IT is true, and a common say­ing, my Lord, that those which vse to play, before they begin, should be sure to make a good match: it is the same aduise which you your selfe gaue to a turbulent spirit, that sought the disquietnesse and ruine of France: an aduise which you suggested to be conuenient, by the knowledge that you had, that those who seeke to set vpon and conspire against their King, in the end come by the losse, I meane both of honour and life: And neuerthelesse for­getting your owne instructions, and the examples which time hath produced; you are now fallen in­to the same crymes, which formerly you abhor­red, and thereby become disobedient and rebelli­ous: Crimes, so much the more to be blamed, as they are committed by a person, who not onely ought to shun them, but to the contrary, is oblie­ged and bound by all manner of duties, to imploy both his body and goods against those that enter­prise [Page]them. I am so much grieued at your procee­dings, that it moueth me boldly without difficul­ty to tell you, (being culpable as you are) that my aduise is, and instantly I beseech you, to seeke out meanes to cure your malady, and to procure your owne safety, and therein to take my counsell, haue­ing heretofore giuen you warning of your former actions, at the least, I shall discharge my selfe of the duety which I owe vnto you, for the fauours I haue receiued at your hands, and I call heauen to witnesse of my sincerity; let me then intreat you, to peruse these few lines, and suffer the truth therein by me set downe, to worke some remorse of conscience in you. Vpon what doe you thinke, I beseech you, when you discharge your arrowes against the Kings Maiesty, and the peace of his estate? you that haue both the grace and honour to be one of the officers of his crowne, and haue as much charge and commoditie as any other a­bout him? This is not the way, by waxing elder, to grow wiser, but rather to counterfeit the Ape, which the older it groweth, the vnhappier it is. What? in a manner hauing one foote already in the graue, to damne his owne soule, and disobay the King? and not onely to disobay him, but to offend him, in the dearest thing that he hath, and not onely to offend him therein, but to take vpon you to raise his Subiects to beare armes against him vnder light pretences, as the truth well sheweth; I neither know, nor can conceiue, how a man estee­med to be wise, whose beard is gray, and seemeth to be of a stayed iudgement, should fall into so great [Page]folly; pardon me for speaking so freely: A Can­ker must be lanched and cut away, your euill is no lesse, and most dangerous. You are not ignorant, that Kings are the images of the liuing God, that their wils and commandements are Lawes to be specially obserued, and that no man can dispense therewith, without being guilty of high treason, both diuine and humane, and yet, you haue not onely ventred to disobey them, but also by a man­ner of new interpretation, haue directly withstood his commandements. The King thought your personall presence to be necessary in Metz, and you thought the contrary, and that your abode there would not like you, though you were appointed thereunto; his Maiestie desired your seruice in those parts, and you would perferre certaine par­ticular affaires, to satisfie your owne pleasures and inclinations, as if we were at the Romaines Sa­turnals.

You must grant mee this, that there are no examples for your proceedings, and that if in times past, there were rebels and disobedient Subiects, they alwaies sought to dissemble, and to couer and hide their pretences with necessity: you vse not any such meanes, but are rather more hardned, & seeme directly and openly to oppose your selfe against his Maiestie: What punishment thinke you doth such a crime deserue? One fault willingly and most commonly draweth on another. What haue you done since you came from Metz? You haue borne away the Kings Mother, and carried her to An­goulisme, [Page]where you spread the ensignes of reuolt, and there determine vpon warre, and the subuer­sion of the State? What audaciousnesse is this, and whatan enterprise haue you vndertaken, to circum­uent the intents of a good Mother, towards her deare Sonne; to trouble and set at variance the harmony and consent of their wils; to shake, and as it were to breake the bond of nature, and vio­lently to pull out of so great a Princes brest, the loue which she oweth to her Sonne, to her King, and to him that specially loueth her? Miserable man, (if I must needes vse this tearme) what is your pretence? To ruinate his Maiesties affaires, and to ouerthrow and subuert the publique peace of the Land? It is the conceit of a franticke braine, go­uerned by the author of malice: Doe you not think and perswade your selfe, that reason once taking place, but that the Queene will condemne your pernicious designes, and the proceedings that you haue caused her to vse? there is no doubt there­of, your forces cannot altogether breake and dissi­pate the principall motions of her suggestions, which are Nature and the feare of God, able and sufficient to driue away the clouds and fictions wherewith you serue your turne: The common people, manifestly see it, and curse you, as often as they behold and looke into the euils which you bring vpon them: They know that his Maiestie is a most Christian Prince, that he loueth his Mo­ther perfectly well, and that he neuer gaue any iust cause to procure this euasion: They are assured [Page]and otherwise comforted, that this separation can­not continue long: Their mutuall desire already is to see one another, and to shew the effects of their reciprocall loues: Expect not then to fortifie the weakenesse of your cause, by the detention of the Queenes person; you shall neuer haue the con­sent of her heart and will, to the ruine of the State, and her owne glory.

