The French Historie That is; A lamentable Discourse of three of the chiefe, and most famous bloodie broiles that haue happened in France for the Gospell of Iesus Christ. Namelie; 1 The outrage called The winning of S. Iames his Streete, 1557. 2 The constant Martirdome of Annas Burgeus one of the K. Councell, 1559. 3 The bloodie Marriage of Margaret Sister to Charles the 9. Anno 1572. Published by A. D. [i.e. Anne Dowrich] |
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 | The French Historie |  |
AS walking on a daie, the woods and forrests nie:
In shrilling voyce, and mournfull tunes, me thought I heard one crie.
Which sodaine feare so dasht my blood and senses all,
That as one in a traunce I staid to see what would befall.
A thousand thoughts opprest my fearfull wauering braine,
In musing what amid the woods that fearful voice shuld mean
I feard least theeues had robd and cast some man aside:
Because it was the common waie where men did vse to ride.
Among the sauage beasts that in these woods remaine,
I doubted least some trauler stood in danger to be slaine.
But casting feare apart, I ranne toward the place,
To see the wight that did lament, and waile his wofull case.
Alone, no perill nigh, within a bushie dale,
A stranger sate: I got aside to heare his dolefull tale.
In shrilling voyce, and mournfull tunes, me thought I heard one crie.
Which sodaine feare so dasht my blood and senses all,
That as one in a traunce I staid to see what would befall.
A thousand thoughts opprest my fearfull wauering braine,
In musing what amid the woods that fearful voice shuld mean
I feard least theeues had robd and cast some man aside:
Because it was the common waie where men did vse to ride.
Among the sauage beasts that in these woods remaine,
I doubted least some trauler stood in danger to be slaine.
But casting feare apart, I ranne toward the place,
To see the wight that did lament, and waile his wofull case.
Alone, no perill nigh, within a bushie dale,
A stranger sate: I got aside to heare his dolefull tale.
O noble France (quod he) that bor'st sometime the bell,
And for thy pleasure and thy wealth all Nations didst excell!
How art thou now of late with mischiefe so possest,
That al the Realmes of Christendome thy falshoods do detest?
Where is thy vernant hiew? thy fresh and flowring fame?
What fell vnluckie spot is this, that so dooth stain thy name?”
Where is thy mirth become? where is thy smiling cheere?”
Where is thy ioiful peace, that erst did make thee shine so cleer?”
“Where are thy youthlie troopes, the Nobles of thy Land?
“Where is thy faith; without the which, no realm can euer stād.
“Where is the mutuall loue that Prince and people had?
“Where is the noble vnion, that makes the Countrie glad?
“Where is the due regard that Princes ought to haue;
“From all the bands of tyrannie their people for to saue?
“Where is thy pitie gone, where is thy mercie fled;
“That Lion-like in euerie place such Christian blood is shed?
“But these of late to thee ô France haue bid adieu,
“That rigor reignes in mercies seate: alas, it is too true.
“For hauing no remorse to heare thy childrens grone,
“Like as a widow comfortlesse thou shalt be left alone.
“For they that feare the Lord, and haue for him a care,
“Haue learnd too late the costlie wit thy treasons to beware.
“Therefore thy children haue their natiue Coasts resignde,
“With better hope in forrein Lands more mercie for to finde.
“And that which is the worst, I see thou dost not waie
“The Spiders spite, that long hath woue the web of thy decaie.
“Therefore if thou wilt know the cause of all thy woe;
“Then mark the judgments of the Lord, from which thou cāst not goe.
If Iuda now (saith he) should aske the causes why
“Their Land was like a wildernesse that no man passed by;
“He makes no long delaie, but bids the Prophet show,
“This plague doth alwaies follow them that do despise his law.
“For they that Idols serue, and from the Lord doo shrinke,
“They shal be fed with bitter gall, & wormwood water drinke.
“And why at sundrie times was Egipt plagued so?
“But for because he would not yeeld to let Gods people goe.
Why was the Lord with Saul so wroth and full of ire,
“In sparing Agag and the beasts the people did desire?
“For he had now accurst both Agag and his Land,
“Commanding Saule without remorse to kil them out of hand:
“Because this Amalek would not at all vouchsaue
Within his Land Gods chosen flocke a passage for to haue:”
But falslie did conspire to worke their open shame,
To snare their feete they laie in waite from Egipt as they came.
And thou Ierusalem, what sinne did file thy fall,”
When Titus and Vaspasian did tumble downe thy wall?”
Why did the Lord depart from thee that wast so braue,”
And to thy foes made thee a pray, a iest, a seruile slaue?”
Because amiddes thy mirth thy God thou didst forget,”
And wouldst not haue his prophets liue, but didst thē il intreat.”
O France therefore be wise, learne ere it be too late”
By these examples, to begin these bloodie sinnes to hate.”
