his great talents were zealously devoted to the extermination of Protestantism, whatever might be the ruling motive that put them into operation; and the means he used in their service were most unscrupulous.

Next we must mention the old constable Montmorency, who had been prime minister to Henry II., contrary to the express wish of his dying father, Francis 1. Montmorency was a harsh-tempered and superstitious man, but appears to have possessed a greater degree of principle and conscientiousness than most of the persons who acted a conspicuous part at this eventful time. The description which the lively writer before quoted, who was his contemporary, gives of him, has unhappily had its parallel in history, though recorded in graver terms. "The constable Montmorency," he says, "never failed in his devotions, nor ever missed a paternoster; for whether on horseback, or elsewhere, or in the field with the armies, he ever muttered his prayers as occasion presented, and would still keep crying out to his followers, 'Hang up such a one to a tree-Fire on the rascals who resist the king's order-Burn me that village-Ravage all the district.' Such like words of justice or war he used without ever ceasing his paternosters, until they were finished, thinking it a great sin to omit any of the number until the whole were ended, on any occasion whatsoever, and at the proper hour; so very conscientious was he !"

Anthony of Bourbon, king of Navarre, has been named among the Protestants of the last reign, and will occupy a more conspicuous place in those that follow. We must see him, however, deserting their ranks. His character has been so well described by native historians of the age, that their words are transcribed without note or comment. "He was a man of a fickle and irresolute disposition, taking one side, and changing to the other. The opinions he renounced always appeared to him the best. In religion he fluctuated, as in other things; was neither a good Catholic, nor a stedfast Lutheran." Such a vacillating disposition, always injurious to its possessor, combined with the extreme selfishness and worldly policy of the king of Navarre, rendered him an untrue friend, or a mischievous enemy to the Protestant

cause.

A totally different character was his wife, the truly Protestant Jeanne; perhaps it might be said the most uncompromising Protestant, in the legitimate sense of the term, that her generation produced.

Without dwelling on a subject which we should be obliged to pursue to too great a length, we must proceed to mention the great leaders of the Protestant cause. The first of these, as opposed to Guise, is admiral Coligny; pre-eminent, indeed, in every way. Next his brother, Andelot. Another brother of these Protestant leaders was the cardinal Chatillon. The first two have been much celebrated in

history, though, of course, their actions and motives would be greatly misrepresented by the prejudice of the party to which they were so long and so vigorously opposed.

Coligny had done good service to his king and country in foreign war, before he was called, by circumstances which it appeared impossible to resist, to put himself at the head of the Protestants, and finally to become, in fact, the leader of the armies of the civil war.

Liberty, for himself and fellow-subjects, to exercise the rites of the religion they professed, was all that he declared he wanted to obtain. He was unwilling to secure this by means of the sword; a Christian must always be so. "Men of blood shall not live out half their

days." "If we have our religion," Coligny used to say, "what more do we want ?"

He was always what is termed " a religious man," having been a good Catholic before he became a good Protestant. He had maintained a number of priests on his estates for the instruction of the people, and founded schools for the same purpose.

Admiral Coligny was led to embrace the reformed opinions chiefly by means of his brother, Andelot, and then he substituted Protestant ministers and teachers in place of those of the church of Rome.

Though very cautious, he was of a decided character, and would not, like the king of Navarre, easily forsake an opinion he had once positively formed. He possessed great courage,

and a perseverance which was only stimulated by difficulty.

His

His religion was not that of party spirit, nor made subservient to politics. His domestic life proved this. In his family and house the reformed worship was daily observed. wife, a Protestant lady, of decided religious principles, also maintained the strictest decorum, so that the mansion exhibited a striking contrast to the frivolity and disorder that prevailed generally in the establishments of the nobility.

The admiral's brother, Andelot, was of a different character, more ardent, incautious, and enthusiastic. The brothers-as is often the case, between persons of opposite temperaments were fondly attached. "They loved, aided, and supported each other." The fraternal affection of Andelot was shown in his desire to impart to the admiral the religious truth he had himself learned. The French historian tells us, in his own way, how this was acquired.

Andelot had been taken prisoner in Picdmont, in battle, and was confined in the castle of Milan. "It was there," says this Roman Catholic writer, "that he learned his fine religion; for having no other exercises, he set himself to read, and had all sorts of books brought to him, the inquisition not being then so strict as it has since become. And thus he learned the new religion, though indeed he had got the first scent of it before in the Protestant

wars in Germany. . . . Such are the sad fruits of idleness; and so many evil things doth it teach us which we have cause for ever to repent of."

It was, most probably, the works of the reformers, which thus amused or employed the "idleness" of Andelot. There is every reason to believe that, while yet a prisoner in person, he received in spirit the liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free.

"He is the free-man whom the truth makes free,
And all are slaves besides."

some

His noble answer to Henry II. has been reserved for this place. That king, having heard that this gallant officer, who was colonel-general of the French infantry, had used expressions which the cardinal of Lorraine thought ought not to be allowed utterance, sent for Andelot in private, and questioned him as to his religion.

"Sire," he replied, "I can use no disguise in matters of conscience, neither can I deceive my God in those of religion. You can dispose of my life, of my property, and of the offices I hold but my soul is subject only to the Creator from whom I received it, and whom, in this respect, it is my only duty to obey as my Almighty Master. In a word, I would rather die than go to mass.'

We can scarcely believe that a king could be so base as to strike with his sword the man