INSTRVCTIons given by the Princes of Navarre, and of Conde, the Count of Colligny admiral of France, and other Lords & Gentlemen of their counsel, and others chosen by the Nobility of the Provinces of this Realm, to the Deputies of their part, upon the conferences holden with the Sieurs of Byron & Malassize, two of the kings privy Counsel, and deputed by his Majesty, for the negotiation of the peace, most humbly beseeching his Majesty to grant unto them the most just and necessary demands which follow, for the health of their souls, and preservation of their honours, lives, and goods.  
1. THat all persons of what quality and condition soever they be, and in whatsoever towns and places of this realm, and countries of the obeisance and protection of his Majesty they do devil or abide, may live in the same in full liberty of conscience now and hereafter without impeachment or gainsaying, or to be compelled to do any thing in matter of Religion against their william.  
2 That all Gentlemen and other persons inhabitants of the realm, or strangers, having high justice in all or in part, of their own in property, or during their lives, or else such as do fully possess royalties in Normandy, may in the same places where they have the said justice and royalties, and in such places as they shall think most convenient as well absent as present, have and cause to be used the said exercise of their religion, as well for themselves, their household and tenants, as for all other that will resort thither.  
3 As for other Gentlemen, having no such high justice: that they may use the same exercise of the religion in their houses for themselves and their household. So as they do not devil in the towns, boroughs, or parishes of the said Lords that have high justice (saving such as be his Majesties) or else with the sufferance or licence of the said Lords of high justice. Which it may please his Majesty to order that by his example the same licence may not be refused. And shall not suffer them to be reproached or blamed as breakers of his Edict, if there resort to the said exercise of religion any other persons than of their own household, or that if there happen any christening that requireth haste.  
4 That in all towns and places where the exercise of the said religion is now used, the same may so continued. And to accommodate the rest of the Provinces of this realm with the same exercise of the religion, that in three towns of the same Provinces and governments to be named in the said Edict, the exercise of the religion shall be used for all persons that will resort thither.  
5 That the Queen of Navarre, the Princes and Princesses of the blood, and the principal officers of the crown, being at the Court, may use the said exercise of the religion, in the lodgings of their trains.  
6 That under the name of the exercise of the religion may be comprised all acts appertaining as well to the ministry, ordering, and discipline, as also to the public and private teaching of children & others.  
7 As for Churchyards, for the burial of the dead, that the Lords of high justice, Majors, Aldermen, and officers of the places where the said exercise of the religion shall be permitted, may thereof consider and take order. And in other places they shall get some place to bury the dead, and therein to have the assistance of the king's officers.  
8 That in all Universities and schools, all persons may be indifferently received, whether it be to teach or to study, and not to be questioned withal, or forced for the matter of religion.  
9 That all poor and sick folks shall also be received into the Hospitals & other like houses, and have part of all public alms, and be used with like indifferency, being of the one religion or the other.  
10 That those of the said religion shall not be challenged for their marriages, being in the degrees not forbidden by the laws received in this realm.  
11 That the limits of ten leagues mentioned in the article touching the excercising of the religion forbidden at Paris, as uncertain, may at the lest be changed into the provosty and Viscontie. In the which if it so please his Majesty, to command it absolutely, he shall not need to be further pressed, to have the exercise of the religion there. But if that shall not please his Majesty: yet that it may please him to moderate somewhat the straightness of this commandment, and not to take away from all Lords of high justice, the general licence given unto them, to use the exercise of the said religion, some of them having chief Lordships within the said provosty and Vicontie, which shall be named unto him by the said Deputies. This to be done as well on the behalf and favour of the said Lords, as of a great number of people that otherwise shall be without heavenly & spiritual food, or else shall be to much troubled in going far, to have it far of, but chief for the christening of their children.  
12 And as touching that which (next unto the conscience) is most dear unto all persons, that is, the honour and goods, and to lay a sure foundation in that which shall be for this cause ordered, to the end there be no doubt made of the sincerity of the Queen of Navarre, of the Princes of Navarre, and of Conde, the father and the son, according to the assurance given to his Majesty of their part, that all that which hath been done in these wars, was done for a good meaning, and for the zeal of their religion: his said Majesty shall declare that he doth take them for his good Cousins, faithful subjects and servants, as in like case he doth take and esteem the Lords, Knights, Gentlemen, Captains, officers, and other inhabitants of the towns and Boroughs of this realm and countries of his obeisance, who have followed, succoured, and holpen them in the said wars, in what place or sort soever the same hath been, to be his good and faithful subjects and servants. And for like good and reasonable occasion, his Majesty shall declare that he doth take the heirs of the late Duke of Deuxpontes, the Princes of Orange, Count Ludovic of Nassau his brother, and Volrode Count of Mansfeld, to be his good Cousins, neighbours, and friends.  
