did not take for the ruling principle of his policy and for his first
rule of conduct the plan of alternate concessions to the different
parties and of continually humoring personal interests; he set his
thoughts higher, upon the general and natural interests of France as he
found her and saw her. They resolved themselves, in his eyes, into the
following great points: maintenance of the hereditary rights of monarchy,
preponderance of Catholics in the government, peace between Catholics and
Protestants, and religious liberty for Protestants. With him these
points became the law of his policy and his kingly duty, as well as the
nation's right. He proclaimed them in the first words that he addressed
to the lords and principal personages of state assembled around him.
"You all know," said he, "what orders the late king my predecessor gave
me, and what he enjoined upon me with his dying breath. It was chiefly
to maintain my subjects, Catholic or Protestant, in equal freedom, until
a council, canonical, general, or national, had decided this great
dispute. I promised him to perform faithfully that which he bade me, and
I regard it as one of my first duties to be as good as my word. I have
heard that some who are in my army feel scruples about remaining in my
service unless I embrace the Catholic religon. No doubt they think me
weak enough for them to imagine that they can force me thereby to abjure
my religion and break my word. I am very glad to inform them here, in
presence of you all, that I would rather this were the last day of my
life than take any step which might cause me to be suspected of having
dreamt of renouncing the religion that I sucked in with my mother's milk,
before I have been better instructed by a lawful council, to whose
authority I bow in advance. Let him who thinks so ill of me get him gone
as soon as he pleases; I lay more store by a hundred good Frenchmen than
by two hundred who could harbor sentiments so unworthy. Besides, though
you should abandon me, I should have enough of friends left to enable me,
without you and to your shame, with the sole assistance of their strong