IN my opinion, my masters, if folly, euen as dronkennes hath for the hatching and renewing of her humors, her helpes added and her time limitted, it is now high time for euery of you to reclaime himselfe, euen as the man that being dronken and asleepe, hath bene transported to the wolfes throat, and to forsake the bottomlesse pit and dangerous gulf, whereunto this Lorain sly hath at this time cast you headlong consider (I beseech you) whether you are now posted of: iudge of the purpose by the euent and the cause by the effectes, & seek out the beginnings of all the webbes of this common snare, acknow­ledging your blindnes and faultes, and confesse that Ʋlisses compa­nions were neuer so sore abused by Circes sorceries, as you haue bin through their subtil deceit. It is no longer time to play the ideots, or insensible persons, in discerning of this disease. It is great, yea mortal euen such as visibly leadeth our daies to their last ouehthrow. Call to mind the time when the griefe thereof first assailed you, and through what gates it pierced the inward parts and inclosures of this estate: It was said to be for the vpholding of the Catholike, Apostolike & Ro­mish Church, at such time as the realme was in best quiet, Catholike religion most flourishing, and the supposed feares that had respect to the succession of the state farthest off, euen when those of the pretended reformed religion were most detained and restrained vnder the prin­ces edicts, & all states of the realme best ruled and ordered: then I say was borne this iest of Lorraine, whose beginning was the weaker through the life and presence of the Duke of Aniou, who stopped the grouth thereof and caused it to wither: neither is it vnknowen what meanes were vsed to take away this let: witnesse the enterprise of Salcede with his accusations and confessions, and finally the poisoning of this prince practised at Paris. This mightie thunderclap, this Pandore immediatly entred armed among vs, and straight wais tro­bled our publique tranquility, she altered the brightnesse of our world and opening her inchanted boxe she scatered her poyson among all degrees of this land. Immediatly was the people seene to tremble, the subiects to murmur, the prouinces to rise, the whole world to [Page 4]storm, and all things to tend to open rebellion yea, it seemed that God had appointed this furie to be the executrix of his secret reuenge, & the publike scourge wherwith he meant to chastise the pride and sinnes of the french nation. The house of Guize wer the inuenters of this mis­chiefe, yea they inuented it onely to the end, by that bridge to transport al their fortunes to the highest top of y^e monarchy, & the rather to seaze vpon the state: night and day they still laboured to make it way euery where, and to enforce the effects thereof, in such sort, that from thence we see all France as it were with a suddaine thunderclap at one instant on sire, and the wars kindeled on euery side: the causes of this commo­tion being grounded vpō the ordinarie complaints of the malecōtents, the common wealth, and the zeale of religion, which dog notwithstan­ding soon vanished away through the peace that ensued: for this coun­terfet rate of the people was cōuerted into a simple disrussion of their priuate interestes: Al that concerned your reliefe was trod vnder foot and that raging zeale of their conscience, which consumed their breasts, was refreshed with the teares and domages of the people themselues, and thus al their blasts of common wealth quai [...]ed in this fox like bra­uerie.

