Edict of Union

The edict of Union (or sometimes of Réunion ) is a peace that Henri III is constrained to sign with Rouen the July 15th 1588 with the Ligue, and devotes narrow alliance between monarchy and the League.

This edict of pacification is the consequence of the insurrection of the Paris iens on May 12th, 1588, known like the day of the barricades, following which the king had to flee of Paris. The duke of Own way, chief of the League, did not dare to seize the power following an insurrection, and required to treat with Henri III.

The king thus committed himself fighting the Protestants and excludes very protesting with the succession with the throne from France, eliminating by this fact Henri de Navarre with the profit from the Maison from Own way, Henri III not having a heir.

This edict was renewed in October at the time of the General states with Blois, demonstration of the power of the League.

The king will react against this absolute power by assassinating the duke of Own way the December 24th of the same year.

Text

“Henry (...) Considering the infinite one and special obligation which we have with God our creator who put to us in hand the sceptre of the noblest kingdom which is in the world (...) has these causes, giving in front of our eyes it to what the duty of good very Christian king and first wire of the Church obliges us, solved (...) to provide (...) so that of our alive it is established with the fact of our known as Catholic religion and Roman a good and is ensured rest (...) what having as of a long time by us put in consideration, and have on the whole very good and very careful opinion of the very honoured queen our lady and mother, of the princes and lords of our council, wanted, ruled and ordered, let us want, rule and order and likes to us that the following articles are held for inviolable and fundamental law of (...) our kingdom.

1. - And firstly we swearwords and let us renew the oath by us makes in our sacring, of living and dying in the Catholic religion and Roman, to promote the advance and conservation of icelle, to employ in good faith all our forces and means, without saving our own life, to extirpate our kingdom, country and grounds of our obedience, all schisms and heresies condemned by the saints councils and mainly by that of Thirty, without never making any peace or truce with the heretics nor no edict in their favor.

2. - Let us want and order that all our subjects, princes, lords, (...) ecclesiastics, gentlemen, inhabitants of cities and lowland that others, of some quality and condition which they are, are linked and united in this cause with us and make similar oath employ with us all their jusques forces and means with their own lives, for the extermination of the aforesaid heretics.

3. - Swearwords and also let us promise to support them nor to advance our alive one; let us order and want that all our plain subjects swear and promise as of now and forever, after it rains with God to have our life without giving children, recevoit with being a king (nor) to lend obedience to unspecified prince who either heretic or instigator of heresy.

4. - Let us declare and promise to employ (...) forever with the warheads of our kingdom only people who will be catholic and make profession of the Catholic religion manifestly, apostolic and Roman; and let us defend very expressly that no one (ne) is received with the exercise of any office of judicature and finance into (...) our kingdom, country and grounds of our obedience, that before it does not appear of its Catholic religion, apostolic and Roman”.

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