THE MANIFOLD MISERIES OF civil war AND DISCORD IN A kingdom: BY The Examples of Germany, France, Ireland, and other places. With some memorable Examples of God's justice, in punishing the Authors and Causers of Rebellion and Treason.  
BY H. P.  
LONDON Printed for George Lindsey, July the second. 1642.   

THE MANIFOLD MISERIES OF civil war and Discord in a kingdom.  
SO many are the Miseries of a Land embroiled in civil war, and so enterwoven one with another, that like fine shadows in a piece of rich tapestry, they deceive our sight, and pass our imagination, as by woeful experience Germany, France, and other Neighbour Countries hath been tried and proved. And to begin with Germany, who can be ignorant how much that Empire hath suffered formerly in civil dissension among themselves in matter of Religion, and since, yea at this present in the wars between the Sweeds and themselves, that goodly and most fertile country wasted with famine, fire, and sword, now lying like a wilderness, in many places desolate and uninhabited, so that not only men, women, and children have died for very hunger, but also wild beasts in Woods and forests for want of food have perished. Let me give you one only example, which a follower of the right Honourable the Earl of Arundel related unto me (presently after my Lords return from his Embassage in Germany) at Alburie in Surrey, which is this, A poor man barefoot and bare-legged followed my Lord's Coach to beg bread or other sustenance of him, while an hunger-starved Fox followed this poor soul close, to get a piece of the calf of his leg to satisfy his hunger, which my Lord seeing he relieved the man, and caused the Fox to be taken up (for so weak he was grown with hunger) and to have something given him, but he died presently after, notwithstanding his belly was filled.  
Many men and women in woods, fields, and high ways were found dead, with grass in their mouths; so that what the sword could not devour, famine did. Now though ambition in general, and private ends in particular, as Title and supposed right in Princes, sometimes malice and revenge, yet generally all is cloaked under the cause or reformation of Religion, as we may read in Sleidan of those bloody wars in Germany made by the boors and the frantic Anabaptists, and their fellows in Munster. David, George, Knipperdoling, against the Princes there, and their Lords; But of all other let us cast an eye upon our Neighbour France, and take a view of that flourishing kingdom, see how it hath been rent and torn in pieces (as the Willow-tree complained in the Fable of her bows and branches, which were lopped off to make wedges to rend her body) by her own childien, and the fruit may say of her body, what bloody battles have been fought between the Protestants and Papists, the King and the Guisians. But I will relate in brief some particulars, as I find them recorded in their own Histories, and by their own Writers, beginning from the year 1572, when that great and horrible Massacre was committed upon the poor Protestants by the King himself, the Duke of Guise, and the than Queen-Mother, of whom was then made that true and witty Anagram;  

Catharina de Medicis Regina Mater,  
In me regnat Thais, dira Medea Circe.   
And whom Th. Beza in a witty Epigram in Latin in all respects compares with Jezabell, saving that whereas the dogs eat-up and devoured Jezabell, he thought verily she was so bad that no dog would touch her; Vel canes ipsi respuant Catharinam, be his words, but to our purpose, but take a view of some of her sons and the Guise his pranks, for they were all of a knot.  
A marriage was pretended between the young K: of Navarre and the Lady Margaret the King's Sister, which was performed by the Cardinal of Bourbon 1572. upon the 18. of August in our Lady Church in Paris, in the presence of the King, the Queen-Mother, the Dukes of Anjou and Alenson, the Prince of Conde, and all the principal Protestants: at what time was nothing seen but banqueting, tilting, feasting, nothing heard but music So friendly salutations, all old rancour and malice between Protestant and Papist seeming utterly to be forgotten and buried; and to this end the Protestants were solemnly invited by Letters and most loving Messages from all places, by the King and his Mother, a general peace being before proclaimed. The admiral was sent for from Rochel, where he was (dissemblingly) entertained by the K: in a most loving and friendly manner, who called him Father at every word; when the admiral kneeled, the King took him up, protesting and deeply swearing, he was the welcomest man in the world, and no day could happen so joyful as that, wherein he enjoyed his company, &c. The Citizens from all places flocked, from all parts to behold him (for his wisdom, valour, and experience, he was of all wonderfully beloved and honoured) his Son Teligni was much honoured & presented with great gifts, to the joy of the Protestants, and the (seeming) grief of the Catholics. But this fair day was quickly overclouded, with the hellish and black Clouds of Murder and mischief, for as the admiral was going from the Court to his Lodging, he was shot & sore wounded with three Bullets, as he went softly in the street, (from a house where Villemus stood, Master to the Duke of Guise's Children lodged) reading of a Supplication.  
