ADVISE, GIVEN BY A Catholic Gentleman, to the Nobility & Commons of France, to join together, and take arms speedily (by commandment of the King) against thieves and robbers, which are now abroad ruining the poor people: Setting down an order and policy how they should take arms, to avoid all disorder and confusion amongst them. Whereunto is adjoined, A declaration published by the Duke de Mont-pencier for the reclaiming of the Clergy and Nobility of Normandy, unto his majesties obedience, etc. With certain news of the overthrow of the Gautiers, and diverse other rebels against the French King, by the said Duke of Mont-pencier, on the sixth, and on the twentieth day of April. 1589.  
Translated out of the French into English, by I. Eliote.  
LONDON Printed by john Wolf. 1589.   

Advise given by a Catholic Gentleman of France, etc.  
ALthough few days since, I set forth a book in print, containing four Chapters, in the which I did at large advertise my countrymen of France of that which they had to do, in this dangerous time of revolting: yet seeing their ruin to draw nigh daily, and that the greatest harm falleth chief on the Nobles, and on the poor peasants, who as it were utterly ruined and undone, remain benumbed, not able to help themselves any thing at all, poor men, being utterly spoiled of the forces that God giveth them for their maintenance & defence, I have bethought myself, to open them a way, and to advertise them once again, how they may live peaceably one with another, and to set them down the means, how they may disturb and hinder the quartering & canto●ning of this state, that to their great prejudice, so many go about. It is then to you, my Lords of the Nobility, and to you poor Country people, that I address myself, labouring to make you know, how both your interests go in this matter, and that you must not now forsake one another (as you do) considering that now you have need to join your forces together, for your common safeguard & defence. It is to you, I say, that I speak, Nobility of France, but yet more particularly to you, poor countrymen, full of affliction: for you make my soul full of pity and compassion, seeing you beaten, peeled, and ransomed by the soldiers of this time on the one side, and seeing you on the other side pinched and gnawed to the very bones by these Townsmen, which laugh in their sleeves, and make a jest, being safe themselves within the compass of their walls, at your misery and calamity. You are the cause that the tears trickle down from mine eyes, when I consider how all the world doth cousin and deceive you, and when I see none that do take in hand to defend your cause: to be short, you make me die for very sorrow, seeing you only bear the burden of the greatest part of miseries, that have chanced to light on this desolate kingdom. For although God hath made me a Gentleman borne, and that I see those that are of the same quality, menaced to have their part of the same damage that you suffer, yet must I needs pity you a great deal more than them, for that a great part of them have been so miserable, as to help to work their own mischief, and procured yours beside, by the rebellion which they have practised against their king: they had wit and understanding to know that they did ill, and nevertheless suffered themselves to be blinded through their ambition & avarice, wherewith their adversaries very craftily serve their turn, to draw them to their party: some of them took money, other some contented themselves with vain promises, that they should have some dignities and honourable charges: but those are yet possessed of them, whom the king hath thought good to place therein: and with these baits and deceitful persuasions of the mutinous preachers (which are now infinitely scattered over this Monarchy) were they induced to offend God, to hurt their Prince, the liberty of their Country, their posterity, their particular friends, and by consequent their reputation, without the which they are unworthy of the title of honour, that they bear: ye poor men did not offend upon a jollity, as they did, but if you have borne arms for these rebellious persons, you have done it only following the example of your unadvised superiors, who have made you believe, that it was the only means to assuage the vehemency of the evil that did afflict you, & in that you have done as he, who (feeling himself vexed with any grievous disease) taketh every thing that is proffered him in likeness of a remedy or medicine, although it be sometimes very poison or death itself: so you thought that they were skilful Physicians, who knowing your diseases would heal them, & they are but counterfeit fellows, that making their profit by your disease, seek to make it incurable, & to poison it: and that this is most true, you see that after they have named the good medicines needful for you, they have applied other that are clean contrary, bringing you no ease or comfort at all thereby, as they did promise you, but so made your wounds to rankle, and grow more grievesome and painful unto you daily.  
My friends, it is now high time, that you resolve yourselves to withstand the tyrannous proceed and pretences of those, who have hitherto deceived you with fair promises, to make you consent to their establishing & your own ruin: it is now high time or never, poor people, that ye go about to seek some remedy for the evil you suffer: & I can see none more fit for you, than to take arms, not with a confusion & disorder (as some amongst you have done already) but with some good policy, in uniting yourselves together under the obedience of your King, & joining unto you such Gentlemen, as you shall find desirous of your good: for even as in extreme diseases, it is requisite oftentimes to use extreme remedies: so the oppressions that you feel, being too rigorous and violent, you must needs disburden yourselves of them by a forcible and violent endeavour; and this is the reason, why I would have you to take arms, according to the order that I shall set down anon, and not to suffer yourselves to be blinded and deluded by the fair promises of the Lorraine Princes and their adherents, for they are those counterfeit Physicians, that I spoke of even now, unto whom the prolonging of your malady is profitable. In the beginning of their revolt, they made you believe by their books made for the purpose, and by the Sermons of their Apostatical preachers, that they Catholics had then great need to conclude a league & alliance among themselves, to ruin the heretics, & to prevent the succession of any heretical Prince after our king, leaving out, I warrant you, nothing that might make to confirm this proposition, & to make it be liked of all that they could. Which proposition is very good, and most expedient for all Catholics, if the effects were correspondent to the words: but in stead of making an union of Catholics, they have used this holy pretext, to have a cast only at the king, & to divide the Catholics by this means into sides, bringing in by this division all the disorder and riot that you see at this present in this Monarchy, & that yet you are like to see, if God put not to his helping hand speedily. This is the cause that the catholics are now divided, and at variance among themselves, & that the honester sort call this league an union of rebels, and a faction of conspirators: & the reason why they call it so, is, because they have joined their drift to reform the estate, with the pretext of the holy League, whereby they have plainly meddled with the king, and called his authority in question, that which the more virtuous and honester sort cannot allow, for that (as I have said before, in the second Chapter of the book that I have already setforth, and as I will show you hereafter more at large) is not permitted of God: & see for certain that which hath caused all true Catholics to hate & contemn this league & alliance, although they never found one word of truth in all that the Lorraine Princes promised, being the first authors of this conspiracy. They have sworn and protested to you (to encourage you, & to make you think well of their factious fetches & proceed) that they wish the ruin of heretics, and under this false pretence they have attempted against their King. They let their armies take up the best places of this Realm, and lodge themselves and their soldiers, where never any soldiers came before, and the profit that you reap thereby is, their troops of soldiers are round about your Cities; who use and entreat you as Turks, and not as their Catholic brethren, they promised to cause the King's soldiers to keep good rule, & yet you never saw more detestable thieves, than these that go to the wars now for them: these are, say they, catholics of the holy League, & yet they force women, they ravish the daughters of catholics, they beat Priests, they prison them, & hang them up by the heels, to make them give money: they war, say they, to ruin heretics, which have retired themselves into their houses, & to clear the Country of them, but if any one show a countenance, as though he would defend himself, they let him alone, and seek but those that are without all defence and cannot resist, and specially above all, those that are full of money, who have reconciled themselves within the compass of the Church, and are retired under her protection and safeguard, those are they that they seek, they take them first: he that embraceth the Church, with them hath no better assurance, than he that renounceth her: It is enough to be an heretic (say they) if a man have at this present a good purse, and a naughty sword: they made an abatement of taxes to be proclaimed, but for every penny that they have abated, they make it cost a crown: for in many places they have begun to levy and tax for the maintenance of their forces, & for the m unition of their fortresses: in sum, see how they have performed nothing of all that they promised, and so far are they from leaving their felony and rebellion, that they do what they can, every day to make you commit their detestable insolences and villainies. The Duke of Maine in stead of going to besiege Niort, that the Hugonites have taken in, speaketh of nothing but assailing his King, if he could assemble but forces sufficient: his adherents cause now to be proclaimed in diverse Provinces (and chief in Normandy) that the peasants and Countrymen have to arm themselves, without any leave or consent of the Nobles, who are not of their side: and they say it is for the defence of the common people. Know you what craft and subtlety they mean? every one of them which hath a good place already, hath no less hope than to make himself sovereign Lord of the Bishopric, Bailywicke, and viscounty, where his fortress is situated, yea, and to climb higher if opportunity serve, and for this occasion they would be rid of those Gentlemen that dwell near them, of whom they cannot be assured: but having no forces strong enough to set upon them, they will make at your costs and deniers a company in every hundred and vicounty at the least of twelve or fifteen hundred men well armed, and having once armed you by the help of your own purse-strings, and appointed Captains and governors over you at their own devotion & pleasure, they shall win quickly a great number of you to them, who shall serve their turn to keep the other under, and to ruin (if they can) every one, whom they think is not for them, from whom, they think, you might have some assistance, when you should be a weary of supporting their tyranny; and even as they have set a great part of the Nobility together by the ears, so will they do you to: that this is most true, ye see already the great division that is happened amongst you, and how in diverse places your next neighbours have murdered one another in taking of parts, where they are diversly affected, and when you shall be armed and joined together under these Leaguers themselves, and when you shall have helped to establish them to the prejudice of good Catholics, the kings true and faithful servants: to be brief, when they shall be settled peaceably in their governments, doubt not, but ye shall fall into greater misery than so, for the ambition wherewith they are carried headlong (receiving no limit) will bring them on to war one against the other, and every one will labour to make himself greater by suppressing his neighbour, and trust upon his intelligence that he shall have with foreign Princes, in the mean while that these Princes of Lorraine shall jar with those that they shall find able to answer them: and as you see every Prince of Lorraine seeketh to have as good part in the Cake as another, and will not refer all that they do to one sole man's authority: even so, if you look near into the matter, do there adherents also, for every man thinketh he hath as good right to have a piece, as the Duke of Main to have all the whole himself.  
