Surprise of Meaux

The first French Wars of Religion was brought to a close with the Edict of Amboise in 1563, which was later consolidated into a pacification edict.^[1] Despite this peace offering concessions to the Huguenots, the leading nobles of their faction remained suspicious as to the crown's ultimate intentions. In 1565, the queen mother, Catherine de' Medici, held a meeting with Fernando Álvarez de Toledo the 3rd Duke of Alba at Bayonne in which a potential marriage alliance was discussed.^[2] Among the leading Huguenots, this meeting was interpreted very differently, with some suggesting a plan to liquidate all Huguenots in France had been secretly arranged at this conference. This was brought to the fore again in 1567, when Alba marched north, along the Spanish Road to the Spanish Netherlands to crush the Dutch Revolt that had broken out in the region.^[3]

This march along France's border unnerved Huguenots and Catholics alike in the French court, and it was agreed to hire 6000 Swiss mercenaries, for the purpose of protecting the borders if Alba decided instead to march south on the country. Louis, Prince of Condé, Gaspard II de Coligny and the other noble Huguenots, chose to interpret this move as a sinister one, with the mercenaries to act as Alba's allies in liquidating the French Protestants, sweeping across France.^[3]

Around the same time as Alba was marching north to destroy the rebellion, a modification was made to the Edict of Pacification in July, expanding the ban on Protestant worship from Paris to the entire Île-de-France region and further prohibiting Protestants from holding office in the region. Whilst this was largely a move designed to suppress the rebelliousness of the capital area, and had the support of the moderate Michel de l'Hôpital, it was likewise interpreted as a prelude to extermination.^[4] Condé got into a shouting match with the King Charles, and shortly thereafter, decided to withdraw from court. A little while later, nominally because he had 'discovered designs against him' but largely in fact because he had been passed over in favour of Filippo di Piero Strozzi for command of the Swiss troops, Coligny followed Condé in departing court.^[5]

Writing from his estate, Condé protested in a letter to Catherine about the 'revocation of the Edict' and other plots against him, she replied on 29 August the true purpose of the troops as defence against the Spanish, and tried to invite him to return to court.^[6]

While the dissatisfied nobles had been harbouring desires of some form of retribution since their withdrawal from court, matters came to a head when the news arrived of Alba's arrest of the nobles Lamoral, Count of Egmont and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn on 9 September. At the same time, news arrived that the Swiss mercenaries had crossed the border into France. Two Protestant synods were sitting during the receiving of this information, one at Châtillon-sur-Loing the other at Valery. The mood in these turned sour upon receipt, with the attendees claiming proof of an international conspiracy against their religion. The synods decided on a coup, as a course of action.^[4]

A more directly conspiratorial meeting was thus held, at Coligny's chateau. In attendance were the three Coligny brothers, Condé, François III de La Rochefoucauld, Charles de Téligny and Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery among others.^[7] This conference lasted a week as the nobles debated how to proceed, with Coligny championing the party of caution, while François de Coligny d'Andelot led the war party with most of the other attendees.^[8] Eventually it was agreed Huguenots in every bailage and Senechaussee to be asked by their deacons to raise money to pay for German reiters, which would be hired by their allies in Germany.^[7] Further, a force of 1500 horse would be assembled, to kidnap the king and queen mother at Meaux, and arrest or kill the members of the court who were most opposed to the Huguenots, specifically Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine.^[9]