civil wars of France began,- the Turk later being less ignorant of foreign lands not to realise the decadent and perilous condition of the new «padishah» in this centre of Christianity. Besides, the French Government was not sufficiently generous in such presents as the Turk considered a just recognition of his importance, and the prestige of ambassadors like de Germigny, de Braves and others suffered accordingly. Despite their poverty, however, they succeeded in placing on the throne of Wallachia one of the numerous pretenders of the time who asked money and introductions from the Most Christian Monarch. Peter Cercel (Ear-ring) was one of these and ruled in Bucharest for two years by the will of the effeminate Henri III, whom he imitated in manners and dress. Others of these adventurers who found a loaf of bread, but no more, beyond the collar of a French order in Paris, were not so fortunate in their pursuit of a vain and transient crown of vassalage.
To the gallant Henry IV and to Louis XIII, whose great minister, Richelieu, had other preoccupations in the disputed West, the Turkish Orient and its neighbouring countries failed to afford much interest. The crusade for rescuing the oriental Christians existed only in the disciplined classical verses of Malherbe. The Rhine and not the Dardanelles or the Danube had first claim on the attention of French diplomacy. A new phase of influence was not due until such time as the resplendent majesty of Louis XIV burst upon a dazzled world, to become the type for all monarchies in the world, perhaps even for contemporary Sultans.
Now in the East, as in the West, each prince would have his court, his obedient nobles waiting on him and his pleasure, his official history, his literature and art, whichever most appealed to him. A characteristic example was