But this is not all, I must begin againe, and leade you to the execution of that which this burning feuer enduceth in your fantasie. You haue diso­bayed, & allienated (as you pretend) the Queenes intents, you must now blame the gouernement both within and without the Realme, and in all places proclaime warre, and the desolation of your Countrey; wherein specially your designe cannot take effect. Forraigne Princes honour, & too much desire the amity and alliance of our Monarch; they haue seene miracles, as it were, in his actions, and that in his young yeares, with a manly and reso­lute generositie, he hath danted the monsters of his Realme, and by an admirable care and wisedome, procured peace to those that had warre; which is the cause, that by a generall consent they giue him the glorious title of the Arbitrator of Christendome; and his amity is so desirable and profitable, that such as are admitted thereunto (how farre distant soeuer they be) sleepe and take their rests, without any apprehension of trouble; how then will they vnderstand your clamours, vnlesse it be to blame and condemne them?

The peace that we enioy, is an euident testimo­ny of the piety, iustice, and prouidence of our King; and therefore it is impossible that your in­uentions should destroy the truth, and that which we see with our owne eyes, in such manner, that if in long time, there hath beene a happy raigne in France, it is now at this present, where all Orders and degrees are seene to flourish; Vertue therein is commended, and Pietie (the true support of the State) particularly adored, where our King is as it were, a perfect modell; Ecclesiasticall persons are reuerenced, and called to counsell in his Maie­sties most important affaires, they enioy and pos­sesse their reuenewes without trouble; the Nobi­lity are loued and respected; Iustice is indifferent­ly and without feare executed; the Commons are not oppressed nor charged with Subsidies or new impositions; and all estates together, haue nothing so much in recommendation, nor so deare, as this good King, for whose health and prosperity they daily make their feruent prayers vnto God. How then should they be moued to offence? and that to accommodate your humours, they should set fire on their houses, and ruinate and spoile one the other, after that to expect nothing else but misery in this life, and damnation in the life to come?

I know assuredly, that you specially build your designes vpon the inconstancy of the popularity, as if the consideration of your person, or of any others, were of more importance vnto them, then [Page]the Kings, and their owne preseruation: There­in you are deceiued; the loue and obedience that they beare and owe vnto him, are by Gods owne finger ingrauen in their hearts, with a caracter im­possible to be defaced, and your name is execra­ble, as the sworne enemy of their good: they openly report and say, that it is impossible that he which is wicked & cruell against his own children, should euer be good to others; that he which see­keth the ruine & subuersion of his natiue Country, vnworthy of humaine society: that the poyson of your venemous heart hath long time appeared, and that it ought and should be choaked in the birth; that the spots and vncleanenesse of your soule, and the counsels which your actions haue imposed vpon it, makes you play the last act of your Tragedy. To conclude and be short, they are willing to contribute and giue fire and fagot to consume the author of so many mischiefes. I dis­scribe all these circumstances vnto you without flattery, to let you see the state wherevnto your affaires are reduced.

Tell me now, who hath brought you to these extreamities? Is it the discontentment of the Queene? she had no other but that onely which you haue procured; and say that she had, doth it belong to you to intermeddle with the difference that is between Princes? It is not like that of yours: The Sonne and the Mother would soone haue a­greed together, and good endeauour would haue reduced all things to their true ends: Therein you [Page]are two-fold culpable; one by shewing your e­uill will; the other by seeking to set diuision be­tweene the Sonne and the Mother, the Subiect and the King, and a loue which could not be broken, but by the impiteous windes of your si­nister counsels.

It may be, ye will alleadge that you are none of his Maiesties priuie-Counsellours, and your honour is such that you would know all, that you may enterprise much; let vs reason boldly: The counsell which the King now hath, is the same that his Father had, who by his valorous actions, and wise conduction, was called the wonder of Kings: That great King, made profit of mens actions, and perfectly vnderstood the mindes of his subiects, and yet he neuer-made you priuie to the counsell of his most important affaires: He was content to doe you good, and to continue you in the Offices that you enioyed; must you then complaine, that the King his sonne, and successour in his vertues, followeth the same course and counsell, by the ayde and dexterity whereof, he had giuen vs a ge­nerall peace, and almost a golden world? Beleeue mee, rather praise and commend that good King, who in a manner had buried in obliuion the me­morie of that which you know, and which I dare not touch, fearing to offend his indul­gence: I leaue it to the registers of the Court of Parliament.

