Charles IX over to the Catholick Party. Before Tournon's
1561. death, the Duke of Guife and the Marfhal of St.
Pope
Pius IV. Andrew, feeing the danger, without the King

of Navarr and the Conftable's privity, which
the ancient Religion was expofed to, they had
a mind to invite the King of Spain to come
into France to protect the faid Religion;
but having communicated that Scheme to
Chantonet, then Embaffador in ordinary at
the Court of France, he told them, that they
might depend upon it, that the King his Master
would fend as many Forces, as they should want
for the defence of Religion; but that he would
never confent to feize upon the Kingdom, fo
that shameful and pernicious Scheme was defea-
ted for that time. Nevertheless, Lauro infifted
always with the King of Navarr, and allured
him with the hopes of Sardinia, to which he
added the Kingdom of Tunis, of which the
King of Spain would put him in poffeffion, if
he entirely forfook Herefy, and Hereticks;
and the Cardinal of Ferrara helped much in
bringing that Prince into the fnare, filling his
head with illufory hopes of obtaining the King.
doms of England and Sardinia, if he would ftrict-
ly unite himself with the Catholicks against the
Reformed. The King of Spain was in hopes,
that if he could fucceed in deceiving the King
of Navarr, he would fow a Divifion between
the faid King, the Prince of Condé, and the
Colignies, from which Diffenfion a Civil War
would neceffarily infue, which Spain knew very
well how to improve to her beft advantage.

The King of Navarr would never confent to a Divorce with his Queen, but as to the reft he was too weak to perceive the fnare laid for him and being fo eager for the Recovery of Navarr, or at least for fome Compenfation, and continually

befet

befet by his perfidious Favourites, no wonder if Charles IX
he fell into it, and forfook his real Intereft to run 1561.
after a Shadow; not confidering the Artifices of Pius IV.
Pope
the Courts of Spain and Rome, much less fuf-
pecting that they had made a Fool of him, and
that he was betrayed by thofe he trusted the
moft to, he gave himself entirely over to their
Counfels; fent one of his Servants to Spain to
treat upon that matter, and perceived that he
was cheated, but when it was too late; for the
Civil War had no fooner broke out, but the
King of Spain laughed at all the King of Na-
varr's Pretenfions: but more of this in its proper
place (0).

All this while the Reformed increased to fuch
a Number all over the Kingdom, that tho' the
publick Exercise of their Religion was forbidden
by the Edict of July, nevertheless, they could
not be restrained from it, and in many places
they feized upon Temples for that purpofe;
which gave occafion to an Edict of the 3d of
November, by which they were ordered not only
to defift, but to restore thofe Temples under
pain of Death, which Edict the Reformed obey-
ed every where at the Minifters inftances.

Now, as the Queen and the Council faw, that LXXX..
the Edict of July, and the Conferences of Poiffy the Nota-
Affembly of
had been fruitlefs, for appeafing the Troubles of bles refol-
the Kingdom, it was refolved to hold an Affem- ved upon.
bly of the Notables, that is, of the great Lords
of the Kingdom, the Prefidents of all the Par-
liaments, and a certain Number of Counsellors
out of each Parliament, by the Advice of whom
fome Edicts might be framed to restore the Tran-
quillity of the Kingdom; they were appointed to
meet at St. Germain.

(0) All this is extracted from M. De Thou, lib. xxviii.

1

CharlesIX

This afforded occafion to the Cardinal of Lor1561. rain and the Duke of Guife to leave the Court. Pope Pius IV. They were pretty fure of their Faction; the Conftable Montmorency was entirely devoted to LXXXI. their Party, and the King of Navarr, for the The Cardi- Reasons abovefaid, grew cold towards the Renal of Lorrain, and formed, and not far from uniting his Intereit the Duke with thofe of the Catholicks; fo the Guifes knew of Guife very well that nothing of moment should be tranfacted in the Council without their Confent and Approbation. The Cardinal went to Rheims, and the Duke to Joinville; and the rumour was, that both would foon go to Germany to treat with fome Princes of the Auguftan Confeffion.

leave the Court.

LXXXII.

