Henry IV, Makers of History by John S. C. Abbott
Chapter I. Childhood and Youth.
1475-1564
Navarre.Catharine de Foix.
About four hundred years ago there was a small kingdom, spreading over the cliffs and ravines of the eastern extremity of the Pyrenees, called Navarre. Its population, of about five hundred thousand, consisted of a very simple, frugal, and industrious people. Those who lived upon the shore washed by the stormy waves of the Bay of Biscay gratified their love of excitement and of adventure by braving the perils of the sea. Those who lived in the solitude of the interior, on the sunny slopes of the mountains, or by the streams which meandered through the verdant valleys, fed their flocks, and harvested their grain, and pressed rich wine from the grapes of their vineyards, in the enjoyment of the most pleasant duties of rural life. Proud of their independence, they were ever ready to grasp arms to repel foreign aggression. The throne of this kingdom was, at the time of which we speak, occupied by Catharine de Foix. She was a widow, and all her hopes and affections were centred in her son Henry, an ardent and impetuous boy six or seven years of age, who was to receive the crown when it should fall from her brow, and transmit to posterity their ancestral honors.
Ferdinand and Isabella.Dismemberment of Navarre.
Ferdinand of Aragon had just married Isabella of Castile, and had thus united those two populous and wealthy kingdoms; and now, in the arrogance of power, seized with the pride of annexation, he began to look with a wistful eye upon the picturesque kingdom of Navarre. Its comparative feebleness, under the reign of a bereaved woman weary of the world, invited to the enterprise. Should he grasp at the whole territory of the little realm, France might interpose her powerful remonstrance. Should he take but the half which was spread out upon the southern declivity of the Pyrenees, it would be virtually saying to the French monarch, "The rest I courteously leave for you." The armies of Spain were soon sweeping resistlessly through these sunny valleys, and one half of her empire was ruthlessly torn from the Queen of Navarre, and transferred to the dominion of imperious Castile and Aragon.
Plans for revenge.Death of Catharine.
Catharine retired with her child to the colder and more uncongenial regions of the northern declivity of the mountains. Her bosom glowed with mortification and rage in view of her hopeless defeat. As she sat down gloomily in the small portion which remained to her of her dismembered empire, she endeavored to foster in the heart of her son the spirit of revenge, and to inspire him with the resolution to regain those lost leagues of territory which had been wrested from the inheritance of his fathers. Henry imbibed his mother's spirit, and chafed and fretted under wrongs for which he could obtain no redress. Ferdinand and Isabella could not be annoyed even by any force which feeble Navarre could raise. Queen Catharine, however, brooded deeply over her wrongs, and laid plans for retributions of revenge, the execution of which she knew must be deferred till long after her body should have mouldered to dust in the grave....

I decided to read this because my knowledge of French history is patchy at best and I wanted to learn something new about something old. I learned more than expected, as one chapter summarizes the history of the French monarchy from the days when the country was known as Gaul up until events in the life of Henry IV.

The main focus of this tome is the continual conflict between the Catholic and Protestant faith and I think the title of this volume is perhaps misleading. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about France or European history in and around the sixteenth century, but wouldn't recommend it to someone specifically looking for a detailed account of Henry IV alone.

The text covers the period of 1475-1610. The opening chapters feature Henry's great-grandmother and grandfather. There is as much info on Charles IX and Henry III in this as there is on Henry IV, who rarely appears in the first third of the book. As stated, this is fine for someone such as I, who is interested in learning about this period in general, but could prove annoying for someone wanting specific info on Henry IV.

I was shocked at some of the events that transpired in France during the 1500s. The massacre of St. Bartholomew was particularly disturbing: Catholics murdered 70,000-100,000 Protestants for practicing a different religion to them. This kind of thing continued for years. One horrible account was an eight-year-old boy offering a 'man' eight coins to spare his life - this innocent child was one of thousands murdered without mercy.

Henry IV saw both faiths as political parties and he himself converted back and forth between them since his childhood. He was a very humane king. His ascension to the throne helped bring peace to the war-torn France he so dearly loved. He set a great example. He didn't abuse his power like so many rulers have in all countries throughout history.

The author has done a good job of presenting this history in an interesting way and not offering the reader a dull 'text book'. ( )