expel
them from the court, with all the ministers and preachers. The queen
mother, fearing this conspiracy might be the means of losing her authority
(which is as dear to her as one religion or the other), and mistrusting
that the Constable was going about to reduce the management of the whole
affair into the King of Navarre's hands, and so into his own, has caused
the Constable to retire from the court, as it were in disgrace, and
intended to do the like with the Cardinal of Tournon and the Marshal St.
Andre. The King of Navarre being offended with these proceedings, and
imputing part of her doings to the advice of the Admiral, the Cardinal
Chatillon, and Monsieur D'Andelot, intended to compel those personages to
retire also from the court. In these garboils [commotions] the Prince of
Conde, being sick at Paris, was requested to repair to the court and stand
her [Catharine] in stead. In this time there was great working on both
sides to win the house of Guise. So the Queen Mother wrote to them--they
being in the skirts of Almain--to come to the court with all speed. The
like means were made [use of] by the King of Navarre, the Cardinal of
Ferrara and the Constable, to ally them on their part. During these
solicitations the Duke D'Aumale arrived at the court from them, who was
requested to solicit the speedy repair to the court of the Duke of Guise
and the Cardinal of Lorraine.

"The Prince of Conde went from hence in a horse litter to the court of St.
Germain, where he found the Protestant preachers prohibited from preaching
either in the King's house or in the town, and that the King of Navarre
had solemnly vowed to retain and maintain the Romish religion, and had
given order that his son should be instructed in the same. The Prince,
finding the Queen of Navarre and the house of Chatillon ready to leave the
court, fell again dangerously sick. Nevertheless his coming so revived
them, as by the covert aid of the Queen Mother, they attempted to make the
Protestant preachers preach again at the town's end of St. Germain, and
were entreated to abide at the court, where there is an assembly which is
like to last until Easter. The Cardinal of Ferrara assists daily at these
disputes. The King of Navarre persists in the house of Chatillon retiring
from the court, and it is believed the Queen of Navarre, and they, will
not tarry long there."[34]

Such was the picture drawn by the skilful pencil of the English envoy. It
was cer