THE DECLARATION OF The most Christian KING, LEWIS the XIV. Of France& Navarre.  
To all His loving Subjects, concerning the Cessation of the late Troubles, and restoring them to their former peace and tranquillity.  
Faithfully Translated out of the French copy.  
LEWIS, By the grace of God, KING of France and Navarre; To all present, and to come, greeting:  
Experience doth clearly manifest, that the kingdom of France is both invincible and dreadful to its Enemies, so long as it doth remain united within itself: And we may truly say, that this complete harmony hath been the main cause whereby it is come to that height, as We do see it at present, by many Conquests made upon Germany and spain; which doth cause us to look narrowly for the prevention of any thing which may alter the same, seeing it is so necessary to maintain Our own against Our Enemies, which are so strong and numerous, that the yeares of Our reign may be well reckoned by the many Victories that We have obtained upon them: Therefore fearing lest the Division which hath lately sprung up should come to some head, and so to cause a Civil war; whereby We might be hindered from opposing Our Enemies, and so disable Us from obtaining the Peace so long wished for, which is the greatest reward, and as a crown by Us aimed at in all our labours; and do wish it so passionately, that for the obtaining thereof, no means have been left unattempted, so far as it was consistent with Our royal Dignity, being urgent even with the Spanish party to name a place upon Our Frontier where Commissioners of both kingdoms might be sent with a full power to Treat: And being now resolved to name one of Our Officers of the Parliament of Paris to be a Commissioner for that Treaty.  
We have therefore thought fit to use all means that can be expected from the goodness and wisdom of a PRINCE for stoping the current of so great an evil, even in its very birth, that so Our Subjects may in peace and quietness enjoy those many favours and benefits they have received from Our grace and goodness, as it is at large expressed in the Declarations by Us made in October last; as also those before made in May& July, before which, We will have to be executed in every point and clause thereof according to the true meaning, save onely for the loans which we shall be forced to make for the present necessities of the State, as it will be specified hereafter.  
For these Causes( after that Our Court of Parliament, with the Inhabitants of Our good City of Paris, have done those submissions and tokens of obedience as We could desire from them, with their protestations of fidelity to Our service:) Know you that by the advice of the Queen Regent Our( most honoured Lady) Mother; of Our most dear and well-beloved Uncle the Duke d'Orleans; of Our most dear and well-beloved cousin the Prince of Condé; and of Our certain knoweldge, full power, and royal authority:  

Article I.  
We have said and declared, do say and declare, by these presents signed by Us: We will, and Our pleasure is, That all Decrees, Orders, Ordinances, Commissions granted, or any thing else Acted by Our said Court of Parliament, the Court of Aldermen, or any other whatsoever done since the 6t. of January last past, are declared voided and null; as also the Acts, Treaties, Letters, Deeds, or any thing else whatsoever done concerning these present Troubles, until the date of this present Declaration; so that for any thing so acted, or done, none shall be troubled or molested, neither to make any use thereof against any Person whatsoever thereby to do Us any prejudice, or to the disturbance of the State: nevertheless, it is agreed, that all such Judgments made, or given betwixt party and party, they being present, whether it be Civill or criminal, or else, with Our attorney general touching particular Causes: Likewise all the adjudicatories and admission of Officers, as also that concerning Officers created in the year, 1635. shall remain in force.   

