FRANCE. 583. 
History: the skill and caution of this celebrated commander, that. would be under the influence of the Pope's legate, History’ 
bat Semel he retired in the face of his enemy, without somuchas At the meeting, he produced a bull, requiring the bes) toes 
putting his army into disorder. French never to elect Henry, even though he should 
- After the retreat of the Duke, Henry again attempt- abjure heresy; while the Duke of Faria, ambassador 
, ed to get possession of Paris : re he was defeated in fee pn gale: perenenes oe ae - the mess “a 
‘designs, by the vigilance citizens, particu- in, on ition that she married the young Duke 
tari Se ‘it of Guise. act ae ynanee - or cf Lge to 
governed. Thus foiled in his d object, he began agree to this demand, he was offered the duchy of Bur- 
to consider his situation Beal aan ay i on gundy, with a large sum of ey ; but the Duke, un- 
hen willing to become dependent on his nephew, disputed 
Duke of Parma retired, he left 8000 men for the the powers of the ambassador; and the parliament, 
support of the League. Pope Gregory XI. at the re- roused from its shameful lethargy, passed an arret in 
uest of the King in, not only declared ya conformity to the Salic law ; which, being a fundamen- 
. heretic, and Daag ait Cities cé.sieoet: tal principle of the government, they insisted could not: 
him, under pain of « ; but sent his be ide, even under the pretext of religion. 
: of: 
ne« 
‘Sa- Henry was now convinced, that even the greatest srenry re- 
voy, who was y in possession of Provence, and military successes could not obtain for him the confi- golyes to re- 
had entered Dauphiné. About the same time, the dence.and loyalty-of his subjects ; he therefore again nounce the 
i rom the castle declared, that he was seriously desirous of being in- Protestant 
where be had been confined since the assassi- structed in’ his: religious faith’; that he was ready-to "ligion- 
nation of his father. When Henry was informed of all embrace the truth, as soon as he was convinced of his: 
these threatening circumstances, he coolly observed, error; and that the incessant war carried on against 
« The more enemies we have, the more care we must him, was the sole cause why he did not employ all his’ 
take, and the more honour there will be in beating thoughts on that important subject. Conferences were 
therefore appointed to be held between the divines of 
» Elizabeth, however, was still a steady and useful the two religions, that he might be enabled to take, 
friend. She had, indeed, on the first ap- with more cy, that step which the security of his~ 
pearance of Henry’s affairs, withdrawn her troops; but throne, and the happiness. of his subjects, imperiously 
she saw him again menaced, she sent, in 1591, demanded. These conferences were held at Sureure ; 
3000 men under Sir John Norris, and afterwards 4000 and, as the real motive for which they were appointed: 
of Essex. With these supplies, joined was well known, the account which ‘Sully gives is not 
all to an army of 35,000 men, entered Norman- improbable, that the Protestant divines allowed them- 
dy, and undertook the are en. This town selves to be foiled, or at least silenced in argument, in 
r i ; but at last, when it order to furnish the king with a better pretext for em- 
was reduced to extremities, the Duke of Parma, by or- bracing that religion, which it was so much his interest 
i to pes Bag While the Catholics contended, that there 
king to raise the siege. was no salvation out.of the pale of their church, the 
also offered his wonist bat- Protestants acknowledged, that salvation was possible: 
tle ; the Duke refused it, and began his retreat. in the Roman church; and thus an easy triumph, and 
Henry pursued him, but the Duke, by wonderful ge- a strong argument, were conceded to the Catholics.. 
neralship, in spite of the greatest obstacles and difficul- This conference, however, not being sufficient to re~ 
ties, a second time made good his retreat into the Ne- move the scruples of the king, he ards conferred 
a hi of the king one or ear i sys i 3 took his resolu- 
subsequent year, affairs ing wore a tion, an ‘ormed the ceremony of abjuration at St 
more promising appearance in Provence, from which Denis, in ce of a multitude of Parisians—the 
hic general the 
Duke of Savoy; and in i Re to witness the ceremony, though the 
Languedoc, where the commander of the troops of the ope’s legate had prohibited all thes mies 
aes apeadils that the Ainge chowhd lene But os in of excommunication. A parish priest in 
was impossible kingdom should remain ital preached nine sermons against the absolu- 
in its state of confusion and civil war; even the Catho- toa posta te dike King sticl-ie. xacoes of the: 
consequences of the relaxation ki Sa Serpnrees: nigetd: f0. (eases 
remarks of the on that very act which Henry’ 
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as a Catholic king, to his». 
pressed the Duke of May- weak protection as a t prince. 
i Though the court of Spain and the Pope in vain en- 
; and the Catholics of deavoured to allay that satisfaction which was gene- 
that rally diffused over France by the conversion of Henry,: 
f m. The yet this event did not immediately produce all-the be- 
were accordingly convoked, the Duke of neficial effects expected from it. The Marquis of Vitri, 
under pretence of sipporting their determina- who, on the death of Henry IL. had deserted the: 
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Saar preparing to enter with a powerful king, and had been appointed by the League to the 
army, when the ¢ th of that Seth Honry pct ee ry Pana Ga ay aga 
Meeting of from a most formidable enemy. The states, however, turned to his allegiance.. He had often solicited the 
— met at Paris on the 26th of January 1593; but it was Duke of Mayence in vain.to make peace with the 
‘A.D. 1593, 908 evident, that their deliberations and resolutions king, as the cause of the war was at an end; and om 
