7 
_— History. 
—~ 
en io 
FRANCE. 
Quintin, were the sole fruits of one of the most deci- 
sive victories which had been gained in the 16th cen- 
Tha batliest accoutst of the fatal blow which France re- 
ceived at the battle of St Quintin, was carried to Rome 
the courier whom Henry dispatched to recal the Duke 
Guise. In vain the Pope remonstrated against the de- 
of the French; the orders sent to the Duke were 
, and admitted of neither modification nor de- 
. Paul, therefore, was obliged to have recourse to the 
influence that he knew he , from his character 
and situation, over the mind of Philip, in order to avert 
the danger to which he was exposed; and so well did he 
work on the superstition of the Spanish monarch, that, 
on. his league 
Philip, on his part, stipulated that the Duke of Alva, 
the proudest 
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thstanding its importance in this 
that it was the only town which the 
is ki is i almost 
the whole garrison at the end of autumn, and the mi- 
nisters of Mary had greatly neglected the works. Some 
them, indeed, were so confident as to say, that if 
Ser relate nena would 
defend it wi i 
and the i uacy of its garrison, suddenly in- 
i drove the English fom the ft which pro 
and in eight days made himself master of a 
which Edward ILI. could not take in less 
months. Henry, in order to secure this im- 
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t activity, and overtook the French near Grave- 
es De Termes finding a battle unavoidable, pre- 
pared to defend himself with great courage. For some 
time, notwithstanding the great disparity of the forces, 
victory was doubtful ; till at last chance, on this, as on 
many other occasions, decided the fate of arms: A 
squadron of English vessels, which chanced to be off 
the coast, on hearing the cannon, entered the river 
Aa, and turned their guns upon the right wing of the 
French army, which were dispirited by this unexpect- 
ed circumstance, while the Flemings were equally en- 
cou . . The former fled in great disorder ; about. 
2000 were killed on the field of battle ; a greater num-~ 
ber in their flight were put to death by the peasantry ;: 
and the general, with a number of officers of distinc- 
tion, was taken prisoner. This disaster obliged. the 
Duke of Guise to relinquish all his other schemes, and: 
to hasten to the frontiers of Picardy, to oppose the 
of the enemy. About the same time, the 
uke of Savoy effected a junction with the troops un- 
der.the Count of Egmont. As soon as these junctions 
were vely formed, Philip and Henry put them- 
selves at the head of their armies, each commanding 
about 40,000 men ; and being encamped at the. dis- 
tance of a very few leagues, an awful and decisive 
crisis seemed approaching. But both the monarchs were 
weary of war; it had answered the ‘tions of nei- 
ther, while, for half a century, it had exhausted their 
Ha wee kingdoms. Philip was anxious to visit Spain ;. 
and therefore was disposed to listen to pacific overtures. 
The motives and objects which inclined Henry to meet 
the views of Philip were more com naar? He was 
eager to put a to the progress eresy in France, 
His eich the’ Duchess of Valentinois, long re- 
garded, with disgust and displeasure, the haughtiness 
of the Duke of ‘Guise, and of his brother the Cardinal 
of Lorraine ; and, above all things, wished to/oppose 
their measures, and diminish their influence and 
larity. This she could not expect to ocieuiligh. so 
long as the Duke had an ity of adding to: his 
military fame. Peace, therefore, she was bent on bring- 
ing about; and, by her 
was eager to regain his liberty, undertook the intricate: 
and difficult negociation, and the Abbey of Cercamp. 
was fixed upon as the place of congress; the confe- 
rences were afterwards removed to Chateau Cambresis, 
where, in 1559, a definitive treaty was signed. By 
569 
History. 
Battle of 
Gravelines, 
A. D. 1558, 
uasion, Mentmorency, who . 
Treaty of 
this treaty, France restored to the Duke of Savoy the Chateau 
territories which she had taken from him in Piedmont, ©*™*¢sis, 
Savoy, and Bresse. Corsica was given up to the Genoese. 
Hesden, Catelet, and Noyon, were restored to the 
French, who were also suffered to retain Calais, Metz, 
Toul, and Verdun. A separate treaty was, at the same 
time, signed between the King of France and Eliza- 
beth, who now sate on the throne of England, by which 
the former engaged, at the expiration of eight years, 
either to deliver up Calais, or to forfeit the sum of 
500,000’ crowns. : 
In order to facilitate and hasten the: conclusion of 
peace between Spain and France, the Constable Mont- 
pre oo ae two treaties of iage ; one be- 
tween Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Henry, and 
Philip; the other between ' Henry's: eldest 
sister, and the Duke — Savoy. The part ne 
moreney took in all these arrangements, gave hi t 
weight with the king; while, on the taher had, the 
family of the Guises, fully sensible that their influence 
was on the decline, and during a period of peace, 
4c 
7 A. D. 15595 
