Henri III, who had gained the battles of Jarnac and Moncontour when it was called only the Duke of Anjou, and which had been selected as king by the Poles, inspired to the catholics of great hopes, but as soon as it was assembled on the throne of France, hoppers weakness and its defects were revealed at the great day, and returned it soon méprisable and odious to all the parties: many lords left the court.

The duke of Alençon was youngest son of Henri II.

Devoured ambition, it benefitted from the unpopularity of Henri III to try to reverse it, put at the head Policies, was combined to the Protestants, and was made give rich person prerogatives by the peace of Mister.

It then tried to be a king of the Netherlands, then to marry the Queen of England and died in 1584, misled in all its hopes and disgusted life.

Merry, young courtier who dreamed fortune of the duke of Own way, had received the command of the royal army, and it had promised to Henri III to bring back to him the head of Henri de Bourbon.

But the Protestants, after having moved back in front of him, stopped in Coutras, in Guyenne, in a strong position, and prepared with the combat by prayers: "They tremble, the cowards, they are confessed," Joyeuse exclaimed madly by seeing them knelt, and it ordered the load.

In one moment the Protestants were upright and each one in place: "Cousins, shouted Henri with prince de Condé and with the count de Soissons, his two first cousins, I remind to you only that you are blood of Bourbon, and lives God, I will show you that I am your elder" It had placed arquebusiers in the interval of his squadrons, and Merry was accomodated with fifteen steps by a fatal fire: the catholic cavalry, where there were more courtiers than truths soldiers, was soon in the greatest disorder; Merry died bravely, with more than four hundred gentlemen; as for the infantry, it was relaxed, and the Protestants massacred it with pleasure (October 1587).

The Parisian ones, which was burning members of a league, were transported of joy when they transfer Henri Own way to run in the medium of them in spite of the defense of the king: everywhere where it passed crowd idolâtre shouted: "Own way Lives! "and pressed itself around him to kiss the edge of its coat; the women threw flowers to him.

It was with the head of an immense procession that the duke presented himself in front of the Louvre and asked to see the king.

The first thought of Henri III was to receive it and to make it kill under its eyes; however as it had around him only one handle of courtiers and guards, it was resigned to undergo the visit of its enemy mortal and to let it leave; but the following day it made come 4000 Swiss and French guards: the people, convinced that the king prepared Saint-Barthélemy of catholics, raised themselves at once with the cry of "sharp the league! "all the streets roughcast barricades, and the soldiers, encircled of all share, were soon with the discretion of crowd (May 12, 1588).

Henri de Guise gave himself the pleasure of delivering them and of returning them to the Louvre.

The king, tiny room with the impotence, flee by swearing that it would return to Paris by the breach.