Series 3 > Foreign correspondence with Marie de Lorraine, Queen of Scotland, from the originals in the Balcarres papers > Volume 7

INTRODUCTION
xlvii
the Bibliotheque Nationale 1 refers to the disaffection of
the Parliament, with the remark that the King and Queen
of England would not put it among the ‘ forgotten sins.’
It was natural that much interest should be taken in the
marriage and its possible consequences, due to the union
of the enemies of France, which were viewed with much
disfavour at the French Court, a feeling which had been
reported to Marie de Lorraine by her brother the Duke
of Guise.2 But, a little later, the Cardinal de Lorraine 3
wrote to his sister touching the visit of Cardinal Pole to
France on his way to meet the Emperor Ferdinand and
negotiate a peace, and assured her that such a peace as
was proposed could only be profitable to her and to her
country.
The campaign of 1554 resulted in one battle, Renty,
recorded by the Duke of Guise4 and a correspondent of the
Bishop of Ross,3 who sent an early account of it, full of
inaccuracy with regard to the casualties on both sides.
The Duke excused himself for not writing at length, on the
ground that the King was sending all news ; and Henri’s
three letters, printed in the Maitland Miscellany,6 are suffi¬
ciently ample for the description of a battle so indecisive
that both sides claimed it as a victory. Francois de
Lorraine’s letter was chiefly in praise of the behaviour of
his brothers, which, he admits, others could give more
fittingly than he. But both sides desired peace,7 and the
Cardinal de Lorraine assured his sister that, were he made
one of the envoys, he would do all he could to that end for
her sake and her country’s, as well as for France. De
Noailles,8 in a letter sent by the hand of M. de Rubay
to the Queen, expressed the opinion that the King and the
Emperor were both resolved to have peace, a resolution
1 MS. fran5ais, 20,457, p. 299. 2 Letter CXXX.
3 Letter CXXXIX. 4 Letter CLV. 6 Letter CLVI.
• Vol. i. pp. 227.33. 7 Letter CLXXII. 8 Letter CLXXVIIL
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