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famous phrase, probably apocryphal, attributed to the French king Henry IV, which later became a proverbial saying
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The phrase "Paris is well worth a mass" describes the readiness to compromise principles for the pragmatic gain, making a small sacrifice for a large advantage. It alludes to the second religious conversion, back to Catholicism, by Henry of Navarre, who underwent it in order to become a king, Henry IV of France, on 25 July 1593. "Mass" here refers to Catholic liturgy, and describes either an obligation of a good Catholic to attend the mass regularly, or a particular mass that involves the coronation. While the attribution of this wit to Henry himself is apocryphal, the historians agree that the motives for his conversion were indeed almost entirely political.