Answer to Examination, Title page – To the reader
An anſwere to the examination that is ſayde to hauehave bene made of one named Iohn de Poltrot, calling himſelf the Lord of Merey, vppon the death of the late Duke of Guyſe By the Lord of Chaſtillon admyrall of Fraunce, and others named in the ſaide examination.
At Caen. 1562.
PRINTED AT LONdon by Rouland Hall, for Edwarde Sutton, dwellyng in Lumbard ſtrete at the ſigne of the Cradell. 1563.
An Epiſtle.
A Fewe dayes after the late Duke of Guyſe was hurt ſodainly before the towne of Orleans, the .xiiij. daye of Februarye laſte paſt there roſe a bruyte and rumour, that one called Merey had done the deede at the ſuggeſtion of the Lord Admirall which was then and is yet at Caen in Normandy Lieutenant in the kynges army vnderunder the charge of the prynce of Conde. Whereat the ſayd Lord Admirall was not muche moued, for as muche as he thought that this ſlaunder (as many other) woulde vaniſhe away of it ſelfe. But ſince by the ſolicitation of a certain man called La Vallette, maiſter of the campe of the light horſemen vnderunder the ſayde Duke of Guyſe, goyng aboute to diſvnite the Almaines, and to put the Amirals armie into an vprore and trouble: a copie of the confeſſion beynge caſte abrode in the ſayd army, aſcribed vntounto one called Iohn de Poltrot, naming himſelfe Senior of Merey, & ſigned by the hand of one called Maluaut, Scriuener or Notarie: by the which it appeareth that the ſaid Poltrot being examined by the quene mother in perſone, & in the preſence of certaine lords of the counſell, & knightes of the order of the kings maieſtie, dyd greatly charge the ſaid Lorde admyrall, & certayne other Lords, & alſo certayne Miniſters of the worde of God, to hauehave induced & allured by wordes & money the ſaide Poltrot to that which is aboueſayde. The ſayde Lorde admyrall hauyng reſpect & regard to the trouth & to his honour, can not attribute ſuch an inuented accuſation but to ye ene…ies of the reſt & quietnes of this realme, cōtinuing in their wicked wil & purpoſe, which is wholly to ouerthrow & deſtroye the ſaid Lorde admyrall with all thoſe that profeſſe the goſpell bringing them into hatred to all the worlde by ſuch craftes & practiſes: whervnto he meaneth ſpedely to ſeeke a remedye. And for this cauſe not regarding the ſubtelties & deceytes of the aforeſaid enemies, but truſting in God & in his own good conſcience hath not ſtickt to publiſhe the ſayd confeſſion word for word, adioyning therevnto his anſweres vppon eueryevery article conteyned therein. Proteſting before god, to anſwere it before all Iudges in chriſtendom that be not ſuſpected, but indifferent, & offering him ſelf to maintaine his innocencie in all ſortes & maners reaſonable & meete in the place & degree that he hath in this realme: to thentent that ſuche calumnie & ſlaunder being diſcouered, & the trouth hauyng vanquiſhed lyes, the faultye and culpable maye be puniſhed, as the déede ſhall require. (**)
The .xxi. daye of February 1562. in the campe at ſainct Hyllaries beſyde S. Meſmyn.
BEfore the Quéene mother of the kinge, my lordes the Cardinall of Bourbon Duke of Etampes, prince of Mantua, ye Erle of Gruyeres the lordes of Martigues, of Sanſac, of Cypierre, of Loſſe, and the byſhoppe of Lymoge, reſpectiuely lordes of the priuie counſell of the king, and knightes of the order being than preſent. Was brought one Iohn de Poltrot, naming himſelfe ſeniour of merey borne in the country of Angoumois in the lordſhip of Aubeterre of the age of xxvi. yeares or there about: who being commaunded by the ſaid Quéene to declare truly the cauſe of his enpriſonement who prouoked him to ſhoote ye dagge wherwith the Duke of Guyſe was hurt on thurſday laſt: what his entent was, or theirs which had cauſed him to doe it, and what money he receyued for it or truſted for to receyue. Sayd and confeſſed kneelynge on hys knees before the Quéene and aſkynge pardon theſe wordes folowing.
Depoſition or confeſſion.
That is to ſay, yt about the monethmonth of Iune or Iuly laſte. The Prince of Conde beyng at Orleans, and the lord of Soubize in his company whoſe ſeruaunt he is, he went to the ſaid towne of Orleans.
Aunſwere.
The Lord admirall anſwereth truly and before God, that he knoweth not when the ſayd Poltrot arriued at Orleans, nor when he went from thence, and remembreth not that euer he ſaw him nor heard him ſpeake in any maner or ſort, vntyll Ianuary laſt by occaſion which afterward ſhalbe declared.
Depoſition.
In the which place the Lord of Feuqueres the yong gouernour of Roy & Captaine Brion, came vntounto hym, and ſayde: that heretofore they had knowen hym to be a man to execute a matter or enterpriſe, and that yf he would take in hande to do a good exployte, which ſhould tourne to the ſeruice of God, and the honour of the kyng, and the comfort of his people, he ſhoulde be greatlye commended and eſtemed. And then the Deponent requiring them to declare more, and to open vntounto him what enterpriſe they woulde ſpeake of aſſuryng them that for his parte, he woulde be alwayes ready to do ſeruyce to the kynge: they than knowynge hys good wyll, they remitted hym to the Lorde admyrall, & tolde hym that he ſhoulde gyue him to vnderſtande more at large the matter that they had moued vntounto hym.
Aunſwere.
As touchyng the Captayne Brion, the ſayd lorde admyrall declareth that he neuer heard him ſpeake of the ſayde Poltrot, and it is not lyke to be true, that if the ſayde Brion had knowen of any ſuch practiſe he would hauehave helde his peace ſynce that he was in the ſeruice of the Duke of Guyſe where he is now dead. And as concernynge Feuqueres, the ſayde Lorde Admyrall remembreth well that aboute the latter ende of Ianuarye laſte, and neuer before, he tolde hym, ſpeakynge of the ſayde Poltrot newly comme from Lyons, that ſometyme he had knowen hym a man of ſeruyce, in the tyme of the warre in Pycardye, whych was the cauſe that the Lorde Admyrall ſhortlye after the reporte of the ſayde Feuqueres, employed hym as anone ſhall be declared. And as for the reſte, the ſayde Lorde Admyrall doubteth not but the ſaide Feuqueres can well anſwere for his owne déedes.