HUGUENOTS (probably corrupted from the Ger. Eidgenossen, confederates)", the name formerly given in France to the adherents of the Reformation which movement commenced almost simultaneously in France and Germany. One of the most eminent names in the early history of French Protestantism is that of Fare] (q.v.), toad one of the first supporters of its cause was Margaret of Valois, queen of Navarre, the sister of Francis I. Subsequently, in the time of Calvin, many of the nobles and middle classes embraced the refornied religion. Francis L, hOwever; opposed it With great severity, and caused many to be burned as heretics. The alliance of Henry II. with the German Protestants gave at first an impulse to the cause of the reformation, but the aspect of things was again changed when the family of Guise obtained the ascendancy at court. Under Francis II., a chamber (chambre ardente) was established in each parliament for the punishment of Protestants; and executions, confiscations, and banishments were common in all parts of the kingdom. The Protestants took up arms against the govern ment, choosing Louis I., prince of Bourbon-Conde, for their leader. On Feb. 1, 1560, in a meeting at Nantes, they resolved to petition the king for freedom of religion, and for the removal of the Guises; and in the event of his refusal, to seize the king's person, and proclaim Conde governor-general of the kingdom. But the court, being apprised of the conspiracy, fled from Blois to Amboise, and the duke of Guise was appointed governor-general. Some bands of Protestants, approaching Amboise with weapons in their hands, were easily defeated and taken; 1200 died by the hand of the executioner. The edict of Romorantin, in May, 1560, took the prosecution of hereticsout of the hands of the parliament, and gave it into those of the bishops. By the assembly of notables in August, it was resolved that the whole matter of religion should rest until the next assembly of the states. Whilst the Guises plotted the death of the Protestant leaders, IX. ascended the throne, a prince not yet of age; and the queen-mother, Catharine de' Medici (q.v.), having removed the Guises from the helm of the state, was compelled to seek the support of the Protestants against them and their party. In July, 1561, appeared an edict which freed the Huguenots from the penalty of death. For the complete termination of strife, the court opened a religious conference at Poissy on Sept. 3. The chief disputants were the cardinal of Lorraine on the one side, and Theo dore Beza (q.v.) on the other. The effect of the discussion was to unite and embolden the Protestants, with whom the machinations of the Guises forced Catharine into closer alliance. On Jan. 17, 1502, appeared an edict, giving noblemen the right of the free exercise of their religion on their own estates.
The Guises ani their partisans became exasperated. On Mar. 1, 1562, a company of Protestants met in a barn at Vassy for religious exercises, was attacked, and many of them were massacred by the followers of the duke of Guise. On this, Condo hastened
to Orleans, and called his co-religionists again to his standard; whilst the Guises took possession of the persons of the king and his mother, and proclaimed the Protestants rebels. On Sept. 11, 15132, the royal troops, after much bloodshed, took Rouen, and on Dec. 19 a battle was fought at Dreux, in which, after a hard struggle, the Protestants were defeated. The duke of Guise marched on Orleans, but was assassinated in his camp before that city, Feb. 18, 1503. Hereupon the queen-mother hastened to conclude the peace of Amboise on Mar. 19, by which the Protestants were allowed the free exer. vise of their religion. except in certain districts and towns. Catharine; however, hated the new faith, and formed a close alliance with the Spaniards for the extirpation of heresy, retrenched the new liberties of the Protestants, and made attempts upon the liberty and the life of Conde and of the admiral Coligny (q.v.). These leaders of the Prot estant party adopted the resolution of taking possession of the king's person. The court fled to Paris, which Conde invested; but on Nov. 10, 1567, a battle was fought at St. Denis between Conde and a much superior force under the constable Montmorency (q.v.), in consequence of which Conde fell back into Lorraine, where lie effected a junc tion with an auxiliary force of 10,000 men from Germany, under prince John Casimir. After this, he again threatened Paris; upon which Catharine concluded peace at Long jumean on Mar. 27, 1503, re-establishing the ',ems of the treaty of Amboise. Neverthe less, she proceeded to persecute the Protestants, of whom 3,000 were assassinated or executed. The Protestants having, however, received assistance in troops from Ger many, and in money and artillery from England. began the third religious war. But on Mar. 13, 1563, they were defeated, and Conde their leader slain, at Jarnac by the royal troops under the duke of Anjou, afterwards Henry III. These misfortunes greatly dis ,pirited the Protestants. Jeanne d'Albret, queen of Navarre, endeavored to reanimate them in an assembly at Cognac, and set up her son, afterwards IV., as the head of the Protestant cause. Coligny became their military leader, and having received further assistance of troops from Germany, he laid siege to Poictiers, but was 'a;itin defeated by the duke of Anjou at Montcontour, on Oct. 3. Fresh reinforcements from England, Switzerland, and Germany enabled Coligny to take Nimes in 1569, and to relieve Rochelle, whilst Lanouc obtained a victory over the royal troops at Luton. Catharine and her son now sought for peace, to which the Protestants, weary of the hard contest, consented. The treaty, concluded at St.. Germain-en-Laye on Aug. 8, 1570, gave to the Protestants an amnesty, the free exercise of their religion everywhere except In Paris, and the possession of a number of places of security.