e most deserving of notice
was William the Wise, a worthy son of the famous old landgrave of Hesse
who so stoutly maintained the Protestant cause against Charles the
Fifth. He and the elector of Saxony, both kinsmen of William's wife,
offered to provide an establishment for the prince, while he remained in
Germany, which, if it was not on the magnificent scale to which he had
been used in the Netherlands, was still not unsuited to the dignity of
his rank.[1031]

[Sidenote: CIVIL WAR IN FRANCE.]

The little court of William received every day fresh accessions from
those who fled from persecution in the Netherlands. They brought with
them appeals to him from his countrymen to interpose in their behalf.
The hour had not yet come. But still he was not idle. He was earnestly
endeavoring to interest the German princes in the cause, was
strengthening his own resources, and steadily, though silently, making
preparation for the great struggle with the oppressors of his country.

While these events were passing in the Netherlands, the neighboring
monarchy of France was torn by those religious dissensions, which, at
this period, agitated, in a greater or less degree, most of the states
of Christendom. One half of the French nation was in arms against the
other half. At the time of our history, the Huguenots had gained a
temporary advantage; their combined forces were beleaguering the
capital, in which the king and Catherine de Medicis, his mother, were
then held prisoners. In this extremity, Catherine appealed to Margaret
to send a body of troops to her assistance. The regent hesitated as to
what course to take, and referred the matter to Alva. He did not
hesitate. He knew Philip's disposition in regard to France, and had
himself, probably, come to an understanding on the subject with the
queen-mother in the famous interview at Bayonne. He proposed to send a
body of three thousand horse to her relief. At the same time he wrote to
Catherine, offering to leave the Low Countries, and march himself to her
support with his whole strength, five thousand horse and fifteen
thousand foot, all his Spanish veterans included, provided she would
bring matters to an issue, and finish at once with the enemies of their
religion. The duke felt how powerfully such a result would react on the
Catholic cause in the Netherlands.

He besought Catherine to come to no terms with the rebels; above all, to
make them no concessions. "Such concessions mu