History of the Rise of the Huguenots Volume I Part 38

[Footnote 628: Besides the accounts of the disastrous battle of St.

Quentin given by the Memoires of Rabutin, Coligny and other contemporaries, and by De Thou and other historians of a somewhat later date, the graphic narrative of its incidents contained in Prescott's Reign of Philip the Second (lib. i., c. vii.) is well worthy of perusal.]

[Footnote 629: Prescott, i. 240, note.]

[Footnote 630: "Comme feu soubs la cendre." Recueil gen. des anc. lois fr., xiii. 134.]

[Footnote 631: By an unpardonable negligence, Mr. Browning places the "affaire de la rue St. Jacques" before the battle of St. Quentin, in the month of May, 1557. History of the Huguenots, i. 45.]

[Footnote 632: A contemporary account of the affair by the reformer Knox, dated Dieppe, Dec. 7, 1557, although it adds little to our knowledge of the incidents, is of considerable interest. I cite a few sentences: "Almost in everie notabill Citie within France thair be a.s.semblit G.o.dlie Congregationis of sic as refusit all societie with the sinagoge of Sathan, so were (and yit are) dyvers Congregationis in Paris, and kirkis having thair learnit ministeris for preishing Chrystis Evangell, and for trew ministratioun of the halie Sacramentis inst.i.ted be him. The brute whairof being spred abrod, great search was maid for thair aprehensioun, and at lenth, according to the pre-disingnit consall of oure G.o.d, who hath apoynt.i.t the memberis to be lyke to the heid, the bludthirstie wolves did violentlie rusche in amongis a portioun of Chrystis simpill lambis. For thois h.e.l.l-houndis of Sorbonistis, accompanyit with the rascall pepill, and with sum sergeantis maid apt for thair purpois, did so furiouslie invade a halie a.s.semblie convenit (nye the number of four hundreth personis) to celebrat the memorie of oure Lordis deth," etc. Printed from MS. volume in possession of Dr.

McCrie, in David Laing's Works of John Knox (Edinb., 1855), iv. 299.]

[Footnote 633: "As ravisching wolves rageing for blood, murderit sum, oppressit all, and schamfullie intreat.i.t both men and wemen of great blude and knawin honestie." Knox, _ubi supra_, p. 300.]

[Footnote 634: Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., i. 73-75. This detailed and most authentic account is taken verbatim from that of Crespin, which may be read in the Galerie chretienne, ii. 253-259; De la Place (ed.

Pantheon lit.), p. 4; De Thou, v. 530. Claude Haton gives a story which bears but a faint resemblance to the truth--the mingled result of imperfect information and prejudice. Memoires, i. 51-53.]

[Footnote 635: "And yit is not this the end and chief point of thair malice; for thai, as children of thair father, wha is the autour of all lies, incontinent did spread a most schamfull and horribill sclander, to wit, that thai convenit upon the nycht for no uthir cause but to satisfie the filthie l.u.s.tis of the flesche." Knox, _ubi supra_, p. 300.

For an unfriendly account of the pretended orgies, see Claude Haton (Mem.), i. 49-51.]

[Footnote 636: Foul play was even employed, in addition to barbarous treatment, if Knox was rightly informed: "But theis cruell tirantis and privie murdereris, as thai have permitt.i.t libertie of toung to none, sa by poysone haif thai murderit dyvers in prisone." Knox, _ubi supra_.]

[Footnote 637: Henry ordered parliament to try the accused by a commission consisting of two presidents and sixteen counsellors, and enjoined that this matter should take precedence of all others. Hist.

eccles des egl. ref., _ubi infra_; Crespin, _ubi infra_.]

