12 4
ESSAYS ON LIBERTY
of Coligny had been decided at the last lTIOment, and that the rest was not the effect of design. 1 This opinion found friends at first in Spain. The General of the Franciscans undertook to explode it. He assured Philip that he had seen the King and the Queen-mother two years before, and had found them already so intent on the massacre that he \yondered how anybody could have the courage to detract from their merit by denying it. 2 This vie\y generally prevailed in Spain. Mendoça knows not which to admire more, the loyal and Catholic inhabi- tants of Paris, or Charles, who justified his title of the most Christian King by helping \vith his own hands to slaughter his subjects. s Mariana witnessed the carnage, and imagined that it must gladden every Catholic heart. Other Spaniards were gratified to think that it had been contrived \vith Alva at Bayonne. Alva himself did not judge the event by the same light as Philip. He also had distrusted the French Government; but he had not feared it during the ascendency of the Huguenots. Their fall appeared to him to strengthen France. In public he rejoiced with the rest. He complimented Charles on his valour and his religion, and claimed his own share of merit. But he warned Philip that things had not changed favourably for Spain, and that the King of France was no\v a formidable neighbour. 4 For himself: he said, he never would have committed so base a deed. The seven Catholic Cantons had their own reason for congratulation. Their countrymen had been busy actors on the scene; and three soldiers of the S\viss guard of Anjou were named as the slayers of the Admira1. 5 On the 2nd of October they agreed to raise 6000 men for the King's service. At the following Diet they demanded 1 Zuñiga to Alva, Aug, 31, 1572 : No fue caso pensado sinorepentino (Archives de I'Empire, K, 1530, B. 34, 66), 2 St, Goard to Catherine, J an, 6, 1573; Groen, iv. App, 28, 3 Comment, de B. de _lfendo(a, i. 344. 4 Alva to Philip, Oct, 13, 1572; Corr, de Philipþe //" ii. 287. On the 23rd of August Zuñiga wrote to Philip that he hoped that Coligny would recover from his wound, because, if he should die, Charles would be able to obtain obedience from all men (Archives de t Empire, K. 1530, B, 34, 65)' 6 Bulle/ÙlS de la Sodét! pour l' His/oire du Protesiantisme Franfais, viii. 29 2 .
