gotten. Yes, JAMES CLEMENT, at Paris, was honoured as a saint; and it is said, that in Italy, the pope himself, as well as his most bigotted adherents, spoke of JAMES with applause. Nor can we wonder at such extravagance; since almost all the theological catholics of that period, maintained this atrocious doctrine, that homicide, and even regicide, was lawful for the defence of the church.

As to the poor king, though his successor, in point of honour, and by express promise, was engaged to avenge his blood, he forgot both his promise and his duty. What Henry the fourth might think of his negligence, when he himself was assassinated, by the execrable Ravaillac, we are not informed; but we know, that when he thus fell, by the sharp stroke of papal indignation, he was, by many, as soon forgotten as Henry the third.

The righteousness of God, is like the great mountains, and his judgments are a great deep. The king's heart is in his hand; he turneth it whithersoever he will: he kills and makes alive; he wounds and heals; neither is there any that can deliver out of his hand. It is by a due attention to these facts, that we are preserved from innumerable evil actions, words, and thoughts; but if they are forgotten, or disregarded, we are ripening for ruin.

HENRY

HENRY

HENRY IV.

1589-1610.

ENRY the third dying without issue, the branch of Valois became extinct, and the crown descended to Henry the fourth, of Bourbon.

This prince is commonly called, Henry the great; and is said to have possessed the most splendid and heroic talents, with manly beauty, dignity of manners, and every other accomplishment the world is wont to admire. But my subject leads me to consider him as connected with the church, rather than with the world; and in this view, it would be wrong to say, that Henry was either great or good.

Most of his new subjects were catholics; but, as his mother was a protestant, she had him carefully instructed by the most celebrated protestants, who fancied they saw in him an able and distinguished protector. His religion, therefore, seemed to be an insurmountable objection to his having a peaceable possession of the throne of France.

The duke of Epernon, and several lords and gentlemen of the army, withdrew their allegiance, saying, they could not, in conscience, serve an heretical prince. The duke of Mayenne went fur→

ther;

ther; for he caused the old cardinal Bourbon, still a prisoner, to be proclaimed king, under the name of Charles the tenth.

At first, the affairs of Henry seemed desperate. The interests of the leading men, were so various and wide, that reconciliation appeared to be impossible. Each of them was eager to profit by the perplexed situation of affairs, and to seek his own advantage in such a scene of confusion. "Pressed with such difficulties, Henry raised the siege of Paris, retired towards Dieppe, and deliberated in council, whether he should seek for assistance in England.

After much had been said on this doabtful step, it was given up; and the affairs of Henry began to wear a more promising appearance. The battle of Arques confounded the hopes of his adversaries; and, soon after this victory, Henry having received a reinforcement of four thousand English, he carried terror to the gates of Paris. In the following year, 1590, was the battle of Ivry, at which the king gained a second victory over the duke of Mayenne; and, by this conquest, the leaguers were entirely defeated.

But, there seemed to be no end to these sanguinary contentions; for though towns were taken and retaken; the country was ravaged, the nobility were extirpated, and the kingdom brought to the brink of ruin, Henry was still unable to obtain a peace

able

able possession of the throne. He was now, therefore, extremely perplexed, and had no hope of reigning quietly, but by changing his religion. Several protestants advised him to comply with the request of his catholic subjects; and among them Rosny, (afterwards the famous duke of Sully,) persuaded Henry to think, that this step was not only just, but necessary, in the present state of his affairs.

The king, under the influence of such advice, resolved to make a public profession of the roman catholic religion. But, that this might be done decently, the farce of his suffering himself to be instructed, intervened. It lasted, however, only a few hours; for, on the same day, July the twentieth, 1593, the king declared himself satisfied with the doctrine of the catholic church; and the next day he publicly abjured the reformed religion,

It is true, he would never promise to ruin the supposed heretics of his kingdom; nor would he say, he approved of all the articlés of the roman faith; but, as the pope was to be satisfied of the reality of his conversion, and as more was to be done for that purpose, than he could honestly perform; with great duplicity, he attempted to satisfy the pope, that in the change of his religion he was sincere. This complaisance, hollow as it was, wrought wonders in his favour; and, upon it, all France apparently submitted to his authority.

Such

Such reconciliations are never complete, and seldom of long duration. This same year, 1593, Henry was in danger of being assassinated by a young waterman, named Barriere, who being discovered by a Dominican, and put to the question, confessed, that a capuchin, a jesuit, a curate of Paris, and another priest, had put him upon this infamous attempt, under the pretence, that such an act would be pleasing to God, and to all good catholics.

The French, notwithstanding the rage and re sentment of a bigotted party amongst them, began by degrees to revere the king. Faithful magistrates returned to the capital; the parliament were unanimous; all acts, decrees, and oaths, made since 1588, (which were found prejudicial to the authority of the king, and the laws of the kingdom,) were cancelled, and much better days than his majesty had yet seen, seemed to be fast ap. proaching.

But clouds are apt to return, after the most refreshing rain, and a cloud of a very dark description now encompassed the king. I allude to a second attempt on his life. This was made by one Chatel, the son of a tradesman at Paris, a young man, susceptible of the most extravagant and abominable impressions. Having slipt into the chamber, among a crowd that surrounded the king, he endeavoured to stab him in the throat with a dagger; but, happily for Henry, who was stooping