The chief governors amongst them do saise upon the receipt of taxes for themselves in every quarter, and use them, as if they were their own proper, they grant out Commissions as they list, to levy soldiers in their own names, they enrol and cassere whom they list, they fetch down the bells out of the Church steeples to cast them into Cannons, they take up and dismiss soldiers, as they think best, they give protections and safeguards as they please, they set prisoners at liberty, and they entertain guards for their own bodies, at the charges of the poor people: and to be short, they do all things as sovereign Lords and masters, and depend no more of the name of their Catholic Princes, but in this only that they find commodious for their own establishment: and in deed some I know amongst them, who counterfeit to take part with these Lorrainistes, and yet have intelligence with foreign Princes, whom they think allianced unto them for their private gain, to hope for the destruction of this estate.  
See, poor people, how these rebels by their unsatiable ambition have builded their own ruin and yours together. See how they kindle amongst you the fire of a perpetual civil war, and how they spoil you by that means of the peaceable traffic, that you should have in your own Country by the concourse of Merchants from every place, abridging you thereby of the liberty of human society: and this is all the good you shall get, to take arms under their authority, to help them to quarter out this Realm for themselves: to be brief, this is the very means that they have found out, to become masters of your persons and of your goods: but they fear that your Lords and you are joined together to hinder the course of their pretences, and to set you at variance, to make you malcontent with the Nobility, they persuade you to take arms, without ever craving any assistance of any Gentleman, if he be not one of their own brood and conspiracy, promising you that you shall not need to care, they will save you harmless, and that you shall be no more peeled and taxed so long as they shall have the stronger party, but by them and their companions: but after that you have forsaken once your good governors and Lords, and shall be in disgrace with the greatest part of the Nobility, (whom their honour and loyalty have sworn enemies to this faction) God knows, how they will force you to contribute to those things that they shall have need of, and how cruelly they will deal with you, when they have taken from you all power to resist their tyranny. Refuse, I beseech you, to arm yourselves in this manner, oppose yourselves to the pernicious pretences of these Leaguers, and follow not the example of those of the Chapel of Gautier in Normandy: for all things done without order, are also done without reason, and that which is done contrary to reason, hath for the most part an evil issue, and cannot prosper long. The Gautiers took arms, ask no leave of their sovereign Lords, establishing amongst themselves neither rule, policy, or any good discipline of war, and yet not content with that, were they so shameless and impudent (as it was told me) to have given forth, that they would conspire and lay their heads together against the Nobility, wherein notwithstanding they show their gross ignorance and want of judgement: for truly there is no realm in the whole world, where the Gentlemen have more advantage over the peasants, then in France, and I will tell you the reason, to the end that you may know, that you cannot well attempt any thing without the nobility, and that you are not able to hold out, having once war against them. First, you must grant me, that it is not an easy thing to attempt against them, but they shall be by & by advertised, by reason of the great number of them, and for that you have no familiarity with them, nor access unto them, and by reason that they are lodged within their strong Citadels, castles and houses of defence, within the which you have none intelligence at all, and whether you frequent very seldom: and again they never go into the country, nor departed out of their forts, but very well mounted, very well armed, and well accompanied, and you are but footmen, & cannot keep always together, but you shall be greatly cumbered, and turmoiled. But if you conspire against them indeed, & they perceive it once, what shall you gain by that? You have no places of defence, no canon to batter, no man to teach you how you should make your approaches at an assiege, howeyou should place all kind of batteries, how you should make your trenches, how you should cut off a wing or tail of an army, how you should set in order your maine-battell, and how you should choose out a fit place for your fight: you have no cavalry: you have amongst you neither general of the field, martial, master of the camp, nor master of the Artillery: and to conclude, you have no body at all that can teach you how to match like men of war, and so you can be, when you have all done, but a sort of peasants in arms, and clowns in soldiers coats, amongst whom falleth out for the most part disorder and confusion, even then when you should do some good exploit: so that we see daily by experience, that one hundred under good conduct overthrow a thousand of this baggage race: and to say, that in time these peasants would make good soldiers: admit that, yet that would help you nothing: for soldiers will never take arms for peasants against the Nobility: for that the true soldier retaineth the nature of a Gentleman, and the Gentleman is not properly, and ought not to be more than a soldier, and a man at arms in his perfection. None were made noble anciently in this monarchy, but soldiers of mark, who had made proof of their valour, so that as soon as any of you shall feel in himself the least spark of the nature of a soldier and man at arms, he will forsake you strait, to go to your enemies, and so you shall but make rods for your own tails. We read in the Chronicles, that in the reign of king Charles the sixth, the peasants and the handicrafts men of Limosin and of Poictou, did rise in arms against the Nobility, who were hanged, almost every one, & put to the sword by the Duke of Berry, and by the Nobles of these three Provinces. This one example, with that I have alleged already, shall be sufficient to learn you, that it is impossible by this means to prejudice greatly the Lords and seigniours of your country, & also ye may see all they that ever have attempted the like, whatil success they have had, except the Swissers only? but it was an easy matter for them, because their Gentlemen had no fortresses, no engines of war, no soldiers at commandment, none other weapons but such as peasants use, but kept themselves for the most part pelmell within towns and boroughs with the peasants, being little difference at all between them, which gave great assurance and facility to these vile peasants to conspire against those, who were not noble but in name only.  
My friends, I beseech you then, follow mine advise, humble yourselves before the Lords & Seigniours of your Country, praying them to have pity and compassion upon you, and that they would now assist and aid you: bear no arms without their consent, or at the least without leave and consent of some of them, and of some of those of the honester sort, and above all things, my loving friends (whatsoever men may say unto you,) keep always the faith and loyalty, that you own unto your king: oppose yourselves to all thieves and robbers which march contrary to his commandment, who observe not the laws of his Majesty, and care not a rush for the decrees of his Nobility: forso our preachers preach unto them, and command them to do at this present day: but for God's sake consider, in stirring up (as they do) the Nobles to rebel against their King, and the Commons against the Nobility, they do nothing but overthrow all good laws, and confound all good policy. In very deed it were lawful for Gentlemen to take arms against their king, and for the commons to conspire against the Nobility, if you can show them where God commanded it: for we must obey him above all. But if he forbidden us to to do it, either we are very Atheists, or else we must believe that he cannot teach us to walk in his ways and statutes: yea marry, but here some of our rebels will reply and ask: who can teach us better the will of God, than our mother the holy Church his spouse? We are not the children of God, if we be not the children of the Church, and the Church will not acknowledge us to be hers, if we obey not her commandments: as for us, we believe that we walk in God's laws, when we follow the Church, the which teacheth us to do those things which we do. Alas! poor friend, the eyesight of thine understanding, blinded with the craft of thy very enemies deceiveth thee. Thou takest the shadow for the body: that which thou callest the Church, is not the true Church, the spouse of our Saviour jesus Christ: it is but a part of his officers, which are but men full of frailness, and subject to corruption and many infirmities, who have been suborned by others and led clean out of the right way of the Church: are but corrupt and naughty men, who being once made ministers of God, are now become the ministers of the devil: and the reason why, because they tread the laws of God and of the Church under their feet, and make laws and decrees at their own pleasure, following their inordinate and unbridled lusts and passions, and nothing else. There is great difference betwixt the sweet mildness of the Church, & the outrageous vehemency and heat of this rabble of wicked Doctors, whom thou dost take here for the body of the whole Church. They say, that the King having imprisoned the Primate of Lions, and caused the Cardinal of Guise to be slain, is no more the child of the Church, but that he is banished and excommunicate out of the Church, that he hath touched two that are Gods anointed, and laid his hands upon two chief rulers of the Church, against his faith and promise made, and that having failed & broken promise, his people are not bound to obey him any more, & that all that assist him are also cast out of the Church, and out of the union of Catholics. Unto whom I answer, that they are themselves out of the Church, for that they do not agreeable to the commandments of jesus Christ, of his Apostles, and other his Saints, which have written and preached his word, who have been the true Ministers of his Church. The Church is our true mother and not a stepmother, as they would persuade us, she is full of pity, and merciful to her children, desiring and seeking their salvation, even than most of all, when they have done amiss, she shows them gently their fault, she calleth them to repentance, and waiteth on them, she useth no kind of rigorous correction towards them, she keepeth her door always open for them to enter in that sekener: on the contrary side, these her officers, at the least, these of the league and conspiracy of rebels