THE DECLARATIONS AS WELL OF THE FRENCH KING, AS OF THE KING OF NAVARRE. Concerning the Truce agreed upon between their Majesties: And touching the passage of the River of Loire.  
AT LONDON Printed by Richard Field, dwelling in the blackfriars, near Ludgate.  
1589.   

THE FRENCH KING'S DECLARATION UPON THE TRUCE BY HIS MAJESTY, granted to the king of Navarre, containing the special causes and reasons thereto moving him.  
HEnrie by the grace of God, king of France and Poland. To our trusty and well-beloved, the Officers of our courts of Parliament, governors and lieutenants general of our Provinces, Bailiffs, Seneschalles, provosts, or their Lieutenants, & to all other our officers & subjects, to whom it may appertain, Greeting. If the truth of things be judged by that which appeareth unto men, as it ought to be, sith they can have no other certain proof, and that to God only it appertaineth to search the inward parts and affections of men's hearts: the sincerity of our zeal and devotion to the holy faith, and Catholic, Apostolic and Roman religion doth sufficiently defend itself against all slanders & deceits, by the proofs which we have yielded from our youth, and always continued, as well in our life and ordinary profession, as in furthering by all means, yea even by arms, without sparing our own life, the advancement of God's glory, and establishment of the said Catholic, Apostolic and Roman religion in all places of this Realm, where it hath been changed & altered through the bringing in of a new opinion, to our great grief & displeasure. Wherein our principal hindrance hath not proceeded so much of the industry and force of the followers and defenders of the said new opinion, as of others, who shrouding themselves under a false pretence of zeal to the said Catholic Religion, have a long time sought to seduce the most part of our Catholic Subjects by false persuasions, and practised a League and secret association among themselves: whereof they were the chieftains, under colour of assuring after us (if God should call us out of this world without issue) the preservation of the said Catholic religion, against such of the new opinion as might pretend to succeed us in this Crown.  
But their end and purpose tending to the usurpation and parting of the same among themselves, after they had made them a party among our said Catholic subjects, and underpropped themselves by intelligences with strangers, who might seek the weakening of this Realm, to increase their authority and greatness. They have displayed against our person & authority, the secrets of their damnable drifts: First by backbiting and misreporting our actions, to bring them into hatred with our people, and to draw their affections to themselves under a plausible hope which they joined with the pretence of religion, viz. to ease them of the charges, which the troubles of the time had brought upon them: yet nevertheless their behaviours in places under their command, were no favourable witnesses of their promises in that behalf. Then being unpatient of farther stay, they took and levied arms openly against us, the fruit whereof should principally turn to their particular profit, in respect of such advantages & conditions as they would have wrested from us. The effect of the same importing no other than the ruin and destruction of our subjects and all advancement of the Catholic religion, against the which the continual enterprises of the aforesaid against us and our authority, have debarred us from doing that endeavour that had been requisite to repress their proceedings. And in case the first assays of their said armies were pernicious to this state, the sequel is yet more hurtful and dangerous, having by their subtleties newly replenished France with trouble and universal civil war, seditions, contempt of magistrates, blood, pillage, ransoming, sack of goods both sacred and profane, forcing of women and maidens, and infinite other kinds of inhumanities and disorders, such as the like was never seen or heard of, & all to the great prejudice not only of our authority and royal person (against whom they have openly declared themselves, not being ashamed to publish that they sought after our very life) but also of this flourishing Crown in general, which they purpose to share and dismember among themselves, with the association of strangers to the great dishonour and obloquy of the French name, but specially of the nobility in old time of such fame and estimation through out the whole world for their virtue, prowess and singular love & fidelity to their Kings: yea and which is worse, to the great detriment of the Catholic, Apostolic: Roman religion. For besides that civil war corrupteth good manners, & alienateth men's hearts no less from all piety and reverence to the honour of God, then from all humane charity: this division is the very means for those of the contrary opinion to enlarge and ncrease their conquests. The which nevertheless we purposing to prevent to our power, and endeavouring to reduce all things into a good order, whereto through God's grace we had brought them, and where from we were diverted through these present troubles, we have yet since the beginning of the same sought all means to us possible by courtesy to reduce all our Catholic subjects to a good & firm reunion under our obedience, and by the means of the same to put in execution that which, at their instant request we promi-sed in the assembly of our Estates.  
