[679] Catherine wrote with truth: “Ce royaume est réduit en telle extrémité que la necessité veut que l’on ne perde l’occasion de faire pacifier, principalement pour jeter hors les étrangers, mêmement les Anglais.”—L’Ambassade de St. Sulpice, 101.

[680] “La guerre,” said Catherine with words of simple dignity, which were repeated in the instructions of the special envoys sent to notify the court of Vienna and Madrid, the Vatican and the Council of Trent, “a tellement appauvri le royaume qu’il est réduit à un état digne de commisération. La voie des armes était impossible; le remède propre à un tel mal, l’expérience a démontré, c’est un libre et général concile.”—Corresp. de Cath. de Méd., II, Introd., v. Philip II, reproached the regent of Parma for not lending assistance to France. See her letter justifying her conduct in Gachard, Correspondance de Philippe II sur les Pays-Bas, I, 266, August 12, 1563.

[681] The marshal Brissac succeeded to the command (L’Ambassade de St. Sulpice, 120). For the influence of the death of the duke of Guise in France, see Forneron, Hist. des ducs de Guise, II, 80; upon Flanders, Papiers d’état du cardinal de Granvelle, VII, 52, 61, 65; Gachard, Philippe II sur les Pays-Bas, I, 245. For interesting details see D’Aubigné, Book III, chap. xx; Mém. de Condé, IV, 243; C. S. P. For., No. 332, February 20, 1563; No. 354, §§2-5, February 26, 1562, both from Smith to Queen Elizabeth, written from Blois. Cf. Forbes, II, 159; 361, §§1-8, 17, February 26, 424, §10 March 8, 1563; C. S. P. Ven., letters of February 23, 27, and March 2, 23, 1563. It is said the duke received warning from Montluc and Madame de St. André, but that the word arrived too late. The news of his death was kept from Mary Stuart for some time. See C. S. P. Scotland, VI, No. 1,173, March 10, 1563; VIII, No. 17, March 18, 1563; No. 30, April 1, 1563; No. 31, April 10, 1563. On the political theory of assassination, see Weill, 69.

Poltrot was put to death on March 18; for the trial, see Mém.-journ. de François, de Lorraine (Michaud Coll.), 506, 537 ff.; Paulin Paris, Cabinet hist., Ière part., III, 49 ff. A conspicuous instance of the high-mindedness of Jeanne d’Albret is the letter of consolation she wrote to the duchess of Guise after the assassination of the duke (La Ferrière, Rapport, 39).

[682] C. S. P. For., No. 422, March 8, 1562; Forbes, II, 350, 354, 356; C. S. P. For., No. 437, March 12, 1563; ibid., No. 424, §§25-27; No. 435, March 11, 1562, Condé to Smith.

[683] Ibid., No. 473; 481, March 20, the Rhinegrave to Warwick on the basis of a letter of the queen mother (Beza, II, 17, ed. 1841).

[684] C. S. P. For., Nos. 395, §2, March 3, 1563; 419, §5, March 7; 424, §§3, 4; Forbes, II. “La retarder d’un jour,” said De Losses in one of the sessions of the King’s council, “c’était exposer la ville de Paris au sac et au pillage, laisser le roi et la reine à la merci des protestants encore aux armes.” M. Gonnor, later the marshal Matignon, dwelt upon the miserable state of the country and concluded: “Je parle sans passion. Je ne suis pas huguenot et je supplie la cour de ne pas différer l’enrégistrement de l’édit.”—Corresp. de Cath. de Méd., II, Introd., iii.

[685] “Traité politique par lequel en quelque sorte la gentilhommerie provinciale s’isolait du puritanisme de Génève.”—Capefigue, 260.

[686] “C’est trop grand pitié que de limiter ainssy certains lieux pour servir à Dieu, comme s’il ne vouloit estre en tous endroicts.”—Fillon Collection, 2,657, the admiral to the landgrave from Caen, March 16, 1563.

[687] “Edict et déclaration faite par le roy Charles IX sur la pacification des troubles de ce Royaume: le 19 mars 1563,” Par., Rob. Estienne, 1563; Isambert, XIV, 135. The various pieces showing the evolution of the edict are to be found in Mém. de Condé, IV, 305, 333, 356, 498, 504. Cf. C. S. P. For., Nos. 428, 430, 431 (March 10, 1563).