Then marke their proceedings: What became of the great army committed to the D. of Maines hands, to quaile (as he boasted) al the habitable world? He did sufficiently giue you to weet, that against ar­med men their importunate brags were but a found of Fortune, and childrens pastimes: as also that they were more fit to worke some pra­ctises among a communaltie, then to fight with the enemie. Then see­ing there was nothing for them to get among the Huguenots, they a­bandoned that dangerous skirmish, and returned to their first play a­mong the people, in the townes counterfaiting notable papists, wea­ring the great beads at their girdess, oftentimes liberally distributing of holy bread among the people, counterfaiting popularity, and shew­ing themselues openlie in all processions, to the end, that the nature of the people being a little mollified by their flatteries, and moistened in these poisons, might slide into their passions, and so be more easily sna­red in their subtilties, and of lesse defence against their wiles. Moreo­uer, to forget nothing that might tend to the disposing of them more friendly to their fauour, they won al the ordinarie preachers to their loue, promising to the Curates Byshoprikes, to simple chaplens cures and priories, and to other, ordinary portions: so that being corrupt [Page 5]by these interests, of Sorbonistes, they became common strebrands, and of preachers trōpets of the house of Lorrain, & euery of their pulpits was turned into a schoole of pollicie, You may long (my maisters) remember the day of Barricades, where plainly enough you perceiued the D. of Guizes puposes, who vnder the pretence of hindering the correction of twelue or fifteen scapthrifts & dealers in his practises, armed you, causing you to rise against your king, seeking by some ex­treame mischiefe to intangle you (as he did) in his faction, and by that fellonious maner to bind you to him. Thus seruing his own turn with your simplcity, he so craftily edged your furies, that he made you cary bable, and vnworthily warre against your contry and natural prince. Tel me I beseech you, with what face may that be defended, that hee then committed among you euen as it were in an enemy town & new­ly conquered? He seased vpon all the fortresses, violentlie thrusting ou [...] the kings seruants that held them: he changed the gouernour and all the Captaines of the towne: he formed a new garrison in it: hee ar­med the most wickedst and infamous persons: to be briefe, hee did all that a tyrant might doo for assuring of himselfe against the lawes of the town: yet was all this but the part of a good catholike: it was no attempt against the state, no not so much: yet was it w^t a sharp sworde in hand, proudly and with great boast to play ths king. But who is a­ble to be are the impudencie of this denial, when I consider that with­all he shewed himselfe so liuelie a gallant as to send word to all the townes in the realme not to receiue the King? Thereby seeking as it were to debar him of fire and water, and to compell him shamefully to beg his liuing for Gods sake.

I wot not my maisters what charme may suffice to reclaime you from this inchantment, sith all these things are of no force. Yet hereto ad the things that succeeded euen vntil his death: mark his violent be­hauiours at the states at Bloys: for the king who supposed this assem­bly to bee necessary for the prouiding against the disorders of his realme, to content his people, & to assure himself against the manifest practizes of this bolde enterprise, beeing present in persent in person was affonted (weening he had bene among his good subiectes) to see himselfe enuyroned with enemies, who laied ambushes for his life and estate, whose Captaine and directer was the Duke of Guize, who o­penly and without farther dealing with subtilties, did what hee could to bring all to that passe, that there might rest to the king nomore power, nor for no longer time then hee listed, vsing no other [Page 6]dissimulation then he that laieth his axe to the reat of a tree wherwith to cut it down & lay it along. And euen as he prepared all things ready to seaze vpon this poore prince, and in triumph to lead him captiue to Paris, God who laieth open the pretences of the wicked, & oftentimes maketh him to stumble at his owne threshold that prepareth himselfe to a long voyage, did of the suddaine stop this mighty hunter, and rai­sed him vp as vnpitifull friends, as himselfe had bene bloody and vn­placable in the persecution of so many poore protestants, so that his conspiracie being diuinely reuealed, the king preuented him but of one day, and in respect of the present daungers was compelled (as in such matters of estate the maner is) to begin by execution and with effect. O how great are the iudgments of God; he that vpon the great day of blood, that flaming day of S. Bartholmew had fed his eies with soma­ny murders, and had sung the triumph, was in the end beaten downe with the like indeuour. This death seemeth amongst vs to haue ope­ned all the flaces, and broken all the lockes of hell, yea, & powred foorth vpon this miserable estate al the flames of wrath and vengeance: & as francicke & mad men you catched at this occasion as at a touch wher­with to kindle the fire among your selues. This is not the place whe [...] I will vse many words to shew you that the king had dealt iustly: that he could not doo otherwise, & that he ought to haue done thus or thus and yet by the way I may tell you, that the pope Gregory the last delt more cruelly: for hee, who in respect of his degree, was to keepe his hands cleane and vnpolluted from blood, did by his Bul without form or order of law cruelly slay the Lord Patris, great vicar to the late Car dinall of Arminack, only vpon a suspition that he fauored the French. Neither was the D. of Main any whit more moder at in the behalfe of poore Birague, one of his faithfullest partizans, whom vpon a ve­ry weak argument he siue with his owne hands. But admit the King had herein done any thing otherwise then well, was it in you to take notice therof, and as mad men and drunken minds to run to armes & to rise against him? For it is certaine that if all the other prouinces through their immoderate liberties had any probable argumentes a­gainst him, their losses haue increased your famelies, and your towne hath bin the spring that is swelied with the publike ruines, as also his presence with the haunt of his court hath in tenne daies enritched you threefold. Who then sollicited you to so infamous a rebellion? Your domesticall interests could not do it: publike transgressions, or priuate iniuries there were none much lesse any pretence of religion: the re­uenge [Page 7]of the dead belonged not to you, Gods law forbad you, al world­ly lawes were against you: What then might be the cause of so great a commotion and such furie? No, no, assure you it is God, who with your owne weapons and hands wil destroy you: your malice was gro­wen to the top: pompe and excesse were but too familiar among you: you were too much tied to gaine and to the hurt of the poore: you slept too idely in your owne delightes: your pride and ritches made you for­get God, and he hath geuen you ouer into a reprobate sence.