Howbeit so far was the hardness of their hearts from being mollified or bend to any compassion of so many mischiefs which they have caused, as not content with the disorders passed, no not with the raising of most of our towns against us, the slaying, imprisoning or deposing of our officers, the ransoming of the wealthiest of ourrealme of what degree, state, quality, kind, condition or age soever, yea even the Clergy, the breaking of our seals, defacing of our arms, renting and shameful handling of our pictures, the establishing of Counsels and officers at their own fantasies, the spoiling of our treasury, with all other acts of contempt, derision, hostility and cruelty: but also heaping injury upon injury, they prepared to come and assail our own person with artillery taken out of our storehouses, and armies composed as well of our said rebellious subjects as of strangers in part contrary to the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion, whereof they nevertheless proclaim themselves the only protectors, to the end together with ourselves to oppress all our good Catholic subjects and servants, in steed of addressing themselves against those of the contrary opinion whom they suffer in peace and liberty to stretch as far as they list, as indeed they have not overslipped the occasion. For the king of Navarre while we were preparing and furnishing ourselves of forces for our warrantise against the bad intents of the said rebels, took and seized upon our towns of Niort, S. Maixant, Maillezais, Chastelleraut, Lodune, Lisle Bouchart, Montrevilbelay, Argenton, and Blanc in Berry, and advanced his forces near to this town, whither we were come upon the first day of his said exploits, to the end to take what order we could for the stopping of him from proceeding any farther. Thus in the end knowing ourselves unable to perform with our weapons, at such time as we were upon necessity to employ them in the preservation and defence of our own person, together without said good subjects and servants against the rage and violence of the said rebels whom we found inflexible to any conditions of reconciliation, upon such motions as we had caused to be made unto them: and again considering that albeit ourselves did know that he sought not, as they, to assault our life and authority, yet our said good subjects might nevertheless be greatly molested by his weapons, in case we took not from him all occasion to employ them according as the present estate of the affairs of this Realm did minister opportunity: and on the otherside being urged & pressed by the cries and complaints of our provinces, molested by his partakers, to provide some remedy, and that rather by some surcease of hostility then otherwise, without the which their force failing for to defend themselves, together with the means to entertain men of war, all hope of ability to sustain their lives & families was taken from them, and some of them constrained through the violence of the evil, had of themselves compounded already. All these said reasons by us brought into deliberation with the princes of our blood, the officers of our Crown and others of our Counsel about us, among these extremities we could find no other means then to take and yield to our said subjects some release from wars on the behalf of the said King of Navarre. And therefore to the same effect we have granted to him for himself and all his partakers a Truce and abstinence of war and of all hostility, according to his request unto us made in acknowledgement of his duty toward us, and being moved with compassion for the miseries whereunto this realm is now brought, which moveth all such as yet retain the feeling of good Frenchmen to help to quench the fire of division that consumeth it and still threateneth the utter ruin thereof, wherefrom we nevertheless hope that God of his goodness will yet preserve us to his glory against the drifts and endeavours of those who for their private ambition do desire and prosecute the dissipation thereof: which Truce and abstinence from arms we mean shallbe general throughout our Realm for the space of one whole year, beginning the third of this present month and ending at the like day including both the one & the other for all our good and faithful subjects that acknowledge our authority, yielding us their due obedience, as also for the state of Avignon and County of Venise appertaining to our holy Father the Pope, whom we will to be therein comprised, and that his said subjects may enjoy it as being under our protection: with this charge and condition beside promised by the said king of Navarre, who hath undertaken for all his partakers, that he shall not during the said Truce employ his power or armies in any place either within or without this Realm without our commandment or consent: That he shall not enterprise or suffer to be enterprised or attempted any thing in such place & places of the countries where our authority is acknowledged. And that wheresoever he shall pass or sojourn, except in those places which he held before the day aforesaid, he shall not change or permit any change or alteration in matter concerning the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Religion, neither that any harm or molestation be offered to our Catholic subjects, Clergymen, or others that abide faithful unto us or are good servants, either in their persons, goods or otherwise howsoever: that if during this war he or his do take any towns, castles, or other places by force, surprise or intelligence, either do enter in what sort soever, he shall immediately leave & permit them to be in our free disposition, according as he hath promised us. That in respect of the premises the said king of Navarre and his partakers shall have the benefit of their goods, and the same to enjoy so long as the said Truce shall continue: As also interchangeably they shall permit the Catholics both Clergy men & others our good servants to enjoy their goods and revenues in those places that they do hold.  