do shut her door to all that would enter in, if they be not partakers of their faction. They refused at the last Parliament holden by the three general estates at Bloys, to receive into the Church the County of Soyssons, one of their lawful Princes, who came unto them, the tears dropping down from his cheeks, confessing that he had done amiss, craving pardon of God and of the Church, for that he had a little while assisted the Hugonites, repenting himself thereof from the bottom of his heart. The Church forbiddeth vengeance, and reserveth it to God: and yet they full of rage and fury, will revenge (if they can) the death of two men, who have peradventure very well deseruedit. The Church for no crime whatsoever, condemneth any person to die, and yet these men replenished with rigour and cruelty, would indite the County of Soyssons and other Catholics, who ask every day pardon of God and his Church, for having taken arms, to their great grief, against their Catholic brethren. They cry Crucifige, crucifige, after this young Prince, because he hath (say they) drawn his sword upon Catholics, and these seditious fellows, whom they allow of and maintain in their Sermons, ransom, besiege, kill and massacre good Catholics (be they never so good livers) if they refuse to bear arms against their sovereign Prince. And albeit they cannot prove that such felony and riot is commanded any where by God or his Church, yet they hold it an heinous crime to speak well of the King, or to pray to God for his majesty. The Church commandeth us to pray to God for our enemies, and these Leaguers will not pray so much as for their King, so full of impiety are they: although that it be expressly commanded of Gods own mouth, and accustomed from the beginning in the Church. The servants of God, saith Saint Paul, writing to the Corinthians, must be humble to every one, fit to teach, suffering and abiding patiently the wicked, gently instructing those that are out of the way: and our Church men are clean contrary, arrogant, rigorous, impatient, seditious, and rebellious to their King. The Church (as Saint Augustine saith) doth excommunicate no person before he be called to the confession and satisfaction of his fault, and before she have heard, what he can say for himself: and yet our godly Preachers curse their King (although they cannot do it) for the death of the Cardinal of Guise, having not yet heard what reasons he can allege to justify himself, the which are peradventure more tolerable, than they think they are. They say, he hath put to death a chief Prelate of the Church, over whom neither he nor any of his had any power or jurisdiction. I answer for his majesty, that he hath power and jurisdiction over the life and goods of all his subjects, of what quality so ever they be, and if he hath caused his life, of whom they speak, to be taken from him, he did it not as unto a chief ruler and Prelate of the Church, but as unto a wicked and ungodly subject, an enemy to the common wealth, a disturber of public peace and tranquillity, who had oftentimes attempted against the life and estate of his Sovereign Prince. But if they reply that the Cardinal was not under the correction of the King, I pray you let us see what Solomon the sage saith in his book of Wisdom. The mark of a King and sovereign Prince, saith he, is the power to make laws for all men in general, and for all men in particular also, and this power he receiveth of none other but of God, who is the judge of Kings, and who maketh informations against them, when they do any thing amiss, with all rigour. The Prophet David (whom I should have alleged first) who did not speak, but by inspiration of the holy Ghost, said, that the King and sovereign Prince hath such authority and power over his subjects, that he may dispose their lives and goods at his pleasure, and no man to gainsay him in aniething. And Isidore in one of his passages useth these words, The kingdom of God (saith he) draweth nigh, by reason of this terrestrial kingdom, to the end that those which are of the body of the Church, if they offend, may be punished by the rigour of Princes, and that the discipline, to the which the Church cannot bind them, be nevertheless kept by the power & authority of Kings and Princes. This showeth that the Cardinal of Guise might be judged by his King, and being, as he was, guilty of treason, it is not a thing now to be called in question or doubt any more. And yet this is the point, whereupon our mutinous clergymen do ground the reason and equity of their rebellion, and yet they have small reason, God wots, for to defend it. And that it is most true, to prove by all manner of ways that they are guilty of felony, I will grant them (against my conscience and the truth) that the King hath unjustly caused the Cardinal of Guise to be slain, but is it for them then to take vengeance, and to prohibit his subjects to show to him that obedience, that they own to the●r Prince? Let them read what Saint john Chrisostome saith in his book of the dignity of Priests: The ministery of the Church (saith he) is a charge committed of God to teach lovingly without any taking of arms, and not a power to give or take away kingdoms, and to make laws for civil policy. And jesus Christ in his Gospel by Saint Matthew, said to his Apostles: The Kings of the earth reign over nations, but it shall not be so with you. And in another place: Ye shallbe carried before the Princes of this world, and before their governors, etc.  
If then the Apostles and other Saints chosen of God, have been subject to the power and authorities of sovereign Princes, as Saint Ambrose affirmeth: what are our Clergy men more at this present day than they were, who would, if they could, dispossess their King? Who attempt publicly against his authority and honour? Are they privileged of God more than others are? Or hath Satan more power over them, than he hath over others? For a truth I believe, they are not assisted with the holy spirit of God, for I cannot think that God's spirit doth inspire them to speak so unworthily of him, whom his majesty hath commanded them to obey. They call the King tyrant: and none ought to be accounted such a one, except he violate the laws of God, and the laws of nature, as they do, or else usurp the sovereignty over his fellows and superiors, without express commandment from God, as the Duke of Maine doth. They say, the king is the protector of heretics, and yet cannot prove that ever he refused to war upon them, or that he did aid them in any of their affairs: but they know very well, and they cannot deny, but that he hath oftentimes hazarded his own life, which is dear unto him, against them. And that moreover he hath day by day made edicts and proclamations against them, and greatly to their prejudice, if they were well put in execution, and if as great care were had to make them take effect, as they have to rebel against his Majesty. They say moreover, that the king serveth his own turn, and hath intelligence with heretics, & that he seeketh nothing more than to establish their sect in his kingdom: yet can they not show, that this majesty hath ever made any of them captain of any of his forts, or that he hath any of that side, which is a servant of his household, or an officer of his crown: nay but say they, he serveth his own turn with their forces, which ill beseemeth a prince most Christian, such a one as he is: and they can wish, so full of loyalty are they, that he should commit himself to the guard & protection of his evil minded subjects, who seek nothing else but his ruin: to be short, they allege all things that they think might persuade you, that the king mindeth nothing else, but to plant heresy in all the territories under his obedience. But to show that, what they can say, are but lies and impostures, let them prove the intention of his majesty, if they cannot content themselves with the profess, that he hath already made of the fervent zeal that he beareth to the Catholic religion, by sending to him some that shall protest for them, that they shall reconcile themselves towards him, and that they shall obey him, as good and loyal subjects ought to do, so that it would please his Majesty to pardon them, and to permit them to war upon the heretics: and I assure them if they do so, the king shall receive them into his favour with all his heart, and shall augment their forces, as far as his authority shallbe able to further so laudable a purpose: and if he do not, then shall they have occasion to blame him worthily. But if they refuse this means of reconciliation, then may all Catholics that are near his royal person, and all those besides that are his servants, think with themselves very well, if they persever in their presumptuous rebellion, no good Catholics would be offended, though he served his turn with the heretics of this realm, but contrariwise they would wish him to call the Turk to his aid, if he thought he might have any help at his hand. See then all the benefit that their revolt should procure, shall serve but to put the heretics in assurance of their affairs, & to make them live in tranquillity by reason of the great division, that shallbe brought in amongst the Catholics. They preach unto us, as I have told you, that we are quite discharged from the obedience that we own unto our king: for that, say they, he is wicked, you must understand that, if their false accusations & impostures be true) as though we were but bound unto him, conditionally, & that our obligations were limited according to his good & wicked life: moreover they stop and take up, & cause to be taken up the taxes & tributes due to their king, & yet we read in S. Mat. 22 that on a time the pharisees and Herodians seeking to entrap our Saviour jesus Christ, went to find him out and used these speeches unto him, Master, tell us, is it lawful to pay tribute unto Cesar or not? Show me (sayeth he) the tribute money, and they gave him a penny. Then he asked them, whose image and superscription is this? And they answered him, Caesars: then, quoth he, give unto Caesar those things which are Caesar's, & unto God those things which are Gods. See then, who tells them, that they do not well to saise upon the tribute of the King. What are they able to answer him? It is jesus Christ himself that speaketh those words, and yet he of whom he spoke, believed not in him. Was there ever anietyrant more detestable than Nabuchodonozer, who having forced the City of jerusalem, spoiled, wasted, and razed the houses and walls thereof, burned the temple, defiled the sanctuary of God, and more than all this, caused an image of gold made after his own likeness to be erected & worshipped upon pain of being burned alive, to those that would refuse the same: yet God called him his servant, & promised to make him a great Prince and governor. And the Prophet commanded the people to pray for this monster of nature, and for his children, that they might reign after him, as long as the world should stand.  
