The Cardinal Alexandrine was honourably received in the court, but yet dismissed without atchieving his purpose; for so was it bruited among the people, and commonly believed throughout France, albeit he himself secretly seemed to return very merry and chearful to the Pope; and, as it is reported, did sometimes say, that he received such answer of the King as was needful not to be published, and that the King and Queen-mother had largely satisfied him.

Forasmuch as it was thought a matter greatly availing to the enterprise of the Low-Countries, to send certain ships into the English seas, that, if any aid should be sent into the Low-Countries to the Duke of Alva out of Spain, it might so be stopped: Strozzi, and the Baron de la Guarde, were appointed for that purpose, to whom the King gave in commandment to rig forth eertain ships of Bourdeaux and Rochelle, well armed and well appointed, and to provide with all speed all things needful for those ships, The ambassador of Spain, somewhat moved with this preparation, made divers complaints to the King's council on the behalf of the King his master; and yet never received any other answer, but that the King thought it not likely, and that he would send commissioners to Bourdeaux and to Rochelle, with letters and commandment that there should be no preparation made to the sea, and, if any had been made, it should be enquired of, What instructions were secretly and closely underhand given to these two captains of that navy, we do not certainly know; but this no man can doubt of, but that they had commission to distress all such ships wherein any Spanish soldiers should be transported into the Low-Countries, and that all this preparation to the sea was ordained against the Spanish King and the duke of Alva,

And, moreover, that the admiral, at the same time, received commandment from the King, to send spies into Peru, an island of the New-found World, most plentiful of gold above all others, now being in the Spaniards dominion, to learn if there were any good enterprise to be attempted or atchieved for the getting of it, Which matter was committed to a certain gentleman, one of the admiral's train, who went thither, accompanied with a certain Portuguese, a man most skilful in those navigations, whom the admiral had joined with him by the King's commandment, and is not yet returned,

Now it cannot be expressed, how many, and how great tokens of most loving mind, the king at that time shewed to the admiral, and to the count Rochefoucault, and to Theligny, and to the rest of the chief noblemen of the religion. First, all such things as in the former wars had been taken away in the towns, ferms, and castles of the admiral, and d'Andelot, the King caused to be sought out and restored, If there were any other whom the king understood to be beloved and esteemed of the admiral, or to have attained any special honour in the said late wars, those he liberally benefited and rewarded, To the admiral himself, he commanded one day to be given a hundred-thousand pounds of his own treasure, in recompence of his former losses, When his brother, the Cardinal Castillion, endowed with many great and wealthy benefices, departed this life, the King gave him the fruits of one whole year, Also the King wrote to Philibert Duke of Savoy, that he should do him

a most acceptable pleasure, if he did not only deal more gently with those that in the former wars had aided those of the religion, but also would use clemency and mildness towards all others that professed the same religion within his dominions.

And for that there was old enmity between the Guisians and the admiral, whereby it was to be doubted, that perilous contentions would arise in the realm of France, the King willed it to be signified to them both in his name, that they should, for his sake, and the commonwealth's, give over those displeasures; and he prescribed them a certain form of reconciliation and agreement, the same whereof the foundations had been laid almost six years before in the town of Molins, where the King calling to him the greatest estates of his realm, after consultation and deliberation had upon the matter, pronounced the admiral not guilty of the death of the Duke of Guise, wherewith he was charged by the young Duke of Guise, and his kinsmen; and so the King, by the advice of his council, had ended that controversy.

Furthermore, the cardinal of Lorrain, who, as we have said, was the very forger of all the former wars, to take away all jealousy of new practices, was departed to Rome, and took with him his familiar friend, the late created Cardinal Pelvey, one reputed a most subtle and crafty person, under pretence of going to the election of a new pope, in place of the old pope, then lately deceased.

But there was no greater and more assured token of publick peace and quietness than this, that the King purposed to give his sister Margaret in marriage to Prince Henry, the Son of the Queen of Navarre, which prince had in the last war defended the cause of the religion, and been sovereign of their army, Which marriage the King declared, that it should be the most streight bond of civil concord, and the most assured testimony of his good-will to those of the religion,

Yea, and also, because it was alledged that the said Prince Henry was restrained in conscience, so as he might not marry the lady Margaret, being of a contrary religion, a catholick, and given to the rites of the Romish Church, the King for answer said, that he would discharge her of the Pope's laws; and, notwithstanding the crying out of all his courtiers to the contrary, he permitted him, that, without all ceremonies, in the porch of the great church of Paris, the marriage should be celebrated in such a form, as the ministers of the reformed church misliked not.

