Middletown transcript., 1877-04-21

heretics for Protestants in the presence
of the whole court. In fact the Catho-
lies became SO tyrannical that during the
reign of Francis II, who was crowned
in 1859 Margaret. sister of Francis
|, who wrote pious work without
mention of the saints and pnrgatory
found it difficult to escape persecution
Marot, popular French poet, was
obliged to fee the country, for having
the tenacity to translate the Psalms Of
David; and thus it continued until the
middle of the seventeenth century.
Catherine de Medicis took promi-
nent part in the prosecutions Of the
Huguenots. She was noted for her
plots, cruelty. and finally the famed
massacre of St. Bartholomew, which
occurred in 1872. Catherine was very
superstitious, and being told by an
astrologer that she would meet her
death in place called St. Germans,
carefully avoided all by that name. In
about 1859 or 80, she had a spacious
palace erected called the Tuileries,
which she abandoned when shs dis
covered that it stood in the parish of
st. Germans. At the death of the
tyrant, King Henry III, who reignsd
from 1874 to 1889. Henry " was pro.
claimed king. But because he was a
Huguenot, many of the Catholic mobiles
deserted him; finding his forces SO
much diminished. be was forced to
break up bis camp before Paris and re-
tire to Normandy. In 1890. he laid
seige to Paris and could have taken the
city, but refrained from the violent
measures Of an assault He said: 81
am the true father of my people, |
would rather never have Paris than
possess it by the death Of SO many per-
sons" Finally. be became Catholic,
making that profession in the church Of
St. Dennis, July 25, 1893, and was
welcomed throughout the kingdom
Mary de Medicis, regent for her sob
Louis XIII, who succeeded to the
throne after the dastardly murder of his
father in 1910. was great lover of art
and established the gallery Of Luxen-
burg, collection Of paintings by Rubins
the great Flemish artist, in Paris. Mary
was the first crowned queen of France;
the crowning being performed May l3,
1910, day previous to her husbands
murder. She had erected on the Pont
Neuf a splendid equestrian statue of
Henry Nv, cast in bronze.
During the reign of Louis XIII,
Paris was the scene of constant murders
and robberies; not night passed with
out bloodshed 1t was unsafe for per-
sons to traverse the streets. after night
fall, without strong guard.
Cardinal Richelieu was born Sept
5, 1886. Although of a noble family.
was educated at Sarbonne. seminary
founded by Robert de Sarbonne in 1856.
for the education of poor students in
divinity, at Paris He began the con-
struction Of the Palace Royal. built the
church of Sarbonne. magnificent struc-
ture, in which he placed his own mon.
ument, the finest production Of Giradon,
the great sculptor; also established the
Garden of Plants, then the most COM
plete collection in the world of all that
was curious and beautiful among the
animal. vegetable and mineral kingdom.
He established the celebrated French
Academy. and, during his administra-
ton the first weekly newspaper appeared
in 1887; heretofore an annual volume
existed, resembling the annual registers
of to-day.
Louis XIV reigned from 1643 to
IT'S Under his Jurisdiction, France
was harrassed by wars. Paris, resist
ing an order Of the minister, closed her
stores and barricaded her streets and
thus commenced the civil war, called
the War of the Froude. Under this
bigoted tyrant Protestant blood flowed
as water they were hunted like beasts
of prey, and all who were taken, with
out regard to sex or age, were separa-
ted from their families, some were
thrown in dungeons and nunneries, 9TH
ers loaded with chains, tortured and ex-
posed to all the sufferings which their
wicked ingenuity could invent. All of
these cruel and merciless proceedings
were ordered by the court and their in
falliblc kiDg-for such be thought bim-
self-aud was gladly carried out by their
la Nero followers. During his reign
the treaty of RysWick was signed in
September, 1897, also the Peace of
Utrecht, in 1713. At Paris be caused
the old wall, erected by Philip III, to
be razed and filed up the ditch that
in former days had protected the city,
making wide streets, running in cir
cular form around-called then, as now
the Boulevards In 1878 coaches
were quite common in Paris. The
hackney coaches we're in use, but mis-
cradle vehicles. The vin@grette made
its appearance about this time it was
a coach on two wheels drawn by man
and pushed by a woman or boy. There
was vast improvement in the streets
since Louis VI Candles were placed
in lanterns suspended from ropes stretch
ed across the streets and lighted at all
times of the night, on the light as we'll
as the dark of the moon. This was an
annual expense to the city of more than
100000
Louis XIV reigned from 1715 to 1744
He had a magnificent square built ad-
joining the Tuilleries, aud in it was
placed bronze statue of himself on
horseback Oh a pedestal supported by
four marble statues-Strength, Peace,
Prudence and Justice. Voltaire, whose
family name was Arouet, was born at
Paris, Feb. 20, 1894, he had much dry
wit, was of sarcastic turn Of express
sisn, and possessed the most jealous
vanity imaginable.
Rousseau was born at Geneva, June
%, 1712; his writings were impas-
stoned /; to degree Of insanity he was
vain, quarrelled with everybody, even