Sulpice, the French ambassador at Madrid, | his German auxiliaries, and laid down his whilst negotiating the interview, covertly, arms, retired into Rochelle with the Proyet intelligibly, states the political object;* testant princes and the other chiefs. The it should not be presumed that Catherine Huguenots were suspicious, vigilant, and was idle because no overt act appeared; sagacious, and the grand difficulty remainand Davila expressly asserts, that her fre- ed of luring them from their strong-hold quent attempts during this interval to in- into the toils of the court. After some time veigle the Huguenots were frustrated by passed in preliminary masked movements, the difficulty of the enterprise, and failure Charles commenced his grand and decisive or treachery of the agents employed.† manœuvre early in 1571. The queen of The first scene of the drama which Navarre was at Rochelle. Marshal Biron closed with so fearful a catastrophe, ap- arrived there, to propose, in the name of pears to have been the pacification of 1570. Charles, the marriage of his celebrated Charles IX. was then only in his 21st year. sister Margaret with Henry of Bourbon, Catherine, who well knew how deeply she prince of Navarre. The character of the was herself distrusted by the Huguenots, negotiator inspired confidence, and he was put forward the young king as the chief unconscious of deceit. His proposal inperformer. His youth and temperament flamed the ambition, touched the affections, combined, made him a proper instrument and disturbed the ideas of the Huguenot to deceive and to destroy. Open and im- chiefs and the queen of Navarre, but withpetuous in seeming, he was treacherous out yet quieting their suspicions, or divertand ferocious in reality; and his mother ing them from their purpose. Jeanne had cultivated these auspicious dispositions, d'Albret, the widow of a weak prince, had by placing about his person court adepts the rigid fanaticism of a Huguenot, an exin vice and crime, who_familiarized his perienced masculine capacity for public afmind with falsehood, and his sense with fairs, and a parent's views of ambition for the spectacle of blood. The coarsest rib- her son. Recoiling with sectarian antipathy aldries graced his ordinary conversation; from the idea of his marrying a lady who to serve his purpose, he made light of im- invoked saints and went to mass, she yet precations and his oath; he amused his saw the brilliant advantages which the leisure or displayed his prowess by killing marriage held out to him, and asked time brute animals, from rabbits which he for consultation with the theologians of her knocked on the head with a club, to pigs communion.†† A separate temptation was and asses which the royal executioner de- thrown out to the admiral, in the pretended collated with his sword at a blow. He had resolution of Charles to take part with the a mistress; but neither the beauty of Marie Flemings against Philip II.‡‡ This was a Touchet nor the profligate gallantries of measure upon which he had set his heart his mother's court, could seduce or soften both as a Frenchman and as a religionist. a heart so atrocious. In fine, the crocodile, Charles desired his presence at court, not the tiger, and Charles IX., seemed formed only to assist in the affair of the marriage, for their respective destinations in the in- but to advise on the means of aiding the scrutable order of nature and the moral prince of Orange. world. The queen of Navarre could not yet If the court gave peace in order to com- conquer her aversion; and Coligny was pass its ends by secret practice after force not yet deserted by his prudence. Minor had failed, the Huguenots accepted it in discussions and fresh solicitations, the reorder to establish themselves more firmly sult of casual incidents, or of a profound and securely at Rochelle, which, with under-current of design and intrigue, ocsome other strong places, they retained as cupied the remainder of the year, and a guarantee.** Čoligny, having dismissed brought the Huguenots gradually nearer to the court and to their doom. Whilst, "En que s'accordans si bien les deux plus if it may be so expressed, the angel of grands princes de l'Europe, aussi seraient induicts et contraincts leurs subjects à leur rendre l'obéissance destruction hovered over their heads, they due."-Dispatch of St. Gouard to Charles IX., dated abandoned themselves in the security of 16th Feb. 1564. MSS. Bib. du Roi. † Dav. Stor. del Guer. Civ. in Fran. lib. v. Brantôme, Mém. Charles IX. Lettres à Coligny (Vie de Coligny, par l'Abbé Perau, et apud Thuan. lib. iii.). § Mém de P. l'Est. Lettres de la Reine de Navarre (Vie de Coligny, par l'Abbé Perau). Brantôme. ¶ Papirius Masso, Vita Caroli IX. Brant. **"Faisants (the Huguenots) alors bien estat de faire entre eux tous une plus ferme union et bonne correspondance que jamais, et establir par leur continuelle résidence en cette ville (Rochelle) un solide peace to the pleasures of society and the endearments of the domestic hearth. Rochelle exchanged the stern aspect of a state of war for bridal ensigns and nuptial festivities. The marriage of the prince of fondement à leurs affaires."