a of a marriage between them
was of old standing, for it had been proposed by Henry the Second,
fifteen years before; but at the outbreak of the Huguenot troubles
it had been dropped. Marshal Biron was sent by the king with the
royal proposals to the Queen of Navarre, who was now at La
Rochelle. The queen expressed her gratitude for the honour offered
to her son, but prayed for time before giving a decided answer, in
order that she might consult the ministers of her religion as to
whether such a marriage might be entered into, by one of the
Reformed religion.

The news of the proposed marriage, and also of the negotiations
that had been opened for a marriage between Elizabeth of England
and the Duc d'Alencon, created the greatest alarm throughout the
Catholic world. A legate was sent to Charles by the pope, to
protest against it. Sebastian, King of Portugal, who had refused
the hand of Marguerite when it had before been offered to him,
reopened negotiations for it; while Philip of Spain did all in his
power to throw obstacles in the way of the match.

The ministers of the Reformed religion, consulted by the queen,
considered that the marriage of Henry to Marguerite would be of
vast benefit to the Huguenot cause; and declared that a mixed
marriage was lawful. The English ambassador gave his strongest
support to it, and the Queen of Navarre now entered upon the
negotiations in earnest, and went to Blois for the purpose.

The differences were entirely religious ones, the court insisting
that Henri, while living at Paris with his wife, should consent to
be deprived of all means of worshipping according to his own
religion; while Marguerite, while in Bearn, should be guaranteed
permission to have mass celebrated there. The king would have been
ready to waive both conditions; but Catherine who, after at first
favouring the match, now threw every obstacle in its way, was
opposed to any conclusion. She refused to permit the Queen of
Navarre to have any interview with either Charles or Marguerite,
unless she was also present; and hesitated at no falsehoods,
however outrageous, in order to thwart the efforts of Jeanne and
her friends.

The pious queen, however, was more troubled by the extreme and open
profligacy of the court than by the political difficulties she
encountered and, in her letters, implored her son to insist upon
residing at Bearn with his wife, and on no account to take up his
abode at Paris.

However, at