he heart of both kings was fully
compensated by a secret treaty taken up exclusively with this
subject.[682] That treaty was represented as developing a plan which
contemplated nothing less than the entire and violent destruction of
heresy by the united efforts of their Catholic and Very Christian
Majesties. By a single concerted massacre of all dissidents, the whole
of Europe was to be brought back to its allegiance to the see of St.
Peter.[683] Unfortunately, the secret treaty, if it ever existed, has
never come to light; nor have we the testimony of a single person who
pretends to have seen it, or to be acquainted with its contents. Indeed,
the circumstances of the case seem to render such a united effort as
the conjectural treaty supposes either Quixotic or
superfluous--Quixotic, if the two monarchs, without the concurrence of
the empire, whose crown had passed from Charles, not to his son Philip,
but to his brother Ferdinand, should institute a scheme for a general
crusade against the professors of the doctrines that had already gained
a firm foothold in one-half of Germany, in Great Britain, and the
Scandinavian lands of Northern Europe; superfluous, if it respected only
the dominions of the high contracting powers. For the purpose of Henry
was no less clearly and repeatedly proclaimed than that of Philip. No
subject of either crown could ignore at whom the first blow would be
struck, after the pressure of the foreign war had been removed.[684]
Nor, in the execution of their plans, could either monarch imagine
himself to stand in need of the assistance of his royal brother; for it
was not an open war to be carried on, but as yet a struggle with
_persons_, numerous without doubt, but, nevertheless, _suspected_ rather
than _convicted_ of heresy, and discovered, for the most part, only by
diligent search.

[Sidenote: The Prince of Orange learns Henry's and Philip's designs.]

But, if we have reason to think that the treaty of Cateau-Cambresis was
accompanied by no secret and formal stipulations having reference to a
combined assault upon Protestantism, we at least know that the
negotiations it occasioned gave rise to a singular disclosure of the
policy of Philip the Second in the Netherlands--a policy which he deemed
applicable to Christendom entire. Among the ambassadors of Philip and
the hostages for the execution of the treaty was William of Orange, the
future deliverer of the United Provinces. Henry, supposing t