[Footnote 638: The courageous words of Philippine de Luns, when she was bidden to give her tongue to have it cut off, were long remembered: "Since I bemoan not my body," said she, "shall I bemoan my tongue?" Beza alludes to her as "matrona quaedam et genere et pietate valde n.o.bilis, fidem ad extremum usque spiritum professa signis omnibus, quum, abscisa lingua et _ardente face pudendis ipsius turp.i.s.sime ac crudelissime injecta_, torreretur." Beza ad Turicenses (inhabitants of Zurich), Nov.

24, 1557; given in Baum, App. to vol. i. 501; Hist. eccles., i. 82. A courtier, the Marquis of Trans, son-in-law of the keeper of the seals, was not ashamed to ask for and obtain the confiscation of her estates, in violation of the provision of the late Edict of Compiegne, "que plusieurs trouverent mauvais." De la Place, Commentaires de l'estat de la religion et republique, soubs les rois Henry et Francois Seconds et Charles Neufviesme, p. 4.]

[Footnote 639: Beza to Farel, Nov. 11, 1557, Baum, i. 490.]

[Footnote 640: The Scotch reformer, John Knox, being detained by unfavorable tidings at Dieppe, on his return from Geneva, not only devoted himself to visiting and strengthening his persecuted brethren in France (M'Crie, Life of Knox, i. 202; Brandes, J. Knox, Elberfeld, 1862, p. 136), but had the Apology of the Parisian Protestants translated into English, himself adding the prefatory remarks, from which several quotations have been made above. The treatise seems never to have been printed until the present century, the probable reason, according to Mr.

Laing, being the subsequent release of so many of the prisoners as survived.]

[Footnote 641: "Jusques icy ceulx qui out este appelez au martyre ont este _contemptibles au monde_, tant pour la _qualite_ de leurs personnes, que pource que le _nombre_ n'a pas este si grand pour ung coup. Que scavons-nous s'il a desja appreste une issue telle qu'il y aura de quoy nous esjouir et le glorifier au double?" Letter of Calvin, Sept 16, 1557. Bonnet, Lett. fr. de Calv., ii. 139-145.]

[Footnote 642: Calvin aux eglises de Lausanne, de Mouden, et de Payerne, Ibid., ii. 150, 151.]

[Footnote 643: The MS. letter of Beza and his companions to the "Seigneurs" of Berne (to whom their allies had referred the entire matter, in order to obviate all delay), dated Basle, Sept. 27, 1557, is in the archives of Berne, and has been printed for the first time in the Bulletin, xvii. (April, 1868) 164-166. The writers urge the utmost haste, both for the sake of the prisoners of Paris and of some other Protestants confined in the dungeons of Dijon.]

[Footnote 644: This was particularly the advice of the friendly Count George of Montbeliard, as recorded by Beza: "Comes fuit in ea sententia, ut, dum Helvetii priores c.u.m rege agerent, sollicitaremus alios etiam Germanos principes, ac praesertim eos, a quibus _Pharao_ ille nova auxilia hoc ipso tempore postularet." Letter to Zurich, Nov. 24, 1557, Baum, i. 495.]

[Footnote 645: "Par la response que le roy fit dernierement aux deputes que les seigneurs des cantons de Zurich, Berne, Basle et Schaffouse, ses tres-chers et bons amys envoyerent par deca a la requeste de ceulx de la vallee d'Angrogne, pour le faict de la religion, Sa Majeste estimoit que les dicts seigneurs des dicts cantons se contenteroient et ne prendroient plus d'occasion de renvoyer devers luy pour semblable cause, comme ils ont faict les seigneurs Johan Escher, Jean Wyss, Jacob Gtz et Louys Oechsly, presens porteurs ... ce que le dict seigneur a trouve un pen estrange, pour la consideration qu'il a tousiours eue envers les dicts seigneurs des cantons et aultres ses amys de ne s'empescher ni soulcier des choses qui touchent l'administration de leurs Estats, ni la justice de leurs subiets, ainsi qu'il luy semble qu'ils doibvent [faire]

envers luy, _priant les dicts seigneurs des dicts cantons estre contans de doresnavant ne se donner peine de ce qu'il fera et executera en son royaulme, et moings au faict de la religion, qu'il veult et a delibere d'observer et suivre, telle que ses predecesseurs et luy (comme roys tres-chrestiens) ont faict par le pa.s.se, et contenir ses dicts subiects en icelle, dont il n'a a rendre compte a aultre que a Dieu_, par l'aide, bonte et protection duquel il s'a.s.seure maintenir son dict royaulme en estat, en la tranquillite et prosperite la ou il a este jusques icy."

