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Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I to Edict of Nantes - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 8<br />

Commencehent <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Huguenot Wars<br />

THE Protestant chiefs hav<strong>in</strong>g resolved <strong>to</strong> take<br />

up the gage which the Triumvirate had thrown<br />

down, the Pr<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> Conde struck the first blow by<br />

dispatch<strong>in</strong>g Coligny's brother D'Andelot, with<br />

5,000 men, <strong>to</strong> make himself master <strong>of</strong> Orleans. In a<br />

few days thereafter (April 2nd, 1562), the pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

himself entered that city, amid the acclamations <strong>of</strong><br />

the <strong>in</strong>habitants, who accompanied him through the<br />

streets chant<strong>in</strong>g grandly the 124th Psalm, <strong>in</strong><br />

Marot's meter,[1] Admiral Coligny, on arriv<strong>in</strong>g at<br />

headquarters, found a brilliant assemblage gathered<br />

round Conde. Among those already arrived or daily<br />

expected was Anthony <strong>of</strong> Croy, Pr<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> Perclan.<br />

Though related <strong>to</strong> the House <strong>of</strong> Lorra<strong>in</strong>e, the Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

<strong>of</strong> Perclan was a firm opponent <strong>of</strong> the policy <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Guises, and one <strong>of</strong> the best capta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> his time. He<br />

was married <strong>to</strong> Cather<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Cleves, Countess <strong>of</strong><br />

Eu, niece <strong>to</strong> the Pr<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> Conde, by whom he was<br />

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