CHAPTER II. HENRY II. [1547–1559.] Henry II.--Catherine and Diana--Montmorency--Coronation--King Enters Paris--Fêtes--Heretic Burning--New Edicts--Chambres Ardentes--Edict of Chateaubriant--Persecution at Angers, Le Puy, Velay--Inquisition Proposed--Resistance of Parliament--Siege and Battle of St. Quentin--Affair of the Rue St. Jacques--Martyrdom of Philippa de Lunz--Calvin’s Letter--Pre Aux Clercs and Marot’s Psalms--Peace of Cateau-Cambresis--Divisions in the Paris Parliament--The Mercurial of June--Du Faur and Du Bourg Arrested--First Synod of Reformed Churches--Confession of Faith and Book of Discipline--Edict of Ecouen--The Tournament--Henry’s Death. Henry II. was twenty-nine years of age when he ascended his father’s throne (31st March, 1547), his elder brother, the dauphin Francis, having died almost ten years before. He was rather tall, well-proportioned, fond of athletic sports, and vain of his skill in the tournay--a weakness that proved fatal to him at last. His hair was dark, his beard short and pointed, his complexion pale, almost livid. His large, black, lively eyes somewhat contradicted his melancholy, saturnine character. He rarely laughed, and, according to the Venetian envoy, Matteo Dandolo, some of the courtiers declared they had never seen him smile. His portraits would leave us to suppose that he was of a mild and gentle disposition; but bigotry often made him cruel, and his pride was impatient of opposition. He could be liberal, too--especially with other persons’ money. Thus he gave the notorious Diana of Poitiers the renomination of all the officials whose posts had become vacant by the death of his predecessors, by which she appropriated more than 100,000 crowns in the shape of fines and presents. Henry possessed good natural abilities, and a retentive memory, but was uninstructed;[26] he had a taste for music, and spoke Italian and Spanish. He was also religious, so far at least as not to ride out on Sunday until after mass. Though not much distinguished in war, he never shrank from danger, and at Landrecy conducted himself as a good captain and brave soldier.[27]