The French kinges declaration vpon the riot, felonie, and rebellion of the duke of Mayenne & the duke and knight of Aumalle, and all their assistants. Whereunto is adioyned another declaration of the same king, against the tovvnes of Paris, Orleance, Amyens, and Abbeuille and their adherentes. Faithfully translated out of the French.

¶THE KINGES DECLARATION vpon the Riot, Felonie, and Rebellion of the Townes of Paris, Orleance, Amyens and Abbeuille, with o∣ther their adherents.

HENRY by the grace of God king ofFraunce and Polande, to all men present and to come, gree∣tyng. God who of his deuine goodnesse of nothing hath cre∣ated man to his owne simili∣tude, and all thinges to serue him: The same God hath also constituted kinges withall au∣thoritie and soueraigne power ouer the nations, whom he hath giuen thē to rule & gouern: with this good order that they shall obey what soeuer they shall be comman∣ded, and the Prince shall commaund what soeuer his pleasure, as to his subiectes, in such maner as it can not be denied, but that he that disobeyeth his lawfull and natu∣rall Prince, resisteth the expresse word of God: & he that fulfilleth not his commaundements and yet termeth him selfe his sonne, is a lyer.

Now among all kinges instituted by God, we through his grace beare the title of Most Christian, and be the chiefest of all Christian Kinges, as also the Frenchmen

haue euermore bene noted aboue all natiōs in the world, to haue bene most faithfull and loyall seruants and sub∣iectes to their kings, and to that Royall dignitie which God of his grace hath giuen vs, together with the sword of povver, for the preseruation of the good and the pu∣nishment of the vvicked: hereto haue vve added all the fauours and benefites, all the giftes, grauntes and honours, wherewith we haue bene able to beautifie en∣rich and augment our Tovvnes of Paris, Orleance, A∣myens and Abbeuille, and neuer denyed thē any thing that might tend to their relief and increase, thereby to conteyne and still moue them more and more, to that obedience vvhich iustly they owe vnto vs: But as the horse pampered vp vvith the care and charges that his master hath bestovved vpon him to haue him vvell tended, doth kicke his benefactor, onely because he is too fat and hath bene too vvell vsed, and therefore vvill not suffer his master to take his backe, so the said Townes of Paris, Orleance, Amyens and Abbeuille, through our great fauour aboue all the Tovvnes in this our realme& by enioying to much liberty haue in con∣tempt of Gods commaundementes, and of too great ingratitude taken armes & risen against vs their natu∣rall and lawfull king, endeuoring by their treacherie to depriue vs of our liues & authoritie, in recompence of our liberalities, & because vve had exalted them aboue their desertes. Howbeit in consideration that the sim∣plicitie of some may haue bene seduced through false suggestions, and vnder pretence of pietie or Religion: vvaying also the innocencie of others vvhich inhabite the same townes, & yet were no partakers in so damna∣ble coūsels, to the end not to vndoe the good through the wickednes of the bad: Al these considerations, toge∣ther with our naturall clemency had procured vs not onely to forget all matters past, but also of our selues to

seek vnto those that had so grieuously offended vs, to the end to haue receiued them into our fauour, and to haue cherished & embraced them as our good and loyal sub∣iects, vpon the confession of their faults, & such submis∣sion as iustly they owe vnto vs: But in liew of acknow∣ledging their errours and humbling themselues, as men forsaken of God for their contempt and disobedience a∣gainst his expresse commandement, and vpon their Felonye and Riot committed against their lavvfull and naturall Kinge, they haue spitte their venoume a∣gainst the Bishoppes, Prelates, Magistrates, Nobilitie, and al sorts of people vvithout distinction or considera∣tion of calling or crime, onlie because that obeying the expresse vvord of God, they remained faithfull to their prince, and vvould not with them become rebelles and infidels to God and their king: yea they exceeded so far as to kill and violently to dismisse the Curates of their charges only for exhorting the people to praye to God for their king: & as the said townes are extreme in their treacheries, fellonies, and rebellions, so haue they not to this hower fogottē or absteined frō any one iot of cruel∣tie, no not of sacriliege: and yet wil they do worse in case they be not preuented by punishments worthy their fel∣lony and detestable rebellion. We vpon these causes with other iust considerations therunto vs mouing, haue with the aduise of the Princes of our blood, the Cardi∣nals, Prelats, Lords & others of our counsell, declared, & by these presents signed with our owne hand, do declare the said townes of Paris, Orleance, Amyens & Abbeuille, fallen frō all estats, honors, power, gouernment, charges, dignities, priuiledges, gifts or graunts what soeuer they haue had of vs or other the kinges our predecessors, all vvhich vve haue and at this present doe reuoke. And vve haue denounced and declared and do denounce and de∣clare thē to be rebels attaint, and conuict of the crimes of

