the league.—war declared against the huguenots.—queen marguerite sets out for spa.
at length my brother returned to court, accompanied by all the catholic nobility who had followed his fortunes. the king received him very graciously, and showed, by his reception of him, how much he was pleased at his return. bussi, who returned with my brother, met likewise with a gracious reception. le guast was now no more, having died under the operation of a particular regimen ordered for him by his physician. he had given himself up to every kind of debauchery; and his death seemed the 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 of assistance through the means of diabolical magic, which he constantly practised. the king, though now without this instrument of his malicious contrivances, turned his thoughts entirely upon the destruction of the huguenots. to effect this, he strove to engage my brother against them, and thereby make them his enemies and that i might be considered as another enemy, he used every means to prevent me from going to the king my 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 my husband to hasten my departure. hereupon, i pressed the king greatly to think well of it, and give me his leave. he, to colour his refusal, told me he could not part with me at present, as i was the chief ornament of his court; that he must, keep me a little longer, after which he would accompany me himself on my way as far as poitiers. with this answer and assurance, he sent m. de duras back. these excuses were purposely framed in order to gain time until everything was prepared for declaring war against 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 abroad that the catholics were dissatisfied with the peace of sens, and thought the terms of it too advantageous for the huguenots. this rumour succeeded, and produced all that discontent amongst the catholics intended 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 as the head of all. this was well known to the king, who pretended to be ignorant of what was going forward, though nothing else was talked of at court.
the states were convened to meet at blois. previous to the opening of this assembly, the king called my brother to his closet, where were present the queen my mother and some of the king’s counsellors. he represented the great consequence the catholic league was to his state and authority, even though they should appoint de guise as the head of it; that such a measure was of the highest importance to them both, meaning my brother and himself; that the catholics had very just reason to be dissatisfied with the peace, and that it behoved him, addressing himself to my brother, rather to join the catholics than the huguenots, and this from conscience as well as interest. he concluded his address to my brother with conjuring him, as a son of france and a good catholic, to assist him with his aid and counsel in this critical juncture, when his crown and the catholic religion were both at stake. he further said that, in order to get the start of so formidable a league, he ought to form one himself, and become the head of it, as well to show his zeal for religion as to prevent the catholics from uniting under any other leader. he then proposed to declare himself the head of a league, which should be joined by my brother, the princes, nobles, governors, and others holding offices under the government. thus was my brother reduced to the necessity of making his majesty a tender of his services for the support and maintenance of the catholic religion.
the king, having now obtained assurances of my brother’s assistance in the event of a war, which was his sole view in the league which he had formed with so much art, assembled together the princes and chief noblemen of his court, and, calling for the roll of the league, signed it first himself, next calling upon my brother to sign it, and, lastly, upon all present.
the next day the states opened their meeting, when the king, calling upon the bishops of lyons, ambrune, vienne, and other prelates there present, for their advice, was told that, after the oath taken at his coronation, no oath made to heretics could bind him, and therefore he was absolved from his engagements with the huguenots.
this declaration being made at the opening of the assembly, and war declared against the huguenots, the king abruptly dismissed from court the huguenot, genisac, who had arrived a few days before, charged by the king my husband with a commission to hasten my departure. the king very sharply told him that his sister had been given to a catholic, and not to a huguenot; and that if the king my husband expected to have me, he must declare himself a catholic.
every preparation for war was made, and nothing else talked of at court; and, to make my brother still more obnoxious to the huguenots, he had the command of an army given him. genisac came and informed me of the rough message he had been dismissed with. hereupon i went directly to the closet of the queen my mother, where i found the king. i expressed my resentment at being deceived by him, and at being cajoled by his promise to accompany me from paris to poitiers, which, as it now appeared, was a mere pretence. i represented that i did not marry by my own choice, but entirely agreeable to the advice of king charles, the queen my mother, and himself; that, since they had given him to me for a husband, they ought not to hinder me from partaking of his fortunes; that i was resolved to go to him, and that if i had not their leave, i would get away how i could, even at the hazard of my life. the king answered: “sister, it is not now a time to importune me for leave. i acknowledge that i have, as you say, hitherto prevented you from going, in order to forbid it altogether. from the time the king of navarre changed his religion, and again became a huguenot, i have been against your going to him. what the queen my mother and i are doing is for your good. i am determined to carry on a war of extermination until this wretched religion of the huguenots, which is of so mischievous a nature, is no more. consider, my sister, if you, who are a catholic, were once in their hands, you would become a hostage for me, and prevent my design. and who knows but they might seek their revenge upon me by taking away your life? no, you shall not go amongst them; and if you leave us in the manner you have now mentioned, rely upon it that you will make the queen your mother and me your bitterest enemies, and that we shall use every means to make you feel the effects of our resentment; and, moreover, you will make your husband’s situation worse instead of better.”
i went from this audience with much dissatisfaction, and, taking advice of the principal persons of both sexes belonging to court whom i esteemed my friends, i found them all of opinion that it would be exceedingly improper for me to remain in a court now at open variance with the king my husband. they recommended me not to stay at court whilst the war lasted, saying it would be more honourable for me to leave the kingdom under the pretence of a pilgrimage, or a visit to some of my kindred. the princesse de roche-sur-yon was amongst those i consulted upon the occasion, who was on the point of setting off for spa to take the waters there.
