LETTERS PATENTS MADE BY THE FRENCH KING, DECLARING his intent touching those of the Reformed Religion.  
Published in Roan in the Court of Parliament the seventh day of june, An. 1621.  
With two Letters of the Assembly at Rochel unto the Duke de Lesdiguieres.  
PRINTED MDCXXI.   

Letters Patents made by the French King, declaring his intent touching those of the reformed Religion. Published in Roan in the Court of Parliament the 7 day of june, An. 1621.  
THe King's Letters Patents dated in Niort the 27 day of May last past, touching the protection of his subjects professing the reformed Religion, that shall continue in obedience and subjection unto his Edicts, and observing those points that are therein contained, against the inhabitants and others, of what state and condition soever they be, dwelling, retiring, or withdrawn for refuge in the towns of Rochel and S. john d'Angely, and all others that favour them, directly or indirectly, as the said Letters Patents more at large declare, bêing judicially read, published and heard, by the King's Attorney general in his conclusions. The said Court hath ordained and ordaineth, that upon the back side of the said Letters patents shall be set read, published, registered and heard, at the request of the King's Attorney General, and order taken that the copies of the same in print shall be sent not only to the general Courts, but also to every particular Bailiwicks and Vice-counties of resort, there also to be read, published and registered in every place of jurisdiction, and kept and observed according to the form and tenor thereof, enjoining all judges and substitutes of the said Attorney General, every one in particular to put their helping hands for and unto the observation, and punishment of the contradictors thereof, upon pain to answer the same personally; and to advertise the said Court what diligence they have used therein, as well touching the publication, as the execution of the said Letters patents within the space of a month next ensuing, according to the order therein taken by this Court this present day. The contents of the said Letters patents being as followeth. 

LOVIS by the grace of God King of France and Navarre, To all men whom these presents shall come to be seen or read, greeting. The desire that we have always had to preserve public peace and tranquillity among our subjects, and to impeach those evils and desolations which levying of arms ordinarily bringeth with it, as also those oppressions and calamities that our people thereby receive, hath moved us diverse months together patiently to tolerate and suffer the excesses, disobediences and rebellions that have been committed in diverse Towns of our Realm by some of our subjects making profession of the reformed Religion, specially in Rochel, Montaban and others, wherein there hath been, and as yet are holden unlawful assemblies, which are rather employed to form and erect popular estates & commonwealths, then to contain themselves within the limits of that obedience unto us whereunto they are naturally bound: having caused a Seal to be graved, and under the same, and the hands of the principal persons of the said assemblies, they have made diverse ordinances, decrees, messages, and commissions, containing power unto particular assemblies, to command in provinces and towns, to levy the moneys of our farms and receipts, to levy men, arms and money, to melt and cast cannons, to send messages to foreign realms and provinces, and other such like actions, which sufficiently make an appearance of a greater rebellion and open rising against our authority; whereof being informed and truly certified in the month of April last; and knowing that they embolden themselves to enter into these disorders because of the little surety that they say they have of their persons and liberty of their consciences, by our declaration made and bearing date the 24. of the said month of April, desiring to give them all assurances of our good inclinations towards those that shall continue in their duties, and receiving them into our particular protection and safeguard: we declared and made known, that the voyage which we pretended to make into those quarters, was (by our approaching to those places where the said insolences are committed) there to establish and make our authority to appear; to the confusion of those that shall be found culpable, rather than to use any other greater rigour; nor yet to show that power which God hath given unto us for the punishment of such insolences: but they are so fare from looking into their own imperfections, and reducing themselves unto that whereunto they are obliged, that the greatest part of them continuing in their bad pretences, openly run into rebellion, and commit all sorts of hostility against those that will not join with them: openly publishing that they acknowledge no other head then the assembly that is in Rochel, which hath caused diverse soldiers levied by the said commissions to gather together in Saint john the Angely, that make show to withstand our entrance therein by force of arms, which enforceth us (perceiving also that the same disorder hath followed in diverse other Towns of our Realm) to make preparation to punish the offenders according to their merits and deserts, and to that effect together with the ordinary course of justice, to use the means that God hath given us for the maintenance of our authority: And to the end that all our subjects, and specially those that make profession of the reformed Religion may not be abused by false pretences, wherewith the said assembly serve themselves, to divert and turn them from their duties, and that both the one