hemselves their judges, that the king and his council should
preside in the conferences, and that the controversy should be decided
by reference to the Word of God. Moreover, lest the incidents of the
discussion should be perverted, and each party should so much the more
confidently arrogate to itself the credit of victory as the claim was
more difficult of refutation, they insisted on the propriety of
appointing, by common consent of the two parties, clerks whose duty it
would be to take down in writing an accurate account of the entire
proceedings. To so reasonable a petition the court felt compelled to
return a gracious reply. The requests could not, however, be definitely
granted, the ministers were told, without first consulting the prelates,
and gaining, if possible, their consent.[1099] This was no easy matter.
Many of the doctors of Poissy, and even some members of the council,
maintained that with condemned heretics, such as the Huguenots had long
been, it was wrong to hold any sort of discussion.[1100] Day after day
passed, but the attainment of the object for which the ministers had
come seemed no nearer than when they left their distant homes. They were
not yet permitted to appear before the king and vindicate the confession
of faith which they had, several months before, declared themselves
prepared to maintain.[1101] Meantime it was notorious that their enemies
were ceaselessly plotting to arrange every detail of the conference--if,
indeed, it must be held--in a manner so unfavorable to the reformers,
that they might rather appear to be culprits brought up for trial and
sentence, before a court composed of Romish prelates, than as the
advocates of a purer faith.[1102] At length, weary of the protracted
delay, the Protestant ministers presented themselves before Catharine
de' Medici, on the eighth of September, and demanded the impartial
hearing to which they were entitled; and they plainly announced their
intention to depart at once, unless they should receive satisfactory
assurances that they would be shielded from the malice of their
enemies.[1103] It was well for the Protestants that they exhibited such
decision. Catharine, who always deferred a definite decision on
important matters until the last moment--a habit not unfrequently
leading to the hurried adoption of the means least calculated to effect
her selfish ends--was constrained to yield a portion of their demands.
In the presence of the Protestants