ABSTRACT
Henry III has been badly served by historians. In the seventeenth century they set out to magnify Henry IV, the first Bourbon monarch, by denigrating his Valois predecessor. Hardouin de Perefixe, future archbishop of Paris and a former tutor of Louis XIV, was largely responsible for the black legend of Henry III. Henry III was not content simply to read contemporary works, he was keen to promote lively discussions among their authors on a variety of topics. Sometimes the discussions turned into poetry competitions in which he was not averse to taking part. Henry III liked to hear conflicting views on a variety of philosophical topics. In so doing he was reviving the kind of discussions that had taken place around Francis I's table earlier in the century. From the start of his reign, Henry organized discussions focusing on subjects of his choice.
