open or private place, as he shall see best cause for his Majesty's service herein, the gentlemen of the places, and the burgesses of the cities of his government that be of the religion, and shall declare unto them, and cause them to understand the truth of the said commotion, lest any have misreported it unto them, otherwise than it was in deed; and shall tell them, that, under the colour of the lord admiral's hurt, whereof his Majesty would have caused justice to be done, according to the good order that he had appointed, the said admiral, and gentlemen of his religion which were in the city with him, without looking for the execution of the said justice, had made a mischievous, unhappy, and detestable conspiracy against the King's Majesty's person, the Queen his mother, the lords his brethren, the King of Navarre, and other princes and lords with them, and against the whole estate, even as certain of the chief and adherents of the said conspiracy, acknowledging their fault, have confessed. Wherefore his Majesty was constrained, to his great grief, to resist and prevent so mischievous, pernicious, and abominable a purpose. And that which he suffered to be done on Sunday, the twenty-fourth of August, upon the admiral and his accomplices, was not for any religion, nor to go against the edict of pacification; he intended, nevertheless, that they of the religion should still live and abide in all liberty and safety, with their wives, children, and families, in their houses, as he hath, and will maintain them, if they be content to live quietly under his obedience as he desireth. For the which cause he willeth, that the Count of Charnye shall offer and give to them his letters of safeguard in good and authentick form, which shall be of as good force and vertue, as if they should come or be taken from his own Majesty; and, by the authority of them, they shall be preserved from all wrongs, violences, and oppressions; enjoining and forbidding most expresly all his catholick subjects whatsoever they are, to attempt nothing upon the persons, goods, or families of any of the religion which keep themselves quietly in their houses, on pain of death. And if any be so rash, or evil advised, to act against this injunction, or to violate the safeguard promised, his Majesty willeth, that ready and rigorous punishment be done, to the intent, that their example may serve to hold in others not to do the like; which is the true and only means of assurance that his Majesty can give to them of the religion, with his word and promise, which he giveth them, to be their good and benign prince, protector and preserver of them, and of all that toucheth them, so long as they live and continue under his obedience, without doing or enterprising any thing against his will and service, And, because his Majesty hath often known that the enterprises and consultations, taken in hand by them of the religion against his service, have been concluded amongst them at assemblies at sermons, which gentlemen had liberty to cause to be made in their houses and lordships, therefore my lord of Charnye shall particularly give to understand to gentlemen, which were wont to have such sermons, that his Majesty, in consideration that nothing hath more moved, and set on the catholicks against those of the religion, than such preachings and assemblies; and, if they continue, it is certain, that it will be a cause to increase and maintain the said commotions; desireth, that they should cause them to cease,

until he hath otherwise provided and appointed, and that they apply themselves hereunto as a thing greatly serving the effect of his intention, which is, gently to bring his said subjects to a true and perfect amity, union, and concord one with another, committing all divisions and partialities to oblivion. And, because this may seem hard at the beginning, my lord of Charnye shall cause it to be fair and gently spoken to them, lest they enter into some strange conjecture or suspicion. For so his said Majesty would proceed in all true sincerity towards them which conform themselves to his will and obedience, wherein he exhorteth them to live, with all the best persuasions that he can, and shall assure them, in so doing, to be surely maintained and preserved as his other subjects, the catholicks, as his Majesty would that he should do. And, to the intent his said subjects, the catholicks, should know how to use and behave themselves herein, my lord of Charnye shall tell them, that his Majesty's pleasure neither is, nor hath been, that any wrong or oppression should be done to them of the said religion, which, like good and loyal subjects, will gently keep themselves under his obedience: declaring unto the said catholicks, that, if they forget themselves, and hurt those of the religion, who, in such sort, behave themselves towards his Majesty, and those also, which, for that end, have received of his Majesty, or of my lord of Charnye, letters of safe-conduct, he will cause them to be punished and chastised in the field, as transgressors of his commandments, without any hope of grace, pardon, or remission; which the said lord of Charnye shall express and declare unto them, with as plain words as is possible, and cause it also to be as strictly executed. And, after that, following his Majesty's intent, he hath pacified them by this means, which is the way that his Majesty best liketh of, and searched the direction to assure a tranquillity betwixt the subjects, and to set some assurance betwixt the one and the other, such, as shall conform themselves herein to his said Majesty's will, he will comfort, and make them the best and most gentle entertainment that he possibly can. But, if any of the religion become self-willed and stubborn to his Majesty, without having regard to his said warnings, and shall assemble in arms together, making practices and devices against the weal of his service, then the lord of Charnye shall run upon them, and hew them in pieces, before they have power to fortify themselves and join together; and therefore he shall assemble as much force as he can, as well of the ordinary, as of other men of war, soldiers, footmen of the garisons, and inhabitants of the catholicks within the cities of his government, and shall besiege them which hold and make themselves strong in cities about of his government, so that the victory and authority may remain in his Majesty. At Paris, the thirtieth of August, 1572. Signed CHARLES; and underneath, BRULARD.

