bit of troubling
himself about the private opinions of the learned on vexed points of
theology; nor had he been inclined to permit his more fanatical
subjects to harass any of those eminent scholars whose literary
attainments added lustre to his brilliant court. Yet his claim to the
right of enforcing uniformity of belief--and that uniformity a complete
_conformity_ to his own creed--had rather been held in abeyance than
relinquished. Louis de Berquin had, at his cost, discovered that the
royal protection could not be expected even by a personal favorite and a
scholar of large acquisitions, when, not content with holding doctrines
deemed heretical, he strove to promulgate them. The interposition of
Margaret of Angouleme had proved unavailing in his behalf. The heretics
who had now ventured to nail an expose of their dogmas on his bedchamber
door could scarcely anticipate greater clemency.

[Sidenote: Political considerations.]

To personal motives were added political considerations. Indulgence to
the perpetrators of an act so insulting to the Roman Catholic religion
might drive the pontiff, whose friendship was an essential requisite of
success in Francis's ambitious projects, to become the fast friend of
the emperor, his rival. Pope Clement the Seventh had been succeeded by
Paul the Third. The alliance cemented by the marriage of the Duke of
Orleans to Catharine de' Medici had been dissolved by the death of the
bride's uncle. The favor of the new Pope must be conciliated. Under such
circumstances, what were the sufferings of a few poor reformers, when
weighed in the balance against the triple crown of his Holiness?

[Sidenote: Fruitless intercession of Margaret.]

Francis determined to return to Paris for the purpose of superintending
in person a search for the culprits. It is true that the Queen of
Navarre attempted to moderate his anger by suggesting that it was not
unlikely that the placard, far from being composed by the "Lutherans,"
was the cunning device of their enemies, who thus sought to insure the
ruin of the innocent. But the king appears not unreasonably to have
rejected the suggestion as improbable; although, seven years later,
Margaret reminded him of her surmise, and maintained that the sequel had
strongly confirmed its accuracy.[339]

[Sidenote: Francis abolishes the art of printing.]

Far, indeed, from yielding to his sister's persuasions, Francis in his
anger took a step which he would certainl