THE Copy of a Letter sent by the French king to the people of Artoys and Henault, requesting them to remove the forces gathered by the king of Spain, from the Borders of France, otherwise denouncing open war.  
Also a declaration of the French kings proclaiming open war against the king of Spain and his adherents, and the causes him moving thereto.  
VERTIAS TVA ET VSQVE AD NUBES   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed by Peter Short, for Thomas Millington, and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peter's church in Cornhill. 1595   

The French kings letter sent to the people of Artois and Henault requesting them to remove the forces gathered by the King of Spain from the borders of France, otherwise denouncing open war.  
Masters and friends, it is a thing honourable, and the duty of a worthy and indeed a Christian prince, to spare shedding of man's blood, and to reppresse the afflicting of innocent people, as much as he may. In consideration whereof God having made us to be descended of a very famous, courageous & Christian race even as the Kings our predecessors have excelled in godliness and virtue, so we imitating them, are desirous to crown our actions & our reign with excelling glory: We therefore will not only call to witness Gods divine majesty, who is the alone searcher of the hearts of Princes, but we are content also, (depending on nothing but on God's help and our own sword) to make all the world judge together of our cause: & among other we appeal to you, who can best judge, and ought rightly to censure, being our nearest neighbours, and such as have more knowledge of the right of our matters than all other.  
You know that about five years past, God by his holy providence having put the sceptre of France in our hands, by lawful succession, he charged us immediately with maintaining the justest quarrel that ever prince in the world could undertake, binding us to pursue the revenge and punishing of a most execrable murder and parricide committed on the person of the deceased King (our most honourable and Sovereign Lord and brother, of most christian memory) and to defend our royal patrimony against the ambition and rebellion of those which would have usurped the same, who afterward spared not any means that might be to have obtained their purpose. And albeit that ever since we have had both courage, and the same right and ability that we now have, to revenge ourselves upon the countries and subjects of the King of Spain (the principal author and enterpriser of this war) yet being holden back by many considerations of great importance to all Christendom, we have chose rather to bear much, defending ourselves but simply, than to set upon those forcibly, to whom we could peradventure, have procured and done as much hurt as we have received at their hands: but hoping to win them or moderate them in the end, through our sufferance, and the equity of our cause, which was approved and warranted of God by many special graces and conquests that it pleased God to grant us over our enemies, yet the eagerness and stomachfulnesse of the King of Spain and of his adherents hath been such, even since our turning to the Catholic Romish religion, that perceiving the chief Cities and the principal Lords of our Realm, who had before made war against us, to have now sworn all fidelity and obedience: yet notwithstanding, in steed of doing as the duty of peace and of good neighbourhood (covenanted by our predecessors to be between our crowns, countries and subjects) did will him to have done: every man knoweth, how he hath still maintained and openly set on fire the obstivate indenours of the residue of our traitors, hath battered our forts, put our subjects to ransom, hath prepared and gathered together from all parts forces and armies, for to enter afresh into our realm, and only for our sake laboureth to destroy the town of Cambray and the country of the Cambresians, using against us, our friends, servants, and subjects, all deeds of an open evemy. Which thing being so, as we cannot nor will not any longer forbear the protection that we own our subjects and ourself. We have also determined to repel the injuries and offences which we receive by the same means that they are offered us. But calling to mind the old love and affection of kings our predecessors toward you, and your good will and duty yielded to them, and moreover it being manifest that you be a little faulty of this war, you must endure the chiefest and most fierce assaults, when it shall be open war. We have been willing to dayn of the proclamation hereof for your sakes for to give you to understand that, if you can so handle the matter to obtain that the army gathered together near our frontiers, by commandemtnt of the King of Spain (by whom shall be no less annoyed than we doubt to be) may be removed far from us, and will assure and promise us, that they shall not enterprise any hurt against us, our subjects and countries, the City of Cambray and the country of the Cambresians nor that they shall not favour our traitors: then will we not go forward with our proclamation of war, so as we may see the same take effect between this and the first day of the next year. But, if this be not done we shall be constrained for the reasons aforesaid, to proclaim & make open war against the King of Spain, his subjects, and countries that shall abide by him and aid him in the same war, like as the kings our predecessors have done upon the like occasions: Protesting before God and his holy angels, that we shall be very sorry therefore in regard of the evil that we foresee like to ensue unto Christendom. For avoiding of which, we have done that a Prince loving the weal of Christendom and to live in concord with his neighbours, could have done. You shall receive this present writing one of our trumpets, by whom if you shall delay to make answer, or by some other within the time appointed, we will take it as we hear from you. So we pray to God to keep you.  
From Amiens the xvij. of December. 1594.   

THE kings Proclamation.  
A declaration of the French kings proclaiming open war against the king of Spain and his adherents, with the causes him moving thereto.  
THere is no man in this Realm, nor that knoweth any thing of the realm but knoweth, how the king of Spain not having been able to make open war, & so to destroy France (which God hath protected and defended with the Kings thereof, of happy memory, the said kings being still aided by their good loyal subjects) hath raised up and set on fire dissensions and parts taking in the same, whereby he thought to bring the realm to utter ruin: and yet do the same dissensions greatly trouble the realm. For his hatred toward us and his covetousness, have been so vehement, that not only he hath spent and bestowed many large sums of money: employed and wasted his principal forces and Armies, even so far, that he left his own countries unfurnished: but also he hath enterprised under a colour of godliness and religion, to attempt openly for to inveigle from time to time, natural Frenchmen, to abandon their loyalty due to their liege princes, and Sovereign Lords (a practice always wondered at of all nations in the world) he still seeking to get the crown of this noble realm for himself, or for his.  
