he obtained the title of Moft Chriftian from the pope, which his fucceffors have ever fince retained, Notwithstanding the dark character of this prince. it must be allowed, that he laid the foundation of the grandeur of the French monarchy. By his arts be deprived the people of their liberty, depreffed the nobility, established a ftanding army, and even induced the fates to render many taxes perpetual, which formerly were only temporary, to fupport the army which was to keep themselves in flavery. (37.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, FROM THE DEATH OF LEWIS XI, TO THAT OF CHARLES VIII. Charles VIII was only 14 years old, when he fucceeded his father Lewes, XI, in 1483. But though he might, even at that age, have afcended the throne without any violation of the laws, yet it was judged neceffary to have a regent, on account of his delicacy of conftitution and want of education. Three competitors appeared, for this important trust, viz. 1. John duke of Bourbon, a prince of the blood, and who had, till the age of 60, maintained the most unblemished character; 2. Lewis duke of Orleans, prefumptive heir to the crown, but who, from his being only 20 years old himfelf, feemed incapacitated on that account from undertaking fuch an important office; and 3. Anne, the eldest daughter of Lewis, to whom the latter had, in his last moments, committed the charge of the kingdom, with the title of governefs. The claim of this lady was fupported by the affembly of the states general at Tours; and though she was only in the 22d year of her age, the office could not have been more properly beftowed. Being married to Peter of Bourbon, fire of Beaujeu, her title was the Lady of Beaujeu; but The acted entirely independent of her husband, who was but of a moderate capacity, and indeed had been recommended to her by Lewis on account of his flender abilities, left by any other match the Houfe of Bourbon should be too much aggrandized. Her first step was to ingratiate herfelf with the people by fome popular acts; among which one was to punish the inftruments of her father's cruelties. One of thefe, named Oliver le Dain, who, from the station of a barber, had raifed himself to the confidence of the king, and had diftinguished himfeif by the invention of new modes of torture, was publicly hanged. Another, named John Doyac, who, by continual acts of rapacity, had oppreffed the people, was condemned to be whipped, to have one of his ears cut off, and his tongue pierced with a hot iron; then taken to his native city of Montferrand, again whipped, and his other ear cut off, after which his eftates, as well as thofe of Oliver, were confifcated. James Coitier, the phyfician of Lewis, who had availed himself of the terror of death with which the king was influenced, to extort great fums of money from him, was ordered to anfwer for the immenfe wealth he had acquired; but he averted the danger by paying a fine of 50,000 crowns. Thus the governess gained the affections of the people; and even of those who were averfe to her government. The duke of Bourbon was made conftable, an office which he had long defired; but the duke of Orleans behaved fo as to exclude all hopes of favour. Incensed at the determination of a trifling difpute at tennis against him, by the governefs, he exclaimed, that whoever had decided it in that manner" was a lier if a man, or a ftrumpet if a `woman," After this furious declaration he fled to the caftle of Beaujency, where however, he was foon forced to furrender. He then applied to Henry VII, but that prince, paying little atten-; tion to his proposals, he next made his application to the court of Brittany. Here he was received with great marks of efteem, and began to entertain hopes of marrying the daughter of the duke; but being looked upon with a jealous eye by the nobility, they entered into fecret negociations with Anne, and even folicited her to invade the country. In thefe however, they ftipulated that only a certain number of troops fhould enter the province, and that no fortified place fhould remain in the hands of the French. Brittany however was invaded at once by 4 armies, each of them fuperior to the ftipulated number, who quickly made themselves mafters of the most important places; while the troops of the duke retired in difguft. Finding at laft, however, that the entire fubjection of their country was determined upon, the nobility began to exert themselves in defence of it; and, inflamed by the enthuliafm of liberty, they raised an army of 60,000 men, and compelled the French to abandon the fiege of Nantz. But this proved only a tranfient fuccefs; Anne perfevered in her defign, and the ftate of Europe at that time favoured it. England alone was then capable of affording any effectual aflistance; and the avarice of Henry prevented him from giving it, which for his own intereft he ought to have done. Thus the Bretons were left to defend themfelves the best way they could; and having ventured a battle, they were entirely defeated, and moft of their leaders taken prifoners. A fmalf body of English, under lord Woodville, who affifted them, were entirely