Newes out of France: Concerning great troubles likely to ensue, by occasion of the departure of the Queene Mother from Blois: And the causes thereof.
Contayned in the Letters of the said Queene Mother, vnto her Sonne the French KING, and his Answere therevnto; manifesting the Motiues of his taking vp Armes, and against whom he entends to imploy them. Dated the 17. of March, 1619.
VVith foure other Letters of the Queene Mother, to the Lord Chancelor, Keeper of the Seales; President Iannin, and Duke de Mayenne, and the Prince of Pyemont his Letter vnto her, concerning these Affaires.
Faithfully translated, according to the French Copie.
LONDON: Printed by T.S. for Nathanael Newbery, and are to bee sould at his shop vnder S. Peters Church in Cornchill, and in Popes-head Alley at the signe of the Star. 1619.
THE QVEENE Mothers first Letter, sent vnto the King of France, her Sonne, from Loche, the 23. of February, 1619. Stile nouo.
MY Lord my Sonne. I haue long suffered & endured my honor and liberty to be suppressed, and withall conceiued many strong and strange apprehensions of the danger of my life, and that which most fencibly moued me thereunto, was the depriuation of your sight and presence. All which in some sort and manner being done vnder the authority of your name; with the like patience I would haue expected & attended the future euent thereof, without (for mine owne part) once seeking to know whether your proceedings and desires be well or badly led: but being (to my great grief) [Page 4]to preach and set forth your vertues, and commendable praises, in such a place wherein you shall thinke good, that I shall continue the rest of my dayes. Beseeching God (as continually I doe, with the most passionate feeling of my heart) for the prosperity of you, and all your kingdome, being most truely, euen in the vttermost degree of fidelity and affection, my good Lord and Sonne.
THE LETTER Written by the Queene Mother, and sent from Angoulesme to the King of France: Bearing date the 10. of March 1619. Stilo nouo.
MY Lord, and deare Sonne, I am perswaded that no man will approue the counsell that hath beene giuen vnto you, to abstaine tenne dayes from returning an answere vnto my Letters, and then to put mee in a doubt how to vnderstand your intentions, which to be borrowed from others, and none of yours, [Page 4]I doe too much conceiue and apprehend, by the great numbers of Commissions, which are sent forth vnder your Name to renforce and to leuie new companies of foot, and troupes of horse, by the Switzers, which are said to be sent for, by the Cannons which are reported to be already mounted and set forward out of your Arsenall, and by the munitions of warre which are sent against mee; I most humbly intreate you my Lord and deare Sonne, for a while to stay your proceedings, and withall to consider, what you are by others moued to doe.
When I writ that I desired to be so much oblieged vnto you, as that I might let you vnderstand and know such things specially as import the good and furtherance of your seruice and estate, and to belocue that the extremitie of the griefe which I conceaue for the armes and forces which you are counselled to leuye, at this present doth in a manner kill mee. The staine which is giuen to your name in all ages of a prodigious violence, and the desolation of your people, which thereby will ensue, will doe you more wrong, then death can procure vnto me, in such manner, that prostrating my selfe at your feete; I beseech [Page 5]you, and earnestly intreate you, speedely to countermaund all your aforesaid preparations of forces and armies now levyed, which are bent onely against mee, what shew soeuer is otherwise made & pretended, seeing they are presently levyed vpon my departure from Blois, and that it is euidently knowne, that at this present you haue no other occasion of ciuill or forraigne warre to moue you thereunto: And therefore once againe I earnestly intreate you to giue eare vnto me; If my intent and determination had no other ground then onely a desire to be freed of captiuitie, I thinke and certainely beleeue that no man could dislike it; there being no law in the world, (no not among the Barbarians) which prohibiteth Prisoners to seeke for their libertie, and to secure their liues.
But seeing that I neuer had, nor yet haue, any intent or meaning but to let you know and be made acquainted with the euident danger of your affaires, as also of your good Subiects, easily to be perceiued, by the withdrawing of your person and your counsell from the greatest and most noble personages of your realme; I am vndoubtedly perswaded, that your bountie would gladly haue conceiued [Page 6]the passion of my zeale, and withall commended the fidelitie and respect which I ought to haue, and owe vnto you, if it were not violently diuerted by those, who disdaining all the offers of amitie and good will, which in consideration of you, I haue made vnto them, hazard the state, and trouble the peace and tranquillity thereof, being perswaded that they cannot build the miracle of their fortunes, but vpon my ruine, whereunto I would gladly consent, if thereby I might further and procure the continuance of your greatnesse.
