talked with your ambassadors, from whom I wish counsel, safety, and
encouragement for doing much more than the Julich business. That alone
does not require so great a league and such excessive and unnecessary
expense."

The King observed however that the question of the duchies would serve as
just cause and excellent pretext to remove those troublesome fellows for
ever from his borders and those of the States. Thus the princes would be
established safely in their possession and the Republic as well as
himself freed from the perpetual suspicions which the Spaniards excited
by their vile intrigues, and it was on this general subject that he
wished to confer with the special commissioners. It would not be
possible for him to throw succour into Julich without passing through
Luxemburg in arms. The Archdukes would resist this, and thus a cause of
war would arise. His campaign on the Meuse would help the princes more
than if he should only aid them by the contingent he had promised. Nor
could the jealousy of King James be excited since the war would spring
out of the Archdukes' opposition to his passage towards the duchies, as
he obviously could not cut himself off from his supplies, leaving a
hostile province between himself and his kingdom. Nevertheless he could
not stir, he said, without the consent and active support of the States,
on whom he relied as his principal buttress and foundation.

The levies for the Milanese expedition were waiting until Marshal de
Lesdiguieres could confer personally with the Duke of Savoy. The reports
as to the fidelity of that potentate were not to be believed. He was
trifling with the Spanish ambassadors, so Henry was convinced, who were
offering him 300,000 crowns a year besides Piombino, Monaco, and two
places in the Milanese, if he would break his treaty with France. But he
was thought to be only waiting until they should be gone before making