The King, being at Tennis, threw down his Racket, seeming to be extremely grieved, and taking with him his Mother and two Brethren, went to visit him, looked upon his wounds, (for his forefinger was shot off, & with another Bullet he was wounded in his left arm) and told him, though he had the hurt and felt the pain, the dishonour was his, because he upon his faith and promise, had sent for him, vowing to secure him from all danger, & whosoever had done it or consented thereunto, should be severely punished; The admiral answered, he knew the Authors well enough, but left the revenge unto God, and because he knew not how long he had to live, he desired to speak with the King in private of matters of great importance, the King seemed to listen a while, but the Queen-Mother cunningly broke off their discourse, and upon Saturday which was the 23. of August, the King's council sat to examine the fact, seeming to take great pains to bolt out the truth, but all in dissimulation, for the King seeing he had the admiral and Protestants in a trap, in the dead of the night at the sound of a Bell from the Lowre, harquebusiers were sent out and commanded to kill all that came in their way, Cossy being their captain, and breaking into the admiral's chamber, one Besme a ruffian finding him at his prayers upon his knees, asked him, if he were the admiral, he answered so I am called, with that he ran him through, another shot him into the breast with a pistol, and the rest stabbed him with their daggers, and after threw his body out at a window into the street, this was the Religion and fidelity of the Queen Mother and her son to the Protestants. An Italian cut off the admiral's head, and sent it for a present to the Pope; others cut off his hands and privy members, trailing his body up and down the street, hanging it up after at Mountfaulcon their Tyburn. This Noble Gentleman was, for his wisdom, policy, courage and constancy in professing God's truth one of the most excellent and famous men that ever were bred or brought up in France.  
Now with this noble admiral were murdered in most cruel manner of Protestant nobility, the Count Rochfaucout, a complete witty and learned Gentleman, dearly beloved for his witty and conceited humour of Hen. the 2. Teligny de Montrevill the amirals' son in law, whose widow named Lois, afterward William of Nassau Prince of Orange, and father to Henry now Prince of Orange married, and by which Lady he had him. Besides the Baron of Pardaillon; of pills; Soubiza; and Puviant all brave men, and all Commanders: But to see the butchery they made in the streets of men, women and young children, would have made an heart of marble to have melted, all the streets being paved with carcases, nothing but weeping and wailing, and a woeful outcry through the whole city: There being slain above 10000 persons, as well Noblemen as Gentlemen, precedents of Courts, Counsellors, scholars, Praetors, Preachers, physicians, Merchents, Handicrafts men, women, maids, and children, the King and Queen with their brethren went in the evening to behold the dead bodies, amongst others, the honest Queen mother would behold the body of Soubiza stark naked, because she had heard (she said) that he was not able to get a child; this most cruel and bloody maffacre, plotted by her the Duke of Guise and her son then Charles the ninth, was acted upon Bartholomew day being the 24 of August, Anno 1572. and it is worthy of observation, that this King so led by his mother was not past 29. years of age when he died, and dying, abundance of blood issued from all the open parts of his body, no question but by the just judgement of God, for the blood which he formerly had in such abundance shed.  
From Paris let us go to Sancerre, and after the Sword show the horror and misery of Famine.  
Sancerre after it was besieged by the marshal Danville, Lieutenant for the King in Languedoc La Chastre, and the Catholics was brought in the beginning of the fourth civil war to that extreme necessity, that after they had eaten up all their Horses, Asses, Dogs, Cats, and the like, they were constrained to make meat of their skins, roasting, seething and broiling them upon gridirons like tripes, mice and rats were great dainties, and happy was he that could get them; And yet more pressed with hunger, they made meat of their old shoes, horns, horses, and bullock's hooves which had many years lain in the dunghill, and little children would broil and roast their leather girdles to fill their hungry bellies; roots, herbs, grass and bark of trees were accounted for dainties. The father and the mother eat their own child which was starved to death, and for so horrible a fact were both burned.  
The famine in Rochel was also very sore, but God did miraculously help them in their extremity, being even ready for want of food to yield up their Town to the enemy, for he sent into their Haven (never seen among them before) exceeding multitudes of Muscles, Cockles and small fishes, whereby they plentifully stored themselves in despite of the Romish Catholics their enemies, for hereby the women, maids and children took courage and exposed themselves to all hazards, animating such as sought by cheerful words and hardy examples, and one among the rest adventuring in the hottest of the skirmish, and seeing one of the Catholics slain, ran and took away his sword and harguebuz, which she carried in triumph into the Town, saying, she had furnished herself with the spoils of her enemies. But we will leave France, and come home to the modern miseries of Ireland, occasioned by their Rebellion.  
