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HEnry the second succeeding to the Crowne on his birth day, was consecreted at Rheimes in August 1547. Hee sent the Lord of Esse into Scotland, for a defence of that Countrey, and built a Fort over against that of Boullen: immediately af∣ter
the Commons of Guienne muti∣ned upon taxations whilst the King was in Piedmont, from whence, being upon his returne into France, he caused them to be punished by the Constable, and made his enterance into Paris: proclaimed open warres against Eng∣land, and renewed his allyance with the Swisses. Pope Iulius the third being in∣censed against the King for the City of Parma, solicited the Emperour to take up Armes against him, and to be∣leaguer Parma and Mirandula: whereup∣on the King made a prohibition of sending to the Court of Rome for mat∣ters of Benefices; and in the meane time he tooke Quiers, S. Damian, and other places of Piedmont: on the other side the Burgundions, and Hannuyers over∣runne the Countrey of Santois, above Peronne: but to requite them, the King making an expedition into Almany, by the policy of the Constable seezd of the Metz, and the Countrey of Messin, and
tooke the Duke & Dutchy of Loraine into his protection: Afterwards hee joyned forces with Duke Maurice, who falsifying his faith in his returne inva∣ded the Dutchy of Luxembourg, taking the Townes of Yvoy, Montmedy, Lumes, and Civay. In the meane time the Emperor marched to the siege of Metz, whence he was forced to dis-encampe with the losse of 30000 men, and threw himselfe upon Therouenne, which he tooke with the Castle of Hedin. The King on the other side tooke Mariem∣bourg, and other Townes in Piedmont. After that the Emperour quitting the Empire, retired himselfe into Spaine, to live a solitary life, and a peace for five yeares was concluded between the Emperour, the Kings of England and France, which continued not long. For warres being renewed betweene the said Kings, the day of St. Laurence, to the losse of the French: in revenge whereof the King tooke Cales, Gnines,
Hames, and the County of Oye: Peace after being made by the marriage be∣tweene King Philip, and the Lady Eli∣zabeth of France, and of the Duke of Savoy, with Madam Margarite, sister to the King; and in the continuance of the solemnity, the King running at Tilt, was hit in the eye, of which hurt he dyed at Tournells, the twentieth day of Iuly, Anno Domini 1559. and lyes interred at St. Denis in France.
This King having the good inclina∣tion of his Nature confirmed, by being well brought up under his Father, ordained many good Lawes for the re∣forming apparrell, providing for the poore, maintenance of Justice, and releeving his oppressed Subjects; but especially hee made a Law against swearing and blaspheming, and herein he did singularly well: but he disgraced these good actions, by permitting a bloody and fatall Combate, betwixt
Iarnac and Chastaignery, Gentlemen, upon the giving the lye, performed at St. German in Lay on the sixeteenth of July, before the King and divers Princes and Noblemen, wherein Jar∣nac, held the weaker, got the better, and gave the other many deadly wounds whereof he dyed; whereup∣on the King did forbid all Com∣bats.
Thus hee beganne his reigne with this Tragedy, and ended it with his owne; For at the marriage of Eliza∣beth of France, the King having pub∣lished a solemne running at the Tilt, (as is before mentioned) the King would needes be one of the Challen∣gers, and the second day of the Tourny, being perswaded by the Queene, and the Duke of Savoy to retire out of the Lists, he desired to runne once more against the Earle of Montgomery, who first refused, but afterward runne, and upon the Kings Helmet broke his
Lance, and with a splinter thereof (his Beaver being somewhat open) strikes him so deepe in the eye, so that he dyed in his house at Tournells, in the 44. yeare of his age. The day before his death he would have the Duke of Sa∣voy and the Lady Margaret his sister marryed in his Chamber. His heart was interred in the Celestines Church, in the Duke of Orleans his Chappell. His Character was good, but hee was for∣merly voluptuous, and permitted him∣selfe to be abused by his Officers, selling Lawes and his authority. For such Kings are but pictures of Princes with∣out life, all power remaining in the sub∣ject, to the oppression and wrong of the Land.