Henri II: His Court and Times (2 page)

Strained relations between the King and the Dauphin — The Dauphin "sells
the bear's skin before the bear is killed," and is betrayed by the Court jester Briandas — Singular sequel to a dinner-party — François and the princes at the
siege of Boulogne — The plague breaks out among the besiegers — Mad freak of
the Duc d'Orléans — He is carried off by the pestilence, and the Peace of
Crépy is
rendered, to all intents and purposes, null and void — Refusal of the Emperor to
enter into a new treaty — François prepares for war, but cannot be persuaded to
take any definite action — Pitiful moral and physical condition of the King — The
accession of the Dauphin anticipated with hopefulness by both Court and people
— Portrait of Henri by the Venetian Ambassador, Marino Cavalli — Singular
reflections on the nature of the prince's relations with Diane de Poitiers — Death
of the Comte d'Enghien in a snowball-fight — Charges of foul play against the
Dauphin and the Guises considered — Effect upon the King of the death of Henry
VIII — Last days of François I — He falls ill at Rambouillet — His admonitions to
the Dauphin — His death

The accession of Henri II followed by a revolution of the palace
— Montmorency is recalled and entrusted with the supreme direction of affairs — The
Ministers of the late King are dismissed and the Council reorganised — Disgrace
and persecution of Madame d'Étampes — Diane de Poitiers comes into her
kingdom — Weakness of the new Sovereign, who allows himself to be governed
by his favourites — Diane aspires to rule both the King and the kingdom — Impressions of the Imperial Ambassador, Saint-Mauris — Power of Montmorency —
An amusing caricature — Diane, jealous of the authority of the Constable, resolves
to pit the Guises against him, and then to hold the balance between the two
parties — Aggrandizement of the Guises — Honours and benefits procured by
Montmorency for his family — Favours bestowed on Saint-André — Shameless
rapacity of the favourites, who "devour the King as a lion his prey" — Madame d'Étampes buys off the hostility of Diane — Her later years

Obsequies of François I — The remains of the deceased King and those of the
Dauphin François and the Duc d'Orléans conveyed to Saint-Denis — Henri II
incognito watches the passage of the funeral
cortège
through Paris — La Châtaigneraie and Jarnac — An innocent remark of the latter is maliciously misconstrued, and he is accused of having misconducted himself with his step-mother, Madeleine de Pontguyon — Fury and despair of Jarnac — Henri II (then
Dauphin) suspected of having originated the report, though the real culprit is
probably Diane de Poitiers — Embarrassing position of the prince — La Châtaigneraie takes the responsibility upon himself, and he and Jarnac apply to
François I for permission to fight a judicial duel — The King forbids them to
meet, but, on the accession of Henri II, La Châtaigneraie renews his request —
Cartels of the two adversaries — The duel is sanctioned by Henri II — Preparations of Jarnac — Arrogance of La Châtaigneraie, who, in anticipation of an easy
victory, invites the Court to a sumptuous supper after the combat — The King
makes no secret of his sympathies for La Châtaigneraie — The duel is fought at
Saint-Germain in the presence of Henri II and the whole Court — "
Le coup de Jarnac
" — Extraordinary behaviour of the King — Death of La Châtaigneraie

Sacre
and coronation of Henri II — Affairs of Italy — Charles V and the Farnesi
— Assassination of Pierluigi Farnese, natural son of Paul III, by the nobles of
Piacenza, and occupation of the town by the Imperialists — Fury of the Pope —
Negotiations for an alliance between France and the Papacy — The Constable
dissuades Henri II from making war — Journey of Henri II to Piedmont — Mimic
combat in honour of the King at Beaune — Arrival of Henri II at Turin — Annexation of the marquisate of Saluzzo

