[681] Ibid., ubi supra.
[682] "Selon l'article secret de la paix," says Tavannes (Mém., ii. 247, Ed. Petitot), "les heretiques furent bruslez en France, plus par crainte qu'ils ne suivissent l'exemple des revoltez d'Allemagne, que pour la religion." But, it may be asked, was there anything novel in this? It had needed no secret article, for a generation back, to conduct a "Christaudin" to the flames.
[683] The English commissioners, Killigrew and Jones, in a despatch written eight or nine months later, express the current belief respecting the wide scope of the persecution: "Wheras, upon the making of the late peace, there was an appoinctement made betwene the late Pope, the French King, and the King of Spaine, for the joigning of their forces together for the suppression of religion; it is said, that this King mindethe shortly to send to this new Pope [Pius IV.], for the renewing of the same league; th' end wherof was to constraine the rest of christiendome, being protestants, to receive the Pope's authorité and his religion; and therupon to call a generall counsaill." Letter from Blois, January 6, 1559/60, Forbes, State Papers, i. 296.
[684] "Voila," says Agrippa d'Aubigné, "les conventions d'une paix en effect pour les royaumes de France et d'Espagne, en apparence de toute la Chrestienté, glorieuse aux Espagnols, desaventageuse aux François, redoutable aux Reformez: car comme toutes les difficultez qui se presenterent au traicté estoient estouffées par le desir de repurger l'église, ainsi, après la paix establie, les Princes qui par elle avoient repos du dehors, travaillerent par emulation à qui traitteroit plus rudement ceux qu'on appeloit Heretiques: et de là nasquit l'ample subject de 40 ans de guerre monstrueuse." Histoire universelle, liv. i., c. xviii. p. 46.
[685] "Mais quand estant en France j'eus entendu de la propre bouche du Roy Henry, que le Duc d'Alve traictoit des moyens pour exterminer tous les suspects de la Religion en France, en ce Pays et par toute la Chrestienté, et que ledit Sieur Roy (qui pensoit, que comme j'avois esté l'un des commis pour le Traicté de la Paix, avois eu communication en si grandes affaires, que je fusse aussi de cette partie) m'eust declaré le fond du Conseil du Roy d'Espaigne et du Duc d'Alve: pour n'estre envers Sa Majesté en desestime, comme si on m'eust voulu cacher quelque chose, je respondis en sorte que ledit Sieur Roy ne perdit point cette opinion, ce qui luy donna occasion de m'en discourir assés suffisament pour entendre le fonds du project des Inquisiteurs." Apologie de Guillaume IX., Prince d'Orange, etc., Dec. 13, 1580; apud Du Mont, Corps diplomatique, v., pt. 1, p. 392.
[686] De Thou, ii. (liv. xxii.), 653.
[687] "De nostre costé nous ne sçavons pas si nous sommes loing des coups; tant y a que nous sommes menasséz par-dessus tout le reste." Calvin to the Church of Paris, June 29, 1559. Lettres franç., ii. 282, 283. On the next day the author of the threats was mortally wounded in the tournament.
[688] The Duke of Alva gives all the details of this remarkable negotiation in a letter to Philip, June 26, 1559, now among the Papiers de Simancas, ser. B., Leg. no. 62-140, which M. Mignet has printed in his valuable series of articles reviewing the Collection of Calvin's French Letters by M. Bonnet, published in the Journal des Savants, 1857, pp. 171, 172. An extract, without date, from a MS. in the Library at Turin, seems to refer to this time: "Le roi (Henri II.) déclare criminels de lèse-majesté tous ceux qui auront quelque commerce avec Genève, ou en recevront lettres. Cette ville est cause de tous les malheurs de la France, et il la poursuivra à outrance pour la réduire. Il promet secours de gens de pied et de cheval au duc de Savoie, et vient d'obtenir du pape un bref pour décider le roi d'Espagne. Ils vont unir leurs forces pour une si sainte enterprise." Gaberel, Hist. de l'égl. de Genève, i. 442.
[689] And he did not exaggerate the importance of the crisis. The adherents of the reformed faith had become numerous, and many were restive under their protracted sufferings. "I am certainly enformid," wrote the English ambassador, Throkmorton, to Secretary Cecil (May 15, 1559), "that about the number of fifty thousand persones in Gascoigne, Guyen, Angieu, Poictiers, Normandy, and Main, have subscribed to a confession in religion conformable to that of Geneva; which they mind shortly to exhibit to the King. There be of them diverse personages of good haviour (sic): and it is said amongst the same, that after they have delivered their confession to the King, that the spiritualty of Fraunce will do all they can to procure the King, to the utter subversion of them: for which cause, they say, the spiritualty seemeth to be so glad of peaxe, for that they may have that so good an occasion to worke their feate. But," he adds, "on th' other side these men minde, in case any repressing and subversion of their religion be ment and put in execution against them, to resist to the deathe." Forbes, State Papers, i. 92.
[690] "Heri scriptum est ad me Lutetia.... Sorbonicos ad Regem cucurrisse et tempus ejus eonveniendi aucupatos petiisse curam inquirendorum Lutheranorum. Quum Rex respondisset: 'Se eam curam Senatui mandasse, iique respondissent, 'totam curiam Parlamenti Parisienis inquinatam esse,' iracunde intulisse, 'quid vultis igitur faciam, aut quid consilii capiam? An ut vos in eorum locum substituam, et Rempublicam meam administretis?'" Letter of Hotman to Bullinger, Aug. 15, 1556, apud Baum, Theod. Beza, i. 294.