a name derisively applied to the French Protestants in the sixteenth century. It is probably a corruption of the word eidgenossen, or confederates, as the Genevese were called who entered into a league with the other cantons to oppose the tyranny of Charles III., Duke of Savoy. The doctrines of the Reformation in France were first publicly taught at Meaux by Lefevre and Farel in 1521. The flames of persecution were soon kindled by Francis I., and raged with increased fury after the decree against the Vaudois of Provence in 1540. The Reformed doctrines increased rapidly; and under Henry II., several whole provinces and considerable towns, numbering about a sixth of the population of France, were adherents to these doctrines. In 1559 a synod was held at Paris, consisting of members from thirteen churches. Under Francis II., they became involved in political quarrels. The conference at Poissy between Beza and Lorraine, as the representatives of the Reformers and the Papists respectively, showed the difficulty of effecting a compromise between the two parties. Under Charles IX., the opposition of the two parties assumed the aspect of a civil war. A peace was brought about by Catherine de Medicis; but when the Protestants had disbanded their forces, the old maxim was revived, that faith need not be kept with heretics. The larger Protestant towns now became scenes of butchery and bloodshed. For the massacre of St Bartholomew, at which Admiral Coligny of the noble house of Chatillon, was assassinated, see FRANCE. The edict of toleration passed in 1577 was renewed by Henry IV. in 1591, and is known as the Edict of Nantes. The oppression of the Calvinists, however, led to a religious war during the reign of Louis XIII. The dragonnades of Louis XIV. were a systematic attempt to compel the Calvinists, by all sorts of torture short of death, to abjure. These prepared the way for the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which took place on the 18th October 1685. Hundreds of thousands of the most industrious population of France were reduced to ruin, and sought an asylum in surrounding countries. Still more stringent edicts were passed against the Calvinists, and their condition became worse and worse till 1760. In 1787, under Louis XVI., an act of toleration was passed in their favour. See FRANCE.