HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION, AND OF THE Reformed CHURCHES in France. Book III. Which contains the History of one Year and The Contents of this Book. HARLES IX. fucceeds to bis Brother. vices of the Queen-Mother to keep the Government to herself. IV. She comes to an A- greement with the King of Navarr. V. This Prince's Reconciliation with the Guifes. VI. The Queen's Artifices to remove the Prince of Condé from Orleans. VII. The State-Prifoners fet at liberty. VIII. The Conftable reinstated into bis Office. IX. The General States opened. X. The Chancellor's Speech. XI. Cenfured on Several accounts. XII. The fecond Seffion. XIII. The Count of Rochefort's Speech for the Nobility. Cenfured. XVI. He is obliged to make repara tion to the Admiral. XVII. John de l'Ange's Speech for the Commons. XVIII. Complaints against the Guifes. XIX. The States are pro- rogued. XX. Orders fent to release the Prifo- ners for Religion fake throughout the Kingdom. XXI. Means to cafe the People of Taxes. XXII. The King's Debts. XXIII. A Pamphlet upon that Subject. XXIV. The Court removes to Fontainebleau. XXV. The Prince of Condé takes his place in the Council. XXVI. Great Jealoufies at Court. XXVII. Proceedings of the private States of the Provinces. XXVIII. The Queen-Mother's new Appointment with the King of Navarr. XXIX. This Prince's Con- ference with the Danish Ambasador concerning Religion. XXX. The Queen's great Policy with the Reformed. XXXI. Complaints of the Conftable. XXXII. He leagues himself with the Duke of Guife. XXXIII. He grows coll for the Prince of Condé and his Nephews. XXXIV. Orders of the Court for the Affemblies of Paris oppofed. XXXV. The King's Coronation. XXXVI. Severe Remonstrances of the Cardinal of Lorrain. XXXVII. The Prince of Condé fully reftored to his Honour by the Parliament. XXXVIII. Tumults at Beauvais and elsewhere. XXXIX. Letters Patents on that account. XL. Oppofed by the Parliament. XLI. Con- ference of the Court and the great Lords with the Parliament. XLII. Means devifed to paci- fy the Troubles. XLIII. Edit of July. XLIV. A Conference refolved and appointed at Poilly between the Prelates and the reformed Minifters. XLV. The Prince of Conde's Re- Clergy grant four Tenths a year to the King. XLIX. The Duchess of Montpenfier's Death and Character. L. The Queen writes to the Pope. LI. Affembly of the Prelates. LII. The re- formed Minifters arrive, at St. Germain, and are graciously received by the King and the Queen- Mother. LIII. They prefent a Petition to the King. LIV. Theod. de Beze arrives at St.Ger- main, and preaches publickly in the Caftle. LV. His Conference with the Cardinal of Lorrain. LVI. A fecond Petition of the Minifters to the King LVII. The Conferences opened at Poiffy. LVIII. The King's Speech. LIX. The Chan-' cellor's Speech. LX. Beze's Speech. LXI. Cardinal of Tournon inveighs against it. LXII. Beze's Letter to the Queen. LXIII. Devices of the Prelates to break the Conferences. LXIV. The Minifters Petition to the King on that ac- count. LXV. Cardinal of Lorrain's Artifices. LXVI. His Speech at the fecond Conference. LXVII. The Cardinal of Ferrara arrives at Court. LXVIII. Beze's Reply to the Cardi- nal of Lorrain's Speech. LXIX. The Method and Refult of thefe Conferences. LXX. Some Obfervations upon that Conference, and De Beze's Character. LXXI. The Spaniards take offence at the holding of them. LXXII. Some Tumults at Paris against the Reformed. LXXIII. The Guifes leave the Court. LXXIV. State of the Court. LXXV. The Queen's Inquefts about the Strength of the Reformed. LXXVI. Sedition at Paris. LXXVII. The Council of Trent restored. LXXVIII. Intrigues of the Pope to hinder a National Council in France. LXXIX. The King of Spain amufes the King of Navarr with frivolous Hopes. LXXX. This Prince inclines AS- Charles IX 5th of December. 1560. Pope Pius IV. I. Charlesix fucceeds to bis Bro ther. II. Intrigues of the Court. III. Mother to Affembly of the Notables held at St. Germain C HARLES Duke of Orleans came to the Crown, being ten Years and an halfold, and in fuch Circumstances which, gave him no profpect of a more quiet Reign than his Brother's. The Kingdom was in great expectation of feeing fome favourable Change in the Government; and in truth there never was fuch a fair Opportunity for redreffing the Grievances of the Nation as this was. But for the misfortune of France, he to whom it belonged to make fuch a Redress, was abfolutely unfit for it. The Queen-Mother knew very well how to improve that Prince's Weaknefs to her advantage; fhe was come to an Agreement with him while the late King was in his laft Agony, which, if it was not much for the King of Navarr's honour, was very well fuited to his Temper. She had fent to him the Duchefs of MontpenDevices of fier and the Prince Dauphine of Auvergne her the Queen Son, to let him know that he had nothing to fear keep the for himself or his Brother, provided he would act Govern- in concert with her. That Prince thinking himment to her felf too happy to efcape the danger he was in at Telf. that rate, though he trufted not much the Queen's Word, he let her know that he would comply in every thing, and never forget how far he and his Brother stood indebted to her for her Protection. Having received that Anfwer, fhe fent for him into her Clofet, and as he was entering, he was met by one of the Court-Ladies, who whif pered pered him to be careful not to refuse any thing to the Queen, for his Life and Fortune did lie at ftake. When he was in the Queen's prefence, fhe, with that air of Majefty and Authority natural to her, and which the knew perfectly well how to make use of, when it was à propos, told him that fhe was thoroughly acquainted and had by her convincing Proofs of the Defigns laid by him and his Brother against the State, and that it was in her power to ruin them both, and to fatisfy the whole Kingdom as to the justice of their Condemnation. That it was in vain to charge Meffieurs De Guife with the Severity used against them, fince nothing had been done in that refpect but by the King's pofitive Orders and Command; nevertheless, that out of Love and Affection for the Princes of the Blood, fhe had fufpended the stroke by which they were to fall, and had already appeased the King's Anger against them, when he was attacked with his laft fit of Sickness. Charles IX IV. to an A greement The King of Navarr surprised at this, was beginning his juftification; but the Queen ftopt him She comes fhort, and told him that it behoved him not, when he spoke to herself who knew every thing, to un- with the dertake his Apology; that he ought rather to ac- King of knowledge his Faults, and deferve by a fincere Navarr. Confeffion, the Clemency which she was willing to use in his behalf. That fhe required two Things of him; ift, That as fhe forefaw, that after the King's Death, many turbulent Spirits would fain perfuade him that he had a Right to, the Regency of the Kingdom, because the Duke of Orleans, Succeffor to the Crown, was Minor, and would incite him to maintain this Pretenfion that he might have an opportunity of being revenged of the Guifes; therefore the required of him to renounce the Regency, feeing that her Own |