g detained the King for a longer period than
he had anticipated at Metz, the Duchesse de Bar, the Duc de Lorraine,
and the Duc and Duchesse de Deux-Ponts, arrived on the 16th of March to
welcome him to the province. Thereupon a series of entertainments was
given to these distinguished guests which was long matter of tradition
among the Messinese; and which resulted in the betrothal of Mademoiselle
de Rohan and the young Duc de Deux-Ponts.[214]

While still sojourning at Metz, information reached Henry of the serious
illness of Elizabeth of England; a despatch having been forwarded to the
monarch by the Comte de Beaumont,[215] his ambassador at the Court of
London, informing him of the apprehensions which were entertained that
her Majesty could not survive so grave a malady. The effect of this
intelligence was to induce the King to hasten his return to his capital,
and he accordingly prepared for immediate departure; but he was finally
prevailed upon to sojourn for a few days at Nancy, where Madame (his
sister) had prepared a magnificent ballet, which was accordingly
performed, greatly to the admiration of the two Courts. Henry, however,
whose anxiety exceeded all bounds, caused courier after courier to be
despatched for tidings of the illustrious invalid, and took little share
in the festivities which were designed to do him honour. He was probably
on the eve, as he declared in a letter to the Due de Sully, of losing an
ally who was the enemy of his enemies, and a second self, while he was
totally ignorant of the views and feelings of her successor.

His forebodings were verified, for ere the Court left Nancy, Elizabeth
had breathed her last; which intelligence was immediately conveyed to
him, together with the assurance that her council had secured the person
of the Lady Arabella Stuart, the cousin of the King of Scotland, and
that there was consequently nothing to fear as regarded the succession.
The death of Elizabeth did not in fact in any respect affect the
relative position of the two countries, neither Henri IV nor James I.
being desirous to terminate the good understanding which existed between
them; and on the 30th of July a treaty of confederation was concluded
between the two sovereigns by Sully, in which they were mutually pledged
to protect the United Provinces of the Low Countries against their
common enemy Philip of Spain.

But, notwithstanding the apparent certainty of a continuance of his
amicable rel