Which thing being by report and letters spread through the world, it cannot be expressed how much it made the hearts of those of the religion assured, and out of care, and how it cast out all fear and jealousy out of their minds; what a confidence it brought them of the King's good-will towards them; Finally, how much it rejoiced foreign princes and states, that favoured the same religion. But the admiral's mind was much more established, by a letter, which about the same time Theligny brought him, with the King's own hand and seal, wherein was contained, that whatsoever the admiral should do for the matter of the intended war of the Low-Countries, the King would allow and ratify the same, as done by his own commandment. About that time, Lodovick of Nassau, with the Queen of Navarre, a lady

most zealously affected to the religion, came to the French court. The league was made between King Charles and the prince of Orange, and the articles thereof put in writing. The marriage was appointed to be held in the town of Paris: for which cause, the Queen of Navarre, during those few days, repaired thither, to provide things for the solemnity of the wedding. For the same cause, the king sent to the admiral one Cavaignes, a man of an excellent sharp wit, whom, for the admiral's sake, the King had advanced to great honour, requiring the admiral to go before to Paris, as well for the said preparation, as also for the matter of the war of the Low Countries, promising, that he himself would, within few days, follow after him; assuring him, that there was now no cause to fear the threatenings and mad outrages of the Parisians. For, inasmuch as the same town is above all others given to superstitions, and is with seditious preachings of monks and friars daily inflamed to cruelty, it is hard to express how bitterly they hated the admiral, and the professors of that religion. Whereto was added a grief of their mind, conceived certain days before, by reason of a certain stone cross, gilt, and built after the manner of a spire steeple, commonly called Gastigne's Cross, which the admiral, with great earnest sute, obtained of the King to be overthrown; for he alledged, that, being erected in the midst of the rage of the civil war, as it were, in triumph to the reproach of one of the religion, it was a monument of civil dissension, and so a matter offensive to peace and concord.

The King, well knowing this deadly hate of the Parisians to the admiral, wrote his letters to Marcell, the provost of the merchants, which is the highest dignity in Paris, with sharp threatenings, if there should be raised any stir of trouble, by reason of the admiral's coming. To the same effect, also, the Duke of Anjou, the King's brother, and the Queen-mother, wrote to the same Marcell, and the rest of the Magistrates of Paris, so that now there seemed utterly no occasion left for the admiral to fear or distrust. And, within few days after, the King sent Briquemault, a man of great virtue and estimation, to the admiral, with the same instructions, saying, that the matter of the Low-Countries could not well be dealed in, without his presence.

The Admiral, persuaded by these many means, and filled with good hope and courage, determined to go to Paris, where, so soon as he was arrived, and had been honourably and lovingly entertained of the King and his brethren, and the Queen-mother, and consultation entered among them, about the preparation for the Low-Countries, he declared to the King at large, how the Duke of Alva was levying of great power, and preparing an army, and that, if the King should dissemble his purpose, it would come to pass, that many thereby would shew themselves slower and slacker to the enterprise; and that now were offered great means to do good, which, if he let slip, he should not so easily recover the like again hereafter; and, therefore, it was best to take the advantage of this opportunity.

A few days before, Lodowick of Nassau went secretly into the frontiers of the Low-Countries, and took with him, as partners of his journey, and privy to his council, three Frenchmen of great credit

with the admiral, namely, Savcourt, la Nove, and Genlis, to whom the King had given in charge, to see if they could by any means attempt and possess any towus bordering upon his realm. They, gathering divers other gentlemen into their company, went speedily into the Low-Countries, the admiral not knowing of it; who, as soon he understood of their going thither, wrote unto them, that he much marvelled what they meaned, saying, that he well knew there could be no power gotten ready before forty days end, and that they should be well advised to do nothing rashly, nor to overthrow with haste their devices, that seemed not ripe to be executed.