Consider I pray you the estate of your towne, the most famous & wealthy in all Europe, into whose hands is it come & vnder what Eo­uernours? Had you fetched out of the deserts of Africa all the troupes of cruell beastes to dispeople it and lay it wast. Could you sooner haue hasted the ruine thereof? And if we seek after the dogs of this game you shal find them to be no other but such as passed to and fro from dore to dore to smell after the smokes, beastes of butchery and slaugh­ter, the filthy and most vile excrements of your towne: among whom some haue seized vpon one Fortresse, others vpon another, and all to assure themselues against the power of the magistrate, and the more freely to rob the whole world. Are you not ashamed you ancient Bur­gesses & marchants that possesse the good of righteous gain of whom consisteth the soundest and most intier part of the citie, who cannot keepe your families without good order and gouernment, to suffer a­mong you these dustie varlets and rauening wolues, and that you ga­ther not together to purge your towne of these had members, and to chalēge publike saftie? for to say truth, your town is at this time tho­row the presence of these men, become a new Egypt, where all sortes of villanie and open robbery and ransomes are committed. Are you not ready to spew when you see before your eies these publike har­pies, as Commissary Louchard, la Rue, Clere, Oleuter, Senault and their companions late streetewalkers, and poore varlets, march now vp and downe among you accompanied with a trame inriched with the spoile of your best houses? Howbeit if you be strangely ama­zed and so insensible that the destructions of your neighbors, of your Citizens, and of so many honest men can nothing mooue you, yet at the least open your eies vpon your selues, and behold your present ru­ine: Iudge what may be the continuance of your gouernments so vio­lent, so bloody, so confused, and so ful of extortion: how long that com­mon wealth can stand vpright where al order is peruerted, the temple of iustice polluted, offences vnpunished, innocencie oppressed, violence [Page 8]raigning, the magistrates without commandment, y^e people disobedi­ent, lawes void of authoritie, good men speechlesse, and where the vilest and most wicked do command? yet if all these considerations should cease, what do you think should become of you? ween ye your selues of ability to bear y^e burdē of so many wars as you haue cast your selues in to to oppose your selues against so mighty a king, & the greatest cap­tain [...] Europe: against al y^e nobility & Aristocratical body of France: against all the power of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England, & Scotland? See you not that it is vpon you, that all their armies will light, and that your towne shall be the stage wherevpon all the actes of this great tragedy shal be plaied. What then? shal the other towns that are entred into this league with you, succour you? You are decei­ued: think that euery of them in this publike con [...]agration shal find e­nough to doe to keepe and maintaine themselues, without affoording any succour to their neighbors. Consider (I pray you) in what per­plexities you find your selues intangled: you shall still haue both your enemies and friends armies at your gates: for whatsoeuer power the king is able to gather wil stil be at you, your prize laeing the glory of his conquestes and the reward of his warres, against the which you cannot be able to defend your selues without a great power within your wals, that shal asmuch anoy you as your enemies themselues. In to what extremities wil your hopes be conuerted? You wil (say some) yeeld your selues into the Spaniards armes. Oh what amorous im­brasings rather beleeue that they wil much better cast themselues in­to your wiues armes. They be Affricans, tanned, hot, parched subtill, and such no doubt as will well inough do their businesse among you: then will there be a goodly mixture of a Parisian and a Spaniard, of a Pigeon and a Puttocke, and a braue societie of a foxe with a goose, Oh poore people, if you knew the Spaniards nature, you would rather haue recourse to death then to such succour. Set hee once a foote in your house, you shall haue an intollerable Maister, a necessarie con­cubmarie, a violent adulterer, an vnpitifull tyrant, and in liew of a guest a wolfe among your famely. Learne their behauiours in India, Por­tugal, Flanders, Italie, and in all places so farre as their empire doeth stretch. Aske the Milanors and Neopolitans how sweete their gouern­ment is: Enquire of the Fleminges, whom for the infidelitie