heir religion in all France
except Paris. Among French Roman Catholics this treaty caused deep
dissatisfaction, and in the same year they formed the Holy
League--also called the Catholic League--for the purpose of wiping
out the Huguenot party and raising the Guises to the throne. The
League made an alliance with Philip II of Spain.

Henry of Navarre, head of the Huguenot party after the death of
Conde in 1569, became heir-presumptive to the throne of France in
1584. The Holy League, refusing to recognize his title, proclaimed
the cardinal Charles de Bourbon heir-presumptive. On the death of
Henry III, successor of Charles IX, in 1589, the League proclaimed
Bourbon as king, under the title of Charles X. In the following year
Henry of Navarre signally defeated the League at Ivry, but still the
war went on. Battles and sieges, widespread intrigues, and frequent
assassinations kept the kingdom in a condition of tumult and alarm.
Disputes between the contending parties proved futile, debates in
the States or legislative assembly of Paris availed nothing, and the
successive "treaties" of the long war period failed to bring lasting
peace.

At length Henry decided to abjure the Protestant faith, and his
abjuration was followed by the surrender to him of the chief cities
of the kingdom (1593), including Paris.

Still, although the King secured the general recognition of the
Roman Catholics, and was crowned, as Henry IV, in July, 1594, war
was continued by the League and its Spanish allies. In April, 1598,
Henry issued the famous Edict of Nantes, whereby Huguenots were
granted the political rights enjoyed by Catholics, and religious,
military, and judicial concessions were made to the Protestants.
This edict ended the long religious wars, and in May the Peace of
Vervins with Spain and the League was concluded. The central event
selected for this work is the securing by Henry of the sovereign
power, whereby the end of these prolonged troubles was finally
reached.

Alternate succession of war and debates lasted all the time that the
States of Paris continued to be held, and even till the day that the
King abjured the Protestant religion. His intention of changing his
religion now became daily more certain: many causes urged him to adopt
this resolution, the principal of which (not to mention his con