inst them, and have
them fired upon, in case they attempted to force an entrance. "No," said
he, "if the small gate will not do for them to enter by, let the big one
be opened." A few hours afterwards, L'Hospital was informed that the
king and the queen-mother were sending other horsemen to protect him.
"I didn't know," said the old man, "that I had deserved either death or
pardon." A rumor of his death flew abroad amongst his enemies, who
rejoiced at it. "We are told," wrote Cardinal Granvelle to his agent at
Brussels (October 8, 1572), "that the king has had Chancellor de
l'Hospital and his wife despatched, which would be a great blessing."
The agent, more enlightened than his chief, denied the fact, adding,
"They are a fine bit of rubbish left, L'Hospital and his wife." Charles
IX. wrote to his old adviser to reassure him, "loving you as I do." Some
time after, however, he demanded of him his resignation of the title of
chancellor, wishing to confer it upon La Birague, to reward him for his
co-operation in the St. Bartholomew. L'Hospital gave in his resignation
on the 1st of February, 1573, and died six weeks afterwards, on the 18th
of March. "I am just at the end of my long journey, and shall have no
more business but with God," he wrote to the king and the queen-mother.
"I implore Him to give you His grace, and to lead you with His hand in
all your affairs, and in the government of this great and beautiful
kingdom which He hath committed to your keeping, with all gentleness and
clemency towards your good subjects, in imitation of Himself, who is good
and, patient in bearing our burdens, and prompt to forgive you and pardon
you everything."

From the 24th to the 31st of August, 1572, the bearing and conduct of
Charles IX. and the queen-mother produced nothing but a confused mass of
orders and counter-orders, affirmations and denials, words and actions
incoherent and contradictory, all caused by a habit of lying and the
desire of escaping from the peril or embarrassment of the moment. On the
very first day of the massacre, about midday, the provost of tradesmen
and the sheriffs, who had not taken part in the "Paris matins," came
complaining to the king "of the pillage, sack, and murder which were
being committed by many belonging to the suite of his Majesty, as well as
to those of the princes, princesses, and lords of the court, by noblemen,
archers, and soldiers of the guard, as well as by all sorts of gentr