Common Places, Letters · Letter 50
To Henrie Bullinger. 52.
SInce the letters which I ſent from Newburge the 30. Peter Martyrs iourney into Fraunce.day of Auguſt, I coulde not hitherto write any thing, partly becauſe I was in continuall iourney, and partly becauſe there was no ſtore of cariers. But nowe when I was come to Paris whole and ſafe together with my companie the 9. day of September I thought nothing better, than to finde meanes that you might vnderſtande of theſe things. Firſt that the verie ſame day wherein wee departed from Newburge about noone, we came to the Ambaſſador who intertained mée with ſo great courteſie, fauour and louelove as nothing coulde bee more, and all the whole iourney had no leſſe care of mée than if I had bin his brother or ſonne: and when my horſe was pricked in the foote with a naile, ſo as he became lame, he gaue mée a ſtrong and luſtie ambling horſe of his owne, which I vſed commodiouſlie till I came hither. What will you ſay? He omitted no partes which can bee looked for of a moſt friendly man. Wherefore I thinke my ſelfe verie much bounde vntounto him, and eſpeciallie becauſe I perceiued that he greatly fauoureth you and our Common weale, and verie much loueth the Church. We ſeldome departed from the table during all the iourney but that there was honourable and louing mention made of you. This morning wee are one ſeuered from another for a while. For he withdrewe himſelfe to his owne houſe out of the towne. To morowe or the day following he wil méete with mée at the Court, which is at S. Germans. As for mée I entered into the Citie, bountifully, louingly and friendly intertained by the kings Treaſurer in his owne houſe. For among other faithfull men he is an earneſt fauourer of the Goſpell. Our friend Pradella went before, and certifyed the Princes in the Court of my comming, who he ſaieth are verie glad thereof: I meane the Quéene Mother, the king of Nauarre, the Prince of Condie, and the Admirall. They did all ſalute mee verie friendly by him, and I am appointed by them that I ſhoulde reſt at Paris all this after noone vntill night. To morowe at ſeuen of the clocke in the morning, I ſhall goe to the Court whither that I might bee caried the more eaſilie: the Prince of Condie hath ſent mée his Mulet, which goeth very eaſilie. He ſent alſo vntounto mee to welcome mée, both his Phiſitian and his Secretarie. This day they hauehave begun the conference, and they ſay, that we muſt firſt diſpute of the Authoritie of the worde of God. Beza conferred once with the Cardinall of Loraine, who although he be ſtoutely againſt our opinion, yet did he by expreſſe wordes forſake Tranſubſtantiation. The conference muſt be had in the Frenche tongue, becauſe both the King and the Quéene and the Princes will be preſent, and heare it. Wherefore I ſhall not ſpeake among them, but ſhall counſell aſſiſt and ſuggeſt ſuch things ſo my aſſociates as ſhall bee thought good. I ſhall deale (as they ſay) with the Quéene, who is ſaide to perſwade her ſelfe of manie thinges touching mée. The plague beginneth to bee ſomewhat buſie in the Citie, but the rumor of the euill is greater than is the hurt. The Cardinall of Ferrara is not yet entered into the Citie. All the faithfull requeſt of the King that they may hauehave frée licence graunted them to méete at their holy aſſemblies. This as yet they hauehave not obtained which nowe they hope they ſhall obtaine: albeit that in diuers partes of the kingdome they hauehave Churches alreadie. Theſe things hauehave I written to daie. To morowe I will tell you more, and more certaine newes when I ſhall hauehave bin at the Court.
