The Duke of Guise, in a coat of white
satin, was seated at the king's feet, as high steward of his household,
scanning the whole assembly with his piercing glance, as if to keep watch
over those who were in his service. "He seemed," says a contemporary,
"by a single flash of his eye to fortify them in the hope of the
advancement of his designs; his fortunes, and his greatness, and to say
to them, without speaking, I see you." The king's speech was long, able,
well delivered, and very much applauded, save by Guise himself and his
particular friends; the firmness of tone had displeased them, and one
sentence excited in them a discontent which they had found difficulty in
restraining: certain grandees of my kingdom have formed such leagues and
associations as, in every well-ordered monarchy, are crimes of high
treason, without the sovereign's permission. But, showing my wonted
indulgence, I am quite willing to let bygones be bygones in this respect.
Guise grew pale at these words. On leaving the royal session, he got his
private committee to decide that the Cardinal of Guise and the Archbishop
of Lyons should go to see the king, and beg him to abandon the printing
of his speech, and meanwhile Guise himself sent to the printer's to stop
the immediate publication. Discussion took place next day in the king's
cabinet; and a threat was held out to him that a portion of the deputies
would quit the meeting of states. The queen-mother advised her son to
compromise. The king yielded, according to his custom, and gave
authority for cutting out the strongest expressions, amongst others those
just quoted. "The correction was accordingly made," says M. Picot, the
latest and most able historian of the states-general, "and Henry III.
had to add this new insult to all that were rankling at the bottom of his
heart since the affair of the Barricades."

This was, for the Duke of Guise, a first trial of his power, and great
was his satisfaction at this first success. On leaving the opening
session of the states-general, he wrote to the Spanish ambassador
Mendoza, "I handled our states so well that I made them resolve to
require confirmation of the edict of union (of July 21 preceding) as
fundamental law of the state. The king refused to do so, in rather sharp
terms, to the deputies who brought the representation before him, and
from that it is presumed that he inclines towards a peace with the
heretics. But, at last, he was so pr