FRANCE. 
711 
firmed the hopes of the Calvinifls, whofe religious tenets 
he profeffed. In the treaty of Nerac, he had baffled the 
artifices of the wily Catharine of Medicis; awd on the 
fubfequent violation of that treaty, he furprifed the town 
of Cahors ; forced open the gates; and though the go¬ 
vernor, with undaunted courage, maintained an obftinate 
and unprecedented conflict in the ftreets, the valour of 
the king of Navarre triumphed over every difficulty, and, 
in 1580, planted the banners of his party on the ramparts 
of that city, the ancient capital of Quercy. 
Tiiefe religious commotions went on with various fuc- 
cefs, until the year 1587, when each day diminidied the 
remnant of authority which the king of France poffieffied, 
and increafed the difficulties of his (ituation. On one 
fide the Germans and Swifs prepared to join the troops 
of the king of Navarre ; on the other, Henry equally con- 
fidered the duke of Guife as a formidable enemy. His fa¬ 
vourite Joyuefe, accompanied by the flower of the French 
nobility, was defeated and (lain at Coutras. In that ac¬ 
tion, which fird crowned the hugonots with decifive vic¬ 
tory, the king of Navarre difplayed all the qualities which 
diftinguifh the foldier and the general; but his inability 
to fupport his troops prevented him from improving his 
advantage; he was compelled to diiband his forces ; the 
prince of Conde foon after expired at St. jean d’Angeli 
of poifon ; a crime which was imputed to his confort; but 
whofe innocence was however vindicated by a public trial. 
The citizens of Paris thus delivered from the dread of 
the proteftant army, determined to reduce their king to 
the mod mortifying infignificance, and to ved tlie powers 
of adminidration in the hands of the duke of Guile. In 
purfuance of this defign, they prefented a memorial, in 
which they required the king to declare for the league 
of the triumvirate, to revive the council of Trent, to 
edablidi the inquidtion, and to extirpate herefy. Though 
Henry could not entirely reprefs his indignation, he yet 
promifed to confider their requeds. But contrary to his 
exprefs command, the duke of Guife, in 1588, entered 
Paris, amid (I the acclamations of the di fa fleeted citizens, 
and demanded an audience of the king. Incapable of re¬ 
futing, yet deeply wounded by the infult, Henry declared 
that the moment of interview Ihould be tlie lad of his pre- 
fumptuous fubjedt. The indignant vifage of the mo¬ 
narch proclaimed the conflidt within ; he derniy accufed 
the duke of (edition, treafon, and the mod daring dedgns 
_ againd his life and throne. The duke of Guife, fenlifale 
of his danger, endeavoured to difarm his rage by fubmif- 
fion; he was (uffered to retire in fecurity ; but convinced 
of the hazard that he had incurred, and hopelefs of re¬ 
conciliation, he immediately determined on decifive mea- 
fures. On a (ignal given, the citizens by myriads quitted 
the indruments of their peaceful occupations, to affiume 
the weapons of war. The guards of trie king were ado- 
nidied, overwhelmed, and difarmed ; but amidd the tu¬ 
mult, while Catharine engaged the duke of Guife in an 
artful negociation, Henry quitted his palace, efcaped 
through the garden of the Thuilleries, and, furveying 
his capital with the eye of offended majefty, declared he 
would never enter it again but through a breach in its walls. 
From Paris Henry retired to Chartres, and publicly ap¬ 
pealed to his fubjects from the infolence of the duke of 
Guife, and the tyranny of the leaguers. He was anfwer- 
ed by manifeftos which breathed the l'pirit of fedicion, 
inflamed by religious rancour. Yet, while the mutual 
accufations of both parties feemed to allow no other de- 
cifion but that of arms, the mediation of Catharine of 
Medicis was again accepted, and Henry was once more 
reconciled to a fubjeft whom lie hated and feared. The 
firmnefs of the parliament, and the levity of the Pari- 
fians, had influenced the duke of Guile to liften to terms 
of accommodation ; while Henry was impreffied with dread 
by the formidable preparations of the king of Spain. By 
the articles of the new treaty, the duke of Guife was con- 
ftituted lieutenant-general of the French armies ; the car- 
'dinal of Bourbon was declared firlt prince of the blood 5 
and the fevered penalties were denounced ag'ainft the fub- 
jefls of France who had prefumed to deviate from the an¬ 
cient and eftablifhed church. 