and the other may be informed of our intents and wils touching the same. We by the advice of the Princes, Dukes, Pe●res, Officers of our Crown, and the principal persons of our Council, have made known and declared, make known and declare by these presents, that concerning our said Letters patents bearing date the 24 of April last, we have taken and received, and take and receive into our protection and special safeguard all our subjects of the said reform Religion, of what quality or condition soever they be, that shall continue and remain in our obedience and under the observation of our Edicts, which we will also cause to be diligently and carefully observed in favour of them: but perceiving the manifest rebellions that are committed in our Town of Rochel, not only by the assembly which is always continued contrary to our express prohibitions, but also by the whole body of the said Town, Burgesses and inhabitants thereof, as also that which is done in our Town of Saint john d'Angely, and the acts of hostility which they daily commit against our person. We have declared, and by these presents declare, all the inhabitants and other persons, of what estate and qualities soever they be, which at this present dwell, are retired and refuged within the towns of Rochel and Saint john d'Angely, and all others that favour them directly or indirectly, or that shall have access unto, intelligence, association and correspondence with them, or that shall allow in any sort whatsoever of the said assembly in Rochel, or the other assemblies, circuits, counsels of provinces, or other congregations that have correspondence with that of Rochel, and that are holden without our express permission; relapsed and fallen into disobedience, and guilty of high treason, and as such their lands and goods to be forfeit and confiscated unto us: willing that process should be made against them, according to the rigour of our laws and ordinances, by the seizures of their persons, inventories of their goods, and other ways ordinary and accustomed, used in such cases. Declaring also our said Towns of Saint john d'Angely and Rochel, and all others their adherents, and which with them shall take part in the said crimes and disobediences, to be deprived of, and to have forfeited all their rights, privileges, franchises, and other benefits that have been given and granted unto them by the Kings our predecessors, and by us. And to the end that we may discern and know the good from the bad, we will that all our subjects making profession of the said reform Religion, as well Gentlemen and officers, as others of what quality or condition soever they be, and also the towns and commonalties of the said quality, shall make declaration, in the Precedents Courts, Bailiwicks, and stuardships of their resorts, of their good intents touching our service; and that in the same they shall renounce and disavow, as also protest, not to adhere in any manner to the said assembly of Rochel, nor to any other assemblies, counsels, of provinces, circuits, resorts, and others, which (as it is said) have been and are holden without our express permission; and that with us they will oppose themselves against all the resolutions that therein may have been taken, whereof they shall have testimonies from the said Courts, etc. necessary and fit for their discharges. As also we expressly prohibit all Gentlemen and others, not to permit their children, servants, nor others depending on them, to go into the said towns, nor to lend them any comfort or assistance whatsoever, nor yet to lodge or receive into their houses those that shall go thither or converse with them in any manner whatsoever, upon pain to be holden culpable of the same crime. Most expressly willing and charging all Bailies, Stewards, Provost Marshals, judges, and their Lieutenants, Deputy Stewards, Provost Marshals of our cousins the Constable, and Marshals of France, and all other our Officers to whom it may appertain, exactly and carefully to proceed against the persons and goods of those that shall have incurred the said crime; and to our Attorneys General and their substitutes, upon the said processesses to make diligent and requisite inquiries, such as are to be done by them, without respect of any safeguard or other assurances, that they may obtain from us, by false suggestions or otherwise, if the said savegards be not made by Letters Patents sealed with our great Seal; and that in the same it be expressly set down that we have given them licence to go into, or frequent the said rebellious towns. We also will and require our loving and faithful Counselors that sit in our Courts of Parliament, and chambers of Edicts, to cause these our present Letters patents to be read, published, and registered in every place, and the contents thereof to be exactly kept and observed according to the form and tenor thereof: enjoining our Attorneys General and their substitutes to be careful thereof, and to make all processes and pursuites necessary and requisite touching the same, for such is our will and pleasure. In witness whereof, we have caused our Seal to be set hereunto.  
Given at Niort the 27 day of May, Anno 1621. and of our reign the twelfth. Signed, LOVIS. And on the back side, Par le Roy. Potier.   And sealed with the great Seal in yellow wax. And further, on the back side is written,  

Read, published, registered, and heard at the instance and request of the King's Attorney General, to be executed, kept and observed according to the form and tenor. By force of the decree contained in the register of this day.  
At Roan in the Court of Parliament the 7. day of june, 1621. Signed, De Bois levesque.    

