THE TERRIBLE AND DESERued death of Francis Rauilliack, shewing the manner of his strange torments at this Execution, vpon Fryday the 25. of May last past, for the murther of the late French King, Henry the fourth.
TOGETHER WITH AN ABSTRACT Out of diuers Proclamations, and Edicts, now concerning the state of France.
As it was Printed in French in three seuerall Bookes published by Authoritie. 1610.
At London printed for William Barley. and Iohn Bayhe. 1610.
The true maner of the strange execution of Francis Ranilliack (for the late murther of the French King, Henry the fourth) who was tormented to death, vpon a skaffould, in the Cittie of Paris the 25 of May last 1610.
THE most Inhumaine murther lately comitted vpon the person of the late French King, Henry the fourth of famous memory, hath much disquieted the state of Fraunce, and so busyed other kingdoms, in hunting after the true reports thereof, so fare forth, that we thinke it an in terior loue to our countri-men to haue an abstract of the most accurences that happened since that vnnaturall accydent, and fiirstto begin with the viperous homicyde the bludie actor of this deede, who stroue with the enuy of his hart [Page 2]draw in pieces the bowells that cherished his life. (florishing Fraunce I meane) that proues abortiue, in bringing forth such an vnnaturall french-man.
This paracide, Frances Rauilliack, in time past of the order of the Felician fryers, but of late a practissioner in the lawe (by some named a petty fogger) borne in the towne of Angolesme, a place not fare distant from the Citty of Paris, who after he had vnluckedly accomplished this bloody stratagem, by taking away y e preseruer of so many liues, was vpon the 23 of May last, araingned, conuicted, and condempued by due order of law, in the great court and chamber of Turnella in Paris, before all the Assemblies, Presidents, Councellors, and Commissioners, at the Request of Du Viquit, Aturney generall to the King, whose place & authority was there then to inquire against this Francis Rauilliack, for the murther of his late soueraigne, Henry the fourth King of Fraunce and Nauare, where-vppon, this Francis Rauilliack, with a sad & deathlike countenance, holding vp his guilty hand before this great assembly, presently confessed guilty, and that [Page 3]he became this his countries shame, onely by the instigation of the deuill, and not any other accomplices, & confederats would he reueale, but in a Satanicall maner vowed himselfe to secrecie, wherevpon the law proceeded, and a most terrible sentence of death pronounced against him there, according to a generall decree of that great court of parliament, & so being a condemned Uillaine was with a strong gard of armed men conuayd to prison, otherwise by the violent rage of the common people, he had beene torne in peeces, such was the loue they bore to their late King.
Upon the Fryday following, being the 25. of May, (according to their computation) this Frauces Rauilliack was in a most vile and bace manner caried to execution as followeth.
First, (naked in his shirt) he was brought out of the Consergery, (being the prison for the palace) with a lighted Tortch of two pownd waight i none hand, and the Knife (wherewith he killed the King) chained to the other hand, so openly to be seene, that the least childe there present might behold it, after this, he was placed standing vpright in a tumbrell or dungcart [Page 4]Duug-cart, and so from thence, conducted with a gard of Cittizens to the Capitall church in Paris, where being adiudged to do penance he had bene made a sacrafize to the rage of the rude people, had not (there bin apoynted Officers to see his execution) preuinted it.
After this, being accompanied to the place of execution with two doctors of diuinitie, all the way perswading him to saue his soule from euerlasting punishment, by reuealing and laying oppen his Assocyates therein, which he would not, but stiffly (though vngraciously) tooke the bloody burthen vpon his owne shoulders, withstanding, euen to the death, all faire promises whatsoeuer. In this manner as I sayd before, was he caried to the Greue, being a spatious streete, and about the middle of Paris, where was builded a very substanciall scaffould of strong timber, wherevpon, according to his Iudgment he was to be tormented to death: Du Viquit the Kings Aturny generall was apoynted principall to see the execution, and there to gather (if he [Page 5]could) some further light of this vnchristianlike conspiracie.
