where as soon as he saw the Chancellor, are you come, said he, to
pronounce me my death: The Chancellor saluted him, then put on his Hat,
the Prisoner stood bare headed, and began to speak first. Ah my Lord
Chancellor, is there no pardon? is there no Mercy? such and such (whom
he did name one after another) have committed such offences and yet have
been pardoned. What? you that look like an honest man, have you suffered
that I should be so miserably condemned? ah! my Lord, if you had not
told the Court that the King would have me to die, they would not have
condemned me so. My Lord, my Lord, you could have hindred that evil, and
you have not done it, you shall answer for that injustice before all the
rest of the Judges that have condemned me, and saying so, he stroke the
Chancellor upon the Arm. Ah! what a great service the King doth this
day to the King of _Spain_, to rid him of such an Enemy as I was, might
I not have been kept within four Walls, till some occasion had offered
where I might have been useful? Ah my Lord, have you forgot my fathers
love to you so much, as not to give notice to the King of what I say,
and what dammage he suffereth in loosing me: I am yet as willing as ever
to do Service to the Kingdom, you could let him know so much, he hath
so good an opinion of you, I am sure he would believe you: A Messenger
could quickly go thither and back again; what shall a thousand Gentlemen
my Kinsmen say? doth he think that after my death they can do him any
service? and what if I had been guilty, would I have come upon those
false assurances that President _Janin_ that great Cheat gave me, when
he told me, that businesses were so ill mannaged in _France_, that it
was fit I should see the King and tell him of it, who at my perswasion
would settle them in better order: I have neglected all the advices of my
friends to hearken unto his perswasions. I have trusted to that cursed
Traitor _la Fin_, who writ to me that I could come in all safety, and
that he had told the King nothing but of the Marriage that was propounded
to me with a daughter of _Savoy_, that the King would receive me with
all kindness. What then? the goings to and fro of many, the reasons
of those who advised me to come, and the Kings Letters, were they all
baits to catch me: I am well served to have trusted to much upon his
Word, I could have sought and got other securities, if I had not trusted
to my Innocency; I am come upon the confidence of my integrity since
his pardon. Ah! doth he not know that he hath forgiven me; I have lied
some evil designs, I have hearkened, I have written, I have spoken, I
confessed them all at _Lyon_, he did assure me never to remember it, and
did exhort me that from hence forwards I should commit nothing that
might compel me to have recourse to his clemency: Nevertheless I am now
accused of things that are blotted out by his pardon; I have not offended
him since, unless it be in that I desired War rather than Peace, because
my humour is not peaceable, had not the King at that time reason to
approve of it? if this Crime deserveth death I fly to his clemency, I
implore his Mercy. The Queen of _England_ told me, that if the Earl of
_Essex_ would have humbled himself, and asked forgiveness, he should have
obtained it: I do, being Innocent, what he would not do being guilty. Ah!
Shall all Mercy be put out for me; those that have done worse have found
Grace and Mercy: I perceive what it is, I am not the more guilty but the
most unhappy, and the King, who hath been so sparing of his Subjects
lives, hath a mind to be prodigal of mine.
To conclude, he forgot nothing of what might be said by a soul pierced
with grief spite, anger, and violent threatning, in exclamations and
revilings against the King and his Parliament, in reproaches against the
Chancellor, that he had more contributed to his condemnation than to his
absolution, in words that are not fit to be spoken nor related.
His words ran so fast that the Chancellor could not stop them:
Nevertheless he took occasion to tell him, his passion suggested him many
things without appearance of reason, and against his own judgment, that
no body had known his defects better than he, and that he could have
wished his faults had been as unknown as dissembled, that the knowledge
of them had been so visible and apparent, that his Judges had more ado
to moderate his punishment than to inflict it. That Sentence was given
upon the proofs of several attemps he had made against the Kings Person
and his Estate, and for having kept intelligence and correspondency with
the Enemies of the Kingdom, of which he had been found guilty, that if he
had concealed the truth in the answers to his accusations, he should now
reveal it being so near to his end, and that for these causes the King
did ask his Order of Knighthood, and his staff of Marshal of _France_,
with which he had formerly honoured him: He pulled the Order out of his
Pocket and put it into the Chancellors hands, Protesting and Swearing
upon the Salvation of his Soul, that he never had broken the Oath he made
in receiving it, that (it is true) he had desired War more than Peace;
because he could not preserve in Peace, the reputation he had got in War,
as for the Staff, he never carryed it: Nevertheless by the Oath that the
Knights of the Holy Ghost take, they are bound to take no Pension, Wages
nor Money from forrain Princes, and to engage themselves in no bodies
service but the Kings, and faithfully to reveal what they shall know to
be for or against the Kings service.
