“Catherine’s principal concern was to restore peace to the kingdom. As she explained to her envoy in Spain, religious persecution over two or three decades had merely served to fuel religious division. She was being advised to try to win back those who had erred by ‘honest remonstrances, exhortations and preaching’, while punishing severely those who were guilty of ‘scandals and seditions’. On 28 January 1561 Catherine issued lettres de cachet, confirming, but also modifying the Edict of Romorantin. She ordered the release of all religious prisoners and suspended all cases of heresy, even those involving people who had taken up arms or contributed funds to the recent commotion. In other words, she pardoned those who had taken part in the Tumult of Amboise, except the leaders. (..)
On 19 April a new edict banned the use of the words ‘huguenot’ and ‘papist’, thereby echoing sentiments which L'Hôpital had voiced in his opening address to the Estates-General. The right to enter houses in search of assemblies was restricted to magistrates, and the edict of 28 February was confirmed. This measure, however, far from pouring oil on troubled waters, caused more trouble, for it was sent to the local authorities without first being submitted to the parlements for registration. Catholics feared that Catherine was becoming a Protestant. Philip II warned her not to allow the ‘new ideas’ which had arisen in France to make further progress, while his ambassador, Chantonnay, watched her every move like a hawk, bombarding her with reproaches. She justified her policy of ‘clemency for past deeds’ by pointing to the need to bring peace to the kingdom and to assure it of a better future. She blamed the Guises for spreading lies about her in Spain and condemned their effort to marry their widowed niece, Mary Stuart, to Philip II’s son, Don Carlos. Such an alliance would threaten all that she was trying to achieve. She suggested her own daughter, Marguerite, as a possible bride for Carlos. Catherine also proposed a way of detaching Navarre from the Huguenot cause: let Philip give him back Spanish Navarre or some other territory in Italy, perhaps Siena or Sardinia.”
R. J. Knecht, Catherine de’ Medici
