PRINCE

See also:

• LOUIS
• LOUIS (804–876)
• LOUIS (893–911)
• LOUIS, JOSEPH DOMINIQUE, BARON (1755-1837)
• LOUIS, or LEWIS (from the Frankish Chlodowich, Chlodwig, Latinized as Chlodowius, Lodhuwicus, Lodhuvicus, whence-in the Strassburg oath of 842-0. Fr. Lodhuwigs, then Chlovis, Loys and later Louis, whence Span. Luiz and—through the Angevin kings—Hungarian

LOUIS DE

See also:

• BOURBON
• BOURBON, CHARLES, DUKE OF (149o-1527)

BOURBON

See also:

• CONDE
• PRINCE LOUIS DE BOURBON CONDE
• CONDE, LOUIS II
• CONDE, PRINCES OF

CONDE  of (1530-1569), fifth son of Charles de Bourbon, duke of Vendome, younger brother of Antoine, king of Navarre (1518-1562), was the first of the famous house of Conde (see above) . After his father's death in 1537 Louis was educated in the principles of the reformed religion . Brave though deformed, gay but extremely poor for his rank, Conde was led by his ambition to a military career . He fought with distinction in Piedmont under Marshal de Brissac; in 1552 he forced his way with reinforcements into Metz, then besieged by Charles V.; he led several brilliant sorties from that town; and in 1554 commanded the light cavalry on the Meuse against Charles . In 1557 he was present at the battle of St Quentin, and did further good service at the head of the light horse . But the descendants of the constable de Bourbon were still looked upon with suspicion in the French court, and Conde's services were ignored . The court designed to reduce his narrow means still further by despatching him upon a costly mission to Philip II. of Spain . His personal griefs thus combined with his religious views to force upon him a role of political opposition . He was concerned in the conspiracy of Amboise, which aimed at forcing from the king the recognition of the reformed religion . He was consequently condemned to death, and was only saved by the decease of Francis II . At the accession of the boy-king Charles IX., the policy of the court was changed, and Conde received from Catherine de' Medici the government of Picardy . But the struggle between the Catholics and the Huguenots soon began once more, and henceforward the career of Conde is the story of the wars of religion (see FRANCE: History) .

He was the military as well as the political

chief of the Huguenot party, and displayed the highest generalship on many occasions, and notably at the battle of St Denis . At the battle of Jarnac, with only 400 horsemen, Conde rashly charged the whole Catholic army . Worn out with fighting, he at last gave up his sword, and a Catholic officer named Montesquiou treacherously shot him through the head on the 13th of March 1569 .