HENRY IV. (Quatre), called The Great, King of France and Navarre; born in 1553 in Pau, in Beam. His father, An thony of Bourbon, was descended from a son of Louis IX.; his mother was Jeanne d'Albret, daughter of Henry, King of Navarre. He was brought up in the simple and hardy manner of the peasantry of Beam, and thus laid the foundation of a vigorous constitution and temperate habits. When the perfidious design of destroying the Huguenot chiefs by a massacre was formed by Charles IX. and his mother, Catherine, one of their means to lull suspicion was to pro pose to Queen Jeanne a marriage be tween Henry and Margaret of Valois, the king's youngest sister. While prep arations were making for the marriage festival, Henry's mother died at Paris, not without strong suspicions of poison. Having assumed the title of King of Na varre, his marriage took place, Aug. 18, 1572. Then followed the horrible scenes of St. Bartholomew, Aug. 24. Henry was obliged to make a profession of the Catholic faith to save his life; but Cath arine of Medicis endeavored to dissolve the marriage just celebrated. As she was unsuccessful in this, she adopted the plan of corrupting the noble youth by the pleasures of a licentious court; and he did not escape the snare. In 1576, how ever, he took advantage of a hunting ex cursion to quit the court, and professed himself again of the Protestant Church. Catharine, who after the decease of Charles IX., administered the govern ment in the name of his successor, Henry III., now thought it advisable to conclude a treaty of peace with the Huguenots (1576), securing to them religious free dom. Exasperated by this event, the
Catholics formed the celebrated League, which Henry III. was obliged to confirm; and the religious war was recommenced. In 1587 Henry obtained a victory over the Catholics at Coutras, in Guienne. In 1589, on the assassination of Henry III., Henry of Navarre succeeded to the throne; but he had to secure his claim by hard fighting and by the profession of the Catholic faith. The same year he won the victory of Argues, and the fol lowing year that of Ivry, over the forces of the League, headed by the Duke of Mayenne. After a protracted and obsti nate struggle, convinced that he should never enjoy quiet possession of the French throne, without professing the Catholic faith, Henry at length yielded to the wishes of his friends, was in structed in the doctrines of the Roman Church, and professed the Catholic faith, July 25, 1593, in the Church of St. Denis. He happily escaped an attempt to as sassinate him; was solemnly anointed king at Chartres in 1594; and entered the capital amid the acclamations of the people. Peace was not fully re-estab lished till 1598, when the treaty of Ver vins was signed. In 1610, while riding through the streets of Paris, his coach was obstructed in the Rue de la Feron nerie by two wagons. A fanatic named Ravaillac took advantage of the moment to perpetrate a long meditated deed; and the king received a fatal stab from the hand of this in the 57th year of his age and the 27th of his reign.