I protest before God and his holy Angells, that for mine owne part, I pretend nothing, neither haue any other designe then that which I ought to haue, for the prosperitie of your raigne & kingdome: and for that I see & manifestly perceiue your eares to be stopped against my faithfull and iust supplications, I must and shall be constrained, presently to make knowne in all places both of France and Europe, and hereafter vnto your selfe, the true proofes of my sinceritie and innocencie, assuring you, that as much as I can, I will seeke meanes to impeach and hinder the force of armes, whereunto you are drawne, [Page 7]not onely against the law of God, but also of the whole world, and Nature, causing the great personages of your Monarchie, offended and discontented, to breake their bounds and to doe as much against the obedience whereunto (as it is well knowne) I alwaies counselled them: But for mine owne part, I will in all places, vse my libertie and my life to please and content you, but yet to oppose my selfe against the crueltie of those that gouerne, if for the space of this whole weeke I perceiue and see the continuance of the vniust forces, which at this present are prepared, contrary to that which I hope to finde in your good nature, and the equity of my cause, which I expect from God; I thinke I shall be forced by my iust and generall complaints, to publish and make knowne, that my deplorable misfortunes continually encrease by vniust and superfluous excesse of the ambitions and feares of those that soueraignely possesse your person and Kingdome: and that as by your permission, (but yet with my most great displeasure and dislike) I ought to dispose my actions to the necessities of defence, alwayes contayning my selfe so religiously within the bounds thereof, that I may onely [Page 8]draw you from an opinion of dislike, for giuing mee leaue to suppresse them, that so I may preserue my life, and the long dayes vpon earth, which I assure my selfe you will and wish vnto her, which is, and euer shall bee, whatsoeuer happeneth, my Lord and deare Sonne,
A LETTER Written by the King of France, in Answere to a Letter sent by the Queene his Mother, bearing date the 17. of March 1619. Stilo nouo.
Faithfully translated, according to the French Copie.
LONDON: Printed by T.S. for Nathanael Newbery, and are to bee sould at his shop vnder S. Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes-head Alley at the signe of the Star. 1619.
A LETTER, Written by the KJNG of France, in answere to a Letter sent by the Queene his Mother, bearing date the 17. of March 1619. Stilo nouo.
MADAME. Your last Letters, as also the first that I receiued from you, are to mee assurances, that it resteth not in your power to write and signifie vnto mee the true feeling of your Interiour cogitations, touching your opinion concerning the gouernement of mine estate. You know and may perswade your selfe, that [Page 4]the same neither can, nor may, in any sort be blamed or disliked, but that the disgrace thereof must needes fall, and specially be laide vpon my selfe: which moueth mee to thinke, and verily perswades me, that you will not offer me that wrong, to bereaue me of the glory of my raigne, by attributing vnto me the reputation not to doe or effect any thing, but by the motions of others.
I know there are some that not onely seeke the meanes to perswade you, yea, and to imprint in your minde an euill opinion of my affaires, but also inforce themselues to mooue you to apprehend, and sinisterly to coniecture of the preparations to Warre, which at this present I make, as if I had an intent or meaning to vse them against you. But although my authoritie of a King, doth dispence with, and warrant mee not to yeeld an accompt of mine actions vnto any man, but onely to God; Neuerthelesse, I would that all the world should know, that my resolution and intent is, to imploy them, onely for the maintenance of mine owne authoritie, the peace and tranquility of my Kingdome, and to hinder and impeach the meanes and motions, that in any wise may or might trouble the same, or procure the Ruine and desolation of my faithfull Subiects, as also [Page 5]to oppose my selfe against the pernicious intents purposes and practises of those, who vnder your name and title, haue levyed and gathered diuers companies of Souldiers, as well within, as without the Realme, which I should neuer haue beleeued, if I had not seene and heard the Letters, which they haue caused you to write, not onely touching this subiect, but also to giue an euill impression, of the administration of my affaires vnto diuers Princes, Lords, and others, as well my Subiects as strangers, who would not beleeue it. The knowledge and feeling (which the perturbators of the common peace of this Realme haue alwaies had,) of the singular affection and honour which I beare vnto you, makes them hope that my clemency will indifferently pardon and remit all the attempts which they enterprise and take on them to doe in your name, against my regall authoritie.