-Sully, Econ. Roy, edit. orig. folio. †† Mém. de l'Estat. Thuan. Hist. lib. 1. "Quo magis Colinio salivam moverent.' -.. Thuan. Hist. lib. 1. * Condé was arranged, but not immediately Montmorency by letter, and marshal De solemnized. The admiral gave his daughter Cosse in person. The admiral confided in in marriage to Teligny, a young man, the consanguinity and friendship of the one, brought up under his eye, in whom the and in the character of the other. His pruwant of fortune was compensated by vir-dence gave way, and he proceeded to Blois, tue, talents, and a character the most en- where Charles and Catherine then held gaging. His own marriage might figure their court. Coligny knelt, and protested in a romance. The countess d'Entremont, with an exaggerated and unworthy selfheiress of one of the first houses of Savoy, abasement, at the feet of a sovereign against captivated by his reputation, declared that whom he had three times rebelled. Charles she would be the Marcia of the modern raised the rebel, whom he must have hated; Cato, set out from Savoy in defiance of caressed him with every demonstration of an edict of the duke, by which her estates respect and tenderness; and, repeatedly became forfeit, arrived at Rochelle, was calling him "father," used one of those exreceived by Coligny as she merited, and pressions of double intent, by which, as became his wife. perhaps in the massacre of the rabbits, his Persecution had made the Huguenots a ferocity compounded with his dissimuladistinct people-in war enemies, in peace tion:-"We have you, and you shall not aliens in the bosom of their country. escape from us."¶ Coligny, now loaded They still looked to Rochelle as their seat with court honors, flattered with the conof government. A deputation from Rouen fidence of the king, an unconscious victim announced that a sanguinary outrage had decorated and bound for sacrifice, was made been committed by the Catholics upon the an instrument, by Charles, to bring to court Protestants of that city. The council of the Huguenot chiefs, and the queen of Rochelle sent deputies, among whom were Navarre. That strong-minded woman, afthe admiral's son-in-law and the celebrated ter three months' resistance to the persuaLanoue, to Charles for redress. Count sions of Coligny, and solicitations of Charles Louis, of Nassau, brother of the prince of and Catherine, arrived at Blois in February, Orange, joined this deputation in disguise, 1572, with a train of friends, and an ominfor the purpose of conferring secretly with ous presentiment of treachery or disaster.** Charles, at his request, on the subject of the "Have I not played my part well?" said war in Flanders. Charles received the dep- Charles, on a particular occasion, to his uties at Fontenai-la-Brie, in what they mother. Yes," said his mother; "but called "the most gracious manner," -a to commence is nothing, unless you go prostitute court phrase, not yet become through." Madame," said he, with an obsolete; promised ample justice; and pro- oath, "leave it to me: I will net them for ceeded with his mother and a few chosen you, every one."+t 66 confidants to confer privately with count From this moment the Huguenots seem Louis at the castle of Lumigny. The count to have rushed headlong to their fate. But urged the policy, and suggested the means, the designs of the court encountered obof aiding the Flemings. Charles listened, stacles from another quarter. The plot approved, and promised, but expressed his was confined to Catherine, Charles, and desire to consult personally with the ad- the court cabal, called the secret council.‡‡ miral, upon whom he proposed conferring It was thought prudent to leave the courts the chief command. The deputies, charm- of Spain and Rome in the dark, whatever ed with their reception and success, re-momentary embarrassment might arise. turned to Rochelle. The Huguenots had everywhere their A slight but curious incident at the emissaries or friends; and the conspirators castle of Lumigny should have warned knew all would be cleared up satisfactorily them of the character, if not the designs, by the result. So eager and active was of Charles. He gave orders, in their pres- Coligny in pressing the measure of aiding ence, "to turn out the rabbits from their the prince of Orange, that Charles could burrow, that he might have the pleasure of killing them," and he executed this burlesque and barbarous rehearsal of the massacre of St. Bartholomew before their eyes. Teligny was charged by Charles with a letter to the admiral, earnestly desiring his presence and advice at court. These solicitations were repeated through marshal | Dav. lib. v. T Thuan, lib. 1. Mém. de l'Estat. **Lettres de la Reine de Navarre à son Fils; (apud Perau, Vie de Coligny). Laboureur, Mém. de Cast. †† Mém de l'Estat. Sully, Econ. Royal. Thuan. Hist. Capilupi, lo Stratagema, &c. Davila, Stor. &c. The secret council comprised Nevers, Retz, Birague, Tavanes, Anjou, at various stages up to the massa cre. Catherine, upon some questions, consulted or SS Dav. Stor. lib. v. not, without discovering himself, prevent | tugal to France, avert