vii.] THE RELIGIOUS WARS. attracted b)- their Ijiave, open, simple character. But his brother the Duke of Anjou, a fanatic in outward piety, but full of vice, falsehood, and ferocity, had a deadly hatred for them ; and Henry, the young Dieke of Gzctse, who was just come of age, looked on Coligny as his father's murderer, and, with the mob of Paris to back him, was resolved upon vengeance. In this perilous state of affairs, Coligny and his friends talked to the king of plans for freeing him from the control of his mother and brother, and riding away from a hunting party to summon an army and make war on Spain. The plot was discovered by Catharine, and alarmed her so much as to bring her over to the side of the violent party. She hurried on the wedding, although the pope, G^-egory XIII., on account of the heresy of the bridegroom, re- fused the dispensation which was necessary for the mar- riage of second cousins. Moreover the bride, who was in love with Guise, was so unwilling that she would utter no vow during the service, and her brother pushed down her head in token of consent. This was on the i8th of August, 1572. Three days later. Guise, who was re- solved to take his own revenge if all else should fail, caused a shot to be fired at the admiral in the street. It only shattered his hands ; but there was great commotion, anci the Huguenots guarded the admiral's house night and day. They talked so loudly of justice and revenge as to complete the terror of the queen, and make her consent to the plan of the Dukes of Anjou and Guise for cutting off the whole party by a general slaughter. The king's consent was forced from him when he found that Coligny's death was determined on. " Kill all," he said ; " let none be left to reproach me." Orders were sent to the garrisons of all the cities where the popula- tion was of mixed faith. Anjou and the Marshal de Tavatmes could command the royal body-guard. Guise had a large armed suite, besides his influence with the burghers of Paris. A white sleeve and the white cross of Lorraine were the tokens by which the murderers were to know one another, and the signal was the tolling of the great bell of St. Germaiji TAuxerrois, close to the Louvre. It rang at midnight on St. Bartho- lomew's day, the 24th of August, 1572, when the palace was full of Huguenot gentlemen, attendants of the King of Navarre, and with them began the slaughter by the guards, while Guise went in quest of Coligny, who was