But I alwayes knew, and know how to distinguish your interest from theirs, in mee, hauing no other resolution, then onely to loue and honour you as my Mother, and to punish them as rebellious Subiects, and enemyes to my estate. Nature so powerfully vniteth mee to harken vnto all that which in any wise toucheth and concerneth your [Page 6]good or hurt, that I am bound to imploy all the power and force that God hath giuen vnto mee, for your deliuerance. Those that attend vpon my person, haue so many and so euident testimonies to perswade them of the respect which I alwaies haue had and borne vnto you, that you may beleeue, and certainely perswade your selfe, that they are as desirous of your contentment, as in reason they are affected, to further and aduance those things that concerne and appertaine vnto my seruice. The former testimony as also those which continually they shew vnto me thereof, are so euident, that they binde and obliege mee to maintaine and protect them, both by reason and Iustice.
Assure your selfe, MADAME, that there is no man so bolde, that dare enterprise or take vpon him to propound any proposition, which may in any wise sound against, or be contrary to the Honour and respect which is due vnto you. If you perswade your selfe, that there is any thing to bee required and desired in a Kingdome, wherein Iustice and Peace hath equally flourished and beene maintained, euer since I had the care and gouernement thereof, you may when it pleaseth you, vtter vnto mee that which you secretly conceiue in your minde, [Page 7]without spreading, or causing Complaints publikely to bee giuen foorth: Which manner of proceeding, as it is wholy against my meaning and intent, so it giues cause sinisterly to iudge of yours; for that the same hath neuer beene nor is practised or vsed, but onely by those that alwayes haue had a desire, rather to perturbe and trouble the gouernment, than to procure the reformation thereof.
In my last Letters I wrote, and likewise by Mounsieur de Bethune, by word of mouth certified vnto you, that if it please you, you may chuse any of your owne Houses, or of mine, therein to liue at your pleasure and full and free liberty, without any impeachment; in such manner that it is long of your selfe, if you liue not happily and contentedly. Let mee onely entreate at your hands, to be ayding and assistant vnto my good ententions, with a true correspondence of will & affection; and let me see and perceiue some testimonies from you therein, as worthy of a good Mother, as those which you shall receiue from me, are worthy of him, who
Letters written by the Queene Mother of France, to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Keeper of the Seales, and the Lord President I annin.
The Queenes Letter to the Lord Chancellour.
MY Lord, I haue hitherto laboured and sought only to let the King my Sonne vnderstand, the iust causes and reasons of my escape from Blois, wholly grounded vpon the passion, and bounden duty which I haue and owe vnto the good and furtherance of his seruice. But to the contrary, those that are and attend about his Person, thinke me so vnworthy to know his intents, that they haue made me deferre the same, and induced him to rigorous and violent courses, such as the like were neuer heard of before; as those which I specially apprehend, which are to raise puissant forces against the person of her, that brought him into the World; and who breathes and apprehends no other thing, but onely passion and obedience, to those things which may be good & profitable vnto him, although the place and presence of euill counsellours, were contrary, and suspitious vnto mee. Villiers hath not forborne in heart, to acknowledge the tender affection of nature, in such manner, that I must of force with more hope, summon you before God, and your natiue [Page 10]Country; that according to the duty of your office, you should not feare to shew vnto him, the great importance and danger of that which he is moned to doe: without any respect at all of my dignity, or commiseration of my misery. And to the end that you may truly know and vnderstand, what I haue written vnto him, I haue deliuered vnto this bearer two Coppies of the Letters which I sent him touching this matter, as knowing well, that they are often times kept from you, and all others the good and ancient Counsellours and Seruants to the King and the Crowne. And herewith I beseech God, my Lord Chancellour, to protect and preserue you.
From Angoulesme the 10. of March, 1619. Stilo nouo.
The Queenes Letter to the Lord Keeper of the Seales.