For thou with Iuda land hast done thy God great wrong,
To serue and set vp other Gods to runne a whoring long.
Thou hast for wooden Gods, Gods liuelie Image spilde:
And with the streams of christiā blood the streets & canels fild
Thou hast with Egipt long Gods word in prison pent;”
And wilfullie refusde the light that he to thee hath sent.”
The Moses that begins this light for to vnfolde,”
Thou seekst to lap him presentlie in chaines and irons colde.”
Thou dost with Amalek with all thy wit assaie”
To lie in waite that in thy land the truth may haue no waie.”
And thou a crueil nursse to Gods elect hast been,”
To blemish thus the shining light that in thee hath bin seene.”
And with Ierusalem Gods Prophets thou hast slaine,”
That in thy popish ignorance thou mightest still remaine.”
If Iuda shall be fed with wormwood mixt with gall;”
If wilfull Egipt plagued were that kept Gods Church in thral;”
If God no pitie showde, and mercie none would haue”
Vpon the land of Amalek, nor man nor beast to saue;”
And if the blinded pride that in Ieruslem dwelt,”
Could not escape Gods heauie wrath, but man & childe it felt.”
What shall become of thee thou blinde and bloodie land?”
How dost thou think for to escape Gods iust reuenging hand?”
“But sith I doo not doubt God will reuenge our case,
“And for his chosen when he list prouide a dwelling place;
“I will no more lament in sad and mourning stile,
“But thanke the Lord that set me safe within this pleasant Ile.
“O happie England, thou from God aboue art blest,
“Which hast the truth established with peace and perfect rest.
“God giue thee therewithall a good and thankfull minde,
“That to thy louing God no waie thou shew thy selfe vnkinde.
“But still thou maist remaine as thou hast been of yore,
“A Nurse to Gods afflicted flock, that he maie blesse thee more?
“But now will I depart, the Lord direct my waie,
“And send me in this pleasant Ile some simple slender staie:
“Till God grant me returne, or otherwise prouide.
But is not that an English-man that I haue yonder spide?
Wel met my frend, tel what thou art that mak'st this mone?
And whie within these desart woods are thou thy selfe alone?
And for thy pleasure and thy wealth all Nations didst excell!
How art thou now of late with mischiefe so possest,
That al the Realmes of Christendome thy falshoods do detest?
Where is thy vernant hiew? thy fresh and flowring fame?
What fell vnluckie spot is this, that so dooth stain thy name?”
Where is thy mirth become? where is thy smiling cheere?”
Where is thy ioiful peace, that erst did make thee shine so cleer?”
“Where is thy faith; without the which, no realm can euer stād.
“Where is the mutuall loue that Prince and people had?
“Where is the noble vnion, that makes the Countrie glad?
“Where is the due regard that Princes ought to haue;
“From all the bands of tyrannie their people for to saue?
“Where is thy pitie gone, where is thy mercie fled;
“That Lion-like in euerie place such Christian blood is shed?
“But these of late to thee ô France haue bid adieu,
“That rigor reignes in mercies seate: alas, it is too true.
“For hauing no remorse to heare thy childrens grone,
“Like as a widow comfortlesse thou shalt be left alone.
“For they that feare the Lord, and haue for him a care,
“Haue learnd too late the costlie wit thy treasons to beware.
“Therefore thy children haue their natiue Coasts resignde,
“With better hope in forrein Lands more mercie for to finde.
“And that which is the worst, I see thou dost not waie
“The Spiders spite, that long hath woue the web of thy decaie.
“Therefore if thou wilt know the cause of all thy woe;
“Then mark the judgments of the Lord, from which thou cāst not goe.
If Iuda now (saith he) should aske the causes why
“Their Land was like a wildernesse that no man passed by;
“He makes no long delaie, but bids the Prophet show,
“This plague doth alwaies follow them that do despise his law.
“For they that Idols serue, and from the Lord doo shrinke,
“They shal be fed with bitter gall, & wormwood water drinke.
“And why at sundrie times was Egipt plagued so?
“But for because he would not yeeld to let Gods people goe.
Why was the Lord with Saul so wroth and full of ire,
“In sparing Agag and the beasts the people did desire?
“For he had now accurst both Agag and his Land,
“Commanding Saule without remorse to kil them out of hand:
“Because this Amalek would not at all vouchsaue
2
But falslie did conspire to worke their open shame,
To snare their feete they laie in waite from Egipt as they came.
And thou Ierusalem, what sinne did file thy fall,”
When Titus and Vaspasian did tumble downe thy wall?”
Why did the Lord depart from thee that wast so braue,”
And to thy foes made thee a pray, a iest, a seruile slaue?”
Because amiddes thy mirth thy God thou didst forget,”
And wouldst not haue his prophets liue, but didst thē il intreat.”