Let us proceed and see more particularly what the Apostles and other Saints do teach us, concerning the obedience that we own unto our Kings and Princes, that she may certainly know, if it be lawful according to God's laws, to war against our King or not, or if you ought not (notwithstanding your mutinous preachers) to keep inviolably the fidelity, that is due unto him: for this is the chiefest point, that you ought to know perfectly, before you take arms, to make choice of the best and surest side, for that in arming yourselves it most necessary to choose out some side to join unto, if you covet to hinder these great masters amongst you, from quartering out the estate, which they would easily do, if they had no sovereign head to answer and make account unto.  
Saint Peter the chiefest head of the Church, after whose example all true ecclesiastical persons ought to rule themselves, did not teach us, that we ought to measure the faith & respect, that we own unto our king, by the equivalence and measure of his loyalty: for when he saw Nero the very enemy of God commit a thousand execrable cruelties, yet did he command Christians to pray for him, and in his first Epistle, his second Chapter, he sayeth: Submit yourselves unto all manner of ordinance of man for God's sake, whether it be unto the King, as unto the superior, or unto governors, as unto them that aresent of him: and in the same Chapter sayeth he: fear God, honour the King, and your Superiors. That which Saint Paul doth command us also, using these terms: obey your Kings, although they be wicked. And writing unto Titus, in his third Chapter, he saith thus: Pet them in remembrance, that they be subject to principalities and superior powers, and that they be obedient to their governors. And to the Romans the 13. Chap. he saith: let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for their is no power but of god: and the powers which are, are ordained of God: wherefore he that resisteth the higher power, resisteth the ordinance of God, & they which resist bring upon themselves damnation: for the prince is the minister of God for thy good: but if thou dost evil fear, for he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth evil: wherefore ye must be subject, not because of wrath only, but because of conscience also: for, for this cause ye pay tribute also, because they are Gods ministers serving for the same purpose. Give to all men therefore their due: tribute to whom tribute, fear to whom fear, custom to whom custom, & honour to whom honour belongeth. These are the words of S. Paul, unto whom the preacher agreeth: Eccl. cap. 20. saying, we must not speak ill of our king, nor offend him in any thing. Tertullian in the 30. & 37. of his book called the Apology, showeth us clearly, that true christians ought never to think, for any occasion whatsoever, to revolt & rebel against their kings and sovereign princes. He saith that the Christians that lived in his time, did always so faithfully obey their Emperors, and pray unto God for them, although they were the professed enemies of jesus christ, & that they would not rebel against their majesties, although often times it lay in their power to do, far surpassing therein the pagans & other nations, that were in subjection under the said Emperors: forasmuch as (saith this holy man) that they did not find this to be lawful by the permission of God. We pray unto god, saith he, for the safe guard & prosperity of our sovereign princes: for we know that the imperial majesty is ordained of God, and that it ought to be loved, honoured & reverenced: for this cause also do we reverence the Christian prince, whose majesty is next after Gods, from whose hand he hath his authority. These words of this holy parsonage are enough to teach us, (as I think) my dear friends, that the evil life of the prince doth no whit discharge the people of their fidelity: S. Amb. also did not blame the christians that did yield their due obedience to julian the Apostata: he bade them not (although they lived under the most disloyal prince of the whole world) that they should rebel against him: but did pray them only to do no thing against the honour of God, & rather to departed the territories of his empire, then to suffer their consciences to be forced. What will our doctors say to this? what will they answer to these words of these holy men? They do not say (as you may perceive) that it is lawful for the subject to attempt against the life & authority of his prince, if he be an evil l●uer: but they all command to the contrary, that we obey our sovereign princes what soever they be, & that we pray unto God for them, without any prescribing to ourselves the limits of the honour that is due to them, and to make it conditional.  
People of France, these words of God & of his servants, aught to resolve you, to keep firm footing in the love, fear and fidelity that ye own unto your king, and moreover you may see thereby, that our Clergymen & other rebels that are leagued together, are out of the Church rather, than those that they condemn, whilst they go clean against all that god & his church do command: and the preachers who do dissuade the people from the obedience, that they own to their king, do as Ananias the false prophet did, who for prophesying against the obedience that God commanded the people of Israel to show to Nabuchodonoser, died one year after by the just judgement of God. Ye would say to hear these men preach, that their priesthood doth licence to injury those that are right honourable, and that it exempteth them from punishment for any fault that they shall commit: and besides that, it setteth them free from all homage and fealty that they own to their sovereign Princes, whereas their duty commandeth them the clean contrary.  
But I would feign know of these good prelate's of the Church, who causeth them to intermeddle so far with matters of state, sith that is no part of their vocation. Had they rather abandon the Church altogether, out of the which they are departed, then to forsake the affairs of this world? If they find the King to be an evil liver in their own false judgement, why should they reform him, seeing it is no point of their duty? What matter have they wherewith to charge his conscience, seeing they cannot prove that he ever attempted any thing against the honour of God? Can any amongst them say truly ', that his Majesty hath punished or caused to be punished any man for his honest behaviour, or for his good deeds? Is there any Catholic to be found, that can say, and lie not, that his Majesty hath wished him to become an heretic, or to do any other villainy? Those that give alms to the poor, that every day do their devotion at the Church, that spend the one half of the year in fasting and prayer, & to be short, that seek by all means to win heaven, can they justly complain, that his Majesty hath reprehended them at any time therefore, or that he hath forbidden them to persever in their laudable exercises of Christianity▪ ●pon what do they ground themselves then to say, that the king is wicked, and a naughty liver: it is not upon his cruelties, that he hath done: for I do not think, that there ever was any Prince in this state, less given to seek vengeance, and that took less delight to shed and spill blood than he. I know diverse unto whom he doth good daily, and yet he knoweth certainly, that they have erst conspired against his authority, and resisted his magistrates. And when they shall allege the death of the Cardinal and Duke of Guise, I will but desire all them that have any reason to consider advisedly, how intolerable a thing it is for a great signior and master, of the quality of our King to be misused, snapped up, & controlled by his own subjects & by his own household servants, and I assure myself, that those that would lay all partial affections aside, to pause & consider of this matter aright, should see that the King could not, being a man and subject to human passions, wish any good unto these two Princes, that had sought so near his life and honour. To say then, that he should not have sworn unto them so solemnly to pardon them, and yet to keep hidden that mortal hatred in his heart, I think well, and would not excuse him, if I thought they had not extremely provoked him since the promise, that it pleased his majesty to make them, and since the assurance that he had given them: but forasmuch as I know the advertisements that the King had hourly of their sinister meaning, I cannot blame him, that he hath sought by punishing them, to save his own life, his lineage, and his estate. In deed, say the rebels, the King did well to prevent them, if he were sure that they were but his own servants, but he should not have proceeded against them, so as he did: but should have let them been tried by way of justice, and so to have proceeded against them: as though it had been in the King's power to make two men prisoners, & to proceed against them by the way of public justice, that a little before had chased him out of his principal city, & being accompanied with an infinite number of thieves, came boldly before his Majesty and all his magistrates and no man durst once lay hold on their collars. Further, as though it were not lawful by the laws of God to punish in the field, & without any long ceremony of indictment, to put to death those that are convinced of treason towards their chief governors, as these were, of whom the indictment was ready drawn, when their crime was proved, & they sound guilty: & the proof was & is so sufficient, that all French men, except those that be blind and of their conspiracy, may clearly perceive their naughty drifts. To be short, sith they had deserved death, it cannot greatly skill, how they have suffered it, and there is no sufficient matter in that for us to rise up in arms against our King: but I fear me, it will fall out to the Duke of Maine, & to those that provoke & prick him forward to revenge the death of his brethren (if he can) as it did unto Absalon, & to Achitophel his wicked counsellor, who for conspiring against their King, & seeking to bereave him of his authority, had both most lamentable and tragical ends.  
I beseech you, let us now speak of another matter: ye are preached unto daily and pricked forwards to arm yourselves against your King, yea to resolve to set upon him, and to encounter against him, I ask you but this one question, if any one amongst you were so miserable as to have taken his life from him, were it either in battle or otherwise, what recompense, do ye think, he should have at the hands of the Duke of Maine, & other his confederates, the professed enemies of his majesty: can you but think, that he would like well of such a piece of service? No, no, masters, persuade not yourselves so: think that the reward he should have for his labour, should be a severe and rigorous punishment. Know then, that the first thing that an usurper pretendeth, after that he hath established himself, is to rid himself of such, who infringing their loyalty and faith to their natural Prince, have aided to kill and murder him. And these are the reasons that move him, or aught at the least to move him to do this, if he have never so little judgement at all. First, to show that he hath such treachery in horror, to purchase by this means among the best reputation & fame to be of a generous & lofty mind: secondly, to put the rest of his subjects in fear, and to make them take heed by this example not to attempt the like against his own person: thirdly, because he cannot live in security of such persons, but always standeth in great doubt of them, fearing lest they withdraw themselves from his service, with as much facility, as they had before sequestered the fidelity and service due unto their Prince. And this is the cause, why all rebels have to look to themselves, and chief those that are thrust forwards to attempt against the life of their sovereign Prince: for few of them, or none at all may be found, that at any time have committed any such wicked and villainous acts, that have not been punished with cruel deaths, & by the means of them, that had set them on to execute their wicked enterprises.  
