[659] C. S. P. For., No. 35, §2, January 6, 1563; Forbes, II, 270.
[660] Catherine expressed this determination as far back as October 20 in a letter to St. Sulpice (L’Ambassade de St. Sulpice, 87; C. S. P. For., No. 37, January 6, 1563).
[661] C. S. P. Ven., February 2, 1563.
[662] Cf. L’Ambassade St. Sulpice, 93, 108, 114, 116, and Corresp. de Cath. de Méd., I, 508, 548. This was the real mission of Don Fernando de Toledo, a bastard son of the duke of Alva and grand prior of the order of St. John in Castile, who was sent to France to congratulate Charles IX on the victory of Dreux (cf. C. S. P. For., No. 187, January 29, 1563, from Madrid; No. 190, January 30, from Madrid; No. 234, February 3, from Madrid). St. Sulpice this early surmised that Alva, at any rate, though he did not yet so suspect the political designs of Philip II, desired the continuation of civil war in France in order that Spain might profit by her distress, and so wrote to Catherine de Medici.—L’ambassade de St. Sulpice, 93, November 12, 1562. In consequence of this attitude, religious and political, the arguments of France fell upon deaf ears (see ibid., 122, and note).
[663] Cf. C. S. P. For., No. 35, §2, January 6, 1563; No. 109, § 4, January 17; No. 182, §9, January 28; Forbes, II, 270, 287.
[664] C. S. P. Ven., February 6, 1563.
[665] Ibid., For., No. 234, February 3, 1563, from Madrid. No. 194, January 30, 1563. The money was used to purchase the services of 3,000 reiters and some new levies of Swiss. Pending their arrival, Charles IX called out the arrière-ban—cavalry of the nobility obliged to serve upon call—to prosecute the war (C. S. P. Ven., February 17, 1563). See the interesting account of the interception of 13,000 écus d’or probably by the Huguenots, though it may have been by robbers, sent from Flanders in February, 1563 (Paillard, “De tournement au profit des Huguenots d’un subsidé envoyé par Philippe II à Catherine de Médicis,” Rev. hist., II, 490).
[666] C. S. P. For., No. 145, January 24, 1563; Forbes, II, 300.
[667] Ibid., Eng. For., No. 289, February 12, 1562. “If the admiral,” wrote the earl, “should, for want of present aid, be discomfited and driven to make composition, they may reckon not only upon the whole power of France being bent against this place (Harfleur), but that the same will, with the assistance of Spain and Scotland and their confederates, be also undoubtedly extended against England. But if he be now aided with 10,000 men and 200,000 crowns, further inconvenience will be stayed and may serve a better purpose than the employment at another time of a far greater number at larger charges. It would be better for the queen to convert a good part of her plate into coin than slack her aid.”—Ibid., Eng., No. 290, February 12, 1563; add Nos. 285, 287. Warwick in seconding Coligny’s appeal (ibid., For., No. 294, February 12, 1563) urged haste in the matter of the money, as “if it is not sent in time it will be the ruin of the cause through mutiny of the reiters, who may even kill the admiral;” moreover, as the admiral’s forces were all cavalry, English infantry was wanted.
[668] C. S. P. For., Nos. 265, 276, 280, 282, 289, February, 1563.