Reponse du roi. The Swiss envoys were intrusted on their return with a letter from the Cardinal of Lorraine to the magistrates of the Protestant cantons, full as usual of honeyed words. It closed with these words: "Priant Dieu, Messieurs, vous donner ce que plus desyrez. De Sainct-Germain en Laye, le 6^e jour de novembre 1557. Vostre meilleur voysin et amy, Cardinal de Lorraine." This was pretty fair dissembling even for the smooth tongue of the arch-persecutor of the Huguenots. It must be confessed, however, that the sheep's clothing never seemed to fit him well; the wolfish foot or the bloodthirsty jaws had an irresistible propensity to show themselves. The letter of the cantons, the king's reply, and Lorraine's letter, from the MSS. in the archives of Basle, are printed in the Bulletin de la Societe de l'hist. du prot.

francais, xvii. 164-167.]

[Footnote 646: Baum, Theodor Beza, i. 317; Heppe, Leben Theod. Beza, 52-58.]

[Footnote 647: "Ab eo tempore (Oct. 23d) audimus perlectis Palatini literis datas aliquas judiciorum inducias." Beza's letter of Nov. 24th, _ubi supra_. It is not improbable that the interference of Henry's allies had some salutary effect, in spite of the rough answer they received. Hist. eccles. des eglises ref., i. 84, which, however, says nothing of the reply to the Swiss.]

[Footnote 648: Beza, letter of Nov. 24, 1557, _ubi supra_. See a letter of Calvin to this n.o.blewoman (Dec. 8, 1557), Lettres franc. (Bonnet), ii. 159.]

[Footnote 649: Hist. eccles., i. 84.]

[Footnote 650: Calvin to Bullinger, Bonnet (Eng. tr.), iii. 411; Baum, i. 317, 318.]

[Footnote 651: Histoire ecclesiastique des eglises reformees, i. 78.]

[Footnote 652: Cf. the anonymous letter to Henry the Second, inserted in La Place, Commentaires de l'estat de la religion et republique (ed.

Pantheon Litteraire), p. 5; and in Crespin (see Galerie chretienne, ii.

246).]

[Footnote 653: Guise's glory was, according to parliament, in registering (Feb. 15th) the king's gift to him of the "maison des marchands" at Calais, "d'avoir expugne une place et conquis un pays que depuis deux cens ans homme n'avoit non seulement entrepris de faict, mais ne compris en l'esprit." Reg. of Parliament, _apud_ Memoires de Guise, p. 422.]

[Footnote 654: De Thou, ii. 549-552; Prescott, Philip the Second, i.

255-257.]

[Footnote 655: Hist. eccles. i. 87, 88.]

[Footnote 656: In Normandy the burdens imposed by the war indirectly favored the growth of Protestantism. "The troubles of religion were great in this kingdom during the year 1558," writes a quaint local antiquarian. "The common people was pretty easily seduced. Moreover, the 'imposts' and 'subsidies' were so excessive that, in many villages, no a.s.sessments of 'tailles' were laid; the 't.i.thes' (on ecclesiastical property) were so high that the curates and vicars fled away, through fear of being imprisoned, and divine service ceased to be said in a large number of parishes adjoining this city of Caen: as in the villages of Plumetot, Periers, Sequeville, Puto, Soliers, and many others. Seeing which, some preachers who had come out of Geneva took possession of the temples and churches." Les Recherches et Antiquitez de la ville de Caen, par Charles de Bourgueville, sieur du lieu, etc. Caen, 1588. Pt. ii.