the war with Spain, the expedition of the count de Nassau. prevent the heretical marriage, and propose The capture of Mons by the count startled the king of Portugal for the husband of Philip and the duke of Alva. General dis- Margaret. Charles received the legate avowals, and imperfect explanations, from with the most flattering distinctions, preCharles and Catherine, could not satisfy sented him a diamond ring, which he took them Alva suspected treachery on the from his own finger, repeated the assurance part of his confederate of Bayonne. "If," of his pure intentions, said, in a tone myssaid he, to the French envoy," the queen teriously significant, that "he wished he sends me flowers of Florence, I will send could speak out, but his holiness would her in return thistles of Spain."* The son one day be the first to praise his zeal and of the duke of Alva laid siege to Mons. piety;"** and, according to an authority Coligny urged Charles to relieve the be- which it seems impossible to reject, even sieged, and offered the services of 3000 declared that he adopted this only mode gentlemen of his party. Charles took a list left him of avenging himself upon the of the principal names, desired that those Huguenots. The legate declined the who were absent should repair to Paris, present; the pope still peremptorily reand mentioned the offer to marshal Tav-fused his dispensation; the marriage treaty anes.- -"Sire," said the courtier and mas- proceeded in avowed defiance of his holisacrer, in reply, "the subject who offered ness, and the Huguenots were confirmed in you what was already your own should their fatal security. lose his head." Genlis, a Huguenot officer Was Charles, as some assert, really subof distinction, proceeded to the relief of dued by the ascendency of Coligny, or did Mons with 3000 or 4000 volunteers, who the arch-dissembler revel in hypocrisy and were cut in pieces or made prisoners by his triumph? He privately told the admiral Alva, in consequence of secret notice of that he would henceforth be his own masthe expedition given to him from the French ter, and desired that their plans against the court. When the news of this disaster king of Spain should be concealed from his reached Paris, Charles made a masterly mother. Coligny suggested the difficulty display of feigned sorrow. The pope, on of escaping her penetration, and the adthe other hand, refused a dispensation for vantages to be derived from her wisdom.— the marriage of Margaret and Henry, be-"Father, you mistake," said Charles: "she tween whom there was a double impedi- is the greatest mar-plot on earth." He proment of kindred and religion. Charles, in nounced his council unworthy of his conexplanation, admitted that his reception of fidence, passing them individually in rethe admiral might appear strange to many view with a contemptuous running comwho had not a complete insight into his in- mentary. Even the pope was mentioned tentions; expressed his hope that the pope by him in a tone of disrespectful familiarity. did not suspect any diminution of his true" My aunt," said he to the queen of Napiety and ardent zeal for the Catholic re- varre, "I honor you more than the pope, ligion; protested that all his wishes tended and I love my sister more than I fear him. to repair the ravages which "our sins had I am no Huguenot, but I am no fool neither; brought upon the church of God;" and and if Mr. Pope does not mend his manwished his heart could be read with the ners, I will myself give away Margery in natural eye, to show that it was as clear full conventicle." He manifested all this and pure as could be wished. With re- time, in his savage amusements and rude spect to the marriage, he said, it was coun- court pranks, the most buoyant spirits and selled by those who always had the first most careless humor. TT The clear-sighted place in his confidence (no doubt, meaning the queen-mother), as the best expedient to give peace to his kingdom, and bring over the prince of Navarre "to our holy mother church."|| Pius V., who had much to do with kings, and put little trust in them, not sador; but, in a subsequent letter, desired that it satisfied with these assurances, ordered the should not be given, as then it would be thrown legate, Alessandrino, to proceed from Por-away; probably because Pius V., uncle of the legate, T Capilupi, Stratagema. Davil. Stor. lib. v. **Capil. Strat. Catena, apud Thuan, lib. li. tt Letters of Cardinal Ossat, eited by Mr. Allen in his Reply." See Appendix B. Charles sent it after him to the French ambas had just died. Charles to Ferralz. MSS. Bib. du Roi. See Appendix C. & Mém. de P. l'Est. Thuan. lib. iii. "Ma tante, je vous honore plus que le pape, et aime plus ma sœur que je ne le crains. Je ne suis pas Huguenot, mais je ne suis pas sot aussi. Si monsieur le pape fait trop la beste, je prendrai moimême Margot par la main, et la meneray espouser en pleine prêche." -Mém de l'Estat. TT" Le roy ne parust jamais avec un esprit plus libre et plus enjoue. Il se divertissait à mille folas Walsingham, then ambassador in France, The opportune succession of Gregory speaks of him in one letter as " wholly XIII. to the inflexible Pius promised faciligiven up to pleasure;" and expresses in ties for obtaining a dispensation. Charles another his hopes of "the king's revolt instructed his ambassador Ferralz to exfrom papistry."