Produced by David Widger
Written by Herself
Being Historic Memoirs of the Courts of France and Navarre
The League.—War Declared against the Huguenots.—Queen Marguerite Setsout for Spa.
At length my brother returned to Court, accompanied by all the Catholicnobility who had followed his fortunes. The King received him verygraciously, and showed, by his reception of him, how much he was pleasedat his return. Bussi, who returned with my brother, met likewise with agracious reception. Le Guast was now no more, having died under theoperation of a particular regimen ordered for him by his physician. Hehad given himself up to every kind of debauchery; and his death seemedthe judgment of the Almighty on one whose body had long been perishing,and whose soul had been made over to the prince of demons as the price ofassistance through the means of diabolical magic, which he constantlypractised. The King, though now without this instrument of his maliciouscontrivances, turned his thoughts entirely upon the destruction of theHuguenots. To effect this, he strove to engage my brother against them,and thereby make them his enemies and that I might be considered asanother enemy, he used every means to prevent me from going to the Kingmy husband. Accordingly he showed every mark of attention to both of us,and manifested an inclination to gratify all our wishes.
After some time, M. de Duras arrived at Court, sent by the King myhusband to hasten my departure. Hereupon, I pressed the King greatly tothink well of it, and give me his leave. He, to colour his refusal, toldme he could not part with me at present, as I was the chief ornament ofhis Court; that he must, keep me a little longer, after which he wouldaccompany me himself on my way as far as Poitiers. With this answer andassurance, he sent M. de Duras back. These excuses were purposely framedin order to gain time until everything was prepared for declaring waragainst the Huguenots, and, in consequence, against the King my husband,as he fully designed to do.
As a pretence to break with the Huguenots, a report was spread abroadthat the Catholics were dissatisfied with the Peace of Sens, and thoughtthe terms of it too advantageous for the Huguenots. This rumoursucceeded, and produced all that discontent amongst the Catholicsintended by it. A league was formed: in the provinces and great cities,which was joined by numbers of the Catholics. M. de Guise was named asthe head of all. This was well known to the King, who pretended to beignorant of what was going forward, though nothing else was talked of atCourt.
The States were convened to meet at Blois. Previous to the opening ofthis assembly, the King called my brother to his closet, where werepresent the Queen my mother and some of the King's counsellors. Herepresented the great consequence the Catholic league was to his Stateand authority, even though they should appoint De Guise as the head ofit; that such a measure was of the highest importance to them both,meaning my brother and himself; that the Catholics had very just reasonto be dissatisfied with the peace, and that it behoved him, addressinghimself to my brother, rather to join the Catholics than the Huguenots,and this from conscience as well as interest. He concluded his addressto my brother with conjuring him, as a son of France and a good Catholi