Edict of July
Second; 1567–1568Saint-Denis; Chartres Third; 1568–1570Jarnac; La Roche-l'Abeille; Poitiers; Orthez; Moncontour; Saint-Jean d'Angély; Arney-le-Duc Fourth; 1572–1573Mons; Sommières; Sancerre; La Rochelle Fifth; 1574–1576Dormans Sixth; 1577La Charité-sur-Loire; Issoire; Brouage Seventh; 1580La Fère War of the Three Henrys (1585–1589)Coutras; Vimory; Auneau; Day of the Barricades Succession of Henry IV of France (1589–1594)Arques; Ivry; Paris; Château-Laudran; Rouen; Caudebec; Craon; 1st Luxembourg; Blaye; Morlaix; Fort Crozon Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598)2nd Luxembourg; Fontaine-Française; Ham; Le Catelet; Doullens; Cambrai; Calais; La Fère; Ardres; Amiens The Edict of July, also known as the first Edict of Saint-Germain was a decree of limited tolerance promulgated by the regent of France, Catherine de' Medici, in July 1561.
Whilst it emphasised a continued commitment to banning Huguenot worship in France, it granted pardon for all religious offenses since the reign of Henry II, who had died two years earlier, which was a victory for the Protestant community.
[7]The Parlement of Paris reacted incredulously to this law, attacking it first on procedural grounds, given it had been sent to the Bailli and Senechaussee courts, before moving onto substantive critiques, accusing the King of approving diversity of religion, acting contrary to previous edicts, and funding the enemies of France through allowing exiles to sell their property.
[12] This high profile execution of a Parlementaire precipitated the Saint Medard riot in December of that year and the assassination of President Minard.
[17] Yet the queen and her allies, conscious of the Parlement's conservativism, were unwilling to pursue this route, and decided instead to host a pourparler, to be attended by 150 grandees and magistrates of the realm.
[17][18] The pourparler would occur in twenty three sessions between 23 June and 17 July and was framed by Hopital not on grounds of religion but rather methods of pacifying the discord in France.
[18] Both Guise brothers were present and they argued in favour of the 'moderate conservative' position, no tolerance to Protestantism, but no return to the era of burnings with support for a national council to solve the churches ills.
[22] Whereas Romorantin had technically left the door open for the death penalty through case referral to the secular courts from the ecclesiastical for sentencing, this loophole was now ended.
[22] Amnesty was granted for past religious offenses that were not armed and a ban on firearms in urban areas was established with a penalty of 50 crowns.
[21] The Parlement of Paris registered the edict of July provisionally, whilst reserving the right to remonstrate against it later, before turning their attention to what they felt was the far more egregious ordinance of Orléans.
[24] The royal governor of Paris Charles, Prince of La Roche-sur-Yon turned a deaf ear to complaints from Parlement about Protestant prêches occurring in and around the city.
[27] The edict was much more vigorously opposed by the Parlements who held out on registration for over 30 days, and many Catholic grandees, and would ultimately hold for but a few months before the Duke of Guise would perpetrate the Massacre of Vassy bringing France towards a civil war.
