Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Appendix · Account 39 – Conclusion
¶A briefe Note concerning the horrible Massaker in Fraunce. an. 1572.
HEre before the closing vppe of this booke, in no case woulde bee vnremembred the tragicall and furious Massaker in Fraunce,The cruell Massaker in Fraunce. wherein were murdered so many hundrethes, and thousands of Gods good Martyrs. But because the true narration of this lamentable story is set forth in english at large, in a booke by it selfe, and extant in print already, it shall the lesse neede nowe to discourse that matter with any new repetition: only a briefe touch of summary notes for remembraunce maye suffice. And first for breuity sake, to ouerpasse the bloudy bouchery of the Romish Catholickes in Orynge, agaynst the Protestantes,Persecution in the City of Oringe. most fiercely and vnawares breaking into theyr houses, and there without mercy killing man, woman & child: of whom some being spoyled and naked they threw out of theyr loftes into the streetes, some they smothered in theyr houses with smoake, with sword & weapon, sparing none, the karkases of some they threwe to dogges which was an. 1570. in the reign of Charles 9.Anno. 1570. Persecution at Rhoane. Likewyse to passeouer the cruell slaughter at Rhoane, whereas the Protestants being at a Sermon without the City Wals vponupon the kings edict, the Catholiques in fury ranne vponupon them comming home,40. slaine, comming from a Sermon. Persecution at Diepe. and slew of them aboue 40. at least, many moe they wounded. This example of Roane styrred vp the Papists in Dyepe to practise the like rage also agaynst the Christians there returning from the sermon, whose slaughter had bene the greater, had they not more wisely before bene prouided of weapon, for theyr own defence at need. All which happened about the same yeare aforesayd. an. 1570. but these with such like I briefly ouerslippe, to enter now into the matter aboue promised, that is briefly to entreat of the horrible and most barbarous massaker wroughte in Paris, suche as I suppose, was neuer heard of before in no ciuill dissention amōgest the very heathen. In few wordes to touch the substaunce of the matter.
After long troubles in Fraunce, the Catholique side foreseing no good to be done agaynst the Protestantes by open force, began to deuise how by crafty meanes to entrap them.The horrible Massaker at Paris. The kinges dissembled pretence. And that by two maner of wayes: The one by pretending a power to be sent into the lower countrey, wherof the Amirall to be the Captayne, not that the king so meant in deed, but onelyonly to vnderstand thereby, what power and force the Amirall hadde vnderunder him, who they were, and what were theyr names. The second was by a certeine mariage suborned, betwene the Prince of Nauare, and the kinges sister. To this pretensed mariage, it was deuised that all the chiefest Protestantes of Fraunce shoulde be inuited,The names of all the fauourers of the Amirall discreyde. A bloudy mariage betweene the kinges sister and Prince of Nauarre. and meete in Paris. Emong whome first they began with the Queene of Nauare, Mother to the Prince, that should mary the kings sister, attempting by all meanes possible to obteine her consent thereunto. She being then at Rochell, and allured by many fayre wordes to repayre vntounto the king, consented at length to come, and was receiued at Paris, where she after much a do, at length being wonne to the kinges minde, and prouiding for the mariage, shortly vponupon the same fell sicke, & within fiue daies departed: not without suspitiō, as some sayd, of poyson. But her body being opened, no signe of poyson could there be founde, saue onelyonly that a certayne Poticary made his brag that he had killed the Queene, by certayne venemous odours and smelles by hym confected.
