nce of her own
authority and of the dignity of the French crown, to enter the lists
boldly in behalf of the Queen of Navarre, she was none the less bent upon
confirming that authority by rendering it impossible for the Huguenots
ever again to take the field in opposition to the crown. A war for the
sake of principle was something of which that cynical princess could not
conceive. The Huguenot party was strong, according to her view, only
because of the possession of powerful leaders. The religious convictions
of its adherents went for nothing. Let the Condes, and the Colignies, and
the Porciens, and the La Rochefoucaulds be gained over, and the people,
deprived of a head, would subordinate their theology to their interest,
and unity would be restored under her own rule. It was the same vain
belief that alone rendered possible a few years later such a stupendous
crime and folly as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. Many an obscure and
illiterate martyr, who had lost his life during her husband's reign, might
have given her a far juster estimate of the future than her Macchiavellian
education, with all its fancied shrewdness and insight into human
character and motives, had furnished her.

[Sidenote: Catharine's attempt to seduce Conde from the Huguenots.]

To overthrow the political influence of the Huguenots she must seduce
their leaders. Of this Catharine was sure. With whom, then, should she
commence but with the brilliant Conde? The calm and commanding admiral,
indeed, was the true head and heart of the late war--never more firm and
uncompromising than after defeat--as reluctant to renounce war without
securing, beyond question, the religious liberty he sought, as he had been
averse to take up the sword at all in the beginning. Of such a man,
however, little hope could be entertained. But Louis of Bourbon was cast
in another mould. Excessively small in stature and deformed in person, he
was a general favorite; for he was amiable, witty, and talkative.[306]
Moreover, he was fond of pleasure to an extent that attracted notice even
in that giddy court, and as open to temptation as any of its frivolous
denizens.[307] For such persons Catharine knew how to lay snares. Never
did queen surround herself with more brilliant enticements for the unwary.
Her maids of honor were at once her spies and the instruments of
accomplishing her designs. As she had had a fair Rouhet to undermine the
constancy of Antoine, so she had now a