85

ministers signified that they were arming, from an apprehension of what France might intend. The real alarm of the English cabinet appears in the confidential orders issued to the noblemen in the northern counties.86 The Spanish ambassador at Paris soon afterwards disclosed, that the agent, sent thither from Mary's government in Scotland, had declared to him that Elizabeth was illegitimate, that the right to the English crown was in the queen France; and that after the death of Mary, the late English queen, she had taken the title upon her, as justly appertaining to her. The Spaniard recommended, that if England decided on a war with France, it should not be on the ground of defending Scotland, but for the assumption of the arms and title.88

of

A new pope was chosen in Pius IV. on Christmas

day she said, 'Having entered into a peace, a malediction be on him or her who shall break it, or give occasion to do so.' p. 284.

85 Her council say that all their preparations are only for the defence and preservation of their kingdom, but that they mistrust that the large and extraordinary forces which the king has sent to Scotland, and is still raising both in France and Germany, cannot be only for the reduction of that country, but are also meant for the conquest of this, especially as the queen so publicly pretends that this crown belongs to her, and is now every where bearing its arms and title.' ib. 284.

86 A special charge' was issued on 23 December 1559, to lord Talbot, tending to the necessary service of the realm, for defence of the same against certain attempts of the French, lately disclosed, tho not published.' See it in Lodge Illust. v. 1. P. 309.

Letter Kylligrew, 6 Jan. 1560. It was the mareschale of St. Andrew, on behalf of the queen mother,' who had come to Paris, and held this conversation with the Spanish diplomatist. p. 293.

88 He wished if your majesty minded to break, that the same might be done in order; and that some man of knowlege be sent hither, to demand reason of the Frenchmen, what they meant by giving the arms of England, using its title, and planting themselves so in Scotland, thereby to cause it to appear to the world that the French did injury tho they offered no force. For, quoth he, it will not be generally liked,

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BOOK day;89 and the French government projected to renew with him the league of Henry, for the destruction of the reformed religion." In the meantime it applied for a rescript to re-establish its inquisitorial severities in France," and another for analogous proceedings in Scotland; and the two brothers, tho of the noblest house in France, seemed rushing to sanguinary deeds, which the basest outlaw ought to have been ashamed of. But the gentleman whom the cardinal sent with his commissions of persecution to Poictiers, was arrested on his journey, and the secret letters were taken from his bosom;" which may be supposed to have revealed to the endangered, what they were about to suffer. A gentleman was executed for his religion, in Gascony,

93

89 It was the cardinal de Medicis, a relation of the queen mother of France. 2 Ribier, 840.

90 On 6 Jan. 1560, Kylligrew wrote, It is said that this king mindeth shortly to send to this new pope for the renewing of the same league.' p. 296. The former league was noted in note 110 of the last chapter, p. 526.

9 Ribier has printed the letter of Francis II. to Cardinal Guise, dated 16 Jan. 1560, directing him to obtain the confirmation of the apostolical rescript which Paul IV. had addressed to the cardinals Lorraine, Bourbon and Chatillon, pour proceder a l'inquisition des heretiques et malcontents de la foi en ce royaume,' with the additional power for any one of these three who should find himself alone at court, pour prendre et faire proceder la dite inquisition.' v. 2, p. 841. A subtle device of Lorraine to possess himself of the power of extermination, if his colleagues should shrink from it.

92 Which the late king and the present had solicited from Paul IV. to be addressed to the bishop of Amiens.' ib. 841.

93 Kylligrew reported on 17 Jan. 1560, The cardinal of Lorraine lately sent secretly a gentleman with a bag full of commissions for persecution to be done about Poitiers, and gave him certain letters, which he carried apart in his bosom. This gentleman was met by the way by four or five others, who asked him what he carried; whereupon he shewed them the bag with commissions. 'This is not that (quoth they) we look for; and therewith taking out the secret letters in his bosom, said, that if his master were there, they would use him otherwise; but as for him, he might pass by, for they had nothing else to say to him.' Lett. Forbes, 302.

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and a public disturbance accompanied the act of CHAP. horror. What the secret letters disclosed to the reformed party has remained unknown, but such alarming symptoms appeared, that the cardinal suddenly assured the English ambassador at the latter end of February, that he was himself friendly to some reform,95 and that he had ordered the persecutions for religion to cease." Yet such was the dread which his preceding conduct had excited, that before this salutary change could be made known or confided in, previous tyranny had produced a reaction of evil: and within a week afterwards, he and his brother the duke of Guise were disquieted with the unexpected discovery of a conspiracy, framed to explode at Amboise, which seems to have been meant for their destruction, and for placing

About execution done upon a gentleman in Gascoign for the word, a president was in great danger there to lose his life; and the like garboil there as was lately at Paris, which doth greatly trouble them. Lett. 22d Feb. 331. The Parisian sufferer was a counsellor of parliament, who was hanged and burnt at the Greve, for professing the Protestant religion.' Henault, p. 404. On the eve of Christmas day 1559. Castel. 1, p. 5.

5 Sir Nicholas Throckmorton on 27 Feb. detailed to the queen his interview with this prime minister of Francis II. at Amboise, who in one part of it said, 'As for their religion, I have knowlege, tho I be a man of the church, that there be many faults therein and divers abuses; which being taken away, I can like well to have things in an uniformity. And were it not to take away the occasion, that men of their own authority would seek to reform things to the prejudice of the king's authority, and to avoid rebellion at home, I could wish things to be reformed, and put forthwith in a better state than they be; for I am not so ignorant, nor so led with errors that reign, as the world judges, but that I see there be many things amiss.' Lett. Forbes, 337. Thus these men were persecuting others to death, in contradiction to their own conviction of right and truth. It is probable that every one of the hierarchy who burnt and imprisoned, from the pope to the executioner, acted with equal wilfulness against their internal conscience.

