[1304] Coll. Godefroy, CCLVII, No. 57. Remonstrance of Jean de Montluc against the continuance of the war, December 2, 1568. In the council of the King a motion was made that the Protestants should be permitted to enjoy the benefit of the edicts granted before; that Condé should be given the government of Saintonge, and be given leave to aid Orange against Spain. But neither Catherine de Medici nor the King would listen to the proposal, and the cardinal of Lorraine argued that it would be dangerous to further Condé in any way (C. S. P. For., No. 23, January 10, 1569).
[1305] Potter, Pie V, 19; ed. Gouban, Book III, No. 4, p. 135, letter to the cardinal Bourbon, January, 1569; ibid., p. 23; ed. Gouban, Book III, No. 5, p. 138, letter to the cardinal of Lorraine, same date.
[1306] C. S. P. Ven., No. 439, November 9, 1568 and No. 448, January 6, 1569. The distress of commerce and the legal complications arising from the semi-piratical acts were very great (see C. S. P. Dom., 1547-80, pp. 378, 386, May 29, 1570, July 29, 1570).
[1307] Ibid., Ven., No. 448, January 6, 1569. The cardinal Châtillon was the Huguenot agent in England (see ibid., For., No. 71, January 22, 1569; No. 82, January 30, 1569). On his financial negotiations see the detailed note of the baron de Ruble in D’Aubigné, III, 61.
[1308] Count Mansfeldt to the duke of Aumale, January 22, 1569, Coll. Godefroy, CCLVII, No. 58; C. S. P. For., No. 172, March 15, 1569. They came, not merely with weapons and bringing horses, but with great vans, flails, and harvest tools, with which to plunder the fields.
[1309] The forces of D’Aumale were 5,500 reiters, 26 companies of French horsemen, and 30 ensigns of foot, besides others. The troops that the King had were 26 companies of gendarmes, 15 companies of the regular French army, 4,500 Swiss, 2,500 reiters, and his household troops. Montmorency retired to Chantilly owing to the combination against him (C. S. P. For., No. 75, January 25, 1569. For the details see Archives de la maison d’Orange-Nassau, III, 315). There had been a fierce strife between the factions of Guise and Montmorency for D’Aumale’s place, the three marshals, Montmorency, Vieilleville, and Cossé resisting his appointment. The hostility of the Parisians to Montmorency, though certainly not the accusation of the cardinal of Lorraine that the constable’s son had secret intelligence with the prince of Orange, militated against him. The English ambassador even believed that Montmorency and the duke of Bouillon might appear in arms for Condé. Sir Henry Norris to the queen: “On the 23d ult. the duke of Montmorency required the captains and échevins of Paris to come to the Louvre to speak with him, and declared that their disorders and unaptness to be ruled was not unknown to the King. Lignerolles, of the court of Parlement, and captain-general of twenty-two ensigns, answered that Paris was like to a ship, whereof the master, neglecting his charge, it is requisite that the pilots do put hand to the helm; where unto Montmorency coldly replied, ‘qu’il parloyt en curtault de butique’” (C. S. P. For., No. 50, January 15, 1569).
[1310] Archives de la maison d’Orange-Nassau, III, 516.
[1311] Claude Haton, II, 516 and note; C. S. P. For., Nos. 42, 50, January 11, 15, 1569.
[1312] It appears that the German princes thought of sending a deputation into France to remonstrate with Catherine de Medici. At least the minute of a letter to the queen has been preserved which intimates as much. In it they deplore the sad effects of the persecutions in France (see Archives de la maison d’Orange-Nassau, II, 99-100, June, 1567). On January 24, 1569, a decree of the elector of Saxony commanded all captains and soldiers who were his subjects and who might be serving under the duke of Alva or the King of France, to return home within two months after the date of the publication of the decree; and further ordered his officers to arrest any persons whom they might find setting forth for these services.—Dresden, January 24, 1569 (C. S. P. For., No. 74). In March, Augustus of Saxony, the count palatine, and other German princes sent 50,000 silver crowns to Condé (ibid., Ven., No. 452, March 15, 1569).
[1313] William of Orange with his two brothers went into Germany in order to push the plan in conjunction with the duke of Deuxponts—D’Aubigné, III, 45, 60 (C. S. P. For., No. 131, February 24, 1569). For the detail of this movement see Gachard, La Bibliothèque Nationale à Paris, II, 275, 278, 280. The duke of Aumale has published some of his letters at this time (Hist. des princes de Condé, II, 406 ff.).