We farther will & command you, that every one of you so far as it may concern him, to observe and procure the observing of the said Truce and abstinence of arms with all the contents above mentioned from point to point, according to the form and tenor thereof without gainsaying or suffering any gainsaying of the same. Also to procure these presents to be read, published and enroled, according as need shall require, to the end no man pretend any cause of ignorance: By the which we protest that beside so much as concerneth the defence of our person and estate against the violence of the said rebels, we have been also moved to make and agree to the said Truce for the benefit that redoundeth to our Catholic, Apostolic & Roman Religion, and the relief of our good subjects, as thereby having stopped the progress which the king of Navarre & his partakers without this present remedy might have made to the great detriment of our Religion, & the oppression of our said good subjects, whilst our forces, occupied about the effect aforesaid, could not have been opposed against him: We do moreover protest against the said rebels for their infringing of the union of all Catholic subjects, sworn and confirmed to us by the Deputies of our General Estates in their last assembly: as also we urge them to rejoin themselves under our authority for the preservation and advancement of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Religion, for that they only are guilty before God of all the calamity that may ensue of the said division to the prejudice of his honour and his holy Church, whereof the war that they make against us is the only cause. Remaining for our own part fully resolved never to departed from any one point that may appertain to the preservation and exaltation of the said Catholic Apostolic and Roman Religion, and to persevere in this holy intent through God's grace, which we continually implore to our help for this effect unto the last gasp of our life. And for as much as in many and diverse places they may have need of these presents, we will that upon the sight thereof being duly examined by one of our well-beloved and trusty Notaries or Secretaries, credit be given thereto, as to this present original: For such is our pleasure.  
Given at Tours the sixth and twentieth of April, in the year of grace, one thousand five hundred four score and nine. 
 And of our reign the fifteenth. Thus Signed. 
 HENRY. And underneath, By the king. 
 REVOL. And sealed upon a single lable with the great seal in yellow wax.   

A DECLARATION OF THE KING OF NAVARRE, UPON THE treatise of the Truce made between the French king, and the said L. king of Navarre.  
