He

kingdom. Orders were therefore given to arrest the Marechal d'Ancre; and Vitri, captain of the guards, who was intrusted with that commission, executed it conformably to the views of Luines; that is, Concini was slain, causes him under pretence of attempting to resist. This killed. service procured Vitri a marechal's staff. Themines had obtained the same reward for arresting the prince of Condé. How wretched must have been the government, when such actions led to the greatest military honours!

to be

The

The trial of Galigai the Florentine's wife, wife of was at once the height of absurdity and injusd'Ancre tice. She was principally accused of sorcery executed and magic. The judge, who interrogated her,

Marechal

as a

Sorceress.

Credit

given to

magic and

having demanded what charm she used to fascinate the queen-mother, she replied, the ascendant which a superior genius always has over a weak mind. The parliament declared her guilty of treason against God and man, and caused her to be beheaded, after which her body was thrown into the fire.

Catharine Medici had brought from Florence the foolish practice of astrology, which was so firmly believed, that James de Thou, though an astrology admirable historian, seems in this point tainted with the general credulity; and Henry IV. caused his son's horoscope to be drawn. The court of Mary Medici was filled with astrologers; and, doubtless, the accusation I have just mentioned took its rise from the encouragement given to such Italian impostors.

Overgrown

of

Whatever indignation had been raised by fortune the credit and riches of the two Florentines, Luines. Luines, who was born in the territory of Avignon, and in some measure a foreigner as well

as they, did not dread to surpass their ambition. He enriched himself with their spoils, and in a short time rose, from the rank of a private gentleman, to the dignities of duke and peer, marechal, constable, and keeper of the seals. He wanted nothing but merit; but this was abundantly supplied by intrigue in the eyes of a prince, who was a slave to his favourites, till disgust made him change the object of his affection.

Mean time, the queen-mother lived in exile at Blois, where she entered into a plot with the duke d'Epernon, and made her escape, with a design to begin a civil war; but matters were accommodated with her and with the duke, by making them several advantageous concessions. A new quarrel broke out, and was followed by a new accommodation, which Mary Medici's chief counsellor, the bishop of Lucon, who had been in disgrace since the death of Concini, managed with skill, and by that means again opened for himself a way to preferment. That vast genius artfully concealed his passion for power.

1619.

War and accommoda: tion with the

queen:

mother.

The

attempt

to

establish

a

These numerous petty insurrections, which, though ill concerted, yet ended disgracefully to Huguenots the sovereign, were followed by one so much the more violent, as religious motives gave a keener edge to their swords. From the begin- republic. ning of this reign, provocations had been given to the Huguenots, who could scarcely be kept within bounds by the prudence of Henry IV. In 1617, Louis had offended them in the highest degree by an arret of council, ordering the restitution of the church-lands in the district of Bearn, which they had enjoyed above sixty

Siege

of

Montauban.

of

Luines.

years. Upon this their cabals were revived; and in a meeting at Rochelle, they resolved to erect a republic on the model of the Dutch.

The constable Luines, equally presumptuous and ignorant, imagining that he could crush Death this formibable party, undertook the war, and Louis in person sate down before Montauban; but had the mortification of being obliged to raise the siege in 1621. Two great captains, the duke of Rohan and his brother Soubise, were at the head of the Calvinists; and nothing could detach them from a cause which they thought themselves bound in duty to defend. Luines died after this disgraceful expedition; and the brave and ambitious Lesdiguieres abjured Calvinism to gain the constable's sword.

Sequel

of

the war.

rebels

rewarded.

The war was continued with eagerness next year, and the king set an example of bravery; The a quality very different from true fortitude, as it sometimes may be found in a soul otherwise feeble. Perhaps he would again have miscarried before Montpellier, which was defended with the same vigour as Montauban; but he prevented that affront by concluding a peace. Besides the confirmation of the Edict of Nantz, which had been already confirmed more than once, the chiefs of the rebels obtained all the favours which they desired. It was in a manner become customary to reward rebellion more than services,

CHAPTER VII.

TROUBLES OF ARMINIANISM IN HOLLAND. REIGN OF
JAMES I., KING OF ENGLAND. FERDINAND II. OPPRES-
SES THE ELECTOR PALATINE, AND THREATENS THE LI-
BERTY OF GERMANY.

Religious

more

violent

than ever.

RELIGIOUS dissensions at this time revived with all their atrocity, mingled with the great af- dissensions fairs of politics, produced bloody catastrophes, shook thrones and nations, brought unhappiness on mankind, and reproach on human nature. Even Holland fell a prey to this unaccountable frenzy, which has disturbed the Christian world for the last thirteen centuries. In 1603, two theologians, professors at Leiden, Arminius and Gomar, had lighted up the torch of discord, on the subject of predestination Arminius and grace, a mystery which has always been rendered more incomprehensible by the systems in Holland. of the doctors. Arminius wanted, at least, to soften the odious principles of Calvin; he refused to admit, that not only the salvation of the elect, but the eternal punishment of the reprobate, were a necessary consequence of the absolute decrees of the Almighty; but defended the goodness of God, and the liberty of

and

Gomar

Maurice,

of

Orange,

takes

man, as far as the principles of his sect would permit. Gomar, a rigid and merciless Calvinist, not having reason on his side, substituted for it that persecuting enthusiasm which attracts the multitude. The Arminians only required a toleration, which they obtained from the states-general in 1614. Yet the theologists continued their disputes, and the two parties at last were so inflamed as to have recourse to violence.

The Gomarists were animated by Maurice, prince prince of Orange, who took advantage of those disturbances to oppress his country after havadvantage ing been its defender. The advocate-general of Barnevelt, to whom he was indebted for the command, a man illustrious for his consumBarnevelt. mate virtue, and the services of every kind

the dispute

to ruin

The

aggrandize

which he had done the state, protected the Arminians, while he watched over the public liberty. His ruin was determined. The doctrine of Arminius was condemned in the synod of Dort in 1619; Barnevelt lost his life on a scaffold in his old age; and his adherent, Grotius, was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, from whence he was delivered only by the ingenious tenderness of his wife. This system of persecution appears monstrous in a commonwealth, which owed its liberty to the hatred inspired by the persecuting policy of the Spaniards. Every thing bears a tincture of human extravagance.

The Dutch, amidst their theological quarDutch rels at least never lost sight of their commercial themselves. interest. Their India Company enlarged its settlements, and built Batavia in the isle of Java, which became the Amsterdam of Asia.