Identifier: greatestnations05elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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the one master-passion of his life. He renewed his unionwith the Turks. He reopened the useless Italian wars. He sought alliancewith the Protestant princes of Germany. All men, however, had learned todistrust him. The Protestants refused his friendship. The Sultan treated hisadvice with open scorn. He was broken and suffering in body, grown oldbefore his time with excitement, anxiety, and excesses. He died at the ageof fifty-two. Francis has been called the Great. He has been named the Father ofFrench Literature and Art. Indeed, many historians have held him up asthe type of the French people themselves. But one would not care to pushthe comparison too far; for France is still among us, full of energy and power,while as for this King Francis, his life which had begun so brilliantly, wentout sadly amid clouds and ever deepening darkness. The son of Francis who reigned after him, Henry II. (1547-1559), was aweaker reflection of his father, succeeding to the latters passions, his plans,
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I France—The Siege of Metz 861 and his vanity, periiaps even excelling his parent in handsome looks andexpertness at all bodily exercises, but far behind him in real ability and intel-lect. He was also ruled by women, and his so-called reign might perhaps bemore truly termed the reign of his elderly favorite, the widow Diana of Poitiers,and of his young general, Francis Duke of Guise. Under the guidance of these two, Henry was as successful as his fatherin his wars against England and Germany. The German Protestants had notthe distrust of Henry which had kept them apart from the preceding king. Heformed a league with them, and when their leader, Maurice of Saxony, sud-denly assailed the Emperor Charles, Henry, calling himself the Protector ofGerman liberty, invaded that country and seized the three bishoprics of Metz,Toul, and Verdun. He thus initiated the slow advance of the French border-line amid the disunited little German states, which continued until Louis XIV.established his

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