The Count of Nassau, inflamed with the sight and desire of his country, and fearing the mutableness of the King, did first, at the sudden, set upon Valenciennes; but, being repulsed by the Spanish soldiers that were in garison in the castle, he hastily departed to Mons, and took the town, being a place very strong by nature, and well furnished with all things necessary for the war. Which thing being by report and messengers spread about in the Low-Countries, and carried into France and Germany, both encouraged all them of the religion with great hope, and also seemed to have now plainly and openly decyphered and disclosed the mind of the French King. Moreover, Genlis returning to Paris, when he had made report to the King of all the matter as it had proceeded, easily obtained of him, that, by his assent, he might levy certain bands of footmen and horsemen of France, and carry them to succour Mons. But, by the way, when he was entered into the bounds of the Low-Countries, having with him to the number of four-thousand footmen, and about four-hundred horsemen, they were beset by the Duke of Alva, and the most part of them distressed; which thing was well known to have been wrought by the means of the Guisians, which, by daily messages and letters, advertised the Duke of Alva of their purposes and preparation: which falshood of theirs many, most affectionate to the Romish religion, were highly offended with, because a great number, addicted to the same Romish religion, were in that company.

With this loss, and with the rescue of the town of Valenciennes, the King seemed to be much troubled; for he feared, lest his counsels, heing disclosed to the Spanish King, would, at length, breed some cause of quarrel and war. Howbeit, when he began to remember, that a great part of his secrets were already revealedto the Duke of Alva, he oftentimes resolved to utter his mind plainly, and to make open war, But he was withdrawn from that purpose by certain men, which the admiral had long before conceived, that they would so do. Howbeit, he gave the admiral liberty to send whatsoever he thought meet, to further the Prince of Orange's enterprise, and as great supply, either of footmen, or of horsemen, as he could, to the army which the Prince of Orange had levied in Germany. When the admiral, for that cause, had made request, that he might levy thirty troops of horsemen, and as many ensigns of footmen, he easily obtained it.

For the entertainment of these footmen, it behoved to have money; wherefore, at the request of the admiral, the King called for his treasurer, and commanded him to deliver to the admiral so much money,

as the admiral should think meet; and charged him, that he should not in any wise, after the usual manner of the accounts of finances, write the causes of the receipt, but only set it down, in this form : This sum of money was paid to the admiral such a day, by the King's commandment, for certain causes, which the King hath commanded not to be written: And to this warrant the King subscribed with his own hand.

Also the King wrote to Monducet, his ambassador in the LowCountries, to travel as earnestly as he could, for their deliverance, that were taken at the overthrow of Genlis; which commandment, it is said, that Monducet did most faithfully and diligently execute.

Not long before this, Joan, Queen of Navarre abovementioned, died in the court, at Paris, of a sudden sickness, being about the age of forty and three years, where, as the suspicion was great, that she died of poison, and her body was, for that cause, opened by the physicans, there were no tokens of poison espied. But, shortly after, by the detection of one A. P. it hath been found, that she was poisoned with a venomed smell of a pair of perfumed gloves, dressed by one Renat, the King's apothecary, an Italian, that hath a shop at Paris, upon Saint Michael's Bridge, near unto the palace; which could not be espied by the physicians, who did not open the head, nor look into the brain. It is well known, that the same man, about certain years past, for the same intent, gave to Lewis, Prince of Conti, a poisoned pomander, which the Prince left with one Le Grosse, his surgeon; Le Grosse, delighted with the same, was by little and little poisoned therewith, and so swelled, that he hardly escaped with his life.

By her death, the kingdom came to the Prince Henry her son, to whom, as is abovesaid, the King's sister was promised and contracted.

Things being, as it seemed, throughout all France, in most peaceable estate, and the concord of all degrees well established, the day was appointed for the marriage of the King of Navarre; which day all they, that fancied the religion, esteemed so much the more joyful to them, because they saw the King wonderfully bent thereunto, and all good men judged the same a most assured pledge and establishment of civil concord; whereas, on the contrary part, the Guisians, and other enemies of common quietness, greatly abhorred the same marriage.

When the day came, the marriage was, with royal pomp, solemnised before the great church at Paris, and a certain form of words so framed, as disagreed with the religion of neither side, was, by the King's commandment, pronounced by the cardinal of Bourbon, the King of Navarre's uncle; and so the matrimony celebrated with great joy of the King, and all good men; the bride was, with great train and pomp, led into the church, to hear mass, and in the mean time the bridegroom, who misliked these ceremonies, together with Henry Prince of Conde, son of Lewis, and the admiral, and other noblemen of the same religion, walked without the church-door, waiting for the bride's return.