Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-03-29
MISC CELLANY Y.
of St. Bartholomew Day

The scenes in the bloody drama of St
Bartholomew are memorable in Huguenot
and Protestant history. We quote the fol-
lowing brief sketch as reference for those
OF our readers who may not have the record
withln reach.
At length Charles TX, casting his half
closed eyes on the floor, gave the fatal or
der for the murder of his subjects. The a
larm-bell ofSt. German was instantly rung.
and in moment the PlaiS Tuileries, the
banks of the river, the public places, the
streets, the churches and edi6ces OF Paris
were brilliantly illuminated.
Guided by those terrible lights which en-
veloped the capital as in a circle OF fire,
they distinguished the dwellings OF heretics
by the fresh made marks. "Open by COM
mand of the King" was the order given by
the murdererS. Some fastened to obey,
and their lives were extingGished with the
lights which they brought to see who called
them; others opening their windows to DIS
cover who knocked at so unreasonable ah
hour, fell struck by twenty balls at once /;
another, burying himselfin the bed-clothes,
would pretend to be fast asleep; his door
was shattered in pieces, aud two or three
assassins, separating from the rest, ran and
slaughtered him ia his bed. Sometimes
they left the house unsained with blood (:
but dragging the victim from his couch in
to the street, they gave him up to the wea-
pons of the populace. As the spolls OF the
doomed were to belong to those who should
dispatch them, thousand blades we're rais-
ed at once over the unfortunate wretch,
whose death, swift as lightning, left no time
for pain. Happy they who were thus sur
prised in their first sleep; their sufferings
were brief; but when the hands ofthe MUIR
derers became weared with slaughter, the
agony of the sufferer was prolonged for
hours.
While blood was thus split in torrents be-
fore the eyes of the queen mother, (Cathe-
rine de Medicis,) the bell of the Palais
rang; and the general massacre began.--
At this signal Tavennues and the duke of
Nevers drew. then their swords, crying,
"Kill kill |" The night-guards, the citi-
zens among whom arms had been distri5u-
ted the whole tribe of murderers, sailed
forth from their lurking places, repeating,
"Kill! kill I" The shrill sound of the bells,
the clatter of arms, the vagabord tramp of
the assassinS, the ilickering glare oftOrches,
mingled with shouts which the night echo
rendered still more horrible. The massacre
then became general; there was no pity for
sex, age. or condition no blood came a.
mss, provided that it circulated in hereto
veins and these were the signs by which
the heretlcs were distinguished. Whoever
shuts his door at the approach of an armed
band. is a heretic whoever refuses to an
swer or begs his life, is hereto whoever
has not a white badge on his arm, is her.
etic whoever does not come when the
murderer calls, is a hereto. The assassins
had no need to speak there was no Judge
all were executioners; butI words did now
and then drop from their lips, it was to com
plain to one another OF their fatigue, or TO
insult the sufferer nay, it was often an in
fernal laugh that greeted his last sigh.
Pursued on all sides BY those nSidious
flames with which the capital was lit up, /
driven like flock Of sheep, attacked like !
deer, in vain did the ProteStants endeavor
10 flee from fate. I'they would have sought
refuge in the Catholic churches, armed men
guarded the doors of the sanctuary; il they /.
approaChed the Louvre, the Swiss awaited /
+hem with presented mu>kets ifthey burst
open the prison doors, to conceal them
selves among the maleiactors whom the ius- (
t;ce of men had condemned the iailors de- /
pou,ced or drove them down by main force
If they attempted to gain the banks of the
river, the implements OF destruction were (
quite ready bol,-ho0ks to catch hem in