The Rebellion began in Ireland upon the 23. of October last past, when the Romish priests (with whom the country aboundeth) swore all the people to banish and drive all the Protestants out of the Land, if they resisted to kill them though they were their next neighbours and friends. In the North of Ireland they killed man, woman and child, they arose at once in nine Provinces of Ulster, and at Longhall they cut a bridge in two, and then took an hundred Protestants English and Scots, with women and children, and bound them two and two back to back, and then threw them into the Rivers. Within two miles of Dungannon, which is the seat or dwelling of Sir Philemio (or Philip) Oneale, there dwelled a Scottish Minister whose name was Maders, into whose house they broke in the night, and finding him within with his wife and children, they cut off his head and threw it into his wife's lap, telling her there was a newyears gift for her. A Scot walking upon the high way in the same county with his wife and six children, they murdered the man and all his children, and his wife falling upon her knees, and with tears and prayers entreating they would spare her that she might bury them: they stabbed her to the heart with their skeins (which are thick and long sharp pointed daggers, with dudgeon hefts much like unto Cooks knives) and threw her upon the top of the rest.  
In the Town of Machera in the county of london-derry, they killed a Parish Clerk and his five children, after they cut off his wife's ears, whereupon she ran mad.  
If they met with any English, men or women travelling on the ways, or in the woods, they would make holes under their chins, and hang them up on boughs of trees cut off and sharpened.  
Young children and infants, they will tear quarter from quarter, as hounds would do a wild-cat, or the like vermin. They cut of Mr. Rowlcie a Justice of Peace his head in the county of london-derry, then turning up the back of the body, they stuck upon a stick the head in his fundament, and after set it upon a stake.  
With their Darts, and before named skeins half a yard long, they stab and rip up the bellies of women with child, and then will not suffer them to be buried, but leave them for the wolves and fowls of the air to devour.  
Some come from them that have the fairest quarter and mercy showed them, with their hands, some with their ears, cut off, cleft down the shoulder, or with one of their eyes put out: silly women and young children, they will put into some old thatched house, and then set it on fire, keeping them in till they be consumed to ashes.  
To relate all the cruel murders and villainies of these base villains, would astonish and terrify the hardest and most inhuman heart (I am persuaded) of the veriest Turk or Jew in the world, neither can any beastly villainy be thought whatsoever, but it is committed among them, and these forsooth must be accounted the best of your Roman Catholics, but I leave their punishment to God, and the valour of our English and Scots now serving amongst them; neither hath any country in the world been more plentiful in Treasons then this, though we ourselves have had Traitors enough, whom God hath evermore cut off almost in the very execution of their Treasons, I cannot stand to particularize the men, nor the manners of their several plots. Queen Elizabeth had plotted against her 35. several Treasons, yet God delivered her out of all. Let me conclude with the just reward of a Traitor who betrayed the Isle of Rhodes to Soliman, being so long and so bravely defended by Lisleadam & the Christians; this Traitor being a gentleman and a Commander in that service, sent privily word to the Turk, if he would advance him, he would help him to the possession of the whole Island and Castle. Soliman promised him he would, nay more, he would give him his daughter in marriage with three millions of Barbary ducats for a portion: by his means the whole Isle, Town and Castle were taken. He then being brought before Soliman, was graciously entertained, Soliman sent for his daughter most gloriously dressed with gold and jewels of inestimable value; Daughter, quoth Soliman, I have chosen this gentleman for your husband, therefore I charge you to love him, embrace him with all dutiful respect. And son, quoth Soliman, because you shall see that I am every way as good as my word, in those chests (which stood by) there is the gold I promised you, and some four days hence your marriage shall be solemnised; no Bashaw was in more honour than was this Traitor throughout the Turks whole army. Upon the third day Soliman calls for his son in law, and tells him that he was a Christian, and his daughter a Musulman, or right believer, and he feared they would not agree; therefore, son quoth he, you must be stripped of your baptised and uncircumcised skin, and laid all night upon a bed of salt, and if by the morning you can find in your heart to turn to her Religion, she shall come to bed to you, otherwise you must lie as quietly as you can by yourself. But he being fleied, & laid tumbling without a skin upon the bed of salt, which was a most cruel torment, died within an hour after: If all Traitors to their Princes and countries were served with the like sauce (especially those in Ireland) the world would be at a far better pass than it is; which God in his appointed time will accomplish. And so I end this discourse.  
FINIS.