HEnrie by the grace of God, King of Navarre, first Prince of the blood, chief Peer, and protector of the reformed churches of France, etc. To all Governors of Provinces, Captains of towns & cities, fortresses and castles, Chieftains and leaders of men of war, Majors, Consuls, and sworn men of towns, justices and officers, as well of our sovereign Lord the king, as to all others to whom it may appertain, & that are under our authority and protection, Greeting. Whereas it is well known to all men that we never took or retained arms in this miserable war, but so far as necessity enforced us: Also, that we have by our actions sufficiently testified our extreme sorrow, seeing ourselves entangled, and bound thereto through the malice of the enemies of this Realm. On the other side, the desire that we had to be able to serve his Majesty against them for the re-establishing of his authority, and the rest and tranquillity of his good Subjects: yet such was the mischief, that our good meaning was by sundry sleights disguised, & the bad minds of the said enemies so far cloaked under beautiful and favourable pretences, that this Realm was brought to the point of inevitable ruin, had not the wisdom of our said sovereign Lord the king, sundry times contraried and crossed with infinite lets, been sufficient to discern our innocency from among their slanders, he had not also even through their colours and dissimulations espied their inveterate malice: And it is most evident that this war begun under colour of religion, is even at once found to be mere war of estate: That those of the League are not gone to seek or assail those of the religion which we profess, but have abused both the weapons and authority which were to that end delivered unto them, to get such towns of this realm as were farthest of and least suspected for religion: as little also have they employed their preachers in the conversion of those whom they did pretend to be heretics, but contrariwise they have used them in all towns to the subversion of this realm, as firebrands to kindle the estate, to suborn the subjects against their prince, to make them reject all obedience to their magistrates, to frame them to seditions and alterations, without any respect to confound all things both divine and humane: whereby have happened to the great grief of all good men, an incredible revolt throughout this nation against our sovereign Lord the king, and consequently such a confusion in sundry towns and provinces that the pretended shadow of piety and justice hath quite extinguished the body, the fear of God, the reverence of his true image, and the lawful and sovereign Magistrate by him instituted in these extremities: whereupon acknowledging our duty unto our said sovereign Lord the King, and even from the bottom of our heart bewailing the calamity of this estate and people, we have withdrawn ourselves unto his Majesty, and at his feet presented him our lives and goods to assist him against his enemies, for the re-establishment of his authority and his good subjects. Protesting, as before we had done, to intend to no other but his service: as also every man may judge that if we had otherwise meant, we had fit occasion to help ourselves by the public miseries: who did us this honour to acknowledge us & willingly to accept of our good wills: also to the end to give us better means to serve him, he resolved upon a Truce or abstinence of war with all hostility, whereof we hope through God's help, of a good peace to ensue. Therefore that we give you to wit, and to all and every of you which acknowledge our authority and protection, and that have and do follow that part which we uphold, every one for himself, that we have treated, decreed and concluded with our sovereign Lord the King, upon a truce or abstinence general from arms throughout this land for one whole year, to begin the third day of April, and to end upon the like day, as well the one as the other therein concluded. Wherein also our meaning is to comprise the state and County of Venise with the subjects thereof as being under the protection of our said sovereign Lord the King: & so consequently we do forbid all persons of whatsoever estate or calling, not to attempt or enterprise against those places where his majesties authority is acknowledged, neither against the said state or County of Venise, or in any other place or places where we shall enter, pass by, or sojourn, expressly commanding that there be nothing enterprised against his good and loyal subjects, no not against the Clergy, neither to innovate or interrupt any thing concerning the Catholic Roman religion, as also in case by God's grace we enter whether by surprise, force or otherwise into any hold or town occupied by the enemies, our meaning is there shall be no alteration in the service or other matter belonging to the said Catholic Roman religion, according as more at large have by us been concluded with our sovereign Lord the King. Also whereas in consequence of the premises it hath pleased his Majesty to grant and yield a general enjoyment of their goods, & to all those of the religion which we do profess and others of this party, to enjoy the same during this present truce, our intent reciprocally is that all his good subjects as well of the Clergy, as other shall enjoy their goods and revenues during the same in those places that we do hold, whereof besides these presents we will dispatch them all letters necessary.  
Moreover we command you & every of you so far as to him appertaineth, to cause these presents to be read, published, enrolled, kept and observed in every point according to their form and tenure, ceasing and causing to cease all troubles and impeachments to the contrary. In witness whereof we have caused these Presents, signed with our own hand, to be sealed with our Seal of arms. Given at Saulmur this 24. of April in the year of grace. 1589.  
Thus signed. 