Saul being slain in war, and his head brought unto David, who was wrongfully persecuted by him, caused him to be put to death that brought the same, saying that he ought not to wash his unclean hands in the blood of him that God had anointed. Theophilus caused all them to be called before him, that had murdered Leo Emperor of Constantinople, to establish his Father in the Empire, being all come, and hoping to have some good reward for their pains, he caused them all to be fair knocked in the head. Theodosius put to death those that murdered Gratianus & Valentinianus, unto whom he did succeed in the Empire. Severus served with the same sauce those that slew Pertinax. Vitellius, surnamed the cruel, put to death those villains, that had cruelly murdered the old Emperor Galba. Domitianus caused Epaphroditus to be strangled, for that he helped Nero to kill himself. And Alexander the great caused him to be cruelly tortured, that had slain Darius his mortal enemy. To conclude, the examples in all histories both ecclesiastical and profane are rife of the tortures and punishments, that have been inflicted to those subjects & vassals that have conspired to kill and murder their sovereign Princes. Then my friends, fly the counsel of such as persuade you to commit any such act of impiety against the persons of your lawful Princes and governors, whom God hath appointed to command and rule over you.  

Orders conceived and set down for taking arms for his Majesty.  
Having showed you already by the laws of God, and by all human reason, how dangerous a thing it is, both for the soul and body, to rebel against the Prince and his authority. Now I would feign show you the means, how ye may not only defeat all the crew of these thieves and ransommers, which gnaw you to the hard bone, but also reduce your King into his former authority, & by this means shall ye move his majesty to grant you that which ye so much desire for your own good and contentment. See then here, good people of France, the order that ye must observe in taking of arms, to the end ye incur no suspicion of conspiracy against your King, and that his authority may remain always in the hands of the Nobles, without whom the peasants can do nothing, to whom also they are commanded by the laws of God to give honour and obedience, as unto their superiors, that is meant, only to those that are good members, the true servants of God and of their Prince, & lovers of common peace and tranquillity: for as for others, it is very well done to invade & set upon them, & as they themselves have denied their fidelity to their sovereign Prince, so to deny them the honour & respect, that they pretend to be due unto them, from the which the common people are discharged by the last declaration of the king.  
First, there must be in every Bishopric, Bailiwick or viscounty, one General or chief man chosen, who must be a Gentleman of mark, a good member, a good Catholic, and devoid of any suspicion of favouring any part, but God and his Princes. This General and chief man must take a note of all the Parishes, boroughs and villages that depend of his quarter or hundred, must levy in every Parish the number of soldiers, according to the greatness and riches of the parish, must not levy above 30. men in the greatest parish, must take a note of all their names that are levied, and divide them into squadrons, and his squadrons must he divide again into companies, & his companies must he reduce into one regiment or two, according to the bigness of the Bishopric, bailiwick or viscounty. This General and chiefeman must name out the Captains, their Lieutenants, and Ancients. He must choose them such as be Gentlemen, or such at the least, that retain the name of Gentlemen: and he must look diligently that he take none to have charge under him, that is either of the Hugonites side, or taketh part with the Catholic rebels. And to avoid all troubles and divisions that such men may stir up amongst you, he must give commandment, that in all the boroughs and thoroughfares, where many houses are near together, that every man be furnished with arms, that is able to bear them, & that rather the Parishes, villages, and hamblets next adjoining shall contribute some thing unto them, to help them to that which is needful for them. All these thoroughfares must be trenched in, & so fortified with barricadoes & places of defence, that they may stop for a time the troops of the enemy that would pass, till their next villages that are friends and confederate with them, may be assembled, to help them to repulse the said troops. He must forbid to make any alarun by sound of any bell, but command them to have drums in every parish & village, to be kept in the house of the elder Sergeant or Corporal of that squadron: he must also forbid, that no man leave his house, or forsake his affairs for any alarum that shall be given, if he have not express commandment from the chief Commander, or from one of his Captains, that is meant, if he be not enroled & pricked for a soldier, and this must be done, that the labour & business of the common people be not ceased, & interrupted. And to avoid all disorder and confusion in marching like trained soldiers, and not as armed peasants, they must forbid upon great penalties, those that are not enroled, that they carry not about them, or keep in their houses any arms whatsoever, except chase staves, halberds, pike staves and forks to keep their houses withal, but as for sword, daggers, and harquebuses which are portab●le, going to markets, or public meetings, no man shall have any privilege to carry, except he be enroled and pricked for a soldier: hereby to avoid combats, murders, & uproars, which otherwise might fall out among the common people. Besides all this, he must appoint always one or two companies of foot men in every Bishopric, bailiwick or viscounty, who must be always ranging abroad in the country, ready at an hours warning to fight, if need so require. This being done, there is no Province in all this realm, wherein there may not be found thirty or forty Ancients of footmen ready to fight & encounter with the enemy, besides those that shall be armed for the guard of their own houses: & this shall not so much charge the people, but for their finding, & some money to have powder & shot, a matter of nothing: provided, that they do not enroll more men in every Parish, than it shall be able to find and entertain without any complaint or grudging. And this is the way for the peasants to keep themselves in homage and amity towards the Nobles. For if the peasants take arms, as they have done already in many places disorderly, no man doubteth but we shall see them and the Nobles quickly together by the ears, and so they will strait utterly ruin one another. In every Bailywicke they must choose none other General and chief, than the Bailiff himself, so that he be a Gentleman, making profession of arms, and that it be known (as I said even now) that he make account of nothing more, than the service of God and of his Prince, & the tranquillity of his Country. But if the Bailiff be suspected for an heretic, a rebel or felon against his King; or be unwilling to take his charge in hand, then must they choose some Gentleman of the same bailiwick, if any be there capable of such a charge. But if there be found any Gentleman that being more ambitious than well affectioned to the benefit of the commonalty, will not suffer their tenants and vassals to follow this order prescribed, yet their said vassals shall not let to join themselves with other, that take arms, and so jointly, and by the authority of their Generals, shall declare such Gentlemen unworthy of their quality, and enemies to the common wealth, according to the declaration of the King in that behalf proclaimed. This is the order that ye must observe in taking arms, that ye may not be odious and injurious to your King, and that hereby ye may avoid all division & trouble which might arise amongst you in doing otherwise. I beseech you then that you would begin to put this in practice, as soon as ye possibly can, assuring yourselves, that when ye shall put this in execution, either by force or fair means ye shall make these Lords and Gentlemen of the Towns that now do misuse you, and eat you up almost, be glad to join with you. Courage then my Lords of the Nobility, begin you, and your Tenants will all follow. What? do ye think that your Tenants shall be ruined, & ye shall feel no smart? Know ye not that your interests & theirs go both together, and that their good is your benefit also? Why then do ye delay the time to secure & aid them? Do ye stand in fear, the Duke of Maine, who calleth himself a friend of the commons, will hinder you from the establishing of this order? Persuade yourselves my friends, that if it lay in his power to do, I would have left this unspoken, and I would have taken better heed to keep this matter secret: but I see well enough that he cannot do it, (and that for two or three reasons, that I will set you down) and that it consisteth but in viewing & knowing your own forces to become peaceable, and so to set your king in his former authority again, maugre all the resistance that may be made herein. For the power and forces of the rebels are not such, as they are presupposed to be: they have in deed some towns at their commandment: but their is not one of the towns that is for them, but is environed at the lest with a dozen great boroughs, the which in one five days you may make capable for the cannon: and this cannon must not be brought from place to place in post-haste, but with such reasonable charges and expenses, that they may be well able to furnish. Besides they have so few soldiers, that ye are twenty to one: and yet the soldiers that they have are no better men of war, nor of more experience than you. To be short, ye have many advantages over them, that I will conceal, till such time as I see your arms in hand. Resolve then yourselves to assail them, or otherwise you will quickly curse the hour that ye did not credit me. Are ye not ashamed to see these leaguers to compel and force you as they list, who are far your inferiors: I may well call them your inferiors, because the greatest Lords, & the third part of Gentlemen of mark in this Realm are enemies of this rebellion, and yet you see a a number of little petty Captains that pill, spoil, rob, beat and ransom the Priests and the poor people, and yet ye will not resist them: but let them take such heart at grass, and such advantage over you, that they presume to besiege, and to war upon Catholics of great honour, that resist their insupportable insolency and outrageous dealing.  