of their maners, and their impudent conuersation, they cannot keepe without force of mischiefes and great garrisons. Consider the inequalitie of these two natures: The French is liberal, trusty, gratious, couragious, [Page 9]curteous, and a louer of simplicitie. The Spaniard is proud, couetous cruel, enuious, suspitious, insolent, a great boaster and bragger, and therefore incompitable. If once he meddle among you, farewell your wiues chastitie: farewell all publike honestie: farewell your libert [...]e, and farewell all your ioy. The Inquisition shall straight come among you, and according to your wealth more or lesse so shall hee holde euill opinions of your faith. Your faire wiues and goodly houses shall dai­ly make you guiltie of heresie: you shall bee as porters and miserable pioners deuided in the towns to the trenches, & other the vilest works: by millions shal you be transported to the Indies, there to scrape forth the mines, your gates and publike portals shall be repayred with your heades, and all the passages to your townes furnished with gibbets and common gallowes for your selues. Enquire I pray you how many millions of men they haue cruelly extinguished in the Indies, in Por­tugall, and in Flanders? In the common places there is nothing to be seene but mens quarters mangled, bodies cut in peeces, pits ouer­flowing with blood and slaughter, and publike tokens of humain flesh Wanting the pretences of feare and crueltie, they wil poison men that they may inioy their wiues and seaze vpon their houses and goods. Se therefore in this desperate match what men you haue to deale withal. But the pope (say you) commands you: he hath giuen you to him, and your consciences doo bind you, Oh poore sencelesse people, it is pitye that he giueth you not to the deuill, sith you are content that he should doe by you as he doth by his Cabals of Iewes, or of the hiers of his Courtezans. But if you be such tractable marchandize and of so good sale, the holy father may do better to transport you by whole shiplodes vnto the sands of Norea, or Aegypt, there to sell you to the Turkes & Moores, so should he make more money, then at the king of Spaine [...] hand. What a mocking of the world is this? What wold Phillip A [...] ­gust, Phillip the faire, or Lewes the twelfth, most excellent & most Ca­tholike kings, if they were now aliue againe say? they I say, who in their daies so well chastised the Popes insolences? What a mishap, (which seemeth fatal to al Christendome) that these good lieutenants of God are stil the firebrands of their ambition, and the field that brin­geth forth the weeds and mortal discord among christians: that from age to age they haue bene found to be not a Lanterne to lighten the sterne of this ship, but a whole circle of fire to kindle al [...] Europe, & still to stir vp wars among Christians? Within these fiue hundred yeares they haue sufficiently giuen vs to vnderstand, that they haue receiued [Page 12]the keies of the succession of S. Peter, not to open therewith and di­stribute the graces and blessings of heauen, but to encrotch all the treasures both of heauen and earth & to rob al the ritches of the world that they haue also receiued power to bind and loose: not to absolue or binde sinnes, but to chain vp the kings & princes of the earth, and to exercise absolute tyranny ouer all earthly powers. If those excellent lightes of Christendom, S. Hierome, S. Augustin and their companions, the founders of this heauenly ship, were now liuing, what would they say to see in the place of S. Peter the professor of pouertie, the Scholmu­ster of humility, the example of simplicitie, & the exhorter to obedience a proud Croesus glistering in gold and riches, crowned with manye crowns, adorned with purple, siluer, pearle, brauely betrapped & lifted vp aloftlike a Bayazeth or Soliman vpon a proud throne, enuironed with gardes of souldiers, with garrisons & a triumphant court, proud­ly commanding both heauen and earth, giuing and taking kingdomes and principalities at his pleasure, and treading the whole world vnder his feet? What would they think to see? would they not think that in [...]ew of being here aboue, to walk through hel, and in steede of a succes­sor to S. Peter, to see Pluto & the God of ritches chained to this linke of gold? But what, this speech is as much as to carry fire to a waspes neast, & withal to offer stings to the flies therein. I heare them alrea­dy shout out, heretike, heretike. No, no, let the truth make thē to spite as much as they list, & to swell with rage as a bladder with wind: let them storme at their pleasures, malgre