HUGUENOTS, hfi'gt'-snOts, Fr. pron. ttleinY (derivation possibly corrupted through //mots, Iqucnofs. from Ger. Eidgcno•sen. voided crates; according to others. a diminutive of Hugo, Hugues, Ilngh). The mime borne by the Protestants of France from about the year 15(10 till their exthiet Mu as a political party in the seventeenth century; in a more general sense. the adherents of the Reformed religion before the Enrich devolution. Lutheran Protestantism in vaded France as early, probably, as 1520, and its principles were warmly embraced by large num bers of the learned classes and the nobility. The followers of the new religion enjoyed the special protection of -Margaret of Angnilli'que. Queen of Navar•e and sister of Francis I. The work of John Calvin (q.v.), himself a Frenchman. gave energy and eobeZbin to French lult its strength always remained in the nobility and the middle classes, and it never appealed to the masses of the people as in Northern Germany.
Town rd the end of his reign Francis ]. op posed the Huguenots with great severity, and eaused ninny to be burned. During the reign of Henry 11. the persecution assumed a still severer eh:Mader, the Chambre Ardente (q.v.) being erected in 1547 for the trial of heretics. Nevertheless the Protestants increased in num bers, and strengthened their organization. The first national synod on Alay *23, 1559. adopted a Calvinistic code of eighty articles which be came the constitution of French Protestantism. The influence of the Guise family, who began to come into mover in the reign of Francis 1., now showed itself in bitter warfare upon the Huguenots, whose cause was supported by the powerful Bourbon family. the great rivals of the Guises. In 1500 the extremists among the Hu guenots. headed by La Ilrmaudie, a nobleman of 1•rigord, conceived the plan of seizing the per son of the young King. Francis 11., and placing him under the guardianship of the Bourbon prinees. The plot, however, known as the con spiracy of Amboise, was betrayed. the King was made secure in the castle of Amboise. and the Duke of Guise was appointed Governor-Gen eral. Numerous executions and reprisals fol lowed. and Conde% was imprisoned. 'flu Edict of Romorantin. in May, 1560. took the prosecu tion of heretics out of the hands of the Parle ments and put 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-Gen eral. Francis 11. died on December 5, 1560, and Charles IX., a boy of ten. ascended the throne. The Queen-mother, Catharine de' Medici (q.v.), being determined to take the mover into her own hands, was compelled to seek Huguenot support against the Guises. In July. 1561, ap peared an edict which freed dissenters from (lie penalty of death. For the complete termination of strife, the Court caused a religious conference he held at Poissy in September. 1561. between the representatives of the two religions parties. The chief disputants were the Cardinal of Lor raine MI the one side, and Theodore Ben (q.v.) on the other. The effect of the discussion was merely to widen the breach between the Catholics and the adherents of the new confession. but it served to unite and embolden the Huguenots, with whom the machinations of the Guises forced Catharine into closer alliance. On January 17. 1562, appeared an edict, giving noblemen the right of the free exercise of their religion on their own estates. This was followed by the recourse to arms on the part of the Guise fac tion.
'Violence and reprisals were perpetrated on both sides. On March 1. 1562, a company of Protestants meeting in a barn at Vassy for re ligious exercises, was attacked. and many of them were massaered by the followers of the Duke of Guise. Corudc raised the Protestant standard at Orleans. while the Guises seized the person of the King and proclaimed the Ilmine nots rebels. This was the beginning of the First Civil War. The Ilmmenots were at first suc cessful, overran the southwestern part of the country, and were joined by 4000 soldiers from Germany. At Dreux. however. December 19, 1562. the Protestants were defeated. The Duke of Guise was assassinated before Orleans in February, 1563. and on March 19th the Queen mother concluded the Peace of Amboise, which granted a large measure of religious freedom to the nobles, but set aside one town only in c‘cry bailiwick as a place of worship for The terms of the treaty were disadvantageous when compared With the provisions of the edict of January, 1502, and were accepted by condf against the vehement remonstrances of Coligny (q.v.). Catharine limited the new faith, and formed it (dose alliance With the Spaniards for the extirpation of heresy, retr...Leli•d the privi leges of the Protestants, and made attempts upon the liberty and life of Comie and of Admiral Culigny. These leaders then determined to take possession of the King's person in September, 1507. The Court took refuge in Paris, which in vested: on November 10, 1567, an indecisive bot tle was fought at Saint-Denis between Condo and a much superior force under the Constable Mont morency (q.v.), and soon after Condl• fell back into 1.orraine, Where he effected a junction with an auxiliary force of 10.000 men from u;ermany, and again threatened Paris: upon which Catha rine determined to conclude peace, and the Second Civil War was terminated by the Treaty of Long Oilman on Morel' 23, 1.56S, which confirmed the terms of the Treaty of illibuise. Catharine. however, had consented to the treaty only to gain time, and had no intention of acting up to its terms. Plots were formed against the lives of Condi; and Coligny. who fled to La Rochelle, where they were joined by Jeanne d'Albret. Queen of .Navarre. and her young son Henry. With from Germany and Eng land. the Huguenots began the Third Civil but at Jarnac. March 13. 1569, they were de feated by the royal troop, under the nominal command of the Duke of Anjou, afterwards Henry 111., and Condi; was slain after he had rendered himself prisoner. These misfortune: greatly dispirited the Protestants. Jeanne d'AIhret endeavored to reanimate them in an assembly nt Cognac. and set up her son, then but fifteen years of age. as the head of the Prot estant cause. Colignv became their military leader, and having received a further necession of troops from Germany. laid siege to Poitiers, but was again defeated by the Duke of Anjou at Moncontour, October 3d. Fresh rei:nforeements from England. Switzerland. and Germany en abled Coliimy to take Ntmes in 15CO. and to re lieve La Boelielle. while 1.a None obtained a vic tory over the royal troops at Lueon. Catharine and her son now sought for peace, to which the Protestants, weary of the hard contest, eon seined. The treaty, concluded at Saint-Germain en-Laye on August S, 1570. gave to the Protes tants the free exercise of their religion everywhere except in Paris, and the possession of a number of strongholds.