Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/583

 l&i THE BOND OF ASSOCIATION. 567 meantime for themselves, and the exercise of two religions had been solemnly permitted by the law during the existence of the schism. France itself had not yet recognized the Council of Trent, nor had its decrees been published within the French frontier.' edicts : he had never persecuted Catholics within his own jurisdiction, and he claimed the same respect for himself, till a lawful Council, general or national, had decided on the points that were disputed. If civil war was begun again, he invited the world to witness that the fault did not rest with him. To save the spilling of French blood he was ready to try the quarrel between himself and Guise, man to man, two to two, ten to ten, or twenty to twenty, whenever and wherever the King would be pleased to permit/ * Now was the time for Elizabeth to fulfil the pro- mises which she had made through Champernowne. Segur was in London to learn her resolution. The Huguenot leaders, Turenne, l)u Plessis, Conde", all pressed her. M. de Clairvaux wrote that their cause was hers ; that to defend them was to defend herself, and that in respect of the common interest she was bound to share the burden, ' and take Christ and his members from the cross to save herself.' a Elizabeth did not require to be told all this, and she was well aware of the merits of 1 Declaration of the King of Navarre-. Enclosed by Stafford to Walsiiigham, July i n : MSS. France. '' M. de Clairvaiu to Walsing- ham, June i 22 : MSS. Ibid.
 * He had himself,' he said, ' scrupulously observed the