AFrica no longer engendreth monsters . The Ayre of Europe conceiueth them : France nourisheth & bringeth them vp : Spayne aduoweth them : and Italy sanctifieth thē : of Bastards she legitimateth them : and of simple vntimely birthes , maketh them perfect men : By them is Christiandome molested : Christian●ie scandalized & the Church deuided . To be short , all order●s so peruerted , that traitors are named Confederates : seditious persons , good Catholickes : Newters , trustie and well aduised persons : Rebels , riualls in estate : seruants , home-borne Children : strangers , naturall and originaryes of the Realme : yea euen supporters of the estate & pillers of the Church : Euery one complayneth of the disease , but no man seeketh remedie . The Gangrene taketh holde of the vlcer , & in liew of a burning corosiue they applie hurdes dipped in oyle and viniger . Phisitions scorne the diseased person , and the search of the Surgions penetrateth not to the quicke : Nature seeketh to ouercome the violence of the sicknesse , and no man secondeth her . The medicines are contrary vnto it : The crisis or iudgement is not noted : None is in doubt vpon the thing that is not feared : Feare neuer surmounteth desire , desire surpasseth dutie : & to conclude in one worde , all things are indifferent to a soule euil borne , & to a corrupt & depraued minde : We had bene lost if we had not so bene . The felicitie of France is like the Phaenix : who in her death procureth another borne like to her selfe , and out of her mortall ashes draweth a flame of life which cannot be quenched in her posteritie .

The late King of happie memory , when he relieued vs found himselfe ouer-whelmed : In easing vs. he found him selfe oppressed : and returning vs into life , himselfe dyed . He dyed I say , not in the middest of his victories : but in the beginning of his tryumphs he stumbled vpon the ruynes of his enimyes : and he found none so repugnant to his good , as those whose safetie & peace himselfe had established : The soules of the rebels do yet sigh in the playnes of Jarnac and Moncontour , & do arise against the murderer that slue him , because suspicion hath condemned them : yet this trespasse it self is not able to make this man guilty , euen in the sight of those for whom this great King abandoned his lyfe to so many hazards which the hea● 〈◇〉 ●gnosticated vnto vs : whose ver tues were inuinci●●● 〈◇〉 victoryes were most certaine : to whome the 〈…〉 of his were vnknowne : & his triumphes do●●●●●● & daylye . With him was infamye a stranger , & 〈◇〉 ●●gither inuiolable & most holy : Our cowardlynes●●● 〈◇〉 ●●eated him , whome the enimies army durst neuer 〈…〉 the Church who had lost her voice , had not he● 〈…〉 rument thereto , hath iniuriously condemned hi● 〈◇〉 ●●ction is extreame , the excesse stealeth away the cre●●● 〈◇〉 honour is ingadged : The posteritye will disadvo● 〈◇〉 & such as shall be borne of vs into this worlde , sha●● 〈◇〉 are in a better to name themselues our children , Y●● 〈◇〉 ●●ying of the Poet will be found true .

Againe , it 〈◇〉 knowne what enterprises and practises haue bene wro●g●● against his Maiestie who now reigneth , whome the heauens do so manifestlye fauour , that all that doubt thereof are Athiests , and such as doe not admire & reuerence him , euen prophane & vngodly persons . We may euidently perceiue and as it were palpablye feele , that many gouernours haue their perticuler deuises concerning the K. death , & easilye may we iudge how much they are deceiued , considering the onely iniustice of their conceits doth confound them , that the apprehension thereof dooth destroye them , and that their consciences do torment them with a scourge , which ingratitude layeth about their shoulders , as an instrument destined to that onely end . I beseech you tell me , what became of the inheritours , not of the desert but of the dominions of great Alexander ? All the Princes & Lords of Grece thought to finde a second life in his first death : but hardly was himselfe buried , before they were all found in their graues : In stead of gaine , reaping nothing but repentance : for a kingdome , the desire of one : for assurance , dispaire : for a place of retract , the tombe : & for choise from bad to better , onlye death . Such were Eumenes , Demetrius , Ptolomie , Antigonus , Saleuchus , of whom some lost both liues & kingdomes , & some endured tribulations more forcible , and torments more cruell and bitter then death . And therfore that Poet , semeth to haue some reason , that said : A Captaine for glory it maye well beseeme , After his conquest still to sutuiue : Or if by fortune men daunted him dee me , In fame of vertue after death to reuiue .

What will become of so many ingratefull Lordes if our prince should miscarie : or what will become euen of the princes themselues , when all obedience is violated , subiection buried , the ambition of perticuler persons encreased , malice in generall accomplished , and disorder perfected ? Among the princes of Jtaly some doe acknowledge the empire , and some are of the popes homage : They can encurre no displeasure neyther susteine any iniury , but either the one or the other will support them : but who shall protect these men , considering that only one Charles the fift triumphed ouer all the princes of Germanie within the space of four monthes , who in effect & apparance had all bene lost , had it not beene for the succour that they receiued from Henry the second ? If they frame the substance or bodye of an army , who shall be the head ? If they haue none , who can fight without a head ? But if there be a head , who will endure it , considering they coulde not brooke a lawfull King ? And in the meane tyme what shall become of the people ? Shall not they be led as beares or bulles by the noses to be the pastimes of the passions of some Chastelaine or warder , in whose forhead tirannie shal be written with the verie blood of his fellow Citizens ? yea whereto shall the church be reduced , when euery souldier wil be curat of his owne village , & euery Captaine Byshop of his owne garison ? Where I beseech you shall wee finde labour , & due reward for the same ? May tirantes rest in sastie , where kinges are debarred that felicitie ? will men practize that course toward them which they haue abhorred toward others ? Counsailers & Presidents should become factionaries to those that liue vnder their iurisdictions : and they that are the protection of kinges should liue vnder the halbarde of some Corporal , or paraduenture of some watchman or scout .