After that the Chancellor exhorted him to lift up his thoughts from Earth
to Heaven, to call upon God, and to hear patiently his Sentence.
My Lord (said he) I beseech you do not use me as other men; I know what
my Sentence beareth, my accusations are false, I wonder the Court would
Condemn me upon the Evidence of the most wicked and detestable man that
is alive; he never came near me without Witchcraft, nor never went from
me till he had bewitched me, he did bite my left ear off, and made me
drink inchanted waters, and when he said, that the King had a mind to rid
himself of me, he called me his King, his Benefactor, his Prince, his
Lord, he hath communication with the Devils, and hath shewed me a Wax
Image, speaking these words in Latine, _Rex impie morieris_, ungodly King
thou shalt die. If he hath had so much power by his Magick, as to make
an inanimate body to speak, it is no wonder that he should make my Will
conformable to his.
Here the Chancellor stopt him, and told him, that the Court had well
considered his answers, and his Letters, that he ought not to find fault
with his Sentence, that it had done him the same justice as a Father
should do to his son, if he had offended in the like manner. He had
scarce spoken these words when the other answered, what Judgment? I
have been heard but once, and had no time to tell the fiftieth part of
my justification; if I had been heard at large, I could have made it
clearly appear that _la Fin_ is such a one as I say; what Judgment upon
the Evidence of a Bougerer? of a Rogue that hath forsaken his Wife, of
a treacherous and perfidious man, that had Sworn so many times upon the
Holy Sacrament, never to reveal what was between us, of a Knave that
hath so often counterfeited my Hand and Seal: It is true, I have written
some of those Letters that were shewed me, but I never intended to put
them in Execution: and the rest are falsified: Is there not many that
can counterfeit so well the Hand and Seal of others, that themselves can
scarce distinguish them. It is well known that the Lady _Marchioness_
of _Vernevil_ hath lately acknowledged that to be her own hand, which
she had never written. My Heart and my Actions have sufficiently
countervailed the faults of my Hand, and of my Tongue. Besides, the King
hath forgiven me, I do implore his Memory for a Witness. You say I have
been found guilty to have attempted upon the Kings Person; that is false,
that never came into my mind, and I knew nothing of it till that _la Fin_
did propose it to me before St. _Katherines_ Fort, six or seven days
after the Siege, if I had been thus minded, I could have easily brought
it to pass; I was the only man that hindred the King to go before the
Fort: If my services had been taken into consideration, I should not have
been thus condemned: I believe that if you had not been present, the
Parliament would not have judged me so rigorously; I wonder that you,
whom I thought to be prudent and wise, have used me so cruelly; it would
have been more honourable for your quality and old age to implore for me
the Kings Mercy, than his Justice. There is Dungeons here where I might
have been kept bound hand and foot; I should have at last that comfort to
pray for those who should have got me that favour from the King. If I had
been but a single Souldier, I should have been sent to the Galleys; but
because I am a Marshal of _France_, I am thought to be as dangerous a man
to the State, as I have been useful heretofore. My life is sought after,
I see there is no Mercy for me; the King hath often forgiven those,
who not only intended to do evil, but had done it; this Vertue is now
forgotten, he giveth occasion now to the World to believe, that he never
used clemency or forgiveness, but when he was afraid. I was of opinion,
that if I had killed one of his Children he would have forgiven me. Is it
not pity that my Father should have run so many dangers, and at last died
in the field to keep the Crown upon his Head, and that now he should take
my head off my Shoulders, is it possible he should forget the services I
have done him? doth he not remember the conspiracy of _Mantes_, and the
dangers he should have been in if I had taken the Conspirators part? Hath
he forgotten the Siege of _Amiens_, where I have been so often among the
fire and Bullets, neglecting my own life to preserve his, I have not a
Vein but hath been open to preserve his own Blood, I have received five
and thirty wounds to save his life; he sheweth now that he never loved me
but when he had need of me, he taketh away my head, but let him beware
that the Justice of God doth not fall upon his. My Blood shall cry for
revenge for the wrong that is done me to day, I call the King of _Spain_
and the Duke of _Savoy_ to Witness, if I know any thing what is laid to
my charge. _La Fin_ himself did shew me sometimes a Catholick List of
about fourscore Gentlemen, who received Pension from the King of _Spain_,
I had never so much curiosity as to read it; let him be put to the rack
he shall tell many particularities of it; the King within a little while
shall perceive what he getteth by my death; I shall at last die a good
Catholick, and constant in my Religion, I believe that’s the cause of my
death.
