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yet such were the attractions of his manners and cha- History. 
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him. Even in those days of church authority, 
and of and unbending , this prelate was 
by the clergy, as the of their 
“ftheCon- The Constable Montmorency and his family were 
not condescend, like the Duke of Guise, to gain that 
influence, by the affability of his manners, which he 
thought ou: A Boe ser gests reward, ep 
consequence, of his high bi great services, un- 
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571 
racter, that he received from the ladies of the court of 
France, the most flattering proofs of their affection. 
His courage was undoubted; and though his income 
was narrow, yet his magnificence and liberality were 
great. His talents, though not perhaps of the first 
order, were by no means despicable ; but what dis- 
tinguished him particularly, was an attachment to the 
reformed religion, not merely ardent and zealous, but 
pure and enlightened. In vain were the allurements 
of pleasure, and the higher and more splendid rewards 
of ambition, employed to entice him from his religious 
principles and professions: he was firm and unbend- 
ing; and when they called upon him for action or 
sacrifice, he was always ready. To the Duke of Guise 
he was an open and formidable rival, not more from 
the similarity of their character 7 objects in some 
, than from the ite religi sentiments 
which th ively embraced. 
vely em! 
The Advniral Coligny was brave, generous, and sin- of eae 
cere. His first and most darling wish was, to secure li- }: 
berty of conscience for himself and his brethren of the 
reformed religion. Could he have secured this, he would 
ingly have withdrawn himself from public life ; 
but while this was unattained; he regarded it as his 
paramount duty to stand forward, as the isgui 
and enthusiastic champion of what he was convinced 
was the truth. ris 
The ties of iament waited on Francis, soon 
after ngs i wre to express their duty 
and iance to his person: on this occasion he in- 
formed them, that he had thought to assign to 
the Duke of Guise the supreme administration of the 
military department, and to the Cardinal of Lorraine 
the aoe administration of the finances, at the same 
time Constable Montmorency was dismissed from 
his office of master of the household to his seat at Chan- 
tilly ; and the King of Navarre, with his brother the 
Prince of Condé, were received at court in a cold and 
disrespectful manner. The former was soon afterwards 
persuaded by Catherine de Medicis to leave Paris, and 
to take up his abode in Bearn, under the vain hope 
that he might recover his former dominions by nego- 
ciation, 
As soon as the King of Navarre had left Paris, the 
measures and plans of the Guises and Catherine 
to unfold themselves, An edict was published, forbid- 
penn person to carry fire-arms, or to wear any dresa 
fav le to the concealment of such weapons. Ano- 
ther regulation was adopted, which declared that no 
should hold two situations at the same time. 
object of this was undoubtedly the Admiral Colig- 
ny, who immediately resigned the government of Bi. 
cardy, which was given to the Marshal Brisac, notwith- 
standing the Prince of Condé endeavoured to obtain it. 
The Duke of Guise, at the same time, was appointed 
Master of the Household. 
As all these measures were preparatory to the per‘se- p f 
cution of the Protestants, it may be proper to take a ret Calvinism, 
trospective view of the origin and oo of the re- 
formed religion in France under Francis I. As’ has 
been already noticed, the new doctrine had great- 
ly at court,.as well as in the capital an ivinces, 
Christian Institutes of Calvin were dedicated to 
that king. His sister, the Queen of Navarre, protected 
his disciples, while they were persecuted by the clergy 
and the —— t. e spirit of the new religion was 
incre: and invigorated, and the numbers hp pirale: 
sed it were greatly augmented, by the massacre of Ca- 
4 
