1566. And to the Princes of Reformed with the Fact, and particularly fome Francis II. Ministers; he gave him to understand, that the Pope Prince of Condé's Reputation had been afperfed Pius IV. by the Confeffion of fome of the Confpirators, and infinuated, that if he was not abfolutely guilty, he was not entirely innocent; then he named to him two Minifters, viz. Bois-Normand and David, whom he charged with being Abettors of the Plot, and exhorted him to profecute them, and all others that had been concerned in it, and to extirpate them out of the Kingdom; which laft Order the King of Navarr executed with the greatest Severity; profecuting with the utmost Rigour, all thofe that were suspected * (i). He wrote also to several Princes of Germany, and fent to Frederick Elector Palatine, to Philip Landgrave of Heffia, and to Chriftopher Duke of Wirtemberg, Bochetel who was afterwards Bifhop of Rennes, under pretence of renewing Friendship with them: He called to their minds the many good Offices that Henry II. had rendered to them. Then, he gave them a full Relation of the Plot of Amboife, and let them know, that some of the Confpirators having been put upon the Rack, had charged them with their being privy to their Defign; but he gave no credit to fuch an Accufation, because the Revolutions in the neighbouring Empire would prove profitable to no-body lefs, than to the Princes of Germany. Therefore, he exhorted them to cultivate the Friendship settled between them, and to prefer the antient Conftitution, and the Quiet of the State, to a new and troublesome State of Affairs. To this the Princes of Germany answered, that the King's and Magiftrates Power and Authority had been always facred to them; but that R 3 the FrancisII. the King ought to take great care, not to fhew 1550. himself too indulgent towards fome, who being Pope Pias IV. moved by their own Paffions, more than by the Kingdom's Welfare, perfecuted People not guil ty of any Crime; Crime; therefore they defired the King to defift from tormenting the Innocent; and whereas they held the fame Opinions as they in Religious Matters, they could do no less than to endeavour to procure Peace and Quiet to their Brethren; and that if France would follow the Example of Germany, and grant to every one. Freedom, and Liberty of Confcience, it would prove at last, to be the best way to reftore Peace and Tranquillity in the Kingdom (j). LVI. and his Brothers leave the Court. At that fame time, Admiral Coligny, with his Admiral two Brothers, dreading the exorbitant Power of de Coligny the Guifes, departed with leave from Court; Dandelot went into Britany, where he had a very large Eftate. As for the Admiral, the Queen Mother ordered him to go into Normandy, and to endeavour to pacify the Commotions. of that Province, to enquire into the true Caufes of them, and to give her notice of every thing. To which the Admiral obeyed very exactly, acquainting the Queen, that the Guifes Ambition, and violent Government, was the only and true Caufe of them, and that if fhe defired to fave the King and the Kingdom, fhe ought to caufe the Edicts granted in the Reformed's behalf during the laft Troubles, to be religioufly kept, and not to perfecute the Inno LV II. cent. Mean while the Prifoners at Blois, after haThe Pri- ving been interrogated many times, and even foners of fome of them put to the Rack, having got feBlois, &c. efcape. cretly fome Ropes, made their efcape out of the Goal. The fame happened at Tours, and at the (i) Id. ibid. Caftle Pope Caftle of Vincennes, where Robert Stuart and An- FrancisIf. felme de Soucelles had been brought back Prisoners. But the Mayor of St. Aignan having fallen down from the Window, bruifed himfelf fo much, that he was not able to make his escape, and was clapt again into Goal. Pius IV. Stuart and De Soucelles, after their efcape, LVIII. wrote to the Cardinal of Lorrain in a bantering Letter of Bantering manner. They faid in their Letter, that they Stuart had heard with a deep Sorrow, that the Prifo- to the ners of Blois had made their efcape, and know- Guifes. ing that fuch a Fact would certainly vex his Eminency to the Heart, they had immediately put . themselves in a Difpofition to run after the Fugitives; that they were in hopes of overtaking them, and of bringing them back to him in better Company than before. The Cardinal, who was a perfect Coward, was much frightned at this; and, in order to prevent any farther Mischief, he