Editing Francis II of France (section)

====Amboise conspiracy====
{{Main|Amboise conspiracy}}
[[File:ExecutiondAmboiseHogenberg.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The execution of the conspirators at [[Amboise]]. Engraving by Jacques Tortorel and Jean Perrissin, 1569–1570]]

Opposition to the Guise administration which had been bubbling under the surface during Francis II's reign, coalesced around two primary axes. Firstly there was religious opposition from Protestants such as La Roche Chandieu, secondly there was opposition from military men of the minor gentry, such as Castlenau; these groups came together under the leadership of the seigneur de la Renaudie to form a conspiracy to seize the king and arrest or kill the Cardinal de Lorraine and the Duke de Guise.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Salmon|first=J.H.M|title=Society in Crisis: France in the Sixteenth Century|date= 1979 |publisher=Metheun & Co.|isbn=0416730507|page=125}}</ref> The group planned to push for [[Antoine of Navarre]] to lead them, and become a 'regent' for Francis II.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sutherland|first=Nicola|date=1962|title=Calvinism and the Conspiracy of Amboise|journal=History|volume=47 160|page=119}}</ref> When he proved uninterested in their plot, they moved to the more dubious claim of his brother [[Louis I, Prince of Condé|Condé]]. He was more receptive to the plan.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sutherland|first=Nicola|date=1962|title=Calvinism and the Conspiracy of Amboise|journal=History|volume=47 160|page=127}}</ref>

As details of the conspiracy were finalised and arms raised for the day, rumours began to leak out to the court of what was happening. Finally on 12 February while the court was travelling to Amboise, the Duke's secretary arrived, bringing a lawyer who had got cold feet about the direction of the conspiracy. The secretary revealed all the details to the Guise and Francis, including the name of the leader, La Renaudie.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carroll|first=Stuart|title=Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780199596799|page=114}}</ref>

With this knowledge to hand, and suspecting the involvement of Condé, the Guise summoned much of the high nobility to Amboise, and began fortifying the castle in preparation. In March the court struck, arresting a band of the conspirators who had assembled to discuss the delivery of money for the operation. Several days later a larger host of soldiers were bloodily repulsed from Amboise.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carroll|first=Stuart|title=Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780199596799|page=117}}</ref> On 17 March, Francis II made the duke of Guise the Lieutenant General of the kingdom, giving him final authority for all military matters. Realising the motley nature of the conspiracy, a mixture of fairly harmless heretics and hardened military men, an amnesty was declared on 17 March for those who laid down their arms and went home within 48 hours. Operations would continue as the court began to fan out troops into the countryside to mop up stragglers.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thompson|first=James|title=The Wars of Religion in France, 1559–1576: The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici and Philip II|publisher=Chicago University Press|year=1909|page=36}}</ref>

The court was left with a tricky situation as to how to deal with those captured alive. Interrogations began, attempting to prove a connection between Condé and the conspiracy. Condé denounced accusations thrown at him as the work of 'scum' and more pressingly for honour in aristocratic circles, propagated by 'liars.' The Queen Mother assured him that no one doubted his innocence. However, on 18 April his chambers were raided while he was attending the kings levée. Unable to find proof however, he was allowed to leave court.<ref name="Carroll 2009 118">{{Cite book|last=Carroll|first=Stuart|title=Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780199596799|page=118}}</ref> Condé hurried south, uniting with his brother Antoine in the south-west.<ref>{{harvp|Romier|1923|pp=121–122}}</ref>

For the military conspirators who had remained under arms there would be little mercy, many would be executed in the following days, and hanged from the battlements as a warning. To the shock of members of the court, this included men of 'good birth' such as the Baron de Castlenau.<ref name="Carroll 2009 118"/> Nevertheless, the court was conscious its religious policy had been a failure, and as early as 8 March, the [[Edict of Amboise (1560)|Edict of Amboise]] was propagated, offering a retroactive amnesty for those convicted of heresy, on the condition they live as good Catholics. This began the distinction between the crimes of heresy and the crime of sedition, which had during the reign of Henri II been treated as a unified crime.<ref name="Sutherland 1980 105">{{Cite book|last=Sutherland|first=Nicola|title=The Huguenot Struggle for Recognition. Yale University Press|publisher=Yale University Press|year=1980|isbn=0300023286|pages=105}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Baird|first=Henry|title=History of the Rise of the Huguenots in Two Volumes: Vol 1 of 2|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|year=1880|pages=385}}</ref>