EXTRACTED OUT OF THE REGISTER of the Court of Parliament.  

THe Court of the Chambers being assembled, having seen the King's Letters patents dated in Niort the 27 of May last, as well for the protection and safeguard of all his subjects of the reformed Religion, that shall continue in, and contain themselves under his obedience, and the observation of his Edicts, making profession thereof as his said Letters patents specify and declare, against the inhabitants and other persons of what estate and quality soever they be, that dwell, continue, retire, and are resuged in the Towns of Rochel and Saint john d'Angely, and all others that favour them directly or indirectly, and the conclusions of the King's Attorney General being considered. The said Court, the Chambers being assembled, hath and doth ordain that the said Letters patents shall be read, published and registered, that the contents thereof may be executed, kept and observed according to their form and tenor, without any attribution nevertheless of any jurisdiction and knowledge in that respect to the Provosts General, their Lieutenants or Vicebailies; unless it be only for the execution of the said decrees & reasons, the prisoners being carried and committed to the ordinary prisons of the said places, and their process made, and judged by the said ordinary Regal judges, and by appeal in the said Court, and upon express charge, that the declarations mentioned by the said Letters patents shall by them of the said reform Religion be made, as well by the masters of households, their children, retinue and servants, above 16. years of age, as also by widows and women, that is such as reside and dwell in the towns and suburbs of the same within eight days after the publication of the said Letters patents; and those that dwell in the country, or are absent from the said towns, within fifteen days after the said publication, upon the pains and penalties containedin the said Letters patents; which declarations shall be made before the Bailies or their Deputies in the open Court, according to the form thereof printed, and which shall be sent by the said Court, to be delivered freely without any fees paying to those that shall make the same declaration, as well by the Judges and Clerks upon pain of punishment.  
Dated in Roan in the said Court of Parliament, the Chambers being assembled, the seventh of june, 1621. Signed, De Bois levesque.   

THis day _____ the _… day of _____ 1621. hath appeared before us, appearing, dwelling in the Parish of aged _… year's, or thereabouts, making profession of the reformed Religion, who to fulfil the King's Letters patents made at Niort the seven and twentieth day of May last past, hath declared, sworn and promised to continue, live and die in the fidelity and obedience which he oweth unto the King; To renounce, disavouch and protest, not to adhere in any manner unto the assembly of Rochel, neither unto any other assemblies, counsels of Provinces, resorts, circuits and others, that are holden, hold, and shall be holden without the express commission of the King, but rather with his Majesty to oppose himself against all the resolutions that therein may, have been, and are taken. In witness whereof, the said hath signed unto the Clerk's Register; and whereupon we have delivered unto him this present writing signed by us and one of the ordinary Clerks of this bailiwick,  
The day and year abovesaid.    

Letters sent by those of the reformed Religion, assembled together in Rochel.  
To the Duke de Lesdiguieres.  
MAy it please your Honour, we have refrained from answering unto the two first letters, which it pleased you to write unto us, for an answer unto our former, staying till the Gentleman that we sent unto you, had more particularly reported unto us your opinion touching the state of our present affairs, as he hath done, having at large declared unto us your advice and good intent to aid our Churches, to recover that peace, surety and contentment which we seek for, from the bounty of our King, when you shall have means to speak unto his Majesty, to whom (as you have certified unto us) you intent to ride. This your Honours good affection, whereof without doubt we assure ourselves, moveth us unto those most humble thankes which we are bound to yield unto you, and augmenteth our desire (together with these presents) to satisfy your two first letters, as the necessity of our entire justification, which your desire to know, requireth at our hands, hoping that your Honour having rejected all doubts and scruples which seem to hold you at a stay touching the pursuit of our convocation and staying in this place, as we may easily do it, you will easily think it fit to join your good will with our submissions, for obtaining the fruits and effects of our most humble requests and supplications to his Majesty; and by that means bereave our enemies of their triumphs which they make against us, upon the doubt which you seem to make of the evidence of our good meanings by your first letter, which to that effect they have published. Whereupon we beseech your Honour to be pleased, for the resolving of all these difficulties, that we may put you in mind, that the resolution that we then made of our separation at London, to reassemble again upon default of performance of such things as were promised unto us, was grounded upon the promise which was given to you and to Monsieur de Chastillon, by my Lord the Prince, and the Duke de Luynes, in the King's name, and by you unto us; which our Churches having faithfully observed, upon that condition confirmed their Deputies in all Provinces, or substituted others to meet here if occasion fell out. It is needless to produce other proofs, or to rehearse