always worthy of careful consideration, that, had it not
been for the final defection of the King of Navarre at this critical
juncture, the great woes impending over France might still have been
delayed or averted.[17] That unhappy prince seemed determined to earn the
title of the "Julian Apostate" of the French Reformation. Plied by the
arts of his own servants, D'Escars (of whom Mezeray pithily remarks that
he was ready to sell himself for money to anybody, save his master) and
the Bishop of Auxerre; flattered by the Triumvirate, tempted by the
Spanish Ambassador, Cardinal Tournon, and the papal legate, he had long
been playing a hypocritical part. He had been unwilling to break with the
Huguenots before securing the golden fruit with which he was lured on, and
so he was at the same time the agent and the object of treachery. Even
after he had sent in his submission to the Pope by the hands of D'Escars,
he pretended, when remonstrated with by his Protestant friends, that "he
would take care not to go so far that he could not easily extricate
himself."[18] He did not even show displeasure when faithfully rebuked and
warned.[19] Yet he had after long hesitation completely cast in his lot
with the papal party. He was convinced at last that Philip was in earnest
in his intention to give him the island of Sardinia, which was depicted to
him as a terrestrial paradise, "worth four Navarres."[20] It was widely
believed that he had received from the Holy See the promise of a divorce
from his heretical consort, which, while permitting him to retain the
possessions which she had justly forfeited by her spiritual rebellion,
would enable him to marry the youthful Mary of Scots, and add a
substantial crown to his titular claims.[21] But we would fain believe
that even Antoine of Bourbon had not sunk to such a depth of infamy.
Certain it is, however, that he now openly avowed his new devotion to the
Romish Church, and that the authority of his name became a bulwark of
strength to the refractory parliament in its endeavor to prevent the
execution of the edict of toleration.[22] But he was unsuccessful in
dragging with him the wife whom he had been the instrument of inducing
first to declare herself for the persecuted faith of the reformers. And
when Catharine de' Medici, who cared nothing for religion, tried to
persuade her to arrange matters with her husband, "Sooner," she said,
"than ever go to mass, had I my kingdom and my son in my