Is it possible that you should be discontented, that his Maiesty affecteth, and doth good to some [Page]one of his Seruitors, more then to you. I thinke you are not at that point; for what other should that then be, but to shew your selfe vnthankefull for, and to condemne that which Henry the third did for you? He loued you most particularly, and gaue you all that you enioy, besides 8000. Franks yearely reuenews. This your great fortune, was much enuyed, and many men spake thereof, to your preiudice, which reason denyed: I remem­ber that some in respect of you said, that men in Kings hands, are like vnto Counters which they make to value as much as they thinke good: And that there was neuer any Monarch, but that shew­ed some proofes of particular affections, which in truth are Royall actions, worthy of commen­dation. And it is no small good, to a great Prince, to make a good choyse of, and to haue faithfull seruitors about him, with securitie and famili­arity, to whom hee may discouer and disclose his heart, and thoughts: Euery one of vs see it by experience, and finde nothing more pleasing and acceptable, then to impart and vnfold our affaires vnto, and with those whose affections and amities are well knowne vnto vs. Our King loueth with great iudgement, hee knoweth and will acknow­ledge the merit and fidelitie wherewith he hath bin serued; I meane, the more he (specially) whom he loueth, hath amiable quallities and worthy the esti­mation of a King. I will not particularize them, nor proceed further in this subiect, only I will say, that we must hold all that for Law, which pleaseth the [Page]Prince, and that for their sake, we must loue those whom they loue, much lesse ought wee to enuye and hate them: It should in truth be a most hard thing, and without all likelihood or apparance of reason for Subiects to impose lawes to their soue­raignes, and to master their pleasures and affecti­ons, they themselues being free in their owne particular houses, to loue and to doe good to those to whom they will; and I say further, that the fauour and fortune whereof wee speake, alte­reth not that which is due vnto Princes, neither yet abateth any thing of the aduantage and esti­mation of the Nobilitie, nor vseth any violence or euill entertainement towards others, whereby we may truly say, that no man can nor may dislike or contradict it, but onely of meere enuy, the sworne enimy of all good actions, and of the aduancement and greatnesse of vertuous men.

This is the Table or Portraiture which I thought good to set before your eyes, without dissimulation, to let you see the greatnesse of your faults, and the extreamity whereinto you are falne. It may be you will be grieued that I display them so openly; I protest that I haue not set them all downe, and that without doing wrong to you, and to mine owne intent, I could not say lesse. My pur­pose is herein to set downe sufficient to perswade you to the truth, and to search the wound to the bottome, to the end, that hauing any feeling, you your selfe may seeke how to heale it; you should doe it while time serueth: This is the aduice which [Page]I will giue you. A Lampe goeth out if you put too much moysture vnto it; acknowledge that your too great estate hath reduced you to this point of great losse, and not yours onely, but your chil­drens, whom you cruelly drew into your rebelli­ons. Kings haue Iron armes; for Gods sake stay not till our King lifts vp his, you will surely be bro­ken in pieces with the blow; preuent it by humili­ty, certainely his Matesty is iust and benigne; hee punisheth and exterminateth obstinate Rebells, but he pardoneth those that aske mercy and for­giuenesse. It is the onely hauen wherein you shall finde hope of reliefe, refer your selfe with a good heart freely vnto his bounty, and you shall not be deceiued in your expectation.

Suffer the Queene to be at libertie to revnite and ioyne her affections with her Sonnes; let your children be suerties and pledges of your libertie, let them fall downe at his Maiesties feete, to protest and warrant your amendment, and your most humble submissions to full fill all obedience in time to come: Discharge your Souldiers, and let euery place sound the praise of so compleat a Prince, and your resolution to die in his seruice. I am with­out doubt perswaded, that this proceeding will be acceptable vnto him, and that following the example of Henry the great, his father, he will im­brace and preserue you. What glory (my Lord) will it be vnto you to haue appeased the wrath of so puissant a Prince? To haue of your selfe reob­tained his fauour? To haue pacified the tumult [Page]which you had raised in his Realme? To haue procured peace to your owne soule, and rest vn­to your latest daies, and to haue reestablished the state and fortunes of your Children. I be­seech God gine you grace earnestly to thinke vpon these things, and to put them in effect: I desire and wish it more then any other, that I may see you restored, and haue the meanes hereafter to say, as I haue hether done that I rest