a mere rumor
of a commotion in the Protestant city of Montauban, an order was issued to
demolish its walls. The case was far otherwise with turbulent Roman
Catholic towns. The people were encouraged to acts of violence toward the
Huguenots by the impunity of the perpetrators of similar crimes, and by
the evident partiality of those who were set to administer justice. Out of
six or seven score murders of Protestants since the peace, not two of the
abominable acts had been punished. Under such circumstances it would not
be surprising if the victims of inordinate cruelty should at length be
driven in desperation to take their defence into their own hands.[351]

[Sidenote: Conciliatory reply of the king.]

The king, or his ministers, fearful of a commotion during his absence from
Paris, answered the letter of the prince with tolerable courtesy, and even
made a pretence of desiring to secure justice to his Protestant subjects;
but the attempt really effected very little. Thus, for instance, while
sojourning in the city of Valence (on the fifth of September, 1564),
Charles received a petition of the Huguenots of Bordeaux, setting forth
some of the grievances under which they were groaning, and gave a
favorable answer. He permitted them, by this patent, to sing their psalms
in their own houses. He declared them free from any obligation to furnish
the "pain benit," and to contribute to the support of Roman Catholic
fraternities. The Protestants were not to be molested for possessing or
selling copies of the Bible. They must not be compelled to deck out their
houses in honor of religious processions, nor to swear on St. Anthony's
arm. They might work at their trades with closed doors, except on Sundays
and solemn feasts. Magistrates were forbidden to take away the children of
Huguenots, in order to have them baptized according to Romish rites.
Protestants could be elected to municipal offices equally with the
adherents of the other faith.[352] In a similar tone of conciliation the
king published an order from Roussillon, remitting the fines that had been
imposed upon the Huguenots of Nantes for neglecting to hang tapestry
before their houses on Corpus Christi Day, and permitting them henceforth
to abstain from an act so offensive to their religious convictions.[353]

[Sidenote: Protestants excluded from judicial posts.]

Such local concessions were, however, only the decoys by which the queen
mother intended to lure the Hugue