* Catherine, at the same press to the new pontiff the assurance of time, had scenes of violent jealousy and his good intentions in the marriage; his pathetic reconciliation, real or pretended, confidence that between Henry's docility with her son. She at moments entered and deference to him, and "his being on into the views of Coligny against Spain, his part not asleep to the means of giving the better to deceive him, or from her real peace to his kingdom," he should make him unsteadiness, and accounted for her new a Catholic; and, in fine, his resolution, if disposition, by having recently discovered the dispensation were refused, to have the that Philip II. had poisoned her dear marriage solemnized without it. Gregdaughter Elizabeth.‡ ory sent a conditional dispensation, the The treaty of marriage was signed at terms of which could not be complied with, Blois on the 11th of April. But a new and the cardinal de Bourbon refused to perquestion arose. Charles proposed that it form the ceremony. Charles became imshould be solemnized in the capital. The patient of delay; spoke of the cardinal's queen of Navarre and her friends objected superstitious scruples with contempt;‡‡ to Paris, where the Catholics were all-commanded Mandelot, governor of Lypowerful, the Huguenots hated, and the ons, to stop, as of his own authority, every populace devoted to the Guises. Charles courier to and from Italy for the next four insisted and prevailed; and the queen of days after the receipt of his orders, and Navarre, on the 15th of May, set out for overcame the objections of the cardinal by Paris, where she died in a few days, of fatigue, vexation, and regret.§ means of a forged letter, announcing, in the name of the French ambassador at The admiral meantime visited his family Rome, that a regular dispensation was on at the castle of Châtillon. Counsels and its way, and the marriage meantime might remonstrances against trusting himself in be solemnized.|||| Paris reached him from various quarters. The ceremony took place on the 18th of He rejected all advice, and even angrily August, in a temporary building adjoining rebuked his friends.|| "Rather," said he, the cathedral of Notre-Dame,-for the "than renew the horrors of civil war, I rigid Huguenots would not enter the would be dragged a corpse through the church. A strangely mingled turmoil of streets of Paris;" and the alternative nuptial revelry and murderous deliberation which he thus supposed was one of the immediately followed. The same personleast shocking indignities which awaited ages figured one moment at a banquet, a him. Similar warnings were conveyed in masque, or a tournament, and were sitting vain to Henry, called, since the death of the next hour in secret conclave upon the his mother, king of Navarre.** shedding of blood. The medley of bigotry and gaiety, gallantry and barbarity, sensuter les gentilhommes et les demoiselles dans leurs ality and carnage, which characterized the tres passetemps, se levait de grand matin pour fouet licts."-Mezeray, Charles IX. * Digges. † Mém. de Tav. Père Daniel, Hist. de France. Mém. de Pierre l'Estoile. In a letter from Cathe rine to the French ambassador at Venice (MSS. Bib. du Roi), she instructs him to say, that the king her son will avenge the death of her daughter Elizabeth on the king of Spain. French court at this period, presents, says a philosophic historian, the most fantastic picture ever exhibited of the contradictions of the human species.¶¶ 66 Two days after the marriage, Coligny complained to Charles of some outrage offered to the Huguenots of a provincial town. Father," said Charles impatiently, give me but four days to divert myself, and, on the word of a king, you and those of your religion shall no longer complain ;"*** and this atrocious equivocation passed for good faith upon Coligny. § There was a groundless story of her being poisoned with perfumed gloves by the queenmother's Italian perfumer. Margaret of Valois relates, in her Memoirs, an anecdote which illus. trates humorously the extent to which court dis simulation was carried. Margaret made a visit of ceremony to the remains of the queen of Navarre, attended by the duchess of Nevers, between whom and the deceased there was a mutual and mortal hatred. "La duchesse," says Margaret, part de duke of Guise was attended by a numerous nostre trouppe, et apres plusieurs belles hunibles et armed and devoted train of friends and degrandes reverences s'approche de son lit, et luy prenant la main la luy baise; puis avec une grande reverence pleine de respect, se met auprès de nous." Thuan. lib. lii. ¶ Ibid. ** Henry IV. related, that whilst he was engaged at play with the dukes of Alençon and Guise, a few days before St. Bartholomew's eve, the dice appeared dotted with blood, and filled the players with consternation. This optical phenomenon, produced by the accident of a certain angle between the black The dots on the dice and the sun's rays, was recorded ‡‡ Thuan. lib. lii. §§ MSS. Bib. du Roi. pendants. Charles proposed to Coligny, of Paris by force or stratagem, was overthat, to overawe the Guises, the regiment ruled, and exclaimed, "Perish who will by of guards should be brought into the cap- the rascally rabble of Paris, I reserve myital. The admiral gratefully assented to a self for better fortune," took up or resumed measure, of which his own safety appeared his quarters in the suburb beyond the the object.