CHARLES IX. (1550-74). King of France from 1560 to 1574. Ile was born at Saintt ;er main-en-Laye, June 27, 15511. Charles succeeded his elder brother. Francis IL, at the age of ten, under the regency of his mother, Catharine de' Alediei (q.v.). Ile was declared of age three years later, but his mother eontinued tO rule in his name. though he bore the responsibility for her violent deeds. Intrienes and civil wars marked the whole course of his unhappy reign. The Huguenots were driven to take up arms in 1562. The barbarities and excesses practice(' 'Huh by the followers of Onise and by the partisans of Condi: (outrages in which Catholics and Bugue nots were alike I would have been suffi cient to characterize this reign as one of the most miserable in French history. But the dia bolicl' niassaere of Saint Bartholomew (q.v.), which was deliberately planned and executed by Catharine solely for political pnrptises, eclipsed ail the other brutalities of the epoch. There has been much dispute as to the responsibility of Charles IX. for the various atrocities of his reign: hut it is certain that throughout his life he was too weak to resist his strong-minded mother. Charles died at the Chfiteau de Vin cennes, May 30, 1574. Consult Mi•rimr.e, Chro nique du regnc do Charles /X. (Paris, 1S59).
CHARLES X. (1757-l836). King of France from 1824 to 1830, the last sovereign of the elder line of the House of Bourbon, lie was born in Versailles, October 9, 1757. Ile was the younger brother of Louis XVI. and Louis XVIII., bore the title of Count of Artois, and in 1773 married the Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy. After the out break of the Revolution in 17S9, he became the leader of the tcatiroacs. in 1795 he sailed with an English expedition to Brittany to arouse the French Royalists against the Revolutionary Gov ernment. Although the Vemli•eans, were ready to rally around his standard in great force, his courage failed, and he returned to England, abandoning his deluded supporters in France to their fate. With the Ilestoratbm he reappeared
in France. and became the head of the bigoted ultra-Royalist faction. ( See ell A NI BRE 1 NTROV the circle of Jesuits, priests.
and nobles of the old school that surrounded him originated most of those extreme measures against which the better-minded Louis XVIII. (q.v.) ineffectually protested at times. The death of Louis. September 16, 1824. brought Charles to the throne. lie took the oath of ad herence to the charter, hut soon displayed his intention of restoring the absolutism of the old French monarchy. Popular discontent rap idly increased during the succeeding five years. The King sought in vain to allay it by embarking the nation in a military enterprise, the expedi ..tion against Algiers. undertaken in 1830. In March, 1830, Charles adjourned the chambers on account of an :oldness of remonstranee in re ply to a royal speech. In May the Chamber of Deputies was dissolved and neW elections were ordered. The deputies who signed the address were reigeeted. On July 23 the celebrated ordi nances were signed putting an end to the free Joan of the press. already largely Clirt de creeing a new of election. and dissolving the recently elected Chamber. The people of Pali,: took up arms, and the revolution of July 27-29 overthrew the Bourbon monarchs. Asa last re source Charles :1101(•8041 the throne, August 2, I s30, in favor of his grandson. Henry., Duke of Bordeaux. It was too late, however, as the revolution was accomplished. and Louis Phi lippe, of Orli•ans, was chosen King of the French. Charles made his escape to England, resided for some time at llolyrood, and after wards at Prague. Ile took no part in the polit ical and attempts of the Duchess of Berry. Ile died of cholera at Ora.z. November ti, Charles X. was a characteristic example of that type of Bourbons who learn any thing and never forget anything."