IT is not the property of greatest sorrowes , to speak much , for teares & heart-breaking sighes are fittest demonstrations to declare the greatest passions ; which maketh mee expresse in fewe Words , the great griefe , and publique sorrow France at this time suffereth : nowe then , and 〈◊〉 posserity euer lament , that last Friday , the foureteenth daye of May : the next day after the ●●c●ing , and coronation of the Queene out great Henry ( or most famous memory ) King of France and Nauarre , beeing at Paris about three of the clocke in the afternoone , intended to goe to his Arcenall : tooke his Caroch , and as a Prince which liued without feare or suspition of his people , passed through the City , accompanied with fewe of his Nobilitie ; without taking for his better assurance , either Archers , or any of his vsuall Gard.

But mischiefe , or rather our sinnes procured , that an accursed and execrable assasigne named Francis Rauaill●rt , borne in Angoulesme , approached his person , not farre from S. Innocents ; where seeing his Maiesties Caroche stayed by a Cart , which met and stopped their passage ; taking opportunity , assaulted with most hellish fury this good King , with a long knife , made of purpose ; with which hee gaue him two wounds in the left side : the first was giuen nigh the shoulder , which entered not farre ; but onely rased the skinne : the second was mortall , the blowe entering betwixt the fift and sixt rib , cut asunder the veine leading to the heart ; and the wound was so deepe , that it reached into the Caua Vena , which was pierced with the point of the knife . The Prince finding himselfe wounded to death , lost vpon the instant his speech , by reason of the aboundance of bloud , which issued outo his mouth , therfore they turned the caroch to the Louu're , where hee was no sooner arriued , but hee rendred his soule into the hands of Almighty God ; testifying with his eyes and hands lifted vp to heauen , that hee died a true Christian and good Catholique : My Lord the Archbishop of Ambrun , doing the last seruice of a Church-man , exhorted him in this last action .

Is it not now a wonder to the Christian world , to see France a second Affrike , breeding such detestable monsters ? What shame doth this age breede to that of our forefathers ? What disastre that a king of France should not escape the rage & fury of a cut-throat villaine his owne subiect ? Wicked villaine , thou hast bereaued vs of this great Prince , whom we lament with teares , & whose losse we shall euer feele . Thou thoughtest in thy damnable dessigne to swallow vs vp in a gulfe of misery and desolation . but God in his goodnesse hath relieued vs , and otherwise disposed the hearts and affections of the French , then thou in thy frenzie diddest imagine , or the hellish counsell of Sathan suggest . The darke prison wherein thou art iustly enclosed , where new torments are inuented and prepared to chastise thy offence , will not let thee see , how that for all thy wicked act , all things remaine constant in the same tranquility they were before . It is to Gods grace alone we owe the thanks , yet denie not due praise to those instruments he hath vouchsafed to vse : for the Lords Officers of the Crowne , this famous Court of Parliament , the Magistrats of Paris , haue al with one heart & common consent , succored & assured the estate ; so that there is not any shew of commotion or sedition amongst this great people : Resolution and modestie , which maketh the Parisians much to be commended , and serueth as an example to all the other Prouinces of the Realme .

Thou ( I say ) canst not see how in the same houre of thy horrible attempt , all the Nobility ran to the Louu're offering , and protesting their fidelity ; thou seest not though the father be taken away , the sonne is left vs , to succeede in gouernment , yong though he be , yet shall he be strengthened with the sage aduise of great Princes , & the Queene his mother , who a midst her great griefes will remember the common good ; and hath vouchsafed for our comfort to accept the Regencie , and gouernment of the kingdome . In the presence of the Princes Peeres , the Constable , the Chancelour , the Cardinals , the Marshals of France , & other the great officers of the State , all assembled in the great Chamber of the Pallace , with authority of the Court of Parliament , his lawfull successour sitting in his throne , was solemnly acknowledged , and proclaimed king of France the fifteenth of May .

In summe , this young Prince is so worthily brought vp , in the loue , and feare of God with all other vertues ; which serue to the ornament of a great king , that treading in the footesteps of the late king his father hee will cherish Religion , loue Iustice , be generous , meeke , affable , gracious , and shine in a full lustre as a faire sunne ouer all France . All things shall flourish vnder his raigne , his people shall blesse him , &c with fixed eyes to heauen , shall pray God for his happy preseruation .