The King's Letters to the Lord of Guiche, whereby it may plainly be perceived, how they would search out all them of the Religion which had any charge in Hand during the Troubles,

MY Lord of Gwiche, I understand that the three brethren Daggonels, and one Porcher the host at the sign of the Adventure, Mossoner, Crispin, and Captain Grise, which were the principal of the faction in Burgundy, and were the cause of the taking and recovering of the city of Mascon in the late troubles, and of all the decay which happened in that country, be kept prisoners in Mascon. And, because I understand that they hope to escape out by ransom, which I would in no wise should be done, I ordain and command that you keep them safe, forasmuch as I hope by their means to discover a great many things, which greatly touch the weal of my service. And if there be any other prisoners of the new religion in Mascon, which have been factious, 'you shall likewise keep them, so that they escape not by paying ransom, for I would not, for any thing in the world, that there should be taking of ransom among my subjects. And thus, my lord of Gwiche, pray God keep you in his holy tuition. Written at Paris, the 14th of September, 1572. signed, CHARLES, and underneath, BRULARD.

I

The King's Letters to Monsieur de Gordes, his Lieutenant-General in Daulphine, wherein he sendeth him word, that the best proof of his Doings is the Accusations and Complaints of them of the Religion against him, whereunto he should have Care to answer.

M. DE Gordes, by your letters of the first of this month, I perceived the order which you appointed in your government, since the advertisement which you had of the execution of the admiral and his adherents: and since I am sure you forgot nothing, which you thought might serve for your assurance of those places whereof you had occasion to doubt. And, to the intent you should have the more means to make yourself known, I have prepared that the soldiers of Corsica, which I had appointed to go into Provence, should return to you, and thereupon have written to my cousin the count of Tende, who will not fail to send them unto you, forasmuch as there is no need of them now in that country. He should also send you word of the time of their departing, to the end that you might have leisure to provide to receive them, and appoint their places, where they should be in garison. I have seen that which you writ to me concerning the continual payment in Daulphine, what is due for the last year, whereupon, I will advise of the state of my fines the means that may be, and according thereunto there shall be no fault, but they shall be provided for. For the reparation of the bridge of Grenoble, they of the same place must devise the means wherein they should best help themselves therein, and, when they have advertised me, I will appoint them necessary provision. Touching the soldiers appointed for the baron of Adresse, because the

