The Reformation in France.

CHAPTER VII.-THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE.

HILE those of the Huguenot party, whose lives were threatened, and who were able to escape from the country, were fleeing to England, Switzerland, Germany, and wherever they could be free from persecution, another war was begun against those who had not fallen in that horrible massacre, which I told you of in the last chapter. Rochelle was besieged again, and defended so bravely by the friends of the Reformation, that, before a year had ended, the Romanists were glad to make peace, and to grant some favour to those who wished to worship God as conscience and the Scripture taught them. In other parts of France,

however, the war was still carried on, which shows us that the Huguenots were not so heartily united amongst themselves as to be able to resist the King and the priests with any hope of success.

About this time, also, many who did not care for religion joined them, being disgusted with the Queen-mother and the Romanists, and indignant at the massacre; they thought that by going over to the Protestants, they should be able to take away from the power, under which the whole land groaned and bled. And it was this that made the friends of Catharine grant easier terms to the Huguenots, when the peace was settled. But the terms were hard enough; and those favourable to the Reformation were not kept. Romanists can always buy from the Pope leave to break any promise and to tell any lie; and Catharine and Charles, and those whom they trusted to, would never have feared to do such evil as this, if they thought they could gain anything by it, even without the Pope's leave.

The unhappy and wicked King now sickened, and gradually died; and every one said, in private, that his own mother had poisoned him, that she might make her favourite son King in his room. Before he died, he expressed the greatest horror at the recollection of his share in the Bartholomew murders; but no word of repentant sorrow. As soon as he was dead, his brother Henry was sent for from Poland, of which country he had been chosen King; and lost no time in hastening home, lest Henry of Navarre should be crowned instead. Meanwhile, the war had broken out anew, and a younger son of

Catharine, discontented with his brother's treatment of him, or for the gratification of some petty spite against his mother, joined the Huguenots and their allies, and was made their general.

Soon afterwards, the King of Navarre, who had been kept like a prisoner at court, ever since his horrible wedding night, contrived to escape, and joined the Protestants again. Catharine was not so displeased as you would have expected; for she thought that the Huguenots, having so many leaders, would quarrel; and, as she cared only for power, it never grieved her when what might help her in getting or keeping that, took place; although it did not please the priests and the Romanists. She very soon contrived to win her son back again; and, to deceive the others, made peace with them, on condition of allowing such freedom to the Reformed Religion as it had never enjoyed in France at any time before; which filled the hearts of those who loved the Gospel with joy; although it should rather have made them fear, after all they had known of the Queen's character.

This peace was not made by the King and his mother to be kept; it was enough to have beaten the greatest force the Huguenots ever raised, by pen and ink, instead of the sword;-but the Duke of Guise, who killed Admiral Coligny, pretending to see danger to the Church of Rome in it, now formed a party of his own, and he called it the Catholic League. It was as much against the Queen and her power, as against the Reformers, that this League was directed, and Catharine knew that it was so. Hoping to pre