The envoy assured the States that all fears entertained by those of the reformed religion on account of the conversion of his Majesty were groundless.  Nothing was farther from the king’s thoughts than to injure those noble spirits with whom his soul had lived so long, and whom he so much loved and honoured.  No man knew better than the king did, the character of those who professed the Religion, their virtue, valour, resolution, and patience in adversity.  Their numbers had increased in war, their virtues had been purified by affliction, they had never changed their position, whether battles had been won or lost.  Should ever an attempt be made to take up arms against them within his realms, and should there be but five hundred of them against ten thousand, the king, remembering their faithful and ancient services, would leave the greater number in order to die at the head of his old friends.  He was determined that they should participate in all the honours of the kingdom, and with regard to a peace with Spain, he would have as much care for the interests of the United Provinces as for his own.  But a peace was impossible with that monarch, whose object was to maintain his own realms in peace while he kept France in perpetual revolt against the king whom God had given her.  The King of Spain had trembled at Henry’s cradle, at his youth, at the bloom of his manhood, and knew that he had inflicted too much injury upon him ever to be on friendly terms with him.  The envoy was instructed to say that his master never expected to be in amity with one who had ruined his house confiscated his property, and caused so much misery to France; and he earnestly hoped—­without presuming to dictate—­that the States-General would in this critical emergency manifest their generosity.  If the king were not assisted now, both king and kingdom would perish.  If he were assisted, the succour would bear double fruit.

The sentiments expressed on the part of Henry towards his faithful subjects of the Religion, the heretic Queen of England, and the stout Dutch Calvinists who had so long stood by him, were most noble.  It was pity that, at the same moment, he was proposing to espouse the Infanta, and to publish the Council of Trent.

The reply of the States-General to these propositions of the French envoy was favourable, and it was agreed that a force of three thousand foot and five hundred horse should be sent to the assistance of the king.  Moreover, the state-paper drawn up on this occasion was conceived with so much sagacity and expressed with so much eloquence, as particularly to charm the English queen when it was communicated to her Majesty.  She protested very loudly and vehemently to Noel de Caron, envoy from the provinces at London, that this response on the part of his Government to De Morlans was one of the wisest documents that she had ever seen.  “In all their actions,” said she, “the States-General show their sagacity, and indeed, it is the wisest Government ever known among republics.  I would show you,” she added to the gentlemen around her, “the whole of the paper if it were this moment at hand.”