96 The cardinal added, And even three days past we have set forth an edict to surcease the punishment of men for religion; and have licensed all men to live according to their conscience, so as they do not

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the feeble king under wiser and less merciless councils." Their apprehensions were very great, but the timely communication of it enabled them to arrest the principal contrivers." New attempts hastened the executions of some;100 pardon was proclaimed to the rest ;101 but the Guises remained in fear of the ulterior results,102 and other insurrec

97 Throckmorton, on 7 March 1560, informed Cecil, from Amboise, that the duke and cardinal have discovered a conspiracy wrought against themselves and their authority, which they have bruited, to make the matter more odious, to be meant only against the king. They have apprehended eight or nine, and put some to the torture.' Lett. Forb. 353.

98 Whereupon they are in such fear, as themselves do wear privy coats, and are in the night guarded with pistoliers and men in arms.' p. 353. The fear of this commotion is so great, that on the 6th the duke of Guise, the cardinal, the grand prior, and all the knights of the order which were here, watched all night long in the court; and the gates of this town were all shut and kept.' ib. 355.

99 By the 9th it was somewhat appeased, and the king goeth abroad hunting. p. 358. Eighteen men were apprehended near Tours, every of them carrying behind him on horseback a bagful of pistolets, shot and powder.' p. 364. On 14th a baron of Gascony, five captains, of very good skill in the wars, and 30 others, were brought to Tours.' p. 376. They said, They minded no hurt to the king.' On 16th, fifty more were taken, for the most part artificers, all of whom, but four, the king dismissed with a crown a piece.' p. 377.

100 Ib. 377, 378. Among these a captain was hung with this billet, 'La Ranaudiere, called La Forrest, author of the conspiracy, chief and conductor of the rebels.' P. 380. Among those taken were 18 of the bravest captains of France. p.378. Castelnau says, that Ranaudiere was shot. p. 18. If so, it was his body which was thus exposed. Condè was charged with being apprised of it, and approving of it, provided le tout se fit par forme de justice.' Castel. p. 16. The Gascon baron confessed that he shuld have conducted such as shuld have stirred in the duchy of Berry; that Masieres shuld have led them of Gascoigne ; and Ranaudiere them of Province.' Forbes, p. 381.

101 A proclamation was made, of pardon to all such as were up, so as they would retire and disperse themselves, saving to such as were preachers, and came in armour towards the king; for it was said there were great numbers ready to assemble in four quarters of the realm, which were already in small companies.' Lett. 21 March, p. 377.

102 The duke and cardinal live in marvellous great fear, and know not whom they may well trust.' ib. 383. Castelnau says, that he was sent by the king to learn the intention of this plot, and that he found it was only to present a petition to the king against the Guises, and to

tionary combinations were soon afterwards asserted to have occurred. So naturally does violence tend to produce violence; and so manifest is its inefficacy to prevent or remedy the evils, for the removal of which it is so eagerly resorted to.103 The discontents continued to increase with the continued disposition to persecute:104 the prince of Condè was arrested,"

105

seize the duke and cardinal pour leur faire leur proces, sur plusieurs concussions et crimes de leze majeste.' p. 16. The duke was declared lieutenant general of the kingdom. Castel. p. 19.

103 6

Notwithstanding all the appearance of quietness about the court, on 16th inst. there were six who had determined to have killed the duke of Guise as he should go hunting, had not one of the six discovered it. The five are fled away; which matter hath stricken a marvellous fear at the duke of Guise's heart and the cardinal's. The cardinal hath a coach in making, which shall carry in it twelve falconets, six upon a side, for defence by the way.' Lett. Throck. 22d May, p. 464. A personage hath told me, that before the end of June there will be 30,000 men at the least in the field, who will either put down the house of Guise or lose their lives." p. 465. He saith the king of Navarre hath caused reformation to be begun thro Gascony and Guyenne, and hath abolished the use of the mass.' ib. In these latter notes we see the real causes and beginnings of the civil wars of France. Its court and Guises having determined to execute the papal system of exterminating the reformation, left no alternative to those whose conscience and reason withdrew from the religion of Rome, but insurrection or death, and evils worse than death. By this absurd conduct they made the danger and suffering the same to the subject, whether he was tranquil or whether he was turbulent.

104 The pope's grant was obtained for taking 100,000 crowns of the spiritual revenues; so that the money be employed against the Protestants and heretics.' 'I am well informed that the French king maketh reckoning to have of his suspect towns and subjects about three millions of franks, and his charge in going up and down to punish his subjects.' Lett. Throc. to Queen, 17 Nov. 1560. Hardwicke's State Papers, 1, p. 125. The sufferings and destruction of the French Protestants, because their government would not leave the papacy, shew strongly the vast weight of obligation which the British nation owes to Henry VIII. for resolutely breaking off from it the Roman yoke. If he had not done this, and persisted amid every peril in the separation, and if Elizabeth had not continued in it, the conscientious and rational, and their reformation, would have been exterminated and extinguished in England, as they were in France, altho its people were so gallant and intelligent.

105 Hardwicke, ib. p. 138. 'His process was put in the hands of the parliament of Paris, but its president and council answered, That he could not be judged of them, but by his peers, because he is of the

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