He wrote again to the Prince of Orange, invoking his influence to bring about an arrangement.  The Prince, justly indignant at the recent treachery and the present insolence of the man whom he had so profoundly trusted, but feeling certain that the welfare of the country depended at present upon avoiding, if possible, a political catastrophe, answered the Duke in plain, firm, mournful, and appropriate language.  He had ever manifested to his Highness, he said, the most uniform and sincere friendship.  He had, therefore, the right to tell him that affairs were now so changed that his greatness and glory had departed.  Those men in the Netherlands, who, but yesterday, had been willing to die at the feet of his Highness, were now so exasperated that they avowedly preferred an open enemy to a treacherous protector.  He had hoped, he said, that after what had happened in so many cities at the same moment, his Highness would have been pleased to give the deputies a different and a more becoming answer.  He had hoped for some response which might lead to an arrangement.  He, however, stated frankly, that the articles transmitted by his Highness were so unreasonable that no man in the land would dare open his mouth to recommend them.  His Highness, by this proceeding, had much deepened the distrust.  He warned the Duke accordingly, that he was not taking the right course to reinstate himself in a position of honor and glory, and he begged him, therefore, to adopt more appropriate means.  Such a step was now demanded of him, not only by the country, but by all Christendom.

This moderate but heartfelt appeal to the better nature of the Duke, if he had a better nature, met with no immediate response.

While matters were in this condition, a special envoy arrived out of France, despatched by the King and Queen-mother, on the first reception of the recent intelligence from Antwerp.  M. de Mirambeau, the ambassador, whose son had been killed in the Fury, brought letters of credence to the states of the; Union and to the Prince of Orange.  He delivered also a short confidential note, written in her own hand, from Catherine de Medici to the Prince, to the following effect: 

“My cousin,—­The King, my son, and myself, send you Monsieur de Mirambeau, to prove to you that we do not believe—­for we esteem you an honorable man—­that you would manifest ingratitude to my son, and to those who have followed him for the welfare of your country.  We feel that you have too much affection for one who has the support of so powerful a prince as the King of France, as to play him so base a trick.  Until I learn the truth, I shall not renounce the good hope which I have always indulged—­that you would never have invited my son to your country, without intending to serve him faithfully.  As long as you do this, you may ever reckon on the support of all who belong to him.

“Your good Cousin,

“Catherine.”