ldest and most outspoken advocate of the reformation of the church.
For, in the eyes of the theological faculty and of the clergy of France,
Louis de Berquin merited to be styled, by way of pre-eminence, a
_heresiarch_.[302]

[Sidenote: Francis treats with the Germans.]

Three years had not elapsed since the blow struck at the "Lutheran"
doctrines in France, in the execution of their most promising and
intrepid representative, before the hopes of the friends of the
Reformation again revived from a consideration of the king's political
relations. Disappointed at the contemptuous reception of their
confession of faith by the Emperor at Augsburg, the Protestant princes
of Germany had formed a defensive league. Francis, having basely
abandoned his former allies, was left alone to combat the gigantic power
of a rival between two portions of whose dominions his own kingdom lay
exposed. Every consideration of prudence dictated the policy of lending
to the German Protestants, in their endeavor to humble the pride of
their common antagonist, the most efficient support of his arms. Under
these circumstances religious differences were impotent to prevent the
union. Accordingly, in May, 1532, through his ambassador, the sagacious
Du Bellay, Francis promised the discontented Elector of Saxony and his
associates the contribution of a large sum to enable them to make a
sturdy resistance. But the peace shortly concluded with Charles rendered
the proffered aid for a time unnecessary.[303]

[Sidenote: and with Henry VIII. of England.]

Equally unproductive of advantage to the professors of the reformed
faith was the alliance for mutual defence between Francis and Henry the
Eighth of England. Both monarchs were inspired with the same hatred of
the emperor, and each had equal reason to complain of the insatiable
rapacity of the Roman court. But neither at the pompous interview of the
two kings at Boulogne, nor afterward, could Henry prevail upon Francis
to take any decided measures against the Pope such as the former, weary
of the obstacles thrown in the way of his divorce from Catharine of
Aragon, was ready to venture. In his intercourse with the English king,
Francis is said to have adopted for his guiding principle the motto,
"_Ami jusqu'a l'autel_,"[304] and declined to sacrifice his orthodoxy to
his interests. But the truth was that, in the view of Francis, his
interests and his orthodoxy were coincident; and the difficulty
experi