[259] ‘Mayenne exposa la nécessité d’établir un conseil général de l’union, dont l’autorité seroit reconnue par toute la France. Des désignations pour ce conseil suprême étoient déjà faites par le conseil particulier de la ville. Il en donna le rôle; on y trouvoit trois évêques, de Meaux, de Senlis et d’Agen, six curés de Paris, sept gentilshommes, vingt deux bourgeois de Paris; ce qui, avec lui-même pour président et un secrétaire, formoit quarante membres.’—_Sismondi_, xx. 472. [260] He was Cardinal Caietano, brother of the Duke of Sermoneta. He arrived in Paris on January 5. [261] The people of Dijon eleven years before had been desirous of having a separate bishopric, but were prevented by the opposition of the Bishop and Chapter of Langres, in which diocese Dijon was situated.—_Gallia Christiana_, iv. 637. [262] These reports were not unfounded. Sultan Amurath had in fact written to Navarre promising protection against Spain, and offering to send a fleet of 200 sail to Aigues-Mortes.—_Collection des Documents Inédits sur l’Histoire de France, Lettres Missives de Henri IV._, iii. 364. Part of the letter is quoted by Motley, _United Netherlands_, iii. 48. [263] The citadel of Rouen was actually betrayed to the Royalists on February 19, but was recovered by Aumale four days afterwards. [264] The siege began on January 9, and was raised in the middle of February. _Aubigné, Histoire_, vol. iii. bk. iii. ch. iv; _Thuanus_, v. 41-3. [265] This letter is not dated, but from the mention of the Legate’s arrival and the siege of Meulan, it appears to have been written towards the end of the first half of January 1590. Busbecq was probably then at Mantes, the place from which the next letter was written. Mantes is about twenty-five English miles from Evreux, which corresponds roughly with ten of Busbecq’s miles. See vol. i. page 82, note.