The sun., 1892-05-01

i thhe nis peu was euffOunoou py bome tnirt
or forty Huguenots who were unknown to m
as yet. for I had only been married aver
little while. All night long they did nothinI
but talk about the misadventure which ha'
befallen Monsieur rAdmiral tColiGnyl deter
mining rs soon as 1t was daylight to ask tn,
| King tCharles IX.l that Monsieur do Gus,
should be brought to Justice. and that II thi'
was not granted them they would take the Law
into their own hands. My sisters tears were
ever present to me. and could not sleep be
cause Of the apprehensions with which she had
inspired me. although knew not OF what. The
| night passed In this manner without my closing
an eye. Atdaybroak the King. my husband. said
hc would go and play at tennis while waitin. I.
until King Charles should DO awake. having ro-
| solved to demand satisfaction Of him ut once.
| He quilted my room and all his gentlemen
| with him. I. seeing that 1t was daylight. SUP
| posed that the danger to which my sister had
alluded must be past, and overcome by ia.
tigue. l told my nurae to secure the door
In order that might sleep in peace An hour
afterward. as was fast asleep. there comes u
man humping with his hands and feet ut thu
door and screaming Navarro, Nnvarrcr My
nurse. thinking that It was the King. my hus-
band. runs quickly to the door. 1t turned out
to be gentleman called Monsieur Tejan
dumas makes In Mole tho horo Of this ad-
u
and q halberd wound in tho urn. and was
still pursued by four archers. who all rushed
into my room after him. He. seeking to
save himself. throw himself on my bed.
]. feeling that these men had hold OF me.
flung myself out Of It and he nftcr me. still
clasping mo round the body. This man was u
total stranger TO mo. and I did not know
whether lie came there to Insult mo or whether
tho archcrs were against him or against me.
We were both Of us screaming. and one was
Just as much alarmed rs the other. At last God
willed that Monsieur do Nancay. Captain OF
the guards. should como upon tho scene. who.
perceiving me in this plight. could not refrain
from laughing. in spite OF the compassion he
felt for me. He was very angry with the
archers for their indiscreton. packed them
OIL. and granted me the life OF tho POOR
man who was clinging to me. whom
l caused to be put to bed and to
have his wounds dressed in my closet.
whore he remained until no was quite recov-
cred. While was changing my nGhtgown-
for he had completely covered mo with blood
Monsieur do Nancay related to mo all that had
happened. and assured me that tho King. my
husband. was in tho Kings chamber and had
sustained no harm. Then. making mo wrap
myself In a cloak. he conducted mo to the
apartment Of my sister. Nine. de Lorraine.
"hcio uiiiNcu MOIo ueuu tilbl ullVes anu
whero. in the antechamber. the doors OF
which were all open. a gentleman named
Bourse was run through by pike
within three PAGES OF me as he was flying
from the nrchers that pursued him.
l foil to one side half fainting into NJ. de Nan.
Gays arms. thinking that this thrust was
about to impale US both. When had partly
recovered. entered tho little room In which
my sister slept. While was there NJ. do Mi
ossans. first gentleman to the King. my hus-
band and Armagnac. his first valet de- cham
bre. came in quest of mo to beseech me to save
their lives. Iwcnt and threw myself upon my
knees before the King and the Queen. my
mother. to intercede with them for their lives,
which at last they granted"
Every word that is here set down is confirmed
by other witnesses. There is no doubt that on
this night OF horror tho roie OF Marguerite OF
Naos was that OF an angel OF pity and OF
mercy. She COOS on TO tell us in her memoirs
that five or six days afterward those who had
planned the massacre realized that they had
failed in their principal object. for their ami
mostly had been directed less against tho HUI
suenots than against the princes OF the blood.
They were out of patience Mt the thought that
the King OF Navarro md the Prince OF Condo
should have been spared. Accordingly they
started on another tack. They set to work to
persuade the Queen. my mother. that my mar
riaCe must be dissolved. With this idea in her
mind. when went to her rising one day, pre-
vious to our attending tho Easter service, she
put me upon my oath to tell her tho truth,
and then asked mo whether the King. my
husband. had consummated tho marriage,
telling mo that II he had not, she saw means
OF having it nullifled. 1 begged her to believe
that was not qualified to answer her Ques-
tion land indeed l was then in the same con.
dition rs that Roman lady whose husband re-
her because she had not told him
that his breath was unpleasant and who re-
piled that she fancied that oil men were alike
in this respect never having approached any
other man but him): but said that. whichever
way 1t was. rs she had placed mo in this posi-
ton. would rather abide in it. suspecting
that they only wanted to separate me from my |
husband In order to do him some evil turn"
II. |
To the death off, La Mole and Coconas. who |
were beheaded and Iuartered about two years |
after tho st. Barth olomew. there is only q cur |
sorry allusion in these memoirs. Tho belief
was current thatth young Queen OF Navarro
was In love with La Mole and the Duchess OF
Nevers with Coconas According to Mongez,
y 1t Is said that Marguerite was not tho only
ady who lost lover by this execution,
The Duchess Of Nevers was as m uch concerned
It the fate Of Coconas as the Queen OF Na.
'arre was at that OF La Mole. Historians add
hat these two ladies caused the heads Of their
overs to be carried off during the night. and
hey buried them with their own hands In the
'hapel OF st. Martin. To console herself for
he loss of La Mole. the Queen OF Navarro in.
iuced the famous Du Perron. who aiterward
became Cardinal. to write o copy Of verses on
lis death. And It ia he who is spoken OF un.
ler the name OF Hyaclnth In an ode mposed
n 1874"
Thcre are. as her critics have pointed out, q
treat many sins OF omission In these memoirs.
'ut how could one expect that Marguerite
would make admissions which might be
'reiudical to herr Such avowals ara ra.
erved for tho confessional. Sainte Bouye. in
Iced. regards as II mark OF rare distinction the
net that in her autobiographical sketch this
ady does not avow everything that she does
lot. indeed. avow the half OF everything; so
ut iv,k tho, "A Oh -