 HENRY. And underneath, 
 BERSIAV. And sealed upon a single lable with the said Lords great seal in red wax.   

THE KING OF NAVARRES DECLARATION AT THE PASSAGE OF THE RIVER of Loire for the service of his Majesty the 18. of April. 1589.  
HEnry by the grace of God king of Navarre, etc. To all those to whom these presents shall come, greeting. As it hath pleased God to cause us to be borne first Prince of the blood, and chief Péer of France: whom nature hath taught to defend his king, law and duty do bind to maintain the Estate of this Realm: and that it may be apparent by the effects known to every one, that the disturbers whatsoever pretence they take, shot at no other thing but his majesties life and Crown, neither purpose any other than the dissipation and usurping of this Estate, whereof can ensue no other than the confusion of all things both divine and human, the extinguishing of all order policy and justice, and the utter ruin of each one in particular and of all the good subjects of this Realm in general, even such as every one doth foresee and in heart bewail, yea and the most part do in effect already feel it in their goods, lives, honours and liberties.  
For this cause, we being called of God, nature and law, to so necessary a work, have resolved with our selves to employ our lives, goods and abilities upon the restablishment of the king our sovereign lords authority, the restoration of this Realm, the preservation and deliverance (so far as in us may lie) of all the good subjects of the same against those who so openly have attempted against the person of his Majesty, and dared to enterprise the usurpation of his Realm, and brought almost to the point of inevitable ruin so many poor people, which God of his grace hath united & preserved in so many ages under the sacred and inviolable laws of this Realm.  
We declare that we have not, neither will hold for enemies any other than those who by their effects have proclaimed & openly declared themselves enemies to this Realm: who have so much as in them lieth, extinguished and blotted out the name of the king, of the sovereign Magistrate given us of God, heretofore sacred to our nation, disgraded his Parliaments and sovereign Courts, so far forth as to have cruelly slain the principal personages, against whose dignity and life, whether for their Estate, or for their deserts, no thieves or barbarous people or utter enemies to mankind would have enterprised: to have broken & defaced the seals of the Realm, the sacred instruments of sovereign justice, violating and profaning, so far as they might, even justice itself: and to be brief, so confounding all things that wheresoever their power taketh place there resteth nothing but sack, blood, fury and insolency, desolation among the people, carcases in the towns, mourning and lamentation in all families, and combustion and universal horror among all sorts. Against these persons do we oppose our just weapons: against these do woe denounce war with all rigour, and against these do we invite and adjure all good Frenchmen the king's faithful servants, lovers of their country and defenders of the good laws thereof to assist us with their vows, weapons and wealth: as being resolved and assured that GOD will bless us and give us grace under the king's authority to chastise them according to their desert, and that he will no longer suffer so many mischiefs unpunished, mischiefs committed under a false semblant of goodness, sacrileges and impieties under the sacred names of piety and justice. Nevertheless in as much as we are not ignorant, but that many may have been entangled in these enormities, some being transported by fury, others overcome by a just fear, and the most part rather suborned by subtlety, then lead by their own malice: as also we can not think that France is so degenerated as maliciously of set purpose to renounce her fidelity and loyalty to her natural Prince, that is to say, to the inheritance and patrimony of her fathers.  
We, upon a desire to separate, so far as lieth in us, the innocent from the guilty, and with all discretion to use the just sword that God hath put into our hand for the service of our sovereign Lord the king, & the preservation of his subjects, do signify to all Provinces, towns, commonalties, clergy men, nobility, and men of law, captains of men of war, citizens, burgesses, and all other persons of whatsoever condition, estate, or calling, that with all speed they retire from all communication and fellowship with the said enemies, disturbers of this estate, and reunite themselves under his majesties obedience, giving him assurance of their fidelity and service. In so doing, as also being by them duly certified, we will carefully preserve them according to such order as we have from him, and do desire to employ under his commandments: otherwise, in case they show themselves either obstinate or careless, we denounce against them all the mischief that may incur by the rigour of arms, as worthy to participate in the just punishments of those, to whose injustice and violence they shall minister either consent or countenance. We do consequently intend to preserve and maintain all the good subjects and servants of our sovereign Lord the king: also, those that shall (as is aforesaid, reunite themselves unto him) in their goods, lives, honours, liberties, religion & consciences, without exception or acception whatsoever: especially those of the Clergy, of whom we will the rather take care, because they are more commonly opposed to the extremity of war. Provided also, that for their parts they remember to love peace, and modestly to contain themselves within their bounds, whereas some of them, to the great reproach of their vocation, are become the instruments of these disorders.  