A rumour was spread likewife at this time, as if the Duke of Nemours had advised the Duke of Guife to carry away the Duke of Orleans, the King's Brother, into Lorrain:However, the Duke of Nemours abfented himself for that reafon, and came not to Court till the first Civil War broke out.

About the fame time the Mob rofe at DiTumults at jon against the Reformed, while they were at Dijon, and their Devotion, pretending that it was contrary other pla- to the Edict, forced the House wherein they

feveral

Res.

were affembled, rung the Bells to give an Alarm; but those of the Affembly who were in Arms repulfed force by force, and as the Aggreffors faw that they were not the strongest against the Men, they fell a plundering the Houses.

At Paris there had been fome Tumults already of the Popish Mob, countenanced and encouraged by fome of the greatest Lords of Court; but in the latter end of this year, the Tumults came to a Sedition. For as the Affemblies were frequent, and much more numerous than before, one at Popincourt without St. Anthony's Gate, and the other at the Patriarch without St. Marcel's Gate,

Gate, by the connivance and even the confent of CharlesIX 1561.

the Queen. It happened that on St. Stephen's Pope

FDay, as Mr. Malot preached at the Patriarch on Pius IV. the Evening, they began to ring the Bells at the Church of St. Medard hard by, with fuch a noife, that it was impoffible to hear what the Minifter faid. Upon this one of the Affembly went to the faid Church, defiring very civilly the Ringers to ceafe for a little while; fome others of the fame Congregation followed him, who fpoke not with the fame regard; the Priefts anfwered them with lefs: and the Gates having been fhut up, the firft that came, namely Pafquot, was murdered by the Priests and their Adherents.

They rung the Bells with greater fury than before, to give the Alarm; Rouge-Oreille, Provoft-Marshal, with Des Jardins, Lieutenant-Criminal of the fhort Gown, who had been ordered by the Marshal of Montmorency, Governor of Paris, to be prefent at those Affemblies, and to hinder disturbance, endeavoured to enter the Church, commanding Peace in the King's Name; but the Doors were shut, and they were received with a Shower of Stones flung against them from the Tower: They called for help, which having got in vaft Numbers, amongst whom was one Creon, firnamed Silver-nofe, (because having been wounded in the Wars, in that part of the Face, he covered the deformity with a filver Plate ;) they broke open the Doors, and being incenfed by the wounds they had received in the fray, and by the fight of Pafquot's Corps, which was miferably mangled, they fought for revenge; after fome refiftance, being Masters of the Place, no body was fpared, the Parish Prieft, with others, ran to the Steeple; the Pavement of the Church, the Altars and Images were broke in pieces by

the

1561.

Pius IV.

Charles IX fent into France, fhould not be fo much under Pope Philip's Influence, as under the King of France's. Monberon had received fome other Commiffions, as likewife Letters for Queen Elizabeth of Spain, recommending her to use her Interest with the King, to engage him to a Reftitution of the Kingdom of Navarr. But the Duke of Alva, in the King's Name, excufed himself, on pretence of the King of Navarr's favouring the Hereticks, and diffembling his Anger againft him, he made a jest of so just a Request, and told the Ambaffadors, that if the faid King would receive any fatisfaction upon his Demand, and re-enter into the Poffeffion of his Ancestors Kingdom, he ought firft to declare War against the Hereticks in France, and pursue, with the utmost rigour, his Brother of Condé, and the Colignies.

Didier's

LXXIV. Monberon was difmiffed with that haughty illuArthur fory Answer, at the beginning of October. Being returned to Court, he certified her Majefty, by his and Pu- own and the Bishop of Limoges's Teftimony, nishment. that fome great Men of the Court kept secret

Treason

Correfpondence with the Court of Spain: He confirmed by that, the Discoveries made in March before, on occafion of Arthur Didier, an impudent Prieft, who at the Inftigation of fome Sorbonist Divines, (and even the Cardinal of Lorrain was privy to it, as it was confidently reported) had drawn a Petition to the King of Spain, in the Name of the Gallican Clergy against the Reformed, whofe growing Power became formidable, and the Doctrine did spread it felf apace throughout the Kingdom, and was not repreffed as it ought by the King who was but a Child, nor by his Council. Therefore he implored the help of the faid King of Spain, and recommended to his Protection the Nobility

and