Part 7 (1/2)
Catherine de Medici had intended originally that her daughter should ry with Philip II of Spain because he had done nothing to assist her in ed to hunant that the ”heretics” had been offered freedom of worshi+p in 1570, and had expressed his opinion rather freely Therefore the Valois family did not hesitate to receive the leader of the Protestants, Henry de Bourbon, whose territory extended from the Pyrenees to far beyond the Garonne
The Queen of Navarre disliked the match and was suspicious of the Queen-Mother's hter would entice Henry into a gay, dissolute course of life which would destroy the results of her early training, and she could not respond very cordially to the effusive welcoreeted her at the court when she caned in 1571, neither bride nor bridegroo much choice in the matter Henry was probably dazzled by the brilliant prospects that opened out to one as mated with a Valois, but he was only nineteen and never quite at ease in the shi+fting, tortuous maze of diploaret was a talented, lively girl, and pleased with the fine jewels that were given her She did not understand the reasons which urged her brother Charles to press on the match He insisted that it should take place in Paris in order that he ious strife that had lately rent the kingdom It was a question, of course, on which neither of the contracting parties had to be more than formally consulted
The Queen of Navarre died suddenly on the eve of {106} the wedding, and her son, with 800 attendants, entered the city in a eous costuust 18th, 1572, when Margaret e erected before the church of Notre Dame
Henry of Navarre could not attend the Mass, but walked in the nave with his Huguenot friends, while Margaret knelt in the choir, surrounded by the Catholics of the party Aduenot who appealed to all the finest instincts of his people He had tried to arrange a land and Henry of Anjou, the brother of the French King, but had not been successful, owing to Elizabeth's politic vacillation He was detested by Catherine de Medici because he had great power over her son, the reigning n had inspired the Guise faction of late in consequence of the Queen's enuenot party would be very weak if their strongest partisan were suddenly taken froreat Protestant nobles were assearet of Valois They were royally entertained by the Catholic courtiers and lodged at night in fine apartments of the Louvre and other palaces They had no idea that they had any danger to fear as they slept, and would have disdained to guard theainst the possible treachery of their hosts They ht have been warned by the atteny, ounded by a pistol-shot, had not the King expressed such concern at the attempt on the life of his favourite counsellor ”My father,”
Charles IX declared when {107} he came to the Admiral's bedside, ”the pain of the wound is yours, but the insult and the wrong are ates of Paris shut, and sent his own guard to protect Coligny He eak, and subject to violent gusts of passion which uide, if he were in the hands of an unscrupulous person His ny, pointed out that there was grave danger to be feared from the Protestants She uenot in France should perish if the Admiral died, for he would not be reproached with such a crime by the Admiral's followers
The bells of the church nearest to the Louvre rang out on the Eve of St Bartholonal for a cruel ny, was slain in the presence of the Duke of Guise, there was little resistance frouenot nobles They were roused from sleep, surprised by treacherous foes, and relentlessly murdered It was impossible to combine in their perilous position Two thousand were put to death in Paris, where the very women and children acted like monsters of cruelty to the heretics for three days, and proved the's guests on the night of Saint Bartholouenot noble escaped from his assailants and rushed into Henry's very bridal chamber He cried, ”Navarre! Navarre!” and hoped for protection froainst four archers ere following hione out to the tennis-court, and Margaret was powerless to offer any help She fled fro previously of the Guises' secret conspiracy
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Charles IX sent for Navarre and disclosed the fact that he had been privy to the massacre He showed plainly that the Protestants were to find no toleration henceforth Henry felt that his life was in great jeopardy, for ht to Paris had fallen in the massacre, and he stood practically alone at a Catholic court
Henry understood that if he were to be spared it was only at the price of his conversion, and with the alternatives of death or the Mass before him, it is little wonder that he yielded, at least in appearance, to the latter There were spies and traitors to be feared in the circle of the Medici Even Margaret was not safe since her ave wise counsel to her husband and guided hih the perils of court life
Catherine disareniously concocted story to the effect that the Huguenots had been sacrificed because they plotted a foul attack on the Crown of France
She had been hostile to Coligny rather than to his policy, and continued to follow his sche Spain by alliances with Elizabeth and the Prince of Orange