13 And to show himself to be so in deed towards the said persons: he shall order that the said Princes of Navarre and Conde, shall enjoy those lands belonging to them, which have been taken from them, and are in the hands of the king of Spain. Or else for lack of satisfaction to be made by the said king of Spain, the King shall give them letters of Mart.  
14 Also his Majesty shall effectually 'cause the said Prince of Orange, and County Ludovic of Nassau his brother, to be restored and put in possession, in the principaltie of Orange, rights, lands, and jurisdictions of the same, and all that thereunto belongeth, and also in other lands, Lordships, and jurisdictions, which they have in his realm and obeisance. Of which principaltie, one part of the places have been taken by the Sieur of Suse Knight of the order, and some other places have been seized by the king's letters patents for his service. And that the said Prince and Count his brother, may from henceforth enjoy the same, as they did before the troubles, and as it is expressed in the treaties of peace, made between the late king Henry of France and the king of Spain, and other provisions and declarations sithence granted for the behoof of the said Prince: Notwithstanding all proceedings, sentences and orders, made and given during the troubles, which shall be as nothing, and of none effect or force.  
15 He shall also 'cause to be restored effectually to the said noble men, all the writings, titles and documents, rents, fruits, and revenues appertaining to them, taken in the time of the present troubles, aswell in the said principality, as in the lands of his majesty, the same to be executed by the Commissioners, at the time of the execution of the Edict of pacification, or by such other of the king's officers, as the said noble men will choose.  
16 And his Majesty meaning to repair all things happened in the time of these wars, as much as he can: his majesty will give order that all prisoners and such as have been stayed by justice, and otherwise sent to the Galleys upon occasion of these troubles, shall be set at liberty on either part, without paying any ransom. And as for the ransoms already paid, there shall nothing thereof be recovered.  
17 And whereas variance may happen to arise upon occasion of sales of lands and other immovable goods, and engaygings made upon occasion of ransoms, before the Duke of Anjou the king's brother, (calling unto him the Mareschals of France) to be by him decided and ended: It may be ordered that all persons, aswell of the one Religion as of tother, reciprokely, and whom it toucheth, shall enter again into all their immovable goods, which they did possess before the said troubles, and that have fallen unto them during the same. And as for their movable goods which shall be found to remain, the same shall be restored unto them purely & simply: & so shall also such as have been taken between neighbours and neighbours, and delivered in trust to be kept. And as for such as have been sold by order of justice, they shall have them again, paying the same price that they were sold for. And yet nevertheless such as have been taken by way of hostility, shall remain as good prize, and not to be brought again in question.  
18 All they also of the said religion shall recover all offices of justice, of revenues and other, together with the benefices whereunto they have any interest, to enjoy them wholly and peaceably, and also all offices of dignities, governments, captainships, charges, or pensions which they had before the said troubles, except it be that they were constrained to resign them by the kings Edict made in that behalf. In which case they shall restore the profit which they shall have thereof in deed received, as likewise they of the said religion do offer of their part to be a means for the whole restitution of their said offices and benefices, to revoke and recover from them to whom through the necessity of the wars, they have sold the temporal revenue of the Clergy, the king granting unto them such letters and commissions as shall be requisite for that purpose.  
19 That all proceedings, sentences, judgements, and definitive or interlocutory decrees, given against any of them of the religion, of what sort or condition so ever they be, as well dead as living, whether they have borne arms or not, at the beginning, since, and during the troubles, and by occasion of the same, till the day of the said Edict, shall be broken, revoked, and made void, and so also all executions, if there have been any, and all marks, tokens, and monuments, of the said slanderous executions against their persons, and the remembrance of them, taken away with such solemnity as is requisite for the full reparation and recovery of their honour. And the places where the said executions have been made, to be established in their first state, and restored to the owners of the same. And as for civil proceedings and processes, the parties to be put in their first state as they were before the troubles.  
20 All prescriptions happened during the said troubles shall be void, and taken as though they had not happened, and no means left whereby any of either religion may help themselves therewith against other.  