The Chancellor seeing that all his discourses were full of passion,
vanity and repetitions, and void of reason, and were like an impetuous
Torrent that cannot be stopt, and that all his words were nothing but
reproaches against the King and the Court of Parliament, blasphemies
against God, and execrations against his Accusers; said that his business
called him away, and that in his absence he would leave him two Divines
to comfort him, and to dispose his soul to leave quietly this World, for
the enjoying of a better.
As the Chancellor was going out, the Prisoner begged of him that he might
have the liberty to make his Will, because he did owe much, and much
was owing to him, and he desired to satisfie every body. The Chancellor
answered, that the Recorder _Voisin_ should stay with him to write his
Will under the Kings good pleasure. And as the Chancellor spoke to
_Voisin_, the Prisoner turning to _Roissy_, Master of Requests, asked him
if he were, one of those that had condemned him: my Father hath loved
you so much, that though you were one, yet should I forgive you. _Roissy_
answered, my Lord, I pray God Almighty to comfort you.
They went out, and he with a quiet mind and free from passion, did
dictate his Will in what form he would, with the same _Garbe_, as if he
had been making a Speech at the head of an Army; he remembred his friends
and servants, and did not forget the Baron of _Lux_, whom he loved above
all the rest. He lest eight hundred Livers a year to a Bastard of his,
whom he begot of a woman that he left with Child of another, to which
child he left a Mannor near _Dijon_ that had cost him six thousand
Crowns, he disposed all the rest of his Debts, and answered modestly, and
without confusion to all the Notes and Bills that were brought him about
his affairs. Took three Rings off his fingers, and intreated _Baranton_
to give them to his Sisters, two to the Countess of _Roussy_, and the
other to that of Saint _Blancard_, desiring they would wear them for
his sake; he distributed in Alms about 200. Crowns that he had in his
Pocket, fifty to the _Capuchines_, fifty to the _Fueillants_, fifty to
the _Minimes_, and the rest to several poor people.
The Will being made, the Recorder put him in mind how my Lord Chancellor
had told him he was condemned to death, and that according to the
ordinary forms of the Law, he must have his Sentence read to him; that
this action required humility, therefore willed him to kneel before the
Altar, leaving off hence forth all thoughts of this World, to think upon
the Father of Mercies; he kneeled with the right knee upon the first step
of the Altar, and heard it read as followeth:
_Seen by the Court, the Chambers being assembled together,
the Process extraordinarily made by the Presidents and
Councellors, appointed by the King under his Letters Patents,
dated the 18 and 19 of ~June~, at the request of the Kings
Sollicitor General, against the Lord ~Charles~ of ~Gontault~
of ~Biron~, Knight of both Orders, Duke of ~Biron~, Peer and
Marshal of ~France~, Governour of ~Burgundy~, Prisoner in the
Castle of ~Bastille~, accused of high Treason, Informations,
Interrogations, Confessions and denials, Confrontations, and
Witnesses, Letters, Advices, and Instructions given to the
Enemies, and acknowledged by him, and all what the Solliciter
General hath produced. Sentence of the 22 of this Month, by
which it was ordered, that in the absence of the Peers of
~France~ summoned, it should be further proceeded to Judgment
Conclusions of the Kings Sollicitor, the accuser being heard
and interrogated, all things being duly considered, hath been
concluded, that the said Court hath declared, and declareth the
said Duke of ~Biron~, attainted and convicted of high Treason,
for the conspiracies by him made against the Kings Person and
Estates, Proditions and Treaties with his Enemies, when he
was Marshal of the Army of the said King, for reparation of
which Crime, the said Court hath deprived and depriveth him
of all his Estates, Honours and Dignities, and hath condemned
and condemneth him to be beheaded upon a Scaffold, which for
that purpose shall be erected in the place of ~Greve~, hath
declared, and declareth, all and every one of his Goods,
moveable or unmoveable, in whatsoever places scituated and
seated, to be acquired and confiscated to the King, the Mannor
of ~Biron~, deprived for ever of the Title and Dukedom and
Peerage, and altogether all his other Goods, immediately holden
from the King, reunited to the Crown again. Done in Parliament
the last day of ~July 1602~. Signed in the Original by ~de
Belieure~, Chancellor of ~France~, Councillor in the Court,
Reporter of the Process._
He was not moved at these words, _attainted and convicted of high
Treason_, but at these, _against the Person of the King_, he fell into
a rage, and Swearing as he had done many times before, and shall do
hereafter with great Oaths and Imprecations, there is no such thing, said
he to the Recorder, it is false, blot out that; he was also very angry,
hearing that he was to be executed in the place of _Greve_, thinking that
for several respects he was to be distinguished from the common sort of
people, and Swore again, that he would not go thither, and that he had
rather to be torn in pieces by wild Horses, and that it was not in the
power of all those that stood by to carry him thither, then he was a
little appeased, when _Voisin_ told him, that the King had done him that
favour to change the place of Execution, and that it was to be done in
the _Bastille_. The confiscation of his Goods, and the revenues of the
Dukedom of _Biron_ to the Crown, was the last point of the Sentence that
vexed him. What? said he, doth the King intend to grow rich out of my
poverty? The Lordship of _Biron_ cannot be confiscated, I only possessed
it by substitution of my Brethren, what shall my Brethren do, the King
ought to have been satisfied with the loss of my life.