Yet, amidft thefe public teflimonies of reconciliation, 
Henry continued to nourifh a latent thirftof vengeance, and 
was determined to inflidt on the duke of Guife the juft 
punifhment of his prefutnption. Exafperated at the ig¬ 
nominious' conceffions into which the counfels of his mo¬ 
ther had betrayed him, he for ever excluded her from his 
confidence. He afl'embled the dates at Blois; and though 
he beheld himfelf furrou’nded by the partisans of the 
league, lie a'ddrelfed them in a bold and animated fpeech, 
dilplayed thediftrefs to which he was reduced, and glanced 
at the (editions practices.of the houfe of Lorrain. Lan¬ 
guage Co unexpedted druck the duke of Guife with afto- 
nifliment; he remondrated ftrongly. againd the infinua- 
tions it conveyed ; and Henry was compelled, before it 
was circulated abroad, to (often the mod obnoxious paf- 
(ages. To this mortification (ucceeded intelligence the 
mod alarming : he was informed that his afpiringjFubjedt 
held a (ecret and treafonable correfpondence with tha 
duke of Savoy ; he perceived that the dates were deter¬ 
mined to declare the king of Navarre by name incapable 
ot the fucceflion ; and that his own repofe, and the tran¬ 
quillity of the kingdom, could only be edablifhed by the 
death of the duke of Guife. He fuminoned in his exi¬ 
gency the few friends in whofe fidelity he could trud ; 
the number and quality of them convey to us fome idea 
of his forlorn (ituation ; for the cabinet council of the fo- 
vereign of France was compofed only of the marefchal 
d’Aumont, Nicholas and Louis d’Angennes, and Beau¬ 
vais Nangis. The fird advifed the king to arreft the prin¬ 
ces of Lorrain; but Henry was fenfible that fuch an at¬ 
tempt would only ferve to inflame fubjecls too powerful 
for redraint; and the reft concurred in encouraging him 
to extingnilh the ambition of the duke of Guife with his 
life. Grillon, who commanded the royal guards, and ce¬ 
lebrated for his perfonal courage, was fird applied to 
ftrike the fatal blow; but, with a dignity of mind be¬ 
coming his valour, he replied that his rank and fervices 
allowed him not to aft as an executioner; “ 1 will chal¬ 
lenge the duke,” (aid he ; “and, if permitted, endea¬ 
vour to kill him fairly with my fword.” The king re¬ 
ceived his refufai with a good grace ; and recommended 
to him fecrecy. He now fixed on Loignac, the fird gen¬ 
tleman of his bedchamber, and (bine ruffians, who rea¬ 
dily accepted the commiffion. 
The adherents of the duke of Guife, ever anxious and 
vigilant, were apprifed that fome dark defign was medi¬ 
tating, and he was repeatedly admonifhed that he flood 
on the edge of a precipice. But relying on that good for¬ 
tune which hitherto had invariably attended him, and itn- 
preffied with a ftrong but miftaken idea of Henry’s timi¬ 
dity, he determined to attend the council he was fum- 
moned to. As he entered the cabinet of the king, through 
a long and gloomy paffiage, he was affailed by the daggers 
of Loignac and his affiociates. Six poniards at once were 
plunged in his bofom; and, exclaiming with a deep groan, 
“My God, have mercy on me!” he fell b’reathlefs on the 
floor. Thus periflied Henry duke of Guife, the victim 
of his own inordinate ambition. Though his talents ap¬ 
pear not to have equalled thofe of his father, his courage, 
magnanimity, and infinuating manners endeared him to 
the citizens of Paris, over whom his influence was uncon¬ 
trolled. His brother the cardinal of Guife, more vio¬ 
lent, but lei's emerpriling, was involved in bis deftrudtion ; 
and Henry, the moment that he was informed of the fate 
of the former, palled into the'apartment of the qpeen mo¬ 
ther, and acquainting her with the event, added, “ I am 
now a king, madam, and have no competitor, for the 
duke of Guife is no more.” Catharine, without blaming 
or commending the action, coldiy a(ked, if he had con- 
fidered the coniequences. 
Catharine de Medicis had been for fome time confined 
to her bed by afevere indiipolition j accudomed to the 
fup re me 
