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 infoelix puer,
Clamantem Christum surda dum negligit aure,
Aure putrefacta corruit.
Versuti, fatui, surdi, hæc spectacula, Reges,
Vos sapere vel mori jubent.
[293] The writer of these verses is unknown. They occur in an
anonymous work, containing much curious and important matter relating
to the state of Religion in France, entitled, "Commentaires de l'Estat
de la Religion et Republique soubs les Rois Henry et Francois seconds,
et Charles neufieme. (1556-1561.)--M.D.LXV." 8vo. foll. 262. The above
"Vers Latins faicts sur la mort du Roy Francois," are thus introduced
at fol. 100:
"Non long temps apres furent divulguez quelques vers Latins faicts sur
la mort dudict Roy Francois, du Roy Henry son pere, et de l'Empereur
Charles cinquieme, qui m'ont semblé estre dignes de memoire, et
d'estre conservez a la posterité: lesquels pourtant i'ay voulu icy
adiouster, la superscription estant telle qu'il s'ensuit ey apres.
"AD HVIVS TEMPORIS
προτρεπτικον
Monarchas προτρεπτικον Carmen.
_Consiliis Christum oppugnans," &c._
There is a similar work entitled, "Commentariorum de Statu Religionis
et Reipublicæ in Regno Franciæ, Pars I-V." by Joannes Serranus, a
learned divine. The author of the "Commentaires," was Peter de la
Place, an eminent lawyer, whom Henry the Second had appointed King's
Advocate and President of the Court of Aids, in Paris. In 1560, he
openly avowed himself a Protestant, which obliged him to leave Paris,
and in the troubles that followed, his library and effects were
pillaged or destroyed; and he himself eventually became one of the
victims in the atrocious massacre of the Protestants on the eve of St.
Bartholomew, 25th August 1572.