Henry of Guisewith perfect equani popularity by his affable ant, auenots relied mainly on the wealthy citizens of the towns for support in the struggle against the Guise faction In addition to religious toleration they now derievances A republican spirit rose in the Protestant party, who read eagerly the various books and pa that a monarchy should not continue if it {109} proved incapable oforder even by despotic powers More and nty of France was not hereditary but elective
Charles IX, distracted by the confusion in his kingdo to Henry of Navarre because he recognized real strength in hi in the Valois
Henry III, his successor, was conte pearls in his hair and rouging his face in order that he ht be admired by the foolish, empty courtiers ere his favourite companions He succeeded to the throne in 1575, andfantastic processions of repentant sinners through the streets of Paris He insisted on Navarre taking part in this mummery, for it was to his interest to prevent the Protestant party fro a noble leader
Navarre had learnt to play his part well, but he chafed at his inglorious position He saith a fierce disgust the worthless prince, Alencon, become the head of the Protestant party Then he discovered that he was to have a chance of escape from the toils of the Medici In January, 1576, he received an offer from some officers--who had been disappointed of the royal favour--that they would put him in possession of certain towns if he would leave the court He rode off at once to the Protestant ca his wife behind hiranted very favourable conditions to the Protestants, who had stoutly resisted an attack on their stronghold of La Rochelle Catherine and Henry III beca nuue was formed by Henry of Guise and {110} other discontented subjects in order to ally Paris with the fanatics of the provinces
This League was by noand Catherine, for its openly avowed leader was Henry of Guise, as greatly beloved by the people Henry III was foolish enough to becoe by placing himself practically under the authority of his rival Bitterly hostile to the Protestants as were the aiely used by the Duke of Guise as a cloak to cover his designs for the usurpation of the royal power The hope of Henry III and his ht out their own quarrel and leave the Crown to watch the battles unmolested
The last of the Valois was closely watched by the bold preachers of political emancipation These were deteratives from him if he were unworthy of respect and squandered too ed them to hear that he spent hours on his own toilette, and starched his wife's fine ruffs as if he were her tire-woarded his functions so lightly that he gave audiences to ambassadors with a basketful of puppies round his neck, and did not trouble to read the reports his ministers sent to him They decided secretly to proclai of Navarre, as a fine soldier and a kindly, huentleman
Navarre was openly welcomed as the leader of the Reformed Church party
He was readmitted to Calvinist coladly, being delighted to reed to wear His brilliant feats of arms made him more popular than ever
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When Anjou died, Navarre was heir presumptive to the throne, and had to meet the furious hostility of the Guise faction These said that Navarre's uncle, Cardinal de Bourbon, ”wine-tun rather than awhen Valois died They secured the help of Spain before publishi+ng their famous Manifesto This docuue to restore the dignity of the Church by drawing the sword, if necessary, and to settle for themselves the question of Henry III's successor He bribed the people by releasing thes of the States-General
The King hesitated to grant the League's demands, which were definitely formulated in 1585 He did not wish to revoke the Edicts of Toleration that had recently been passed, and ht have refused, if his mother had not advised him to make every concession that was possible to avoid the enmity of the Guise faction He consented, and was lost, for the Huguenots sprang to arms, and he found that he was to be driven fro was accused of sympathy with the Protestant cause, which made his name odious to the Catholic University of Paris He had personal enemies too, such as the duchess of Montpensier, sister to Henry of Guise, as fond of saying that she would give hiold scissors at her waist There was so a monastery where he would have had to adopt the tonsure
One-half of Navarre's beard had turned white when he heard that Henry III was revoking the Edicts of Toleration Yet he was happiest in caht heart in May 1588 when the {112} King fled from Paris and Guise entered the capital as the deliverer of the people He looked the ht, with hooked nose and bold, black eyes under ironical arched eyebrows He was a clever judge of character, and knein adherents to his cause His hoarb attracted s, for there was no artificial grace in the scarlet cloak, brown velvet doublet and white-pluuished hiain his prestige, and showed souile in a plot for Guise's assassination When this succeeded he went to boast to Catherine that he had killed the King of Paris ”You have cut boldly into the stuff, my son,” she answered hiether?”