s of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day. His
antagonism to Anjou and to his mother was well known. It was even reported
that he had himself been exposed to serious danger by reason of his avowed
sympathy with the imprisoned King of Navarre and his cousin of Conde. In
fact, he was himself little better than a captive at the court of
Charles--eyed with suspicion, unable to obtain favors for his friends, and
vainly suing to be appointed to the office of lieutenant-general of the
kingdom. It was perhaps not strange that, in looking about for a nominal
head, the Politiques should have settled upon Alencon, who received their
overtures with undisguised satisfaction and large promises of support. And
yet there could scarcely have been a more unhappy selection. Of the feeble
children of Catharine de' Medici, he was undoubtedly the feeblest. He
possessed neither the courage to undertake nor the fortitude to prosecute
any really bold enterprise. All who had the misfortune at any time to
credit his plighted word discovered in their own cases a fresh and pointed
application of the warning against putting trust in princes. Of him
Busbec, the emperor's ambassador, gave a life-like delineation when he
characterized him as "a prince who allowed himself to be ensnared by the
bad counsels of unskilful ministers, who could not distinguish friends
from flatterers, nor a great from a good reputation; ready to undertake,
still more ready to desist; always inconstant, restless, and frivolous;
always prepared to disturb the best established tranquillity."[1361]

[Sidenote: Glandage plunders the city of Orange.]

Circumstances almost beyond their control seemed now to be forcing the
Huguenots to make common cause with the Malcontents. Yet there were not
wanting those who looked upon the alliance as more likely to retard than
to advance their true interests, and who pointed with convincing force to
the disastrous results of a similar union in the time of the tumult of
Amboise, fourteen years before. The cloak of the reformed name, they
argued, would certainly be assumed by men having no desire for a
reformation of manners or morals--men whose lives would only dishonor the
cause with which they were supposed to be identified. Nor was the fear an
idle one, as was shown by an incident that occurred about this very time.
The truce which had been made for Languedoc did not extend to the Comtat
Venaissin. Naturally enough, there were many in the Hug