THE Copy of a Letter sent to Monsieur de Beauuoir Lord Ambassador for the French king. Henry IV  
wherein is showed the late attempt of a jesuite who would have killed the king's Majesty with a knife.   printer's device of the brazen serpent, probably passed to Peter Short in 1589-90 (McKerrow 118) 
Printed by Peter Short and are to be sold at the great north door of Paul's by john Flasket. 1594   


The Copy of a letter sent to Monsieur Beauvoir Lord Ambassador for the French King.  
MY Lord,  
these are to give you knowledge, of a sudden and unhappy accident, which had like to have fallen upon the king, had it not pleased God of his great mercy, miraculously to preserve his Majesty from it. Your honour shall then understand, that his Majesty within little more than an hour after his return into the city of Paris, from out of Picardy, being as yet booted, and having about him the Lords and Princes of Conty, the Earls of Soissons, and Saint Paul, and above thirty or forty of the chief Noblemen, and gentlemen of his court, as his Majesty was busy in receiving the Lords of Ragny, and Montigny,  had not before that time done their duty, and allegiance to him, it happened a young fellow, of very small stature, and not above eighteen, or nineteen years of age, called Peter Chastel, the son of a Merchant draper in this city, followed in amongst the press, into the chamber, where the king himself was, and thrusting forward as near to the person of the king as he could, (without being noted or suspected of any there present) he struck at the king with a knife,  he had brought to that purpose, thinking to have thrust him into the belly. But so it fell out through the mighty providence of God, that the king in that very instant, bowing himself forward, to take up the said lords of Ragny, and Montagny, (which kneeled before him) the stroke lighted upon his face on the upper lip toward the right side, and broke one of his teeth, without doing any further harm. The wretched caitiff was presently laid hold on, and denying the fact a while at the first, afterwards he voluntarily confessed it. We can as yet get nothing out of him, but that he hath been brought up for the space of this three years in the College of the jesuits, in which place we suppose he received instructions, to practise this treason. The first thing his Majesty thought upon was to give god thanks for his special grace, & favour at this time, in preserving him from this traitorous attempt, and caused a public thanksgiving to be song generally throughout the whole city, and the citizens beside made bonfires in every street, for joy of the king's deliverance out of so great a danger. Thanks be to God, the hurt is so small, that the king shall not need to keep his bed for it: and we hope he shall be able to hold on with his determination, for the which he hastened his return to Paris, which is to solemnize the feast and ceremony of the order of the Holyghost. I thought it best to advertise your honour hereof without any further delay, for fear least being prevented by others, not knowing the truth and certainty of the matter, you and other the king's friends and well-willers, should thereby have cause to be inwardly grieved. His majesties chief desire is, that you cause a public thanksgiving to be offered up to God for it, with earnest prayers that it would please his divine majesty, all ways to keep him under his merciful protection, against such bloody and butcherly practices, to which his enemies having so often recourse, make manifest proof to the world of their malicious intents, and finding that God hath given them over to themselves, they give themselves over to these most damnable and accursed conspiracies, which God I hope will bring to confusion, both them and those that are the authors and devisers of them.  
From Paris the 27. of December, 1594. after their account.   

The Copy of the same Letter in French.  
VOus aurez icy la novelle d'un malheureux accident qui a pensé arriuer au Roy, et come il a pleu a Dieu par sa misericorde miraculeusement l'en preserver Il ny auoit pas plus d'une heure que sa Maiesté estoit arriuée en ceste ville de retour de son voyage de Picardy, et estoit encore toute bottée, Qu ayant autour d'elle Messieurs les Princes de Conty, Comte de Soissons et Comte de S. Paul, et plus de 30. ou 40. des principaux Seigneurs et Gentilzhommes de ceste court, come elle receuoit les seigneurs de Ragny & de Montigny qui ne l'auoyent point encore saluéz un jeune garson nommé Pierre Chastel fort petit et qui ne peut avoir que dixhuict ou dix neuf ans, fils d un marchant Drapier de ceste ville lequel s'estoit glissé avec la trouppe dans la chambre s'aduance sans estre quasi aperceu de person, et pensant luy donner d'un cousteau qu'il auoit dans le corps, le coup (par ce que sa Maiesté s'estoit baissée pour releuer les susdits sieurs de Montigny et de Ragny qui la saluoyent) ne porta que dans la face sur la leure haute du costé droict, & l'a entamée, et couppée une dent. A l'instant ce miserable a esté prins, & apres avoir vouleu un peu defaduouer le fait incontinent apres il l‘a confessé sans aucune force il ne s‘est encore rien peu tirer de luy sinon qu‘il á esté nourry trois ans aux Colleges des jesuits, ou l‘on presume qu‘il a receu ceste instruction Ce dont sa Maiesté s‘est vou leu: premierement sowenir a esté de rendre graces a dieu de ceste particulieire grace, qu‘illuy a faite de le garentir de cest assassinat, & en à esté à l‘instant chanté un Te Deum en toutes les eglises de ceste vil le; à quoy les habitans ont adiousté des feux de ioye par toutes les rues. Il y à (dieu mercy) si peu de mal, que pour cela sa Maiesté, ne s'en mettra pas au lict de meilleuré heure, et esperons, qu'elle ne perdra point la bonne occasion, pour laquelle elle à auancé son retour, qui est, pour fair la feste, & ceremony de l'ordre du sainct Esprit. je n'ay voluu tarder d'auantage a vous donner cest aduis, affin que vous, & les autres seruiteurs de sa Maiesté estans preuenus de quelque autre, n'en soiez en pain. Mais sa Maiesté desire principalement que vous en faciez rendre graces publiques a dieu, & bonnes prieres, qu'il luy plaise la conserver tousiours en sa saincte protection contre tels assassinats, ausquels puis que les ennemis recourent si souuent c'est bien une preuue manifest de leur malheureuse intention, & come se sentans abandonnez de Dieu, ils s'abandonnent aux resolutions les plus execrables, que i'espere, qu'il confondra tousiours a leur ruin, & confusion.  
A Paris 27. Decemb. 1594.