wonderful change that had come over the city
since the introduction of the preaching of the Gospel. The acts of
violence which formerly rendered the streets so dangerous by night that
few dared to venture out of their houses, even to visit their neighbors,
had almost disappeared. The fearful story of crime which used to
confront him every morning had been succeeded by a chronicle of quiet
and peace. It would seem that with a change of doctrine had also come a
transformation of life. The speaker challenged the other side to gainsay
his statements; and when not a voice was heard in contradiction, he
administered to the Papists a scathing rebuke for the calumnies which
some of them had forged against the Protestants behind their backs. With
this triumphant refutation of the charges of disorder, the assembly
broke up.[859]

[Sidenote: The Huguenots of Dauphiny to be exterminated.]

The province of Dauphiny, within whose limits Valence, Romans and
Montelimart were comprehended, was a government entrusted to the Duke of
Guise. Moved with indignation at finding it become the hotbed of
Protestantism, he determined to crush the Huguenots before impunity had
given them still greater boldness. The governors of adjacent provinces
were ordered to assist in the pious undertaking. King Francis, in a
paroxysm of rage, wrote to Tavannes, acting governor of Burgundy, to
take all the men-at-arms under his command and march to the assistance
of Clermart, Lieutenant-Governor of Dauphiny, in cutting to pieces those
who had taken up arms under color of religion. They were, he heard,
three or four thousand men, and had instituted public preaching "after
the Geneva fashion," with all other insolent acts conceivable. He begged
him to punish them as they deserved, showing no pity or compassion,
since they had refused to take advantage of the forgiveness of past
offences which had been sent them. He was to _extirpate_ the evil.[860]

These and other equally brutal instructions were obeyed with alacrity;
but their execution was effected rather by treachery than by open
force. The Huguenots of Valence were first induced by promises of
security to lay aside their arms, then imprisoned and despoiled by a
party consisting of the very dregs of the population of Lyons and
Vienne. Two of the ministers were put to death[861] in company with
three of the principal men, one being the _procureur_ who had given such
noble testimony to the morals of the Prote