This here following was the maner of his death: an example of terror made knowne to the world to conuert all bloody minded Traytors from the like enter-prise. At his first cō ming vppon the Scaffold, he crossed himselfe directly ouer the breast, a signe that he did liue and dye an oblistinate [...]: [...] vpon, by the Executioners, he was [...] to an Engine of Wood and Iron, made [...] S. Andrews Crosse, according to the fash [...] of his Body, and then the hand with the [...]nife chayned to it, (wherewith he slew the King) and halfe the arme was put into an artif [...]iall Furnace, then flaming with fier and Brimstone, wherin the knife, his right hand, and halfe the arme adioyning to it, was in most terrible manner consumed, yet nothing at all would he confesse, but yelled out with such horrible cryes euē as it had beene a Diuell, or some tormented soule in hel: And surely if Hells tortures might be felt on earth, it was approued in this mans punishment, and though he deserued ten times more, yet humane nature might inforce vs to pitty [Page 10]his distresse: After this, with Tongues and Iron Pincers, made extreame hott in the same Fornace, the appointed Executioners, pinched and seared the Dugges of his Breastes, the brawnes of his Armes and Thighes, with the calues of his Legges, and other fleshy partes of his Body, cutting out Colloppes of Flesh, and burned them before his face: afterward into the same woundes thus made, they powred scalding Oyle, Rosen, Pitch, & Brimstone, melted together, yet would he reueale nothing, but that he did it of himselfe by the instigation of the Diuell, and the reason was, because the King tollerated two Religions in his Kingdome: Oh small occasion, that for this cause one seruile slaue, should thus quench the great light of France, whose brightnes glistred thorough Europe: but to passe further into this strange execution according to the sentence pronounced against him, they put vpon his Nauell a rundle of clay, very hard, with a hole in the midst, and into the same hole powred they moulten lead, till it was filled, yet reauealed he nothing, but cryed out with most horrible roares, euen like the dying man tormented [Page 11]in the Brazen Bull of the Tyrant Phalares. But now to come to the finishing vp of his life, and that the last torture, might in seuerity equall the first, they caused foure
strong horses to be brought to teare his body in peeces, & to seperate his limbes into foure quarters, where being ready to pay his last punishment, he was questioned againe to make knowne the truth, but he would not and so died without speaking one word of God, or remembring the daunger of his soule.
But so strongly was his flesh and ioynts knit together, that of long time, these foure horses could not dismember him, nor any way teare one ioynt from the other, so that one of [Page 8]the horses faynted, the which a Marchant of the Citty of Paris perceiuing, put to one of his owne, being a horse of an exceeding great strength, yet notwitstanding for all this, they were constrained to cut the flesh vnder, his armes and thighes with a sharp raysor, by which meanes his body was the easier torne in peeces: which being done, the rage of the people grew so violent, that they snatched the dismembred carcasse out of the executioners hands, some beate it in sunder against the ground, others cut it in peices with kniues, so that there was nothing lest but boanes, which were brought to the place of execution and there burned to cinders, the ashes wherof was scattered into thewind, as being thought to be vnworthie of the earths buriall. God in his Iustice I will hope in the like manner reward all such as repine at their countries safety, and desperatly attempt to lift their hands against Gods anointed.
THE BREFES TAKEN OF DIVERS EDICTS AND DECREES lately proclaimed in France in this place.
WHereas the inhumaine murther of our late deceased Father, HENRY the fourth of famous memory, is as farre as Law and Iustice can reach vnto, reuenged vpon the body of that parracide Francis Rauaillac, whose death sufficiētly witnesseth, and now stands regesterd and example of seuerity in such a cause, yet nature and duty bindeth vs to add this further vnto it: we therefore by the aduise of our foure Courts of Parliament, the Lords thereof, spirituall & temporall that all the lands, goods, and cattels late belonging [Page 14]to the aforesaid traytor Francis Rauaillac, shall be confiscate to our vse, and also the house in Angolesm [...], wherein he was borne, to be vtterly ruinated, and be conuerted into a common leastall, and in the same place neuer any more house to be built: Also we by our authority do decree and ordaine, iudge, and command, that the Father and Mother of the said Francis Rauaillac, be for euer banished our Kingdome of France, and all the Prouinces belonging therunto, not to beseene after the date of seauenteen dayes be expiered, neuer to returne vpon paine of hanging: Also we ordaine, that the vncles, brothers, sisters and all his kindred, shall neuer more take vpon them the name of Rauaillac, but take to themselues some other name, vpon the like paine of punishment, as a name, vnworthy of our countrye. All which we doe commaund to be proclaimed throughout all our Prouinces, by the sound of trōpet as the order is. For the prosecution of which busines, we do giue full authority to du Vicquet, our Atorney Generall. Dated at our Palace in Paris the 29. of May 1610. and signed with the great seale of yellow wax, by the Lord,
A BRIEF OF LETTERS PATTENTS GIVEN TO the Queene.
