dor of the military achievements of his youth should be thrown
into the shade by the superior glory of having, in his old age, rescued
the most Christian nation of the world from the inroads of heresy! To
every argument he could only be brought to repeat the trite sophism,
"that a change of religion could not be effected without a revolution in
the state," and that, though he had no fear of being compelled to
restore the gifts he had received from the late monarchs, he would not
suffer their actions to be questioned or their honor impeached.[1021]

[Sidenote: The Triumvirate formed.]

[Sidenote: A spurious statement.]

On Easter day (the sixth of April), the finishing stroke was given to
the new compact between the leaders of the anti-reformed party. Anne de
Montmorency and Francois de Guise partook side by side of the sacrament
in the chapel of Fontainebleau, and that evening Guise, Joinville, and
St. Andre were invited guests at the table of the constable.[1022] To
the union now distinctly formed, its opponents, in allusion to the
number of the foremost members and to their proscriptive designs, soon
applied the name of "Triumvirate"--the designation by which it has ever
since been known. What the details of these designs were is not
altogether certain. If the document that has come down to us, purporting
to be an authoritative statement emanating from the original parties to
the scheme, could be depended on as genuine, it would disclose to us an
atrocious plot, not only against the Huguenots of France, but for the
extirpation of Protestantism throughout the world. The sanguinary
project was to be executed under the superintendence of his Catholic
Majesty of Spain. The King of Navarre, the support of heresy in France,
was first to be seduced by promises or terrified by threats. Should
neither course prove successful, Philip was to raise an army in the most
secret manner before winter. Should Antoine yield at once, he was to be
expelled from the kingdom, with his wife and children. Should he attempt
resistance, the Duke of Guise would declare himself the head of the
Catholics, and, between him and Philip, the heretical King of Navarre
would speedily be crushed. Then were all that had ever professed the
reformed faith to be slain. Not one was to be spared. The entire race
of the Bourbons was to be exterminated, lest an avenger or a
resuscitator of Protestantism should arise from its descendants. The
emperor and the Ca