12.03.2019 Views

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Henceforward it became a lead<strong>in</strong>g object with Jean<br />

d'Albret <strong>to</strong> recover the place <strong>of</strong> his fathers'<br />

sepulchers, that his own ashes might sleep with<br />

theirs, but <strong>in</strong> this he faded; and when his<br />

granddaughter came <strong>to</strong> the throne, her dom<strong>in</strong>ions<br />

were restricted <strong>to</strong> that portion <strong>of</strong> the ancient<br />

Navarre which lay on the French side <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Pyrenees.<br />

In 1560, we have said, Jeanne d'Albret made<br />

open pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> the Protestant faith. In 1563<br />

came her famous edict, dated from her castle at<br />

Pau, abolish<strong>in</strong>g the Popish service throughout<br />

Bearn, and <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g the Protestant worship. The<br />

majority <strong>of</strong> her subjects were already prepared for<br />

this change, and the priests, though powerful, did<br />

not venture openly <strong>to</strong> oppose the public sentiment.<br />

A second royal edict confiscated a great part <strong>of</strong> the<br />

temporalities <strong>of</strong> the Church, but without add<strong>in</strong>g<br />

them <strong>to</strong> the crown. They were divided <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> three<br />

parts. One-third was devoted <strong>to</strong> the education <strong>of</strong><br />

the youth, another third <strong>to</strong> the relief <strong>of</strong> the poor,<br />

and the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g third <strong>to</strong> the support <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Protestant worship. The private op<strong>in</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> the<br />

92

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!