in resorting to the arts by which she was
accustomed to seek either to avert the evil consequences of her own
short-sighted policy, or to gain time to defeat the plans of her
opponents.[449] The Huguenots received a deputation consisting of the
chancellor, the Marshal de Vieilleville, and Jean de Morvilliers--three of
the most influential and moderate adherents of the court--through whom
Charles demanded the reason of the sudden uprising which causelessly
threatened his own person and the peace of the realm. The Huguenot leaders
replied by denying any evil design, and showing that they had armed
themselves only in self-defence against the manifested malice of their
enemies.[450] Subsequent interviews between Conde and the envoys of
Charles seemed to hold forth some hopes of peace. The king declared
himself ready to furnish the Protestants with proofs of the uprightness of
his intentions, and L'Hospital even exhibited the draft of an edict in
which their rights should be guaranteed. As this proved unsatisfactory,
the prince, at the chancellor's suggestion, submitted the requests of his
associates. These related to the banishment of the foreign troops, the
permission to come and present their petitions to the king, the
confirmation and maintenance of the past edicts, with the repeal of all
restrictive interpretations, the assembling of the states general, and
the removal of the burdensome imposts under which the people groaned, and
which were of advantage only to the crowd of Italians and others enjoying
extraordinary credit at court.[451] If the first of these demands were
sufficiently bold, the last demand was little calculated to conciliate
Catharine, who naturally conceived herself doubly insulted by the covert
allusion to her own prodigality and by the reference to her countrymen.
She found no difficulty in inducing Charles to answer through a
proclamation sent by a herald to the confederates, commanding Conde,
Coligny, D'Andelot, La Rochefoucauld, Genlis, and the other leaders, by
name, to lay down the arms which they had taken up without his
consent.[452] Perceiving the mistake they had committed in making requests
which, although just and appropriate, were in part but ill-suited to the
times, the Protestants began to abate their demands. Confining themselves
to the matter of religion, they now petitioned only for an unrestricted
liberty of conscience and worship, confirmed by the repeal of all
ordinances or parliame