expressly that he had been abused by those, who, under pretext of his service, had sought their own profit at the price of ruin to the crown and people.  The King should make religion free.  The edict to that effect should be confirmed by all the parliaments and estates of the kingdom, and such confirmations should be distributed without reserve or deceit among all the princes of Germany.  If his Majesty were not inclined to make war for the liberation of the Netherlands, he was to furnish the Prince of Orange with one hundred thousand crowns at once, and every three months with another hundred thousand.  The Prince was to have liberty to raise one thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry in France.  Every city or town in the provinces which should be conquered by his arms, except in Holland or Zealand, should be placed under the sceptre, and in the hands of the King of France.  The provinces of Holland and Zealand should also be placed under his protection, but should be governed by their own gentlemen and citizens.  Perfect religious liberty and maintenance of the ancient constitutions, privileges, and charters were to be guaranteed “without any cavilling whatsoever.”  The Prince of Orange, or the estates of Holland or Zealand, were to reimburse his Christian Majesty for the sums which he was to advance.  In this last clause was the only mention which the Prince made of himself, excepting in the stipulation that he was to be allowed a levy of troops in France.  His only personal claims were to enlist soldiers to fight the battles of freedom, and to pay their expense, if it should not be provided for by the estates.  At nearly the same period, he furnished his secret envoys, Luinbres and Doctor Taijaert, who were to proceed to Paris, with similar instructions.

The indefatigable exertions of Schomberg, and the almost passionate explanations on the part of the court of France, at length produced their effect.  “You will constantly assure the princes,” wrote the Duke of Anjou to Schomberg, “that the things written, to you concerning that which had happened in this kingdom are true; that the events occurred suddenly, without having been in any manner premeditated; that neither the King nor myself have ever had any intelligence with, the King of Spain, against those of the religion, and that all is utter imposture which is daily said on this subject to the princes.”

Count Louis required peremptorily, however, that the royal repentance should bring forth the fruit of salvation for the remaining victims.  Out of the nettles of these dangerous intrigues his fearless hand plucked the “flower of safety” for his down-trodden cause.  He demanded not words, but deeds, or at least pledges.  He maintained with the agents of Charles and with the monarch himself the same hardy scepticism which was manifested by the Huguenot deputies in their conferences with Catharine de Medicis.  “Is the word of a king,” said the dowager to the commissioners, who were insisting upon guarantees,