MY Lord: It was neuer yet heard of, not knowne, that a Prince would at any time purposely defer and put off the hearing of the counsell or suite of a faithfull Subiect, and that a Sonne, in stead of satisfying the sincere affection of a good Mother, should bee moued, or counselled, violently to take armes against her, therewith to oppresse her. I know well that the wisdome wherewith you are so religiously in dowed, neither will nor can moue you to giue him any such counsell; and much lesse can I bee [Page 11]perswaded, that the good nature of the King my sonne, can be induced or moued vnto any such extraordinary motions, whereof if I were in doubt, the very greefe I should therby conceue would kill mee. But seeing that God hath presently made mee to perceiue and know the violent natures, of those that alwaies were my enemies, and seeke to afflict me: I thought good to put you herewith in mind of the strict dutie whereunto you are obliged; which is, freely to tell him your minde and opinion, in so important a cause. And reading the Coppies of two Letters written by me vnto him touching this matter, you may iudge and easily perceiue the equity and true intent of my deseruing: which that you may the better consider of, I beseech God (my Lord) to haue you in his keeping.
From Angoulesme the 10. of March, 1619. Stilo nouo.
The Queenes Letter to the Lord President Iannin.
MY Lord, my desire is, that you should tell the King my Sonne, that which in conscience you thinke conuenient and fit for him to beleeue and to do, touching the supplication by mee made vnto him; to hearken vnto the great passion which at this present I haue for the presernation of his authority, and the good of his estate: for that your Office, and your counsels at this present are much more necessary and [Page 12]convenienter for him then euer they were, in regard that hee is moued vnto the most violent & vnlawfull warre that euer was heard of. I writ vnto him another Letter, whereof, as also of the first, this bearer shall giue you a copy, to the end that being informed of the iustice and cleerenes of my proceedings, you may giue him counsell as much as possibly you can, for the good and furtherance of his seruice, and the peace of his Kingdome, which I will seeke to maintaine as much as in melieth, euen to the losse of my life; and so I beseech God my Lord to haue you in his holy keeping.
From Angoulesme the 10. of March, 1619. Stilo nouo.
The Queenes Letter to the Duke de Mayenne.
MY good Cosen, I was resolued for euer with patience to haue furmounted my afflictions, as long as there had beene no other question made but of my interest and paines, thereby not to minister any cause or shadow vnto the King my Sonne, that I once so much as imagined or dreamt of a desire to separate my selfe from his intents, although it is to be thought, that therein he is badly counselled: but hauing for the space of a whole yeere beene solicited by the generall complaints and intreaties of diuers persons, both within and without the Realme, to let the King [Page 13]my Sonne vnderstand and know the eminent danger of his authority, and the tranquility of his Realme; I made no difficulty to hazard my life by a most dangerous escape, that so I may safely shew him the intent and true meaning of a good and faithfull Mother; and hau [...] already written vnto him, most humbly beseeching him to set mee downe such a forme as it shall please him to appoint mee to hold and obserue in the vttering thereof. I thought good speedily to impart thus much vnto you, not onely because the account I make of you, together with all France, makes mee desire to let you vnderstand my determination: but also knowing the great estimation which the King my Sonne hath, and ought to haue of your Counsell; I wish you would ioyne your intreaties with mine, thereby to moue him vnto the remedies, which I assure my selfe you know better then others to bee most necessary. Strictly intreating you aboue all things, as much as possibly I may, in the meane time carefully to put to your helping hand, that no stirre be made; and that euery man attend and expect from his good nature that which he is obliged to shew vnto his Subiects and estate. If I needed any witnesses to proue, that the opinions of the seruice of the King my Sonne haue moued me to certaine resolutions, which nothing concerned mine owne particular, I would first set you downe for one; and at this present I protest vnto you, vpon the confidence which I [Page 14]desire to haue of your magnanimity, in a businesse of such importance; and in respect of the inclination, which you know well I alwayes bare vnto you, that in the most interior thoughts of my heart, I haue no other intents nor resolutions, then onely those, which the prosperity and power of the King my Sonne cause me to haue. Let vs therefore labour to that end, and for your part you shall finde mee (together with the account I make of your valour) to be alwayes
The Duke de Mayennes Answer to the Queenes Letter.
MAdam: I cannot conceale from your Maiesty, the extreame displeasure that I feele in my selfe, to see and behold the estate whereunto your departure from Blois may reduce and bring the affaires of this Realme: And should conceiue much more, were it not for the assurance which it pleaseth you in honor to giue me, of your true intents, for the good and contentment of the King. I beseech God with all my heart, (Madam) that he would be pleased to ayde you with holy inspirations. For mine own part, hauing not the meanes to contribute any other thing thereunto, but that which belongeth to the duty of an honest man, a most faithfull [Page 15]Seruant to the King, and one that resolutely hath determined (all other considerations set apart) wholly and onely to relie vpon his will and pleasure: Doe me that Honor in the meane time, good Madam, to beleeue that I am
A Letter written by the Prince of Piemont to the Queene.