* Seine, T and escaped the massacre. On the 22d of August, as Coligny walk- The great body of the Huguenots shut ed slowly from the Louvre towards his their eyes and ears,** and submitted like house, looking over a paper which had men under a spell. Meanwhile the secret been put into his hand, Maurevel, a noted conclave round Charles and Catherine was assassin, called "the king's slayer," lying choosing between counsels distinguished in wait for him in a house belonging to a from each other only by gradations of the dependant of the duke of Guise, discharged horrible. One is stated to have been, that an arquebuse loaded with two bullets, one the Montmorencies should be massacred of which wounded Coligny in the right with the admiral and his friends; another, hand, the other in the left arm. The proposed secretly to the queen, was that wounded admiral having pointed with un- the Guises, after having exterminated disturbed tranquillity to the place whence those two factions, should in their turn be the arquebuse was fired, sent to inform the exterminated by the court. The sublimate king, and walked to his house, leaning on perfidy of the latter counsel was thought two attendants. Charles was playing at hazardous or impracticable; the Montmotennis with the duke of Guise when the rencies were saved by the fortunate or message reached him. He dashed his prudent absence of the marshal, who would racket against the ground, exclaiming survive to avenge them; and the duke of with an oath, "Shall I never have peace?" Guise, who never supposed that his own whilst Guise walked quietly out of the fate was in the balance, was charged with tennis court. Meanwhile the assassin, the execution. mounted on a fleet horse from the royal Guise had long been the favored lover stable, escaped through the port St. An- of Margaret of Valois, and regarded Cotoine. ligny as his father's assassin. Having made Coligny's wounds were so dangerous as his dispositions, he awaited the signal with to threaten death. He expressed a wish to the impatient vengeance of one who had see the king, for the purpose of giving him been robbed by the Huguenots of a father a faithful subject's dying counsel. Charles and a mistress. But as the fearful moment came with his mother and a train of cour- drew near, resolution or his nerves began tiers, heard the advice of Coligny, comfort- to fail Charles. His frame trembled, and ed him with such expressions of sympathy, cold drops stood upon his brow.ft The reas Father, the wound is yours, but the lentless Catherine, supported by Anjou, pain is mine;" and commanded, within Nevers, Birague, Retz, and Tavanes, workthirty hours, the execution of a massacre ed upon his pride, his vengeance, and his which should begin with the trusting and fears; and he told them with an oath not already dying man, to whom he had thus to leave a Huguenot to reproach him. expressed condolence, and promised jus- Catherine ordered the tocsin to sound on tice, at his bedside. the instant. It was two in the morning. A 66 The populace manifested symptoms of vague tumultuous preparatory stir attractviolence. Coligny, upon being informed, ed the notice of some Protestant gentlesent to Charles for half-a-dozen royal arch- men residing in the palace, or in the quarers to protect his house from insult; of ter of the Louvre. They went out to indanger he had no thought. Charles and quire the cause, and were speared to death. the duke of Anjou, who was present when Guise, Aumale, and the bastard of Angouthe message was communicated, forced lême, went to the house of the admiral. upon Cornaton, the messenger, a guard of The treacherous Cosseins demanded and fifty men, commanded by Cosseins, a de- obtained admission in the king's name; voted partisan of the Guises and enemy of T Two other officers had obtained the admiral's Coligny. All Catholics were ordered to leave to retire, even before he was wounded. Upon evacuate, and the Protestants to occupy, his asking their motive, one answered, “You are the quarter in which he resided, under too much caressed here;" the other said, in reply to the same pretence of regard for his safety. The Vidame de Chartres alone suspected treachery, proposed to remove Coligny out the admiral's reasonings, "I would rather be saved with fools, than perish with the wise." **Hæc et alia indicia et passim sparsi susurri, nisi mens læva fuisset, ad admonendos Protestantes satis essent, tamen constanti dissimulatione regis effectum est ut Colinius et Telinius, nibil inclementius aut tale quicquam de ejus animo sibi persuadere possent."-Thuan. Hist. lib. lii. tt Thuan. lib. lii. Mezeray, Hist. de France, Charles IX. |