Which matter he began to attempt immediately after the decease of king Frances the second, and hath ever since continued the same by divers means sought, still triumphing and abusing the minority of our kings. But he especially manifested the same, and made it plainly to appear, a little before the end of the reign of king Henry the third deceased, of most christian memory, in the year one thousand five hundred fourscore and five: for the Frenchmen then enjoying, wholly and quietly, Religion, justice, the kings great favonr, and general rest, and being like, nay assured to continue in this happy estate to their own content: the K. of Spain even then under false forged shows went about to fill all the Realm with fire, bloodshed, and extreme desolation, arming the Catholics one against another; yea and against as Catholic a king as ever reigned.  
Whereupon followed his woeful death, which will bleed continually in the hearts of those that are right Frenchmen: besides other murders spoils and miseries which we have suffered: under the heavy burden of which, France and Frenchmen have and should have been brought to yield themselves, yea to have suffered perpetual shipwreck, had not the singular grace of God (which never faileth his) given to our K. and sovereign Lord now force and valour to defend courageously, the right of his cause with our liberties, goods, lives, houses and honours: and to bring to nought the unjust purposes of the said king of Spain and his confederates, to his shame and their confusion.  
So that France may now be in hope to recover the former happy estate, to the glory of God, under obedience of the kings royal majesty, if every body will be ready to yield thereto his faithful endeavour, and his majesty employing also the same means and remedies, that other kings his predecessors have in times passed practised, for to defend the realm against the ancient enemies thereof. Which matter considered by his majesty, together with the tender care he hath of maintaining religion, his own credit, the defence and protection of his subjects, whereof he maketh more reckoning than of his own life, as he hath often hazarded willingly, and is still ready to hazard his life for their good: for neither the kings turning to the same religion with the Spaniarde about three years since, nor the present danger that threateneth all christendom (which every man knoweth to have risen through the discords, and just controversy that the king of Spain his ambition hath bred every where: none of these things could moderate his malicious mind against this realm, the king's majesties person, his good and faithful subjects, the people of Cambray, whom his majesty hath taken into his protection, against whom the king of Spain and his people use all hostility daily continually assaulting them violently on every side, battering and taking towns, leading away prisoners, putting them to ransom, killing his subjects, raising taxes and fines upon them, and dealing in all things as a sworn enemy: yea so far, as he hath caused attempts to be made of taking away his majesties life, by treacheries and villainous detestable means: as appeared not many days past: and worse had it happened, to the great woe of France, had not God the true protector of kings, wonderfully turned aside that horrible stroke, offered by the hand of a Frenchman (an abominable and monstrous matter) but driven to that act by a spirit most void of humanity and indeed Spaniardlike, even against the king's sacred majesty.  
The king therefore hereupon giveth notice to all those unto whom it shall appertain: that he will no longer forbear the maintaining of his honour, the protection of his subjects to whom he is bound, & of the people of Cambray (whose part he would defend, though he did yet longer with patience forbear the going forward with the attempts) seeing those of Artoys and Henault make small account (to the grief of his majesty) of exhortations that he by his letters was about to make them, that they should put to their helping hand with him, to turn away or appease the fury of war, raised by the said Spaniards, being no less noisome and pernicious to those of Artoys and Henault, than to his subjects:) he hath determined and is resolved, from henceforth to make open war against the said king of Spain, his subjects, vassals & countries, for to be revenged upon them, of wrongs, injuries and offences, that he and his have sustained at their hands, like as other kings his predecessors have done upon the like occasions: undoubtedly trusting that God who knoweth the secrets of his heart, and the equity of his cause, will alway assist him with his divine power, & will bless him and make him prosper and all his army, with the help of his good subjects.  
In regard whereof the king's majesty commandeth and most straightly enjoineth all his said subjects, vassals and servants, to make war hereafter against the said king of Spain, by sea, and by land, and against his countries, subjects vassals and adherentes, as against enemies to the king's person and his realm: and for the accomplishing hereof, that they go with forces in to his said countries, to assault and surprise towns, Forts, and places that are under his obeisance: and there to levy taxes, fines & ransoms: To take his subjects and servants prisoners and put them to ransom, and to deal which them like enemies, even as they do and would do with his majesties subjects and friends. Therefore his Majesty hath forbidden, & doth by these presents straightly prohibit and forbid, all manner of communication, intercourse of Merchandise, giving intelligence, company keeping, or dealing with the said king of Spain, his adherents, Servants and Subjects, upon pain of being taken and adjudged Traitors: He hath also revoked, and doth by thes presents revoke all licenses, passports, and safe conducts given and granted by his majesty, or by his Lieutenants general or other, being contrary to this present decree, declaring them hereby to be of no value, forbidding them to be holden of Magistrates as things of no regard, after fifteen days expired after the publishing of this decree.  
Which decree he hath therefore caused to be proclaimed with sound of Trumpette, and public Proclamation throughout the Provinces and frontiers of the Realm, to the end that none may pretend ignorance, but that every one may observe and put the same inexecution, upon pain of disobedience.  
Yeoven at Paris the xvii. day of january, 1595. Signed Henry Neusuille