our registers to put you in mind, that as then those promises were made unto us, upon condition to reassemble together if they were not performed within the time prefixed: seeing that your Honour is the most sufficient wi●nesse that we may or can produce, which acknowledge and once again confirm the truth thereof by your second letter dated the 22 of February last, where you writ unto us in proper terms, that the same that was granted unto us then upon the separation at Loudun (upon promise to reassemble) hath been entirely executed, whereof we will hereafter speak, having first manifested this permission which you defer to be made evident, and which we esteem aught to be thought and judged available and sufficient without contradiction, and to the contentment of those that are most scrupulous; if we add thereunto, that besides the intervention of my said Lord the Prince, and of my Lord the Duke de Luynes, of whom the eminent quality in the one, and the great favour of the other, can permit no shadow of disavouching, our good intents have been much more settled upon the express word spoken from the mouth of his sacred Majesty, whereof you are an unreprovable witness, when you told us by your first letter bearing date the first of the said Month, in these words, saying that the same which your Honour had promised unto us in his Majesty's name, was confirmed at Fontainebleau by his Royal mouth to the Deputies of the assembly at Loudun, at such time as they certified him of the separation. We think it had not been lawful for us to desire or to imagine any other permission more available or firmer assurance, than the sacred word of the King. Ink and paper cannot confer any weight nor authority to the King's words. And certainly we would have judged ourselves to be unworthy of the favour of our King, and injurious to his authority, if we had required that permission under a greater security than his Majesty's word. Whereupon we beseech your Honour to pardon us, if we tell you, that then we asked no note in writing, and that it was not denied unto us. To the contrary it is true, that when we were pressed to separate ourselves, we were offered a note in writing to reassemble if justice were not done unto us. And many times by diverse of the principal, this speech was confirmed in open Counsel to our Deputies, that they did not doubt but that we would reassemble together. But we that fear nothing more than those pains, and such encounters which our enemies always imagine and device to do mischief unto us, at that time desired and insisted to receive some real contentment upon our complaints, thereby to assure the astonishment and the perplexities of our brethren, and to restrain the insolency of our enemies, by such testimonies of our protection and of the King's good will towards us, that we might come thither no more, nor fall again into such labyrinths. But all our instances could prevail nothing, and we were constrained to content ourselves with those promises; from whence our enemies by their secret reaches knew well how to draw those inconveniences and mischiefs which we foresee and too well apprehend. Seeing then that the assurance and permission of our reassembling was such, what need was there (as your Honour saith) that our general Deputies should renew their instance to the King, to permit us to do it? It had been a means to call in question an assured promise, and thereby to prejudice ourselves. For we fear not to tell you that which cannot be concealed from you, that our enemies have by many experiences made us feel, that as often and whensoever those things that are most assured unto us either by Edicts or by other grants from the King, fall in question, they have that power to cause that to be withdrawn that was granted unto us, and to cause us to lose that right which we had obtained. We could show an infinite number of complaints upon this subject, and how that diverse articles concerning the strengthening of things to us formerly granted, and afterward infringed, we have received answers directly contrary unto the precedent grants, and such as wholly annihilated them. Then who doubts not, but that the same power of our enemies, which at this day worketh the denial of those things that were promised unto us, would not also have caused all the requests of our Deputies to be rejected. Having thus justified unto your Honour our said permission, and consequently the equity of our proceeding authorized by the same; it resteth only plainly to show you the occasions, condition and necessity of our reassembling, and to have recourse unto our complaints. The circumstances of the time, and of that which hath been omitted or committed contrary to the promises, shall suffice therein. Your Honour remembreth, and your letter mentioneth the same, that the King promised us that within six months from the day of our separation, he would cause Leytoure to be restored, admit the Counselors of the Religion into the Parliament of Paris, give a writing touching the guarding of the places of security; that the states thereof should be delivered unto us; that our requests should be favourably answered, and the answers thereunto duly and truly executed. And touching the affairs of Bearn, that within seven months the Deputies of the country should be heard touching that which they would show unto his Majesty. Our separation was made upon the 13 of April the last year, the six months from the same day fell upon the 13 of October following: and in all that time nothing of those things that were promised was executed, but only the delivery of the writing touching the guard of the places, what instance and pursuit soever our Deputies general could make. In the same time the