The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1847-09-21 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE MASSACRE OF VASSI.—On Sunday, the Ist of March, 1652, the Duke de Guise, attended by his family and by the Cardinal de Guise, left Joinville for Paris. It appears that during his stay at Joinville, his mother Antoinette de Bourbon, had complained of the insolence of the Huguonots, who presumed to hold their preachings at Vassi, close upon the gates of her castle. " The Duke began to mutter," says the historian, "eta s'animer dans son courage, mordant sa barbe ;" biting his lips as was his custom when he was angry, and " such were the dispositions," says De Thou, whose account has been chiefly followed, " which seemed to prepare the miserable event that ensued." The route of the Duke unfortunately lay through Vassi, where he arrived early in the morning, followed by his numerous and splendid train. His design, " design he had, appears to have been to disperse the Huif assembled, but not to offer violence to any person in particular. As he entered the town he heard a bell ringing, and asking what that was for, he was answered it was to call the Protestants to meeting. Upon that a loud and confused cry of joy was heard among the crowd of valets, lackeys, and other attendants travelling with him. "It seemed like the cry of a body of military adventurers rejoicing in the prospect of plunder." As the Duke proceeded, he was met by some of the principal officers of the place, who to prevent disturbance begged of him to pass the building where the assembly was being held, without stopping ; but while he was in discourse with them, several of his people had approached the meeting-house, (it was a barn which the Huguonots had purchased, and might hold aboutl2oo people,) and had begun to abuse those assembled, " calling them dogs and rebels to God and to the King. High words were returned by the Huguonots, and the affray began. A shower of stones was thrown by the Duke's servants, who soon tore down the door of the chapel, and rushing furiously in, sword in hand, fell upon the assembled multitude, striking down and massacring all they met. A dreadful confusion ensued. The women and children rent the air with their shrieks and cries, vainly endeavouring to escape ; the men calling loudly for help. A few only put themselves on their defence, for they were all, in obedience to the edict, unarmed. The tumult was so great that the noise reached the ears of the Duchess de Guise ; who, travelling in her litter, was a short distance in advance of the rest ; and she instantly despatched an express to her husband, to entreat him to spare innocent blood. Her messenger found the Duke standing at the door of the barn, endeavouring, some say, to allay the disorder, but at the moment a stone unfortunately struck him on the face ; and his people, seeing the blood stream from his mouth, and glad of an excuse for further violence, now set no bounds to their fury. In spite of his prayers and menaces, the carnage was horrible, the rage of the murderers being only appeased when not a creature remained in the chapel. Sixty were left dead upon the spot, and more than two hundred wounded or male prisoners.—The Protestant Reformation in France, by the author of" Father .Darcy."  4ionary ii  uonots