We do expressly forbid all our men of war, and other our adherents in this our pursuit, not to attempt or enterprise any thing against the kings said good subjects and servants, and others to him reconciled as aforesaid of whatsoever state or condition: namely against the said clergimen, or the places appointed to the use of their ecclesiastical service, wherein we will not that they be any whit molested, under pain to the infringers of these Presents, of punishment and correction according to the exigence of the case and the rigour of our martial laws. As also, we do most straightly command our lieutenant's general, governors, officers of our army, heads and captains, and all other persons of command, diligently to set to their hands every one in his calling: under pain to the said heads and captains, through whose negligence or winking at causes any mishap may fall, to answer therefore in their own names & people. Nevertheless, admonishing the said good subjects and servants of the king our sovereign Lord, of all degrees & callings, & all that are to him reconciled as is aforesaid, to help to distinguish the good from the bad, & to prevent the inconveniences which may more easily be stopped then amended, also in time to retire to us, and to our said lieutenants, governors and officers, to the end to be furnished of passports, warrants, and necessary dispatches: intending nevertheless, that our sovereign Lord the King's warrants, made since the date of these presents, shallbe inviolably kept & observed, under pain of rigorous punishment to the breakers of the same.  
We do here beseech all states & degrees of this Realm to set before their eyes the damage that hath and consequently will more and more ensue in every of them by their confusions. The Clergy to consider how piety is stifled among weapons, Gods name blasphemed, & Religion contemned, every one practising to play with the sacred name of faith, when they see the greatest take it for a pretence to shadow the most execrable infidelity that may be. The Nobility to note what a fall their order hath lately had, when arms, either the badges of hereditary Nobility or the rewards of virtue, are as it were trailed through the mire, committed to a commonalties hands, who from liberty will pass to licence, & from licence will give themselves over to all insolency, without further respect (as hath been seen already) of desert or calling. The Magistrates, what théevery is crept in at the gate of common weal, when in the chamber of the peers of this Realm, where the greatest upon reverence to justice, do leave of their swords, an Attorney shall enter in arms accompanied with twenty rascals & carry his sword to the throat of the Parliament of France, and in triumph lead it away in red robes to the Bastille: when a chief Precedent shallbe murdered, trailed about, and hanged at Tholouze (one that was a zealous follower of his Religion, if ever there were any, and the most formal enemy of the contrary) by the conspiracy of a Bishop: and with what show of heresy? Oh monsters of fury, cruelty and barbarousness, who nevertheless can not live long, unless peradventure by some shameful memory to this world & to the nation that hath borne and doth support them, detestable wheresoever it cometh to the posterity. The third Estate, who at the least were to take profit of these damages, let them look whether they be eased of their taxes & subsidies, whether they be discharged of the men of war, whether their shops in the towns, or their farms in the country be in better case, whether the treasury be better husbanded then aforetime: nay contrariwise whether devouring be not doubted, whether the grass groweth not before their gates, whether for one hand that was wont to grope in the treasury there be not three: whether it that they call husbanding be not the sacking of good houses given to porters, and the ransoming of good men that groan under these disorders: A matter that can not continue many days, which expired, the commonalty being fleshed in the spoil of those whom they term Politics, as wolves upon carrion, and their booties failing them, will cruelly & without respect fall upon all that be of any countenance. Let those towns that have taken their part remember in what state they were before, and in what they be now: The traffic (who so list to seek it) in the midst of a forest? justice, in the dungeons of the Bastill? Learning, where barbarousness possesseth all? yet be these the means that have brought them to so great glory and wealth: yea even the means that only could therein entertain them: At this day it is heresy to be a