II., when bloody persecution was at its height, Sir
Nicholas Throkmorton wrote to Queen Elizabeth, Sept. 10, 1559: "I am
enformed that they here begin to persecute againe for religion more than
ever they did; and that at Paris there are three or four executed for the
same, and diverse greate personages threatened shortly to be called to
answer for their religion. Wherin the Cardinal of Lorraine having bene
spoken unto, within these two daies, hathe said, _that it is not his
faulte; and that there is no man that more hateth extremites, then he
dothe_; and yet it is knowne that it is, notwithstanding, _alltogither by
his occasion_." Forbes, State Papers, i. 226, 227.

[33] Bulletin, iv. 196. De Thou's account of the Saverne conference (iii.
(liv. xxix.) 127, 128) is pretty accurate so far as it goes, but has a
more decidedly polemic tone than the Duke of Wuertemberg's memorandum.

[34] Throkmorton to the Queen, Paris, Feb. 16, 1562. State Paper Office. I
have followed closely the condensation in the Calendars.

[35] Same to Cecil, of same date. State Paper Office.

[36] Discours entier de la persecution et cruaute exercee en la ville de
Vassy, par le duc de Guise, le 1. de mars, 1562; reprinted in Memoires de
Conde, iii. 124-149, and Cimber et Danjou, iv. 123-156. This lengthy
Huguenot narrative enters into greater details respecting the early
history of the church of Vassy than any of the other contemporary
relations. The account bears every mark of candor and accurate
information.

[37] "Que son cas estoit bien sale s'il eust este ministre."

[38] The "Destruction du Saccagement" has preserved the names of
forty-five persons who died by Tuesday, March 3d; the "Discours entier"
has a complete list of forty-eight that died within a month, and refers to
others besides. A contemporary engraving is extant depicting in quaint but
lively style the murderous affair. Montfaucon reproduces it. So does also
M. Horace Gourjon in a pamphlet entitled "Le Massacre de Vassy" (Paris,
1844). He gives, in addition, an exterior view of the barn in which the
Huguenots were worshipping.

[39] Besides a brief Latin memoir of minor importance, there were
published two detailed accounts of the massacre written by Huguenots. The
one is entitled "Destruction du Saccagement, exerce cruellement par le Duc
de Guise et sa cohorte, en la ville de Vassy, le premier jour de Mars,
1561. A Caens. M.D.LXII.," and having for its epigraph the second v