FRA 
afTelnfrled fufficient to overwhelm her enemies, and to 
eftablifh her firmly on the throne. 
But while the king of Spain and the catholic chiefs 
were bewildered in an endlefs labyrinth of negociation, 
both were furprifed by an event as important as it was un¬ 
expected. Henry had beheld with anxiety the affembly 
of the (fates, and dreaded the intrigues of the duke of 
Mayenne with the court of Spain. He perceived the re¬ 
ligious prejudices of the catholics were confirmed by a 
feries of long and bloody hoftilities ; thofe who hitherto 
aCteti with him had been deluded by the hopes of his con- 
verfion ; their patience was now exhaufted, and they pub¬ 
licly fug'gefted the neceflity of transferring their alle¬ 
giance to the cardinal of Bourbon, the coufin of the king. 
Defirous of delivering his people from the calamities of 
war, the humanity of Henry co-operated with his ambi¬ 
tion ; even the mod diftihguidled of the protedant leaders, 
and his favourite Rofny, afterwards duke of Sully, ex¬ 
horted him to confult the happinefs of his fubjedts, and 
to relinquifli a faith which he only could maintain amidd 
feenesof blood and devadation. In confequence of this 
advice, Henry, in 1593, invited the catholic divines 
throughout his kingdom to come and iadrutt him in their 
religion ; and, after being prefect at feveral conferences, 
he profeded himfelf fatisfied With their arguments, heard 
trial's at the church of St. Denys, read aloud his confedion 
of the catholic faith, and declared his refolution condantly 
to maintain and defend it. 
The duke of Mayenne and the Spanidi miniders, 
alarmed at the intelligence that Henry had entered the 
pale of the catholic church, refumed their intrigues with 
redoubled vigour. They reprefented it to the people 
merely as a political device to evade the election of a 
catholic prince ; and they perfuaded a number of their 
adherents to fwear that they would not acknowledge 
Henry as their king, unlefs his converfion was ratified by 
the pope : while at the fame time they employed their 
influence to confirm the inflexible difpodtion of the fee 
of Rome. Philip was now more fenfibie than ever of his 
error in connecting himfelf with the duke of Guife, a 
young nobleman of little weight, in preference to the 
duke of Mayenne; he ordered his miniders to acquaint 
that powerful leader, that on mature confideration he had 
changed his intentions, and was determined to beflow the 
hand of his daughter Ifabella on his fon. But, while 
Philip and the chiefs of the league endeavoured to fortify 
themfelves againfl the increadng influence of the king of 
France, the hand of an obfeure enthuflad, who earned a 
daily and (lender pittance as a waterman on the Loire, was 
already prepared to extinguifli their fears with the life of 
his fovereign. James Barrier, for fuch was the name of 
the unhappy bigot, had communicated his intentions to 
feveral of the mod zealous eccledadics who had efpoufed 
the party of the league, and their exhortations had con¬ 
firmed his refolution ; at length he revealed them to a 
dominican friar at Lyons, who, flruck with horror at the 
crime, contrived to tranfmrt to the king, with the picture 
of the affaflin, an account of the atrocious deed that he 
meditated. From the refemblanceof the portrait, Barrier 
was difeovered and apprehended at Meulan; and after 
corifei’ing his guilt, and in vain endeavouring to impeach 
the count of Soilfons as having Aimulated him to the at¬ 
tempt, was executed as a traitor. 
In vain did the united intrigues of the court of Spain 
«Kid of Rome endeavour to allay that fatisfadtion with 
which every honed catholic in France had heard the 
news of their fovereign’s converfion to the faith they 
profeded. Louis de l’Hofpital, marquis of Vitri, had on 
tit-e death of Henry III. withdrawn himfelf from the pre- 
fent king, and was by the league entrufled with the city 
of Meattx. He had frequently, but in vain, importuned 
the duke of Mayenne to terminate by a peace the cala¬ 
mities of France; but no fooner-did Henry abjure the 
protedant religion, than he determined to follow the dic¬ 
tates o( his confcience, and to return to his ajlegianee. 