cut in pieces. The duke foon after died by a fall from his horfe, leaving his dominions to his daughter Anne, at that time only 13 years of age. The lady Beaujeu, then, finding that the conqueft of Britanny would ftill be difficult, determined to conclude a marriage betwixt the young king of France and the duch efs, though the former had already been married to Margaret of Auftria, the daughter of Maximilian. This marriage indeed had not been confummated by reafon of the tender age of the princefs; but he had been fent to Paris for her education, and had for several years been treated as queen of France. In 1491, however, Margaret was fent back to her father: Anne of Brittany for a long time refused to violate the engagements into which he had entered; but at laft, finding her. self distressed on all fides, and incapable of resisting the numerous forces of France with which the was prefed, the reluctanly confented to the match, and the nuptials were celebrated at Langeais in Touraine. Maximilian, enraged at the double difgrace he had fuffered, began, when too late, to think of revenge. France was now threatened by, the united forces of Auftria, Spain, and England. But this formidable confederacy was foon difiipated. Henry was bought off with money; the immediate payment of 745,000 crowns, and the promife of 25,000 annually ever afte, after, perfuaded him to retire info his own had continued at his caftle of Blois till he was country. Ferdinand king of Spain had the coun- called to the crown. He had been married in ties of Rouffillon and Cerdagne reftored to him; early life, and against his will, to Jane the youngwhile-Maximilian was gratified by the ceffion of eft daughter of Lewis XI. a princess of an amiable part of Artois, which had been acquired by difpofition, but deformed, and supposed to be Lewis XI. The young king of France agreed to incapable of bearing children. Afterwards he thefe terms the more readily, that he was bent entertained thoughts of having this marriage difupon an expedition into Italy, to conquer the folved, and was fuppofed to poffefs the affection kingdom of Naples, to which he claimed a right. of the duchefs of Brittany before she becan Moft of his counsellors were againft it, but he was queen of France. After the death of her busband, inflexible, though Ferdinand king of Naples offer that princess retired to Brittany, where the preed to do homage for his kingdom, and pay him tended to affume an independent fovereignty; a tribute of 50,000 crowns a-year. He appointed but Lewis having got his marriage with Jane difPeter duke of Bourbon regent in his abfence; folved by pope Alexander VI. quickly after made after which he fet out with very few troops and proposals to t e queen dowager, which were acvery little money. By the way he fell ill of the cepted; but it was ftipulated, that if the thould fmallpox, but foon recovering he entered Italy have two fons, the younger fhould inherit Britwith only 6000 horse and 12,000 foot; he was at- tany. As Lewis, while duke of Orleans, had tended with the most surprising fuccefs, traverfing fome preteufions to Naples, he instantly set about the whole country in fix weeks, and becoming realizing them. On his acceffion, he found matmafter of Naples in lefs than a fortnight. Had ters in that country much more favourable to his Charles acted up to the character generally given defigns than formerly. The pope was in his inhim, he might have raised his name as high as terefts, he had conciliated the friendship of the any hero of antiquity. His behaviour, however, Venetians; he concluded a truce with the archwas very different. He amufed himself with feafts duke Philip; and renewed his alliances with the and fhows; and leaving his power in the hands of crowns of England, Scotland, and Denmark. favourites, they fhared it with any who would pur- He then entered Italy with an army of 20,000 men; chafe titles, places, or authority, at the rates they and affifted by the Venetians, quickly conquered impofed. But while Charles was thus lofing his one part of the duchy, while they conquered the time, a league was concluded against him at other, the duke himself being obliged to fly with Venice; into which entered the pope, the em- his family to Infpruck. He then attacked Ferdiperor Maximilian, the archduke Philip, Lewis nand of Spain with three armies at once, two to Sforza, and the Venetians. The confederates act by land, and one by fea; but none of these affembled an army of 40,000 men, commanded performing any thing remarkable, he evacuated by Francis marquis of Mantua; and they waited Naples in 1504. In 1506 the Genoese revolted; for the king in the valley of Fornovo, in Parma, drove out the nobility; chofe 8 tribunes; and into which he defcended with 9000 men. On declared Paul Nuova, a filk-dyer, their duke; the 6th July 1495 he attacked the allies; and, after which, they expelled the French governor, notwithstanding their great fuperiority, defeated and reduced a great part of the Riviera. This them, with the lofs of only 80 of his own men. occafioned Lewis's return into Italy; where, in Thus he got fafe to France; but