Had he killed himself in remorse, would it not have been better, instead of lingering two wretched years, a prey to mental tortures and an inscrutable malady, before he died?
Europe was shocked.

Christendom averted her face in horror.

But at Madrid and Rome there was satisfaction.
Catharine and the Duke of Alva had done their work skilfully, but the result surprised and disappointed them.

Tens of thousands of Huguenots were slain, which was well; but many times that number remained, with spirit unbroken, which was _not_ well.
They had been too merciful! Why had Henry of Navarre been spared?
Had not Alva said, "Take the big fish, and let the small fry go.

One salmon is worth more than a thousand frogs." But Charles considered the matter settled when he uttered those swelling words to Henry of Navarre the day after the massacre: "I mean in future to have one religion in my kingdom.