sequently, and before he visited Paris, the Duke of Savoy had entered
into a secret negotiation with Biron, and even led him to believe that
he would bestow upon him the hand of one of his daughters, by which
marriage the Marechal would have become the cousin of the Emperor of
Germany, and the nephew of the King of Spain, an alliance which, to so
ambitious a spirit, opened up an opportunity of self-aggrandizement
never to be realized in his own country and under his own sovereign.

In return for this concession, Biron had pledged himself to his wily
ally that he would provide so much occupation for Henry in the interior
of his kingdom, that he should have no leisure to attempt the invasion
of the marquisate of Saluzzo, a pledge which more than any other
gratified M. de Savoie, who lived in constant dread of being driven from
his territories. During the war the Marechal nevertheless took several
of the Duke's fortresses in Brescia; but a perfect understanding had
been established between them which rendered this circumstance
comparatively unimportant; and on the refusal of Henry to permit the
appointment of a governor of his own selection for the citadel of Bourg,
Biron became so incensed by what he designated as the ingratitude of his
sovereign--though he was fully aware that by countenancing such an
arrangement the King must necessarily leave the fortress entirely in his
power--that he no longer restrained himself, but declared that the death
of the French sovereign was essential to the accomplishment of his
projects; and meanwhile he gave the Duke of Savoy, whom he thenceforward
regarded as his firmest friend, constant information of the state and
movements of the hostile army.

A short time afterwards it was definitely arranged between the
conspirators that the Duke of Savoy should give his third daughter in
marriage to the Marechal, with a dowry of five hundred thousand golden
crowns; that the Spanish monarch should cede to him all his claims of
sovereignty upon the duchy of Burgundy; and that the Conde de
Fuentes[178] and the Duke of Savoy should march their combined forces
into France, thus disabling Henry from pursuing his design of
reconquering the long-coveted duchy.

This treasonable design, owing to circumstances upon which the impetuous
Biron had failed to calculate, proved, however, abortive; and he had no
sooner convinced himself of the fact, and comprehended the perilous
position in which he had been pl