ween Catherine, her
son Charles IX., and the Duke of Alva. There is every reason to
believe that at that meeting the destruction of the Protestants by
craft or by force was concerted. The treaty of Amboise was now openly
and repeatedly violated by the fanatic party of the French Roman
Catholics; and the Huguenots were again driven to take up arms in
self-defence. Conde and Coligni advanced upon Paris, and fought on
November 10, 1567, the sanguinary battle of St. Denys against the
Royalist forces. The Huguenots were beaten, but Coligni rallied them,
and marching toward the Meuse, effected a junction with fresh bands of
German auxiliaries. The war now raged with redoubled horror in every
district of France. Alarmed at the strength of the Huguenot army,
Catherine tried and successfully exerted her powers of persuasion and
deceit over Conde, and a second faithless peace, called the treaty of
Longjumeau, was concluded; but when the Huguenot forces were
disbanded, and their German auxiliaries dismissed, the Royalists
renewed the war.

In 1569, the indiscreet spirit of Conde brought the Protestants into
action at Jarnac, under heavy disadvantages, against the flower of the
Catholic army. Conde was killed in the battle, and a large part of his
forces routed with heavy slaughter; but Coligni was again the Ajax of
the cause, covered the retreat, and reorganized the fugitives for
fresh exertions. But the waves of calamity were not yet spent. The
hostile armies met again at Moncontour, and the Protestants sustained
the most complete and murderous overthrow that had been dealt to them
throughout the war. Coligni's brother, the gallant Dandelot, was
mortally wounded in this disastrous field; many of his stanchest
friends had fallen; many abandoned him; and he found himself a
fugitive, with only a few bands of mutineers around him, the wreck of
the gallant army that he had lately led.

But it was in this depth of gloom that the true heroic lustre of his
soul was seen. Fearless himself of what man could do unto him, he
calmed the panic of his followers, and inspired them with his own
energy. He who has innate strength to stand amid the storm, will soon
find others flock around and fortify him while they seek support for
themselves. When it was known that Coligni's banner still was flying,
the Protestants of France and Eastern Germany, who at first had been
stunned by the report of Moncontour, thronged to him as to a strong
tower in