These cruell and conjured ennemyes of God, and of all godlynes, the Duck of Gwyse, the Cardinall of Lorane, and thair factioun, who then at thair awin appetite plaide the tyrantis in France, had determined the destructioun[289] of all that professed the trew knowledge of Jesus Christ within that Realme. What tyranny laite befoir thei had used at Amboyse, the historie of France doth witness. Now, in Orleance, in the moneth of November, conveyned the King, unhappie Francis, the Quene oure Soverane, and the Quene Mother, the Duck of Gweise, with all his factioun, the King of Navar, and the Prince his brother.[290] So that great was the confluence of the Nobilitie; but greater was the assemblie of the murtheraris; for thair was nott a hangman in all France whiche was nott thair. The preasonis ware full of the trew servandis of God: the King of Navar and the Prince war constitut preasonaris. The Schereff of Orleance, a man fearing God, was tackin, and so war many otheris of the toune. Breiflie, thair was none that professed God or godlyness within that toune, that looked nott for the extreamitie; for the walles and yettis war nycht and day keapt with tha garnysonis of the Gwysianes: miserable men war dalie browght in to suffer judgement, but none was suffered to departe furth butt at the devotioun of the tyrantis. And so thei proceided till the tent or twelft[291] of December, when that thei thowght tyme to putt thair bloody counsall in executioun, and for that purpoise conclusioun was tackin that the King should departe of the toune, and lye at a certane place; whiche was done to this intent, that thair should no suyte be maid to the King for the saiftie of any manis lyfe, whome thei thowght worthy of death. And so was the Kingis house in Orleance broken up, his beddis, cofferis, and tapistree sent away; his awin buttis putt on, he sitting at the Messe, immediatlie thairafter to have departed, and so thair tyrannie to have begune,—when all thingis, we say, war into this readdyness to sched the bloode of innocentis, the Eternall, our God, who ever watches for the preservatioun of his awin, begane to work, and suddandlie did put his awin werk in executioun. For as the said King satt at Messe, he was suddandlie strikkin with ane aposthume, in that deaf eare that never wald hear the treuth of God; and so was he caryed to ane void house, layd upoun a palliase unto suche tyme as a cannabie was sett up unto him; whair he lay till the fyftene day of December, in the year of God Jm Vc threscoir yearis,[292] when his glorie perished, and the pryde of the stubburne heart evanished in smok. And so was the snare brokin, the tyrantis disappoynted of thair crueltye; those that war appointed to death rased, as it war out of thair graves; and we, who by our foolischnes had maid our selves slaves to strangearis, war restored agane to freedome and libertie of a free Realme.
"Oh! that we had heartis deaplie to considder what ar thy wonderouse workis, O Lord, that we mycht praise Thee in the myddest of this most obstinat and wicked generatioun, and leave the memoriall of the same to oure posterities, whiche, allace, we fear, shall forget thy inestimable benefites." The godlie in France, upoun this suddane death, sett furth in these verses ane admonitioun to Kingis:—
Ad hujus temporis Monarchas Protrepticon Carmen.[293]
Consiliis Christum oppugnans et fraudibus, ingens
Regum ille terror Carolus:
Ipsis ridiculis pueris, furiosus, et excors,
Totus repente corruit.
Tuque Henrice, malis dum consultoribus utens,
Sitis piorum sanguinem:
Ipse tuo vecors, inopina, cæde peremptus
Terram imbuisti sanguine.
Henrici deinceps, sectans vestigia patris
Franciscus infœlix puer,
Clamantem Christum surda dum negligit aure,
Aure putrefacta corruit.
Versuti, fatui, surdi, hæc spectacula, Reges,
Vos sapere vel mori jubent.
The meanyng whairof is, that Charles—
Kynge Charles that tyrane terrible,
Withstanding Christ with witt and craft,
As mocking stock most miserable,
Endit at ones ragine and daft.[294]
Then Henrie through evill cumpany,
Thristing the blood of godlie men,
With his awin blood, schedd suddantlie,
Was maid to wait the end ye ken.[295]
Last, Francis, that unhappie child,
His Father's footsteps following plane,
To Christ crying, deafe eares did yeild,
Ane rotten eare then was his baine.
O craftie, deif, and foolische Kyngs,
These fearfull judgments gone befoir you,
Biddeth you be wyser in your reignes,
Or schamefull death will sone devoir you.
The death of this King maid great alteratioun in Fraunce, England, and Scotland. France was erected in some esperance, that the tyranny of the Gwysianis should no longar ring above thame, becaus that God at unwares had brokin the staff whairupoun thei leaned. But, allace, thei war deceaved: for the simplicitie of some was so abused, that, against the lawes of the Realme, to the Quene Mother was committed regiment: which lifted up asweill the Duck of Gwyse, as the cruell Cardinall for a seassone.
The Quene of England and the Counsall, remitted our Ambassadouris with answer, "That sche wald nott marye hastelye, and, thairfoir, willed the Counsall of Scotland, and the Erle of Arrane, foirsaid, nott to depend upoun any hope thairof."[296] What motives she had, we omitt.
The pryde of the Papists of Scotland begane to be abated, and some that ever had schawin thame selfis ennemyes unto us, begane to think, and planelie to speak, (amanges whom the auld Schiref of Ayr[297] was one,) that thei perceaved God to feght for us. The Erle of Arrane him self did more patientlie abyd the repulse of the Quene of England, becaus that he was nott altogitther without hope that the Quene of Scotland bare unto him some favour. And so he wrait unto her, and send for credite a ryng, whiche the said Quene our Soverane knew well yneuch. The letter and ring war baith presented to the Quene, and of her receaved. Answer was returned to the said Erle, after the whiche he maid no farther persuyte in that mater: and yitt, not the less, he bare it heavelie in harte,[298] and more heavelie then many wold have wissed.