Vpon example ? In no wise : for no Kingdomes , no Common-wealths , doe suffer these bloody and horrible acts , fitter for the most barbarous heathen , then for them that vaunt themselues to be the most Christian Christians .

Vpon Authoritie ? No : all the Ciuill and Canonicall Lawes are directly repugnant thereunto ; and these were established for the common good .

Let vs looke into the profit of this spirituall madnesse . Let vs enquire of experience what commoditie comes of it to the Common-weale . So many houses desolated , wholly ruinated ; so many widowes , so many orphanes , so many sutes , so many quarrels , or rather an eternitie of Quarrels . These are the fruites of this mortall tree , most bitter fruits , and a lamentable tree , which groweth continually by his losse , flourisheth in his winter , and whose greennesse will drie vp his rootes .

There is not almost any house in France , where this marke of the wrath of God is not read in great Characters , in Characters of blood . Nothing but teares , mournefull lights , sighes and tombes . In what time ? euen when all the Kingdome els are at quiet . In what age ? euen in the most flourishing age of life . For what subiect ? For false imaginations , for fantasies . Euery thing is sufficient to make these quarrellers goe into the field , be the occasion great or small . They be like the Naphta of Babylon , which takes fire as farre off as it is presented . They haue their hearts and spirits full of blood . For a glasse of water , for gloues , for silke stockins , for a feather , for a crabbed looke , for a thing of nothing , they are ready to cut throats . They which haue receiued great hurts , are mooued vpon the least change of the time : and these wretches bee prouoked by the least occasion , to go loose their bodies and soules , not knowing how , nor why . Doe they not goe about to kill one another , for that which is not yet in nature , and which they as little know as the day of iudgement ? It is an exorbitant frensie . Whosoeuer would consider all , should enter into a profound depth ; one folly hath so begotten others , what vanitie , what presumption , what brabling language , what brauadoes of ostentation ? wherefore is all this good ? The words are foolish , and the effects prodigious , we are ashamed to speake it . There haue been some , who hauing their enemie vnder them , haue held their weapon at their throat , and with execrable blasphemies , bidding them pray to God , haue therewithall killed them : what Christian vertue is this ? call you this Gentilitie ? count you this to be aboue the common sort ?

The most eager are lost by these light occasions , many times the most valiant , and almost at all times , the most happy , and most at hearts ease . What pitty ? what desolation is this ? After so much care had to bring them vp , euen when they beginne to know the light , and then become more worthy , beeing made fit to serue their Prince and Countrey , they root themselues out from the breast thereof , rashly , cruelly , detestably . Men dare marry no more , and they which haue children , will not vouchsafe to bring them vp carefully as they were wont , to make them capable to serue you . They dare send them no more to your Court , that is the Scylla and Charybdis , where they perish miserably ; the Altar where they be sacrificed continually ; the mournefull Schoole , where they find death , instead of learning ability to defend the life of the Prince , for the maintenance of the Estate . France soyled with the blood of her owne children a furious parricide , all horrible with wounds crieth out , casteth her selfe at your feet , tearing her haire , and craues mercy of you : will you deny it to your Subiects , to your seruants , hauing been so franke of it to your enemies ?

Then are you well grounded , Sir : The Pardons which your Maiestie doth so often giue , or to speake more properly , which are snatched from you by such importunitie , bee against the Lawes of GOD and Men ; against the vniuersall order of Kingdomes and Common-weales . Wee say so often , and not without cause , that is too well knowne . Wee will adde in so great a quantitie : For in one day onely in the voyage of Savoy , your Maiestie dispatched sixscore , which is monstrous . It is not simply to tollerate the euill , but to approoue , nourish , and command it .

All Diuines with a generall accord , and consent , doe say , that they which die in these miserable combates are damned : a fearefull sentence , and yet true . Your selfe doe say , Sir , and promise that you will make lawes ; you doe make them , and renew the old ones ; but to what end serue they , if they be not obserued ? There be many springs which play vpon this worke , many that haue the honour to approach your Maiesty , doe detest quarrells in word , and afterwards oftentimes are the cause of them , taxing them that they doe thinke are not valiant ( we say are valiant ) for these follies , for these friensies , extreame friensies . Is there any thing so ridiculous as the subiect of quarrells ? But alas ! there is nothing so deplorable as their euents .

Here is a strange mistery . This iniustice is acknowledged , and condemned of the most part , and yet if a Gentleman doe not go to Duel , he is despised , he is reproached . If he goes , and escapes the iron , he falls vpon the penne , he must passe through iustice . What a perplexitie is this ? What shall become of this miserable man ? He hath cut off one head , and out of that arised seauen others . Such a man is much troubled . There is yet more , and that is , that although they know your Maiestie will take order for it , and doe make edicts , yet the report runnes , that your Maiestie doe blame them which doe not fight . This is it , that prickes most . The Iudgements of Kings be Oracles , they excite the furics of Orestes ; no patience but it is lost , no consideration retained . What is all this ? light and darkenesse , hot and cold . The mischeife is , that vpon the rocks of these contrarieties , many doe rush , and are miserably lost .

