A.j.  
A Letter Written by the King of Navarre unto the French King concerning his innocency, against the slanders of his adversaries. Truly translated out of French. Anno 1585.  
1585.   

A Letter written by the King of NAVARRE unto the French King, concerning his innocency, against the slanders of his adversaries. Truly translated out of French. 1585.  
MY Lord,  
so soon as the authors of these new troubles had made some show of the purposed effects of their bad minds toward your Highness, it pleased your Majesty in writing to impart unto me that opinion which justly yourself had conceived of their intents, which was, that notwithstanding whatsoever their pretences, yourself were not ignorant how they practised against your person and Crown, also that they sought to grow mighty by your decay and detriment, as men that purposed the total ruin and utter subversion of your estate. These my Lord, were the very effect of the words of your Letters wherewith your Majesty vouchsafed to honour me, as acknowledging the union of my hap with yours, expressly adding, that they endeavoured my overthrow together with yours. Mine, I say, my Lord, the which, depending upon you as it doth, they can hardly compass without yours. In respect hereof it pleased your Majesty also to command your Governors, general Liutenants, Bailiffs, Stewards, and all other your Officers to withstand them as Rebels and perturbers of the Common quiet. Your majesties declarations also were hereupon sent unto all your Courts of Parliament, and in the same ratified, whereby they were pronounced Traitors, whereof have ensued sundry solemn decrees, and upon the said decrees divers executions of great importance in many parts of this Realm, which remain as precedents as well of their rebellion and conspiracy against your estate, as also of that judgement which your Majesty, your Counsel, & your Courts of Parliament had assessed of their purposes.  
All this notwithstanding, it pleased your Majesty according to your natural clemency, to think good by gentle means to reduce them to their duties, and thereupon vouchsafing to honour me with your Letters, you therein commanded me with patience to suffer all, whereby yourself might have the better leisure to enter into consideration of them and their purposes, to the end to give to your Subjects to understand how far the very causes of their devices did differ from their published pretences: alleging that although yourself were not ignorant thereof, yet that it was requisite to open the same to your people, whom under the feigned show of Religion, they sought to withdraw from their duties. Your Majesty my Lord, are to call to mind with what patience at your commandment I have hitherto borne and obeyed: notwithstanding, according to your wisdom and equity you are not ignorant by how just occasions I have always been provoked and my patience moved, especially seeing myself challenged as party by your majesties enemies, who openly have declared that they sought only my overthrow, so that although I plainly found myself to be the scope of their attempts and enterprises, yet in respect of that reverence which evermore I have endeavoured to show to your commandments I durst not once stir against them, no notwithstanding I daily beheld them marching before my face, yea almost within my reach, in Arms against your Majesty, in stomach against myself, evermore attempting against either some Towns within my government, either some of my houses, or else against my own person, and yet occasion so fitly serving I might neither do your Majesty any service requisite, or myself be revenged according as reason & nature did require. Your only will my Lord, have I accepted for reason, and your commandment for law: My nature and duty have I strained and forced, yea almost my reputation and credit under your precepts, and that the rather my Lord in respect that your Majesty still honouring me with your Letters, did in the same promise to be as mindful of my interest as of your own: as also that you would not grant or condescend unto any thing that might be prejudicial to your Edict of peace, which you purposed to be irrevocable, yea and that in and according to the same you would protect and defend all your Subjects indifferently: all which promises your Majesty have from time to time reiterated in all your Letters, which being of your own handwriting I do reserve, as also you have promised the same to the Lords of Cleruant and Chassincourt, with other my agents resiant about your person, as also have the Queen your Mother as well by word of mouth as by Letters.  
When therefore my Lord I heard it reported that your Majesty had on the sudden concluded peace with those that have rebelled against your service, upon condition: that your edict be broken: your loyal subjects banished: the conspirators armed: yea armed with your forces and authority against your most obedient and faithful subjects: even against myself, who have that honour to be of your majesties blood, and allied unto you, who ever since I supposed myself to have any place in your good favour and liking, could never be found to have departed therefrom, except by too much patience, sufferance, and dutiful obedience: when this I say came to my knowledge, I leave it to your majesties consideration to think in what perplexity I might remain, either wherein I might repose any further hope, except in despair.  
In that declaration which on my behalf was exhibited unto your Majesty, I have motioned the most equal and reasonable conditions that might be devised for the furtherance of common & general quiet, for your security, & for the relief of all your subjects▪ Viz. If their quarrel be for Religion, (howbeit, notwithstanding whatsoever Buckler they make of the same, yet it is the farthest from their thoughts) I have referred myself to a free Counsel: If for assurances (which certainly they have no reason to demand) I have offered to resign my government, together with what soever my Fortresses or holds, upon condition that themselves will do the like, and that to the end no way to prolong the stay of quietness throughout this Realm: If it be myself that they shoot at, either if under pretence and colour of me they pretend to trouble the whole land, to the end your Majesty may no longer be troubled thereabout, I have craved that this quarrel might be decided between them and me, yea for the cutting off of common calamities even between their persons and mine. To be brief, I have beyond all show of reason, and contrary to all natural sense, yielding to whatsoever your majesties commandments proceeded farther than duty could bind, and, notwithstanding the inequality of our degrees and callings, have stooped and become equal with my inferiors, to the end with my blood to redeem so many mischiefs. Yea I have abased myself to those parsons whom your Majesty have pronounced Rebels.  
If therefore my mishap be such (which I will not yet believe) that your Majesty have proceeded so far, as notwithstanding all these my conclusions and submissions, to conclude such a treaty, and thereby to infringe your Edicts, and to arm your Rebels against your estate, against your blood, yea and against your parson, I can not but heartily lament and bewail your majesties condition, especially seeing your highness through contempt of my faithful service, forced to utter subversion of your estate, together with the consideration of the calamities of your realm, the end whereof we are in vain to look or hope for, except in the total ruin of the same: For that all the world doth know by twenty years proof and more, that their pretence is a vain attempt, and their building a manifest subversion.  
In the mean time I will comfort myself in my innocency, integrity and affection to your Majesty and your estate: also in that it hath not been long of me, that with my own peril I have not prevented this shipwarcke: but above all, I will ground my consolation upon the Lord God, the protector of my sincerity and loyalty, who in this necessity will not forsake me, but rather will increase my courage & multiply my means against all my enemies, who are yours.  
And my Lord, I beseech him to inspire you with good counsel, and in all your affairs to assist you with his strength. Also that he will vouchsafe me his grace during life, to yield unto you my bounden service as I desire: also to preserve your Majesty.  
At Bergerac. Julij. 21. 1585.