ccord." A post arrived from Philip the Second, offering a hundred
thousand crowns of gold if Charles would continue the war. The doctors of
the Sorbonne remonstrated. All united in a common cry that "it was
impossible to have two religions in one realm without great confusion."
Poor Charles was so moved by the stale falsehood, as well as by the large
promises made him, that he sent the Protestant envoys word that he would
treat no further unless Conde and his "complices" would send the reiters
back to Germany, and, wholly disarming, come to him with their ordinary
retinues to purge themselves of the attempt made at Meaux.

[Sidenote: Cardinal Santa Croce demands that Cardinal Chatillon be
surrendered to the Pope.]

[Sidenote: Retort of Marshal Montmorency.]

Even this amount of complaisance on the part of the weak monarch, however,
did not satisfy Cardinal Santa Croce, who, on one occasion entering the
council chamber (on the twentieth of January), boldly demanded the
fulfilment of the queen mother's promise to surrender Cardinal Chatillon
into the Pope's hands. Catharine did not deny the promise, but interposed
the plea that the present was a very unsuitable time, since Chatillon had
come to court upon the king's safe-conduct. To this the churchman replied
that no respect ought to be had toward the Cardinal, for he was "an
excommunicate person," condemned of schism, and dead in the eyes of the
law. Up to this point the Duke de Montmorency, who was present, had kept
silence; but now, turning to the queen mother, he is reported by the
English ambassador to have made a pungent address. "But, madam," he said,
"is it possible that the Cardinal Chatillon's delivery should come in
question, being warranted by the king and your Majesty to the contrary,
and I myself being made a mean therein? Wherefore this matter is odious to
be talked of, and against the law of arms and all good civil policy; and I
must needs repute them my enemies who go about to make me falsify my
promise once made." After these plain words Santa Croce "departed without
attaining his most cruel request."[494]

[Sidenote: March of the viscounts to meet Conde.]

During the first few months after the assumption of arms, the Huguenots of
southern France, surrounded by domestic enemies, had confined themselves
to attempting to secure their own safety and that of their neighbors, by
taking the most important cities and keeping in check the forces of the
provi