ology is demonstrated in his works of biblical exegesis and
he also made an influential prose translation of the
psalms, Psałterz Dawidów (1546). As the first major writer
to make exclusive use of Polish, Rej made an important
contribution to acceptance of the vernacular in several lit-
erary genres.
relics See PILGRIMAGE AND PILGRIMAGE SHRINES
Religion, (French) Wars of (1562–98) French civil
wars between Catholics and Protestants (HUGUENOTS).
During the 1550s tension grew between Huguenots eager
to make converts to Calvinism and Catholics who felt that
their faith was threatened. CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI, then re-
gent for Charles IX, sought a compromise through the
Edict of St.-Germain (January 1562), granting Huguenots
freedom of conscience and the right to worship away from
town centers. The discovery of Huguenots worshiping in
Vassey led to the first war (1562–63), ended by the Pacifi-
cation of Amboise. Uneasy peace followed; it was broken
in 1567 by the Huguenot attempt to seize both regent and
king at Meaux, leading to the second and third wars
(1567–68, 1568–70). The Catholics, having failed to fol-
low up their victories, agreed to a compromise peace at
St.-Germain (1570), but, remembering Meaux, the regent
decided to end the Huguenot threat with the MASSACRE OF
ST. BARTHOLOMEW(1572). Shocked by the death of thou-
sands of their fellows, the Huguenots defied the Crown
and established governments in southern and western
France. The war (1572–73) that followed ended with the
granting of liberty of conscience and the right to worship
freely in Huguenot towns. At the end of the fifth war
(1575–76) the Huguenots made further gains, but the
sixth and seventh wars (1577, 1580) were inconclusive.
Finally, the War of the Three Henrys (1585–89) was pro-
voked by the Catholic GUISEfaction, which feared the ac-
cession of the Huguenot Henry of Navarre. He survived to
become HENRY IV(reigned 1589–1610), but had to convert
to Catholicism.
See also: NANTES, EDICT OF
Further reading: Robert J. Knecht, The French Wars of
Religion, 1559–1598 (London: Longman, 1989; 2nd ed.
1996); ∼, The French Religious Wars, 1562–1598 (London:
Osprey, 2002).
Remonstrants The followers of Arminius (1560–1609),
the Dutch theologian whose lectures at Leyden challenged
the orthodox Calvinist doctrine of PREDESTINATION. After
Arminius’s death, his followers drew up the Remonstrance
of 1610 setting out the Arminian position. They held that
predestination is not absolute, but conditioned by man’s
response (thus reintroducing an element of free will); that
grace may consequently be received or denied; and that
the offer of salvation is directed to all men. Their mani-
festo provoked the Contra-Remonstrance of 1611, setting
out the orthodox position, and a bitter controversy en-
sued. This quickly achieved a political dimension, since
the advocate of the States of Holland, OLDENBARNEVELDT,
took the side of the Remonstrants, and MAURICE OF NAS-
SAUthe contrary position. The Arminians were finally
condemned at the Synod of DORT(1618–19), and more
than 200 ministers were ejected from their pulpits, al-
though a degree of toleration returned after Maurice’s
death (1625).
See also: ARMINIANISMRenée de France (1510–1575) Duchess of Ferrara
(1534–59)
Born at Blois, the daughter of King LOUIS XIIof France and
Anne of Brittany, Renée was the subject of several abortive
wedding negotiations before she was married (1528) to
Ercole d’Este, heir to the dukedom of Ferrara. She en-
couraged men of letters at her court, particularly those
who favored the reforming side in religion; among these
were PALINGENIUSand Clément MAROT, and in April 1536
CALVINhimself paid a brief visit to Ferrara under an as-
sumed name. Renée subsequently embraced Calvinism,
much to the anger of her husband who adopted draconian
measures to force her to renounce her new faith, at least
as far as outward forms were concerned. Returning to her
lands in France after Duke Ercole’s death (1559), Renée
made her château at Montargis in Loiret a stronghold of
the Protestant faith. In 1562 it was besieged by her son-in-
law, the duke of GUISE, and she suffered harassment by
Catholic forces on other occasions during the Wars of Re-
ligion.René (I) of Anjou (1409–1480) Duke of Bar (1430–80),
Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence (1434–80)
As duke consort of Lorraine, titular king of Naples, and
claimant to Sicily and Jerusalem, René spent his youth
vainly trying to establish his wife’s claim to Lorraine and
his own claims to Naples, where he had been chosen as
successor by Queen Joanna (Giovanna) II (see also AL-
FONSO I). In his last years, after quarreling with Louis XI
of France, he spent more time in his French domains,
where his interest in legal reforms and his patronage of lit-
erature and the arts earned him the title of “René the
Good.” It has even been suggested that the manuscript il-
luminator known as the Master of King René, who illus-
trated Le livre des tournois du roi René (c. 1446;
Bibliothèque National, Paris) and a manuscript of Boccac-
cio’s Teseida (1468; Vienna), was King René himself. At his
death without a male heir his territories and the Angevin
claims passed to the French crown.Reni, Guido (1577–1642) Italian painter
He spent most of his life in his native Bologna, where he
was a pupil of Denys CALVAERT. Much influenced by
Lodovico CARRACCI and during a period in Rome44110 0 rreelliiccss