his Italian domi- 1507, he obliged the Genoefe to furrender at dif nions were loft almost as foon as he departed. cretion: and, in 1508, entered into the league of Some schemes were propofed for recovering thefe Cambray, with the other princes who at that conquefts; but they were never put in execution, time wanted to reduce the overgrown power of and the king died of an apoplexy in 1498. The the Venetians. Pope Julius II. who had been the premature death of this monarch, in the 28th firft contriver of this league, very foon repented year of his age was fuppofed to have been ow- of it; and declared, that if the Venetians would ing to his irregular life. He was greatly cele- reftore the cities of Faenza and Rimini, which had brated for his fweet temper and agreeable difpo- been unjustly taken from him he would be confition, which procured him the titles of the Affable tented. This was refufed; and in 1509, the and Courteous. Two of his domeftics are faid to forces of the republic received fuch an entire dehave died of grief after his death, and his widow feat from Lewis, that they agreed to restore not abandoned herself to the most pungent forrow for only the two cities, but whatever elfe the allies two days. required. The pope now, inftead of executing his treaties, made war on the king of France without the leaft provocation. Lewis called an aflembly of his clergy; where it was determined, that in fome cafes it was lawful to make war upon the pope; upon which the king declared war againft him, and committed the care of his army to Marshall de Trivulce. He foon obliged the pope to retire into Ravenna; and in 1511, Gafton, duke of Nemours, gained a great victory at Ra venna, but was killed in the engagement. his death the army difbanded for want of pay; and the French affairs in Italy, and everywhere elfe, fell into confution. They recovered the duchy of Milan, and lot it again in a few weeks. (38.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, FROM LEWIS XII'S ACCESSION TO THAT OF FRANCIS I. By the death of Charles VIII. the crown paffed from the direct line of the house of Valois, and Lewis duke of Orleans fucceeded. At his acceffion he was in his 36th year, and had long been taught in the fchool of adverfity. During the adminiftration of the Lady Beaujeu, he had been conftantly in difgrace; after his connections with the duke of Brittany, he had spent a confiderable time in prifon; and though afterwards fet at liberty by Charles, he had never poffelled any fhare of his favour. Towards the conclution of that reign, he fell under the displeasure of the queen; and After Henry ther, however, reproached him with his cowar- protefted before certain notaries and witnesses in fon fon Henry II. who afcended the throne that very day on which he was 29 years of age. (40.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, FROM THE AC. CESSION OF HENRY II, TO THE DEATH OF FRANCIS II. In the beginning of Henry's reign, an infurrection happened in Guienne, owing to the oppreffive conduct of the officers who levied the falt tax. The king dispatched against the infurgents two bodies of troops; one commanded by the duke of Aumale fon to the duke of Guife, the other by the conftable. The firft behaved with the greatest moderation, and brought back the people to their duty without making many examples: the other behaved with the utmot haughtiness and cruelty; and though the king afterwards remitted many of his punifhments, yet from that time the conftable became odious to the people, while the family of Guife were highly refpected. In 1548, the king began to execute the edicts which had been made against the Proteftants with the outmoft feverity: and, thinking even the clergy too mild in the profecution of herefy, erected for that purpose a chamber compofed of members of the parliament of Paris. At the queen's coronation, which happened this year, he caufed a number of Proteftants to be burned, and was himself prefent at the fpectacle. He was, however, fo much shocked, that he could never forget it; but complained, as long as he lived, that at certain times, it appeared before his eyes and troubled his understanding. In 1549, a peace being concluded with England, the king purchafed Boulogne from the latter, for the fum of 400,000 crowns; one half to be paid on the day of reftitution, and the other a few months after. Scotland was included in the treaty, and the English restored fome places they had taken there. This was the moft advantageous peace that France had hitherto made with England; the vaft arrears which were due to that crown being in effect remitted; and the penfion which looked fo like tribute being not mentioned was in fact extinguished. The earl of Warwick himfelf, who had concluded the peace was fo fenfible of the difgrace fuffered by this nation on this occafion that he pretended to be fick, in order to avoid fetting his hand to fuch a fcandalous bargain. This year an edict was made to restrain the extravagant remittances which the clergy had been in ufe of making to the court of Rome. With this ed & Pope Julius III. was highly difpleafed; and in 1550, war was