There is not any in the world , that knowes what Honour , and Valour is , like you , Sir ; none , that makes them better vnderstood , better tasted by discourse , not any that for his owne particular , hath so well practised them , nor so exactly obserued , and so diligently and gloriously acquired the first ranke ; and none that makes them lesse obserued , and practised by others in these times . You must of necessitie know the efficient cause of so many disasters . And this it is ; the two rare peices , so exquisite and so precious whereof we come to speake , Honour , and Valour . By the one your Nobility will get the other , which beeing euill vnderstood , doth bring so much desolation , by the meanes of Valour so ill knowne , and so brutishly practised . All the world knowes , that the number of your trophies , doe exceed the number of your years . They are excellent tokens of the greatnes of your courage , which hath made you put downe the statues of Caesar by so many great exploites . There is nothing that your Maiesty can better vnderstand , then these two points , whereof it hath rendred so famous testimonies , & such extraordinary proofes . It belongs then to your Maiesty to reforme the disorder caused by them , since it knowes them so perfectly . You haue both will and power , the one from your clemencie and iustice , the other from your Authoritie . Your Maiestie is mooued thereunto by the knowledge of these iniust acts , inuited , pressed , and as it were reproached by these fit subiects . Your inimitable clemencie , hath produced inimitable effects : but who doubts of that , which hath made you the most famous Prince of the world , and of that which hath saued this Estate , hauing made you expose your life , so often , and so freely , for the conseruation thereof . In the meane time here is a bloody disorder , which continueth and encreaseth daily . By dispersing these clouds which will obscure the brightnesse of your glory , bought with so many hazardes , you shall conserue and augment that which you haue worthily gained . The continuance , and perseuerance , in doing well , be the sinewes , and reflexions of reputation . It is that which mooues it , it is that which encreaseth it . And the Tombe onely ought to bee the last line of vertuous actions : what can be imagined more exquisite , more triumphant ?

Let vs see the errour of men of this time : rashnes put on by all the most brutish passions , concupiscence , vanity , pride , reuenge , enuic , and other furies , naturall to men , they call courage ; these are the lime , and sand , but the workeman , and subtill Architect is the euill spirit . That this is true , doe but consider that euen they , who hardly doe beleeue a Paradise , who are so well pleased in the world , not knowing any other , and haue such occasion to abide in it , doe cast away themselues without cause , against their owne knowledge , against their iudgement , depriuing themselues of the world , with the blindnesses whereof , they are strooke as with the falling sicknes . And how ? by a loose vanity , by friuolous considerations , without reason , without foundation . It is a high secret : we must returne to that which we haue said , that it is the euill spirit which forgeth all these miseries . Doe we not also see , these killers early , or late , end their dayes with a violent death ? Blood is in the ende expiated by blood , sinne punished by the same sinne .

It is strange , that making the delights of the earth their heauen , respiring nothing but all sorts of pleasures , not testifying in their fashions , in their speach , in their effects , any apprehension of the estate of soules after this fraile life ( we say the most part ) are notwithstanding so forward , so resolute , to hazard that which they hold so deare . But if they doe beleeue a more happy life , after this mortall , iudge what their end is , what their iudgement , to quit their part thereof , so without purpose . Some say , there is great cunning among these people , that they make subtill shewes , but it falls out commonly that they are countermined by a iust iudgement of God .

Let a man well and wisely weigh the quarrells of these times , he shall see that pride and vanity , are the two great supporters thereof . Are not these excellent markes of a magnanimious courage ? The most part doe avowe , that that which they doe , is to aduantage themselues at an other mans cost : a weaknes of iudgement ; for if they whom they offend be not in reputation , there is no glory . If they be naughty fellowes ( as they say ) a man incurres a danger to continue in it . After death there is no more speach of that action ; if a man liues , the aduantage is not very great , as we will shew hereafter .

They are of opinion , that if they escape they shall be in better estimation with the Prince , and with all others . This false imagination , is one of the mortall poysons which venometh , which bewitcheth their soules , and rauisheth them to this despaire . Here is a wonderfull consideration : Vanitie blindeth them , and carrieth them to Iniustice , feeding them most daintily with a hot throat : this is vanity indeed . If the Prince in the most noble assemblies would blame and despise them , they would stay the torrent of their follies : but it happens , that in the presence of him , and others of the greatest , they praise such actions , tell stories of them , they extoll them , with applause , with admiration . See , say they , how handsomely he hath challenged him , how freely the other iumped with him , and being hindred , after they had giuen their faith not to fight ( an heroicall prowesse ) see how gallantly they broke it , to goe peirce their carkasses with ioy of heart , without any occasion of quarrell ; so they do magnifie a thousand wayes a beastly barbarisme , baptizing it with the most specious names of vertue . It is a winde that soundeth within these empty heads , and fils them with false imaginations , which takes away their wits . To be esteemed of the Soueraigne Prince , and of the great ones , is a charming flash of lightening which doth penetrate their soules . It is a magicke which surpasseth all the characters of the Cabalists , which dazeleth and decayeth their eyes , and iudgements , and teareth a man violently from himselfe .

We haue called these effects Despaire , and not greatnes of Courage . What will you say of them which do hang themselues , precipitate themselues , poyson themselues , runne themselues through with a rapier , starue themselues ? Doe they it not in despight of death ? It cannot be denied , some will answer , that all this , is imbecillity , blindnesse , rage , because the punishment doth not make the Martyr , but the cause of the punishment . It is well said , what difference put you betweene those desperate men , and the others which kill one another without iust cause ? you cannot find any in the least appearance .