The Pocket Bible; or, Christian the Printer: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century

62

Letters of Pius V. March 23-April 13, 1569, at Catena —Life Of Pius V, p. 85.

63

De Thou, History of France, LXXXV, p. 129.

64

Machiavelli, The Prince, chap. 18.

65

Journal and Memoirs of Francis of Lorraine, Duke of Aumale and of Guise, containing the affairs of France and the negotiations with Scotland, Italy and Germany, pp. 664-665.

66

Exodus 21, 23-25.

67

Morning prayer of the guard, 1569. —Protestant Review, vol. I, p. 105.

68

The document, here reproduced, is the literal testament of Admiral Coligny, taken from the original manuscripts of the National Library, Collection of Puy, vol. LXXXI. This document, of so great a historic value, was first published in full in 1852 by the Historical Society of French Protestants, vol. I. p. 263. That which, in our estimation, imparts a double interest to the testament, is the circumstance that it was written by the Admiral during the war (June, 1569) after the battle of Jarnac and before the battle of Montcontour.

69

Register Journal of L'Etoile, p. 217. The original of this monstrous letter was deposited among the manuscripts of the National Library of France by decree of the Convention, the 11th, Ventose, year II of the Republic. The immortal Constitutionals wished thus to nail royalty once more to the pillory of history.

70

"While the admiral was in camp, Dominic, one of his chamber valets, convicted of having tried to poison his master, was hanged… Having been captured by La Riviere, captain of the guard of the Duke of Anjou, he was overwhelmed with promises; he was made to expect everything, if he would poison his master. Dominic yielded, received money and a poisonous powder, and returned to the camp of Monsieur Coligny." – De Thou, History of France, vol. V, p. 626-627. See the same historian on the poisoning of the Duke of Deux-Ponts, of Dandolet, and others.

71

Inhabitants of the fortified city of La Rochelle.

72

For the details of this battle, see De Thou, vol. V. p. 500; Memoires of Gaspard of Sault, Seigneur of Tavannes, vol. I, p. 323 and following. Memoires of Francis of Lanoüe, vol. I, p. 623, and following.

73

Memories of the State of France under Charles IX, vol. 1, pp. 5-12.

74

"Contre-Un" (Against-One) is the title at a book written in the sixteenth century by Estienne of La Boetie against monarchy.

75

La Boétie is to-day known mainly through the friendship that united him to Montaigne, and which inspired the latter to write one of his most charming passages.

La Boétie was born in Sarlat, November 1, 1530; he died in Germignat, near Bordeaux, August 18, 1563. He left several works, all of which are to-day almost unknown. Unquestionably the most curious of his productions is the one mentioned by Montaigne in these terms:

"My power of handling not being such that I dare to offer as a fine piece richly painted and set off according to art, I have therefore thought best to borrow one of Estienne of La Boetie, and such a one as will honor and adorn all the rest of my work: namely, a discourse that he called Voluntary Servitude, which others have since further baptized the Contre-Un, a piece written in his younger years, by way of essay, in honor of liberty against tyranny, and which has since been in the hands of several men of great learning and judgment, not without singular and merited commendation, for it is finely written and as full as anything can possibly be." – Montaigne, Essays, Book I, chap. 27.

76

An allusion to the Vision of Victoria, depicted in "The Casque's Lark," the fifth of this series.

77

It is certain that Admiral Coligny's head departed for Rome; whether it ever arrived there is not known. Mandelot, the Governor of Lyons, acknowledged receipt of a letter from Charles IX ordering the nobleman "to arrest the carrier of the head, and to take the same away from him." – Extracts from the correspondence of Mandelot, published by M. Paulin, Paris, 1845, p. 119.

78

Out of respect for our female readers we dare not here quote the Register Journal of L'Etoile, page 81, where is found in extenso the conversation, marked by a savage obscenity, between the Queen and the court ladies who accompanied her. The conversation is confirmed by all contemporaneous historians.

79

See "The Brass Bell," number two in this series.

80

See "The Carlovingian Coins," the ninth of this series.

81

See, on the siege of La Rochelle, the daring manoeuvres of Captain Mirant; the combat sustained by Barbot the boilermaker, single-handed against two companies; the firing of the stranded ship L'Ensensoir by the Rochelois women, and their heroism in the combats in which they took part, History of La Rochelle and of the Country of Aunis, by Arcère 1756, 2 vols. in quarto. I refer my readers to that excellent work in order that those who would wish to certify the facts may see that all the episodes herein narrated concerning the siege of La Rochelle are strictly historic.

82

As thrillingly recounted in "The Pilgrim's Shell," the twelfth work of this series.

83

As an instance of the proud and noble bearing of the staunch republicans in this Council, the story is told that when it was found that in the passport issued by the Duke of Anjou the Rochelois were designated as "rebels," they refused to accept it, and Anjou was forced to send another passport. —History of La Rochelle, by Arcere, p. 417.

84

"I am guilty, I am guilty, I am very guilty."

85

Register Journal of L'Etoile, p. 34.