A General Martyrology, Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. The Siege of Sancerre, Anno Christi, 1573.
Gods care of his people.YEt in the midst of these Massacres and dangers God provided some Pella's [places of refuge] for his people, as Rochel, Montalbon, Nismes, Sancerre, Privas, &c.
Anno 1573. Sancerre was besieged by the Lord of Chastre, with an Army, who planting his Cannons, played incessantly upon the Town, so that the stones of the wall,A special Providence. the pavement in the streets, and the shivers of timber flew about continually, yet the mighty power and providence of God herein appeared, that none within the City were slain, but onelyonly one maid that was slain with the breath of a Cannon-bullet: yet were the stocks of Musquets sometimes broken in the hands and on the shoulders of the townsmen, and themselves not hurt; yea some had their coats, breeches and hats shot through, and their bodies not hurt; yea some stones that were beaten off the wall, flew violently between a Ministers legs, and hurt him not. Many were the assaults given to this Town, yet still the Assailants were beaten back with great losse.
The siege continuing long, the Townsmen began to be in want,A terrible Famine. so that they were forced to eat their Horses, Asses, and Mules, which food lasted but a monethmonth, then they did eate all the dogs, cats, rats, mice, and moles that they could get: and those also being spent, they lived upon hides of beasts, Calves and Sheep-skins: then did they eate parchment, horse and beasts hoofs, hornes, Lanthorns, halters, and furniture for horses, girdles o… leather, herbs and wild-roots; and these being all spent, and no bread left in the City, such as could get Linseed, or any other seed, ground it, or beat it in a morter, and made bread thereof, as also of herbs mixed with bran if they could get it: This being spent they eate bread made of straw-meal, powder of nutshels, yea of slates; suet, old ointments, and other old grease served to make pottage, and with it also they fried the excrements of horses and men, which they did eate, yea the filth in the streetes was not spared.
In this extremity a poor labourer and his wife were taken and executed for eating the head, intrals and brains of their daughter of three years old, that died of famine; they had dressed also the rest of her body to eat at other times; and that which aggravated their fault was, that it was proved that that day there was given to them a little pottage made with herbs and wine,Two executed for eating part of their own daughter. which might have satisfied them in that necessity: Such as went forth of the walls to seek relief, were either slaine by the enemy, or lived upon sprigs of vines, black-berries, red snailes, and herbs; Amongst other sad and lamentable spectacles, one was of a labourer and his wife found dead amongst the Vines, and two of their children crying by them, the lesser being but sixe weekes old, which a charitable Widow took home to her house and sustained: Many dyed in this famine, some in their houses, others fell down in the streets, and gave up the ghost; most of the children under twelve yeares old died: Lamentable it was to heare the poor fathers and mothers mourning and weeping to see their misery and yet they could not relieve them; Neverthelesse most of them did wonderfully encourage themselves with the assurance of the grace of God, whereof there is this notable example.
A boy of five years old, languishing divers weeks, ran along the streets, till nature failing him, he fell down in the presence of his father and mother, who wept and lamented over him; and feeling upon his armes and legs, they were as dry as a stick; whereupon the child said; Why do you thus weep to see me die of hunger? I ask you no bread, mother, A remarkable story.for I know you have none; but seeing it is the Will of God that I should die in this sort, I must take it thankfully: Had not the holy man Lazarus hunger? Have not I read it in my Bible? and saying so, he yielded up his spirit unto God.
That which preserved all from being famished, was this; There were yet sixe Kine kept to give milke for some infants, and certaine horses of service which were reserved for an extremity; These were killed, and their flesh sold to comfort those that lived. Also some little corne was brought into the Towne by stealth, which was sold for two shillings sixe pence a pound.
The war killed but eighty four persons, but the famine killed above five hundred, besides those which were brought so low that they hardly recovered.
During these miseries, divers souldiers, and some townsmen gat out, chusing rather to die by the sword of the Enemy, than by famine, of whom some were slain, others imprisoned, and executed.
So all hope of being saved in mans judgement failed to those of Sancerre:A wicked oath for the King had sworne that he would make them devoure each other. But mans misery is Gods opportunity; The King of Kings found out a strange meanes to deliver his people that put their trust in him; Just at this time, by the sollicitations of the Bishop of Valence, the Polonians had chosen the Duke of Anjou, brother to the French King, King of Poland, and Ambassadors were come to fetch him into that Countrey, who hearing of this siege, sollicited the Bishop of Valence to perform the Promise, which he had sworn to them in the name of his Master, viz. to fet at liberty all the Towns of France that were molested for Religion: by this means the poor Sancerreans, halfe dead for hunger, were delivered at the request of these good men who came from a farre Countrey to be their deliverers,An admirable Providence. though their enemies had oft-times threatned them with a general Massacre; They were suffered to depart with their armes and goods, and such as would stay, not to be questioned for any thing past; they had a promise also that the honour of women and maids should be preserved; and such Ministers and others, as had fled thither for safety, had Pasports given them, and they were suffered peaceably to depart.
The Siege of Rochel, Anno 1573.
ABout the beginning of the same year Rochel was also besieged; The Townsmen often sallied out, and there were very hot skirmishes betwixt them and the besiegers; in one of which there came a young Gentleman, who with horrible blasphemy boasted that he was one of the Admirals murtherers, shewing his Courtelace,Gods judgement on a bloody Persecutor. which he said, he brought from that conflict, with it threatning to slash the Rochellers; yet, when it came to trial, his heart failed, and he ran away; but one of the City souldiers pursuing him, slew him, stript him, and left his naked body in the field, the dogs tearing his face before next morning.
