'• - . r ADMIRAL COLIGNY, RISE OF THE HUGUENOTS. BY THE Rev. WM. M. BLACKBURN, Professor of Biblical and Ecclesiastical History in the Theological Seminart OF the North-west, and author of " William 1'arel," " Ulrich Zwinuli," " Youso Calvin in Paris," <tc. Vol. II. PHILADELPHIA: PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 821 CHESTNUT STREET. Eiitered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, In the Clerk's Office of the District Conrt of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Wbstcott & TnoMSOtr, Steheotypess, Fhilada. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. OMENS OF WOE. PAUE Catherine and Charles IX. make a Journej'—Harsher Edicts—Car- dinal of Lorraine Enters Paris—Coligny Summoned—Plots against Jeanne d'Albret 7 CHAPTER 11. THE BAYONXE CONFERENCE. Designs of Spain —Huguenots Suspicious—Assembly at Moulins— The Second Civil War—Peace of Longjumeau 35 CHAPTER III. THE admiral's colonies. In Brazil and in Florida—Treason and Spanish Cruelties—The Terrible Revenge of Gourges 75 CHAPTER IV. MARCHES FOR LIFE. Death of Madame Coligny—Huguenots in Danger—Flight from Noyers to La Rochelle—New Base of Operations—Gathering of the Leaders 99 3 4 CONTENTS. CHAPTEK V. NEW FIELDS OF STRIFE. PAGE Jarnac—Cond^ Slain—Papal Joy—Andelot Dies—William of Or- ange Conies 135 CHAPTER VI. WOES IN THE SOUTH. ilontgomery Scourges the Rebel Barons of Beam —Coligny Out- lawed—A Price Set on his Head—Violent Deeds—Protestants of Nisnies—Outrages at Orleans—Battle of Moneontour 157 CHAPTER VII. coligny's grand march. Passes through Montauban, Toulouse, Nismes and Burgundy—La Noue holds the South-west—Coligny Threatens Paris—Treaty of Peace— Motives 186 CHAPTER VIII. NEW ALLIANCES. Huguenot Chiefs at La Rochelle—Seventh National Synod—Co- ligny again at Court—In great Favour with the King 220 CHAPTER IX. THE WOOING AND THE WAR IN FLANDERS. Much Depends on Two Schemes—Jeanne d'Albret Goes to Paris and Dies—Huguenots Defeated at Mons 249 CHAPTER X. THE PLOT AGAINST COLIGNY. Charles IX. Browbeaten by his Mother—The Admiral Warned— The Navarre Marriage—Paris in Commotion 276 CONTENTS. & CHAPTER XI. LAST DAVS OF THE ADMIRAL. PAOE Shot in the Street—His Pastor's Consolations—He is Visited by the King and Catherine—New Plots—A Busy Saturday 298 CHAPTER XII. THE ST. BARTHOLOMEW. Murder of Coligny—Wholesale Butchery—Noble Victims—Peter Ramus—De la Place—Escapes of Sully, Duplessis-Mornay, Charlotte Arbaleste—De I'Hopital in Danger—Coligny's Body —His Family 334 CHAPTER XIII. GENERAL RESULTS. Massacre Extends through France—Noble Governors—What Num- ber Perished?— Effects upon Other Countries—Joy in Rome and Spain—Depression of William of Orange—Remorse of Charles IX.—Tribute to Coligny 369 1* Admiral Coligny. CHAPTER I. OMEX^S OF WOE. SIGHT of the king is always interesting to his A people. It draws even enemies by curiosity ; it awakens admiration and stirs the enthusiasm of the loyal. In this Catherine found a fair pretext for a journey throughout Southern France, whose provinces were alive with Huguenots. She wished to rekindle the afTections of the people as her train wended into Dauphiny and thence to Bayonne, where she would meet her daughter, Elizabeth of Spain, and with Papal and Spanish agents hold a con- ference whose mysteries time has not fully unravelled. " The chief motive," says the Jesuit Daniel—and perhaps he should have said the avowed motive—" which the queen proposed in this journey was to have a personal insight into the state of the provinces, so as to provide a remedy for the greater disorders, and to calm the risings, tumults and seditions Avhich the mutual ill-will of Huguenots and Catholics against each other rendered almost inevitable. But the Huguenots suspected her of other designs, and were greatly disturlied at it. "They imagined that she was upon a league with the 7 — a 8 ADMIIIAL COIJOXY. King of Spain and other Oatliolie princes to exterminate Calvinism out of the reahn.