The "Politiques" were ready to support any strong _de facto_ government, but could not find it.

The cities hated the nobles, and the republicans resented the "courteous warfare" which either side was said to wage on the other, sparing each other's nobles and slaughtering the commons.
[Sidenote: 1593] At this point the States General were convoked at Paris by the League.
So many provinces refused to send deputies that there were only 128 members out of a normal 505.

A serial publication by several authors, called the _Satyre Menippee_, poured ridicule on the pretentious of the national assembly.

Various solutions of the deadlock were proposed.
Philip II of Spain offered to support Mayenne as Lieutenant General of France if the League would make his daughter, as the heiress through her mother, Elizabeth of Valois, queen.

This being refused, Philip next proposed that the young Duke of Guise should marry his daughter {227} and become king.