occasion why I appointed them to be levied now ceaseth, I have written to him to send them back and dismiss them again: wherefore there is no need to make provision for their maintenance, nor likewise to tell you any thing else, concerning the answers which you have made to the remembrances, which they of the religion have presented against you. For your doings are well known, and plain unto me, and thereupon I will take no better proof than their accusation. Wherefore, you shall put yourself to no more pain on that side. Moreover, I have herewith sent you a copy of the declaration which I made of the admiral's death and his adherents, and made to be understood, that it should be observed and followed, and that all murders, sackings, and violences should cease. Nevertheless, I have heard complaints of divers places, that such extraordinary ways continue, which is a thing that doth much displease me. By the means whereof 1 advise you, in doing this charge once again put unto you, that you give order throughout your government to cause all hostility, force, and violence to cease, and that the said declaration be streightly observed and kept, with punishing those that withstand, so rigorously, that the demonstration thereof may serve for an example, seeing my intent is, that they should be punished as behoveth, and to mark them which wink or dissemble thereat. This present letter shall serve also for an advice of the receipt of those letters which you wrote the fifth of this present, whereby you send me word, that you received no message by word of mouth from me, but only letters of the twenty-second, twenty-fourth, and twenty-eighth of the month passed, whereof put yourself to no further pain, for that charge was only for such as then were near about me, which is all that I have at this time to say unto you. Praying hereupon the Creator to keep you in his holy and worthy tuition. Written at Paris, the fourth day of September. Signed CHARLES, and beneath, FIZES. And above. To M, de Gordes, Knight.

The King's Letters to the Duke of Guise, his Lieutenant-General in Champaigne and in Prye.

COUSIN, although in my former letters I have given you to understand well enough how much I desire all my subjects, as well of the nobility, as others which profess the new religion, and quietly use themselves in your government, should by you be maintained and preserved in all surety, under my protection and safeguard, without giving them any hinderance by trouble in their persons, goods, and families: yet, nevertheless, I have been advertised that, in certain places of my realm, there have been many sackings and pillagings done by such as dwell in the houses of them of the said new religion, as well in the fields as in the cities, under colour of the commotion, which happened in my city of Paris the twenty-fourth day of August last; a thing beyond all measure unpleasant and disagreeable unto me, and, for the which, I would have provision and remedy. Wherefore, I pray

you, cousin, that above all things as you desire, that I should know the good affection you bear to the good weal of my service, you take that matter next your heart to preserve and maintain within your government, according to that which I have so plainly told and written to you heretofore, that all such of the new religion, who behave themselves quietly, take no wrong or violence, whether it be for the preservation of their goods or persons, no more than to my Catholick subjects. And, where any wrong or outrage shall be offered them against my will, as I have before declared, so do I now by these presents declare, I will and intend that you shall make some evident and notorious punishment of such as are herein culpable, so that their correction may serve for an example of all others, that I may see myself thoroughly obeyed herein as I would be, and my commandments received amongst all my subjects in another sort than they have been heretofore: assuring you, cousin, that the best news, that I shall receive from you, shall be to hear say that you chastise those well, of whom I am disobeyed. And thus, cousin, I pray God to keep you in his holy tuition. Written from Paris, the 28th of September, 1572. Signed CHARLES, and underneath, BRULARD.

Remembrances sent by the King to all Governors, and Lieutenants of his Provinces, to put out and remove all those of the Religion from their Estates and Charges, although they would abjure the same; saving such as have but small Estates and Offices, to whom his Majesty permitteth Continuance, on Condition that they abjure the said Religion, according to the Form of Abjuration sent for that Purpose.

THE King, considering how much his officers and magistrates of justice, and such as have the administration and dealing of his fines and payments, which be of the new religion, are suspected and hated, and put his catholick subjects in great mistrust, if they should presently exercise their offices after these fresh commotions, because that the said offices are in their hands that now keep them: therefore, lest the people should thereby be brought to a new occasion of stir, and they of the new religion be in danger or hazard of their own persons, although they would abjure their said new religion, and profess the holy faith and catholick religion of Rome: His Majesty, desiring to avoid the new mischiefs and troubles which may come, hath advised to discharge the said officers from the exercise of the said offices, until he shall otherwise appoint. And yet, nevertheless, in the mean while, if the said officers be obedient unto his will, and live quietly in their houses, without attempting, practising, or taking any thing in hand against his service, they shall receive their wages; and they that will resign their said offices to catholick persons, and come to his Majesty, shall be very honourably provided for. And as touching other small offices without wages, which cannot be troublesome, as notaries, serjeants, and such where the officers have no authority, which cannot be