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

est. His Pontificate of seven years was spent in
raising armaments, organizing expeditions, giving
orders for battles, and writing letters to sovereigns
inciting them to slay to the last man those whom he
was pleased to account the enemies of God and of
himself. Now it was against the Turk that he hurled
his armed legionaries, and now it was against the
Lutherans of Germany, the Huguenots of France,
and the Calvinists of England and Scotland that he
thundered in his character of Vicar of God. Well
was it for Christendom that so much of the military
furor of Pius was discharged in all eastern
direction. The Turk became the conducting-rod that
drew off the lightning of the Vatican and helped to
shield Europe. Pius' exit from the world was a
dreadful one, and bore a striking resemblance to
the Moody malady of which the King of France
expired so soon there-after.[4] The Pontiff,
however, bore up wonderfully under his disease,
which was as painful as it was loathsome.
The death of the Pope opened a free path to the
marriage which we have just seen take place. The
dispensation from Rome, which Pius V had
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