MAdam: I haue conceiued an exceeding contentment, to accompany my most Soueraign Lord the King, in his pretended voyage to Blois, to visit your Maiesty, in hope there to to haue had the meanes to haue done you some seruice; perswading my selfe, that the enteruiew of your Maiesties, reestablishing a perfect vnion between you, as we here saw, noted and perceiued by all sorts of good dispositions, I should haue had a better meanes, by my submission and obedience to testifie and shew forth, how much I esteeme of the Honor to bee allied vnto the same. But how much the more I reioyced in the expectation and attendance of that good happe, so much the more greefe I receiued and conceiued at the displeasure I tooke to see my selfe estranged and prolonged from it, by the sudden and vnexpected departure of your Maiesty [Page 16]from thence: And that which greeued me more, was, to see and perceiue by your Maiesties Letters, that you haue taken occasion to withdraw your person from Blois, supposing your selfe therein not to be secure, and that you could not freely let the King know of the disorders which some men haue made you beleeue to be crept into his estate. Which I esteem not to proceede from the pure will or conceit of your Maiesty, whose iudgement and nature is most excellent, but onely from the craft and pollicie of those, who seeing and perceiuing your Maiestie to stand vpon the point of strict vniting together, haue giuen you those impressions, hoping to reape profit by your disunion, and the trouble which they peraduenture suppose it will breede vnto this state: for it is most certaine, and I am able to iustifie it, as hauing known it well; that there was not any kinde of liberty whatsoeuer, which your Maiesty should not haue had in Blois; and that there cannot be any more added to the tender motions, and true affection, which the King beareth vnto you, if we marke and consider the conduction of his actions, both priuate and publike, which all are answerable to the most great reputation which hee hath gotten, and to the estimation in all places made of his vertue and generosity, whereof, besides the effects which all Christendome feeleth, I daily see and perceiue diuers manifest proofes, beholding him sitting in the middle of the ancient [Page 17]Officers and Counsellors of the late King his Father, with so solide a iudgement, so exact Iustice, and so firme and couragious resolution, that there is no man but will iudge (and shal find subiect to admire him, and to beleeue) that God hath endued him with so many excellent parts, with an intent to blesse his Raigne, and to raise and eleuate his glory, aboue that of his Auncestors. The profession that I haue alwayes made to loue the truth, the duty which bindeth me to publish that which I know, and the extreame griefe I conceiue to behold the labyrinth, whereinto (those which in some manner disguise the same vnto you) would cast you, shall dispence with me, if it please you Madam, for speaking so freely vnto you. And further, if I beseech you, (as I doe) with all humility, to banish out of your thoughts all whatsoeuer you may haue imagined or conceiued therein, to the preiudice of the sincerity of the Kings intents, and of his Graces prudent and wise conduction. Assuring my selfe, that when it shall please your Maiesty to looke better into it, without suspition, you shall therein find all sorts of satisfactions; seeing that like a good and a wise Mother you cannot haue any greater desire then to behold the prosperity of the King your Sonnes affaires, and to liue in perfect loue and amity with him. I know he is much moued against those, whom he conceiueth and esteemeth to haue a pretence, vnder your name to moue and procure an alteration; [Page 18]and I perceiue that he maketh preparation powerfully to assayle them. It consisteth in your wisdome Madam, to preuent the infinite mischiefs that thereby may arise, and not to endure nor see by your occasion, and vnder pretence to procure another order in the State, confusion; and those disorders therein to reigne, which commonly follow and ensue ciuill warres, God, nature, your owne good, and all sorts of considerations bind you thereunto; I assure and perswade my selfe that the bounty, and good nature of your Maiestie will wholly moue you to the contrary. The House of Sa [...]oy, and my selfe specially, are so much beholding vnto the King, that in case to preserue his authority, to bring and compell the enemies of the quiet estate of France, and the greatnesse of his Crowne, to reason and obedience, and to restore your Maiesty to the liberty which you are bereaued of, by your retract from Blois, hee shall bee constrained to make warre, we will therein freely venture our liues & goods, and all our forces to testifie to the World that we are not vnthankfull for the vnspeakable fauours which it hath pleased him to impart vnto vs; herewith beseeching God long to preserue your Maiesty in health, and to giue mee Madam by my good endeuours and seruices, the quality▪