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She fled to her kingdom of Hungary for regent in his absence, sne manifested the protection, and hastening to the assem- greatest repugnance to the subject, bled diet, with her infant son, afterwards always saying that it foreboded some Joseph II, in her arms, presented herself great misfortune. before the nobles and deputies, and ap- Finally it was arranged that she should pealed to them to maintain her cause. be entrusted with the regency by her The chivalric Hungarians were deeply royal husband, and should be formally moved by her trust in them, and the hall crowned, a ceremony which Henry, on rang with the cry: "Let us die for our one pretext or another, had always dequeen, Maria Theresa!" An army of one ferred. This being done, Henry was hundred thousand men was raised, and stabbed by Ravaillac the day following, was joined by a strong force of Tyrolese. when preparing for the queen's entry into This force at once took the field. One Paris. Thus fell Henry of Navarre, a man division not only reconquered upper Aus- of great qualities, and the most popular tria, but invaded Bavaria, and captured monarch France has ever known. Munich on the very day that Charles VII The Marriage of the Adriatic. was crowned emperor. A little later an Peter the Hermit, barefooted and penni- Austrian army, under Prince Charles of less, inveighing against the atrocities of Lorraine, was defeated by Frederick at the Turks toward Christians at Jerusalem, Czaslau. This disaster induced the queen exhorted the warriors of the Cross to to rid herself of her most dangerous take up arms against the infidels. He enemy by surrendering upper Silesia and inspired all Europe with an enthusiasm a part of lower Silesia to him. Frederick like his own, and enlisted a million was satisfied for the time, and peace was followers in the cause. The passion of made between Austria and Prussia. the age was for war, peril and adventure; and, fighting for the Sepulchre was a more agreeable method of doing penance Maria de' Medici Receiving the Regency.

Maria de' Medici, Queen of France, was the daughter of Francis II, grand duke of than wearing sackcloth or mortifying the Tuscany, and of Joan, archduchess of flesh.

Austria. She was born at Florence in The First Crusade, a motley array of 1573. In 1600. she was married to Henry knights, spendthrifts, barons, beggars, IV. Her son who became Louis XIII, women and children, set out upon their was born the following year; his deplor- wild career. Then came the second, the able weakness as he grew up was the third, and the fourth. Crusading was the principal cause of his mother's misfor- amusement and occupation of two centutunes. The amours of her husband ren- ries. Two millions of Europeans perished dered her life a wretched one, and, being in the cause before it was abandoned. of a violent temper, the peace of the royal During their stay in Palestine the household was frequently disturbed. Her Crusaders learned, and in a measure anxieties as a wife, and the absolute tem- acquired, the habits of Eastern life. They per of Henry, prevented her from taking brought back with them a taste for the any part in state affairs during his life- peculiar products of that region-jewels, time; and when towards 1610, he contem- silks, cutlery, perfume, spices. A brisk plated taking the field against the house commerce through the length and breadth of Austria, and proposed making her of the Mediterranean was the speedy consequence. Genoa, Pisa, Florence, from the deck of the Bucentaur, or state Venice, covered the waters of their inland galley, with every possible accompanisea with sails, trafficking from the ports of ment of pomp and parade. The vessel Italy to those of Syria and Egypt. In was crowned with flowers like a bride, and every maritime city conquered by the amid the harmonies of music and the Crusaders, trading-stations and bazaars acclamations of the spectators the ring were established. Marseilles obtained was dropped into the sea. The Republic from the kings of Jerusalem privileges and the Adriatic, long betrothed, were and monopolies of trade upon their terri- now indissolubly wedded. The ceremony tory. was repeated from year to year.