My Lords, to conclude, I beseech you all make no delay to take your arms in hand, to make these troublers of our state to lay down theirs, and do not doubt but shortly ye shall see, that those few men of quality, that they have amongst them now will forsake them, and join with you, confessing that they have done amiss, and acknowledging themselves bounden by their loyalty and particular interest, to take your parts: I beseech God give them the grace, so to do, that altogether we may follow that way without any division, which is most honourable, and most profitable for restoring of the peaceable estate and government of our Christian common wealth.  
FINIS.   

A DECLARATION PUBLISHED for the reconciling of the Clergy and Nobility of Normandy unto the obedience of his Majesty, by the Duke of Mont-pencier Pecre of France, Governor and Lieutenant general for the King in the Duchy of Normandy.  
FRRANCIS OF BOURBON, Duke of Mont-pencier, of Saint-Fargeau, and of Chastelraud, Dauphin of Awergne, Peer of France, Sovereign of Dombes, Prince of Roch-sur-yon, Marquis of Meziers, County of Castres', of Morrain, and of Barfur Seine, Viscount of Auge & of Brosse, Baron of Beaviolois, Thiert, and of Mirebeau, etc. Governor and Lieutenant general for the King, in his Duchy of Normandy, to whom these present letters shall come, sendeth greeting. Perceiving since our arrival in these parts the subjects of my Lord the King, fallen into an open rebellion, and the greatest part of them to take arms against his majesties service: having also intelligence, that since some meetings and skirmishes, wherein a great number of the inhabitants of the Cities, and villages of this province, have been defeated and overthrown, they have signified unto us by their humble supplications, that they desire to be received and reconciled into the obedience and service of his Majesty: the which we tendering, desiring to preserve many of his majesties natural subjects, that by allerements & wicked persuasions have entangled & joined themselves with many other naughty & il disposed people, in the said rebellions & conspiracies. We have made, according to the good pleasure of our Sovereign Lord the king, a certain Declaration touching the reunion & reconciling of the inbitants of the said cities, & villages, and caused the same to be read and published in this City of Caen. And forasmuch as diverse of the clergymen, and of the Nobility have put in their finger, and been favourers, and adherents in these rebellious enterprises, so that we should have great cause to prosecute th●m, and proceed against them, as against rebels and perturbers of the peaceable government of our common wealth: yet considering somewhat nearer, that such way of proceeding might bring some prejudice unto this estate, being all natural subjects of his Majesty: we have better advised, that both the Clergy men and Nobility might have safe means to bring themselves back unto their natural duty and allegiance, and that we with all lenity might further and help them therein, as much as possible might be: WE DO TO WIT: that by the assurance that we have of the mercy and clemency of his Majesty towards his said subjects: and after that we had fully taken deliberation of this matter, by the advise of his counsel assisting us herein, We have declared, and do by these presents signed for the same cause with our own hand, declare, That we have freely taken and received, and do take and receive into the safeguard of my Lord the king, and into our own protection all ecclesiastical persons of what quality or condition soever they be, having taken the oath according to the form prescribed by his Majesty: or shall take the same within ten days after the publishing of this declaration, made before the bailiffs or their deputies in every viscounty. And if any of the said ecclesiastical persons shall refuse to take the said oath before or within ten days being limited, the said term being once expired, all their goods and temporal revenues shall be saised upon and put in the hands of Commissioners that shall give account thereof, etc. when, and to whom it shall appertain: deducting always their ordinary charges, and so much as shall discharge their benefices and spiritual charges. Provided further that the Bishops, their Vicegerents, or others that have authority thereunto, shall procure that some person that is capable and not suspect, and such a one that hath taken the oath aforesaid, shall serve and supply their turns in their spiritual vocation and calling. And they shall moreover enjoin them to make prayers & supplications for the health of his Majesty, and for the prosperity and good success of all his affairs, as they ought to do, and are naturally bound thereunto. And as for those of the Nobility, who have not borne arms for his majesties service, and taken the said oath of allegiance, we enjoin them in like manner within ten days to take the same oath administered by our own hands: or el e before the bailiffs or their deputies, every one in their own jurisdiction, at their own choice, and as they shall think best. In doing this we have also received and taken them into the safeguard of his Majesty, and into our protection. But as for those of the Nobility which are revolted, and have taken arms against the service of his Majesty, and be yet prisoners, if they desire to enter into reconciliation, and take the said oath, they shall have their passport from us: the which shall be granted them, by the certificate of any Catholic Gentleman, servant to the King, who shall have taken the said oath. And of these passports shall be made and kept a true register: So may the said Gentlemen come before us in all assurance, to take the said oath, as we shall administer it unto them, by our own hands, Unto the which they shall be admitted, in putting in good and sufficient sureties to perform and continue the service that they own unto his Majesty, not prohibiting them the use of their arms, but after the said passports are once granted unto them. And if the said Gentlemen shall fail to do this within the said ten days, the term of the said ten days being out, their goods shall be seized upon, and be put into the hands of my Lord the King, and remain in the safe keeping of Commissioners, which shall give an account thereof, and answer for them, etc. when and to whom it shall appertain. Of which oaths so taken, as well by the clergymen, as by the Nobility: likewise of the ●easing of their goods and revenues, the said bailiffs or their deputies in every viscounty shall frame process in writing, and send them unto us within three days, after the said ten days be expired, upon pain to answer for them in their proper names and private persons. And we do straightly charge and command the said bailises, or other deputies in every viscounty of this province, that they cause these presents to be read, published and registered, and that they keep, observe and fulfil every point of the contents hereof, according to their form and tenure, and that for this cause, they constrain all those whom these presents shall touch, by all lawful means and reasonable order of justice, that they assist & suffer the same to be executed: non obstant all contradictions and appeals whatsoever, and and without all prejudice of the same: for the which it shall not be lawful to defer the execution hereof, considering the importance of that which is above said, is for the benefit and service of his Majesty, & for the preservation and tranquillity of his estate. Given at Caen, the fifth of May 1589. Signed: Francis Bourbon. And on the other side: by my Lord L'Amoureux. And sealed with the great seal of my Lord in red wax.  
The Contents of this declaration, made and dated the fifth of May by my Lord the Duke of Montpencer Governor and general Lieutenant for the King in Normandy, have been published by sound of trumpet in the chief & most usual places of this City, to make cries and proclamations for our Lord the King: By me Peter Beauuoir Sergeant royal of Caen, accompanied with james Richer, ordinary Trumpeter of the said City: and after the sound of the said Trumpet, this ninth of May 1589. I have set to my hand in the presence of Michael Maillard: john le Coq of Caen, and diverse others for the same purpose there assembled in great number.  
Signed BEAWOIR.   

NEWS OF THE Overthrow of the Gautiers, etc.  
