The Furious Outrages of France and the Horrible Slaughter, Letter 1 – Letter 3
THE KINGS LETTERS, TO the Gouernours of Burgundie, wherby he chargeth thoſe of the houſe of Guyſe, for the murder committed vponupon the Admirals perſon, and for the ſedition which hapned at Paris, and commaundeth that the Edict of Pacificatiō ſhould be kept and reteined.
COuſin, you hauehave perceyued what I wrote vntounto you yesterday, concerning my couſin the Admirals wounding, and how readie I was to do my endeuour to ſearch out the truth of the deed, and to puniſh it, wherein nothing was left vndone or forgotten. But it happened ſince, that they of the houſe of Guyſe, and other Lordes and Gentlemen their adherents (whereof there be no ſmall number in this Citie) when they certainely knewe that the Admirals friendes would proceede to the reuenge of his hurt, and bicauſe they were ſuspected to bee the authours thereof, were ſo ſtirred vp this last night, that a great and lamentable ſedition aroſe therof, inſomuch that the Garde by me appointed for his defence about his houſe, was ſet vponupon, and he himſelfe with certaine of his Gentlemen ſlaine, and hauock of other made in diuers places of the Citie: which was handled with ſuch a rage, that I coulde not vſe the remedie that I woulde, but had much ado to employ my Gardes and other defence for the safetie of my self and my brethren within the castle of Louure, to give order hereafter for the appeasing of this seditiō, which is at this houre wel appeased thankes be to God, and came to passe by a particular and priuate quarell of long time fostered betwixte those two houses. VVhereof when I foresawe that there woulde succeede some mischieuous purpose, I did what I could possibly to appease it, as all men knowe. And yet hereby the Edicte of Pacification is not broken, which I will to bee kepte as straightly as euer it was, as I hauehave giuen to vnderstand in al places throughout my Realme. And bicause it is greatly to be feared, that such an execution might stirre vp my subiectes, one against another, and cause great murders through the cities of my Realme, whereby I should be greatly grieued, I pray you cause to bee published and vnderstoode in all places of your gouernement, that eueryevery person abide and continue in the safegarde of his own house, and to take no weapons in hande, nor one to hurt another vponupon paine of death: commaunding them to kepe & diligently to obserue our Edicte of Pacification. And to make the offenders and resisters, and such as would disobey and breake our will, to be punished, you shal assemble out of hand as great force …s you can, as well of your friendes as of thē that be appointed by me and of others, aduertising the captaines of Castles and Cities in your gouernement, to take heede to the safegarde and preseruation of the sayde places, so that no fault ensue on their behalfe, aduertising me also so soone as you can, what order you hauehave giuen herein, and how al things hauehave passed within the circuite of your gouernement. Herevpon I pray God to keepe you, Cousin, in his holie safegarde.
At Paris the .xxiiij of August. Signed CHARLES, and vnderneath, BRVLARD.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM the King to the Lorde of Prye, his Lieutenant generall in Touraine, vponupon the same matter that the former letter was.
MOnsieur de Prie, you hauehave vnde▪ stoode howe my cousin the Admirall was hurt the last day, and in what readinesse I was to do as much as in me lay, for the tryall of the fact, and to Wuse so gret and spedie iustice to be done as should be an example throughout all my Realme, wherin nothing was omitted. Since it is so happened, that my cousins of the house of Guise, and other Lords and Gentlemen their adherents, which are no smal partie in this to wne, as all men know, hauing gotten certaine intelligence that the friendes of my sayd cousin the Admirall intended to pursue and execute vponupon them the reuenge of this burte, for that they had them in suspiciō to be the cause and occasion therof, have made such a stirre this night passed, that among them on both partes hath be…e raised a great and lamentable tumulte: the Garde that was set about the Lorde Admirals house, was distressed, himself slayne in his house with diuers other Gentlemen, as also great slaughter hath ben made of other in sundrie places and quarters of this towne: which hath bene done with such furie, that it was impossible for me to giuegive such remedie as was to be wished, I hauing enough to do to employe my Garde and other forces to kepe my selfe in safetie in the Castle of Louure, to the end to giuegive order for the appeasing of the whole vproare, which at this houre (thankes bee to God) is well quenched, for that the same happened by the particular quarell that hath of long time bene betwene those two houses, where of alwayes hauing some doubt that some vnhappie effecte woulde e… sue, I hauehave (as is well knowne to all men) before this time done all that I coulde for to appease it, nothing in this last fact tending to the breache of my Edicte of pacification, which contrary wise I will in all things to be mainteined, as at any time heretofore, as I do giuegive it to vnderstand thorowout my Realme. And forasmuche as it is greatly to be feared that this may stirre vp and cause my subiectes to rise one against another, and to commit great slaughters in the to wnes of my Realme, whereof I would be maruellously sorie, I pray you that immediatly vponupon the receyte hereof, ye cause to be published and done to vnderstande in al places of your charge, that eueryevery man as wel in towne as in countrey, remaine in reste and suretie in his house, and do not take armes one against another, on payne of death: And that more diligently than at any time heretofore, yee cause the last Edict of Pacification to be kepte and carefully mainteyned and obserued. To the intente aboue sayde, and to punish such as shall do to the contrary, and to distresse all suche as shall rise and dysobey our pleasure, ye shal immediately assemble all the strength that ye are able, as well of your friends being of our allowance as others, aduertising the gouernors, and captaines of townes and Castels within your charge, that they take goodheede to the suretie and safe keeping of their peeces, in such sort as there ensue no default, informing me with speede of such order as you shall take therin, and how all things shall proceede within the compasse of your authoritie. I hauehave here with me my brother the King of Nauarie, and my Cousin the Prince of Conde, to take suche hap as my selfe. I pray the creator, Monsier de Prye, to holde you in his holy safegarde.
From Paris this .xxiiij. of August. Thus signed CHARLES, and vnderneth PINART.
These letters are all of one argument as the former be, and written all in one forme, and al one day to Monsier de Prye the Lieutenant of Touraine.
THE KINGS LETTERS TO the officers of Burges, vponupon the same matter that the former were.
Ovr louing and faithfull, we doubt not but by this time you knowe of the sedition which to our great griefe happened in Paris a fewe dayes▪ sithens, wherin my Cousin the Admi…all, and certaine others of his side were si…i…e, and a great murder committed vponupon diuerse in many places of this Citie. And least the newes thereof should change the quiet estate, wherein Burges hath hitherto ben maintained since the Edict of Pacification, if remedie were not foreseene, it is the cause that we writ this letter presently vntounto you, wherby we commaund and expressely ordeine that euerie one of you according to his charge do see that no commotion or insurrection be against the inhabitants of the sayde Citie, nor that no murder be committed, as it is to be feared, by those which pretend to breake the Edict of Pacification, and thereby would execute a reuenge of their long & priuate grudge, to our incredible vexation and anguishe of minde. For this cause it is your part to giuegive to vnderstand and publishe throughout that Citie of ours and other places pertaining to it, that eueryevery one should quietly and peacibly kepe their houses, without taking weapons in hande, and offending one the other, vponupon paine of death, and well and diligently to kepe our Edict of Pacification. And if any goe about to contrarie this our intent and minde, to cause them to be punished and rigorously chastised by penalties imposed on such offendours in our ordinances, hauing a watchfull and diligent eye to the safegarde of that our Citie, in such sort that no inconuenience arise in your seruice towardes vsus, as you woulde hauehave vsus to knowe, that you are our loyall and obedient subiectes.
Giuen at Paris the .xxvij. day of August. 1572. Thus signed. CHARLES, and …owe. De neuf-ville.