King went to Bearn, during the delay obtained for our remonstrances, and they being not understood, nor once harkened unto; not only the commission to the contrary hath been executed, but which is more, our Churches have lost all the security and liberty which they had enjoyed in that country 〈◊〉 many years together, and in an instant followed the beginning of all those dangerous consequences which we doubted from the beginning of the decree of the contrary commission. Upon that time the six months being past, this grief happened, and none of the rest redressed; our assembly upon the 25 of November. And if since that the town of Leytoure hath been remitted into the hands of a Gentleman of the Religion, could the healing of that old sore so long time suffered, after the feeling of a much greater grief, be a sufficient means to stay our humble complaints, touching the same and all the rest. We were already assembled, and our most humble complaints presented unto his Majesty, when the two Counsellors were admitted, but upon a worse condition than all the former refusals, which bereave us of the liberty which the King granteth unto us by his Edicts, to enter indifferently in the office, in such manner, that the same grief is so far from being redressed, that it is rather increased by that means. These therefore, and it please your Honour, were the occasions of our reassembling, which yet continueth. The miserable estate of Bearn, the denial of the state of the places of security in Dauphinois, which is openly maintained, (contrary to the promise made unto you, and which you here confirmed unto us by your letters) was never granted unto us. To the contrary whereof, your Honour knows, that particularly from anno 1616. at the conference of Loudun, it was particularly unto us, and since that by the last promises confirmed unto yourself. As also, besides the public testimonies which you give us here, you may call to mind, that you have confirmed the same to diverse men in particular, telling them of the absolute necessity that we have to pursue the same. Then followeth the contradiction made against the 27. article of the Edict, touching our admission into offices. The favourable answers denied to our propositions; and the sending of Committees into the Provinces neglected. And lastly the troops and garrisons left in the country of Bearn, Guyenne and Poictou, which give an alarm and a just distrust unto our Churches. These are the principal heads of our complaints; it is not the number, but the weightiness of them which maketh them important. As also, that those few articles, for the reparation whereof we have hoped to receive some assurance of the King's good will, from the which our enemies by all means seek to estrange us, ought not to be made a consequence against us; but on the contrary, our obedience ought thereby to be more manifest, that we contented ourselves with that remedy, to strengthen our patience, besides all so many other infractions that continually hurt our liberty, which the King hath granted unto us. And by the same reason, our cause ought at this day to be more favoured, and our equity more manifested, if upon the not executing of so few articles, contrary to the faithful promises made unto us, (whereby our condition being also much impeached) we have had our recourse to the favour of our King, by our most humble declarations, in that state wherein he hath permitted us to reassemble, to present the same xnto him. Whereupon we are not able to express the intolerable grief that we feel, when in regard of these proceed which we have followed by lawful means of the respect and reverence that is due unto his Majesty, we perceive ourselves to be condemned by the subtle practices of our enemies, which slander us to wrong the King's authority; thereby to kindle his wrath and indignation against us, seeking to reduce us to that point, either to incur the effect of his displeasure by open war, wherewith we are threatened; or for to shun the same we should keep silence in our just complaints and endure all the wrongs and mischiefs which daily are thrown upon us. So that from henceforth, men will acknowledge no other obedience in us, but that we should with patience suffer all the mischiefs that they would do unto us, without permission to complain thereof: and our griefs and preventions made against the falsities and threatenings of our enemies, shall be imputed to disobedience, and a capital crime. Will not your Honour judge, that there is a mean to be used in these things? but rather acknowledging as it seems unto you, that the permission which hath been given unto us by his Majesty to reassemble, and the importance of the wrongs, either not redressed, but rather increased, purge our assembly of the blame to be unlawful, or done without authority; we hope that you will think it more reasonable to employ that good affection which it pleaseth you to promise us, and that authority and credit which the greatness and innumerable number of so commendable services have gotten you with his Majesty, to make him to understand the sincerity of our intents, and the necessity of our just complaints rather than to seek our separation before some contentment be given unto our Churches; whose disquietness makes us the more careful to persist in procuring their consolation. Which to attain, we have sought to enter into those ways of respect which we bear unto our King, that might clear us of that imputation which our enemies seek to imprint in him towards us. To that end having desired our general Deputies, being by them certified of the continual refusal which is made to hear them in our names, to represent our just demands in their own, and the names of all our