14 2
ESSAYS ON LIBERTY
injure both himself and an Christendom if he fails to do it." 1 This request also reached Alva through Spain. Philip wrote on the margin of the despatch that, if he had not yet put them out of the world, he must do so immediately, as there could be no reason for delay.2 The same thought occurred to others. On the 22nd of July Salviati writes that it would be a serious blow to the faction if Alva would kill his prisoners; and Granvelle wrote that, as they ,vere all Huguenots, it would be ,veIl to throw them all into the river. s Where these sentiments prevailed, Gregory XIII. ,vas not alone in deploring that the work had been but half done. After the first explosion of gratified surprise men perceived that the thing was a failure, and began to call for more. The clergy of Rouen Cathedral instituted a procession of thanksgiving, and prayed that the King might continue what he had so virtuously begun, until all France should profess one faith. 4 There are signs that Charles was tempted at one moment, during the month of October, to follow up the blow. 5 But he died without pursuing the design; and the hopes were turned to his successor. When Henry III. passed through Italy on his way to assume the crown, there were some who hoped that the Pope would induce him to set resolutely about the extinction of the Huguenots. A petition was addressed to Gregory for this purpose, in which the writer says that hitherto the French court has erred on the side of mercy, but that the new king might make good the error if rejecting that pernicious maxim that noble blood spilt \veakens a kingdom, he would appoint an execution which would be cruel only ii1 appearance, but in reality glorious and holy, and destroy the heretics totally, sparing neither life nor property.6 Similar 1 Charles IX, to Mondoucet, Aug, 31, 1572; Comfte Rendu, iv. 349. 2 Bulletins de Bruxelles, xvi. 256. 3 Granvelle to Morillon, Sept. II, 1572 ; Michelet, p, 475. 4 Floquet, iii. 137, 5 Walsingham to Smith, Nov. I, 1572; Digges, p, 279. Ita enim statutum ab iIIis fnit die 27 Octobris (Beza, Dec. 3, 157 2 ; Ill, vir. Eþf. set, 621). La Mathe, v. 164; Faustino Tasso, Historie de nostri tempi, 15 8 3. p, 343, 6 Discorso di l'.lonsigllor Terracina à Gregorio XIII.; Thesauri Politici Con tin. 1618, pp, 73-7 6 .