my brother was likewise present at the consultation, and brought with him mondoucet, who had been to flanders in quality of the king’s agent, whence he was just returned to represent to the king the discontent that had arisen amongst the flemings on account of infringements made by the spanish government on the french laws. he stated that he was commissioned by several nobles, and the municipalities of several towns, to declare how much they were inclined in their hearts towards france, and how ready they were to come under a french government. mondoucet, perceiving the king not inclined to listen to his representation, as having his mind wholly occupied by the war he had entered into with the huguenots, whom he was resolved to punish for having joined my brother, had ceased to move in it further to the king, and addressed himself on the subject to my brother. my brother, with that princely spirit which led him to undertake great achievements, readily lent an ear to mondoucet’s proposition, and promised to engage in it, for he was born rather to conquer than to keep what he conquered. mondoucet’s proposition was the more pleasing to him as it was not unjust, it being, in fact, to recover to france what had been usurped by spain.
mondoucet had now engaged himself in my brother’s service, and was to return to flanders’ under a pretence of accompanying the princesse de roche-sur-yon in her journey to spa; and as this agent perceived my counsellers to be at a loss for some pretence for my leaving court and quitting france during the war, and that at first savoy was proposed for my retreat, then lorraine, and then our lady of loretto, he suggested to my brother that i might be of great use to him in flanders, if, under the colour of any complaint, i should be recommended to drink the spa waters, and go with the princesse de roche-sur-yon. my brother acquiesced in this opinion, and came up to me, saying: “oh, queen! you need be no longer at a loss for a place to go to. i have observed that you have frequently an erysipelas on your arm, and you must accompany the princess to spa. you must say, your physicians had ordered those waters for the complaint; but when they, did so, it was not the season to take them. that season is now approaching, and you hope to have the king’s leave to go there.”
my brother did not deliver all he wished to say at that time, because the cardinal de bourbon was present, whom he knew to be a friend to the guises and to spain. however, i saw through his real design, and that he wished me to promote his views in flanders.
the company approved of my brother’s advice, and the princesse de roche-sur-yon heard the proposal with great joy, having a great regard for me. she promised to attend me to the queen my mother when i should ask her consent.
the next day i found the queen alone, and represented to her the extreme regret i experienced in finding that a war was inevitable betwixt the king my husband and his majesty, and that i must continue in a state of separation from my husband; that, as long as the war lasted, it was neither decent nor honourable for me to stay at court, where i must be in one or other, or both, of these cruel situations either that the king my husband should believe that i continued in it out of inclination, and think me deficient in the duty i owed him; or that his majesty should entertain suspicions of my giving intelligence to the king my husband. either of these cases, i observed, could not but prove injurious to me. i therefore prayed her not to take it amiss if i desired to remove myself from court, and from becoming so unpleasantly situated; adding that my physicians had for some time recommended me to take the spa waters for an erysipelas—to which i had been long subject—on my arm; the season for taking these waters was now approaching, and that if she approved of it, i would use the present opportunity, by which means i should be at a distance from court, and show my husband that, as i could not be with him, i was unwilling to remain amongst his enemies. i further expressed my hopes that, through her prudence, a peace might be effected in a short time betwixt the king my husband and his majesty, and that my husband might be restored to the favour he formerly enjoyed; that whenever i learned the news of so joyful an event, i would renew my solicitations to be permitted to go to my husband. in the meantime, i should hope for her permission to have the honour of accompanying the princesse de roche-sur-yon, there present, in her journey to spa.
she approved of what i proposed, and expressed her satisfaction that i had taken so prudent a resolution. she observed how much she was chagrined when she found that the king, through the evil persuasions of the bishops, had resolved to break through the conditions of the last peace, which she had concluded in his name. she saw already the ill effects of this hasty proceeding, as it had removed from the king’s council many of his ablest and best servants. this gave her, she said, much concern, as it did likewise to think i could not remain at court without offending my husband, or creating jealousy and suspicion in the king’s mind. this being certainly what was likely to be the consequence of my staying, she would advise the king to give me leave to set out on this journey.
she was as good as her word, and the king discoursed with me on the subject without exhibiting the smallest resentment. indeed, he was well pleased now that he had prevented me from going to the king my husband, for whom he had conceived the greatest animosity.
he ordered a courier to be immediately despatched to don john of austria,—who commanded for the king of spain in flanders,—to obtain from him the necessary passports for a free passage in the countries under his command, as i should be obliged to cross a part of flanders to reach spa, which is in the bishopric of liege.
all matters being thus arranged, we separated in a few days after this interview. the short time my brother and i remained together was employed by him in giving me instructions for the commission i had undertaken to execute for him in flanders. the king and the queen my mother set out for poitiers, to be near the army of m. de mayenne, then besieging brouage, which place being reduced, it was intended to march into gascony and attack the king my husband.
my brother had the command of another army, ordered to besiege issoire and some other towns, which he soon after took.
for my part, i set out on my journey to flanders accompanied by the princesse de roche-sur-yon, madame de tournon, the lady of my bedchamber, madame de mouy of picardy, madame de chastelaine, de millon, mademoiselle d’atric, mademoiselle de tournon, and seven or eight other young ladies. my male attendants were the cardinal de lenoncourt, the bishop of langres, and m. de mouy, seigneur de picardy, at present father-in-law to the brother of queen louise, called the comte de chalingy, with my principal steward of the household, my chief esquires, and the other gentlemen of my establishment.