all their furie and violence it wil be spoken. I take God to witnesse of my words, and the eternal to be a reuenger if I periure my selfe, that I am and euer was a Catho­like, that I did neuer cleaue nor consent to the doctrine of Luther or Caluin, and yet continuing with in this compasse, I wil not be thought void of common sence, or accounted as one that hath lost all power, of relishing either good or bad things. For this do I say, that S. Peter neuer encroched any thing vpon Caesar, neither enterprised any iuris­diction ouer temporal matters, for God himselfe forbad it, as also that by the example of his life he shewed such dealings to be repugnant to his profession: therefore that it is a matter that the Pope cannot by Gods law doo, but nowe if he hath done it, it is by violent vsurpa­tion. But treading all these reasons vnder foot, let vs see what ye may hope for at the Spaniards. The king is olde, & already hath one foote in the pyt. His estates do totter and wait when the clocke wil strike, to shake of their yoak. His Empire is like acarued cubbord composed [Page 9]of sundry peeces set together. It consisteth of vniust conquestes, and things rauished. It is grounded only vpon force, holden together by force, and by an other force wil one day be scattered: which if it happen as it wil, what wil become of your succours? you shal find your selues (according to the prouerb) with one hose on, and another off, betweene two yrons in a wafer pan, neither shal you then be able to shun the iust punishment of your violated faith, and that by him that iustly may do it. How then? Shal the orphan and infant of Spaine yet couer you? You haue deerly enough tried the value of a forrain womans gouern ment, or a childs dominion, and beleeue that in these daies they shall find hindrances enough at home though they spread not their wings ouer other mens boultings. Agame, graunting to all your hopes their course, and that this king liue as long as shall be requisite for the get­ting of France, yea, grant him already the conquest without controlle, what do ye iudge wil he do with you? Ween you that he knoweth not that your dispair more then your loue hath deliuered you to hun? Imagine you that after the example of your treachery hee wil not suspect your faith, Also that the offence of your fellony wil not still yeelde the natural sauour in his nostrils? Wherupon may he establish his new conquest, together with the continuance of your subiection, but vppon force, the sword, fetters, the view of gibbet and great garrisons, vpon consideration with what people and men he shal haue to doo? Neuer doubt of this, neither thinke to receiue other reward then your deserts are worthy of, But to proceed, accounting all these considerations as nothing, and grant that you be mighty enough to peruert all lawes both of God and men, and to reuerse the succession of princes, what wil neuertheles become of this monarchy? Into how many brooks I pray you shal the water of this great riuer be deuided, if you once break the naturall channell thereof? The Spaniard wil share out one prouince, the D. of Maine wil hold another: the Marquize of Pont and the D. of Sauoy wil each of them put in for one: many other lordes wil be cat­ching. How many petty tyrannies wil slip in? How many small com­mon wealths wil there be intruded, or how many townes wil become cantons? And when this miserable face of our estate shall happen, ma­gine what you shall be, and what shal become of you. You shall be at continuall war with your neighbors: one daies iourney shall driue you out of the boundes of your countrey, or as the birde confined into the cage, or the fish taken out of the great seas and thrust into a litle brook you shal feele your liberty oppressed, and daily shal you wish that you [Page 12]had neuer bene. But were al worldly reasons dead with you, yet so deale as the kings themselues may be your instruction; neuer iudge of the heat of fire before you touch it, neither of the daylight before you open your eies: marke what you haue yet gained since the beginning of these troubles, and into what state your affaires are brought. Your towne is decaied, your treasures dreined, your forces broken, your partakers consumed, and all your particular helpes so altered that fa­mine already oppresseth you, and the iniustice of your cause crieth out amaine. God fighteth against you, his fauour flieth from you, his ven­geance pursueth you, al your businesse do go backward, and the succes­ses do condemne your pursuites. Whatsay you to the battel at Senlis, where ten beat an hundred, and an hundred a