The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-01-02
THE MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHoL-
OMEW

perfect silence. All three stood at the win.
dow, looking out into the rayless night.
Suddenly through The still air the ponder,
Gus tones of the alarm. bell fell upon the ear
and rolled the knel of death over the city
Its vibration awakened the demon 10 ten
thousand hearts. 1t was the morning of the
Sabbath, August "a, l572-the anniversary
of festival consecrated by the Church TO
the memory of st Bartholomew.
The first stroke of the bell had not ceased
to vibrato upon the ear, when the uproar OF
the carnage commenced. The sound, which
seemed 10 rouse Catharine to frenzy, almost
froze the blood of the young monarch
Trembling in every nerve, he shouted for the
massacre to be stopped.
1t was too late. The train was fred
Beacon.fres and alarm bells sent the signal,
with the rapidity Of light and of sound,
through entire France The awful roar of
human passion, the cracking of musketry,
the shrieks of the wounded and of the diving
blended in appalling tumult throughout the
whole metropolis.
Old men, terrified mai6dens, helpless in
fants, venerable matrons, were alike smitten
down merclessy, to the fanatic cry. "Vire
Die ct e Dio!"-"Live God and the Kingw
Coligni, faint and wounded, was lying upon
his bed, surrounded by few faithful friends,
as the demoniac clamor rolled in upon their
ears. The Duke of Guise, with three hun
dred followers FASTENED to the lodgings of
the Admiral, stabbed the sentnels, and dash
ed down the gates.
A wounded servant rushed to the chamber,
exclaiming, "The house is forced, and there
is no means Of resisting"
81 have long," said the heroic Admiral to
his friends, prepared myself to die. Save
yourselves You cannot defend me. com.
mend my soul to God"
The murderers were now rushing up the
stairs. They pursued, shot, stabbed, and cut
down the flying friends of Coligni. The
Admiral thus for moment left alone,
rose from his bed, and being unable to stand,
leand against the will, and in feryent prayer
surrendered himself to the will of Cod
The assassius bust into the room. They saw
venerable man in his night robe, with ban.
daged wounds, engaged in his devoticns.
"Art thou the Admiral?' demanded one
with brandshed sword
81 am replied Colign; "and thou, young
man, shouldst Yespect my grey hairs. New
ertheless, thou canst abridge my life but n
little"
The wretch plunged his sword into the
bosom of CoIgni, and then Withdrawing it
dripping with blood cut him down. The
Admiral fell, calmnly saying
"If could but die by the hand of n gen.
tleman, in:tead of by the hand of such n
knnve as this J"
The rest of the assassns immediately fell
upon him, each emulous to bury his dagger
10 the bosom of his victim.
The Duke of Guse, ashamed, as an assas.
sin, to meet the eye of the noble Coligni,
whom he had often met in friendly inter-
course, remained impatiently in the court
yard below.
"Breme," he shout d to one of his follow
ers, looking up at the window, shave you
done t?"
"Yes," exclaimed Brrme, "he is done for"
'Let us see, though" replied the Duke
"Throw him out Of the window"
The mangled corpse fell upon the pave
ment. The Duke wiped the blood from his
face and carefully scrutiuized his features.
"Yes," said he, 81 recognize the man.
Then giving the pallid face kick, he ex-
claimed, "Courage, comrades We have hap
PLY begun. Let us now go for others"
The tiger having once Tapped his tongue
in blood, seems to be imbued with new
spirit of ferocly. There is in man similar
temper. The frenzied multitude became
drunk with blood. The houses of the
Protestants were marked. They burst the
doors and rushed through all apartments,
numbering indiscriminately young and old
The bodies were thrown from the windows,
and the pavements were clotted with
gore.
Charles seon recovered from his momehta-
ry wavering, and conscious that 1t was too
late to draw back, with fiend.like eagerness
engaged himself in the work of death. Per-
feet fury seized him. His cheeks were flush
ed, his lips compressed, his eyes glared with
frenzy. Bending eagerly from his window,
he shouted words of encouragement to the
assassns. Grasping gun, he watched like
sportsman, for his prey, and when he saw an
unfortunate Protestant, wounded and bleed
ing, flying from his pursuers, he would take
deliberate aim from the window of his pal
nee. and shout with exultation as he saw hm
fall, pierced by his bullet.
A crowd Of fugilives rushed into the court
room OF Louvre, to throw themselves upon
the protection of the King. Charles sent
his own body-guard into the yards, with guns
and daggers, to butcher them all
Just before the carnage commenced Mar
guerite weary with excitement, and with
fears of she knew not what, retired to her
chamber She had hardly closed her eyes
when the outcries of the pursuers and pur-
sued filled the palace. She sprang up in her
bed, and heard some one struggling at the
door, and shrieking, "Navarre, Navarrew
In paroxysm of terrors she ordered an
attendant to open the door. One of her
husbands retinue instantly rushed in covered
with wounds and blood, pursued by four SOL
ders of her brothers guard.
It is strange how easily the ludicrous can
blend with the horrible. The terrified Hu.
pueEot burst into the room and leaping into
the bed with Marguerite clung tower person.
The captain of the quad at that moment
entered the room.
He was so struck with The ludicrous posi-
ton of the princess and Of the terrified Hu-
cuenot, that bursting into uncomfortable
peals of laughter, he turned away, leaving
his victim in the arms OF Marguerite,
Marguerite, delirious with terror, fed to
the npartment of her sister. The palace was
filled with shouts, and shrleks, and uproar.-
As she was rushing through the hall she en-.
eountered another Protestant gentleman az
inp before the dripping sword Of the pursu-
ers. lle was covered with blood flowing
from many wounds which he had already
received. Just as he reached the young
Queen Of Navarro, his pursuer plunged a
sword through his body, aud he fell dead II,
her feet.
No tongue can tell the horrors of that