SIr it grieveth me not a little, that I have heard no news from you of long time, fearing lest in this so miserable a time (the which I must needs confess is the very father & affourder of the greatest afflictions & most intolerable calamities that ever were seen in our poor nurse and mother the Country of France) you have met with some ill rencounter, which hath hindered you so long from imparting unto me your letters, whereby I might understand how you had your health and welfare all this while, the which I beseech the good Lord long to preserve unto you, and once to do me this favour, that by some good token I may show the great affection that I bear to your service: for I protest unto you, that next after the honour and fear that I bear unto God, the obedience that I own to my prince, the respect and loyalty, whereby I am bound to my Lord and master, there is nothing in the whole world that I desire so much, as the continuance of the mutual amity between us two. By the means whereof I live content, and rejoice in my heart as oft as I call it to my remembrance. And although as yet I have not manifested it unto you, yet you must think, Sir, that it hath not been for lack of good will, but by reason of some occurrences, the true guides of all humane actions, the which have not permitted me to execute and perform the singular affection that always I have borne unto you. But sure I had written to you ere this time, had I not since mine arrival in this Country of Normandy found the said Country so divided by the factious and enticing persuasions of many wicked ministers and pastors: but why do I call them pastors? rather ravishing wolves disguised under sheep skins, who being won with sums of money and fair promises to the rebel conspirators, enemies against his Majesty, have so long and so much broached their detestable villainy, and infected this poor Country, so that there is not one town or fortress, not so much as a village or borough clear, but hath drunk & tasted of their poison wherewith they have filled them so full, that all the subjects of his Majesty burst out into an open rebellion against him: and under the pretext of religion and piety that they have at every word in their mouth, and of a fantastical liberty wherein they make these poor and miserable souls believe they are set, they have made them so drunk & bearest of all common reason, that there is no place in all the Country, be it never so little, where a man may not find some of this cursed crew of rebels in all estates and qualities: for the very Bishops themselves are the chief pillars of this rebellion in most places: all the Nobility and most of the Country towns assisting them herein. I except certain towns which have contained themselves within the obedience of his Majesty, because those of the better sort have stood fast. But I cannot see any one Town at all, wherein some have not been found that have swerved in some points: & some there are amongst the rest, that have declared themselves open enemies to his Majesty, renounced his obedience, and given forth such villainous, unworthy, and traitorous speeches of him, as nothing more vile may be named or spoken. The only Town of Caen may exempt itself, to be one of the constantest, and one of the least attainted in this disloyalty: for by the good order that Monsieur de la Veronne, governor, and Captain general of the said town hath taken, who by his loyalty towards his Prince hath won himself immortal reputation, being assisted with Monsieur de Bewron, who came thither moved with a servant zeal and desire, that he had to employ himself in the service of his Majesty, in such affairs and occurrences as should fall out, and beside of many other honest personages, as well of the Magistracy as of the inhabitants of the same city, it hath contained itself within the obedience of his Majesty, and in this may vaunt to have preserved the whole Province, whereas all other towns, as Rouen, Lisieux, Falaize, Seez, Bayeux and Argenten, have all shaken off the yoke of obedience, & set open their gates to the chief captains of the rebels, who have in every place been received & obeyed, except in Caen aforesaid, Allenzon, and in some other towns towards Constantine, so that I assure you, if Caen had revolted too, all Normandy had done the like. That which his Majesty foreseeing, advised to send my Lord the Duke de Mont-pencier Prince of his blood, his Governor and lieutenant General in this Province, and sending him with great expedition from Tours commanded M. de. S. Cire, one of his Counsellors and master of Requests of his house, to accompany and assist my said Lord. Who departing from Tours, accompanied with the Lords of Bacqueville & de l'Archant came to Lucé, where he had intelligence that Sir Boisdaulphin, lafoy Moth-serrant, and other rebels which had surprised, and do hold the Town of Man's, had purposed to meet with them by the way. Nevertheless although they were far stronger and better appointed than he, this generous heart of the House of Bourbon, whom no fear could ever daunt, determined to pass, and did in deed pass hard by the nose of his enemies, and came as far as Allenzon, where he found the inhabitants of the town sore amated, for the surprising of the town of Man's, next neighbour unto them, and besides being inveigled to enter into this supposed union (or to speak better) rebellion, reduced them wholly, and confirmed them in their good meaning and obedience towards his Majesty, declaring unto them how he had forgiven them and all the inhabitants of Normandy, the third part of taxes due unto him, hoping a better opportunity and more happy season would come, when he might gratify them in some greater matter. There my Lord imitating the fervent zeal of his predecessors, most Catholic Princes of the royal family of Bourbon, did keep his Easter with great devotion and solemnity, and was present at divine service, as were also all those that were of his suit and train, with great reverence and devotion. Having given order the twesdaie for the said City, and to assure the inhabitants thereof, made provision of forces for the Castle, and levied two companies of shot on horseback to remain in garrison in the same Town to keep it, and the villages round about, to repulse the rebels that would come to forage and constrain the inhabitants to pay them taxes and other tributes due unto his Majesty. My Lord having committed the charge thereof unto the Lord of Rentie governor of the said place, he departed thence, and for that it was signified unto him that those of the town of Sees were minded to join with the said rebels, & had not in deed taken the oath, according to the form prescribed by his Majesty, as it was sent unto them by my said Lord, he purposed to pass that ways and sent word before unto the Bishop and to the inhabitants there, that they should set open the gates for him. Whereupon after a little consultation had amongst them, they made him answer, that they were ready to receive him. Which they did, a great part of the Citizens meeting him a good way out of the town: into the which my Lord entered with Monsieur de Bacqueville, L'Archant & their troops, and passed through the said town without any stay, purposing to march on strait, and to enterprise nothing in this City, but to signify to the Bishop and other the inhabitants here, the cause of his voyage, and how the King meant to deal well and favourably with all his subjects, and to acknowledge and make account of them according to the duty and obedience that they should show towards him. Then every man protested himself to be most loyal and affectionate subjects of his Majesty, but I think some of them spoke with their lips, that which their heart never thought, as by and by ye shall understand. Departing from Sees, we met with my Lords de halot, and de Crevecoeur, accompanied with a good and honourable troop of the Nobility (who were assembled before, staying for our coming, and had had some skirmishes & meetings with the rebels) unto whom they did offer with many protestations to serve the King faithfully as long as breath was in their bodies. Who were strait entertained of the Duke, and the soldiers of both companies joined together: then were we above 300. horsemen, all men of war, and a most brave and resolute troop of Nobles. Ye must imagine that there was none that with all his heart did not detest the ingratitude and sinister meaning of therebells towards his Majesty, and did not condemn them, and menace their overthrow. From thence my Lord the Duke determined to go to lie at Escouché, which is a borough well fenced, some two leagues from Argenten (whether my Lord did mind to go: but having intelligence that those of the said town, through persuasion of Monsieur de Brissac and the Magistrates of the City, had taken the rebels part, having no pieces of artillery, nor any footmen to force them, went further) The morrow which was the wednesday, being the fifth of this month, the Duke departed from Eschouché, & drew towards the City of Falaize. Out of the which Monsieur de Touschet, Angerville, Normandiere & diverse other rebels, who had saised on that City a little before (by intelligence that they had with the lieutenant of the said Lord of Brissac Captain of Falaize) did departed, having a good number of horsemen, with many lancers, & a number of footmen to stop our passage, and they marched on till they came near a village called Pierrefite, two miles distant from Falaize, where they being met withal by the Lords of Bacqueville, de L'Archant, & Crevecoeur, who lead the coursers, they had a brave charge, and stood little to the fight: for my Lord the Duke leading the main battle, beginning to appear, they took their heels and began to fly: yet left behind them de Touschet, Angerville, & Normandiere, their chiefest leaders, who were taken prisoners, and brought before the Duke, who redelivered them into the hands of those that had taken them, till such time as he should call for them again, all the rest of their company being hewn in pieces, or else laid in rout, not one of our side being lost, and but only Monsieur de Chaumont, who was hurt in the head with a cortl●s, and his horse slain with a thrust of a lance. But now, God be thanked, he is recovered again, and feeleth no more pain. From thence my Lord came to Falaize, where they made a false show, as though they would set upon the gates for him, but they never meant it, so that being not able to force them, he came into this City, where I can assure you he was honourably received and with great shouts of all honest men, criing: God save the King, and my Lord the Duke of Mont-pencier. All the Town kept that day holiedaie, the chiefest of the City, with whom was Monsieur de Beunron accompanying him to his lodging, which was in the house of the Lord Precedent d'Aubigny, a very honourable parsonage, and besides an honest man and a true true subject to his Majesty. Whether came unto him my Lord de la Veronne to salute him, and to do his reverence unto him, whom he received courteously and honourably, and commended him highly for his good mind and loyalty that he had showed to the service of his Majesty, in guarding this Town within his obedience. There arrived on the morrow the County of Thorigny, and a little after him Monsieur de Longaunay with a great troop of Gentlemen, who were all welcomed and embraced by my L. the Duke de Mont-pencier with great thanks for their good affection towards him, whereof he did protest to advertise his Majesty, and to requite it in particular, as occasion should serve. Hear my Lord seeing himself to be strong, determined by the advise of the Lord de S. Circ, to war upon the rebels, and to make them to leave that they held so fast in that Country, and for that they had the greatest part of the Towns and Cities, he resolved to carry along some pieces of Artillery, to force them, if possibly he might, although his footmen were not many. He sent away before Monsieur de halot, Bacqueville, and l'Archant, to saise upon the City of Falaize, with the regiment of Monsieur de Tracie, the companies of Monsieur de Saint Denis Maillot, and of the Captains le Radier, Chawain, Dauphin, Roque-ville, Glaize, and other voluntary Captains, and on the Sunday the sixteenth of this month, my Lord caused a general procession to be made, and caused a Sermon to be preached, with certain prayers that they made for the safeguard of his Majesty, and the good success of his affairs, the which had been but a little before discontinued. On the monday the eighteenth day, my Lord appointed officers over his treasure and money, and over his victual and artillery, and departed himself with