ed out his two arms against the
wall, counterfeiting the crucifix, whilst the blows were dealt him.
Having been dragged out dead from the king's chamber, he was stripped
naked to the waist, covered with his gown and exposed to the public."

Whilst Henry de Valois was thus struck down at St. Cloud, Henry of
Navarre had moved with a good number of troops to the Pre-aux-Clercs;
and seeing Rosny, who was darting along, pistol in hand, amongst the
foremost, he called one of his gentlemen and said, "Maignan, go and tell
M. de Rosny to come back; he will get taken or wounded in that rash
style." "I should not care to speak so to him," answered Maignan. "I
will tell him that your Majesty wants him." Meanwhile up came a
gentleman at a gallop, who said three or four words in the King of
Navarre's ear. "My friend," said Henry to Rosny, "the king has just been
wounded with a knife in the stomach; let us go and see about it; come
with me." Henry took with him five and twenty gentlemen. The king
received him affectionately, exhorted him to change his religion for his
salvation's sake in another world and his fortunes in this; and,
addressing the people of quality who thronged his chamber, he said, "I do
pray you as my friends, and as your king I order you, to recognize after
my death my brother here. For my satisfaction and as your bounden duty,
I pray you to swear it to him in my presence." All present took the
oath. Henry III. spoke in a firm voice; and his wound was not believed
to be mortal. Letters were sent in his name to the queen, to the
governors of the provinces and to the princes allied to the crown, to
inform them of the accident that had happened to the king, "which, please
God, will turn out to be nothing." The King of Navarre asked for some
details as to the assassin. James Clement was a young Dominican who,
according to report, had been a soldier before he became a monk. He was
always talking of waging war against Henry de Valois, and he was called
"Captain Clement." He told a story about a vision he had of an angel,
who had bidden him "to put to death the tyrant of France, in return for
which he would have the crown of martyrdom." Royalist writers report
that he had been placed in personal communication with the friends of
Henry de Guise, even with his sister the Duchess of Montpensier, and his
brother the Duke of Mayenne. When well informed of the facts, the King
of Navarre returned to his quarters at