were fear and love of power, the queen-mother had
succeeded in working her king-son into a fit of weakness and mad anger.
Anxious to profit by it, "she gave orders on the instant for the signal,
which was not to have been given until an hour before daybreak," says De
Thou, "and, instead of the bell at the Palace of Justice, the tocsin was
sounded by the bell of St.-Germain-Auxerrois, which was nearer."

Even before the king had given his formal consent, the projectors of the
outrage had carefully prepared for its execution; they had apportioned
out amongst themselves or to their agents the different quarters of the
city. The Guises had reserved for themselves that in which they
considered they had personal vengeance as well as religious enmity to
satisfy, the neighborhood of St.-Germain-l'Auxerrois, and especially Rue
de Bethisy and Rue des Fosses-St.-Germain. Awakened by the noise around
his house, and, before long, by arquebuse-shots fired in his court-yard,
Coligny understood what was going to happen; he jumped out of bed, put on
his dressing-gown, and, as he stood leaning against the wall, he said to
the clergyman, Merlin, who was sitting up with him, "M. Merlin, say me a
prayer; I commit my soul to my Saviour." One of his gentlemen, Cornaton,
entered the room. "What is the meaning of this riot?" asked Ambrose
Pare, who had also remained with the admiral.

"My lord," said Cornaton to Coligny, "it is God calling us." "I have
long been ready to die," said the admiral; "but you, my friends, save
yourselves, if it is still possible." All ran up stairs and escaped, the
majority by the roof; a German servant, Nicholas Muss, alone remained
with the admiral, "as little concerned," says Cornaton, "as if there were
nothing going on around him." The door of his room was forced. Two men,
servants of the Guises, entered first. One of them, Behme, attached to
the Duke of Guise's own person, came forward, saying, "Art thou not the
admiral?" "Young man," said Coligny, "thou comest against a wounded and
an aged man. Thou'lt not shorten my life by much." Behme plunged into
his stomach a huge pointed boar-spear which he had in his hand, and then
struck him on the head with it. Coligny fell, saying, "If it were but a
man! But 'tis a horse-boy." Others came in and struck him in their
turn. "Behme!" shouted the Duke of Guise from the court-yard, "hast
done?" "'Tis all over, my lord," was the answer; and the murderers thre