But these plans of Henry were happily interrupted by his death. The Duke of Savoy had arrived at Paris to espouse the king's sister. Jousts and tournaments were ordered on this occasion : in these dangerous exercises Henry excelled. After having broken many lances with success, on the last day lie was desirous of breaking a lance with the Count de Montgomeri. The shock was rude on each side ; but the count's lance breaking against the helmet of the count, the latter attacked Henry with the stump, which entering his eye, the monarch fell sense less on the ground. Ile remained in a state of insen sibility for eleven days, and then expired, in the 16th year of his reign, and 45th of his age. By his queen, Catharine of Medicis, he left four sons ; Francis, who bad been mar ried, a few years before his father's death, to Mary queen of Scotland ; Charles, Alexander, and Hercules. The names of the two last were afterwards changed to those of Henry and Francis. He also left three daughters ; Eliza beth, queen of Spain ; Claude, duchess of Lorraine ; and Marguerette, who was first queen of Navarre, and after wards queen of France. In some respects, the character of Henry resembled that of his father : like him, he was courteous, open, unsuspicious, and beneficent ; fond of pleasure ; handsome in his person, and accomplished in the martial exercises of the age ; but he possessed not either the capacity or the discernment which distinguished Francis ; and he was naturally so tractable and yielding, that he was almost constantly under the guidance of his favourites.
Francis II. was only 16 years of age when he ascended the throne of France. His mind and body were alike feeble, so that he was completely under the influence of those who surrounded him. Unfortunately there were about him persons not more remarkable for their talents, than from their intrigues, ambition, and vices. His mother, Catherine of Medicis, was a woman, bold, enterprising, sagacious ; whose firmness and presence of mind were never awed or disconcerted by the most formidable or un expected dangers. Her penetration was equally remarka ble; and it was accompanied by a greater degree of com prehension than usually attends that quality. Thus pow erful in her mental endowments, she was not less distin guished by her manners. When her interest, or particular circumstances, required it, she could be mild and insinuat ing; and she often appeared to gain her point, by court ing those from whom she expected any favour or sacrifice, when in fact they were the dupes of her superior artifice, or actually bent before her commanding powers of mind. Her disposition was magnificent, her profusion excessive; but she was magnificent and profuse only to answer ber own purposes, which, however, had frequently all the characteristics of greatness, except justice. Of the arts and sciences, even amidst the horrors of war, she was the liberal and dignified patroness; and in the patronage with which she nourished and favoured them, there was so much discrimination and knowledge, that she most effec itially accomplished her object. Even to men of learning, notwithstanding her political and religious bigotry, she was a generous patroness. In short, in her might clearly be traced many of those features, both of mind and man ners, which characterised the most distinguished branches of the family from which she was sprung. But these grand, and even attractive qualities, were strangely inter mixed and debased by her vices and prejudices. To ac complish her views., she did not scruple to overleap the bounds of justice, truth, and humanity. She was cruel, rapacious, and deceitful ; it would even seem, from some parts of her conduct, that her cruelty was so refined and disinterested (if that expression may be allowed), that it centered in itself, nor looked to any exterior object, as its own justification or excuse. In her morals, she displayed
all the profligacy of her nation ; her ambition was without bounds ; it did not even confine itself to objects grand and comprehensive in their nature, but could, at times, feed on what was comparatively trifling and insignificant. Such a woman, even if she had not stood in the relation of mother to the young king, must have possessed great in fluence over his mind ; and even during the life of her husband, she had been preparing herself for the exercise of power. No person was more deeply sensible of the importance of the maxim, of dividing in order to govern ; and no person ever acted more systematically on that maxim.
She soon had occasion to act on this maxim ; for the weakness of Francis afforded opportunity for intrigue, and opened the way to the rule of the kingdom. The family of the Guises were perhaps, next to Catherine de Medicis, most distinguished at this period for their talents and ambition: there were five brothers of them. The Duke of Guise himself; the Cardinal of Lorraine ; the Duke of Aumale ; the Cardinal of Guise ; the Marquis of Elbeuf, and the Grand Prior : they were all men of great ambition, and who employed the greatest military and political ta lents, in order to acquire the highest power in the state. As they were uncles to the Queen of Scotland, and had negociated the marriage between her and Francis, they had easy access to his person, and great influence over his mind and feelings : nor were they without considerable influence with the mass of the nation. The Duke of Guise himself was regarded as the saviour of France by the deeds which he had performed, when he was recalled from Italy ; and if these left any doubt respecting his mili tary talents and skill, they were completely removed by the recollection of his defence of Metz. But he trusted for his popularity, not merely to what be had atehieved as a soldier ; for to military talents he united a wonderful degree of humanity, courtesy, and liberality : at that pe riod, when the great bulk of the people were either en tirely overlooked, or considered and treated as beings of an inferior order and description, he condescended not only to notice them, but even to excite their attention and gratitude, by his marked attention to their interests, and even to their feelings and prejudices. He was not less distinguished by his zeal for religion, than for the talents and manners which we have described : and this zeal was so ardent and overpowering, that it even conquered his natural humanity of disposition and courtesy of manners. Such was the Duke of Guise himself ; but his character, or at least his conduct, was considerably modified by the influence which his brother the Cardinal Lorraine possess ed and exercised over him. Even in those days of high church authority, and of rigid and unbending orthodoxy, this prelate was venerated by the clergy, as the guardian of their rights and privileges, and by the Catholics as the champion of their faith. His talents were perhaps more varied than those of his brother, since he was eloquent in debate, fruitful in expedients, and versed in all the in trigues of the court ; but, on the other hand, he was too readily depressed by defeat, and too easily elated by suc cess. His personal courage was not inferior to that of the Duke's ; his temper was vindictive ; his morals most dissolute.