Riot, Felonie and Treason, in the highest degree. Also vve vvill that as such they be proceeded against, as vvell they as al those that do inhabite among them or shal assist thē vvith victuals, counsell, comfort, aid, force, or goods, and against their posteritie, by all meanes and rigours of any ordinances made against the said transgressions: vnles by the 15. day of the moneth of March next ensuing the date hereof, they acknowledge their trespasse, and returne in∣to the obedience that iustlie they ovve vnto vs, euen by the commandement and expresse vvord of God, contra∣rie to the which, they cannot be called Christians.

Further vpon the same penalties enioyning all officers of our Courts of Parliament, Chamber of accoumptes, generall of Aydes, chauncery, recordes of our treasurie, chamber of moneys, presidiall sease, bayliwickes, senes∣chalsies, prouostships, elections & other bodies & com∣panies, as well of iudgement as of our treasury, vshers, notaries and sergeantes, and generally all other our offi∣cers that are in the sayd townes, immediatly vpon notice of these presents to come forth, by what soeuer meanes or maner and to draw vnto vs, or to such other places as by vs they shall be appointed, and there to minister iu∣stice to our subiectes, and to execute all other functions incident to their offices, the exercise whereof we haue sus∣pended and forbidden, and do suspend and forbid in the sayd townes together with all Courtes, Iurisdictions, & notice of matters, declaring from henceforth to be voyde and of no effect or value, all and euery their actions by them to be done, wrought, or attempted contrary or to the preiudice of these presentes: whereby we commaund our chief vsher, sergeaunt or other officer, to signifie vnto them either ioyntly or seuerally these presentes: Also in case they can haue no safe accesse thereto, we will and our pleasure is, that the signification or placardes thereof set vs vpon the gates, walles, or suburbes of the sayd

Tovvnes by our chief Trompetter, or if he can not safely approch so neare to that effect, then in the next Borough or Village, to be effectual and of like force and strength, as if it were done to their owne persons, bodies or com∣panies. Inhibiting and forbidding al our subiectes what∣soeuer, not to prosecute in the sayd Townes, before the said Courtes, seas or officers any what soeuer expedition, whether of iustice or otherwise, vnder payne of nullitie, as also of being denounced fauorers and adherentes to the sayd rebelles, seditious and disloyall persons.

We doe moreouer commaunde and adiure all our good faithfull and loyall subiectes, of whatsoeuer fun∣ction or calling, by the same fidelitie vvhich iustly they owe vnto vs, and vvhich God and their honour do com∣maunde, and by the ashes and memory of their forefa∣thers, vvho so many yeares and with such payn, sweat & labour haue purchased vnto them, that precious treasure and immortall name of most faithfull to their king, that in this matter, of such importance, vvhereupon depen∣deth the preseruation or subuertion, not onely of our authoritie but also of Christian Religion, the state, and them selues, that they ouerrunne the said traytors and re∣belles, and assist vs with their forces and habilitie, and draw vnto vs vppon our first summons, to punishe all such as will persist in their treasons, and to restore our authoritie together with our estate into their former eminencie and dignitie to the honour ofGod, the pre∣seruation of our Catholicque Apostolicque and Romish Religion and the relief of our subiectes, wherein we are resolued to employ vvhat soeuer our meanes toge∣ther with our life. Also to the ende none may pretend cause of ignoraunce we haue decreed and do decree that these presentes bee read and published, in all our soue∣raigne Courtes and sease Royall, that are of the ressort of the sayd Parliament: For such is our pleasure. In wit∣nesse

whereof, we haue caused our seale to be set and affixed hereto, that it may remaine firme and stedfast for euer.

Giuen at Bloys in the moneth of February the yeare of Grace. 1589. and of our raigne the 15. Thus signed HENRY, and vnderneath. By the King: Rusé, and sea∣led vvith the great seale, vvith greene vvaxe vpon red and greene silke laces.