BOOK 92 with the English government," about whose ope- 92The cardinal Lorraine is busy in inquiring of Elizabeth's ships, and if new great ones be made.' ib. 119. And Throckmorton hinted to Cecil to consider to nourish the garboil in Scotland as much as may be.' ib. 93 On 13th June, Throckmorton reported to the queen, that the French king had opened his parliament. The cardinal Lorraine, earnestly inveighing against the Protestants, requested execution to be made of them, and confiscation of their goods. Six of the counsellors of the court opposed it. One declared that the cardinals of France were endowed with such great revenue, and therewithal so negligent of their charge, that those whom they appointed to serve under them, were insufficient to instruct the flocks committed to their cures. With this the cardinal was so dashed, that he stood still, and replied not.' Forbes, 126. 94 The constable said, Vous faites la bravade, and asked how they durst say so to the king. They answered, that they did it because the king was present. 'If you desire to reform, ye must not begin with the common sort, but with the greatest.' The king was offended, and a guard appointed to arrest two, and afterwards four; of whom five were committed to the Bastile.' ib. p. 126. 95 The ambassador collected the Parisian feelings on these events. 'Some say it is done to please Philip and the duke of Savoy, who are taken to be bent against the Protestants; but others, that the cardinals wished to give the greater terrors to others, who be in divers corners a great multitude, and many great personages. Some, that the king was minding to have a reformation, but, wanting money, wished to erect a new court of confiscations to repress them, and to levy great XVII. the great cause in Scotland commenced its first CHAP. public operations in Dumfries, under the countenance of the chief nobility, and with the immediate effect of referring the religious discussion to the consideration of the Scottish parliament.96 But the most disturbing point of the English cabinet at that juncture, when the papal party in England, having lost its sovereignty by the death of Mary, was eagerly looking out for another supporting chief of regal pretensions, was the fact, that the dauphin of France, and his young Scottish wife, were assuming in France the title of king and queen of England, and were quartering its arms with those of Scotland, in their escutcheons and state parade." As the dauphiness was actual queen of Scotland, and the heiress to the English throne if Elizabeth should die without issue, her assumption of the right and title to be so while the maiden queen was reigning, was an usurpation on her reign, a denial of her succession, and a perpetual incentive to her people to rebel and depose her. It became more disquieting to Elizabeth, because the pretensions appeared to sums. One of the presidents, Siguier, a true man, on whom the constable much stays, is a Protestant, and one of the chiefest setters forward of the rest against the cardinal.' 'Of 120, president and counsellors, only fifteen were for the king and cardinals; the others are against the cardinals.' Forbes, p. 127. 96 Cecil apprised Throckmorton, that the first beginning of innovation in Scotland was at Dumfries, where Knox and others began to preach. Only the duke and earl Huntley were with the queen dowager. The other part had Argyle, Marshall, Glencairne, Errol, Ruthven, Dunn. It is now accorded that every man shall be free for any thing done, and the cause of religion be ended by parliament.' Lett. 13th June 1559. Forb. 131. An escutcheon, with the arms thus quartered, was conveyed to sir William Cecil, who immediately apprised the ambassador that it was not to be passed over in silence,' and desired him to confer with II. 100 98 99 BOOK be privately countenanced by the French government, notwithstanding the late treaty, and were talked of with a publicity and in a manner that, without actually compromising the cabinet of France, could not but have an exciting and disturbing effect in England, on the minds of all whose passions or interests led them to desire in Mary another Catholic sovereign.' The combined heraldry was openly exhibited on a day of stately festivity, in the royal and noble tilting on Savoy's nuptials. 101 The king of France, who had recently fixed his determination on a severe prosecution of those who desired a reformation in his dominions, unfortunately took his share of this martial amusement with his court, on the third day of the joyous emulation. The English ambassador was the only diplomatist admitted to be present, 102 He saw Henry run many courses very well and fair; but on the next encounter, with the captain of the Scottish guard, the king was twice struck by the same course of his opponent's lance in the face ; 98 On 21st June, Throckmorton communicated to the minister, that an overture had been made to him, for a marriage between Elizabeth and the duke of Nemours; but that on the duke mentioning it to the constable, this prime minister had discouraged it, saying it was not meet for him. What! do you not know that the queen dolphin hath right and title to England? The ambassador was confidentially informed by personages of good haveor and reputation' that they 'have looked but for occasion; and when they see time, have at you.' ib. 136. 99 See dispatch in Forbes, 146. 100 On the affiancing of the duke of Savoy's marriage with the French princess, on 28th June, the king dolphin's band began the justs. Two heralds which came before it were Scots, fair set out with the king and queen's arms, with a scutcheon of England set forth to the show, as all the world might easily perceive, being embroidered upon purple velvet, and set out with armory on the breasts, backs, and sleeves.' Lett. Throck. 