After this notwithstanding the mariage still goyng forward, the Amirall, Prince of Nauare, Condee, wyth diuers other chiefe states of the Protestantes, induced by the kinges letters and many fayre promises, at last were brought to Paris. Where with great solēnity they were receiued, but especially the Amirall. To make the matter short. The day of the mariage came, which was the 18. of August. an. 1572. which mariage being celebrate and solē nised by the Cardinall of Borbone, vponupon an high stage set vp of purpose without the Churche walles,Anno. 1572. August. 18. the Prince of Nauare, & Condee, came downe, wayting for the kinges sister being then at Masse. This done, they resorted altogether to the Bishops Palace, to dinner. At euening they were had to a Palace in the middle of Paris to Supper. Not long after this,August. 22. being the 22. of August, the Amirall comming from the Counsell table, by the way was stroken with a Pistolet charged with iij. pellets, in both hys armes. He being thus wounded and yet still remayning in Paris,Amirall wounded with a pistolet shot out of a Window. although the Uidam gaue him counsell to flye away, it so fell out that certayne souldiors were appoynted in diuers places of the Citty to be ready at a watchword at the commaundemēt of the Prince. Upon which watchword geuē, they burst out to the slaughter of ye protestantes, first beginning with the Amirall himselfe, who being wounded with many sore woundes was cast oute of the window into the street, where his head being first stroken of, and imbalmed with spices to bee sent to the Pope,Amirall slaine in his bedde, and throwne out of the Window. the sauadge people raging agaynst him, cut of hys armes and priuy members, and so drawing him 3. dayes through the streetes of Paris, they dragged him to ye place of execution, out of the City, and there hanged him vp by his heeles to the greater shew and scorne of him.
After the Martyrdome of this good man, the armed souldiours with rage and violence ranne vponupon all other of the same profession, slaying and killing all the Protestantes they knew or coulde finde within the Citty gates inclosed. This bloudye slaughter continued the space of many dayes, but especially the greatest slaughter was in the three first dayes,10. thousand slayne in 3. dayes. Ex historia Rich. dinothi lib. 5. in which were numbred to be slayne, as the story writeth, aboue x. thousand, men and women, old and young, of all sorts and conditions. The bodies of the dead were caryed in Cartes to be throwne in the Riuer, so that not onelyonly the Riuer was all steined therwith, but also whole streames in certayn places of the City did runne with goare bloud of the slayne bodyes. So greate was the outrage of that Heathenish persecution, that not onelyonly the Protestantes, but also certayne whome they thought indifferent Papists they put to the sword in sted of Protestantes. In the number of them that were slayne of the more learned sort, was Petrus Ramus, also Lambinus an other notorious learned man, Plateanus, Lomenius, Chapesius, Petrus Ramus. Lambinus with other slaine.with others.
And not onelyonly within the walles of Paris this vprore was conteined but extended farther into other cities and quarters of the Realme, especially Lyons, Orliens, Tholous, and Roane. In which cities it is almost incredible, nor scarse euer heard of in any natiō,Commentaria de statu Galliae part. 3. what crueltye was shewed, what numbers of good men were destroyed in so much that with in the space of one monethmonth xxx. thousand at least of religious Protestantes are numbred to be slayne, as is credib…ely reported and storyed in the cōmē taryes of them which testify purposely of the matter.
Furthermore here is to be noted, that when the Pope first heard of this bloudy styrre, he with his Cardinalles made such ioy at Rome, with theyr procession, with their gunshot and singing Te Deum, that in honor of that festiuall acte, a iubile… was commaunded by the Pope wyth great indulgence, and much solemnity,The spirite and charity of the Pope to be noted. wherby thou hast here to discerne, and iudge, with what spirite and charity these Catholiques are moued to mainteine their religion withall, which otherwise would fall to the ground with out all hope of recouery. Likewise in Fraunce no lesse reioysing there was vponupon the xxviij. day of the sayd MonethMonth,28. of August. the king commaunding publique processions thorow the whole City to be made, with bonefires, ringing and singing, where the king himselfe, with the Queene his mother, and his whole Court resorting together to the Church, gaue thankes and land to GOD, for that so worthy victory atchieued vponupon S. Bartholomews day agaynst the Protestantes,S. Bartlemew bloudy day. whome they thought to be vtterly ouerthrowne and vanquished in all that Realme for euer.
