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

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morn<strong>in</strong>g's work could not be considered complete<br />

till he <strong>to</strong>o was dispatched. The Card<strong>in</strong>al <strong>of</strong><br />

Lorra<strong>in</strong>e, who had lived through all these bloody<br />

transactions, was by the royal orders speedily<br />

apprehended and sla<strong>in</strong>. To prevent the superstitious<br />

respect <strong>of</strong> the populace <strong>to</strong> the bodies <strong>of</strong> the card<strong>in</strong>al<br />

and the duke, their corpses were tied by a rope, let<br />

down through a w<strong>in</strong>dow <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> a heap <strong>of</strong> quicklime,<br />

and when consumed, their ashes were scattered <strong>to</strong><br />

the w<strong>in</strong>ds. Such was the end <strong>of</strong> these ambitious<br />

men.[1] Father, son, and uncle had been bloody<br />

men, and their grey hairs were brought down <strong>to</strong> the<br />

grave with blood.<br />

These deeds brought no stability <strong>to</strong> Henry's<br />

power. Calamity after calamity came upon him <strong>in</strong><br />

rapid succession. The news <strong>of</strong> his crime spread<br />

horror through <strong>France</strong>. The Roman Catholic<br />

population <strong>of</strong> the <strong>to</strong>wns rose <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>surrection,<br />

enraged at the death <strong>of</strong> their favorite, and the<br />

League <strong>to</strong>ok care <strong>to</strong> fan their fury. The Sorbonne<br />

released the subjects <strong>of</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>gdom from<br />

allegiance <strong>to</strong> Henry. The Parliament <strong>of</strong> Paris<br />

declared him deposed from the throne. The Pope,<br />

390

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