Revolt against the g
abelle
, or salt tax, in the south-western provinces — Insurrection at Bordeaux — Murder of the Sieur de Moneins, the King's lieutenant in
Guienne — The Constable despatched to Bordeaux — His punishment of the city —
The severities inflicted on the Bordelais defended by the Constable's biographer,
M. Decrue — State entry of the King into Lyons — Glorification of Diane de
Poitiers — Marriages of Antoine de Bourbon and Jeanne d'Albret, and of
François de Guise and Anne d'Este — State entry of the King into Paris —
Persecution of the Protestants — Henri II and the martyr

Strained relations between France and England — Affairs of Scotland — Project
of the Guises to marry their niece Mary Stuart to the Dauphin — Invasion of
Scotland by the Protector Somerset and Battle of Pinkie — The Scotch nobility
offer the hand of the little Queen to the Dauphin — French troops are despatched
to the assistance of the Scots — Convention of Haddington — Mary Stuart is
brought to France — Henri II's instructions to Humières,
gouverneur
of the
Children of France, concerning her — His letter to the Queen-Dowager of Scotland
— Progress of hostilities in Scotland — The War of Boulogne — Peace is concluded between England and France, and a marriage arranged between
Edward VI and Madame Élisabeth, eldest daughter of Henri II

The Constable is created duke and peer of France — Attitude of Diane de
Poitiers towards Montmorency and the Guises — Ascendency of Diane over the
King — The favourite is created Duchesse de Valentinois, and is presented with
the Château of Chenonceaux — Description of her Château of Anet — Henri II at
Anet — Devotion of Henri II for Diane — His letters to her — His obligations to
her — Question of her sentiments towards him considered — Singular relations
between Diane and Catherine: a
ménàge à trois
— Secret hatred of the Queen
for the mistress — Obscure amours of the King — His liaison with Lady Fleming,
governess of Mary Stuart — Birth of a son — Indiscretions of Lady Fleming, who
is dismissed from Court — The animosity of Madame de Valentinois towards the
Constable, whom she suspects of having encouraged her rival, causes her to throw
her entire influence on the side of the Guises — Increased importance of the Guise
brothers consequent on the death of the Duc Claude and the Cardinal Jean de
Lorraine — They determine to force France into another war with Charles V

Critical relations between the Houses of France and Austria — Julius III and
Ottavio Farnese — Henri II supports the latter against the Pope and Charles V —
The War of Parma — Unpopularity of the Emperor in Germany — Revival of the
League of Schmalkalde — Maurice of Saxony — Intrigues between France and the
Lutheran princes — Treaty of Chambord — Bed of Justice of June 12, 1552 —
Henri II, having decided to take the field in person, appoints Catherine Regent,
but with very restricted powers — The King reviews his army at Vitry —
French plan of campaign — The Constable takes Metz by stratagem — Henri II
advances to Nancy, deposes the Regent of Lorraine, the Duchess Christina,
and sends the young Duke Charles III to France — The King joins the Constable
at Metz and invades Alsace — Refusal of Strasburg to admit the French — Flight
of Charles V from Innspruck — The French fall back from the Rhine — The King
in the trenches before Ivoy — Termination of the "Austrasian expedition" — Its
results

The agreement of Passau — Preparations of Charles V for the recovery of Metz
— The defence of the town is entrusted to François de Guise — His preparations
— Siege of Metz — Obstinacy of the Emperor — The Imperialists are compelled to
raise the siege —  Horrible condition of their abandoned camp — Humanity of
Guise towards the wounded — Marriage of Diane de France and Orazio Farnese
— Thérouenne stormed by the Imperialists and razed to the ground — Death of Orazio Farnese at Hesdin
— The French army assembles at Amiens — Skirmish
at Doullens — The King and the Constable carry the war into the Netherlands,
but nothing is effected —  Death of Edward VI of England — Alarm of Henri II at
the proposed marriage of Mary Tudor and Philip of Spain — Mary refuses to
make a new treaty with France — Henri II encourages the English refugees and
refuses the Queen of England's demand for their extradition — Futile campaign
of the King and the Constable in Flanders — Battle of Renty — Outcry against the
incapacity of Montmorency — The war in Italy — Truce of Vaucelles — Abdication
of Charles V