The Sentence being pronounced, _Voisin_ did exhort him again to renounce
all the vanities of the world, to take no other care but of the
Salvation of his Soul, which was to be first by reconciling himself to
God Almighty, and that there was two Divines for that purpose, and that
according to the usual forms of Executions, he would be pleased to suffer
himself to be bound. That word of Execution did seem so horrid to him,
that he fell into a new rage, Swearing, that he would never permit so
infamous a person to touch him, otherwise than with the Sword, and that
he had rather be hewen in pieces. To keep him from falling into a further
despair, _Voisin_ left him, with his Divines, _viz._ _Garnier Almonec_,
and Confessor to the King, and after that Bishop of _Montpelier_, and
_Magnan_, Curate of St. _Nicolas_ in the fields at _Paris_, who began
to talk boldly to him of his death, and to disvest himself of all his
thoughts, as he had done of his Goods, and to take no other care than
that of his Soul, whereupon he fell into a passion again, Let me alone
(said he) it is I that must think upon my Soul, you have nothing to do
with it, I had no need of you, you shall not be troubled to hear my
confession; what I speak aloud is my confession, I have been these eight
days a confessing my self, and the last night, me thought I saw the
Heavens opened, and that God lent me his Hand; my Keepers heard me laugh
for joy in my sleep. The Divines did not loose Courage for all that, but
more and more intreated him to consider, that he was no more what he had
been before, that within one or two hours he should be no more, that he
must change to be for evermore, that his Soul was ready to appear before
the fearfull Throne of the living God, to be rewarded with a more happy
life than that he had hitherto passed; or be condemned to an Eternal
pain and that in comparison of that which he was to suffer now, it was
no more than the slight pricking of a Pin, and having in some measure
appeased him, they left him to examine his Conscience, while _Voisin_
went to give notice of his refusing to be bound; the Chancellor doubted
whether he should be compelled to it; the first President said, that it
was dangerous to let him loose; _Sillery_ having learned of _Voisin_ that
the Prisoner was at that time very quiet, said, that if they went about
to bind him, he would break all the bonds of Patience, and should never
be brought to Execution but in a rage and dispair; according to that
opinion he was left free in his body, that he might be the more free in
his thoughts.
Which were more to the World, and to the setling of his affairs, than to
the saving of his Soul, which he had neglected all his life time, and
shewed himself utterly ignorant of the principles of his Religion, for
which he said a little before, he was put to death, and those that were
present related, that his Prayers made him appear more a Souldier than a
Christian; he prayed in commanding, and commanded in praying.
His Confession being ended, he walked in the Chappel with one hand upon
his side, and with the other holding the strings of his Shirt, did
unbutton and button again his Doublet. _Voisin_ being come back told
him, that the Chancellor and the first President were very glad to hear
of his Patience, and of his constant resolution to die. He talked much
of the Money he had at _Dijon_, of the worth of his Jewels, and of what
was owing to him, and what himself did owe, he desired that some Sums of
Money should be paid to certain Gentlemen, that had no Obligation for it:
But still he broke forth into exclamations concerning his Innocency, and
execrations against _la Fin_, asking if it should not be lawfull for his
Brothers to prosecute him, and to cause him to be burnt.