O France therefore be wise, learne ere it be too late”
By these examples, to begin these bloodie sinnes to hate.”
For thou with Iuda land hast done thy God great wrong,
To serue and set vp other Gods to runne a whoring long.
Thou hast for wooden Gods, Gods liuelie Image spilde:
And with the streams of christiā blood the streets & canels fild
Thou hast with Egipt long Gods word in prison pent;”
And wilfullie refusde the light that he to thee hath sent.”
The Moses that begins this light for to vnfolde,”
Thou seekst to lap him presentlie in chaines and irons colde.”
Thou dost with Amalek with all thy wit assaie”
To lie in waite that in thy land the truth may haue no waie.”
And thou a crueil nursse to Gods elect hast been,”
To blemish thus the shining light that in thee hath bin seene.”
And with Ierusalem Gods Prophets thou hast slaine,”
That in thy popish ignorance thou mightest still remaine.”
If Iuda shall be fed with wormwood mixt with gall;”
If wilfull Egipt plagued were that kept Gods Church in thral;”
If God no pitie showde, and mercie none would haue”
Vpon the land of Amalek, nor man nor beast to saue;”
And if the blinded pride that in Ieruslem dwelt,”
Could not escape Gods heauie wrath, but man & childe it felt.”
What shall become of thee thou blinde and bloodie land?”
How dost thou think for to escape Gods iust reuenging hand?”
“And for his chosen when he list prouide a dwelling place;
“I will no more lament in sad and mourning stile,
“But thanke the Lord that set me safe within this pleasant Ile.
“O happie England, thou from God aboue art blest,
“Which hast the truth established with peace and perfect rest.
“God giue thee therewithall a good and thankfull minde,
“That to thy louing God no waie thou shew thy selfe vnkinde.
“But still thou maist remaine as thou hast been of yore,
“A Nurse to Gods afflicted flock, that he maie blesse thee more?
“But now will I depart, the Lord direct my waie,
“And send me in this pleasant Ile some simple slender staie:
“Till God grant me returne, or otherwise prouide.
But is not that an English-man that I haue yonder spide?
Wel met my frend, tel what thou art that mak'st this mone?
And whie within these desart woods are thou thy selfe alone?
I am a stranger wight, and France my natiue soyle,
Frō which, of late, by luckles chance, & need, am forst to toyle.
Such troubles and such warres of late haue there befell,
“That such as feare the Lord aright no suretie haue to dwell
“Within that wofull Land: so God me hether sent
“To liue with you in happie state, which he this Land hath lēt.
Frō which, of late, by luckles chance, & need, am forst to toyle.
Such troubles and such warres of late haue there befell,
“That such as feare the Lord aright no suretie haue to dwell
“Within that wofull Land: so God me hether sent
“To liue with you in happie state, which he this Land hath lēt.
Oh happie then am I: my frend I thee desire
Come goe with me, for of these warres I greatly long to hear.
And if that thou wilt staie, as long as thou wilt craue
My house as thine, and all therein thou shalt be sure to haue.
Therefore my frend I praie, thy wit and tongue prepare,
The cause of all these bloodie broiles in verse for to declare.
And first of all describe the matter, and the man,
The place, the time, the manner how this Ciuill warre began.
Come goe with me, for of these warres I greatly long to hear.
And if that thou wilt staie, as long as thou wilt craue
My house as thine, and all therein thou shalt be sure to haue.
Therefore my frend I praie, thy wit and tongue prepare,
The cause of all these bloodie broiles in verse for to declare.
And first of all describe the matter, and the man,
The place, the time, the manner how this Ciuill warre began.
O Sir, but this request doth pierce my wounded hart,
“Which gladly would forget again my woful countries smart.
“For who can well displaie the treasons and the guiles,
The bloodie murders mercilesse, the snares and craftie wiles”
Which France hath put in vre these thirtie yeeres and more,”
The like of which in Christendome was neuer seene before?”
But sith it is your will to know the wofull state”
Of Christs afflicted Church in France, which Antichrist doth hate.”
Come rest you here a while, and marke what I shall tell,”
Great warres & broiles I must declare, God grāt it may be wel.”
And first to pitch the plot that you doo so desire,”
I will vnfolde the cheefest cause that kindled first this fire.”
“Which gladly would forget again my woful countries smart.
“For who can well displaie the treasons and the guiles,
3
Which France hath put in vre these thirtie yeeres and more,”
The like of which in Christendome was neuer seene before?”
But sith it is your will to know the wofull state”
Of Christs afflicted Church in France, which Antichrist doth hate.”
Come rest you here a while, and marke what I shall tell,”
Great warres & broiles I must declare, God grāt it may be wel.”
And first to pitch the plot that you doo so desire,”
I will vnfolde the cheefest cause that kindled first this fire.”
| The French Historie | |