Henry IV was the King of France and he worked hard at being the King of France...
- He was an active ruler.
- He was admired for his repeated victories over his enemies and his conversion to Catholicism.
- He was called, "Good King Henry".
- He was remembered for his geniality (he had a kind and good-natured disposition and manner).
- He was known for his great concern about the welfare of his subjects.
- He worked to regularize France’s Finances (made it fit in with usual and accepted standards or practice).
- He promoted agriculture.
- He eliminated corruption.
- He encouraged education.
- During his reign, the French Colonization of the Americas truly began.
- He was celebrated in the popular song "Vive le roi Henri" (which later became an anthem for the French monarchy during the reigns of his successors).
- He drained swamps.
- He undertook public works projects.
- He protected forests from further devastation.
- He built a system of tree-lined highways.
- He constructed bridges.
- He built canals (He had a 1200-metre canal built in the park at Chateau Fontainebleau which can still be fished today).
- He ordered the planting of pines, elms, and fruit trees.
- He restored Paris as a great city, with the Pont Neuf, which still stands today, constructed over the river Seine to connect the Right and Left Banks of the city.
- He had the Place Royale built.
- He added the Grande Galerie to the Louvre Palace. More than 400 meters long and thirty-five meters wide, this huge addition was built along the bank of the Seine River. At the time it was the longest edifice of its kind in the world.
- He was a promoter of the arts by all classes of people, invited hundreds of artists and craftsmen to live and work on the Grande Galerie’s lower floors. This tradition continued for another two hundred years, until Emperor Napoleon I banned it.
- His vision extended beyond France as evidenced by his financing several expeditions of Pierre Dugua, Pierre de Mons and Samuel de Champlain to North America.
- During his reign France laid claim to New France (now Canada).
- He proved to be a man of vision and courage.
- Instead of waging costly wars to suppress opposing nobles, Henry simply paid them off.
- Henry is said to have originated the oft-repeated phrase "a chicken in every pot" when he said, “If God grants me life, I will make it so that no plowman in my realm will lack the means to have a chicken in his pot on Sunday!”
- This statement epitomizes the peace and relative prosperity which he brought to France after decades of religious war, and demonstrates how well he understood the plight of the French worker and peasant farmer. This real concern for the living conditions of the "lowly" population—who in the final analysis provided the economic basis for the power of the king and the great nobles—was perhaps without parallel among the kings of France.
- His forthright manner, physical courage, and military successes also contrasted dramatically with the sickly, effete languor of the last Valois kings, as evinced by his blunt assertion that he ruled with "weapon in hand and arse in the saddle"
- Following his death Henry would be remembered fondly by most of the population.
- He adopted policies and undertook projects to improve the lives of all subjects, which made him one of the country's most popular rulers ever.
What a guy!
- In other words, he was loved by all...Or was he?
- He faced much opposition during his reign.
- During his life he became target of at least 12 assassination attempts.
- He was finally killed in Paris on 14 May 1610 by a Catholic fanatic, Francois Ravaillac, who stabbed him while his coach was stopped because of traffic congestion.
Fella Summation...You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
Mel Brooks Summation...It’s Good to be the King...Until It Isn’t.
Would I kid u?
Smartfella
