ified by their partial judges, the two Protestants were
publicly hung on the Place de Greve. It was noticed that they both died
exhibiting great fortitude,[1197] and protesting to the last that they had
neither taken part in, nor even heard of any plot against the king or the
state. Charles, hardened by the sight of so much blood, wished to witness
in person this new spectacle also, and not only looked on from a
neighboring window, but, as it was too dark to see the sufferers
distinctly, ordered torches to be lighted, and diverted himself with great
laughter in observing their expiring agonies. The King of Navarre and the
Prince of Conde were likewise forced to be present, in order to give color
to the absurd story that one or both had been included among those whom
Coligny and the Huguenots had intended to murder. An hour after, and the
Parisian populace cut down the bodies, dragged them in contumely through
the streets, and amused themselves by stabbing them, shooting at them, and
maiming them. It was an additional aggravation of the judicial crime and
the king's ill-timed merriment, that the execution took place on the
evening of the day upon which the young Queen of France gave birth to
Charles's only legitimate child--a daughter, whom the Salic law excluded
from the succession to the throne. Still unconvinced of Coligny's guilt,
even by the conviction and death of Briquemault and Cavaignes, Queen
Elizabeth very frankly expressed to La Mothe Fenelon her deep regret that
her brother, the French king, had profaned the day of his daughter's birth
by the sanguinary spectacle he had that evening gone to behold.[1198]

[Sidenote: The news in Scotland;]

In Scotland, when the news of the massacre arrived, the aged reformer,
John Knox, summoned all his remaining energy to preach a last time before
the regent and the estates. In the midst of his sermon, turning to Du
Croc, the French ambassador, who was present, he sternly addressed to him
these prophetic words: "Go tell your king that sentence has gone out
against him, that God's vengeance shall never depart from him nor his
house, that his name shall remain an execration to the posterities to
come, and that none that shall come of his loins shall enjoy that kingdom
unless he repent." The indignant ambassador called upon the regent "to
check the tongue which was reviling an anointed king;" but the regent
refused to silence the minister of God, and suffered Du Croc to leave