lIS
ESSAYS ON LIBERTY
partisans as \vould Inake it appear that they were killed by the Catholics in self-defence. Reports \vere circulated at once with that object. A letter written on the 23 rd states that, after the Admiral was wounded on the day before, the Huguenots assembled at the gate of the Louvre, to avenge him on the Guises as they came out. 1 And the first explanation sent forth by the Governme;lt on the 24th was to the effect that the old feud between the Houses of Guise and of Châtillon had broken out with a fury which it was impossible to quell. This fable lasted only for a single day. On the 25th Charles \vrites that he has begun to discover traces of a Huguenot conspiracy; 2 and on the following day this was publicly substituted for the original story. N either the vendetta of the Guises nor the conspiracy at Paris could be made to explain the massacre in the provinces. It required to be so managed that the King could disown it; Salviati describes the plan of operations. It was intended that the Huguenots should be slaughtered successively by a series of spontaneous outbreaks in different parts of the country. While Rochelle held out, it was dangerous to proceed with a more sweeping method. s Accordingly, 110 written instructions from the I(ing are in existence; and the governors were expressly informed that they were to expect none. 4 Messengers went into the provinces with letters requiring that the verbal orders \vhich they brought should be obeyed. 5 Many governors refused to act upon directions so vague and so hard to verify. Burgundy was preserved in this way. Two gentlemen arrived with letters of recommendation from the King, and declared his
1 Li U gonotti si ridussero alla porta del Louvre, per aspettare che Mons, di Guisa e l\1ons, d'Aumale uscissero per ammazzarli (Borso Trotti, Desp, Aug, 23; Modena Archives). 2 L' on a commencé à descouvrir la conspiration que ceux de la religion prétendue réformée avoient faicte contre moy mesmes, ma mère et mes frères (Charles IX, to La l\10the, Aug, 25; La Mothe, vii. 325).
- 3 Desp. Sept. 19. 1572.
4. 11 ne fault pas attendre d'en avoir d'autre commandement du Roy ne de Monseigneur, car ils ne vous en feront point (Puygaillard to l\1ontsoreau, Aug. 26, 1572; Mourin, La Réforme en Anjou, p, 106). ð V oUS croirez Ie présent porteur de ce que je luy ay donné charge de vous dire (Charles IX. to Mandelot, Aug. 24, 1572; Corr. de Charles IX. avec 1I1andclot, P 4 2 ).