thousand? Howe thinke you of so many recounters great and small where you alwaies had the worse? What is your opinion of the charge giuen at Arcques, where four hundred horse kept head against four thousand? What I say? kept head, nay, they fought, chased and followed them with stripes, e­ue [...] into the midst of their armie, which consisted of fourty thousand men, with the losse of your best Captaines? Who wrought this so glorious an exploit? was not the king alwaies in person the first in y^e onset and the last in the retreat? And when the L. of Montpensiers pannier-bearers in the middest of Paris proclaimed his losse and ouer­throw, you see him as a suddame flash of lightening appeare at your gates, bring you the armies himselfe, and with al to your costes felt him force your suburbes with such an astonishment to your protectors and such a publike desolation, that there was nothing heard but how­ling and crieng, so as there appeared neuer a one of your souldiers in the towne to desend it and had not this prince more loued your safties then you your selues did, and withall feared your sack and spoile, you had vndoubtedly bene his, and your succour had come too late.

Very sorie I am that stil you remaine doubtlesse, as also that the L. of Monpensiers follies, together with all these smal womens drugs which can hardly deceiue a childe twise, should maintaine you in your accustomed garshishnesse. Your liues and fortunes are no lon­ger vphelde, but with cullisses, restoratiues, and other petie subtilties of the sayd Lady of Montpensier: she entertayneth you with smal por­traitures and little bookes, sometimes the proclaime an ouer throwe: sometimes the death of Rats and Myce: otherwhile the death of some captaine: and hereof they giue you a largesse for your mony, & whiles [Page 13]you lieuetenant generall quoiteth you close, whiles hee putteth in your handes the bable and the bell, while hee putteth on your bible and whiles he disputeth his businesse among you, your s [...]lues doe ap­peare most miserable. But tell me I pray you, who hath inuested the D. of Mayne with this ambitious and magnificent title of liuetenant generall of the estate and crowne of France? Is not this Emperor, king. Monark, as we tearme them all Synonymals, are they not all titles foueraign of dignitie? haue thirtie or fortie Louchardes or Oli­uers erected in France this new souer aigne magistrate? As muche would the bathes of Paris in the time of Charles the sixt, haue done to the Duke of Burgundy, had they failed him, capeable of so great folly. What a iest? That this soueraigne dignitie, which during the kinges life, could not be conferred to anie whomsoeuer, no not by the estates of France, should now be giuen to the O. of Mayne, and that by a small number, euen of the basest commoners of Paris, to the extreame contempt of all estates, especially of the Nobilitie, whome as the worthrest member of the Monarchie, this matter moste ear­nestly? As also we see neuer a true Gentleman, so acknowledge hym, or march vnder the banner: but if anie haue so done, immediatly vp­on better aduice hee hath recanted, accompting him no other then some prouost of Marchants and sherife in Paris, and yet not so so­lemnly created as the maner is. He is the peoples Tribune, and hys warre, and yours is the peoples warre against the royall and aristo­craticall estates togither with all the Nobilitie of France: for vn­doubtedly all the world euidently seeth, that all your very purposes do tend to free your selues into a democratie, and to be gouerned by Tribunes and popular magistrates to vsurpe iurisdiction ouer all o­ther townes in France: to roote out all the nobilitie, and to seaze vp­on all their goods. Be not these the ordinary discourses of your sedi­tious preachers, viz. That al the Nobilitie are heretickes, that they are enemies to the popular estate: that they oppose themselues a­gainst your purposes: and that they must be rooted out. In theyr mouthes, they haue nothing but bloud, murder and massacres: They speake of nothing but killing, murdering, burning or hanging, and the societie of these wordes is the delight of their tongues. But who can without horror report the extreame excesses, and violences of these wilde wolues, and frantick firebrandes? one impudent and incestuous Pichenard with other fiue or sixe companions haue bene the begged instrumentes of so manie publicke woundes, who not contented [Page]with the raysing vp of a desperate friar, most cruelly to kill and mur­der our king, but after his death haue openly spued out of theyr fil­thy stomackes, all the most villanous and