All this had almost come to passe in the hurt of our King ( whom heauen would in our behalfs immortalize , in case our selues were as worthy as his desertes doe bind vs to wish it & our necessitie do inuite vs ) His death would haue quailed our libertie : his fall would haue ouerwhelmed our felicitie : his losse would haue made desolate our families : his absence woulde haue acquainted vs with that which wee feare : his ship wrack would haue swallowed vs vp : and the breaking of so great a body would haue bred a rocke in Europe wherevpon Saint Peters ship would haue bene quite split and vtterly wrecked . Beleeue me not my maisters : I woulde to God I might be found a lyer in all that I am to tell you . And this is it : namely that certaine Capucines , Peuilians & other fryers of this towne dare freely confesse that they neuer pray vnto God for the King : because ( say they ) the pope hath not absolued him : as if it were lawfull for him to condemne innocency : to iudge of that which is not in controuersie : & to alienate from Gods grace the person that in such humilitie doth beg it : That surely ther is superstition in this so vaine & presumptuous rigour , considering all counsailes doe mayntaine that it is not the Bull that excommunicateth the man , but the fault : also that the fault is taken away when repentance taketh place , which serueth as a beginning of absolution and an end of punishment ( my speech is of the same which spirituall Iudges may inflict ) why doe they therefore endeuour to bewitch our soules , by ministring vnto them a food so vnseasonable for a christian , who ought to pardon the offence euen before it bee accomplished , and rather to complaine and grow bitter against the peruers nature of the persecuter , then to returne vpon the persecuted : for it is writen : I will wait vntill the Sunne goe downe , and J will be a light vnto his steps , least he should fall . The Curates of all parishes do powre foorth their praiers to God for the King : All lawes both of God and man doe ordaine the same : And his benefites doe in generall bind vs thereunto : yet shall these men as rebels and men guiltie of treason make a diuorce in the church & escape , I wil not say vnpunished , but euen vnreproued ? The kinges subiectes doe feed them : yea the kinges them selues haue established them : and now shall they vpon some barbarous error , togither with a malitious pretence , free themselues from that duety wherto nature bindeth them and the generall societie of men doth call them ? Shall they commit such impietie only in France : because the contempt of the lawes & royal dignitie is so great that the princes are not regarded but vpon humours : neither the laws obserued , but for a fashion , & yet that also rather in aparance thē in effect ? The simple people whose minde is not capable of any profound reasoning & which beleueth no more then itself imagineth , is incontinently drawen to the purpose of these fryers , who for bread doe preach vnto them a reuolt : terrifying the weaker consciences , & shaking the beast founded by I wot not what manner of threatning , which serueth as a torture to deuout consciences , an ambush to the kings life , trouble to the common wealth , and argument of superstition and offence to the Church , whose iust & holy weapons are neuer emploied against such as acknowledge their dueties to her , and liuing vnder her standerd are resolued there vnder to fight , euen to the death . Can any thing be more impertinent or of a more cowardly disposition , then that some of the kings officers who barking at the shadowes of Miters & red hattes with eloquence rather artificiall then naturall & with farther fetches then reason , haue hitherto maintained the Iesuites with such feruency that they enflamed the speches of theyr maisters faithfull seruants & conuerted thē into smoke , euen at such time as the kings life was in question , & that men protested against them in respect of the smale accompt that they made , to the end they might rest in credite with the pope & his formall creatures the Iesuites ? A little thing woulde make me to tearme you the vnthankfull Pyes or layes of this great cadge : I haue couradge enough to vndertake it & more then sufficient argument to put it in effect : But I will forbeare you , for the honor of France , as also for that albeit yee escape the hand of man , yet is not Gods hand subiect to any palsey : you shal haue no greater enemies then your selues : & albeit your offices & dignities doe free you from temporall punishment , yet wil men iudge you worthy therof . For the punishment make not the martir but the cause : but it is ennough that your ententes do make you parties , & that al the worlde doth see that you haue wrongfully supported the Iesuites , out of whose house as out of an Arcenal or storehouse is issued that accursed piece , who in only one person had almost with lightening kindled al France from whence al Europe should haue bene set in combustion & in such vniuersall desolation your selues ( as I think ) haue bene brought into ruine . yet doth one thing put me in comfort & make mee to hope wel : namely that our maisters of Paris haue in this last essay of treason made full proofe of their fidelitie . For there was not any familye but re●oiced at the preseruation of the king and the punishment of the paricide . The salutations by bonfyers & praiers , in that respect powred foorth , do induce a perpetual obliuion of al former transgressions of the enhabitants of Paris , who in one onely might haue made a perfect day of that credit which his maiesty is to take of their seruice , wherein affection sitteth as president , with so much truthe , that the testimonie therof is wonderfull , & the hope of their continuance certaine and infallible .