The Wars of Religion in Sixteenth-Century France 139

Map 4.1 Wars of Religion in France in the Sixteenth

Century France at the time of the Edict of Nantes, 1598.

The map indicates neutral provinces, Huguenot provinces,

and Catholic League provinces during the wars of religion, as

well as Huguenot and Catholic League towns and battle sites

during the wars.

blessing of the Church, he then arranged to marry Marie de’ Medici (1573—
1642), a distant relative of Catherine de' Medici. This second marriage of
convenience brought a sizable dowry that Henry used, in part, to pay off
more international debts.

Intelligent and well organized, Henry kept abreast of events throughout
his vast kingdom. But he had little sense of protocol, often rushing out of the
Louvre palace by himself as his guards scurried to catch up. His wit was well
known: when formally welcomed by a long-winded representative of the
town of Amiens, who began “O most benign, greatest and most clement of
kings,” Henry inteijected, “Add as well, the most tired of kings!” When a
second spokesman began his official greeting, “Agesilaus, king of Sparta,
Sire,” Henry cut him short, “I too have heard of that Agesilaus, but he had
eaten, and I have not.”