The Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, vol 2 | Page 4

NAVARRE,
v2
Written by Herself
Being Historic Memoirs of the Courts of France and Navarre

LETTER XIII.
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