And in very deede to mans thinking might appeare no lesse after such a great destruction of the Protestantes hauing lost so many worthy and noble captaynes as thē were cutte of,The great distresse of the Protestantes in Fraunce. whereupon many for feare reuoking their religion, returned to the pope, diuers fled out of ye realme such as would not turn, keeping themselues secret, durst not be knowne nor seene, so that it was past all hope of man, that the Gospell shoulde euer hauehave any more place in Fraunce: but suche is the admirable working of the Lord, where mans helpe and hope most▪ fayleth there hee most sheweth his strength and helpeth, as here is to bee seene and noted.Gods helping hand at neede. For where as the litle small remnant of the Gospell side, being now brought to vtter desperation were now ready to geue ouer vntounto the king, and many were gone already agaynst cōscience, yelding to time, yet the Lord of his goodnes so wrought, that many were stayed and reclaymed agayne through the occasion first of them in Rochell:The towne of Rochell example to other townes. Who hearing of the cruell massaker in Paris, and slaughter at Tholous, most constantly with valiaunt hartes (the Lord so working) thought to stand to theyr defence agaynst the kinges power, by whose example certayne other Cities,The cityes of the Protestante… take courage to defende themselues. hearing therof tooke no litle courage to do the like, as namely Montalbane, the Citty called Nemansium, Sansere in Occitamia, Milialdum, Mirebellum, Fuduzia, with other townes and Citties moe: who being confederate together, exhorted one an other to be circumspect and take good heede of the false dissembling practises not to be trusted of the mercilesse papistes, entending nothing but bloud and destruction.
These thinges thus passing at Rochell, the king hearing thereof,Bironius. geueth in commaundement to Capteyne Strozzius, & Guardius to see to Rochell. After thys he sendeth a noble man one Biromus, requiring of the Rochell men to receiue him for theyr Gouernour vnderunder the king. Of this great consultation being had, at length the Rochell men began to condescend vponupon certayne conditions, which being not easily graunted vntounto, and especially they hearing in the mean time what was done to others of theyr felowes, which had submitted themselues, thought it so better to stand to the defence of theyr liues & consciences and to aduenture the worst.Rochelme stand to their deliuery. Whereupon began great siege and battery to be layde agaynste Rochell both by land and sea, which was an, 1572. about the 4. day of December, it woulde require an other volume, to describe all thinges, during the time of this siege, yt passed on either side, betwene the kinges part, and the towne of Rochell, briefly to runne ouer some parts of the matter. In the beginning of the next yeare folowing, which was an. 1573. in the monethmonth of Ianuary cōmaundement was geuen out by the king to all and sondry nobles and piers of Fraunce, vponupon great punishment,Rochell first besieged by Bironius. Anno. 1573. The whole power of Fraunce set agaynst Rochell. to addresse themselues in moste forceable wise to the assaulting of Rochell. Wherupon a great concourse of all the nobility, with the whole power of Fraunce, was there assembled, amongst whom was also the Prince of Aniow, the kinges Brother (who there not long after was proclaymed kyng of Polonie) accompanied with his other Brother Duke Alanson, Nauare, Condie, & other a great nūber of states besides. Thus the whole power of Fraūce being gathered agaynst one poore Towne, had not the mighty hande of the Lord stood on theyr side, it had bene vnpossible for thē to escape. Duryng the time of this siege, which lasted about 7. monethes,The sieg… of Rochel during 7. monethes. 7. Assaultes agaynst Rochell. what skirmishes and conflicts were on both sides, it would requyre a lōg tractatiō. To make short, 7. principal assaults were geuen to the poore town of Rochell, with all the power that Fraunce could make. In all which assaultes euer the Popes catholick side had the worst. Concerning the first assault thus I finde written, that within the space of xxvj. dayes, were charged agaynst the walles and houses of Rochell, to the number of xxx. thousand shot of yron bullets and globes, wherby a great breach was made for the aduersary to inuade the City: but such was the courage of them within, not men onelyonly, but also of women, matrons, and maydens with spits, fire, & such other weapon as came to hande, that the aduersary was driuen backe, with no small slaughter of theyr souldiours: onelyonly of the townesmen were slayne & wounded to the number of lx. persons. Likewise in the secōd assault 2000. great fielde peaces were layde against the towne, whereupon the aduersary attempted the next day to inuade the towne: but through the industry of the souldiors and citizens, and also of women and maydes, the inuaders were forced at length to flye away faster thē they came. No better successe had all the assaults that folowed: Wherby consider (gentle reader) with thy selfe in what great distresse these good men were in, not of Rochell onelyonly, but of other Cityes also, during these 7. Monethes aboue mentioned, had not the mighty hand of the Lord almighty susteined them. Concerning whose wondrous operation for his seruants in these hard distresses, three memorable thinges I finde in History to be noted.
