MISS FREER'S HENRY THE THIRD.* ALTHOUGH it is quite true
that we have no History of France in English, there is no lack of books on French history; especially for the two centuries between the accession of Francis the Third and the death of Louis the Fourteenth, 1515-1715. Miss Pardoe has writ- ten, with introductions, the life and times of both these monarchs In six goodly oetavoes. The indefatigable Mr. James has done the same office for Louis the Fourteenth, and for Henry the Fourth, in eight tomes. We have impressions of other works of a biographical character relating to Kings or Queens of France during the epoch, but cannot recall their titles. In addition to translations that bear upon the period, and historical " characters" and "sketches ," biographical writers, as Miss Strickland and Miss Freer herself, have incidentally touched or rather dwelt upon the court of France in the lives of some of their heroines. And now the last named lady takes for a subject the life of the unfortunate and vicious grandson of Francis the First, the last of the House of Valois. As for historical romance, Mr. James himself would Pretty well furnish a library, from the times of Louis the Fif- teenh to Philip Augustus, if not to Charlemagne—at all events he has written a history of that monarch.
In all the more elaborate and ambitious works alluded to, one principle of composition prevails. Historical personages in their personal character, and not always in the more edifying traits of it, form the staple of the narrative ; which is set off by cour- tiers, court scandal, court manners, court entertainments, and Court costumes. To- hese things history, in the general acceptation of the term, is subordinate ; and is brought the less into view, • Henry the Third, King of France and Poland, from numerous unpublished sourcee,sncluding MSS. documents in the Bibiiotherte hnperiale, and the Archives X FraNce. 14"41. 4*. By Martha Walker F r. Author of the Life of " Elizabeth eAd e Vats and the Court of Philip," 80c. In three volumes. Published by Hurst from overshadowed with lighter ruattery ,Te pie, as un erstood in our present mode of attempting hi scant attention is paid. They are noticed as crowding the otreetb in a procession, or slieuting at a fate, or raising-a tumult When excited bv anger or hunger ; but'their social, moral, Mental, aril economical conditions are left untouched. The readableuesa of such books of course varies with the ability or knack of the writer. However, they are all more or less readable; from the anecdotical, newspaper, and chronicle-like character of the matter they- pre- sent. Great events seem to fare, the worst in their hands ; came their accounts, compared with the artistic narratives and broad effects of eminent historians, are lost in the prosaic accumu- lation of minute particulars ; which, however, have an -interest in their way, bringing the literal reality • of the scene before 'the reader. As an.example we might point to Henry's assassination of Guise in the book before us. • Among this class of chronicle-histories, Miss Freer's " Henry' the Third of France and Poland " is entitled to a high rank. In the first place, it fills up the blank left for the two last mon of the Rouse of Valois ; for, though Charles the Ninth is not eluded, still the ,Queen-mother, Catherine of Medici, is •ao connected with the reign of Charles, and her policy was so eneed by the interests of her favourite eon Henry, that the life of one King becomes in a measure the life of the other. Some of the events are of striking character, gigantic as crimes, and not without important consequences ; though by no means great in the common acceptation of the term. Such were the massacre of Saint Bartholomew and the assassination of Guise. Such too were the barricades of Paris, the proceedings of the States-Genertd and the civil wan following upon the death of Guise ; though the es- sential quality of these events is an illustration of the French political ohareoter. They are in fact types of Robespierre's before our eyes —ferocity, frenzy, folly,—a vanity tickle r 1,7t11 " Reign of Terror," and of much that has of late years " la gloire "—a blind and passionate selfishness that will grant nothing and compromise nothing, and will bear no superior ex- cept a tyrant who compels—a superficial good temper, which when roused displays at bottom a wild beast's thirst for blood, without reference to any purpose, and long after any purpose is fulfilled.. Perhaps the League is the most remarkable subject in the history of France and of the French people. Indeed, it indicates man,y things more distinctly than the Revolution of 1789; for in the League we have the Royal Family, the great princely feudatories, and the noblesse in something like pure nature, as well as the bourgeoisie, the peasantry, and the canaille, who were the main actors seventy years ago. Miss Freer is not quite equal to this history; few women, or for that matter few men, are. But she seizes the more external points, and presents them tersely and clearly. Here is Paris and French popular government in 1589. "In Paris, meanwhile, affairs were involved in anarchy still more hope- less. The geize, busied. in preparing an extended scheme of government, to consist of a council of forty members, to present to Mayenne on his en- trance into