3 
N C E. 715 
He commanded his garrifon to evacuate the town ; and, 
when he delivered the keys to the magidrates, “I fcorn” 
(faid he) “ to deal a place, or to make my fortune at 
ether men’s expence ; I am going to pay my duty to the 
king, and I leave it in your power to a6l as you pleafe.” 
This fliort but animated harangue was attended by the 
acclamations of the inhabitants, and the air re founded 
with “Longlife to Henry the Fourth 1” The flame of 
loyalty, once kindled, foon imparted its warmth to the 
mod diflant parts of the kingdom ; and the example of 
Meaux was followed by the cities of Pontoife, Orleans, 
Bourges, and Lyons, which fliook off the yoke of the 
league, and acknowledged the authority of Henry. He 
now determined to embrace the moment of returning prof¬ 
erity to celebrate his coronation ; Rheims was dill in the 
ands of his enemies, and Chartres was preferred for that 
important ceremony. It was performed by Nicholas de 
Thou, bidiop of that city ; and was attended by the prince 
of Conti and count of SoiJTons, with the dukes of Mont 
penfier, Luxemburgh, Retz, and Ventadour. 
The prefence of the duke of Mayenne, and the terror 
of a Spanidi garrifon, had hitherto redrained the fickle 
difpodtion of the Paridans, and maintained the authority 
of the league; but the diforders of Picardy fummoned 
the duke to that province ; he had before deprived the 
count of Belin, whofe inclinations he perceived to lean 
fecretly towards the king, of the government of the ca¬ 
pital, and had conferred it on Charles de Code, count of 
Briflac. That nobleman, impreffed with an high and ro¬ 
mantic refpeft for the commonwealth of Rome, the hi'f- 
tory of which he had diligently fludied, entertained the 
Angular and chimerical project of forming France into a 
fimilar republic. His deligns had been received with cold 
contempt by the chiefs of the league; and alarmed led, 
on Henry recovering his capital, he fliould be involved in 
the fate of his favourite fyflem, the fpirit of the ftern re¬ 
publican evaporated, and Briflac became .only anxious 
for his intered and his fafety. To fecure thefe, he imme¬ 
diately entered into a negociation with the king, and on 
advantageous conditions agreed to admit the royal forces 
into the city of Paris. While the Spaniards were amufed 
by the arts of Briflac, the new gate was opened to Henry 
and his army, who indantly poflefled himfelf of the fquare* 
and principal flreets. The Paridans received their fove¬ 
reign with loud acclamations; the troops maintained 
the mod exaft difeipline; and, amidft the revolution, the 
city throughout bore the appearance of peace and fecu- 
rity. The Spaniards alone, about four thoufand in num¬ 
ber, commanded by the duke of Feria, dill occupied the 
quarters of St. Anthony and St. Martin, with the Badile 
and the Temple. Thefe they diligently fortified, and de¬ 
clared their refolution, if attacked, to defend themfelves 
to the lad extremity ; but from this defperate defign they 
were reclaimed by Henry, who, unwilling to pollute with 
blood that capital which he had jud recovered, permitted 
them to march out with all the honours of war. 
The enemies of Henry, who had redded his arms, were 
vanquiflied by his clemency. His generous fpirit, fupe. 
rior to refentment, revolted at the idea of punidling thofe 
who were willing to fubmi't ; and he received his mod 
inveterate foes with a degree of condefcenfion which for 
ever attached them to his fervice. A general amn.edy 
foon followed, which didipated the fears, and redored 
tranquillity to the anxious multitude. The duke of 
Mayenne, embarraded by the rapid defertion of his con¬ 
federates, now again folicited the fuppurt of Spain; and 
though Philip could no longer flatter himfelf with the 
hopes of obtaining the crown of France, his implacable 
enmity to Henry, and his dread led that monarch fliould 
revive the pretendons of his houfe to Navarre, determined 
him dill to keep alive the flames of civil war. He de¬ 
tached Charles count of Manfveldt with an army of twelve 
thoufand men, to invade the province of Picardy ; the 
count laid fiege to the town of La Capelle, and before 
ideary could march to its affidance, the garrifon was forced 
to 
