Henry, and who was his Confeffor. Henry replied, "Madam, do but attend to the fpirit "of your religion: it prevents you from be,

lieving in the Pope, at the fame time that it "inclines you to believe a calumny."

When fome of the Huguenot Ministers reprefented to him that their fect could not continue fo long as there were Jefuits in France, he replied, "I will endeavour to preferve you both, "fo that the good may fave the bad, and, if

poffible, that no one may perish." He was likewife told by the Huguenots, that he fuffered himself to be led by the Jefuits; "Oh, no,". replied he, " for I lead both Jefuits and Hu

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guenots." He faid to the Deputies of the Parliament who wished to prevent that Order. from being established in France, "When I "had ferious thoughts of introducing the Je"fuits at Paris, two forts of perfons oppofed it, "the Huguenots, and the Catholic Priefts of

irregular living; both of whom reproached "them with endeavouring to attract to them "men of learning and of wit: now for that I "efteem them. When I make levies, I wish "to pick out the beft troops for the purpose, "and I am anxious that none fhould enter "into the Parliaments but worthy and excel"lent fubjects; fo that throughout my king

"dom

"dom merit fhould be the mark that dif

tinguishes honours. The Jefuits forced them"felves, fay their adverfaries, into my king"dom. I am fure that I forced my way into "it. Clement, who affaffinated my predecef"for, did not accufe them of being accomplices with him; and if a Jefuit had been

concerned with him in that horrid action,

(of which I wish ever to lose the remem"brance) must the whole Order fuffer on his "account? fhould all the Apostles have been "driven out of Judea for one Judas? The "horrors of the League fhould no longer be

imputed to them. It was the error of the

"times; and they, as well as many others, were "concerned in it from the beft intentions."

Before the battle of Ivry, which decided the fate of the Crown of France, this magnanimous Prince made the following pious addrefs to God: "If it should plcafe thee not to bestow "the Crown upon me, or thou feeft that I

am likely to be one of thofe Kings whom "thou give to mankind in thy wrath, take away my life as well as the Crown! Grant

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me to-day to be the victim of thy wife will! "Grant that my death may deliver Frahte "from the calamities of war, and that my "blood may be the laft that fhall be shed in "this

H 2

"this difpute!" Immediately before he charg ed the enemy, he faid to the regiment which he headed, "My Comrades, if you follow my "fortune, remember I follow yours. I am de"termined either to conquer or to die with

you. Keep your ranks, I befeech you, but "if the violence of the engagement should "make you quit them, endeavour to rally "again; that enfures victory. You will rally "under those three trees that you see there on "the eminence; and if should lose your

66

you

standards, do not lofe fight of my white plume of feathers; you will ever find it in "the road to honour and to victory." When the enemy's ranks were broken, he exclaimed, Sauvez les François & mainbaffe fur "l'Etranger."

Soon after the entrance of Henry into Paris, the Spanish Ambaffador, who had been there during the time of the League, faid, that the city was fo altered he hardly knew it. "It is," faid Henry," because the father of the family "is prefent, and takes care of his children, and "fo they profper."

Henry once gave into fome measures which his fubjects did not appear to approve of, and were therefore free in their converfations upon

them.

are

them. "My thoughts," faid Henry, "too elevated, and my designs too deep for the "mafs of my people to fathom. They will, " however, fee by the event that God is my "guide. With respect to them, the peace " and the tranquillity which they enjoy, allow "them opportunities to speak. Their words "fly away, whilft my actions remain."

Henry used to fay, that the world would be astonished to find Queen Elizabeth of England a maid, Maurice Prince of Orange a man of courage, and himself a good Catholick.

"This Prince," fays Brotier, "fo great, fo "amiable, fo good, was well acquainted with "his own merit, but had in general the misfor"tune that thofe who were about him had not "the proper degree of feeling refpecting it." On the day of his death he had heard mass at the church of the Feuillans at Paris. On his return, the Duke of Guife and Baffompierre met him walking in the Gardens of the Thuilteries, where he talked with them fo pleasantly, that he kept them in a continual laugh; and the Duke of Guife could not help faying to the Monarch, embracing him at the fame time, "Sire, vous étes à mon grè un des plus agréables hommes du monde." The King then turning

to him and Baffompierre, faid in a grave tone of voice, "None of you fufficiently underftand me; "but I fhall die one of thefe days, and when

you have loft me, then you will know my

value, and what difference there is between 86 me and other men." These melancholy ideas were, for fome days before he died, continually crowding into his mind. The day before his death, he faw from a close tribune the ceremony of the coronation of his fecond wife, Mary of Medicis, at St. Denis. The fpectators, placed upon benches, filled the choir of the church to the very top of the roof of it. Struck with the immenfity of the crowd, he faid to Father Cotton, his Confeffor, " You cannot guefs on "what I was thinking juft now, when I was

looking at this great concourfe of people. "I was thinking of the laft Judgment, and of "the account we are all then to give of our "actions."

By the kindness of Mr. PLANTA, of the British Museum, this Article of Henry the Fourth is enriched with two Letters of that great Prince, when King of Navarre, which have never been printed, and of which the Originals remain in the British Museum. One was addreffed to M. du Pleffis, his Minister at the Court of Queen Elizabeth; the other to Mr.

Anthony