the capital, fought and menaced each other over their oouncil- board in the Hotel de Ville. Every one who had applied himself, in how- ever humble a capacity, in forwarding the designs of the League, demanded to have his name placed on the list of the chosen forty. The curds of the capital, who had enacted so prominent and seditious a part, on the other hand, expected that the clerical members should be exclusively chosen from their body, and the lay members from lists furnished by themselves. The duchease de Montpensier insisted that no name should be enrolled whose owner was not prepared to elevate Mayenne to the throne, which she had chosen to proclaim vacant. A system of terrorism prevailed. All sus- pected of favouring royalty were committed to the Bastille. Those who re- frained from sharing in the processions were subjected to shameful espion- age ; and many persons convicted of having eaten meat in the Lenten season were committed to the diocesan prison. One family was arrested because a servant-maid deposed that her mistress had been merry on Shrove Tuesday ; for,' as the tyrants of the capital averred, laughter and mirth at a period of national mourning was a misdemeanour, and to be punished accordingly:*
• • "The Due de Mayenne immediately entered on the arduous task of or-
ganizing a Government. His anticipations of the difficulty and odium of the undertaking were more than realized. The Seize, though outwardly deferential, caballed for the confirmation of their past acts and future pro- jects. Mayenne, who had been called to remodel the Government, and to create a system to supersede the old regime, found himself as much the slave of the factions as the humblest denizen of the capital. The Duke, there- fore, to avoid further schisms, deemed it prudent for the present to accept the nominations for the Council of Forty which the Provisional Govern- ment had selected. This famous list comprehends five of the cures of the capital, the Bishops of Meaux, Senlis, and Agen, the Marquis de Canillac (the nobleman who had been so highly favoured by Queen Marguerite,) the Sieurs de Maineville, de St. Paul, and others. The tiers eta was repre- sented, as may be imagined, by a motley crew of demagogues, of w eh Cruce, la Bruiere, Netully, Drouait, and Sesnant, were the most conspicu- ous members. This last-mentioned person, Pierre Sestina, was also Se- cretary of the Council, and soon set at defiance every other will but his own, even presuming to treat the Due de Mayenne with disrespectful freedom. When any deliberation was taking a turn which he deemed adverse, this Sesnant would rise and exclaim, Doucement, Messieurs, je protests au nom de quarante mile hommes !' "
History is far from being an attractive survey for those who de-
light in the tranquil and quaker-like virtues. But of all histories, at least of all modern European'histories, that of France appears the most abnormal. From the Merovingian kings to the present Emperor, the student will find frequent feats of military gallantry, and examples of diplomatic skill ; many triumphs in art and letters, though scarcely in the highest class ; great judgment in public works if not always much sagacity in reference to the purpose they are to effect; and an exquisite taste in fashion and manufac- tures. Of high principle, a practical pursuit of liberty, or regard for law or order, when the controlling arm of power is.remoYed the e will hardly se found; 4 trace ; except in individuals, where
• t virtues ihineliere aerespleaently ati in any people. For • • hundred years_a barbarism and barbaric crimes Under
Merovingituss, and from whiCh the Carlovingians were not ettenipt-loof weakness with its tricky policies, if not its treachery, tinder the early Capets—of a more than full share of the disorders,. Violence, rapine, and disregard of life during the feudal ages, tainted too often by murder and assassination—and of religious cruelty and courtly vices under the Angouleme branch of the House' of ,Valois and the Bourbons—the two most respectable epochs .are 'probably the English wars and the more splendid parts of the reign of Louis the Fourteenth—the reign of the saintlY Louis being an exception to kings in general. For personal vices and courtly corruption the descendants of Francis the First seem to us the worst Whether there was something in the blood of that " brilliant "monarch, whether the fiendish Italian policy of Ca- therine de Medici, (which made profligacy of the worst kind a means of reigning,) stimulated a natural tendency in the people, or whether the earlier 'monarchs and their courts might be as bad,,though there is less evidence, while public opinion and the growing refinement of manners, threw a sort of decorum and veil over their successors, the fact is clear that luxury, profligacy, and corruption, mingled with the atrocities of religious-civil war and personal slaughter, stand out more conspicuously and continu- ously under the later king-s of the Valois race than anywhere else. Instances of such things with court entertainments, anec- dotes, and " characters" form a principal part of Miss Freer's book, after the more scenic parts of public history. Many traits of the times are of course not presentable ; others have to be veiled or alluded to : there is a piece of royal revenge which permits of full exhibition.
