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only against Monarchs, but against the poffef"fors of a kingdom whofe roots lie deep in the ground of ages; fo many perfons interested in "its prefervation; no profpect of an attack "from without; but a general peace juft con"cluded, and in its very first bloom, and, what " is worse, made with our neighbours, who are

joined together to ruin us; add then, the de"fection of the King of Navarre and the Con"stable from our party, fo much power on the "fide of our enemies, and fo much weakness on

ours; and if all thefe circumftances taken together will make no impreffion upon your mind, put your hand upon your heart, found "the inmost receffes of your confcience, and "then tell me, if you think you can fupport "numberless defeats; the calumnies of your "own party, as well as thofe of your enemies; "the reproaches that mankind are but too often

apt to make, who judge of every event by "the fuccefs of it; the treachery of your own "friends; flight, banishment; the fury of the

cr

English, the violence of the Germans; difgrace, fhame, nakednefs, hunger, difficult enough to bear when happening to yourself, "but when happening to your children rendered infupportable. Feel, then, within yourself, "how you can bear to die by the hands of the

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executioner, after having firft beheld your "huf

"husband dragged along the ftreets, and ex

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pofed to the infults of the multitude; and, to "clofe all, to fee your children made the def

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picable flaves of your enemies, who have "rifen into confequence by your defeats and "calamities. I give you three weeks to con

fider all this, my dear wife, and when you "have fteadily made up your mind to it, I will go and perish with you and with your 66 friends.

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"Madame de Coligny inftantly replied:

These three weeks are already paffed with me. "Your courage will never be conquered by "that of your enemies. Exert it then, immediately, and do not oblige me to lay upon your head the lives of all thofe that shall die "in thefe three weeks. I fummon you, then,

in the name of the Moft High, to deprive us "no longer of your efforts. If you delay any longer, I fhall be a witness against you in the "dreadful day of judgment."

Coligny immediately joined his brothers; and the wars between the Catholics and the Proteftants of France commenced, which ended in the treacherous pacification of 1571. Coligny, with the rest of the heads of his party, came to Paris, where they were treated with fuch ex

treme kindness by Charles the Ninth and the Catholic party, that one of the Admiral's Officers begged leave to be permitted to retire from Paris. Coligny, whofe own honefty and openness of character ever rendered him unfufpecting, afked the Officer if he had loft his wits, to defire to go away at fuch a time. "Alas, Sir," replied he, "I had rather fave

my life with "fimpletons like myself, than lofe it with wife

men like you! Our new friends here are 66 too civil by half to us. I fear fome mischief, " and wish I could prevail upon you to have "the fame apprehenfion." Coligny, however, remained, and, a few days before the deteftable maffacre of St. Bartholomew, was wounded in the hand and in the arın by a fhot from a mufquet, as he was on his way to vifit the King at the Louvre. The wound was not dangerous, and Charles and his Mother, Catherine de Medicis, behaved on the occafion with so much appearance of kindness and affection (the King occafionally calling the Admiral by the endearing name of Father), that no fufpicion continued in his mind. Early, however, in the morning of the day of St. Bartholomew, the Admiral and his attendants were awakened by a great noise at the door of the apartments in which they were lodged. He immediately, fufpecting mischief, rofe out of bed, put on his

night

night-gown, and ordered his chaplain to pray, himself following the prayers with loud fighs, and recommending his life to God, which he had merely lent him for his honour. Some one who had seen Befme and his foldiers at the door, came running into the room to tell the Admiral what was the matter; adding, "It is God that "calls us to him; the houfe is forced, and "there is no poffibility of refiflance."—" I "have been expecting death a long time fince," replied the Admiral. "The reft of you will "endeavour to get away, if you can: every ef"fort that you can make to fave my life is in "vain. I commend it into the hands of Him "who gave it to me; do you make what hafte

you can, and get away." The Admiral then, with a countenance of the moft placid ferenity, and in an attitude of the greateft dignity, feated himself in an arm-chair, expecting the entrance of the affaffins. Befme came in firft, and not knowing the Admiral, whom he faw feated, afked him if he was the Admiral. In a firm tone of voice Coligny anfwered, “I am he: "but, young man, respect my gray hairs, and

my advanced age." Befme, making no reply, ftruck him upon the head with his fword, and his foldiers dispatched him with many wounds in different parts of his body. They then threw the body out of the window into the courtyard.

1

yard. The Duke of Guife, coming soon afterwards, wiped off the blood from the face, to fee whether it was that of the Admiral, and then gave the body a violent kick with his foot. The mob of Paris next rushed in, took the body of the Admiral, tied it to the heels of an afs, and afterwards hung it up for three days on the common gallows of Paris; from whence it was taken down by fome of his friends, mangled and covered with every mark of indignity, and conveyed to his daughter the Princefs of Orange, who with filial piety collected every relick of fo valuable a depofit, and placed them in a small farcophagus of black marble, on which the caused to be engraven the following infcription, written by the learned Jofeph Scaliger:

D. O. M.

SACRVM

ET

MEMORIE GASPARIS A COLIGNIACO, COMITIS COLIGNIACI, DOMINI CASTILIONI, EQVITIS TORQVATI REGIS, TVR MÆ CENTVM EQUITUM CATAPHRACTOR, PRÆFECTI, MAGNI FRANCIA AMIRALI, CIVIS MEMORIA, PER VIM OPPRESSI, IN INTEGRVM SECVNDVM AMPLISSIMI ORDINIS CONSVLTVM RESTITVTA EST, OPTIMI FORTISS. PROVIDENTISQ, DUCIS, PVRÆ RELIGIONIS VINDICIS, AC PROPAGATORIS, QVI INSTINCTV PIETATIS ATQVE ANIMI MAGNITVDINE, ARMIS PRO ASSERENDA RELIGIONE AC LIBERTATE

PATRIA