Churches. Wherein we persuade ourselves that your Honour approving our proceeding, and therein favouring our said general Deputies, you will also judge that with most just reason we have given them to understand upon the proposition, where by their last dispatch, we have been certified what is done at the Court, that is, (not to give us any contentment, and to bind us to a separation, upon a pardon to be given us) that our consciences and the care of the honour and good of our Churches, will never permit us to consent unto such a thing, that with it would draw not only a great opproby upon our Religion, but also procure the total ruin of our affairs. Whereupon we have been desirous to inform your Honour of our opinions and resolutions, to the end that it might please you, according to the favour which you promise unto us, rather to signify unto his Majesty, that when his Royal bounty shall think it good to grant those favours which our Churches require of him in all humility, (thereby to quench in so many people's minds the distrusts which the mischiefs that we endure, and the continual threatenings of our enemies have imprinted therein) it will be a means more and more to confirm his authority, and make it the same which the incomparable wisdom of his father the late King deceased, always maintained, grounding the peace and tranquillity of his estate upon the maintenance of his Edicts. Under the force whereof, we desire not any further liberty then only to continue the obedience that we have always yielded without reproach unto our Kings That (and it please your Honour) is the good which we beseech you to contribute unto the present estate of our affairs, as we have diverse times humbly required the rest of the great personages to do the like, and then specially when for the prevention of the ruin of all our affairs by the division which we perceived men went about to sow between them and us, we besought them not to hearken unto a conference propounded unto them, tending from henceforth to annihilate and make fruitless all the pursuites that we take in hand, by the order established between us by the King's permission; and which is more, to lay on them and all of us the burden of refusals or of deceits, such as wherewith our evil willers delude the promises which the King hath made unto us. Which we esteeming it to be no less prejudicial to themselves then to the generality of our Churches, we are persuaded that we are bound in conscience to beseech you ill, not to give way thereunto. Which we desire your Honour also to accept of, and not to be a means of excluding that good and advantage which your authority and favour, joining with our just requests, may procure unto us. For we do not desire, neither have we any other intent in the discharging of the offices given unto us, but as much as possible we may, to strengthen the band of our union between all the members of our body, and specially those of your rank and quality, and which is more considerable. So fare off are we from seeking any ways or means to overthrew ourselves, by making a separation between you and us, that to the contrary, since we have been here, we have had nothing in more nor greater recommendation then to reunite the particulars and the general, by a conjunction of interest, and one self same affection towards the advancement of the glory of God and the good of our Churches, under the obedience of his Majesty. Wherein we are bound to render thankes unto God, that not only the towns ' and commonalties of our Religion, but also all those that hold a greater rank among us, have made known the most particular assurances of their constancy in our union: as your Honour also, by the protestation which you have made unto us of the same, and of the continuance of your services towards the Church of God, in the profession of our Religion, hath done. Whereupon we must tell you, that the slanders impudently published by those that hate your virtue, because of your profession, could never shake nor diminish our persuasions therein. And in that confidence, and upon the singular assurances that Monsieur de Bonnet hath given us of your good affection to procure (by the King's favour) some contentment to our Churches in these occurrents. We beseech your Honour once again to contribute your good will therein, in such manner, that dispersing that imputation which our enemies maliciously lay on us to contradict the King's authority, our sincere intents being known, our Churches by our sure and honourable return unto them, may upon their most important complaints receive that good which they so long time have hoped, and promised unto them, being so necessary for our conservation and tranquillity. And that so the peace of the State being fully confirmed, according to our desires, and that of all good French men, we may see the arbiterment of Christendom in the hands of our King. And your Honour, by his commandment, in many of his best subjects by your victorious hands, make the terror of his name and of his forces, strike into his enemy's hearts, who with great desire now more than ever they did, seek to embase the authority and the dignity of this monarchy, which for the good thereof and of the Church is therein reserved. God increase your years, and his graces in you, to whom we always remain your Honour's most humble and most affectionate servants. The Deputies of the Reformed Churches in France, and the sovereignty of Bearn assembled in Rochel.  
Signed, 

De la Cressonniere, President.  
rosel, Lieutenant.  
De la Piterne, Secretary.  
De la Tour, Secretary.   Rochel the 18 of March, 1621.  
The second Letter written by the Assembly in Rochel, to the Duke de Desdiguieres, dated the second of April, 1621.  
