This moderate but heartfelt appeal to the better nature of the Duke, if
he had a better nature, met with no immediate response.

While matters were in this condition, a special envoy arrived out of
France, despatched by the King and Queen-mother, on the first reception
of the recent intelligence from Antwerp. M. de Mirambeau, the
ambassador, whose son had been killed in the Fury, brought letters of
credence to the states of the; Union and to the Prince of Orange. He
delivered also a short confidential note, written in her own hand, from
Catherine de Medici to the Prince, to the following effect:

"My COUSIN,--The King, my son, and myself, send you Monsieur de
Mirambeau, to prove to you that we do not believe--for we esteem you an
honorable man--that you would manifest ingratitude to my son, and to
those who have followed him for the welfare of your country. We feel
that you have too much affection for one who has the support of so
powerful a prince as the King of France, as to play him so base a trick.
Until I learn the truth, I shall not renounce the good hope which I have
always indulged--that you would never have invited my son to your
country, without intending to serve him faithfully. As long as you do
this, you may ever reckon on the support of all who belong to him.

"Your good Cousin,

"CATHERINE."

It would have been very difficult to extract much information or much
comfort from this wily epistle. The menace was sufficiently plain, the
promise disagreeably vague. Moreover, a letter from the same Catherine
de Medici, had been recently found in a casket at the Duke's lodgings in