A LETTER WRITTEN BY GREGORY THE XV.  
Pope of Rome, to the French King.  
To our most dear beloved son health in jesus Christ, Lovis the 13. the most Christian King of France.  
According to the French copy printed at Paris. 1621.  
London Printed for N. B. 1621.   

A LETTER WRITTEN BY GREgory the 15. Pope of Rome to the French King.  
TO our most dear beloved son, health in jesus Christ, and our Apostolical benediction,  
the supreme greatness of the actions of your Royal valour, which have drawn unto them the spirits of all good Christians, yield no small contentment unto our Paternal care, together with the glory of your armies, & the hope of your triumphs: for when we consider, with much grief, the impiety of the heretics, hiding themselves in certain places without all doubt or fear, and in other places, usurping the body of a cruel government, we are now moved to give thanks unto the God of armies, who in so fit a time for war, inciteth your Majesty to enter into arms for the defence of the Catholic religion. O most notable apprentisage of a royal justice, & worthy of a most Christian king, for is it not admirable, that in that age where in others are wont to pass their time in pleasure and delights, moved thereunto by delicateness, faintness of heart, you employ the same, not only generously but also happily. To appease differences, to march forward in arms & to besiege the heretic's holds and strong places, & that not without the counsel of God, in whose kingdom kings live: what? is it credible that in the beginning of your young years, you should be endowed with so haughty a heart as to undertake so great & difficult a matter, & that the dangers & difficulties that have been the cause to daunt other men's hearts, should move & incite you to so great a courage? Enjoy (dear son) that renown which your famous name hath obtained, and follow that God which fighteth with you, to the end, that as at this present every man esteemeth you to be the thunder bolt of war, and the buckler of peace, you may be held and esteemed by all men, in time to come, the praise of Israel, and the glory of all the world. From the most high top of our Apostolical dignity, whereunto the hand of God hath brought us, (although unworthy of so great a charge) with our whole spirit and affection we assist your arms, and by our frequent and daily prayers prepare divine remedies for you. And although we doubt not but that you will still with constancy persist there in even unto the end, being incited thereunto by us, and as by your virtue you have undertaken the same, we hope you will not take it in evil part to be more and more encouraged therein by good exhortation, that it may apparently be seen that we have a great care of you and of the advancement of the true religion, and that we will give place to your glory, you are hitherto much bound unto God, for his great liberalties, and as we hope and wish both together; you shall be much more bound unto him for the same in time to come, and it is to be believed that your spirit so highly elevated and endowed with celestial Doctrine, and not with the precepts of humane wisdom, as you have always well understood, that the foundations of kingdoms are grounded and set upon the truth of one Orthodoxal faith, and that as long as God is not the keeper and preserver of towns, never any principality can assuredly subsist. judge with how much fidelity they will defend your royal throne that have cast the Saints out of their temple., and that have attempted the means to extirp them out of the number of the blessed, yea and out of Paradise, who with an impious temerete condemn the institutions of our ancestors, the customs of kings, the decrees of Popes, and the ceremonies of the Church: these are the troubles of our ancient common wealth, and the reproaches of France, that God, Emperor of kings hath reserved you to extinguish them in your young years. Know that all Europe that hangeth in suspense of the event of your war, hope shortly under your conduction to set up their sails upon the Ocean, to the end that that place which serves for the Seat & defence of rebellious heretics, may serve for a mark unto the posterity of your great victories. We are certainly persuaded, that neither fear, nor inconstancy can nor will divert you from your enterprise: nevertheless, always remember, that the Saints whose honour men defend, aid and assist that Prince, that undertaketh the protection of religion, and with him fight as companions in the war: you shall not, without doubt fail of God to be favourable unto you in the waters, where at other times, he made the land firm as it had been dry ground, and where the waters divided on both sides served as a wall giving passage unto his army: From whence we may assuredly hope, that after you shall have established an assured peace in your Realm, and overcome and vanquished the impiety that raighneth therein, you may one day by your great victories, join the East and the West together, imitating the glory of your ancestors, that yielded as great honour unto the Pope's exhortations as unto the commandments of God. Holy S. Lovis inviteth you thereunto, whose name, as well as his actions, you bear & imitate. The principal of your race invite you thereunto, who in defending the Apostolical authority, and enlarging religion, laid the good and assured foundations of your royal house, follow (most dear son) the emament of the whole world, the commandments of the father, convert your choler and indignation towards those people that have not known God, to the end that in heaven you may obtain the treasures of the divine mercy, whereunto, by our Apostolical authority, with extraordinary affection we give our blessing.  
Given in Rome in S. Maria mayor, under the Fishermans' ring. 1621. the first year of our Pontificat.   

LETTRE ENVOYEE AV ROY, PAR NOSTRE SAINCT Pere le Pape GREGOIRE XV. sur les affaires de ce temps.  
A PARISH. 1621.   

