He had expressly written to that effect, assuring Anjou that he would help him with all his strength, and would enter into close alliance with those Netherlands which should accept him as prince and sovereign.

In another and more private letter to the Duke, the King promised to assist his brother, "even to his last shirt." There is no doubt that it was the policy of the statesmen of France to assist the Netherlands, while the "mignons" of the worthless King were of a contrary opinion.

Many of them were secret partizans of Spain; and found it more agreeable to receive the secret pay of Philip than to assist his revolted provinces.

They found it easy to excite the jealousy of the monarch against his brother--a passion which proved more effective than the more lofty ambition of annexing the Low Countries, according to the secret promptings of many French politicians.

As for the Queen Mother, she was fierce in her determination to see fulfilled in this way the famous prediction of Nostradamus.