Upon this, those that kept him during his Imprisonment, came to take
their leave of him, every one having his left hand upon the handle of his
Sword, and Tears in his Eyes, he moved them to compassion by the sight of
his present condition, and exhorted them to serve the King faithfully,
against whom he had said he had done nothing amiss, and complained that
he could find no Mercy at his Hands, intreated them to pray to God for
him, and to oblige them to that, distributed among them all his Cloaths
and linnen, and Watches; he desired also the Knight of the Watch to tell
the King, that his Servants knew nothing of his Affairs, that the Earl of
_Auvergne_ was not to be questioned upon that account: He intreated much
one exempt of the Guards to go to the said Earl, and tell him he had laid
nothing to his charge, and that he went to die without any grief, but of
the loss of his friendship, and that the shortness of his life would not
give him leave to shew in effect how much he was his servant. The Earl
sent him word, that he did accept of his farewell, as of an intimate
friend; and that he remained behind to lament all the days of his life
the loss he suffered in him, intreated him to leave him his Bastard Son,
to have him brought up with his own Children. After this the Prisoner saw
a Gentleman belonging to the Duke of _Mayene_, and entreated him to tell
his Master, that if ever in his life he had given him some occasion not
to love him, that he prayed to believe that he would die his servant, as
also of the Duke of _Aiguillon_, and Earl of _Sommerive_ his Children; he
likewise intreated _Arnaut_, Secretary to the Marquess of _Rhosny_, to
remember his last commendations to his Master, and desire him to remember
not so much him that went to die, as his Brethren whom he left behind,
that he had him in opinion of a good and usefull servant to the King, and
repented much he had not believed his Councel.
About three of the Clock the Chancellor and the first President went
up again into the Chappel, and finding him in a good disposition, did
fortifie his resolution by their discourses, and desiring to know more
particularities from his own mouth, sent all the standers by away, except
the Divines and the Recorder: They did exhort him to consider, that the
days of man are limited, that the end of his days depended from the
Providence of the Almighty, who would take him out of this world before
some great and long misery should make him weary of it. He answered, no,
no my Lords, do not trouble you about comforting me and strengthning me
against the fear of death, I have not been afraid of it these 20 years;
you have given me 40 days to study it, but I could not believe that
having not been in the power of my Enemies to take away my life, I should
be so miserable as to loose it by the consent of my friends; having said
this they left him, and took their leaves of him with Tears in their
Eyes, he would not suffer them to depart till they had received a new
Protestation of his, that he never had attempted any thing against the
King, Swearing, that if he would have done it, the King should not have
been alive three years ago.
As they were going out of the _Bastille_ with _Sillery_, he sent the
Knight of the Watch to intreat the Chancellor, that his Body might be
buried at _Biron_, in the Sepulchre of his Ancestors, and that he would
desire the King to give to his younger Brother some Office in the house
of the _Dolphin_, and shewing by his Countenance, Carryage, and Words, to
care as little for death as one that is a great way from it gave cause to
suspect, that he was not out of hope to obtain his pardon from the King,
or to escape by some extraordinary means.
The Divines did exhort him to keep nothing back of what might serve for
the discharging of his Conscience, and to consider, that they could give
him absolution for no more than what he did confess. Although, said he,
the King causeth me to die unjustly, nevertheless I have served him with
so much affection and obedience, and I have near my death so much good
will and affection for him, that if I knew any thing against his Person
or State, I would tell it freely, and upon that whispered some things to
his Confessors, which _Voisin_ did presently write.
Being about five of the Clock, _Baranton_ was sent to tell him it was
time to go; let us go said he, seeing I must die, and desired he would
charge his Brothers from him, to remain faithful to the King, and not to
go to Court, till time had blotted, or at least lessened the shame of
his death. He kneeled before the Altar, and having ended his Prayer, he
desired the Company to pray for him.
Coming out of the Chappel, he met the Executioner, who offered to follow
him, and he thinking it was to bind him; keep off, (said he) and do not
touch me till it be time; I shall go willingly to die without troubling
any body; but it shall never be said that I am dead like a Slave, or
a Thief, and swore by God that if he came near him he would strangle
him. The Divines exhorted him going down the stairs to resist those
impaciencies and temptations of the Devil, who striveth most to deviate
the Soul from her Salvation, when as he hath most need of the Divine
assistance to withstand his assaults, remonstrating also unto him, that
all his violences and passions could not hinder the Soul to depart from
a place where she was but a Tenant at Will. He hearkened to them, and
saying three times ah, ah, ah, raising his voice at every one, he said,
is there no Mercy in the world, I see to day, that all the world hath
forsaken me.
He came into the Yard, and seeing the Lieutenant of the City, in whose
house the King had put _la Fin_, to secure him from all attempts, My Lord
Lieutenant (said he) I am very much your friend, take heed to have any
thing to do with that Witch and Magician that lyeth at your house, if you
meddle with him he will undo you.