that this talke had ben at an end, and euery man began to inuent some mery communication, that the former matter should be no more talked of.

At the last, the gentlewoman aduising her selfe, and thinkyng that she was to much iniured, to bee sayd, that shee went about to shed the innocent bloud, she brake of al theyr talke, and with a loud voyce sayd, Monsieur Beauieu, if I were a man, as I am a woman, I would offer you the combat, to proue that I am no such maner of woman as you say I am, that I desire to shede innocent bloud.MarginaliaGod sendeth a shrewd cowe short hornes. Do you call the bloud of these wicked men of Merindoll, innocent bloud( True it is that I desire and offer with my hole power, that these naughty packes of Merindoll, and such like as they are, should be slaine and destroyed from þ^e greatest euen vnto the least.MarginaliaThe cruell hart of an harlot. And for to see the begynnyng of this worke, I haue employed all my credite, & all my frēdes and do not spare, neither body nor goods, to worke the ruine and destruction of these people, and to rase out, and to deface theyr memorye, from amongest men. Doe you then Monsieur Beauieu, call the slaughter of these Lutherans, the effusion of innocent bloud? And say you what you will, I will not refraine for no man liuing, to goe either by day either by night, vnto the houses of Bishops, in allMarginalia* The visor of honestie on an harlots face. * honesty and honor, for the deuotion which I beare vnto our holyMarginalia* Lyke mother lyke daughter. * mother the Church, and also I will receiue into my house, all religious men, to consult and deuise the meanes how to put these Lutherans to death. But as Monsieur Beauieu tooke no more regarde vnto her talke, so likewise al þ^t were at the table, dispraysed her and were wearye of her prating.

Then there was a certeine yonge gentleman, whiche merely iestyng, sayd vnto her: Gentlewomā, it must nedes be that these poore people, vnto whom you doe wishe this cruell death, haue done you some great displeasure. Then sayd she, I may well take an othe,Marginalia Oderunt me gratis. Iohn. 15. that I neuer knew one of those wretched people, neither (that I wot of) euer saw any of them, And I had rather to meete. x. Deuils, then one of those naughty knaues: for their opinions are so detestable, that happy and blessed are they, which neuer heard tell of them. And I was not then well aduised, at what tyme, by curiositie, I seing þ^e Bishop of Aix so much troubled and angry, that he could not eate nor drynke, did desire hym and constrayne hym to tell me the cause therof. Then he perceiuing þ^t I would not be well contented if he should not tell me, declared vnto me some part of the cause: that is to say, that there was certeine heretickes, whiche spake agaynst our holy mother the church, and among other errours they maynteyned, yea to death, that all Byshops, Priestes, & pastours ought to be maried or els to be gelded:MarginaliaThe Popes clergie can not abide honest maryage to dye for it. and hearing this, I was maruelously offended, and euer since I dyd hate them to the death. And also it was enioyned vnto me by penaunce, that I should endeuour with all my power, to put these heretickes to death. After these friuolous talkes, there was great trouble and debate amongest them, and many threatninges, which were to long here to describe.

MarginaliaQuærebant Principes sacerdotum et scribæ, quodmodo interficerent Iesum. Luke. 22. Then the President Chassanee, and the Councellers parted aside, and the gentlmen went on the other parte. The Archbyshop of Arles, the Byshop Aix, and diuers Abbottes, Priors, and others, assembled them selues together, to consult how this Arrest might be executed withall spede, entendyng to raise a new persecution, greater then that of Iohn the Iacobine Monke of Rome: For otherwise (sayd they) our state and honour is like to decay. We shalbe reproued, contemned, and derided of all men. And if none should thus vaunt and set them selues agaynst vs, but these pesantes, and such like, it were but a smalle matter: but many Doctours of Diuinitie, and men of the religious order, diuers Senatours and Aduocates, many wise and well learned men: also a great part of the nobilitie (if we may so say) and that of great renoume, yea euen of the chiefest Peeres in all Europe, begin to contempt & despyse vs, countyng vs to be no true pastours of the Church: so that except we see to this mischiefe, and prouide for remedy betyme, it is greatly to be feared, lest not onely we shall be compelled to forsake our dignities, possessions, and lyuings,MarginaliaNote how the popes church is led not with any conscience of truth but onely with loue of lyuinges. which we now wealthely enioy, but also the church beyng spoyled of her pastors and guides, shall hereafter come to a miserable ruine and vtter desolation. This matter therfore now requireth great diligence and circumspection, and that withall celeritie.

Then the Archbishop of Arles, not forgetting his Spanish subtilties and policies, gaue his aduise, as foloweth. Agaynst the nobilitie we must (sayd he) take heede that we attempt nothyng rashely: but rather, we must seeke all the meanes we can, how to please them, for they are our shield, our fortresse and defence. And albeit we know that many of them do both speake and thinke euill of vs, & that they are of these new Gospellers, yet may we not reprooue them or exasperate them in any case: but seyng they are to much bent agaynst vs already, we must rather seeke how to wynne them, and to make them our frendes agayne, by giftes and presentes: and by this policie, we shall lyue in safetie vnder their protection. But if we enterprise any thyng agaynst them, sure we are to gayne nothyng therby, as we are by experience already sufficiently taught.

