s to find the kingdom plunged in
disquiet, a prey to internal discord fostered by foreign princes. Neither
Huguenot nor Roman Catholic was satisfied. A full half-century from the
first promulgation of the reformed doctrines by Lefevre d'Etaples found
the friends of the purer faith more resolute than ever in its assertion,
despite fire, massacre, and open warfare. No candid beholder could deny
that the system of persecution had thus far proved an utter failure. It
remained to be seen whether the new king would choose to repeat a
dangerous experiment.

FOOTNOTES:

[1253] Jean de Serres, Commentaria de statu rel. et reipublicae, iv., fol.
60 _verso_. I have made use, up to 1570, of the first edition of this
work, published in three volumes in 1571, my copy being one formerly
belonging to the library of Ludovico Manini, the last doge of Venice. From
1570 on I refer to the edition of 1575, which comprises a fourth and rarer
volume, bringing down the history to the close of the reign of Charles. A
comparison between this edition and the later edition of 1577 brings out
the interesting circumstance that many Huguenots of little courage, who at
first apostatized, afterward returned to their old faith. Thus, the
edition of 1575 reads (iv. 51 _v._): "Vix enim dici possit, quam multi ad
primum illum impetum a Religione resiluerint, mortis amittendarumque
facultatum metu, _quorum plerique etiamnum haerent in luto_." The words I
have italicized are omitted in the edition of 1577, as quoted by Soldan,
ii. 473.

[1254] Jean de Serres, iv., fol. 61.

[1255] Ib., _ubi supra_.

[1256] Borrel, Histoire de l'eglise reformee de Nimes (Toulouse, 1856),
pp. 77, 78, from Archives of the Hotel-de-ville.

[1257] J. de Serres, iv., fols. 68-70; Borrel, Hist. de l'egl. ref. de
Nimes, 78, 79; De Thou, iv. 663.

[1258] See _ante_, chapter xviii., p. 480.

[1259] Agrippa d'Aubigne, Hist. univ., ii. 38 (liv. i., c. 8). Neither De
Thou, iv. (liv. liii.) 659, nor J. de Serres (either in his Commentaria de
statu rel. et reip., iv. 68, or in his Inventaire general de l'histoire de
France, Geneve, 1619), makes any allusion to Regnier's combat, while the
former expressly, and the latter by implication, refer to his agency in
persuading the inhabitants of Montauban to espouse the Protestant cause in
arms. I incline to think, nevertheless, that D'Aubigne has neither
misplaced nor exaggerated a brilliant little affair which was certainly to
his tas