21 And for the better establishing of the peace for the time to come, and to take away all inequalities, and a like good usage to be showed equally to all the king's subjects: all those towns that be or have been kept by those of the said religion, shall be used with like equality as the others be, and not to be grieved and overcharged with lones, garrisons, or any other burdens, and the inhabitants of them and of others of this realm being of the religion, or that shallbe thereof hereafter, shall be indifferently admitted to all offices, dignities, charges, and public functions, and called also to all counsels and determinations, in town, houses, or in general offices of Provinces.  
22 That all places, towns, and Provinces shall remain and enjoy the same privileges, exemptions, liberties, and franchises, which they did before the said troubles.  
23 That the king shall extend the benefit of his Edict of pacification (in such sort as he doth to all his own subjects, and to those that be under his obedience and protection) to those that be of the county of Venisse, and of the archbishopric of Avignon, as being within his realm, and within the compass or circuit of his crown, at the lest for the restitution and enjoying of their goods, the liberty of their consciences, their sure habitation and free access and trading within his realm, and within the said Countie●●ed archishopric, as the kings own and natural subjects do and may do: And this for the reasons that have been more at large set forth to the Sieurs de Byron and de Malassize, & specially for the preservation of the kings right and authority in the said County and archishopric.  
24 That although the Reyters who have been called to the succour of those of the religion at their great need, and who be yet with them, aught to be paid by such as have been the first and principal authors of this war, and that have counseled and in manner constrained the king thereunto, and since also to continued therein, notwithstanding the earnest and continual instance made by them of the religion for the peace, and namely since the joining with them of the said late Duke of Deuxponts: Yet nevertheless for avoiding of these contentions, and not to omit one only point of all means possible for them, they of the said religion offer to contribute towards the said payment, the sum that the king shall understand by his said Commissioners. And for the doing of the same they offer the first part of the revenue of all those that be of the religion, and that they may be after that rate taxed and coated according to their vocations and living, as it is accustomed, until the sum which shall be declared, shall be performed, deducting only from the same revenues the ordinary charges, and forbearing the execution till the next year, because the fruits of this present year shall scarcely suffice for the entertainment of the said Reyters. And the said taxation or coting to be made upon them that be of this realm only.  
25 That all letters of pardon and of abholishments granted by the king, either general or particular, for matter happened before and during the troubles for the cause of religion, shall have their full force and effect, and shall be executed by the Commissioners for this Edict of Pacification.  
26 That the Queen of Navarre, the Princes of Navarre, and Conde, the father and the son, the Lords, gentlemen, officers and others, that have aided and succoured them in their wars, shall remain quit and discharged of all money that hath been by them, or by their order taken & levied of the receipts & revenues of the king, to what sum soever the same doth amount unto, as also of towns commonalties, and of rents, revenues, & treasories, of the sale of movable goods, as well of the Church as of others, that are come of the sale of the king's timber, woods, alienation of the temporalty and revenues of the Church, of forfeitures, booties, ransoms of prisoners, & of any other sums of money, of what nature soever, by them or by their knowledge and consent taken, upon occasion of these wars without any danger to them and their heirs, or to those that have been by them appointed to levy the said money, or that have furnished and given the same, to be touched either for the present time, or the time to come. And as well themselves as their said Deputies shall remain discharged of the handling, dealing and employing of the same, bringing (for full discharge) an acquittance of the said Queen, or of the said Princes, or of them before whom they were to give account. The establishment also of officers of justice made by them, of judgements and executions of the same authorized and confirmed in time past, shall so remain. And also such as have been appointed Deputies or Commissioners of what sort soever, shall remain discharged of all treaties and contracts by them made with all Princes, Potentates, and foreign commonalties, of all negotiation with them, of bringing in of the said strangers, of casting of Ordinance, making of powder and Saltpetre, taking of Ordinance and munitions in the king's Storehouses, and of particular fortifications and rasing of towns, spoiling and burning of houses, of Churches, of levying and conducting of men of war, and of all acts of hostility, and generally of all that hath been done and treated before and since the present war, and the wars past, as though it were particularly expressed and specified. And to this end, that all things done by the knowledge and consent of the said late Prince of Conde, or of the said Queen of Navarre, and the other Princes, shall be sufficient for all warrant and discharge.  
