FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   299   300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309  
310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   324   325   326   327   328   329   330   331   332   333   334   >>   >|  
of their life had been drunk to the lees. The fiery extravagance of his adversaries, and the calm and limpid moderation of his own character, thus symbolized, were supposed to convey a moral lesson to the world. The hieroglyphics, thus interpreted, were not relished by the nobles--all avoided his society, and declined his invitations. He consoled himself with the company of the lesser gentry,--a class which he now began to patronize, and which he urgently recommended to the favor of the King,--hinting that military and civil offices bestowed upon their inferiors would be a means of lowering the pride of the grandees. He also affected to surround himself with even humbler individuals. "It makes me laugh," he wrote to Philip, "to see the great seigniors absenting themselves from my dinners; nevertheless, I can always get plenty of guests at my table, gentlemen and councillors. I sometimes invite even citizens, in order to gain their good will." The Regent was well aware of the anger excited in the breasts of the leading nobles by the cool manner in which they had been thrust out of their share in the administration of affairs. She defended herself with acrimony in her letters to the King, although a defence was hardly needed in that quarter for implicit obedience to the royal commands. She confessed her unwillingness to consult with her enemies. She avowed her determination to conceal the secrets of the government from those who were capable of abusing her confidence. She represented that there were members of the council who would willingly take advantage of the trepidation which she really felt, and which she should exhibit if she expressed herself without reserve before them. For this reason she confined herself, as Philip had always intended, exclusively to the Consulta. It was not difficult to recognize the hand which wrote the letter thus signed by Margaret of Parma. Both nobles and people were at this moment irritated by another circumstance. The civil war having again broken out in France, Philip, according to the promise made by him to Catharine de Medici, when he took her daughter in marriage, was called upon to assist the Catholic party with auxiliaries. He sent three thousand infantry, accordingly, which he had levied in Italy, as many more collected in Spain, and gave immediate orders that the Duchess of Parma should despatch at least two thousand cavalry, from the Netherlands. Great was the indignation
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298   299   300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309  
310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   324   325   326   327   328   329   330   331   332   333   334   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
nobles
 

Philip

 

thousand

 

represented

 

confidence

 

commands

 

reason

 

exclusively

 

secrets

 
capable

abusing

 

confined

 

members

 

intended

 

reserve

 

avowed

 

enemies

 
consult
 
trepidation
 
determination

conceal

 

advantage

 

government

 

expressed

 

council

 

confessed

 

unwillingness

 

exhibit

 
Consulta
 

willingly


circumstance
 
infantry
 

levied

 
assist
 
called
 
Catholic
 

auxiliaries

 

collected

 
cavalry
 
Netherlands

indignation
 

despatch

 

orders

 
Duchess
 
marriage
 

daughter

 

irritated

 

moment

 

obedience

 

people