stincking iniuries that the most contumelious helhound could possibly inuent. What more ab­hominable impietie, then during his life time, to forbid to pray to God for him, and after his death moste impudently to continue the same inhibitions? What christian instructions in the mouths of these cruell Scithians. God in all places commendeth vnto vs mercy: hee commandeth vs to pray for our cruellest enimies, and forbiddeth vs to seeke reuenge: These be the wordes and straight pathes of our saluation: but these bloudy monsters do openly strike vp the drums: they preache warre and reuenge, and doe forbid vs to pray for our king aliue or dead. If they should preach against God himselfe, would you beleeue them? Are you so depriued of common sence & all know­ledge of God, that you cannot perceiue them to be wicked spirites a­mong you, and angels of darkenesse seducing you? spirites of warre and discord, leading you into the way of perdition? But they haue promised you another heroieall example of a moncke, and very shortly to procure the slaughter of our king, they haue I say set on foote ten or twelue desperate aduenturers, so as hee shall hardly escape them all: In your eares they say vnto you Patience, you shall shortly see this matter hatched. Oh what Charlatans and bringers of rats on sleepe? what hopes of murderers? But God and the loue of his good subiectes and seruantes wil preserue him and by his prouidence their wicked counsels shal be scattered: yet if such a detestable enterprise should succeed, thinke you to be any whyt the better? Or that for one man that now opposeth himselfe against your offences, God will not raise vp an hundred? Onely the sole interests wil reunite the countries and men to the pursuit of one selfe benefite, of one selfe publike esta­blishment, and of one self cause, doubt ye not. And assure your selues, that albeit your punishment be for a tune delayed, yet the grieuousnes of the pain wil sufficiently recompence the flacknes of execution. This (my maisters) is the reason why all these desperate parties doo shew you so many downfals, that which way soeuer you turne, your destru­ction is stil on euery side within two steps of you. And yet if you wold but returne your heads to the way that you shun, you should as soone find together with your assured rest all the good and contentation that your heart can desire. You should haue to do with a prince your natu­rall king, replenished with goodnes and clemencie, who openeth his [Page 13]armes vnto you, and wil receiue you vpon so iust and lawfull conditi­ons, that for matters past you shall not need to stande in feare of him. This is the surest party for the French: For as this head is the bonde that reassembleth all the mēbers of the monarchy & conserueth their vnion, so vndoubtedly if he faile this body, it is impossible but all the partes, as it were the peeces of a shipwracke must needes hee beaten with the tempests and scattered into contrary places. I knowe this that the least wind hurteth the tender eyed, & that the smallest wandes doo sharpen the smart of those whose minds are set vpon discord, ma­king them to forget all loue of peace: But wise men will neuer suffer bad passions to take any such hold of them, but that there may alwais be found some good hope or reason. Euen as the Cork which alwaies ascendes, and stil recouereth the top of the waters, so (in my opinion) hauing so long sought a bottome & finding none, it were your partes to cast anchor in a calmer sea, and to change both your pylot & course. It is a more easie matter then I can say for, and you cannot so soone wish it but it will be done. I know that such as desire to see you burn to the last spark do stil oppose the let of religiō, & by those so ridiculous feares do indeauour to shut vp the passage into the hauen against you. But when you shal once force this inchanted barre, and dispose your selues to see what is beyond it, you shal find the king in this considera­tion so reasonable and so well disposed to al lawfull meanes thereof, & to receiue instruction, that your selues and all other good Catholikes shal haue cause to be content. He is a prince of his faith, a most true prince, and a very honest man: one that feareth God and neuer went from his word, or failed in his promise. If therefore yee reiect these means of peace and this safe shelter, and continue in your obstinacie. I see your health desperate, and your destruction present, ineuitable & most assured: and where clmencie can not reclaime you, force shall doo it with so notable a correction, that you shall be an example to all po­steritie.