Politic: but the policy that had brought them to their flower is run to contempt: Shortly it will be an unpardonable trespass to be rich. Moreover if they have any garrison their liberty perisheth, and the lickerousnesse of this word hath made them lose it: If they have no garrison, then are they a pray, oppressed with guards and badly kept, at every moment in danger of surprise: and thus behold an imaginary liberty in stead of a prison. Neither shall the fields have any better bargain, if this mischief continue. A king cannot abide to be disgraded by his subjects: Rigour must be set against rigour, and force against force: The licentiousness, excess and disorders of these perturbers will draw on others: Against the usurpation of a stranger his Majesty must be succoured by strangers: against the Spaniards drifts with Suitzers and Germans: our fields shall become forests, & our wars young springs, a disease common to the labourer and the burgess, to the Gentleman and the Clergy: a disease that will multiply robberies in the fields and rages in the towns: then woe to the authors and favourers of these miseries: the people will convert this fury against them, and with their blood will redeem their abolition, their own peace and life, and to their costs they shall see what it is to wrest the sceptre from the sovereign, and the sword from the Magistrate therewith to arm and authorize the licentiousness of the people.  
Mark their imaginations, after they have plucked the king out of his throne, they have left the place empty: ask then whom in conscience they will place therein: the Duke of Mayenne? What prince is there in Christendom that will not withstand it? that knoweth not himself to be hurt in this example? Of our nobility, how many families be there that will not obey the house of Lorraine? much less the varlet of varlets? ye houses honoured with the alliance of our kings and princes about us, who also have this article above the rest. That they are borne French and have persevered in their birth, what a heart breaking will it be for such to stoop under so weak a yoke? to see their lives and honours at the discretion of these upstarts? whom nature hath made their equals, whose sword the law of the Realm hath measured with the same foot, whom God hath no way preferred before them save only in that he hath given them over to their own presumption. How many princes of the house of Bourbon must they pierce before they come there? Princes I say armed with right, with courage and with credit against this imaginative Chimere of usurpation, for whose blood the nobility will hazard theirs: the Nobility which in like alterations findeth itself still buried with the Monarchy: Nobility, whose honour and degree is tied to that of our kings: Nobility which to be brief can not hope to keep that degree over the commons which God hath given it, when it shall see their sovereign, him of whom it holdeth the sword cast headlong from his. Let every man hold his peace: let us suffer them at leisure to do what they list. If they will ground their usurpation upon Charlemains pretences, how will they agree with the Duke of Lorraine and his children? how? albeit they will agree with the branch of Vaudemont? Again if they think the crown due to the deserts, to the labours & to the virtues, that is to say, to the late Duke of Guise's Monopoles, how can they frustrate his heir? but who doubteth that all the varlets of the house pretend not a share, that is, that they are not resolved to rend asunder the state and to share out the pieces?  
O Frenchmen, imagine what your estate shall then be. These changes out of one extremity into an other are never made without a most violent overthrow: the house wherein we are now lodged cannot be overthrown but we shall be oppressed therein. Our bodies turn not to worms and serpents before death catcheth hold: these serpents can not be borne, neither proceed out of the body of this estate before it be dissolved, perished and rotten, and that we all which do not live, other then in it, must run to ruin. It is very easy to desire a crown: it is very easy for a people moved and passionate against their Prince, to think upon the alteration of the Estate. Between an ambitious desire and the accomplishment thereof, between your hasty chollers, and your revenges so far of, how many days works and battles? what plenty of blood, sack and misery? the ages of the world will not suffice to decide this quarrel: the son will take the father's place, and the brother the brothers: you shall make a perpetual confusion to the posterity which shall curse the memory of your madness.  
