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

agreeable to you to have a godless king? Could you
confide in the faith of an atheist?And in the day of
battle would it add to your courage to think that
you followed the banner of a perjured apostate?"
Brave words spoken like a man who had made
up his mind to ascend the throne with a good
conscience or not at all. But these words were not
followed up by a conduct equally brave and highprincipled.
The Roman Catholic lords were
obstinate. Henry's difficulties increased. The
dissentients were withdrawing from his camp; his
army was melting away, and every new day
appeared to be putting the throne beyond his reach.
Now was the crisis of his fate. Had Henry of
Navarre esteemed the reproach of being a
Huguenot greater riches than the crown of France,
he would have worn that crown, and worn it with
honor. His mother's God, who, by a marvellous
course of Providence, had brought him to the foot
of the throne, was able to place him upon it, had he
had faith in him. But Henry's faith began to fail. He
temporized. He neither renounced Protestantism
nor emhraced Romanism, but aimed at being both
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