The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1610a (PDF, MOBI, EPUB, FB2, TEXT)
of the Spanish government might prove a docile
and most dangerous instrument to the internal repose of France not only
after Henry's death but in his life-time. Conde's character was
frivolous, unstable, excitable, weak, easy to be played upon by designing
politicians, and he had now the deepest cause for anger and for indulging
in ambitious dreams.
He had been wont during this unhappy first year of his marriage to loudly
accuse Henry of tyranny, and was now likely by public declaration to
assign that as the motive of his flight. Henry had protested in reply
that he had never been guilty of tyranny but once in his life, and that
was when he allowed this youth to take the name and title of Conde?
For the Princess-Dowager his mother had lain for years in prison, under
the terrible accusation of having murdered her husband, in complicity
with her paramour, a Gascon page, named Belcastel. The present prince
had been born several months after his reputed father's death. Henry,
out of good nature, or perhaps for less creditable reasons, had come to
the rescue of the accused princess, and had caused the process to be
stopped, further enquiry to be quashed, and the son to be recognized as
legitimate Prince of Conde. The Dowager had subsequently done her best
to further the King's suit to her son's wife, for which the Prince
bitterly reproached her to her face, heaping on her epithets which she
well deserved.
Henry at once began to threaten a revival of the criminal suit, with a
view of bastardizing him again, although the Dowager had acted on all
occasions with great docility in Henry's interests.
The flight of the Prince and Princess was thus not only an incident of
great importance to the internal politics of trance, but had a direct and
important bearing on the impending hostilities. Its intimate connection
with the affairs of the Netherland commonwealth was obvious. It was
probable that the fugitives would make their way towards the Archdukes'
territory, and that afterwards their first point of de