The Furious Outrages of France and the Horrible Slaughter, Letter 7 – Letter 8
THE KINGS LETTERS TO Monsieur de Gordes his Lieutenaunt generall in Daulphine, wherein he sendeth him worde, that the best proofe of his doings is the accusations and complaintes of them of the Religion against him, whervnto he shoulde hauehave care to answere.
M. De Gordes, by your letters of the first of this monethmonth I perceiued the order which you appoynted in your Gouernement since the aduertisement which you had of the execution of the Admirall and his adherentes: and since I am sure you forgot nothing which you thought might serue for your assuraunce of those places wherof you had occasion to doubt. And to the intent you shoulde hauehave the more meanes to make your selfe knowne, I hauehave prepared that the souldiers of Corsica which I had appointed to go into Prouince, should returne to you, and therevpon hauehave written to my Cousin the Counte of Tende, who will not faile to send them vntounto you, for as much as there is no neede of them now in that coū trey. He should also send you word of the time of their departing, to the ende that you might hauehave laysure to prouide to receiue them, and appoint their places where they should be in garrison. I hauehave seen that which you writ to me concerning the cōtinuall payment in Daulphine, what is due for the last yeare, whervpon I will aduise of the state of my sines the meanes that may be, and according thervnto there shalbe no fault, but they shal be prouided for. For the reparation of the Bridge of Grenoble, they of the same place must deuise the meanes wherin they should best helpe them selues therin, and when they hauehave aduertised me, I will appoint them necessarie prouision. Touching the souldiers appointed for the Baron of Adresse, bicause the occasion why I appointed thē to be leuied now ceaseth, I hauehave written to him to send them backe and dismysse them againe: wherfore there is no neede to make prouision for their maintenance, nor likewise to tell you any thing else concerning the answeres which you hauehave made to the remembrances which they of the Religion hauehave presented against you. For your doyngs are well knowne and plaine vntounto me, and thervpon I will take no better proofe than their accusation. VVherfore you shall put yourselfe to no more paine on that side. Moreouer I hauehave herewith sent you a copie of the declaration which I made of the Admirals death and his adherents, & made to be vnderstoode that it should be obserued and followed, and that all murders, sackings, and violences should cease. Neuerthelesse I hauehave heard complaints of diuerse places that such extraordinary wayes continue, which is a thing, that doth much displease me. By the meanes wherof I aduise you, in doyng this charge once againe put vntounto you, that you giuegive order throughout your gouernement to cause all hostilitie, force, and violence to cease, and that the sayd declaration be straightly obserued and kept, with punishing those that withstand, so rigorously, that the demonstration thereof may serue for an example, seyng my intent is that they should be punished as behoueth, and to marke them which wincke or dissemble therat. This present letter shall serue also for an aduise of the receipt of those letters which you wrote the .v. of this present, whereby you send me word, that you receiued no message by word of mouth from me, but onelyonly letters of the .xxij. xxiiij. and .xxviij. of the monethmonth passed, whereof put your selfe to no further paine, for that charge was only for such as then were neare about me, which is all that I hauehave at this time to say vntounto you. Praying herevpon the Creator to kepe you in his holy and worthy tuicion.
VVrittē at Paris the .iiij. day of Septēber. Signed CHARLES, and beneath FIZES. And aboue. To M. de Gordes knight.
THE KINGS LETTERS TO the Duke of Guise, his Lieutenant generall in Champaigne and in Prye.
COusin, although in all my former letters I hauehave giuē you to vnderstand well inough how much I desire that al my subiects, as wel of the nobilitie as others which professe the new Religion, & quietly vse them selues in your gouernement, should by you be maintained and preserued in all suretie vnderunder my protection and safegard, without giuing them any hinderance by trouble in their persons, goods, and families: yet neuerthelesse I hauehave beene aduertised that in certaine places of my Realme there hauehave bene many sackings and pillings done by such as dwell in the houses of them of the sayd new Religion, as well in the fieldes as in the Cities, vnderunder colour of the cōmotion which happened in my Citie of Paris the .xxiiij. day of August last, a thing beyond all measure displeasant and disagreable vntounto me, and for the which I would hauehave prouision and remedie. VVherfore I pray you, Cousin, that aboue all things as you desire that I should knowe the good affection you beare to the good weale of my seruice, you take that matter next your hart to preserue and maintaine within your gouernment according to that which I hauehave so plainely told and written to you heretofore, that all suche of the newe Religion which behaue them selues quietly, take no wrong or violence, whether it be for the preseruation of of their goodes or persons, no more than to my Catholike subiectes. And where any wrong or outrage shal be offred them against my will, as I baue before declared, so doe I nowe by these presentes declare, I will and intende that you shall make some euident and notorious punishment of such as are herein culpable, so that their correction may serue for an example of all other, that I may see my self throughly obeyd herein as I would be, and my commaundementes receyued amongest all my Subiects in another sorte than they hauehave bene heretofore. Assuring you cousin, that the beste newes that I shall receiue from you, shall bee to beare say that you chastise those well, of whome I am disobeyed. And thus Cousin, I praye God to kepe you in his holie tuition.
VVritten from Paris the .xxviij. of September. 1572. Signed CHARLES: And vnderneath BRVLART.