ased at
the arrival of the prime mover in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day.
But, while the people felt some freedom in the expression of their
disgust, motives of state policy prevented their prince from openly
displaying his antipathy. However, he neither could nor would conceal the
lively remembrance in which the events of August, 1572, were still held by
him. It was on Friday, the eleventh of December, that the French party,
under the escort of a large body of soldiers sent out to do them honor,
ascended to the castle, then as now occupying a commanding site
overlooking the valley of the Neckar.[1340] The King of Poland was
somewhat surprised when, on entering the portal, instead of the elector,
the rhinegrave, with two French refugees escaped from the massacre, came
to escort him to the rooms prepared for his reception. Frederick had
directed the rhinegrave to request Henry to excuse this apparent
discourtesy on the ground of his feeble health. It is more probable that
the true motive was the elector's desire to avoid incurring, by too great
complaisance, the displeasure of the emperor, who was naturally much
irritated at the success of the French intrigues in Poland. When, later,
Frederick made his tardy appearance, it was only to greet Anjou in a brief
address, reserving for the morrow their more extended conference. On
Saturday the elector politely conducted his guest through his extensive
picture gallery. Pausing before one painting the face of which was
protected from sight, he ordered an attendant to draw aside the curtain.
To his astonishment, Henry found himself confronted with a life-like
portrait of Gaspard de Coligny. To the question, "Does your Royal Highness
recognize the subject?" Henry replied with sufficient composure: "I do; it
is the late Admiral of France." "Yes," rejoined Frederick, "it is the
admiral--a man whom I have found, of all the French nobles, the most
zealous for the glory of the French name; and I am not afraid to assert
that in him the king and all France have sustained an irreparable loss."
Elsewhere Henry's attention was directed to a large painting representing
the very scenes of the massacre, and he was asked whether he could
distinguish any of the victims. Nor did Frederick confine himself to these
casual references. In pointed terms he exposed to the young Valois both
the sin and the mistaken policy of the events of a twelvemonth since. The
slaughter of the admiral and of so