A NOSTRE TRES CHER fils en jesus-christ LOVYS XIII. Roy des Francois tres-Christien.  GREGOIRE PAPE XV. 
NOSTRE tres cher fils en jesus-christ salut & nostre benediction Apostolique.  
Les hauts faicts de vostre valeur Royale, qui ont attiré sur euxles esprits des Chrestiens, aportent bien du contentement à nostre soing paternel parmy la gloire de vos armes, & l'esperance de vos triomphes: car comme nous considerons auec beau coup de regrers l'impieté des heretiques croupissants en certaines lieux sans peur & sans crainte: en d'autres exercans le corps d'vne cruelle domination, nous remercions maintenant le Dieu des armees d'auoir en un temps si opportun pour la guerre, fait prendre les armes a V. M. pour la defense de la Religion Catholique. Obel apprentissage d'vne Royale Milice, & digne d un Roy Tres-Chrestien? Quelle merueille, que l'aage que les autres ont accoustumé de passer en jeux & delicer par une certaine mollesse & faineantise, vous l'employez aussi genereusement qu'heureusement à appaiser les differents, à conduire les armees, & assieger les places des heretiques? & le tout non sans le conseil de Dieu, au Royaume duquelvinent les Roys. Quoy? est il croyable qu'aux premiers abbords de vostre adolescence vous ayez entrepris un oewre si releué & si difficile, & que les dangers & difficultez qui ont arresté le cours des autres, ayent incité la grandeur de vostre courage? jovyssez (tres-cher fils) de la renomee que vostre nom a acquis, & suyvez le Dieu qui combat avec vous afin que comme maintenaut un chacun vous, tient pour le fouldre de la guerre, & le bouclier de la paix, vous soyez estimé de tous à l'aduenir la louange d'Israel, & la gloire de tout le monde.  
Du plus haut sommet de nostre dignité Apostolique, où la main dubou Dieu nous a conduict, bien que indigne de ceste charge, nous assistons d'esprit & d'affection vos armes, & par nos frequantes prieres, vous preparōs les diuins ramedes Et bien que nous ne doutions point que vous n'y mettiez la derniere main avec heaucoup de constance, à ce invité par nous, & comme par vostre vertu vous avez entrepris, toutes-fois ne trowez point mannais d'y estre emflammé dauantage par exhortations, afin qu'il parroisse que nous sommes soigneux du bien & de l'aduancement de la uraye Religion, & que nous voulons donner lieu à vostre gloire. Vous estes iusqu'à ceste heure grandement redeuable à Dieu de ses liberalitez, & comme nous esperons & souhaittons tout ensemble, vous le serez bien dauantage à l'aduenir: & il est croyable que vostre esprit si revelé & imbu a'vne celeste doctrine, & non point des preceptes de quelque sapience humaine, comme vous avez tousiours bien entendu que les fondemens des Royanmes sont appuiez sur la verité d'vne Foy Orthodoxe, & de fait tant que Dieu ne sera point gardien des villes, tamais aucune principaute ne subsistera auec assurance. Que l'on iuge avec combien de fidelitè defendront vostre siege Royal, ceux qui ont iettè les Saincts mesme de leurs temples, & qui ont tente les moyens mesme de les oster du nombre des bien-heureux, voire du Paradis, ceux qui avec une impie temerité condamnent les Institutions de nos majeurs, les coustemes des Roys, les Decrets des Papes, & les ceremonies de l'Eglise; ce sont les troubles de nostre Republique ancienne, & les reproches de la France, que Dieu Empereur des Roys vous à reseruè pour estre estaints durant le cours de vos ieunes ans. Scachez maintenant que toute l'Europe qui est en suspens de l'euenement de vos armes, attandde bien tost soubs vostre conduitte dresser ses voiles sur l'Ocean, afin que lieu qui sert d'asile & de defence aux heretiques rebelles, serue à la posterité pour marque de vos victoires. Nous scauons bien que ny la crainte, ny l'inconstance ne vous destourneront iamais de vostre entreprise: sowenès vous toutesfois que les Saints desquels on defend l'honneur, assistent au Prince qui prend la protection de la religion, & combattent avec luy comme des compagnons de guerre. Vous ne manqurez sans doubte d'auoir Dieu fauorable sur les mesmes caues dont autres foisil endurcit les flors soubs les pieds comme de la terre, & dont les ondes divisees decà & delà seruants comme de murailes donnoient passage à son armee: pour lors nous pourrons esperer asseurement qu'a pres avoir mis en vostre Roiame un bon establissement, & dompté l'impietè quis'y rencontre, vous pourrez quelque iour par vos victoires joindre l'Orient à l'Occident imitant la gloire de vos ancestres, qui ont porté autant d'honneur aux exhortations des Papes qu'aux commandements de Dieu. A cela vous inuite le tres-sainct Louys le nom duquel vous portez ausibien comme vous imitez les actions. Les premiers de vostre race vous y connenient, lesquels en defendant lauctorité Apostolique, estendant la religion, ont ietté de bons & asseurez fondemens de vostre Royalle maisons Suyueztres-cher fils, l'ornement du monde, les commandements du pere Versez vostre colere & indignation sur les peuples qui n'ont point cogneu Dieu afin que dans le Ciel vous acqueriez les thresors de la diuine misericorde à V. M. à laquelle par nostre authoritè Apostolique vous donons auec affection extraordinaire nostre benediction.  
Donné à Rome à saincte Marie Maieur soubs l'anneau du Pescheur, 1621. l'An premier de nostre Pontificat.