A Declaration of the Kings Pleasure

by Henry III of France

☙A DECLARA-
TION OF THE KINGS
pleasure, published after his
departure from Paris, Impor-
ting the cause of his sud-
den going away.
(^*_*^*)
Translated according to the originall
Printed at Chartres. 1588.

 

AT LONDON,

Printed by Thomas Orwin for Edward
Aggas.

¶ A DECLARA-
tion of the Kinges plea-
ſure, publiſhed after his depar-
ture from Paris: importing the
cauſe of his ſudden and forced
going away.

 

Ruſty and wel-beloued. Being in one Towne of Paris, where we bent our only cogitatiōs to no other thing but the appeaſing of all ſoꝛts of ielouzies and diſturbances in Picardy and elſe wher, which hindered our iourney into our Country of Poictou, there to pꝛoſecute the warres enterpꝛized againſt the Huguenotes, accoꝛding as we had reſolued, our coſen the duke of Guize vnwares to vs, did there ariue the ninth of this moneth. His comming after that ſoꝛt ſo encreaſed the ſaide ielouzies and diſtruſꝛtes, that wee were much troubled therewith: the rather foꝛ that befoꝛe we had from diuers places beene aduertized, that he ſhould come in ſuch maner: alſo, that he was looked foꝛ, by ſundꝛy the inhabitantes of the ſame towne, who were ſuſpected to bee the authoꝛs of the ſaide diſtruſts, beſides that our ſelfe had befoꝛe foꝛ the ſame cauſe giuen him to vnderſtād, y (t) wee were nothing deſirous of his comming befoꝛe we had appeazed the afoꝛeſayde troubles of Picardy, and quite taken away the cauſes of the ſame. Conſidering neuertheleſſe, that he came accompanied onely with fourteene oꝛ fiftene hoꝛſes, we were content to ſee him, and that the rather to the ende to endeuour ſo to deale with him that all occaſions of ielouzie and diſtruſt might be extinguiſhed: wherein ſeeing how ſmally wee pꝛofited, as alſo that our ſaide Towne grewe dayly moꝛe and moꝛe repleniſhed with Gentlemen and ſtrangers, retayners to the ſaid Dukes trayne: alſo, that ſuch ſearches, as we cauſed the magiſtrates and officers thereof to make, were thꝛough the fear wherinto they were dꝛiuen, perfoꝛmed to halues: likewiſe, that the harts and affections of ſundꝛy the enhabitants were dayly pꝛouoked, and moꝛe and moꝛe alienated: together with the oꝛdinary aduertizementes wherby wee were from time to time enfoꝛmed of ſome great troubles to fal out in þ ſame towne, we determined to cauſe the ſaid ſearches to be moꝛe exactly perfoꝛmed thꝛoughout al the quarters thereof thou the foꝛmer, to the end thereby to diſcouer and truely finde out the ſtate of the ſame, alſo to auoide ſuch ſtrangers as ſhoulde be found not to be aduowed as they ought. Foꝛ the perfoꝛmance whereof wee thought it good to ſtrengthen certaine the bodies of the gardes of the enhabitants and burgeſes of the ſame Town whom we had appointed to be planted in foure oꝛ fiue coꝛners thereof, with the companies of Suitzers, and ſuch as were of the regiments of our guard: who befoꝛe were lodged in y (e) ſuburbs: alſo to commaunde diuers the Loꝛds of the counſail ⁊ knights of our oꝛder of the holy ghoſt, to march along the ſtreets ⁊ quarters thereof accompanied with the quarter maſters and others the officers of the ſaid Towne, ſuch as haue bene vſually accuſtomed to make the ſaide ſearches, to the end by their countenaunce to authoꝛize and aſſiſt them in the ſame, as hath ſundꝛy times bin pꝛactized. Wherof alſo we haue notice to the ſaid Duke, and all the enhabitantes of the ſaide Towne, leaſte any thereof ſhoulde take allarom oꝛ any whit doubt of our entent in this point, which oꝛder at the beginning the Burgeſes and dwellers ſeemed to take quietly and in good part: Howbeit within a while after matters grewe ſo whot and that the rather thꝛough the induction of diuers who wandering vp and downe enfoꝛmed the ſaid enhabitāts that we had not bꝛought in the ſaid foꝛces foꝛ any other end, but only to eſtabliſh foꝛrein gariſons within the Towne afoꝛeſaid, yea, and to deale woꝛſe then ſo: whereby in ſhoꝛt ſpace they had ſo animated and ſtirred them vp, that if wee had not expꝛeſſely foꝛbidden the leaders of our troopes from attempting any thing againſt the ſayde enhabitants, ⁊ withall commaunded them rather to beare and endure all extremities then to offer any violence, wee doe vndoubtedly beleeue that it had bin vnpoſſible to eſchue the general ſacke of the Towne and much bloudſhed. This when we perceiued, wee determined to ceaſe the execution of the ſearches afoꝛeſaid, alſo to cauſe our foꝛces to retire whome wee had not bꝛought in, but vpon that onely occaſion: as alſo it was no other like, but that if we had mēt otherwiſe wee woulde haue attempted, yea, and peraduenture put in execution whatſoeuer our