In this estate of aduersitie the people set before their eies all that feare and despaire could imagine: Guic. pag. 625. The manifold passions or perplexities of the people in generall. they doubted least so great a calamitie were not the beginning of a further ruine & subuersion: they saw their king prisoner, and with him either taken or slaine in the battell the chiefteins of the kingdome, which in the imagination of their sorrowes they held a losse irreparable: they beheld their capteins dis|comfited, and their souldiers discouraged: a calamitie which stopped in them all hope to be readdressed or re|assured: they saw the realme made naked of mo|nie and treasure, and inuironed with most mightie enimies: an affliction which most of all caried their thoughts into the last cogitation of desperat ruine: for the king of England, notwithstanding that he had holden manie parlées and treaties, and shewed in manie things a variation of mind, yet not manie daies before the battell, he had cut off all the nego|ciations which he had interteined with the king, and had published that he would descend into France, if the things of Italie tooke anie good successe.

So that the Frenchmen feared least in so great an oportunitie, the emperour and he would not le|uie warre against France, either for that there was no other head or gouernour than a woman, and the little children of the king, of whom the eldest had not yet run eight yeares accomplished: or else bicause the enimies had with them the duke of Burbon, for his owne particular a puissant prince, and for his authoritie in the realme of France verie popular and strong in opinion, a mightie instrument to stirre vp most dangerous emotions.The ladie re|gent hir selfe was partaker of these griefs and feares. Besides, the ladie re|gent, as well for the loue she bare to the king, as for the dangers of the realme was not without hir pas|sions both proper and particular: for being full of ambition, and most gréedie of the gouernment, shée feared that if the kings deliuerie drew any long tract of time, or if anie new difficultie hapned in France, she should be constreined to yéeld vp the administra|tion of the crowne to such as should be delegate and assigned by the voices of the kingdome. Neuerthe|lesse amid so manie astonishments and confusions, she drew hir spirits to hir, and by hir example were recomforted the nobles that were of counsell with hir, who tooke spéedie order to man the frontiers of the realme, and with diligence to leuie a good proui|sion of monie.