accomplish openly. One day a large party had gone out upon a hunting
excursion. The Queen of Navarre made arrangements with her son, and a
few of the most energetic and trustworthy gentlemen of her court, to
separate themselves, as it were accidentally, when in the eagerness of
the chase, from the rest of the company, and to meet at an appointed
place of rendezvous. The little band, thus assembled, turned the heads
of their horses toward Navarre. They drove with the utmost speed day
and night, furnishing themselves with fresh relays of horses, and
rested not till the clatter of the iron hoofs of the steeds were heard
among the mountains of Navarre. Jeanne left a very polite note upon
her table in the palace of St. Cloud, thanking Queen Catharine for all
her kindness, and praying her to excuse the liberty she had taken in
avoiding the pain of words of adieu. Catharine was exceedingly
annoyed at their escape, but, perceiving that it was not in her power
to overtake the fugitives, she submitted with as good a grace as
possible.

Henry found himself thus again among his native hills. He was placed
under the tuition of a gentleman who had a high appreciation of all
that was poetic and beautiful. Henry, under his guidance, devoted
himself with great delight to the study of polite literature, and gave
free wing to an ennobled imagination as he clambered up the cliffs,
and wandered over the ravines familiar to the days of his childhood.
His personal appearance in 1567, when he was thirteen years of age, is
thus described by a Roman Catholic gentleman who was accustomed to
meet him daily in the court of Catharine.

"We have here the young Prince of Bearn. One can not help
acknowledging that he is a beautiful creature. At the age of
thirteen he displays all the qualities of a person of
eighteen or nineteen. He is agreeable, he is civil, he is
obliging. Others might say that as yet he does not know what
he is; but, for my part, I, who study him very often, can
assure you that he does know perfectly well. He demeans
himself toward all the world with so easy a carriage, that
people crowd round wherever he is; and he acts so nobly in
every thing, that one sees clearly that he is a great
prince. He enters into conversation as a highly-polished
man. He speaks always to the purpose, and it is remarked
that he is very well informed. I shall hate the reformed
religi