* Nor were their suspicions without ground. The agents of these princes were con- stantly arriving at court, and they seemed to act in con- cert. They had a commission from their masters to bring the queen into a league with them against the Protestants of France, and, except the pope, each had his own special interest in view. Philip sought to get rid of the Huguenots, lest they should assist their friends in the Netherlands— matter that greatly pleased the Cardinal of Lorraine, for he was intent on securing the power of the Catholic party, and seeing his nephew, Henry Guise, at the head of it. But the queen was too sagacious to enter into a war until such time as she could oppress the Huguenot party with ease and exterminate it without any foreign assistance. Just now they were too strong to be suppressed." f Other writers accuse her of setting out on this "progress" with a still blacker design—that of a deep-laid and vast plot for the massacre of the Huguenot chiefs, if not all the Protestants in France. These are theories. It is well to have them before us as we survey the facts. It will be no- ticed that she made no direct and rapid journey, threw out no opiates to lull the Huguenots to sleep, did nothing to allay suspicions, and did not proceed as if she had a special scheme in her mind. She first spent several months in provoking those who suspected her intentions. Conspira- tors may be cool and take time, but was this a trait of Catherine? Was she so deliberate? Was she given to premeditation? We have not seen her persist long in any * "The darkest suspicions as to the results to humanity of the plots to be engendered in this famous conference between the representatives of France and Spain, were universally entertained." Motley, Dutch Republic, i. 475. f Daniel, Histoire de France, under dale of 1564. — OMENS OF WOE. U tliat one opinion ; she was swayed by any influence would gi-ve her the popularity of the day and ensure her selfish power—now assenting to the patriotic designs of the chan- cellor, again bending under the superior genius of Guise now in hand with Coligny, again in heart with Lorraine now apparently more than half a Huguenot, and again a strong Tridentine—but never a fervent, soul-earnest Ro- manist. If she hated Calvinism, it was not because she heartily loved popery. Religion of any creed was nothing to her, except as a means to secure an empire for her ambi- tion. If she had been free from all the trammels of Guise, Philip and the pope, we doubt whether she would have been a fierce persecutor of any party. She would have courted all, and ruined all if possible, by setting them at Avar with each other. We may, at least, doubt whether she started upon her journey with the positive intention of a future wholesale massacre. What the result was will again deserve attention. Into Burgundy went king, queen-mother, the chancellor, all that made up the court, with an air of unusual splendor —gorgeous liveries, theatric suits, hunting-dogs and jesting fools. At one point Andelot, coming over from his home at Tanlay, met Catherine and gave her to understand that Protestants had some grievances worth looking after, for the sake of peace. Indeed, there was one general cry for relief throughout all the southern provinces. They had no protection. ISEore than one hundred and thirty of them had been slaughtered within a few months, not to speak of riots, pulling down of churches, burning cottages, robbing the harmless, and driving the timid into exile, " The late edict shall be maintained," was her promise to Andelot. "Those Huguenots near you, who were assaulted at a 'preach,' and some of them slain, shall be avenged. The guilty shall be seized and punished, with such rude jus- — to ADMIRAL COLIGNY. tice that the example will inalve a great noise and thi'ow terror into the hearts of those who break the law."* At another point the royal train was met by Tavannes, rough warrior, devout papist, racy author and terrible per- secutor when his fury was aroused. Placing his hand first on his heart, he ceremoniously said, "This is yours." Then placing it on his sword, he added, "And this shall serve you." " That is what we want," thought Catherine. Not these murmurs about a few little frays, a Huguenot shelter torn down and a few lives lost ; but right earnest devotion to the throne, a heart to obey and a sword to defend. These are the patriots. Of course, such fawning, or even enthusiastic outbursts, would be found chiefly among the Romanists. In most of the towns little children, white and sharp, met the procession and shouted, " Long live the king, the queen and the mass!"f " Sweep out these Huguenots," was the demand made all along the route. Disarm them. Break up their conventi- cles. Dismantle their strongholds. Refuse them all exer- cise of religion. Reduce the whole realm to the one Roman * Perau, Vie d'Andelot. t This word mass comprehended everything. Elizabetli of Enghand "told Cardinal Chatillon that, whatever he and his party might think of the abomination of going to mass, she wonld herself sooner have heard a thousand than have caused the least of a million villainies which had been committed on account of it. [La Mothe au Roy.] . For men to kill each other about a piece of bread appears, when so stated, the supreme culmination of human folly.