In one moneths space the enemy discharged above thirteene thousand Cannon shot against the Rochellers, and made many assaults, wherein they still went away with the worst. Then came the Duke of Anjou to the Army to be the General▪ A famine.The siege having continued some moneths, the Rochellers began to want victuals, which famine, after awhile, much encreased upon them, but behold the admirable Providence of God! when all other Provision failed them,An extraordinary Providence. there came an infinite number of small fishes never before seene in that Haven, as it were yielding themselves to the mercy of the poor People, which gathered them every day so long as the siege lasted, but presently after the publishing of the Edict for peace, they went away,Rochel delivered. and were never seen afterwards.
During this siege came the Ambassadors from Poland to fetch their new King; by whose means a truce was granted to the Rochellers, and lastly Articles of peace were agreed upon, whereby the Army was withdrawn, and Rochel enjoyed her Priviledges; Yet this is further very remarkable, that all the chief persons that were imployed in the Massacre of Paris and other places,Gods judgements on Persecutors. were drawn forth to this siege, by God, there to receive the reward of all their impieties, some of them being slain, and others receiving there those wounds whereof they shortly after died; Amongst whom were the Duke de Aumale, and Cosseins, Marshal of the Field, that first entred the Admirals lodging;Gods judgement on the Duke of A…jou see in my book of Examples. three Masters of the Camp; divers great Lords and Gentlemen; above sixty Captains; as many Lieutenants and Ensignes, and above twenty thousand common souldies.
Anno 1574. King Charles himself, that was at least the countenancer of all these horrible Massacres, being in the prime of his youth, about twenty four years old, fell sick of a languishing disease; his Physicians let him blood and purged him, but to no purpose; for by degrees he so faded away, as caused great astonishment to many. He long strugled against his disease, but at last was faine to betake himself to his bed, and the two last weeks of his sicknesse, much blood issued from divers parts of his body, and once he rolled himself in his own blood, and a little before he died,The Kings sicknesse and death. he desired his mother to pursue his enemies to the uttermost, with great vehemency reiterating his speeches; saying, Madam, I pray you heartily to do it, and so he breathed forth his soul, May the thirtieth,Anger implacable. Anno Christi, 1574.
I shall here adde a few words also of the great miseries which the people of God endured in Rochel, Anno Christi, 1628. expecting help from England, which proved but a staffe of reed,Rochel besieged. Anno 1628 which whilst they leaned upon, it ran into their hands; The City being besieged by the King of France his Army, the inhabitants were brought to such extremity, that for want of other meat, the Citizens and Souldiers,A terible famine. having eaten up all the horses, dogs, cats, rats and mice, lived two moneths with nothing but Cow-hides and Goats-skins boiled; then did they eat up all the old gloves, and whatsoever was made of leather: yea, the poor people cut off the buttocks of the dead, and did eat them. Young maids of fourteen or sixteen years old, did look like old women of one hundred years old. All the English that came out, after the surrender of the City, looked like Anatomies; The prizes of things were as followeth; a Bushel of Wheat twenty pounds; A pound of bread twenty shillings; a quarter of mutton above sixe pounds; A pound of butter thirty shillings; An egge eight shillings; An ounce of Sugar two shillings and six pence; A dried fish twenty shillings; A pint of French wine twenty shillings; A pint of milk thirty shillings; A pound of grapes three shillings, &c.
Margaret Pierrone.Anno 1593. There was one Margaret Pierron of the Town of Sansay in France, who by her maid-servant was accused to the Jesuites, for not going to Masse, and for keeping a Bible in her house, in reading whereof was her whole delight; The Jesuites, complaining hereof to the Magistrate, caused her to be apprehended, yet had she some notice of it before-hand from her friends that advised her to flie from the danger; but God had a purpose that she should bear witness to his truth, so that she was taken and cast into prison; After a while the Judges sent for her, saying, Margaret, Are you not willing to returne home to your house, and there to enjoy your husband and children? Yes, said she, if it may stand with the good Will of God; Then, said they, if thou wilt do but a small matter thou shalt be set at liberty; Tentation.If, said she, it be not contrary to Gods glory and mine own salvation, you shall hear what I will say to you. No such thing, said they, for all that we require is but this, that a Scaffold being set up in the chief part of the City, you shall there crave pardon for offending the Law, and a fire being by, you shall burne your Bible in it without speaking a word. I pray you my Masters, said she, Tell me, is my Bible a good Book or no? Yea, said they, we confesse it is: Why then, said she, would you have me cast it into the fire? Only said they, to give the Jesuites content: imagine it to be but paper, and then you may burne it, and you may buy you another Bible at any time, and hereby you may save your life. Thus they spent above two hours in perswading her, that thereby she might do a lesse evil, and a greater good would come of it: But she confidently answered, that by the help of God she would never do it: What will the people say (said she) will they not say, She chooses to be burnt rather than to burne her Bible.Yonder is a wrethed woman indeed, that burns the Bible wherein all the Articles of Christian Religion are contained? I will certainly burne my body rather than my Bible.
Then did they commit her close prisoner, fed her only with bread and water, and her friends were debarred from coming to her: but when nothing could remove her from her constancy, she was condemned to be set upon a scaffold; to have her Bible burnt before her face; her self to be strangled, and her body to be dragged through the streets to a dunghil, which sentence she underwent cheerfully, and so slept in the Lord.
Collected out of the History of the Tragical Massacres of France under Henry the second, Francis the second, Charles the ninth, Henry the third, and Henry the fourth. Translated out of French.
Here place the ninth Figure.