162.]

[Footnote 657: Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., i. 89.]

[Footnote 658: The letter, dated March 19th, is reproduced in the Galerie chret., abridgment of Crespin, ii. 266-269. Melanchthon wrote, in the name of the theologians a.s.sembled at Worms, an earnest appeal to the same monarch, on the 1st of Dec, 1557. Opera Mel. (Bretschneider), ix. 383-385.]

[Footnote 659: Hist. eccles., i. 89. Galerie chretienne, ii. 270.]

[Footnote 660: See Dulaure's plan of Paris under Francis I. Hist. de Paris, Atlas.]

[Footnote 661: The date is fixed as well by the Reg. of Parliament (cf.

_infra_), as by a pa.s.sage in a letter of Calvin to the Marquis of Vico, of July 19, 1558 (Lettres franc., Bonnet, ii. 212), in which the psalm-singing is alluded to as having occurred "about two months ago"--"il y a environ deux moys."]

[Footnote 662: De Thou, ii. 578.]

[Footnote 663: Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., i. 90. How large a body of Parisians took part in these demonstrations appears from the Registers of Parliament. On the 17th of May, 1558, the Bishop of Paris reported to parliament that he had given orders to find out "les autheurs des a.s.semblees qui se sont faictes _ces jours icy, tant au pre aux Clercs, que par les rues de cette ville de Paris, et a grandes troupes de personnes, tant escolliers, gentilshommes, damoiselles que autres chantans a haute voix chansons et pseaumes de David en Francois_." On the following day the procureur general was directed to inquire into the "monopoles, conventicules et a.s.sembees illicites, qui _se font chacun jour en divers quartiers et fauxbourgs de cette ville de Paris_, tant d'hommes que de femmes, dont la pluspart sont en armes, et chantent publiquement a haute voix chansons concernant le faict de la religion, et tendant a sedition et commotion populaire, et perturbation du repos et tranquillite publique." Reg. of Parl., _apud_ Felibien, Hist. de Paris, Preuves, iv. 783. The charge of carrying arms seems to have been true only so far that the "gentilshommes" wore their swords as usual.]

[Footnote 664: La Place, Commentaires de l'estat, etc., p. 9; De Thou, ii. 563.]

[Footnote 665: Hist. eccles. de Bretagne depuis la reformation jusqu'a l'edit de Nantes, par Philippe Le Noir, Sieur de Crevain. Published from the MS. in the library of Rennes, by B. Vaurigaud, Nantes, 1851, 2-17.]

[Footnote 666: Hist. eccles. des egl. ref., i. 91.]

[Footnote 667: Ib., _ubi supra_.]

[Footnote 668: De Thou, ii. 566, 567; Hist. eccles., _ubi supra_; La Place, Commentaires de l'estat, pp. 9, 10; Calvin, Lettres franc. (July 19th), ii. 212, 213.]

[Footnote 669: The closing words of this letter, written probably in May, 1558, and published for the first time in the Bull. de la Soc. de l'hist. du prot. fr. (1854), iii. 243-245, from the MS. belonging to the late Col. Henri Tronchin, are so brave and so loyal, that the reader will readily excuse their insertion: "Et ce que je vous demande, Sire, n'est point, graces a Dieu, pour crainte de la mort, et moins encore pour desir que j'aye de recouvrer ma liberte, car je n'ay rien si cher que je n'abandonne fort voluntiers pour le salut de mon ame et la gloire de mon Dieu. Mais, toutefois, la perplexite ou je suis de vous vouloir satisfaire et rendre le service que je vous doibs, et ne le pouvoir faire en cela avec seurete de ma conscience, me travaille et serre le cueur tellement que pour m'en delivrer j'ay este contrainct de vous faire ceste tres humble requeste."]