condefcended to the Queen-Mother's Advice, and perfuaded the King to fet forth a new Edict, by which a free Pardon was granted to all Perfons who, under Pretence of Religion, had committed Crimes, provided that in fuch a time they should fincerely renounce their Herefies. In the Month of May, another Edict was published at Romorentin, by which it was enacted, that the Cognizance of the Crime of Herefy fhould be entirely devolved to the Ecclefiaftica! Courts, the Secular Magiftrates being entirely excluded from it. That Edict feemed in fome refpects favourable to the Reformed, fince the Cognizance of their Caufe being afcribed only to the Ecclefiafticks, who, by their Rule, are forbidden to fhed Blood, they faw themselves in fafety as to their Lives; but the Claufe inferted in it made it of no effect, fince they were forbidden R 4 LIX. The Edic of Romo rentin. Pope FrancisII. bidden to meet together, under the Penalty due 1560. to those who are guilty of High Treafon. UpPius IV. on which Prefident, le Maitre ufed to fay in bantering, We shall hang them as Seditious, and Strangle them as Hereticks; because he knew perfectly well, that it was impoffible for them not to affemble togethef for Worship, either in publick or in private. But the Chancellor confented to this Edict, to avoid a greater Evil, viz. the Inquifition of Spain, which the Guifes would by all means have fettled in France (k). LX. try at Tours. The King was perfuaded by the Guifes, beThe King's fore departing from Touraine, to make a publick publick EnEntry at Tours, lefs to do any Honour to that City, than to keep its Inhabitants in awe; because they were fufpected, not without reafon, of having countenanced the late Infurrection. Richelieu was fent before with his Fufiliers, who were no better than himself. This Man endeavoured, by his Behaviour, to pick a quarrel with the Inhabitants, and omitted nothing that could provoke them, that he might have an opportu nity of falling upon them, and of plundering their Houses. But his Hopes were fruftrated; for the Magiftrates having got timely notice of his wicked Defigns, had fent into every House, to warn the Inhabitants of it, and to exhort them to bear patiently every thing at his hand. The Day the King made his publick Entry, there happened by chance, (as it was faid) a very ridiculous thing, which incenfed the Guifes to the laft degree: A Baker had an only Son of about feven or eight Years old, who, after many Intreaties, had obtained from his Father to fee the Ceremony; he took a Miller's Afs, put on him his Wife's Cloak instead of a Saddle, then he laid his Boy ftark-naked upon him, hoodwinked him, put (k) Id. ibid. p. 751. Boze, liv. iii. p. 274. 1560. Pope put a wooden Morion on his Head painted in Sil- FrancisII. ver, upon which there was a Parrot picking continually the Child's Head: The Afs was led by Pius IV. two Youths, whofe Faces were painted black, and had a foreign Drefs. This kind of Mafquerade concluded the Proceffion. The Guifes having took notice of this, fuppofed that it was done on purpose, to make a mock of the Government. Many were of the fame Opinion, and thought, that the Child reprefented the King, and the two Youths in foreign Drefs the Cardinal and the Duke of Guife, who were Foreigners. Nevertheless, the Fact was excufed by the Sheriffs of the City, who having enquired into the Matter, had found that this had happened merely by chance, the Man being not of a capacity fufficient to play fuch Tricks out of Malice. (). The King made no longer ftay at Tours than LXI. for Dinner, from whence he went the fame Day Richelieu's Captain to lie at the Abbey of Marmoutier, where he wickedDeftaid fome Days at the Cardinal's request, who figns fru was Abbot of that Place. But Richelieu, vexed rated. to the heart that he could find no opportunity of executing his pernicious Defigns against the People of Tours, made ufe at laft of this Artifice, to enfiare the Reformed: He went about Midnight through the Streets with his Men, finging Pfalms aloud, that they might be heard; but, contrary to his Hope, he met with no body who would join with him, except two Lads that followed him at a distance. Enraged at this, he betook himself to fing Songs against the King, the Queen, the Royal Family, and the Ministers of State, fell a beating thofe that paffed by, abreaking the Windows with Stones. The next Day he went to Marmoutier, and made his Re (Thuan. ibid. p. 300. & Beze. port |