d by
the people. Henry III was foolish enough to become a member, thereby
incurring some loss of prestige by placing himself practically under
the authority of his rival. Bitterly hostile to the Protestants as
were the aims of the League, it was nevertheless largely used by the
Duke of Guise as a cloak to cover his designs for the usurpation of the
royal power. The hope of Henry III and his mother was that the rival
Catholics and Protestants would fight out their own quarrel and leave
the Crown to watch the battles unmolested.

The last of the Valois was closely watched by the bold preachers of
political emancipation. These were determined to snatch the royal
prerogatives from him if he were unworthy of respect and squandered too
much public money on his follies. It enraged them to hear that he
spent hours on his own toilette, and starched his wife's fine ruffs as
if he were her tire-woman. They were angry when they were told that
their King regarded his functions so lightly that he gave audiences to
ambassadors with a basketful of puppies round his neck, and did not
trouble to read the reports his ministers sent to him. They decided
secretly to proclaim Henry III's kinsman, the King of Navarre, who was
a fine soldier and a kindly, humane gentleman.

Navarre was openly welcomed as the leader of the Reformed Church party.
He was readmitted to Calvinist communion, and abjured the Mass. He
took the field gladly, being delighted to remove the mask he had been
obliged to wear. His brilliant feats of arms made him more popular
than ever.

{111}

When Anjou died, Navarre was heir presumptive to the throne, and had to
meet the furious hostility of the Guise faction. These said that
Navarre's uncle, Cardinal de Bourbon, "wine-tun rather than a man,"
should be their king when Valois died. They secured the help of Spain
before publishing their famous Manifesto. This document avowed the
intentions of those forming the Catholic League to restore the dignity
of the Church by drawing the sword, if necessary, and to settle for
themselves the question of Henry III's successor. He bribed the people
by releasing them from taxation and promised regular meetings of the
States-General.

The King hesitated to grant the League's demands, which were definitely
formulated in 1585. He did not wish to revoke the Edicts of Toleration
that had recently been passed, and might have refused, if his mother
had not advised him to mak