th Don John of Austria.
Henri of Guise consented, and it was then that Lorraine and Spain sent
Salcede to the Duc d'Anjou to assassinate him, which would have suited
the views of both; but Salcede, as we know, was arrested and executed
without having carried his project into execution.

Francois advanced but slowly, however, in Flanders, for the people were
more than half afraid of him; he grew impatient, and determined to lay
siege to Antwerp, which had invited his aid against Farnese, but when he
wished to enter had turned its guns against him. This was the position
of the Duc d'Anjou at the time when our story rejoins him, on the day
after the arrival of Joyeuse and his fleet.

CHAPTER LXII.

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

The camp of the new Duke of Brabant was situated on the banks of the
Scheldt, and the army, although well disciplined, was agitated by a
spirit easy to understand.

Indeed, many Calvinists assisted the duke, not from sympathy for him,
but in order to be as disagreeable as possible to Spain and to the
Catholics of France and England; they fought rather from self-love than
from conviction or devotion, and it was certain that, the campaign once
over, they would abandon their leader or impose conditions on him. With
regard to these conditions, the duke always gave them to understand that
when the time came he should be ready, and was constantly saying, "Henri
of Navarre made himself a Catholic, why should not I become a Huguenot?"
On the opposite side, on the contrary, there existed a perfect unity of
feeling. Antwerp had intended to give entrance to him, at her own time
and on her own conditions.

All at once they saw a fleet appear at the mouth of the Scheldt, and
they learned that this fleet was brought by the high admiral of France,
to aid the Duc d'Anjou, whom they now began to look upon as their enemy.
The Calvinists of the duke were little better pleased than the Flemings
at the sight. They were very brave, but very jealous: and they did not
wish others to come and clip their laurels, particularly swords which
had slain so many Huguenots on the day of the St. Bartholomew. From this
proceeded many quarrels, which began on the very evening of their
arrival, and continued all the next day.

From their ramparts, the Antwerpians had every day the spectacle of a
dozen duels between Catholics and Protestants; and they threw into the
river as many dead as a combat might have cost the French.