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<h1><br/> Saint Bartholomew's Eve:<br/></h1>
<h2>A Tale of the Huguenot Wars<br/> By G. A. Henty.<br/></h2>
<h3>Illustrated by H. J. Draper.<br/></h3>
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<center><ANTIMG src="images/1.jpg" alt="Map of France in 1570." /></center>
<h2><SPAN name="Preface" id="Preface">Preface</SPAN>.</h2>
<p>It is difficult, in these days of religious toleration, to
understand why men should, three centuries ago, have flown at each
others' throats in the name of the Almighty; still less how, in
cold blood, they could have perpetrated hideous massacres of men,
women, and children. The Huguenot wars were, however, as much
political as religious. Philip of Spain, at that time the most
powerful potentate of Europe, desired to add France to the
countries where his influence was all powerful; and in the
ambitious house of Guise he found ready instruments.</p>
<p>For a time the new faith, that had spread with such rapidity in
Germany, England, and Holland, made great progress in France, also.
But here the reigning family remained Catholic, and the vigorous
measures they adopted, to check the growing tide, drove those of
the new religion to take up arms in self defence. Although, under
the circumstances, the Protestants can hardly be blamed for so
doing, there can be little doubt that the first Huguenot war,
though the revolt was successful, was the means of France remaining
a Catholic country. It gave colour to the assertions of the Guises
and their friends that the movement was a political one, and that
the Protestants intended to grasp all power, and to overthrow the
throne of France. It also afforded an excuse for the cruel
persecutions which followed, and rallied to the Catholic cause
numbers of those who were, at heart, indifferent to the question of
religion, but were Royalists rather than Catholics.</p>
<p>The great organization of the Church of Rome laboured among all
classes for the destruction of the growing heresy. Every pulpit in
France resounded with denunciations of the Huguenots, and
passionate appeals were made to the bigotry and fanaticism of the
more ignorant classes; so that, while the power of the Huguenots
lay in some of the country districts, the mobs of the great towns
were everywhere the instruments of the priests.</p>
<p>I have not considered it necessary to devote any large portion
of my story to details of the terrible massacres of the period, nor
to the atrocious persecutions to which the Huguenots were
subjected; but have, as usual, gone to the military events of the
struggle for its chief interest. For the particulars of these, I
have relied chiefly upon the collection of works of contemporary
authors published by Monsieur Zeller, of Paris; the Memoirs of
Francois de la Noue, and other French authorities.</p>
<p>G. A. Henty.</p>
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