1 July, p. 150. 101 See the cardinal's letter of 9 July, in Ribier, v. 2, p. 817. 102 On 30th June, the prince of Nevers came to the tilt with his band, where I was to see them run, and none ambassador else.' Forbes, p. 151. XVII. the point first disarranging his vizor, and breaking; CHAP. and the fractured part immediately coming into contact with his disarmed eye-brow, and leaving a splinter in it.103 He was carried off the field insensible, but with no certain appearance of danger. 104 More alarming symptoms soon succeeded; 105 yet hopes of his safety were afterwards diffused.106 107 Five thousand troops were dispatched to the sea-coast,' apparently for Scotland; and violent counsels were suggested and resolved upon at Paris, to suppress the Reformation, and its adherents in that country. 108 103 The blow first lighting upon the king's head, and taking away the pannage which was fastened to his headpiece with iron, broke the staff. The rest of the staff hitting the king upon the face, gave him such a counter buff, as to drive a splint right over his eye on the right side. The force of the stroke was so vehement, and the pain he had withal so great, that he was much astonished, and had great ado, with reeling to and fro, to keep himself on horseback; and his horse in like manner did somewhat yield.' Lett. 1 July, p. 151. 104 With all expedition he was unarmed on the field, even against the place where I stood; and, as I could discern, the hurt seemed not to be great; where I judge he is but in little danger. I saw a splint taken out, of a good bigness, and nothing else was done to him on the field; but I noted him to be very weak, and to have the sense of all his limbs almost benumbed; for, being carried away as he lay along, nothing covered but his face, he moved neither hand nor foot, but lay as one amazed.' Lett. Throck. ib. 151. 105 Since the writing of this, the gates of the house, at the Turneyles, whither he was carried, are kept so straight and close, that no nobleman's servants are suffered for a great distance to come near; whereupon I guess that after the hurt was searched and dressed, there appeared further matter than I was aware of before. The duke of Savoy, and of Alva, and the prince of Orange, were suffered to enter. This morning I understand that the duke of Savoy, the cardinal Lorraine, the connetable, and Mons. De Guise, watched all night with the king, who hath had very evil rest.' ib. 152. 106 On 4th July, the dispatch was: The hurt was great and painful, but by the common opinion of all, the French king is in no danger of life. Nevertheless the likelihood was, that he would lose his eye. The same afternoon the constable sent to me one of his secretaries, to tell me that he was in no danger, and that there was good hope he should be well shortly, as all the surgeons had shortly declared.' ib. 154. 108 Upon their consultation here for matters of Scotland, the cardinal II. BOOK Henry became rapidly worse, and in a few days expired.109 He had not long survived a league, which he had secretly made with Philip and the pope, to suppress the reformed religion, both in France and Europe; 110 and but a month after his sanguinary edict, to put all who professed it to death."" In England, the supremacy of the pope Lorraine, the duke of Guise, and others of that house, have persuaded as much as they could, that the way to amend the garboils there, is to cause the earl of Argyle, the prior of St. Andrews, [Murray] and the lord Dun, to be arrested; their goods confiscated, and to lose their lives; and the like to a number of other, inferiors-whereupon they have determined to use this extreme manner of reformation. Throck. Lett. 4 July, p. 152. 109 On 11 July, the connetable wrote from Paris: The king died yesterday, an hour after noon.' Lett. 2 Ribier, 809. Mr. de Lorges, the young lord of Montgomery, whose tilting skill and strength had been so fatal, was dismissed from his captainship of the guard, and banished the court. Forbes, p. 158. As it was one of the accidents of this dangerous sport, without the least appearance of malicious intention, no further measures were adopted against him. The queen, on 10 July, kindly commissioned a gentleman to express her concern, We have now sent Charles Howard in post, to visit our said good brother.' ib. 156. 110 It is from Kyllegrew's dispatch to the queen, of 6 Jan. 1560, that we learn this important fact. Upon the making of the late peace, there was an appointment made between the late pope, the French king, and the king of Spain, for the joining of their forces together for the suppression of religion. The end of this league was to constrain the rest of Christendom, being Protestants, to receive the pope's authority and religion. Forbes' State Papers, p. 296. The following passage in Castelnau, who was also one of the diplomatists of this period, exhibits a sequel to the above: The interview of the queen of Spain, sister to the French king, at Bayonne, accompanied by the duke of Alva, and many great lords of Spain, (with Charles IX. and Catherine de Medicis,) and the affairs which were there treated of the next summer, put the Huguenots into a very great jealousy and mistrust, that the feast was making at their expense, from the opinion they had of an etroite ligue du princes Catholiques contre eux.'* 1 Castel. Mem. p. 189. Castelnau mentions that in June 1559 the king made an edict at Escouan, compelling the judges to condemn all the Lutherans to death, and that this was registered in all the parliaments without any limitation, and the judges were forbidden to mitigate the punishment as they had done for some years before. vol. 1. p. 5. It was expected that this edict would occasion large confiscations, and enable the king to discharge the 42,000,000 of livres which he owed.' ib. |