WE hereunder writ­tē, hauing nothing in more estimation next to the honor of God, then the ser­uice of the Kynge and preseruation of hys croune, nowe in hys tender yeares, vnder the gouer­naunce of the Queene his mo­ther, therein established & au­thorised by the estates. Seinge the boldenes, rashnes and am­bition of some of our sayd lords subiectes, cōtemning his youth, to haue ben so greate, that they haue ben so presumptuous, not onely to assemble them selfes, & [Page] too entre into armes agaynste the edicts, and wyth the-same, too putte too deathe a great number of his poore sub­iectes, neither sparing age nor sick, without any other cause at all, but for that they were assembled to serue God, according to the liberty graūted by the edic­tes, but also not beinge able too be brideled by any lawe of God or manne, with the sayde force, haue gotten the possession of the personnes of the Kynge & the Queene, and of the Duke of Orleans. And forasmuche as we can not vpon such and so rashe an enterprise, [...] ought elies, but an as,+sured determinacion vnder pre­tence of the Kynges authorite­ [...] [...]ho is in custody and captyue, [Page] to subuerte together with reli­gion, the moste parte of the no­bilite and of the thyrd estate, & generally all those which make profession, and be of the Kynges moste faythful and obediēt sub­iects, whiche shoulde be a verye meanes to abandon the croune of Fraunce to the spoile.

We for these causes desiring, according to our power, too re­store hys maiestie & his croune too surety, and the Queene too her authoritie, and also too pre­serue the poore faithfull people of this realme, in that libertye of consciēce, which it hath plea­sed the Kynge to graunte them by hys edictes, made by thad­uise of the princes of the bloud, of the lordes of the Kynges coū ­sayll, and mooste notable men [Page] assembled out of all the courtes of parlaments of this Realme, and by the determination of the moste parte of the states, which ought to remayne infringed, duringe the minoritie of our sayde soueraigne: We haue ben like good and faythefull subiectes, forced and constrayned to entre into armes, whiche is the mean that God hath put in our hand; against suche violence, tyranny, and oppression.

And hereupon, after inuoca­tion of the name of God, as mē well aduised and counseled, by commune and depe aduisemēt, we haue of one commune accord and frank and willing consent, promised & sworne, in the name of the liuinge God, a felowship from hencefoorth of a holy com­panye [Page] one towardes another, touchinge tharticles folowing: whiche we sweare and promis before God and his Aungels, to kepe and obserue infalliblye, and from pointe too pointe, as foloweth, throughe the grace and mercy of God our hole and onely hope.

Fyrste we protest that wee do not cary with vs in this holy alliaunce, any particular passiō of mynde, nor regard of our persones, goods or estimations, but that we haue nothinge before oure eyes, but the honor of God, the deliueraunce of the kynges & Queenes maiesties of iustice, thobseruation of the edicts and ordinaunces by theym made, and lastely the dew punishmēt and reformation of the neglec­tors [Page] of thesame, and for these causes and none others, as we sweare and promise euery man for hym self, to employ oure bo­dyes, goods, and al that we mai make, euen to the very last drop of oure bloud.

And thys present felowship and alliance shall continue in full force vnbroken, vntyll the Kynge bee of full age, that is to saye, vntyl that hys maiestie beinge of age, shall haue taken vppon hym selfe, the gouer­naunce of his realme, and then wholy to submit our selfes too the perfecte obed [...]ence and sub­mission of hys owne will and pleasure.

At which tyme we trust to giue vnto him so good reckenyng of the said felowship (as we wil al­so [Page] do, as many & as often times as it shall please the Queene, she beinge at lybertie) as men shall knowe, that it is not a league or a monopoly, turninge of thinges to our owne commo­dities that we mainteyne, but a faythfull and dewe obedience for thimportant seruyce and preseruation of their maiesties.