THe Letter which it pleased your Honour to write unto us, we have received by Monsieur de la Roche, who withal hath particularly advertised us of your intent. We persuade ourselves that you would not have sent this message, nor given us that advice, if you had received our last Letter, which contained the reasonable grounds of our assembling, together with the justness and necessity of our subsistence, and thereby you would have perceived that we reject formalities, and by only cleaving unto the special end of our vocation, which is to redress the evils that our Churches endure, have given commission to our general Deputies in their own name, and those of our said Churches to pursue the justness of our demands, as you may more at large understand the same from them by word of mouth. As by all these proceed we justify our necessary resolutions unto your Honour; so it hath been a most great displeasure unto us to understand your contrary feelings thereof, which serve to no other end but to increase our just distrusts, and to strengthen the evil will of those that are the hindrances of the effects of our lawful proceed. For to this separation of our assemblies, of late time, all the practices of our adversaries specially tend; which ought so much the more to be suspicious to all the members of our Churches, that they would bring us thereunto by such ways as reduce our affairs into desolation, and our bodies into opprobry. For that by abandoning the means of our security, which so many years we have sought with so great care and pains, we shall cast our Churches into new labyrinths, whereby they should be reduced into despair, and would not omit any manner of remedy to withdraw themselves from an unjust persecution. We know how much we are to attribute unto the advice which cometh from your Honour's great experience; but may it please you to remember that which hath ensued contrary to your and our intents, of your entermise of Loudun, and into how many bad terms our light credit hath reduced us, with so great appearance to meet with no better in time to come, if we should commit the like errors. To the end that you may bear with us, if the great hurt which that blow gave unto our conservation, maketh us incapable of the separation which you require of us, so instantly, with your advice joining the reproaches of disobedience, and the threatenings of hard usage; which things we esteem not strange in the enemies of our profession, who with drawing from us his Majesty's good inclinations, take pleasure in slanders and violences, and whom we know are sufficiently animated not to desist from the desolation of the Churches in Bearn. But when those that are so much bound to the tranquillity of the house of God, wherein they had their being, & aught to leave an honourable and profitable memory of them to their posterity, lift up their arms against our innocence. It is an affliction much greater unto us than we speak of. For touching the accusations wherewith we are charged, we expect no greater testimony of the perpetual obedience of us and our fathers, their that of your Honours own knowledge, who have so often found, that we were never so instantly accused of disobedience, but only with an intent to withdraw those advantages from us, which reason, equity, and the promises of our Kings made indubitable. These devices being not unknown unto you, we expect better things from your Honour, conformable to the common profession which you have of us; being on your part, not only bound thereunto by express words, which to us aught to be a public faith, and consequently inviolable, but by the serious remembrance of the rank and authority whereunto God hath raised you, by the singular blessing which he hath bestowed upon you, causing it to increase together with your years, in diverse manner, by the knowledge of his truth, which is none of the least honours you shall carry with you from hence, by the holy communion that you have so long time had with the Church of God: by this means you shall have this testimony in your conscience, to have employed Gods talents to the profit of his Church: whereupon we tell your Honour, that it much importeth the honour of your profession, to consider how you put your hand to these affairs, which as ●…is pr●… are exposed to the open view of all Christendom, as a fit means which God putteth into your hands to a duance his glory, and in good time to bring our Churches into an assured estate. If it will please you to join your credit and favour to the just proceed of our general Deputies, which will leave you an honourable mark, and make you live always in the memory of men. And although some considerations of the world may move you to be indifferent touching our ruin, (which we expect not from you) nevertheless we will not distrust in God's protection, hoping that he will touch the heart of our King, by the admirable means of his providence, in his time to effect a full contentment to his people; whom we beseech to make you fully to understand the malice of our enemies, the importance of our mischiefs, the sincerity of our proceed, and the equity of our demands touching the oppression of the afflicted; that being moved with Christian compassion, you may make that power and credit which he hath given you available, in your days to see the prosperity of the Church and the state. These are the humble requests which we have already made unto you by our last letters, and which now we reiterate, most earnestly beseeching you to be assured, that both generally and p●…cularly we are your Honour's  
Most humble and most affectioned servants, the Deputies of the reformed Churches of France, and the sovereignty of Bearn, assembled in Rochel. 

De la Cressonniere, President,  
rossel, Lieutenant.  
De la Piterne, Secretary.  
De la Tour. Secretary.   〈◊〉 the second of April, 1621.