Article II.  
Likewise, shall remain null and of none effect, all Decrees made in Our counsel Table, as also any Declarations published by authority of the same, also Letters of the Signet granted about these present Troubles since the 6. of Jan: last unto the date of this present: And consequently We Ordain, that all Uniting, entering into League and Association, or whatsoever else may be done or negotiated touching the premises as well within as without Our kingdom, whether those that are entred in such Confederacy have had any correspondency with Strangers, have given them any help or assistance, whether they have taken up arms with them, or sided in any wise; also have made Our towns and Burroughs to take up arms, and to receive them, and countenance them; yea, those that have furnished them with provisions: and generally any manner of Person or Persons whatsoever that have had any hand, or participated to this business, whether they have Acted by the special Orders of Our most dear and well-beloved, cousin the Prince of Conty, or any other Princes, Dukes, peers, Officers of the crown, prelates, Lords, Gentlemen, Cities, towns, and Country; that neither Our aforesaid cousin the Prince of Conty, or any other Prince, Duke, &c. or those by them employed in the said negotiations of what quality and condition whatsoever, shall not, and may not for time to come be molested or troubled in any wise; but all things so acted and done to remain voided and of none effect, even as if it had never been done: also for any thing acted concerning Armies, raising of Men, taking up of Money, either of private Persons, or public Treasury, the carrying away of movable goods & selling them afterwards; the like for Plate, Ordnance, Arms, Ammunition and Provision, no restitution to be made or sought for, but onely of such things as will be found in being and not yet sold: Assemblies and Private meetings as well within the towns as in the Country, taking up arms. Arresting and Imprisoning several Persons, taking of towns, Castles, Strongholds, whether it was by a special Order or otherwise; and this to be till the day that Our Declaration be published in Paris, and for those that are more remote three daies after it is published in their respective places of abode. Furthermore, Our will and pleasure is, That Our aforesaid cousin the Prince of Conty, and all other Princes, Dukes, peers, &c. without any exception whatsoever, who have in any ways Acted or Agitated in the business aforesaid, shall be restored into all their goods, honours, dignities, worthies, prerogatives, Places of trust, Governours of towns, Offices, and benefice, even in the same manner as they were the 6. of January last past: Likewise, that the marquis of Noirmonstier, earl of Fiesque, de Laigne, Saint Ibar, la Sauvetat, and la Boulaye; also that any one that hath taken up Arms by reason of these present Troubles shall be paid by us of any debts justly due to them, provided that the Prince of Conty, or any other whatsoever shall upon the publication thereof lay down their arms, as likewise renounce unto all Treaties, Associations, Confederacies made in or about these present Troubles, as well within as without our kingdom.   

Article III.  
All Soldiers raised by Order of Our said cousin the Prince of Conty, shall forthwith be Disbanded immediately after the publication hereof, onely those excepted that shall be kept for Our service, who shall receive our Commissions to that purpose.   

Article IV.  
All Prisoners( whether they be of war, or otherwise) shall be set at Liberty, and in particular Monsi ur Mangot counsellor of State and Master of Requests in Ordinary of Our household, as also Monsieur Tracy, and Brequigni, and generally all others that have been Arrested and Imprisoned since the 6. of Jan: last, by reason of this present Rising, in whatsoever Prison they are detained, shall without delay be set at liberty upon the publication hereof.   

Article V.  
And by reason that the first payments made of the Taxes and farms is not made unto Us, or paid into Our Exchequer; but after four or five Months are expired of each year that is begun, and that Our present necessity forceth Us to seek some course for having present moneys, Therefore We ordain, that during the yeares 1649.& 1650. onely, there may be taken by way of loan the sum of twelve Millions of Livers per annum, in case the present occasion and exigency of our affairs doth so require it; yet that none of Our Subjects shall be compelled thereunto, neither shall those moneys so taken up be turned to any other use then for the present occasion, none being put for the payment of those debts by Us formerly contracted: And for the raising of the moneys, that it shall be first upon the Cities and great towns with the Country adjacent, there being good and sufficient security given by the Parties that pay the said moneys, to pay it into Our Exchequer, and a consideration of 8 percent. for the Use of their moneys, and to be punctually paid at the time agreed upon, they being appointed upon the general receipt of the Taxes, which from henceforth shall not be put in the way of a monopoly, neither shall any other receive it but such as are the KING's ordinary Officers.   

Article VI.  
We ordain, that the Towns& Counties of St John d'Angely, Xaintes, and Coignac, formerly depending of our Court of Exchequer at Paris, but since alienated& joined to that of Guyenne, shall again be re-united as they were formerly as before Our Proclamation to that effect.   

Article VII.  
Having well considered the excessive cost and charge that Our Subjects have been at, in, and about the City of Paris, by Billeting and Quartering of Soldiers: We are therefore resolved to give some remedy to it with all speed, and to ease each of them in matter of payments according as it shall be seen requisite after the Forces are Disbanded, and full notice is given us of their present condition, the same also to be for the other places farther off that depend from Paris every one respectively as it shall be thought fit.   

Article VIII.  
We will and declare, 
The Samestre being a creation of more Officers in that Court, and so make them that were before change every six Months.  that Our Proclamation formerly made concerning the suppression or abolition of the Semestre in the Court of Parliament of Provence, shall be executed in every part and clause thereof, according to the conditions agreed upon betwixt us and them.   

