692. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Massacre in Paris (Part 2)
Summary
This episode details the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, where Catholic mobs slaughtered thousands of French Protestants, shocking England and hardening Queen Elizabeth I’s stance against Catholicism. Francis Walsingham, appointed spymaster, builds an intelligence network to counter the threat posed by exiled English Catholics and Jesuits. The narrative focuses on William Allen and Robert Persons, who plot to restore Catholicism in England with Spanish support, unaware their servant, Charles Sled, is a double agent feeding their secrets to Walsingham.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and intro: 1990s mortgages and Mint Mobile
Marlowe's play and the assassination of Admiral Coligny
The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in Paris
Atrocities, Catholic reactions, and English propaganda
Walsingham's experience in Paris and return to England
Walsingham becomes spymaster and builds intelligence network
The Jesuit threat and William Allen's seminaries
Charles Sled: The double agent who infiltrated the plot
Edmund Campion: Jesuit priest and intellectual rival
Campion's mission, 'Campion's Brag', and capture
Campion's torture, trial, and execution
Legacy of the conflict and preview of next episode
Listen ad-free on Castria