Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-03

Princess. Mary de MedIcis was 70 re
Regent during the Kings absence,
and was to have a grand corona
ton. Henry had set his heart on
having his legitimatized children, the
offspring of the fair Gabrielle, take
their part in the-ceremony on an equal
footing with the princes of the blood
They were not entitled to wear the
lilies of France upon their garments.
The King begged the Count, . as
scissors, brother of Prince Cont and
uncle of Condo, was always called, that
his wife should not wear these ensigns
upon that solemn occasion. Thus there
would be no appearance of inferiority
on the part of the Duchessof Vendome.
The Count protested he would have
his eyes torn out of bus head
before he would consent. The
King tried to gain him over by
the most splendid proposals, Offering
him the command of the advance
guard of the army, or the Lieutenancy-
General of France, 10000 crowns for
his equipment and an increase of his
pension, if he would cause his wife to
give up the feurs-de-lys on this occa-
sion. The Count left Paris. This bit
of embroidery on a lady's court dress,
those emblems of pure and high de-
scent, those naughty lilies of st. Louis,
were not to be bartered for pelf.
Mary de Medicis was crowned. Hen
rs was murdered at her instigation.
Ravailla Is trial was all mystery, hug
ger-u,dgger, horror. One stroke of a
broken table knife, sharpened on
carriage wheel, destroyed In one instant
the grand designs of Henry. Pitiful
was the cofdition of France. Sully
hardly knew where to turn. The Re-
public had lost her most powerful and
trusted ally.
Commissioners were sent to England
to ask the King to show TO all the
world that it was within his power to
rescue the affairs of France, Germany
and of the United Provinces from the
clutches of those who plotted for them
selves universal monarchy. They were
invited to dine with the King. None
eat at the table hut his Majesty and
themselves, and they all kept their
hats on their heads. The King was
hospitable, gracious, discursive, loqua-
cious, very theological, speaking with
the air of a man who knew all that
could be said on predestination or JUS
LITIGATION. He rose, took off his hat
and drank bumper to the health of
the States General and his Excellency,
Prince Maurice, and success to the af-
fair of Cleye. After dinner he bade
them a cordial farewell. They knew
then there was nothing to hope for
from G.eat Britain. King JaL-es'
Secretary of State, WinwOOd, was new
er weary of denouncing the Advocate.
Whether envy orr alouly be vices more
incident to the republican form of gov
eminent than to otherpolitical systems,
may be an open question. But 1t is no
question whatever that Barneveld's ev-
eryfootstep from this periodforwardw was
logged by envy as patient as it was
devouring. He was denounce1 for
governing his country according to the
laws. The man whose every hour was
devoted to the organizing of a grand
universal league of Protestanism
against Spain, and to rolling up with
strenuous and sometimes despaiTing
arms a dead mountain weight, ever
ready to fall back upon and crush him,
was accused in dark and mysterious
whispers, soon to grow louder and
holder, Of treacherous inclination for
Spain and the Papacy. Sir Dudley
Carlton, the English Ambassador at
the Hague, was a diplomatist trained
to business and routine, though not
familiar with the intricacies of the
Dutch constitution. His profession,
combined with a long residence at
Venice, hardly fitted him to decide the
mysteries of predestin2tiOn; yet he
would be found ready, at the bidding
of his master, to grapple Grotius and
Barneveld on the field Of history and
law. and thread with Uyte:.bogaert or
Taurinus all the subtleties of Armin-
ianism and Gomarism, as if he had
been half his life both a regular practi-
toner at the Supreme Court of the
Hague and Professor of Theology at
the University of Leyden. And he had
a sovereign behind him who was incapa-
bic of making mistake on any subject.
The bitter conflict was rapidly devel'
oping. The civil element against the
military; states rights against central
authority; peace against war; above all,
the rivalry of one prominent parsonage
against another Barneveld was sur
rounded by enemies. Maurice had
never forgiven him for his advice to
the Princess Louise de Coligny and
rested not until he accomplishments de-
struction. Foul and bitter chargeswere
heaped upon him daily. He was snm'
marily arrested and imprisoned, togeth-
er with Hugo Grotius and HOoger-
beets. After a trial which was a trag-
ic farce, Ne was condemned to death on
the scaffold. He was denied counsel
Not in spirit of fretfulness, but with
disdainful calm, be criticised and cen.
sured the proceedings against himself
as a violation of the laws and the first
principles of justice, discussing them
as lucidly and steadily as if they had
been against a third person.
After hearing his death sentence pro