declared by the king of France against the pope and the emperor. The emperor foon found himself in such danger, that he could not fupport the pope as he intended, who on that account was obliged to fue for peace. After this, the king continued the war against the emperor with fuccefs; reducing Toul, Verdun, and Metz. He then entered the country of Alface, and reduced all the fortreffes between Haguenau and Wiffenburg. He failed, however, in his attempt on Strafburgh: and was foon after obliged by the German princes and the Swifs to defift from further conquefts on that fide. This war continued with very little interruption, and is little fuccefs on the part of the French, till 1557, when a peace was concluded: and in 1559, the king was killed at a tournament by the count de Montgomery, one of the strongest knights in France, who had done all he could to avoid this encounter with the king. The reign of his fon and fucceffor Francis II was remarkable only for the persecution of the Proteftants, of whom he made a dreadful laughter: 1200 died by the hands of the executioner; the waters of the Loire were tinged with their blood, and their bodies being denied burial, tainted the air. He died in his 18th year, and ad of his reign, A. D. 1560. (41.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, FROM THE DEATH OF FRANCIS II. TO THE MASSACRE OF THE PROTESTANTS UNDER CHARLES IX. Charles IX. fucceeded his brother in 1560. The Proteftants at laft took up arms in their own defence. This occationed feveral civil wars, the firft of which continued till 1562, when a peace was concluded, by which the Proteftants were to have a free pardon, and liberty of confcience. In 1565, the war broke out anew, and was continued with very little interruption till 1569, when peace was again concluded upon very advantageous terms for the Proteftants. After this king Charles, who had now taken the government into his hands, carreffed the Proteftants in an extraordinary manner. He invited to court the admiral Coligni, who was the head of the Proteftant party; and cajoled him fo, that he was lulled into perfect fecurity, notwithstanding the many warnings given him by his friends. On the 23d Aug. 1571, as he was walking from the court to his lodgings, he received a fhot from a window, which carried away the ad finger of his right hand, and wounded him grievously in the left arm. This he afcribed to the malice of the duke of Guife, the head of the Catholic party. After dinner, the king went to pay him a vifit, and amongst others made him this compliment; "You have received the wound, but it is I who fuffer." This fatisfied the admiral of the king's fincerity, and hindered him from complying with the defire of his friends, who would have carried him away, and who were ftrong enough to have forced a paffage out of Paris, if they had attemp ted it. In the evening, the queen mother, Katharine de Medicis, held a cabinet council to fix the execution of the maffacre of the Proteftants, which had been long meditated. The perfons of which this council was compofed, were, Henry duke of Anjou, the king's brother; Gonzagua duke of Nevers; Henry of Angoulefme, grand prior of France, and baftard brother of the king; the marshal de Tavannes; and Albert de Gondi, count de Retz. The direction of the whole was given to the duke of Guife. The guards were appointed to be in arms, and the city officers were to difpofe the militia to execute the king's orders, of which the fignal was the ringing of a bell near the Louvre. Some fay, that when the hour approached, which was that of midnight, the king grew undetermined that he expreffed his horror at fhedding fo much blood, especially confidering that the people whom he was going to deftrey were his fubjects, who had come to the capital at his command, and in confidence of his word; and particularly the admiral, whom he had detained fo lately in his carefies. The queen mo (42.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, FROM THE DIA. BOLICAL MASSACRE OF THE PROTESTANTS, TO THE DEATH OF CHARLES IX. This mailacre was not confined to the city of Paris alone. On the eve of St Bartholomew, orders had been fent to the governors of provinces to fall upon the Proteftants themselves, and to let loofe the people upon them; and though an edict was publified before the end of the week, affuring them of the king's protection, and that he by no means defigned to exterminate them because of their religion, yet private orders were fent, of a nature directly contrary; in confequence of which, the maffacre, or, as, in allufion to the Sicilian vefpers, (fee ITALY) it was now ftyled, the Matins of Paris, were repeated in Meaux, Orleans, Troyes, Angers, Thouloufe, Rouen, and Lyons; fo that in the space of two months 30,000 Proteftants were butchered. The next year Rochelle, the only ftrong fortrefs which the Proteftants held in France, was befieged, but was not taken without the lofs of 24,000 Catholics, who befieged it. After this a pacification enfued on terms favourable to the Proteftants, but to which they never trufted. This year the duke of Alençon was elected king or Poland, and foon