There was a feeling entertained by the more sanguine that the French King would heartily assist the Netherlands, after his brother should be fairly installed.  He had expressly written to that effect, assuring Anjou that he would help him with all his strength, and would enter into close alliance with those Netherlands which should accept him as prince and sovereign.  In another and more private letter to the Duke, the King promised to assist his brother, “even to his last shirt.”  There is no doubt that it was the policy of the statesmen of France to assist the Netherlands, while the “mignons” of the worthless King were of a contrary opinion.  Many of them were secret partizans of Spain; and found it more agreeable to receive the secret pay of Philip than to assist his revolted provinces.  They found it easy to excite the jealousy of the monarch against his brother—­a passion which proved more effective than the more lofty ambition of annexing the Low Countries, according to the secret promptings of many French politicians.  As for the Queen Mother, she was fierce in her determination to see fulfilled in this way the famous prediction of Nostradamus.  Three of her sons had successively worn the crown of France.  That she might be “the mother of four kings,” without laying a third child in the tomb, she was greedy for this proffered sovereignty to her youngest and favorite son.  This well-known desire of Catherine de Medici was duly insisted upon by the advocates of the election; for her influence, it was urged, would bring the whole power of France to support the Netherlands.

At any rate, France could not be worse—­could hardly be so bad—­as their present tyranny.  “Better the government of the Gaul, though suspect and dangerous,” said Everard Reyd, “than the truculent dominion of the Spaniard.  Even thus will the partridge fly to the hand of man, to escape the talons of the hawk.”  As for the individual character of Anjou, proper means would be taken, urged the advocates of his sovereignty, to keep him in check, for it was intended so closely to limit the power conferred upon him, that it would be only supreme in name.  The Netherlands were to be, in reality, a republic, of which Anjou was to be a kind of Italian or Frisian podesta.  “The Duke is not to act according to his pleasure,” said one of the negotiators, in a private letter to Count John; “we shall take care to provide a good muzzle for him.”  How conscientiously the “muzzle” was prepared, will appear from the articles by which the states soon afterwards accepted the new sovereign.  How basely he contrived to slip the muzzle—­in what cruel and cowardly fashion he bathed his fangs in the blood of the flock committed to him, will also but too soon appear.