ain for no reason connected with
religion; the Pope believed in the existence of the plot; the plot was a
reality; the medal is fictitious; the massacre was a feint concerted
with the Protestants themselves; the Pope rejoiced only when he heard
that it was over.[190] These things were repeated so often that they
have been sometimes believed; and men have fallen into this way of
speaking whose sincerity was unimpeachable, and who were not shaken in
their religion by the errors or the vices of Popes. Moehler was
pre-eminently such a man. In his lectures on the history of the Church,
which were published only last year,[191] he said that the Catholics, as
such, took no part in the massacre; that no cardinal, bishop, or priest
shared in the councils that prepared it; that Charles informed the Pope
that a conspiracy had been discovered; and that Gregory made his
thanksgiving only because the King's life was saved.[192] Such things
will cease to be written when men perceive that truth is the only merit
that gives dignity and worth to history.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 6: _North British Review_, Oct. 1869.]

[Footnote 7: Satius fore ducebam, si minus profligari possent omnes, ut
ferrentur omnes, quo mordentes et comedentes invicem, consumerentur ab
invicem (Hosius to Karnkowsky, Feb. 26, 1568).]

[Footnote 8: The Secretary of Medina Celi to Cayas, June 24, 1572
(_Correspondance de Philippe II._, ii. 264).]

[Footnote 9: Quant a ce qui me touche a moy en particulier, encores que
j'ayme unicquement tous mes enffans, je veulx preferer, comme il est
bien raysonnable, les filz aux filles; et pour le regard de ce que me
mandez de celluy qui a faict mourir ma fille, c'est chose que l'on ne
tient point pour certaine, et ou elle le seroit, le roy monsieur mondit
filz n'en pouvoit faire la vengence en l'estat que son royaulme estoit
lors; mais a present qu'il est tout uni, il aura assez de moien et de
forces pour sen ressentir quant l'occasion s'en presentera (Catherine to
Du Ferrier, Oct. 1, 1572; Bib. Imp. F. Fr. 15,555). The despatches of
Fourquevaulx from Madrid, published by the Marquis Du Prat in the
_Histoire d' Elisabeth de Valois_, do not confirm the rumour.]

[Footnote 10: Toutes mes fantaisies sont bandees pour m'opposer a la
grandeur des Espagnols, et delibere m'y conduire le plus dextrement
qu'il me sera possible (Charles IX. to Noailles, May 2, 1572; Noailles,
_Henri de Valois_, i. 8).]

[Footnote 11: Il fault, et je