Henry iv. had not only a warm but an expansive heart; he could not help expressing and pouring forth his feelings.  That was one of his charms, and also one of his sources of power.

The victory of Ivry had a great effect in France and in Europe.  But not immediately and as regarded the actual campaign of 1590.  The victorious king moved on Paris, and made himself master of the little towns in the neighborhood with a view of investing the capital.  When he took possession of St. Denis [on the 9th of July, 1590], he had the relics and all the jewelry of the church shown to him.  When he saw the royal crown, from which the principal stones had been detached, he asked what had become of them.  He was told that M. de Mayehne had caused them to-be removed.  “He has the stones, then,” said the king; “and I have the soil.”  He visited the royal tombs, and when he was shown that of Catherine de’ Medici, " Ah!” said he smiling, “how well it suits her!” And, as he stood before Henry iii.’s he said, “Ventre-saint-gris!  There is my good brother; I desire that I be laid beside him.”  As he thus went on visiting and establishing all his posts around Paris, the investment became more strict; it was kept up for more than three months, from the end of May to the beginning of September, 1590; and the city was reduced to a severe state of famine, which would have been still more severe if Henry iv. had not several times over permitted the entry of some convoys of provisions and the exit of the old men, the women, the children, in fact, the poorest and weakest part of the population.  “Paris must not be a cemetery,” be said; “I do not wish to reign over the dead.”  “A true king,” says De Thou, “more anxious for the preservation of his kingdom than greedy of conquest, and making no distinction between his own interests and the interests of his people.”  Two famous Protestants, Ambrose Pare and Bernard Palissy, preserved, one by his surgical and the other by his artistic genius, from the popular fury, were still living at that time in Paris, both eighty years of age, and both pleading for the liberty of their creed and for peace.  “Monseigneur,” said Ambrose Pare one day to the Archbishop of Lyons, whom he met at one end of the bridge of St. Michael, “this poor people that you see here around you is dying of sheer hunger-madness, and demands your compassion.  For God’s sake show them some, as you would have God’s shown to you.  Think a little on the office to which God hath called you.  Give us peace or give us wherewithal to live, for the poor folks can hold out no more.”  The Italian Danigarola himself, Bishop of Asti and attache to the embassy of Cardinal Gaetani, having publicly said that peace was necessary, was threatened by the Sixteen with being sewn up in a sack and thrown into the river if he did not alter his tone.  Not peace, but a cessation of the investment of Paris, was brought about, on the 23d of August, 1590, by Duke Alexander of Parma, who, in accordance with express orders from Philip ii., went from the Low Countries, with his army, to join Mayenne at Meaux and threaten Henry iv. with their united forces if he did not retire from the walls of the capital.