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16 Proposed action in the Netherlands. [1571
were drawn up; but in the end the religious difficulty proved insurmountable.
Even the perusal of the Book of Common Prayer, duly
translated into French, did not overcome the Duke's scruples; and,
though towards the end of July he expressed his regrets to Walsingham,
he did not give way.
Foix remained in England till September, when, failing the marriage,
he suggested a treaty of defensive alliance between France and England.
This was favourably received; and in December the accomplished
Secretary, Sir Thomas Smith, went over to negotiate it. But he found
the Guises making every effort to prevent an English alliance, and
Scottish agents earnestly soliciting aid in the interest of their Queen.
On the other hand Smith had a valuable ally in Coligny, who had been
at length induced to come to Blois, and whose presence at Court was
connected with another intrigue, destined to have serious consequences.
Count Lewis of Nassau, who had served in the Huguenot ranks during the
last war, had at the conclusion of peace remained at Rochelle, occupied
in organising the privateers sent from the Low Countries to prey upon
Spanish commerce in the Bay of Biscay, and to hinder communication
by sea between Spain and their own ports. In the spring of 1571 there
arrived at Rochelle a Genoese adventurer named Fregoso, in the service
of the Grand Duke of Tuscany; by whom he alleged that he had been
sent to the Elector Palatine, and then into France in order to secure
eventual support against Spain. He came apparently as an avowed
messenger from the Huguenot agents in Paris to the Admiral, and at
the same time with some kind of business on the Queen-Mother's account
—or so it was believed by suspicious Huguenots.
Fregoso had speech of Count Lewis, and returned to lay before the
King and his mother certain proposals which rendered a personal interview
with the Count desirable. The idea of an invasion of the Low
Countries had for some time been growing in certain quarters. Even
before the conclusion of peace, Alava, the Spanish ambassador, had
warned Alva as to these rumours. On April 5 Walsingham wrote to
Burghley referring in guarded terms, and unofficially, to the same
subject, urging English cooperation, and pointing out its importance, in
connection with the scheme of marriage. The upshot was that on
July 14 Count Lewis met the King at Lumigny in a house belonging to
Madame de Mouy, widow of the Huguenot leader, and shortly to be
married to La Noue, who was present himself, with Montmorency, his
brother-in-law Teligny, and others of the anti-Spanish party. The
Count's plan was to rid the Netherlands of Spanish rule in the following
manner. Flanders and Artois, ancient fiefs of the French Crown, were
to revert to it; Brabant, Guelders, and Luxemburg in like manner to be
restored to the Empire; while England was to have Zealand. Other
arrangements would presumably be made as to Holland and the smaller
States. Strozzi was to occupy the King of Spain by a raid on his coasts.