II. CATHERINE DE MEDICI BETWEEN GUISE AND CONDÉ. PROJECT OF A NATIONAL COUNCIL 40 III. THE STATES-GENERAL OF ORLEANS 69 IV. THE FORMATION OF THE TRIUMVIRATE 91 V. THE COLLOQUY OF POISSY. THE ESTATES OF PONTOISE. THE EDICT OF JANUARY, 1562 106 VI. THE FIRST CIVIL WAR. THE MASSACRE OF VASSY (MARCH 1, 1562). THE SIEGE OF ROUEN 131 VII. THE FIRST CIVIL WAR (_Continued_). THE BATTLE OF DREUX (DECEMBER 19, 1562). THE PEACE OF AMBOISE (MARCH 19, 1563) 172 VIII. THE WAR WITH ENGLAND. THE PEACE OF TROYES (1563-64) 198 IX. EARLY LOCAL AND PROVINCIAL CATHOLIC LEAGUES 206 X. THE TOUR OF THE PROVINCES. THE BAYONNE EPISODE 232 XI. THE TOUR OF THE PROVINCES (_Continued_). THE INFLUENCE OF THE REVOLT OF THE NETHERLANDS UPON FRANCE. THE AFFAIR OF MEAUX 283 XII. THE SECOND CIVIL WAR (1567-68) 326 XIII. THE THIRD CIVIL WAR (1568). NEW CATHOLIC LEAGUES. THE BATTLE OF JARNAC 349 XIV. THE THIRD CIVIL WAR (_Continued_). THE PEACE OF ST. GERMAIN 378 XV. THE MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW 422 XVI. THE FOURTH CIVIL WAR 454 XVII. THE LAST DAYS OF CHARLES IX. THE CONSPIRACY OF THE POLITIQUES 469 XVIII. HENRY III AND THE POLITIQUES. THE PEACE OF MONSIEUR (1576) 486 GENEALOGICAL TABLES 525 APPENDICES 529 INDEX 605 LIST OF MAPS AND PLATES VIEW OF PARIS _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE HUGUENOT MARCH TO ORLEANS, MARCH 29-APRIL 2, 1562 139 CAMPAIGN OF DREUX, NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER, 1562 180 BATTLE OF DREUX, ACCORDING TO COMMANDANT DE COYNART 181 SKETCH MAP OF THE FORTIFICATIONS OF HAVRE-DE-GRACE 202 THE TOUR OF THE PROVINCES, 1564-66 232 MARCH OF THE DUKE OF ALVA THROUGH SAVOY, FRANCHE COMTÉ, AND LORRAINE 308 EXECUTION OF EGMONT AND HOORNE IN THE MARKET SQUARE AT BRUSSELS 314 PARIS AND ITS FAUBOURGS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 327 BLOCKADE OF PARIS BY THE HUGUENOTS, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 1567 328