles, continued his musters, and determined a while to bear the charges, though they were heavy to him, while such things, as were necessary

for the war, were preparing. In the mean time Lodovick, in disguised apparel, went to Paris to the King: forasmuch as the season of the year, by this time, scemed not commodious to levy an army, for the winter was at hand, by assent they deferred the matter till the next

summer.

These things thus hanging, the Prince of Orange's captains by sea did oftentimes set upon the Spaniards and Portuguese, and such ships as they took they brought into the haven of Rochelle, which then was in the power of the Prince of Conde's party; and there they openly uttered and sold their prizes to the men of the town, and other mer chants of France; whereupon the ambassador of Spain made often complaints to the King's privy-council.

And, forasmuch as they thought it very available to this enterprise, that Elisabeth, Queen of England, might be brought into league with them, the King committed the dealing in that matter to the admiral, For, a few months before, the King had, with most sweet alluring let ters, gotten him to the court, where he was most honourably entertained: and, to take from him all occasion of distrust upon his adversaries, or of otherwise suspecting the King's or Queen-mother's affection to wards him, first, all the Guisians of a set purpose departed the court. Then the King gave the admiral free liberty to take with him what company, and with what furniture he would: and because it was thought that he had more confidence in the Marshal Cosse, than in the rest, therefore the King commanded the said marshal to be ever at hand with the admiral, and to assist him in the King's name, if any need were,

The matter of the league with England the admiral so diligently and industriously handled, that, within short space after, by ambassadors sent, and by faith given and received, and oaths solemnly taken on both parts, it was confirmed, Concerning the procurement of other leagues and amities, such as might seem to further the enterprise of the Low-countries, the admiral also travelled in the King's name, and by his commandment, and had, in a manner, brought all these things to an end. And, of all those leagues, the first and principal condition was, That the liberty of religion should continue, and that the King should most diligently and sincerely observe this edict of pacifi

cation.

Though these things seemed to be handled secretly, yet, by the letters both of Biragio the vice-chancellor, of whom we made mention be fore, and of Morvilliers, whom, for his hypocritical leanness, children commonly called the chimera, or bug of the court, and by advertisements of Cardinal de Pelve, a man most fit either to invent or execute any treason, they were carried to the bishop of Rome, who, by advice of his cardinals, sent by one of their number, called Alexandrine, in the midst of a most sharp winter, into France, with these instructions: To persuade the King to enter into the society of the league of Trent, whereof the first and principal article was, That the confederates should join their powers, and make war upon the Turks and Hereticks, meaning, by the name of hereticks, all those princes that did permit the use of the reformed religion within their dominions,

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