apostolique et romaine," which
Ranke (Civil Wars and Monarchy, p. 236), and, following him, Von Polenz
(Gesch. des franz. Calvinismus, ii. 361), have construed as referring to
"la maison de Valois." Involved as is the phraseology, I do not see how
the word "eux" can designate any other person or persons than "ledit sr.
lieutenant avec mesditz sieurs de la noblesse de cedit gouvernement et
autres associez."

[537] Jean de Serres, iii. 164.

[538] "Den Erfolg des letzten Krieges," well observes Prof. Soldan,
"hatten die Hugenotten nicht ihrer Anzahl, sondern der Organisation und
dem Geiste ihres Gemeindewesens zu verdanken. Diese bewegliche,
weitverzweigte, aus einem festen Mittelpunkte gleichmaessig gelenkte und
von Eifer fuer die gemeinsame Sache belebte Vereinsgliederung hatte ueber
den lahmen und stockenden Mechanismus vielfach groesserer, aber in sich
selbst uneiniger Kraefte einen beschaemenden Triumph erlangt." Geschichte
des Protestantismus in Frankreich, ii. 303.

[539] Relations des Amb. Ven., ii. 116.

[540] Cipierre, a young nobleman only twenty-two years of age, was
returning, with a body-guard of about thirty-five men, from a visit to his
cousin, the duke, at Nice, where he had been treated with great honor.
When approaching Frejus he perceived signs of treachery in a body of men
lurking under cover of a grove, and betook himself for safety into the
city, now, since his father's death, a part of the province of which his
eldest brother was royal governor. The tocsin was rung, and his enemies,
originally a band of three hundred men, being swollen by constant
accessions to four times that number, the house in which Cipierre had
taken refuge was assailed. After a heroic defence the small party of
defenders surrendered their arms, on assurance that their opponents would
at once retire. The papists, however, scarcely made a pretence of
fulfilling their compact, for they speedily returned and massacred every
one whom they found in the house. Cipierre himself was not among the
number. To secure him a new breach of faith was necessary. The captain of
the murderers pledged his own word to the magistrate that if Cipierre
would come forth from his hiding-place he would spare his life. He
discharged the obligation, so soon as Cipierre presented himself, by
plunging a dagger into his breast. J. de Serres, iii. 166-168; Agrippa
d'Aubigne, i. 262.

[541] Petition of Conde, Aug. 23, 1568, J. de Serres, iii. 210, 211.