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

than before the St. Bartholomew Massacre; so the
alliance was struck, and the two armies, the royalist
and the Huguenot, were now under the same
standard. Here was a new and strange arrangement
of parties in France. The League had become the
champion of the democracy against the throne, and
the Huguenots rallied for the throne against the
democracy. The united army, with the two Henries
at its head, now began its march upon Paris; the
forces of the League, now inferior to the enemy,
retreating before them. While on their march the
king and Navarre learned that the Pope had
fulminated excommunication against them,
designating them "the two sons of wrath," and
consigning them, "in the name of the Eternal
King," to "the company of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram," and "to the devil and his angels." The
weak superstitious Henry III was so terrified that
for two days he ate no food. "Cheer up, brother,"
said the more valorous Henry of Navarre, "Rome's
bolts don't hurt kings when they conquer." Despite
the Papal bull, the march to Paris was continued.
King Henry, with his soldiers, was now encamped
at St. Cloud; and Navarre, with his Huguenots, had
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