Popularity of Henri II — His amiable qualities — His affection for his children
— The Dauphin (François II) — The Duc d'Orléans (Charles IX) — The Duc d'Angoulême (Henri III) — The Duc d'Alençon — Mesdames Élisabeth (Queen of
Spain) and Claude (Duchess of Lorraine) — Madame Marguerite ("Queen
Margot") — Education of the little princesses and Mary Stuart — Household of
the Children of France — Diane de France, natural daughter of Henri II — The
romance of François de Montmorency and Mlle. de Piennes — Marriage of
François to Diane de France — Daily life of Henri II — His
lever
— His dinner
— His love of the chase — His efforts to encourage horsebreeding — The
Queen's "
cercle
" — The King at tennis — The King's evening — His
coucher
— Outward decorum of the Court of Henri II — Severity of Catherine — The
Rohan-Nemours scandal — The Court in reality more corrupt than that of
François I

Intrigues of the Guises with Paul IV — Their audacious projects in Italy —
Despatch of Cardinal Carlo Caraffa to France — Treaty of Fontainebleau between
France and the Pope against Philip II of Spain — Guise's Italian expedition —
Futile invasion of Naples — War on the northern frontier — England declares war
against France — Saint-Quentin is besieged by the Spaniards — Disastrous defeat
of the Constable in an attempt to revictual the town; Montmorency and Saint-André taken prisoners — Consternation in France — The heroic defence of Saint-Quentin by Coligny saves the situation — Expedition of Guise against Calais —
Failure of the English Government to reinforce the garrison — Calais and Guines
are taken, and the English expelled from France

The Guises turn the duke's brilliant military success to political account by
hastening the marriage of their niece to the Dauphin — Madame de Valentinois,
alarmed by the increasing power of her former
protégés
, resolves to redress the
balance by an alliance with the captive Constable, and attempts, though without
success, to delay the affair — Marriage of the Dauphin and Mary Stuart — Banquet
and festivities at the Palais de Justice — Secret treaty signed by Mary Stuart at
Fontainebleau — Unbearable arrogance of the Guises — Denunciation of the heresy
of Andelot by the Cardinal de Lorraine — Henri II, irritated by the insolence of
the Guises, desires peace and the return of the Constable — His letters to Montmorency — Guise takes Thionville — Disastrous defeat of Termes at Gravelines —
Henri II and Philip II join their respective armies — A suspension of arms is
agreed to, and negotiations for peace are begun at the Abbey of Cercamp —
Interview between the King and the Constable at Beauvais — The Spanish
plenipotentiaries demand the evacuation of Italy by the French — And, notwithstanding the desperate financial straits of Philip II, their demands are conceded —
Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis — Indignation in France — Results of the treaty
considered

The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis followed by a fresh
outburst of persecution against the Protestants in France and the Netherlands —
Retrospect of the measures adopted by Henri II for the repression of heresy: the
Edict of Chateaubriand, the introduction of the Inquisition, and the Edict of Compiègne — Rapid
spread of the Reformed doctrines in France — Disinclination of the
Parlement
of
Paris to co-operate with the Government in the persecution — The King attends
the
mercuriale
of June 10, 1559; — Bold speeches of Anne du Bourg and Louis
du Faur — Henri II orders the arrest of the two counsellors and of three others —
Fate of Du Bourg — Preparations for the Treaty marriages — Marriage of Philip II,
represented by Alva, and Madame Élisabeth — The tournament of the Rue
Saint-Antoine — Henri II mortally wounded in the eye by a splinter from the
lance of Montgomery, captain of the Scottish Guard — His illness and death — His
funeral — Disgrace of Diane de Poitiers — Her last years — Desecration of her
tomb at Anet in 1795 — A singular discovery — Fate of the château — Fall of
Montmorency — Subsequent career of Montgomery

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