Thus now we see , this Prince happily established , so well maintained , with force of armes , aduise of Councell , and loue of his subiects : that it shall be in vaine , for any to dare to stir without receiuing condigne chastisement : since then the entry to his kingdome is so blessed , and seconded with the fauours of heauen , let vs not prouoke the anger of God , by out euill demeanors ; let vs so behaue our selues , that amongst all the French , onely this assasine be detested , and held in abhomination amongst strangers , let vs remenber that as there is nothing that raiseth tempests at Sea , but contrary winds , so nothing that troubleth a state but disunion if our owne iudgment and capacitie canot instruct vs , yet let the schoole of reason reach vs , let vs consider that in a humane body , there is an head , and vnder that head many noble parts , that the member that is destined to one seruice , dareth not exercise another office , the legs will not be the armes nor the lunges the hart ; likewise in a well ordered estate , one is acknowledged for head , & gi giueth life to all the other members , which worke nor mooue but vnder his authority , so that euery one acquitting himselfe of his dutie . by a good vnion and correspondence , kingdomes are conserued & of small ones become great : whereas contrarywise by disunion and ●ars , great ones haue beene ruinated , and come to nothing .

Remember you French men : that it is aboue 1200. yeres , since ●he kingdome of France , hath bin ●euerenced for one of the greatest Monarchies in the world , tak heed that posterity do not reproach vs , that the mine of it happened in our age ▪ And that by our rage we haue demolished , that which our auncestors haue raised by their wisedomes and valours : and if the publicke interest money on not let euery one at least be 〈…〉 hi … of his ow●● particular we are all e●barked in one vessell , if it perish , it will be ●●●g … 〈…〉 ell if any of vs escape : we are all in one 〈…〉 , if that fall weshall al be ouerwhelmed in the ●●●●…er Let vs not forget , that we are yet wet with our last ship wracke , that it is not many yeeres , since we we●e freed from ciuill wars ▪ the desolation wherof neuer comes alone , but is alwaies attended with plague , famine , and all othe sort of calamitie , as the losse of our goods , and estates , the imprisonment and ransoming of our bodies , the sacke and spoile of our Cities , the rauishing of our wiues & daughters , & the bloody death of our children ▪ Let vs know that experience is the mistresse of fooles , let vs not waite to repent of the mischiefe , after we haue felt the smart by our folly : Wee are now in peace , let vs continue preserued , and seeke to maintaine it by the helpe of God . Let vs not bee like sorcerers , and Magitians , which cause raine , and thunder by their charmes , contrary to the course of Nature mischiefes , and m●series come but too soone , let vs not prouoke them , or goe to meete them .

You great ones which haue the charge and gouernment of the kingdome , in the name of God , haue no other obiect before your eyes , but the good and seruice of your King , aboue all flie disunion , which like a wicked Counsailour seeking to ruine others , ouerthrowes it selfe , assure your selues , the greatnes of the estate , is the greatnes of your owne , her tranquility and establishement , is the base and foundation of your owne families . Study not who shall ouerthrow his companion , but who shall best & most faithfull serue his Country ; it is onely the property of weake and shallow men , to flesh themselues with enuie , rancour , and dissimulation ; carie you all your hearts in your faces . loue one an●●her that you may the better serue one Master ▪ It shall be your prosperity , and doubt not but that in a state there are more good than wicked , and that there was neuer any mutinous or factious , but in the end was curbed by the authority of his Soueraigne .

You haue at this day a king redoubtable , ouer whose person the eye of the diuine prouidence doth so wateh , that though he be yet young , hee shall not be the lesse obeyed or feared throughout all his kingdome : the Edicts of the late king his father , shall be obserued as his owne : you shall haue him a common father ouer his people .

It is said that Alexander , made no distinction betwixt Greeke and Barbarian , but only by their v●rtues , not resting vpon the difference of their habite . So our king shal iudge who are good and bad French men , onely by the marke of their obedience , and fidelity : euery one shall haue part of his grace and fauour , as he shall make himselfe worthy by his seruice .

In such sort , that all thinges beeing so firmely established within the Realme , we shall not haue cause to feare any danger from without the king is in peace with his neighbours , and we assure our selues there is none of them , but is so good and generous , that he doth deplore this sinister accident , happened to the late king , & though he had , before the death of this Prince , dessignes & means to endammage France , he doth now turne his hate into loue , moued onely by commiseration of this disaster : And if we may now hope for this tendernesse of heart from Princes , which be strangers , what ought we to expect from those who are naturally borne French ? God for his mercy inspire France with so much of his grace , that not wanting counsell , true and lawfull commaund , wee may render that obedience and submission , which good and loyall subiects , owe vnto their Soueraigne . Pelletier .