the "Croix de Gastines," and by breaking
open and plundering the contents of several Huguenot houses. It was not
until the provost had called in the assistance of Marshal Montmorency, and
the latter had killed a few of the seditious Parisians who opposed his
progress, and hung one man to the windows of a neighboring house, that the
disturbance ceased. The pyramid was then destroyed, and the cross
transferred to the Cimetiere des Innocents, where it is said to have
remained until the outbreak of the French Revolution.[811] The "plucking
down of the cross" was a distasteful draught to the fanatics. "The common
people," wrote an eye-witness, "ease their stomacks onely by uttering
seditious words, which is borne withal, for that was doubted. The
Protestants by the overthrow of this cross receive greater comfort, and
the papists the contrary."[812]

[Sidenote: Projected marriage of Anjou to Queen Elizabeth.]

The Huguenot leaders, rejoicing at any evidence of the royal favor,
desired to strengthen it and render it more stable. For this purpose they
found a rare opportunity in projecting matrimonial alliances. Queen
Elizabeth, of England, was yet unmarried, a princess of acknowledged
ability, and reigning over a kingdom, which, if it had not at that time
attained the wealth of industry and commerce which it now possesses, was,
at least, one of the most illustrious in Christendom. Where could a more
advantageous match be sought for Henry of Anjou, the French monarch's
brother? True, the Tudor princess was no longer young, and her personal
appearance was scarcely praised, except by her courtiers. She had been a
candidate for many projected nuptials, but in none had the disparity of
age been so great as in the present case, for, being a maiden of
thirty-seven, she lacked but a single year of being twice as old as
Anjou.[813] Besides these objections, and independently of the difference
of creed between the queen and Anjou, she had the unenviable reputation of
being irresolute, fickle, and capricious. And yet, in spite of all these
difficulties, the match was seriously proposed and entertained in the
autumn and winter succeeding the ratification of peace.

It is worthy of notice that the scheme originated with the French
Protestants. Cardinal Chatillon, the admiral's brother, and the Vidame of
Chartres, both of them zealous partisans of the Reformation, and at this
time engaged in negotiations in England, were the first to make