ote the English ambassador, near the end of July, 1571. "The
Papal Nuncio, Spain, and Portugal, are daily courtiers to dissuade this
match. The clergy here have offered Monsieur a great pension, to stay him
from proceeding. In conclusion, there is nothing left undone, that may be
thought fit to hinder."[831]

[Sidenote: Vexation of Catharine at Anjou's fresh scruples.]

And these intrigues were not fruitless. Anjou now declared to his mother
that he would not go to England without public assurances that he should
enjoy the liberty to exercise his own religion. He was unwilling even to
trust the queen's word, as Catharine and Charles would have wished him to
do. Catharine meantime expressed her vexation in her despatches to La
Mothe Fenelon.[832] "We strongly suspect," she said, "that Villequier,
Lignerolles, or Sarret, or possibly all three, may be the authors of these
fancies. If we succeed in obtaining some certainty respecting this matter,
I assure you that they will repent of it."[833] But she added that, should
the negotiation unfortunately fail, she was resolved to put forth all her
efforts in behalf of her son Alencon, who would be more easily
suited.[834]

In fact, while Anjou was indifferent, or perhaps disgusted at the
obstacles raised in the way of the marriage, and was unwilling to
sacrifice his attachment to the party in connection with which he had
obtained whatever distinction he possessed; and while Elizabeth, who was
by no means blind, saw clearly enough that she was likely to get a husband
who would regard his bride rather as an incumbrance than as an
acquisition,[835] there were two persons who were as eager as Elizabeth's
advisers, or the Huguenots themselves, to see the match effected. These
were Charles the Ninth and Catharine de' Medici, both of whom just now
gave abundant evidence of their disposition to draw closer to England and
to the Huguenots of France and the Gueux of Holland, while suffering the
breach between France and Spain to become more marked.

[Sidenote: Louis of Nassau confers with the king.]

Count Louis of Nassau, ever since the conclusion of peace, had remained
with the Huguenots within the walls of La Rochelle. At the repeated
solicitations of his brother, the Prince of Orange, he had entered into
correspondence with the king, and urged him to embrace an opportunity such
as might never return, to endear himself to the Netherlanders, and add
materially to the extent and powe