It is well sayd, sayth the Byshop of Aix: but I can shew you a good remedy for this disease. We must go about withall our endeuour, power, and policie, and all the frendes we can make, sparyng no charges, but spendyng goodes, wealth and treasure, to make such a slaughter of the Merindolians, and rusticall pesantes,MarginaliaA butcherly religion which worketh all by bloud. that none shall be so bold hereafter, what soeuer they be, yea although they be of the bloud Royall, once to open their mouthes agaynst vs, or the Ecclesiasticall state. And to bryng this matter to passe, we haue no better way, then to withdraw our selues to Auinion, in the which Citie we shall finde many Byshops, Abbottes, and other famous men, which will with vs, employ their whole endeuour, to mainteyne and vphold the maiestie of our holy mother the Church.MarginaliaCathedra Pestilentiæ. This counsaile was well lyked of them all. Whereupon the sayd Archbyshop of Arles and the Byshop of Aix, went withall speede, to Auinion, there to assemble, out of hand, the Byshops and other men of authoritie and credite, to entreat this matter. In this pestilent conspiracie the Byshop of Aix, a stoute champion and a great defender of the traditions of men, takyng vpō hym to be the chief Oratour, began in maner as foloweth.

MarginaliaAn oration of Catelme, that is, the oratiō of the Byshop of Aix, seditious and bloudy. O Ye fathers and brethren, ye are not ignorant that a great tempest is raysed vp agaynst the little barcke of Christ Iesus, now in great daunger and redy to perish. The storme commeth from the North, wherof all these troubles proceede. The seas rage, the waters rushe in on euery side, the wyndes blowe and beate vpon our house, and we, without spedy remedy, are like to sustaine shipwrack, and losse of altogether. For oblationsMarginaliaYour oblations be against the Scripture. cease, pilgrimageMarginaliaYour pilgrimage is Idolatry. & deuotion waxeth cold, charitieMarginaliaYour charitie is gone in deede, Whē ye seeke so the bloud of your brethren. is cleane gone, our estimationMarginaliaYour estimatiō is Pharisaicall. and authoritie is abased, our IurisdictionMarginaliaYour iurisdictiō is tyrannicall. decayed, and the ordinauncesMarginaliaYour ordinaunces serue not to Christes glory but your owne. of the church despised. And wherfore are we set and ordeined ouer nations and kyngdomes, but to roote out and destroy, to subuert and ouerthrow, whatsoeuer is agaynst our holy mother the Church? Wherfore let vs now awake: let vs stand stoutly in the right of our owne possession, that we may roote out from the memory of men for euer the whole route of the wicked Lutherans: those foxes (I say) which destroy the vineyard of the Lord: those great whales, which go about to drowne the little barke of the sonne of God. We haue already well begon, and haue procured a terrible Arrest agaynst these cursed heretickes of Merindoll: nowe then resteth no more but onely the same to be put in execution. Let vs therfore employ our whole endeuour that nothing happen which may let or hinder that we haue so happely begon, and let vs take good hede, that our gold and siluer do not witnes against vs at the day of iudgement, if we refuse to bestow the same, that we may make so good a sacrifice vnto God.MarginaliaThe day shall come when men shal thynke they do a good sacrifice to God, in putting you to death. Iohn. 16. And for my part, I offer to wage and furnishe of myne owne costes and charges, a 100. men, well horsed, with all other furniture to them belonging, and that so long, vntill the vtter destruction and subuersion of these wretched and cursed caytifs, be fully performed & finished.

This Oration pleased the whole multitude, sauyng one doctor of diuinitie, a frier Iacobine, named Bassinet, who then aunswered agayne with this Oration.

MarginaliaThe oration of Bassinet answering to the Byshop of Aix. This is a weighty matter (sayd he) and of great importaunce: We must therfore proceede wisely and in the feare of God, and beware that we do nothyng rashly. For if we seeke the death and destruction of these poore and miserable people wrongfully, when the King and the Nobilitie shal heare of such an horrible slaughter, we shalbe in great daunger, lest they do to vs as we read in the Scriptures, was done to the priestes of Baal. For my part, I must say and vnfaynedly confesse, that I haue to rashly & lightly signed many processes agaynst those, which haue bene accused of hereticall doctrine:MarginaliaThe godly repentaunce of Bassinet. but now I do protest before God, which seeth and knoweth the hartes of men, that seyng the lamētable ende and effect of myne assigmentes, I haue had no quietnesse in my conscience, cōsideryng that the secular iudges, at the reporte of the iudgement and sentence geuen by me, and other Doctors my companions, haue condemned all those vnto most cruell death, whom we haue Iudged to be heretikes. And the cause why in conscience I am thus disquieted, is this, that now of late since I haue geuē my selfe more diligently to the readyng and contemplation of the holy Scriptures: I haue perceyued that the moste parte of those Articles whiche they that are called Lutheranes