27 And for as much as in the distributing of justice (whereof doth chief depend the surety of this Edict of pacification) divers abuses have been committed, which proceeded of the passion and partiality of the most part of the judges, against those of the religion: therefore to prevent the like dealing, and that from one war there be not an entry made to an other more intolerable for them, under colour of justice, the process of those of the religion, both civil and criminal, as well on the behalf of the plaintiff as of the defendant, shall be treated & heard at the first, before the ordinary judges, and after, upon appeal, before certain others to be taken of all the bodies of the said Courts of Parliaments, as the parties shall accord and agree upon, to a certain number by which according to these particular orders of the said Courts of Parliament, judgement may be given, saving where the parties cannot agree, within one only and that a short delay, than the said process shall be judge in the high council, being called thereunto four masters of the requests of the number of those that the king shall appoint, for the matter that shall be delivered by those of the religion.  
28 As for the assurances, that it hath pleased the king of himself voluntarily to grant unto them of the religion, not in respect of it, but for the conservation of himself, until the sharpness of the war might be qualified with the time, and hath for that end (for certain years) commanded them to have the keeping of the towns of Rochel, Montauban, and Sancerre, and that they may there during and after the said term, use the exercise of the said religion: They desire and most humbly beseech, that it may please the king, for the reasons that they have more at large declared unto the Sieurs de Byron & Malassize, to grant unto them la charity in steed of the town of Sancerre for the said assurance, and to add to the number of the three towns, the town of Angoulesme, in respect of the situation of the said Rochel, and for better health sake, and other commodities.  
29 Beside these things, and touching others besides the King, as is aforesaid, there have been divers other things propounded, contained in the Articles presented unto the King, of which there can nor aught to be cut off scarcely one, seeing they serve all to this end, that the peace may be the surer and stronger. True it is, that the principallest and most important of them, are, that all strangers, men of war, may withdraw themselves the speediest that may be out of this Realm, the King's subjects to their houses, or other places that they shall choose for their abode without being impeached.  
30 And to take away all mistrusting; and not to give liberty to the governors of Countries to execute their revenge against towns, and specially against those that have been or are kept by those of the Religion, or to 'cause them to redeem their ill handling by force of exactions upon the inhabitants of the same Towns: It may please the King to discharge all those towns that be not upon the Frontiers, and wherein there have been no Garrisons used to be put.  
31 That all the Mareschals of France in riding their circuits according to the distribution of their province, shall be only accompanied with Gentlemen and other men of learning of both the Religions in like number, at the lest of the less partial and most lovers of peace and common tranquillity. Which shall be likewise put in ure at the choice and election of the Commissioners, for the execution of the Edict of pacification.  
32 That the said Mareschalles of France and Commissioners, shall 'cause the inhabitants of the towns of both the Religions to swear, the observing and performing of the said Edict in all points And shall give the charge of the one unto the others, and shall charge them respectively and by public act, to answer for the breach of the said Edict, made by them of their said Religion, within the town or village where they shall devil, at the lest wise orderly, or otherwise to present them to the justice.  
33 That no person shall tax or reproach any other, for any thing passed during the troubles, and that which toucheth them, either by word or by writing, openly or privately, and lest of all, in Sermons, or in any public acts, saving in judgement in the deducing of their rights.  
34 The trade of merchandise shall be restored and established in the same liberty and surety, as it was wont to be between the subjects of his majesty, and others, and change of habitation permitted to all. And the Princes, strangers, and foreign potentates shall be required of his majesties part, to suffer likewise the said traffic, in their countries and lands, without exception of any person or religion.  
35 It may please his Majesty to 'cause the exact observation of the said Edict, to be sworn by the Queen his mother, the Dukes of Anjou and Alencon his brothers, all the princes of the blood, Mareschalles of France, and by those of the King's privy Counsel, and officers of his Crown. And that they may give Act of the said oath under their signs and Seals to those of the said Religion.  
36 That the governors of Provinces, Mayors, Aldermen, head Officers, and Counsellors of towns, may make the like oath, and renew it every year.  
37 That all sentences, and declarations that shall happen to the prejudice of the said Edict, shall be void and of none effect. Which Edict shall be firm, stable, and irrevocable, and these words shall be mentioned. In the Preface of the said Edict shall be mentioned, all derogations, and notwithstanding that, and namely those in the said ordinances made upon the alienation of revenue and unitings to the Crown, and also the said derogations of Edicts, declarations, sentences, retentions, and secret Registers made or to be made to submissions, voluntary, or constrained, public or particular.  
18 That there shall be a place and day of publication, which may not be refused or deferred for any occasion whatsoever. Upon pain that those that make delay shall make answer in their own name. And that shallbe without alteration, keeping back, or secret Register.  
Given at Bussy the. 21. of june. Anno. 1570.