of the
sixteenth century--Contest for the French throne--Character and
policy of the Duke of Mayenne--Escape of the Duke of Guise from
Castle Tours--Propositions for the marriage of the Infanta--Plotting
of the Catholic party--Grounds of Philip's pretensions to the crown
of France--Motives of the Duke of Parma maligned by Commander Moreo
--He justifies himself to the king--View of the private relations
between Philip and the Duke of Mayenne and their sentiments towards
each other--Disposition of the French politicians and soldiers
towards Philip--Peculiar commercial pursuits of Philip--Confused
state of affairs in France--Treachery of Philip towards the Duke of
Parma--Recall of the duke to Spain--His sufferings and death.

The People--which has been generally regarded as something naturally
below its rulers, and as born to be protected and governed, paternally or
otherwise, by an accidental selection from its own species, which by some
mysterious process has shot up much nearer to heaven than itself--is
often described as brutal, depraved, self-seeking, ignorant, passionate,
licentious, and greedy.

It is fitting, therefore, that its protectors should be distinguished, at
great epochs of the world's history, by an absence of such objectionable
qualities.

It must be confessed, however, that if the world had waited for
heroes--during the dreary period which followed the expulsion of
something that was called Henry III. of France from the gates of his
capital, and especially during the time that followed hard upon the
decease of that embodiment of royalty--its axis must have ceased to turn
for a long succession of years. The Bearnese was at least alive, and a
man. He played his part with consummate audacity and skill; but alas for
an epoch or a country in which such a shape--notwithstanding all its
engaging and even commanding qualities--looked upon as an incarnation of
human greatness!

But the chief mover of all things--so far as one man can be prime
mover--was still the diligent scribe who lived in the Escorial. It was he
whose high mission it was to blow the bellows of civil war, and to
scatter curses over what had once been the smiling abodes of human
creatures, throughout the leading countries of Christendom. The throne of
France was vacant, nominally as well as actually, since--the year 1589.
During two-and-twenty years preceding that epoch he had scourged the
provinces, once c