OF THE STATE OF EUROPE. 445 



There is at this present no prince in Germany 

 greatly toward or redoubted. 



The Duke Casimir s credit is greatly impaired, 

 and his ability small. 



The diet imperial shortly should be held, where 

 the concordate shall be urged, collection for Hun 

 gary made, and a King of Romans named. 



The French king, Henry the Third, of thirty 

 years of age, of a very weak constitution, and full of 

 infirmities ; yet extremely given over to his wanton 

 pleasures, having only delight in dancing, feasting, 

 and entertaining ladies, and chamber-pleasures : 

 no great wit, yet a comely behaviour and goodly per 

 sonage, very poor, through exacting inordinately by 

 all devices of his subjects greatly repining that re 

 venge and hungry government, abhorring wars and 

 all action, yet daily worketh the ruin of those he 

 hateth, as all of the religion and the house of Bour 

 bon ; doting fondly on some he chooseth to favour 

 extremely, without any virtue or cause of desert in 

 them, to whom he giveth prodigally. His chief fa 

 vourites now about him are the Duke Joyeuse, la 

 Valette, and Monsieur D Au. The queen-mother 

 ruleth him rather by policy and fear he hath of her, 

 than by his good will: yet he always doth shew 

 great reverence towards her. The Guise is in as 

 great favour with him as ever he was ; the house is 

 now the greatest of all France, being allied to 

 Ferrara, Savoy, Lorrain, Scotland, and favoured of 

 all the papists ; the French King having his kins- 