Article IX.  
And having duly considered the many Remonstrances which have been made unto Us from time to time by our Parliament of rouen touching the abolition of the Semestre established therein, We have therefore by these presents, annulled, suppressed, and abolished the said Semestre by Us established according to Our Proclamation to that effect heretofore published, and consequently all Offices of Presidents or counsellors so made formerly by our said Declaration to be voided, and those first made to remain onely, so that neither now, nor in time to come the said Offices shall again be established or settled save onely one President and thirteen counsellors, with two for the Court of Requests, that shall be united and incorporated to the body of Our said Court; which Places shall be executed by those whom the Court shall name and make choice for that purpose, with all honours, dignities, privileges, to them appertaining, as when they were first instituted, and the same pensions also to be paid unto them as is usual. And Our said Court of Parliament of rouen is also hereby required to name and make choice of those Persons that are to be continued within the space of one Month after the publishing hereof; and in case of default, and the time being expired, the said Officers shall and may enjoy, and execute their several places, every one according to the course and order of their creation according to the number before specified, provided that those so name and chosen by Our said Court shall pay into Our private Treasury, that is to say, the President seventy thousand pounds, the thirteen counsellors thirty thousand pounds; each of them, and those two for the Court of Requests twenty thousand pounds, each one to be paid and distributed unto those Officers whose Places are abolished, and for overplus, in case those moneys do not suffice to satisfy every one that is so put out, there shall be some speedy course by Us taken for the payment thereof, and Our said Court is hereby declared free and quit from any such payments; neither shall they that sold the said Offices be troubled or molested under any colour or pretext whatsoever. We will and ordain, that all, and every such Officer so suppressed shall enjoy all privileges, immunities, prerogatives, or any other benefit which they may have obtained during the time they have enjoyed the said Places, and that they shall be capable of enjoying other Places and employments as they shall be able to attain thereunto without any further examination or search made at the time of their reception, and shall moreover enjoy their salary until such time as they have received the full payment of such sums as was by them paid at the time of their creation, their bare Aquittance being a sufficient discharge for the same.  
And We will and require, that Our Courts of Parliament of Paris and rouen cause this Declaration to be red, published, and registered, and the Contents thereof to be kept and observed in every clause and branch thereof, all and every one in their Places respectively according to its true intent and meaning; for such is Our pleasure: And that this may be a firm& constant thing, We have therefore sealed these presents with Our own seal.  
¶ Given at St Germain in lay, in the year of Our Lord, 1649. and of Our reign the 6. Signed LEWIS. And lower, By the KING, the QUEEN REGENT His Mother being present, De Guenegand, Secret:  
registered, heard and red at the request of the KING's Attourny-Generall, to be executed according to its tenor, and that Copies thereof shall be sent into all the Bailywicks and other inferior Courts depending on this Parliament, that there the same may be red, published, and registered, and the Deputies of the KING's Attourny-Generall are required not to fail therein, but to use all care and diligence requisite for this same; and thereof to certify the Court within a Month accordingly. ¶ Done at Paris in the Parliament the 1. of April, 1649. Signed DU. TILLET.   

Abstract of the Registers of Parliament.  
THis day the Court, and all the Chambers being met, After they had seen His Majesties Letters Patents in form of a DECLARATION, given at S. Germain in lay, in March last, Signed LEWIS, &c. which are granted concerning these last Raisings and Troubles, concerning the Cessation and ending of them; and are directed to this Court: And thereupon having heard the conclusions of the Attourny general, The Court hath Ordained, that the same shall be red, published, and registered in all places that are depending of this Court, several Copies thereof being sent, and the KING's Attourny-Generall to Order His Substitutes to see it performed, and to certify the Court within one Month. Done in Parliament &c.  
It is moreover ordered, that a Thanksgiving day shall be appointed, and thanks likewise returned to their Majesties for that they were pleased to restore Their People to peace and quietness, that to this end Commissioners shall be sent from this Court to do the same: And furthermore, that they shall most humbly beseech Their Majesties that they vouchsafe to honour this City with their personal presence, and so to return hither; as also they shall move concerning the several interests of their Generalls, and others herein concerned: And furthermore it is agreed, that the Forces lately raised shall be forthwith Disbanded.    

Printed for R. Royston, at the Angel in ivy-lane, April 9. 1649.  
FINIS.