"The Duke [of Anjou, afterwards Henry la] meanwhile, without loss of time began to investigate the manner in which he could hest redeem his matrimonial promise to Mademoiselle de Chateanneuf, whose birth was illus.. trioua, and her fame stainless iu all except the notorious fact of her liaison. with himself. Accordingly he selected Antoine Duprat, Seigneur de Nan- touillet, grandson of the famous Cardinal Duprat, minister of Francis I. as the recipient of the hand of the fair Renee. Duprat was a wealthy, bache- lor, whose magnificent hotel on the Quai des Augustins faced the Louvre, the river flowing between. The Duke caused the marriage to be proposed to M. de Nantouillet by Queen Catherine, who engaged to give Mademoi- selle de Chateauneuf, on her marriage, a post of distinction at court. Nan- tcmillet, however, bluntly declined the proposed alliance, adding, that he was not the man to barter his honour to shield the vices of another, what- ever might be the advantages promised.' The Queen repeated Nantouillet's words to her son, who in his turn communicated them to the King, adding many expressions of indignation at the Baron's insolent rejoinder. "The King, therefore, who also bore Nantonillet a grudge relative to some financial transactions which had passed between them, concerted with his brother a scheme to avenge themselves on the Baron. During the following night, the King, his brother, the King of Navarre, and the Grand Prior of France,- entered the hotel of Nantouillet closely masked, and after roughly rousing its master, demanded a collation. This was willingly of- fered to such illustrious guests by the Sieur de Nantouillet ; but the repast over, the most outrageous scene of violence ensued. The Royal party com- menced by overturning the table, and breaking the furniture of the apart- ments. They next appropriated the splendid silver vessels on the tables. They broke open the coffers of Nantouillat and seized the money and jewels they found; and finally the Royal burglars pursued their terrified host to his own chamber, whither he had taken refuge. There, after heaping upon him the most opprobrious epithets, they tore his bed, destroyed the tapestry and mirrors in the apartment, and concluded this Royal frolic by rifling other drawers and coffers containing valuables of great price. The King and his brother then quitted the hotel, well content with the retribution they had exacted.
'Nantouillet's domestics, however, ignorant of the rank of the parties who had invaded their master's house, spread the intelligence of this noc- turnal visitation over Paris. The following day the Provost of Paris visited Nantouillet, while the first President of the Parliament of Paris proceeded to-the palace to make a formal complaint to his Majesty of so great an out- rage, which he said had scandalized every one, and was supposed to have been committed by some of the riotous young courtiers in the household of the King of Poland. As for M. de Nantouillet himself, he declared to the Provos; that he left the affair in the hands of the Kin' g; and declined, al- though greatly pressed, to reveal the names of any concerned in the disre- putable frolic. The President, however, hinted to the King that public ru- mens ascribed participation in the outrage to his Majesty. Charles replied, that he had no share in it. Well, sire, have I your Majesty's commands to institute a searching investigation concerning the authors of the out- rage? "No, no !' abruptly responded the King ; 'give yourself, M. le President, no further trouble in the matter. Tell M. de Nantouillet from me, that his adversaries will be too strong for him, should he seek redress from the laws.' M. de Nantouillet, therefore, consoled himself for his losses, and wisely made no further appeals for justice against his three royal pimiers Asregards style and treatment Miss Freer has made a great ad- vance upon her " Elizabeth de Valois," as that book was an ad- vance upon her " Marguerite d'Angouleme." Something more of force and vivacity of style might still be beneficial, but that, per- haps, is scarcely attainable with the minuteness of description which she adopts, and which indeed is a distinctive characteristic of Henry III. Xing of France and Poland. It is scarcely neces- sary to say that we do not agree in all Miss Freer's conclu- sions. We differ for example in her opinion that Charles the Ninth had nothing to do with the massacre of Saint Bartho- lomew, beyond giving his assent at the last ; and that the massa- cre was not even originally planned. by Catherine, but grew un- der her hands as opportunities and provocations offered. Her reasoning, sometimes falls under the head of what is ungal- lantly called feminine. Some of the facts which she advances in proof of Charles's ignorance seem to prove the reverse. The most natural explanation is the knowledge of a scheme in agitation to destroy the Huguenots by a sudden blow. Not, we admit, the particular scheme finally executed ; for that depended upon a va- riety of circumstances—the possibility, for example, of collecting Huguenots Aenver,tienrgy- ticrgieir. But that eehome was 'for some time in agitations-tot stooy by.foul means these whom the Papists could. not vanquish.byfair. We think, too, the tone of the work would be improved byalittle less equatimit3._ or, shall we say, more indignation, in narrating some of the mime! rous crimes, that ever lie m the way. At the same time theta is no casuistical defence, only meaeureelblame. The conscientious industry which Miss Freer seems to have brought to her task, is very praiseworthy.
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