after fet out to take poffeffion of his new kingdom. The king accompanied him to the frontiers of the kingdom; but during the journey was feized with a flow fever, which had a very dangerous appearance. He lingered for fome time under the moft terrible agonies both of body and mind; full of remorfe, and blood oozing from all the pores of his body. He died on the 30th of May 1572, having lived 33 years, and reigned 13. It is faid, that after the dreadful maffacre, this prince had a fierceness in his looks, and a colour in his cheeks which he never had before. He flept little, and never found. He waked frequently in agonies, and was obliged to have soft mufic to compofe him again to rest. dice, and reprefented to him the great danger he affifted at the jubilee to thank God for the exewas in from the Proteftants; which at laft indu- cution of it, ced him to confent. According to others, however, the king himfelf urged on the malfacre; and when it was propofed to him to take off only a few of the heads, he cried out," If any are to die, let there not be one left to reproach me with breach of faith." As foon as the fignal was given a body of Swifs Catholic troops headed by the duke of Guife, the chevalier of Angoulefme accompanied by many perfons of quality, attacked the admiral's houfe. Having forced open the doors, the foremost of the affaffins rushed into his apartment; and one of them asked if he was Coligni? To this he answered that he was; ad ding, "Young man refpect thefe gray hairs:" to which the affaflin replied by running him thro' the body with his fword. The duke of Guife and the chevalier, growing impatient below ftairs, cried out to know if the bufinefs was done; and being told that it was, commanded that the body fhould be thrown out at the window. As foon as it fell on the ground, the chevalier, or (as fome fay) the duke of Guife, wiping the blood off the face, kicked it with his foot, The body was then abandoned to the fury of the populace; who, after a series of indignities, dragged it to the common gallows, to which they chained it by the feet, the head being cut off, and carried to the queen mother, who caufed it to be embalmed and fent to Rome. The king himself went to fee the body hang upon the jibbet; where a fire being kindied under it, part was burnt. In the Louvre, the gentlemen belonging to the king of Navarre and the prince of Conde were murdered under the king's eye. Two of them wounded, and purfued by the affaffins, fled into the bed-chamber of the queen of Navarre, and jumped upon her bed, befeeching her to fave their lives; and as fhe went to ask this favour of the queen mother, two more, under the like circumftances, rushed into the room, and threw themselves at her feet. The queen mother came to the window to enjoy these dreadful fcenes; and the king, feeing the Proteftants who lodged on the other fide of the river flying for their lives, called for his long gun, and fired upon them. In 3 or 4 days many thoufands were deftroyed in Paris, by the most cruel deaths which malice itself could invent. Peter Ramus, profeffor of philofophy and mathematics, after being robbed of all he had, his belly being firft ripped open, was thrown out of a window. This fo much affected Denis Lambin, the king's profeffor, that though a zealous Catholic, he died of terror. The firft two days the king denied it was done by his orders, and threw the whole blame on the house of Guife: but on the 28th of Aug. he went to the parliament, avowed it, was complimented upon it, and directed a procefs againft the admiral, by which he was ftigmatized as a traitor. Two innocent gentlemen fuffered as his accomplices in a pretended plot against the life of the king, in order to fet the crown on the head of the prince of Conde. They were executed by torch light; and the king and the queen mother (with the king of Navarre and the prince of Conde by force) were spectators of this horrid deed; and (43.) FRANCE, HISTORY OF, TO THE DEATH OF HENRY III. During the firft years of the reign of Henry III. who fucceeded his brother Charles, the war with the Proteftants was carried on with indifferent fuccefs on the part of the Catholics. In 1575, a peace was concluded, called by way of eminence the Edia of Pacification. This edict gave occafion to the Guifes to form an affociation in defence, as was pretended, of the Catholic religion, afterwards known by the name of the Catholic League. In this league, though the king was mentioned with refpect, he could not help feeing that it ftruck at the very root of his authority; for, as the Proteftants had already their chiefs, fo the Catholics were, for the future, to depend entirely upon the chief of the league; and were, by the very words of it, to execute whatever he commanded, for the good of the caufe, againft any, without exception of perfons. king to avoid the bad effects of this, by the advice of his council, declared himfelf head of the league; and of confequence recommenced the war against the Proteftants, which was not extinguifhed as long as he lived. The faction of the duke of Guife, in the mean time took a refolution II 2 The resolution |