636 Outlines of European History Plot against Coligny a great national war against France's old enemy, Spain. In this way the whole people of France might sink their religious dif- ferences in a patriotic effort to win Franche-Comte (see above, p. 575), which seemed naturally to belong to France rather than to Spain. The strict Catholic party of the Guises frustrated this plan by a most fearful expedient. They easily induced Catherine of Medici to believe that she was being deceived by Coligny, and an assassin was engaged to put him out of the way ; but the scoundrel missed his aim and only wounded his victim. Fearful lest the young king, who was faithful to Coligny, should discover her part in the attempted murder, Catherine invented a story of a great Huguenot conspiracy. The credu- lous king was deceived, and the Catholic leaders at Paris ar- ranged that at a given signal not only Coligny, but all the Huguenots, who had gathered in great numbers in the city to witness the marriage of the king's sister to the Protestant Henry of Navarre, should be massacred on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day (August 23, 1572). The signal was duly given, and no less than two thousand persons were ruthlessly murdered in Paris before the end of the next day. The news of this attack spread into the prov- inces, and it is probable that, at the very least, ten thousand more Protestants were put to death outside of the capital Civil w^ar again broke out, and the Catholics formed the famous Holy League, under the leadership of Henry of Guise, for the advancement of their interests, the destruction of the Hugue- nots, and the extirpation of heresy. Henry IH (15 74-1 589), the last of the sons of Henry H, who succeeded Charles IX, had no heirs, and the great question of succession arose. The Huguenot Henry of Navarre was the nearest male relative, but the League could never consent to permit the throne of France to be sullied by heresy, espe- cially as their leader, Henry of Guise, was himself anxious to become king.