LOOKING to the necessity of the time, and for the maintenance of the state in peace, vpon the miserable accident committed vpon the person of our most Royall King and Father, and being in our minority, we doe establish and make this good order for the preseruation of our louing subiects, to liue in the vnion and concord as they did in the [Page 12]time of our Father, and as by the Councell of our Royall Mother, Princes of our blood, other Princes, Prelats, Dukes, Peeres, and Officers of the Crowne, we are transported to this our Parliament of Paris, and being seated in our seate of Iustice, we do fully yeeld our whole gouernment to our Mother, to haue care of vs, and protect vs till we come to age, not suffering any costome to be denyed, but all things to be performed, and continued in as good force, as they did in our Fathers time to the quiet of our land, and the peace of our louing subiects: giuen at our Palace in Paris the 18. of may 1610. and of our raigne the first.
SEene, published, and registered in Court by du Vicquet, Attorney General, the aforesayed 18, of May, Signed likewise by de Boyleuesque, Secretary to the Parliament of Roan, and proclamed in euery Prouince, that none hereafter shall pretend cause of ignorance.
By the King.
Since the vnhapie murther of our late father: The Queene our royall mother now Regent ouer vs, hauing teares in her eyes and sorrowe in her heart, hath not let to worke with great magnanimitie and prouidence for this vnnaturall accident, that it might not be preiudiciall to our person, our Kingdome, nor to our subiects, knowing her selfe obliged to that duty, not onely for the naturall affection she beares vs, but being declared Regent, and loaden with the affaires of the Kingdome, by the wils and authority of the Princes of our blood and others of the Parliament, wee leauing of hte seate of Iustice, by which meanes her paines is great and so happie, to our subiects nere vs and our Cittie of Paris desiring no deuty to vs, but to our honored Lady and mother, for which we doe not doubt of your willingnes, [Page 14]in so doing, we shall giue you thankes with our loue.
Furthermore, considering that in the times pastm the daies of our late father, and other Kings his predecessors, that neither of these two Religions (by vs now tollerated) could not be weeded out of the Kingdome without much blood shed: be it now therefore ordained, and likewise we doe alowe both the same through all our Prouinces, without any contradiction as it was in our fathers time, and the hinderers thereof to be highly punished.
Giuen at our Palace in Paris the 22. of May, and signed with the great Seale in yellow wax:Farwell.
Letters Patents of the King concerning the Edict of Nantes.
VPon the 22. of May there wee Letters Patents granted, by proclamation, containing the will and intention of the King, for the intertainement of the Edict made in Nantes, concerning articles giuen to his subiects professing the pretended reformed Religion, [Page 15]published in the Parliament at Roane the 28. of Day 1610.
Vpon Sunday their 27 of Day were nine thousand Protestants at Church together verie peaceably, God be praysed.
The king is continually guarded with two hundred horse, and his Swissers, besids the Nobilitie which mourne greatly.
The Duke de Neuers by aduice is retourned from the armie.
The humdred thousand men promised to the Marques of Brandenburgh doe remaine as they did before, and all the army besides are well.
These bee the onely last and true newes out of France, takē out of three seueral books there imprinted, the one at Roan, by Nartin Mesgissier Printer ordinary to the King,
Another by Peter Courant according to the [Page 16]coppy printed at Paris, by Anthony Vitray, by permission of the Court.
And another printed at Roan by the same Man, & now an abstract of them all turned into English by R. E.