118 p., (2) pages, small 8vo, modern red leather, spine faded; title and last page a little soiled. A very rare early printing of a somewhat scathing lampoon of Catherine de Medici’s reign during the religious wars of France around 1574. Although the author of this pamphlet is hotly debated, he was most likely a Huguenot who wrote a sort of history and commentary of the religious wars for which de Medicis is held responsible. The work has also been attributed to Theodore de Beze or Jean de Serres; Gentillet is sometimes cited as co-author with Estienne. The Queen-Mother De Medicis was known as one of the most ambitious and self-serving leaders that France has known. In these turbulent times, in her determination to preserve royal power at any cost, Catherine devoted her energies to maintaining a balance between the Protestant group known as the Huguenots, led by the French military leader Gaspard de Coligny, and the Roman Catholics, led by the powerful house of Guise. During the religious wars that began in 1562, Catherine, a Roman Catholic, usually supported the Catholics; sometimes, however, political expediency led her to switch her support to the Huguenots. Her policies provoked a crowd of pamphlets, the most celebrated being this one. A wonderful piece of history rarely seen in this edition. Schreiber 196.

Huguenots,Henry III,de Medicis

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