In writing Henry of Navarre; Henry IV of France the author, Lord Russell of Liverpool endeavored not only to chronicle Henry's life but to also provide a glimpse into his character. Lord Russell would speculate as to Henry's motives behind his actions, often times backing up these speculations with Henry's own words either from letters he himself had written or from the memoirs of others close to the king. Due to this intimate look into the life and at times thoughts of the king the reader gains empathy for the monarch much as he people must have had.
             At the time that Henry of Navarre ascended the throne of France the country was ripe for a change. The last three kings of the Valois Dynasty, Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III "were the feeblest that ever sat on the throne of France" (14). Their mother, Catherine de Medici who was referred to as "La Serpente" in essence ruled the country. The country was nearing bankruptcy due to her spending and the Wars of Religion, which had wrought the country since the time of Francis I (1515-1547).
             Henry's first order of business upon becoming king was to reunite the nation and put an end to the Wars of Religion. To do this he first had to gain access to Paris, which was then controlled by the Catholic league. For nearly five years he fought many battles against the League, reclaiming towns under their control and gaining many supporters, protestant and Catholic alike. In 1593 Henry abjures the protestant faith and in 1594 reenters Paris supposedly having said, "Paris is worth a Mass." However, this was not the end of his struggle to end the wars of Religion even though the League was definitely declining in power. Henry signed the Edict of Nantes in 1598 "the charter of the rights and privileges of the French Protestants. (135)" which would remain in effect until it was revoked in 1685 by Louis XIV. Although this di...