Certaine orations and answeres made by Iohn Casimire Countie Palatine of Rhyne ... vnto the French king & his embassadours in defence of ye maintenance of his peace, and Christian religion. Translated out of French. 1579.

❀The Charge of the Lord of Villiquier as he deliuered the same in vvrighting vnto my Lord the Duke Cassimir.

MY Lord, as touch∣ing the request which it pleased your highnes this mornīg to make vnto me, namely y^t I should in wri∣ting deliuer vnto you the charge which I haue receiued of my Maister y^e moste Chri∣stian King, I am not minded to deny you, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for that by woord of mouth, I haue not opened to you any other then y^e trueth, which his Maiestie willeth, and is minded to let you knowe.

His Maiestie therfore béeing sory to heare of the deceasse of my Lord the Countie Pa¦latine your Father, dooth neuerthelesse much reioyce and prayse God for that so wise a Prince as my Lord, at this present Elector, hath succeded him in the said E∣lectorall Dignitie, for the visitation of whome, his Maiestie hath now sent mée: commaunding mée by the way to sée your Highnesse, to the end to assure the same

that hée desireth nothing more then to looue you, as in effect he hath alredy, euen to this time giuen, you to vnderstand.

Also the more to confirme the goodwill which he beareth you: hée thought good by mée to giue you to vnderstād of his newes togither with the estate of his affaires, which are as followeth.

His Maiestie hauing summoned the generall Estates of his Realme vnto his Towne of Bloys, after many and large conferences among them holden within these thrée Months, they haue with one ge¦nerall assent in ful assembly, (whethery self was present) requested his Maiestie no longer to permit within his Domini∣ons any other then the exercise of the Ca∣tholick, Apostolick and Romain Religi∣on, whervnto at my departure his Maie∣stie was determined to condiscend. First therby to discharge y^e duty of his consciēce, which mooueth him after the example of other Kings his Predecessors so to doo, whotherby haue peaceably enioyed their estates. Next by reason that hetherto hée hath perceiued that the diuersitie of Reli∣gions haue with them brought into all

partes of his Kingdoome where they haue béen cstablished new, occasions of discen∣tion among his Subiects, yea euen amōg the quietest of them, and haue béen the on∣ly meanes to maintain them in deuisions and perticuler hatred: moreouer that it is to manifest that they haue not so much re∣quested y^e exercise of their said pretended reformed Religiō for any satisfiing or con∣tenting of their consciences, as for the maintenaunce of factions, practices, and drifts, ordinarily deuised against y^e auto∣tie of his said Maiestie, to whome by all meanes they endeuour to make them sel∣ues in power equall, by dayly more and more fortifying them selues, therby vpon euery occasion and oportunitie to disobey him, and so to shake of the Yoke of obedi∣ence wher vnto naturally they are bound, as the effects in each respect dooth make sufficiēt proofe, notwithstandīg in woords they would showe them selues deuoid of all such matter. As euen of late theire new supplying of la Charitie with fresh men of warre, contrary to the agréement made, to the end wholy to apropriate the same to thē selues doth manifestly declare

as also their seazing vppon sundry towns and Castels, in the Countries of Poictou, Xantoigne, Guyen, Daulphine, and Lan guedoc, togither with diuers murders & cruelties practised against the Catholicks doo showe the same. Againe his Maies∣tie on the other side, settīg before his eyes one thing woorthy consideration, which is, that hauing since the graunt of the last Edict taken all order possible to cause the tolleration of the exercise of the said pre∣tendid reformed Religion in sūdry towns and places within his Dominios, he hath not béen able to bring the same to passe, by reasō of the oppositions of the Catholicks who could not supporte the folly wherw^t they haue endeuoured to procéed.

And indéed perceiuing by all their déeds and demenures that they sought to en∣crease and multiply them selues to y^e ruin and ouerthrowe of them and their Catho∣licke Religion, they haue among them selues made Fraternities, Assotiations, and leagues one with an other for the conseruation bothe of them selues & their said Catholick Religiō, also y^e therby they may the better prouide for their owne af∣faires

Also where as it plesed you my Lord this morning to aleadge vnto me, y^t in asmuch as the exercise of the afore said Religion was not fréely permitted in Fraunce, it was an vtter breaking, & preuentīg of the Edict of pacification whervnto his Maies∣tie hath so solēnly sworne, I doo aunswere that contrarywise for the satisfiing to one of the Articles therof this assembly of E∣states was summoned, to the end that af∣ter the hearing of the complaints and greeuances of his Subiects, they might be prouided for as should séem requisit wher∣vnto he could not better satisfie then in v∣sing this determination which is corres∣pondent vnto the vniuersall request of the Deputies of the thrée orders of this Realme, namely the Church, the Nobili¦tie & the third Estate, agréeing also with the iudgement of his owne Consience, a∣gainst the which he should think him self dooing otherwise to erre. Wherfore to conclude, this is it which he thīketh may best serue and profit the generall common welth of his Realme and of all his Sub∣iects.

Thus subscribed

Villiquier.