The one concerning the siege of Sanser, which City being terribly battered and raysed with gunshot of great Cannons,Three notable examples of Gods great mercy in preseruing his seruauntes. & field pieces, hauing at one siege no lesse then iij. thousand bullets and gunstones flying vppon them, wherwith the cristes of their helmets were pierced, their sleeues, their hose, their ha…tes pierced, theyr weapons in their handes broken, their walles shaken, theyr houses rent downe, yet not one person slayne nor wounded with all this, saue onelyonly at the first a certeine mayden with the blast of the shot flying by her was stroken downe & died.
The 2. thing to be noted is this, that in the same City during all the time of the siege, which lasted 7. Monethes and halfe,The 2. example. for all the ordinaunce, and battering pieces discharged agaynst them, which are numbred to 6. thousand not so much as xxv. persons in all were slayne.
The third example no lesse memorable was at Rochell: Whereas the poorer sort began to lacke corne & victuall,The 3. miraculous worke of God, in sending in fishe. there was sent to them eueryevery day in the Riuer (by the hand of the Lord no doubt) a great multitude of fishe (called surdones) which the poorer people did vse in stead of bread. Which fish the same day as the siege brake vppe, departed, and came no more. Testifyed by them, whiche were present there in Rochell all the time.
What number was lost on both sides, during all this 7. monethes warre, it is not certeinely knowne. Of the kinges Campe what number was slayne,132. Captaynes of the Kinges army slaine. by this it may be coniectured, that 132. of theyr Captaynes were killed & slayne, of whom the chiefest was Duke damoule.
To close vp this tragicall story, concerning the breaking vp of this 7. Monethes siege, thus it fell out, that shortly after the seuenth assaulte geuen agaynst Rochell,Peace concluded betweene the King and the Protestantes. Duke Aniow the kinges brother made King of Poleland. Peace agreed and concluded betweene the King and Protestantes of Rochel and certayne other Cityes. which was an. 1573. about the monethmonth of Iune, worde came to the Campe, that Duke Andius the kinges brother, was proclaymed king of Polonie. Wherat great ioy was in the Campe. By occasion whereof, the new king more willing to hauehave peace, entred talke with thē of Rochell, who as he shewed himselfe to them not vngentle, so found he thē again, to him not vnconformable. Whervpon a certeine agreemēt pacificatory was concluded betwene them, vponupon conditions. Which agrement the new Polone king eftsoones preferred to the Frenche King hys Brother not without some sute and intercession to hauehave it ratified. The king also himselfe partly being weary of these chargeable warres, was the more willing to assent therunto. And thus at length, through the Lordes great worke, the kinges royal consent vnderunder forme of an Edict, was sette downe in writing, and confirmed by the king, conteining 25. Articles. In which also wer included certeine other Cittyes of the Protestantes, graunting to them benefit of peace and liberty of religion. This edicte or mandate sent downe from the king by his Heralde at armes, Bironius in the kinges name caused to be solemnely proclaymed at Rochell. an. 1573. the x. day of Iune.Anno. 1573. …unii. 10.
