The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-13

manifest their p~ro-Catholic prejudicee in
a military way as early as 1852, and In
May Of that year the parchment Of Paris
passed an ordinance ordering the echerins
and all loyal Catholics In each quarter Of
the city to organize under arms, with
captains. sergeants and corporals. Prof.
thompson is convinced, however, that
the preponderance of Paris in the forma-
ton Of the Holy League has been exag-
gerated. when IL became a national
affair Paris. as the capital and most Cath
ole city of France, seized hold OF it and
made 1t her own; bat it Ia inverting
things to say that Paris gave the league
to h provinces. Rather did Paris iden-
tify herself with their interests and reflect
their passions and their character"
1t seems that the south Of France was
far more aggressive than the north in this
particular. Apparently the earliest local
anti-Protestant associations planned by
Catholics was formed at Bordeaux: this
was the germ OF the Catholic league
which later expanded yer the Bordelais
and Gasoony. Other portions Of France
followed suit. In November, 1852, the
association Of Provence was formed at
AK and terrorized the Huguenots in
that quarter. Toulouse was VIGOROUSLY
Catholic, and conflicts between Catholics
and Protestants we're OF common occur
renee. A more than usually violent out
burst Of popular fury there eliminated
in March, 1853, in the formation OF a
Catholic league among whose sponsors
were two Cardinals, Another league for
fha NEaoarx,a,;o, II Ar roxIol;, fa;th Ind
been organized in Agen a month earlier.
examples were contagious. and the
popular hatred Of the Huguenots excited
by the assassination OF Duke Francis OF
Guise caused a spread OF these local combi-
nations. Later in the same month March,
1889 the Catholic lords OF Guienne also
entered into a league at Cadillac OIL the
same plan and for the same object as had
been agreed upon by the Catholics at
Agen. In the north OF France. as has been
previously said. the tendency. Of the
as in the south. There is evidence, to be
of a weak association Of Catholics In
the towns Of the Rouennais and the lower
part Of the lie de France in 1868 and OF
a town league in Anjou and Maine. No
formidable Catholic association. however.
was formed north Of the Loire until the
appearance Of the Confrerie du Saint Es-
prit in 1868 under the Marshal Tavannes.
The nucleus Of these Catholic associa-
tions before they expanded into provin-
cial leagues seems in most cases to have
a local guild or confraternity. Such
fraternities we're closely connected with
the body Of tradesmen, each trade having
its patron saint, its sacred banner and
devoted bands, but some OF the more aris-
tocratic people would join with the arti-
The members had fixed places Of
meeting and certain days on which to
assemble. common exercises and often a
common meal. They swore TO use their
wealth and their life, II need be, for the
defence Of their faith. The new role now
entered upon by these Ancient industrial
guilds is an interesting phase of the relig-
wars. 1t is Characteristic Of he book
before us that it directs due attention to
the fact that il in the sixteenth century
France was laboring in the throes OF a
religious revolution she was also in a state
Of industrial transformation. This is a
fact which, as we have said, most English
writers on the French religious wars have
In origin, no doubt, the
economic revolution OF the sixteenth GEN.
fury was independent Of the Reformation,
yet 40 influential we're its social and c
nomic effects upon the Reformation that
in a certain sense the religious movement
may be said to have been the subordi-
nate phase. The change in the economic
was nearly contemporaneous with
the Reformation, which in large part be-
came the vehicle Of its expression. To be
exact, the economic crisis conceded in
point OF time with the reigns of Charles
TX. and Henry ILL.,, but the beginnings OF
it are traoeable as early as the reign OF
Louis XII.
The change especially involved the
whose traditional practices had
now reached the point OF an industrial
tyranny. More and more from the mid
die of the fifteenth century the control
OF the guilds had tended to fall into the
hands OF a few. This development Of a
social hierarchy within the guilds had
serious political and economic results.
-~Inasmuoh.' says Prof. Thompson, .as
city government was largely an out
growth Of guild life. this exclusiveness
threw political control OF the cities into
the hands Of a ring composed OF the
upper ~bourgeoisie. who formed an
oligarohy and gradually squeezed the
lower classes u of all participation in
the government Thus the lower bour-
geoisie was shut out Of the municipal
council at Nevers in 1872. at Sent in 1880
and at Rheims in 1895.
Prof. Thompson points out that the
economic revolution implied in this
change was Of far greater importance
than the political The gems de meter
became monopoists and formed a CAPT.
talist class. controlling the boards Of the
guilds as we'll as constituting the ruling
class in local politics, As u author
puts It: THE old guild was transformed
into q mercantile association and was
operated in favor Of a lew rich families
who were possessed Of capital. who regu-
lated wages and who fixed the term of
apprenticeship to their own advantage
For example. in order to secure cheap
labor the masters increased the number
OF apprentices. while at the same time
they heightened the time Of service.
the requirements Of the test Of
fitness for the grade Of %journeyman,
made membership in the guild increas-
ingly difficult and reduced wages by en-
Moving raw. underpaid workman IN com-