Secondely, too thende that all menne maye vnderstande, that thys presente felowshippes made with suche intent as is rehearsed and in all purenes of conscience, & feare of the name of God, whome we take for the head and defendor of the same: We do meane and sweare that we wyll not suffre in our com­panyes, anye thynge too bee doone, whiche maye derogate [Page] the commaundementes of God, or the Kinge, as Idolatries, su­persticions, and blasphemies, hoordomes, violences, enforce­mentes, spoylinges, breakynges of Images, rāsakings of Chur­ches, by pryuate authoritie, and generallye all other lyke things forbydden, by God or by the Kynges last Edict, set foorth in Ianuarye. Of whyche faultes, contrarye wyse wee wyll ende­uoure oure selues to see punish­mente and iustyce executed.

And because we are guyded vn­der thobedience of the woorde of God, we purpose in our assemblees to haue good and faithful ministers of the glorye of oure God, whiche shal teache vs hys wil, too whome wee will geue such audience as apperteineth.

[Page] Thyrdely we doe name for the chiefe and conductor of the hoole cōpany my lord the prince of Condee, a prince of the bloud, and therfore a Counsaylor born and one of the protectors of the croune of Fraunce, whome wee sweare and promise to attende vppon, and to rendre towards hym, all dewe obedience, tou­ching that which shal concerne the effect of thys present assem­bly. Submittinge our selfes (in case of rebellion or negligence) too suche hys correction and chastisemente, as hee shall or­der. And the case happeninge that the sayde lorde the prince, thoroughe wantte of healthe or otherwise cannot supply the sayd charge, then he whome he shal name, shalbe wholy obeyed [Page] and folowed as hym selfe▪ And the sayd Lorde the Prynce declaring the zeale whiche he beareth to the glorye of god, & to the kynges seruice, hath ac­cepted y ^• charge as before, with promise to al the company that throughe the helpe of God, he will with all diligence & readi­nes do the true office of a head and conductor, according to the tenour of all the condicions of the sayde felowshyp.

Fourthly we haue compre­hended and ioyned vntoo vs in thys present treaty, of all suche as be of the kinges coūsayll, ex­ceptinge those whiche be in ar­mes against their duty, to kepe vnder and restraine the kynge and Quene of their will & plea­sur, which force, if they will not [Page] lay doune and retire them selfs, and yelde accōpt of their doinge in all subiection and obedience, when it shall please the Queene to call them by iust occasion, we hold them giltye of treason, & dysquietoures of the common tranquilitie of thys realme.

And to proceade to the intent & accomplishmente of this hole felowship, which we protest not to be done, but for maintenaūce of the honor of God, the state & libertie of the Kyng, vnder the gouernement of the Quene hys mother: Eche of vs to his perti­cular, from the lowest to the hy­ghest do sweare and promise be­fore God and his Aungelles, to be in a readines with all that whiche shalbe in oure power: as with money, armure, horses [Page] for seruice, and all other things necessarye therewith, and too present our selfes assone as we shalbe first commaūded by the sayd lorde the prince, or any o­ther, beinge ordeyned by hym, furnished and prepared to fo­lowe hym where as he shall cō ­maund vs, & faithfully to serue him, for the purposes aforesaid, and obserue our dutye, in body and goods, soo farre foorthe as oure lyfe will stretche. And if it happē y ^t in any place or quarter of this Realme, we shall vnder­stande that any man cōprehen­ded in this present felowship receiue any oultrage or violēce by the persons aforesaid or others contrary to the Kynges edict in Ianuarye laste paste, wee doe whollye sweare & promise spe­dely [Page] to succoure theym, and too endeuour oure selfe to the ende that the sayde wronge may be so repaired, as if the dommage and hurte were perticular too euery one of vs: and thys too be done in suche sort as we shalbe commaunded by the sayde lorde the Prince, or any other depu­ted thereunto by hym.

Furthermore, if hereafter it happen (which God forbid) that any of vs, forgettinge hys duty and othe, shoulde haue anye in­telligence with thennemyes, or shoulde by any maner or mea­nes committe any thinge disho­nestly or trayterously, or elles shewe hym selfe too resiste that whiche is spoken of before: We sweare and promise by suche parte as we loke to haue in Pa­radys, [Page] to open the same foorthe­with to the said lord the prince, or other to whome it shal aper­taine, and too take and vse hym as an enemye, trayterous, and vnfaythfull person. For thus hath it ben accorded amongest vs of a free consente, not too be reuoked.