And how much more convenient for you were it to abridge so many calamities with a peace? a peace which out of the dark Chaos wherein you have plunged yourselves, might reduce you into the light, which might restore you to yourselves, to your nature & to your senses, which might deliver you out of these disquietnesses wherein you are, from this labyrinth wherinto you are entered, which you do well deem you can not get out of, & whereof in the mean while you see not the end: a peace which might replant every one in that he loveth: might restore to the husbandman his plough, to the artificer his shop, to the merchant his traffic, to the country assurance, to the towns government, & to all men indifferently upright justice: a peace that might return you the kings fatherly love, to him the obedience & fidelity that you own him: to be brief, a peace that might render to this estate both soul and body: the body which through these ambitious is haled in a thousand pieces: the soul, I mean the good order that hath preserved it, which from the highest degree to the lowest runneth all to confusion.  
These things considered, every one sounding the very bottom, whether it be the evil that he doth himself, or that he is to suffer: in these confusions we assure ourselves that they who hitherto have persisted in their duties to his Majesty, will double their affections and courage to serve him from good to better against his enemies: that they who under simplicity have let themselves run into their practices, would not be instruments of their own destruction, by undermining the foundation of this estate to pull it upon their own heads, but will rather abandon so bad a faction, & have recourse to his majesties clemency, who still keepeth the gate open to all that seek it.  
As for such as obstinately shall persist enemies to the king, to this Realm & to their own good, as they shall most justly purchase God's wrath & the hatred of man, so are they to expect no other but a fearful judgement from above worthy their merits, which God for his mercy hasten upon the obstinate, to the abridging of so many mischiefs and miseries, & to the weal, peace, & quiet of so many poor people.  
In respect of ourself, we protest that ambition armeth us not: sufficiently have we showed that we do despise it, & it is honour enough to us to be that we are, neither can the honour of this Estate perish but we must decay. And so little, (God is our witness) are we lead by revenge that none hath received more wrongs & injuries than we, neither hath any hitherto made less pursuit: neither shall any be more liberal to forgive the enemies, if they amend, in any case that may concern the tranquillity & peace of France. That which afflicteth us, which we can neither see nor foresee without tears, is that this Estate shallbe brought to that point that its harm is so grown and stubborn, that it can not be helped without great mischief.  
From these mischiefs do we protest against the wound and those that made it: he that made the wound is guilty of the fire, the corrosive, the incisions, and the griefs that necessarily they make. It sufficeth, and every one may see it, that in that little which we may, we bring the care of the good surgeon that loveth the patiented. The enemies in deed that love the disease, will, besides the iron, bring both hatred & fraud, as they that can have no contentation but in their ambition over this estate, neither can they content themselves but in her sinal death, a death which we will redeem with the price of our life and all our goods. But rather (as we trust in God the preserver of kings and kingdoms) we shall shortly as the fruit of our labours, see the king in his due authority, whereto he is borne, and the Realm in like force and dignity as heretofore, to the contentment of all good Frenchmen, the comfort of such numbers of poor people, & the heart breaking of such as do covet the ruin thereof.  
We do therefore beseech the Lords of the Courts of Parliament, all governors, lieutenants general of the provinces, chambers of accounts, courts of aids, treasurers general of France, provosts, bailiffs, seneschalles, judges, majors, sheriffs, jurates, consuls, headboroughs, bodies and commonalties of towns, and all other justices and officers my Lord the King's subjects, to assist, favour, & lean unto us, for the benefit of his affairs and service: For such is our desire.  
Given at Saulmur, the eighteenth of April, 1589. Thus signed HENRY. By the king of Navarre, first Prince of the blood, and chief Peer of France. 
 DEVICOSE.  
FINIS.