MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW 103
France and Poland, in the dominions of the Emperor and under the Gernlan prelates, the attempt to arrest its advance by physical force had been abandoned. In Germany it covered twice the area that remained to it in the next generation, and, except in Bavaria, Catholicism was fast dying out. The Polish Government had not strength to persecute, and Poland became the refuge of the sects. When the bishops found that they could not prevent toleration, they resolved that they would not restrict it. Trusting to the maxim, " Bellum Haereticorum pax est Ecclesiae," they insisted that liberty should extend to those whom the Reformers would have ex- terminated. I The Polish Protestants, in spite of their dissensions, fornled themselves into one great party. When the death of the last of the J agellons, on the 7th of July I 572, made the monarchy elective, they were strong enough to enforce their conditions on the candi- dates; and it was thought that they would be able to decide the election, and obtain a king of their own choosing. Alva's reign of Terror had failed to pacify the Low Countries, and he was about to resign the hopeless task to an incapable successor. The taking of the Brill in April was the first of those maritime victories which led to the independence of the Dutch. Mons fell in May; and in July the important province of Holland declared for the Prince of Orange. The Catholics believed that all was lost if Alva remained in command. 2 The decisive struggle \vas in France. During the minority of Charles IX. persecution had given way to civil war, and the Regent, his mother, had vainly striven, by submitting to neither party, to uphold the authority of the Cro,vn. She checked the victorious Catholics, by granting to the Huguenots terms which constituted them, in spite of continual disaster in the field, a vast and organised po,ver in the State. To escape their influence
1 Satius fore ducebam, si minus profligari possent omnes, ut ferrentur omnes, quo mordentes et comedentes invicem, consumerentur ab invicem (Rosins to Karnkowsky, Feb, 26, 1568). 2 The Secretary of Medina Ce1i to çayas, June 24, 1572 (Correspolldance de Philippe 11" ii. 264).