The yeare next folowing. 1574. for two thinges seemeth fatall and famous, for the death first of Charles the 9. the french king, also most of all for the death of Charles Cardinall of Lorayne, brother to Guise. Of the maner of the Cardinals death I finde litle mentiō in stories.The death of Charles 9. French King and of the Cardinall of Lorayne. Touching the kinges death although Ric. Dinothus sayth nothing, for feare belike, because he being a french man, hys name is expressed and known: but an other story (whom the sayd Dinothus doth followe) bearing no name, sayeth thus, that he dyed the xxv. day of May, vponupon Whitson euen, being of the age of 25. yeares: and addeth more, profluuio sanguinis illum laborasse certū est. Certayne it is that his sickenes came of bleeding. And sayth further: Cōstans fert fama, illum dum evarijs corporis partibus sanguis emanaret, in lecto saepe volutatum, The maner of Charles the French Kings death to be noted.inter horribilium blasphemiarū diras, tantā sanguinis vim proiecisse, vt paucas post horas mortuus …uerit. That is. The constant report so goeth, that his bloud gushing out by diuers partes of his body, he tossing in his bedde, and casting out many horrible blasphemies, layed vponupon pillowes with his heeles vpward, and head downeward, voyded so much bloud at his mouth, that in few houres he dyed. Which story if it be true, as is recorded and testified,Ex Commentarijs, de Statu Gallico part. 4. may be a spectable and example to all persecuting kinges and Princes polluted with the bloud of Christian Martyrs. And thus muche briefely touching the late terrible persecution in Fraunce.
¶The Conclusion of the worke.
ANd thus to conclude (good Christian Reader) this present tractation not for lacke of matter, but to shorten rather the matter for largenes of the volume, I here stay for this present time with further addition of more discourse either to ouerweary thee with longer tediousnes, or ouercharge the booke with longer prolixity, hauing hitherto set forth the Actes and Proceedinges of the whole Church of Christ, namely of the Church of England, although not in such particular perfectiō, that nothing hath ouerpassed vsus. Yet in such generall sufficiency, that I trust not very much hath escaped vsus, necessary to be knowne, touching the principall affayres, doinges and proceedinges of the Church and Churchmen. Wherein may be seene the whole state, order, discent, course and continuaunce of the same, the encrease and decrease of true religion, the creeping in of superstition, the horrible troubles of persecution, the wonderfull assistaunce of the almighty in mainteining his truth, the glorious constancy of Christes Martyrs, the rage of the enemyes, the alteration of times, the trauelles and troubles of the Church, from the first primatiue age of Christes Gospel, to the end of Queen Mary, and the beginning of this our gracious Queene Elizabeth. During the time of her happy reigne, which hath hetherto continued (through the gracious protection of the Lord) the space now of 24. yeres, as my wish is, so I would be glad, the good wil of the Lord were so, that no more matter of such lamētable stories may euer bee offered hereafter to write vponupon. But so it is I cannot tel how, the elder the world waxeth, the longer it continueth, the nerer it hasteneth to his end, the more Sathan …ageth: geuing still new matter of writing bookes and volumes: In so much that if all were recorded and committed to history, that within the sayd compasse of this Queenes reigne hitherto, hath happened in Scotland, Flanders, France, Spayne, Germany, besides this our owne Countrey of England and Ireland, with other Countryes moe, I verely suppose one Eusebius or Polyhistor, whiche Plinnye writeth of, woulde not suffice thereunto. But of these incidentes and occurrentes hereafter more, as it shall please the Lord to geue grace and space. In the meane time the grace of the Lord Iesus worke with thee (gentle Reader) in all thy studious readinges. And while thou hast space so employ thy selfe to read, that by reading thou mayst learne dayly to knowe that may profite thy soule, may teach thee experience, may arme thee with pacience, and instruct thee in all spirituall knowledge more and more, to thy perpetuall comfort and saluation in Christ Iesu our Lord, to whome be glory in Secula Seculorum. Amen.
FINIS.