two Cannons, and one bastard Culuerine, not hoping so much to force Falaize, for that he had not sufficient munition and powder, as to draw the enemy out into the plain field. The same day he arrived at Falaize, and was lodged at Saint john's Abbey. The artillery was planted the same night, but on the morrow being Twesdaie, the eighteenth of the month, finding that the battery could not well be made in that place, they displaced them again, & laid them lower right over against the house of Monsieur de la Fresnay, Lieutenant general in the Bailiwick of Caen. So on the wednesday the battery began, and continued till three a clock in the after noon. By that time three towers being bat●red down, lay open outwardly: Unto every one of which towers, they thought good to send a Sergeant & ten soldiers to take a view thereof, to see whether they might lodge there or not, that on the morrow they might further those that should come to the assault and breach, which they meant to make between the two towers, and to dislodge the enemy from the trenches if he had made any, and that the rest of the two companies, whereof were the two Sergeants, should keep themselves in battle ray in the rampire, lying over against the ditch, to safeguard the other soldiers into the towers. These Sergeants with their soldiers went boldly hard to the bottom of the wall of the said two towers, and taking a view of them, found that they were too deep, to lodge in any wise within them, and by reason that those within made little resistance, the Captains of the said companies were of opinion, that the town might be forced and taken that ways, whereupon they stooping a little, entered boldly into the ditch that was deep and without any water: and after them followed all the Nobility that was there present without any advise or commandment from their General, and ran into the ditch, some armed, some unarmed, and some with their sword only in their hands, and walked so boldly hard by the walls, and with such a courage and resolution, that I may assure you if their had been but one hole thorough the wall, that a man or woman might have crept thorough, the said town had been strait our own: but that good God that is careful to preserve those that be his, would not suffer so great a mischief to fall upon us: but rather having respect to the right & equity of the cause that we maintain, left no possibility for us to take the said city: and caused that the retreat being sounded, all our men retired with very little loss: for the enemy that had another drift and conspiracy against us, made no account to repulse our men, but would willingly that they had entered in, that they might have executed their naughty fetch, contrived by the County of Brissac, the Lords of Pierrecourt, and of Long-champ, the Barons of Vernie, of Eschauffour, of Tubeuf, and other ringleaders of the Rebels, who when they durst not come into the field to encounter with us, thought by this surprise to have entrapped us at Falaize, and for the same purpose had they assembled the flower of all their rebel forces, and having taken from about l'Aigle, Orbec, Seez, Argenten, Vimoutier, and other places near thereabout, a company of more than six thousand men, Gautiers, as well appointed for muskets and harquebuses, as may be said, amongst whom they did mix some seven or eight hundred common soldiers, such as they could come by: some Nobility also of the weaker sort, but a great number of Priests, Canons, Monks, and other ecclesiastical persons, having conveyed all their forces near to Argenten, where the though Lord de Brissac, accompanied with the Barons of Eschauffou, of Tubeuf, the Lords of Vieupont, Roquenual, of Beaulieu, of Aunay, and other chief captains of the said rebels received them, and conducted them the right way to Falaize, thither came the Baron of Vernier with his forces from about Damfront, thither came also the Lord of Pierrecourt with those that he could make out from Pontau-de-mer out of the country of Auge, and from Honnefleur, thinking now to achieve their wicked enterprise: But they were deceived, for the Duke having advertisement the Wednesday night of their pretence, provided for them, and taking advise of the Nobles that were with him, removed the Artilleric from the trenches, and sent away his cannons to Courcy (a castle very well fortified, two leagues from Falaize) and resolved with the said Coluerine to meet the enemy in the plain field to encounter with him, which he did, after that the Lord of Emery, one of the Marshals of the field had taken view of them, and by his report, as also of diverse others, it was known for certain, that they were lodged in three Villages very near adjoining the one to the other. He appointed the Lord County of Thorigny, of Longaunay, and the Lord of Vicques the elder brother, to lodge with their troops betwixt the said villages and Argenten, to keep them in on the one side, and the Lords of Bacqueville, de l'Archant, and de Bewron with their companies to environ them on the other side, and the Duke himself came full upon them marching with the whole army, aided with the Lords of halot and his own brother, and being on the top of a little mountain, commanded the Lords of Emery and of Surene, Marshals of the field, to advance the Infantry which was upon the left hand with the Coluerine, the which they soon did: For although our footmen were very few, yet those that we had were so hardy, and their leaders who were the Lords of S. Denis, Maillot, du Radier, de Roqueville, Chawain, Dauphin, Glaize, and other voluntary, so hardy and sure men, that they made no delay, but skirmished strait, and their enemies did the like, shooting many musket & arqebus shot from both sides, but as soon as our Coluerine began to play in their faces, the rebels began to be much amazed, and my Lord Brissac himself caused his Cornette to turn bridle, and retired with some number of horses and horsemen as hardy as himself: yet did these rebel troops after the first Coluerine shot, which had not much hurt them, stand to the fight: but when they heard the Coluerine roar the second time, and saw the Lord of Vaumarte, one of their chief leaders and fourteen or fifteen others carried away with the shot, they began to shake: Then my Lord the Duke commanded a fresh charge, which was given so hot and fierce, that all the said rebels were put to the chase, most of them put to the edge of the sword, and some taken prisoners. There might you have seen a gallant company of noble Gentlemen affectioned to the service of their Prince. But it is unpossible to speak with what resolution and valour these troops, and those of the Lords de halot & of Crevecaeur his brother, which followed him hard, did enter perforce among the thickest of these miserable and mutinous rebels, nor with what resolution my Lord the duke de Mont-pencier did lead them to the fied, and marching foremost in battle did encourage those that followed him, so that this race and scum of rebels not able to abide the brunt, were forced to yield and fall down under their most victorious hands, some flying this way and some that way, to escape death, but all in vain, for the slaughter was so bloody and so great, that of all those that they found at the first village called Pierrefite, which were about two thousand men, there escaped not one only man, or very few ifthere did any, but were either slain or taken prisoners all. The troops assembled again, my Lord the Duke set upon the second village, called Villiers, where he found another great company of Rebels, under the conduct of the Baron of Tubeuf, who escaped not so well as the former: for whatsoever we met withal there, felt either fire or sword, without any mercy, the Baron of Tubeuf and few others excepted who were taken prisoners. And because the night drew on a pace those which were lodged in the their villages called Commeaux, who were not above a thousand or twelve hundred men, amongst whom were divers gentlemen, as Monsieur de Beaulieu, and other Clergymen of Seez, many of them being Curates, (and amongst others there was the Curate of Vimoustier, the most pestiferous mutinous and seditious fellow in all Normandy) held out a while and skirmished a little with the Captains le Radier and Chawain, but Monsieur de Beaulieu was by and by taken at the entrance of the fort, and being carried by the said Captain Chawain, before my Lord the Duke, told for certainty that there were at the least eight hundred men well armed and well appointed in the said fort. Wherefore my Lord seeing it was then late, commanded the Lords de Bacqueville, and l'Archant to get into the fort, and to find some means to force it, with the Infantry, and the culverin that he left them, and he went to lie that night at Escouché, where he arrived about eleven a clock at night. As soon as he was gone, these miserable rebels hearing how their companies were overthrown, yielded their lives being saved only, and were by and by disarmed, and afterwards conducted to Escouché, where the duke sojourned all the morrow to take a view of the prisoners which were in great number of all qualities of persons. The same day the Lords of halot & Bacqueville, du Brevill, de Bellefontain & de l'Archant went abroad, to see if they could meet with any ranging rebels, & miss not much to have taken the Baron of Vernie, who having some number of Cuyrasses retired in great speed to Argenten, with the County of Brissac, and the rest of his complices, which are so discouraged, that they dare not appear in any place, where they hear of our troops, who do nothing but go from place to place seeking out rebels to fight with them, to make them acknowledge their fault. ●he morrow being Saturday, the xxij. of the said month, leaving the Lords of Harcourt, of Saint Mary Venoix, and of Sassy at Escouché, we came to lie at Courcy. Where having intelligence that Monsieur de Pierre court was lodged not far off with some lancers, our troops mounted strait on horseback, and went to find them out, but they missed of them, for they had dislodged, and we had tidings how they made no great tarrying: so that in all the plains ten leagues round about this city, two rebels are not be found in the field together, they have been hit on the hips so kindly these two sundry times. But the last overthrow was far greater than I have set down. For that those which were defeated were the flower of all their forces, were it of men at arms, or of capital caitiffs that persisted in their sinister meaning, and wicked rebellion against their prince. From Courcy my Lord the Duke came directly to this City to bring back his Artillery, and purposeth within few days to be in the field again, and to tarry by it, till he h●ue by the grace of God reclaimed all the baze Normandy to the very gates of Rouen into the obedience of his Majesty. Sir, this is the true discourse of all that is past and done since the arrival of my Lord the Duke de Montpencier in this Country, which is greatly bound and beholding unto him: being most certain that if he had not come, this Country had been in poor and miserable estate ere now: but God be thanked, the amendment is now most certain. And every man may clearly see, that all enterprises of rebels are like the y●e of one night, which melteth away in the morning: and so by consequence their malicious practices cannot long endure: for their meaning being so sinister & perverse as it is, it is impossible that it should stand long time to take effect: and we see daily the experience thereof, and in this we must needs know and confess the goodness and mercy of our God, who maketh us verily to confess and acknowledge his greatness and power, when it pleaseth him. For this poor country which by the subtlety and craft of these wicked spirits, the leaguers hath been so much divided within itself, & the Inhabitants thereof so for the most part seduced, and bewitched, that they knew not themselves, and by that means had clean forgotten their true and natural duty towards his Majesty, now that they see by the coming of my Lord the Duke of Mont-pencier, how their complices and adherents have been handled, they will seek to reconcile themselves, so that I have good hope that shortly the rebels force shall be very slender, albeit those of their party have sowed so many false bruits, lies, and pure inventions of their own heads, and do not stick to spread them abroad in all the Cities of this Province: notwithstanding the greatest part of them, employing all the friends they have to reclaim and reconcile themselves into the good favour and obedience of his Majesty. So I beseech God, Sir, to grant you your hearts desire. From Caen this 23. April. 1589.