purpoſes befoꝛe the riſing of the ſaid enhabitantes, eyther that they had dꝛawne their chaynes oꝛ erected their defenſes in the ſtreetes, which immediatly after noone they went in hande withall, and in a manner in one inſtant thꝛoughout all the ſtreetes of Paris, being thereto induced and perſwaded by ſundꝛy gentlemen, Capteines and other ſtraungers ſent in by the ſaide Duke of Guize, who to the ſame end, in very ſhoꝛt ſpace appeared, deuided and aranged, thꝛoughout euery quarter of the Towne. Hereupon cauſing the ſayde Switzers and french companies, to returne, the ſayd enhabitantes to our great greefe diſcharged diuers Harquebuze ſhot, ⁊ dealt ſome blowes which light cheefely vpon the ſayde Switzers, whome the ſame euening we commaunded to retire and lodge about our Caſtle of the Loure, there to expect the euent of this commotion of the ſaid townſe-men: foꝛ the appeaſing wherof, we did all that poſſibly we could, yea, ſo farre foꝛth as the next day to pꝛocure all the ſayd companies, except ſuch as befoꝛe their comming in we had placed in guard befoꝛe our ſaid Caſtle, to depart the town, as beeing enfoꝛmed that in ſo doing, we might greatly contēt and pacify the ſaid inhabitants: as alſo wee cauſed to ſtay ſome remaynder of the companies of foote-men of the regiment of Picardy, albeit they were as yet ſeuen oꝛ eyght leagues off, togither with duers Loꝛdes and gentlemen our ſeruaunts that dꝛewe vnto vs: as conſidering y (t) the ſame had bꝛed ſome ſhadowe to this people, also y (t) they took hold of this pꝛetence, wherby the moꝛe to prꝛouoke ⁊ ſtirre them vp. All this notwithſtanding, in liew of finding our wiſhed effect to their own benefite and our contentation, they neuertheleſſe ſtill pꝛoceeded in raiſing their bulwacks, ſtrengthening their guarde night ⁊ day, ⁊ appꝛoaching the ſame toward our ſaid Caſtle of the Loure, euen to the very ſentinels of our oꝛdinary guarde, as alſo they ſeazed vpon the townhouſe of the ſame towne, togither with the keyes of S. Anthonies gate and other the gates therof: ſo that by the thirteenth of this moneth, matters were runne ſo farre that it ſeemed vnpoſſible by mans power to ſtoppe the effect of greater violence and commotion, euen befoꝛe our ſayd caſtle gates. This when wee perceiued, and being neuerthleſſe vnwilling to employ our ſayd foꝛces againſt the ſaid enhabitantes, as hauing euermoꝛe helde the pꝛeſeruation of the ſayde Towne with the enhabitants thereof, as deere as our owne life, as in ſundꝛy their occaſions they haue well tryed and is euident to all men, wee determined the ſame day to depart, and rather to abſent our ſelues, and abandon the place which aboue all the woꝛld wee moſt loued, and ſo doe ſtill deſire to doe, then to ſee it encurre further hazarde oꝛ receiue greater domage: hauing withal entreated our moſt honourable Lady and Mother to ſtay, ⁊ try whether ſhe might thꝛough her diſcretion and authoꝛitie in our abſence bee able to finde anye means, how to appeaze the ſaid tumult, which notwithſtāding, whatſoeuer her endeuours, ſhe coulde not in our pꝛeſence perfoꝛme, and ſo are come into this our Towne of Chartres, from whence wee thought good immediatly to ſende you theſe pꝛeſentes therein deſiring you to conſider of the conſequence of this cauſe, how pꝛeiudiciall and hurtfull it will be, in caſe it goe foꝛward, vnto the cōmon cauſe, eſpecially to our holy catholike, Apoſtolike and Romiſh religiō, ſith that they who were wont to fight togither foꝛ the pꝛopagation therof, ſhal thꝛough this accident (if it bee not remedied) be diſvnited and foꝛced to turne their weapons cache againſt other: to eſchue the falling wherinto we pꝛay you to beleeue that foꝛ our partes we wil do whatſoeuer poſſibly we may: of ſuch foꝛce is the zeale that we beare vnto our ſaide religion, as hetherto we haue ſufficiently cauſed to appeare. We alſo, ſo much as in vs lyeth, exhort and pꝛay you to pꝛocure ſupplications to God in your Churches foꝛ this revnion, as alſo that the obedience vnto vs due, bee obſerued accoꝛding as is meete, and not to ſuffer the enhabitants of our Towne of M. to depart the right pathes thereof: but to admoniſh and perſwade them to remaine quiet and conſtant in their loyalties to their King: ⁊ in vnion and concoꝛd one with an other, ſo to mayntayne and pꝛeſerue themſelues vnder our obedience, and not to encurre the diſcōmodities foꝛ them pꝛouided, if they take any other courſe. Thus beſides that you ſhal perfoꝛme an action woꝛthy your diſcretions, fidelities and duties, which may bee a not able example to all ſubiectes, we ſhal yeelde you thanks foꝛ euer, ⁊ acknowledge it to you and yours.

Giuen at Chartres. May.

1588