The next day after I came to the Court, namely vntounto S. Germans, where of our brethren the Coloquutors I was very friendlie and brotherlie receiued. The conference of Poyſſi.The conference is had at Poyſsi, (which place is from hence a litle Frenche mile) where the Biſhops alſo doe celebrate their aſſemblie. As yet nothing is doone, ſauing that thrée dayes a goe they mette together. The Quéene mother was preſent and the King, and alſo the king of Nauarre and other Péeres. The Cardinals alſo and the Biſhoppes were preſent. The Oratiō of Beza before ye King and Queene mother.The matter was committed to Beza, that hee ſhoulde make the entrie or Preface of the conference, who ſpake in Frenche the ſpace of one houre (as they ſay). But towards the ende when he happened to make mention of the Euchariſt, he ſaid that this they ought to knowe that the bodie and bloud of the Lorde, is as farre from the bread and wine of the ſupper of the Lorde, as heauen is from the earth. Theſe words ſo offended and ſtirred vp the Byſhops, as they began to mutter and finallie to make a rumor, ſo that Beza had much a doe to make an ende of his Oration The Princes feare leaſt hereof the Eccleſiaſtical men wil take an occaſion of breaking off, or rather of refuſing the conference. And this did the Prince of Condie affirme vntounto me yeſterday, that they hauehave determined to offer vntounto the King a confeſſion of their faith, and to hauehave a contrarie Preface whereby they may confute Beza, and then to teſtifie that they will not deale with vsus: but he added withall that this ſhould not be permitted them by the Kings Maieſtie. The Cardinall of Turnois, after Bezaes Preface, ſaid vntounto the Quéene mother (leaſt ſhe ſhould beléeue any of thoſe things which Beza had ſaid) that he hoped by the helpe of God, of our Ladie, and of all the Saintes that all thoſe things which were nowe alleaged ſhoulde both be confuted and vtterly aboliſhed. But the Cardinall of Loraine in his aſſemblie of Biſhops ſaide as touching Beza: I woulde to GOD that yeſterday either wee had bin deafe to his blaſphemies, or elſe that he had bin dumbe. Peter Martyrs f…l conference with the Queene mother.This day namely the xj. of this monethmonth, I was called to the Quéene mother: who verie courteouſlie both ſawe me & heard mee. I deliuered her the letters of our Magiſtrate, and alſo thoſe letters which belonged to her ſonne. I was a long while with her. Such things I ſpake then, as ſéemed moſt to belong vntounto the preſent cauſe, and that with great libertie. She conceiued verie great hope of mée: but we muſt pray that it be not fruſtrate, which I am afraide of. For ſhe woulde hauehave the Church reformed, but yet by leaue and conſent of the Church men: which thing coulde neuer yet be brought to paſſe, nor now can be. I excuſed, praiſed, and confirmed vntounto her thoſe things which Beza had ſpoken. And when ſhee made mention of the Confeſſion made at Auguſta, I anſwered that the holie ſcriptures ought to be ſufficient for vsus, and that ſhée ſhoulde not perſwade her ſelfe, that if the Confeſſion of Auguſta were receiued, it woulde be doone with the conſent of the Eccleſiaſticall men. Alſo the verie ſame day, and in the ſame place, I was with the King of Nauarre, who talked with mee a great while before he reuealed himſelfe. In fine when I had the letters in my hand to be deliuered vntounto him, he demaunded what letters thoſe were: I ſaide that they were to be deliuered vntounto the king of Nauarre: I (ſaieth he) am the ſame man. Then I gaue him his due honour and deliuered them. He dealt verie courteouſlie with mée, but to tell you the trueth, he is verie colde (as they ſay) in Religion, and goeth vntounto Maſſes. He alſo ſpake of the Confeſſion of Auguſta, whom I anſwered as before I ſaide to the Quéene. The Chauncellour of Fraunce dealt there with mee in the ſame matter & coulde get no other thing of mée. Finallie I ſo departed frō the Quéene as ſhe ſaide ſhe woulde talke manie times with me. I will expect, and will certifie you of ſuch things as ſhall happen. Our aduerſaries hauehave ſet foorth foure principall things to be diſputed of: namelie of the authoritie of the Church, of the ſtrength and power of Councels, of the authoritie of the ſcripture, and of the Reall and ſubſtanciall preſence of the bodie and bloud of Chriſt in the Euchariſt. Fare you well my moſt louing friende: God kéepe you many yeares in health. Pray for the cauſe of Chriſt, for the kingdome of Fraunce, and for me, & louelove mee as you doe. I louingly ſalute all my fellowe miniſters, alſo your ſonnes, daughters, and ſonnes in law and eſpeciallie your wife. I ſaluted in the name of you and of my fellow miniſters all theſe coloquutors who on the other ſide ſende ſalutations vntounto all you. Alſo Iulius and Gulielmus Stuccius whom you hauehave ioyned with me, deſire me to ſalute you. Fare you well: from S. Germans the 12. of September.