I was

think proper to follow him, but resolved to try if I could gain the college of Burgundy, where I had studied: though the great distance between the house where I then was, and the college, made the attempt very dangerous. Having disguised myself in a scholar's gown, I put a large prayer-book under my arm, and went into the street. seized with horror inexpressible, at the sight of the furious murderers; who, running from all parts, forced open the houses, and cried aloud, Kill, kill, massacre the Huguenots: the blood which I saw shed under my eyes redoubled my terror. I fell into the midst of a body of guards; they stopped me, interrogated me, and were beginning to use me ill, when, happily for me, the book that I carried was perceived, and served me for a passport. Twice after this I fell into the same danger, from which I extricated myself with the same good fortune. At last I arrived at the college of Burgundy, where a danger, still greater than any I had yet met with, awaited me. The porter having twice refused me entrance, I continued standing in the midst of the street, at the mercy of the furious murderers, whose numbers increased every moment, and who were greedily seeking for their prey, when it came into my mind to ask for La Faye, the principal of this college, a good man, by whom I was tenderly beloved. The porter, prevailed upon by some small pieces of money which I put into his hand, admitted me; and my friend carried me to his apartment, where two inhuman priests, whom I heard mention Sicilian vespers, wanted to force me from him, that they might cut me in pieces, saying the order was, not to spare even infants at the breast. All the good man could do, was to conduct me privately to a distant chamber, where he locked me up. Here I was confined three days, uncertain of my destiny; and saw no one but a servant of my friend's, who came from time to time to bring me provisions.

"At the end of these three days, the prohibition for murdering and pillaging any more of the Protestants being published, I was suffered to leave my cell; and immediately after I saw Ferriere and La Vieville, two soldiers of the guard, who were my father's creatures, enter the college. They were armed, and came, without doubt, to rescue me by force wherever they should find me. They gave my father a relation of what had happened to me; and eight days afterwards I received a letter from him, in which he expressed the fears he had suffered on my account, and advised me to continue in Paris, since the prince I served was not at liberty to quit it. He added, that to avoid exposing myself to an evident danger, it was necessary I should resolve to follow that prince's example, and go to mass. In effect, the King of Navarre had found no other means of saving his life. He was awaked, with the Prince of Condé, two hours before day, by a great number of soldiers who rushed boldly into the chamber in the Louvre, where they lay, and insolently commanded them to dress themselves, and attend the king. They would not suffer the two princes to take their swords with them; who, as they passed, beheld several of their gentlemen massacred before their eyes. The king waited for them, and received them with a countenance and eyes in which fury was visibly painted: he ordered them, with oaths and blasphemies, which were familiar with him, to quit a religion that had

been only taken up, he told them, to serve for a cloak to their rebellion. The condition to which these princes were reduced, could not hinder them from discovering the regret they should find in obeying him. The king, transported with anger, told them, in a fierce and haughty tone, That he would no longer be contradicted in his opinions by his subjects; that they, by their example, should teach others to revere him as the image of God, and cease to be enemies to the images of his mother.' He ended by declaring, that if they did not go to mass, he would treat them as criminals guilty of treason against divine and human majesty. The manner in which these words were pronounced, not suffering the princes to doubt if they were sincere, they yielded to necessity, and performed what was required of them. Henry was even obliged to send an edict into his dominions, by which the exercise of any other religion but the Romish was forbid. Though this submission preserved his life, yet in other things he was not better treated; and he suffered a thousand capricious insults from the court: free by intervals, but more often closely confined, and treated as a criminal, his domestics sometimes permitted to attend him, then all on a sudden not suffered to appear."

We are told a little farther, that the number of Protestants thus murdered in cold blood, during eight days, all over the kingdom, amounted to seventy thousand. And soon afterwards we find,

"It was not long before Charles felt the most violent remorse for the barbarous action to which they had forced him to give the sanction of his name and authority. From the evening of the 24th of August, he was observed to groan involuntarily at the recital of a thousand strokes of cruelty, which every one boasted of in his presence. Of all those who were about the person of this prince, none possessed so great a share of his confidence, as Ambrose Paré, his surgeon. This man, though a Huguenot, lived with him in so great a degree of familiarity, that, on the day of the massacre, Charles telling him, the time was now come when the whole kingdom would be Catholics; he replied, without being alarmed, By the light of God, sire, I cannot believe that you have forgot your promise never to command me to do four things, namely, to enter again into my mother's womb, to be present in the day of battle, to quit your service, or to go to mass.' The king soon after took him aside, and disclosed to him freely the trouble of his soul: Ambrose,' said he, I know not what has happened to me these two or three days past, but I feel my mind and body as much at enmity with each other, as if I was seized with a fever: sleeping or waking, the murdered Huguenots seem ever present to my eyes, with ghastly faces, and weltering in blood. I wish the innocent and helpless had been spared.' The order which was published the following day, forbidding the continuance of the massacre, was in consequence of this conversation."

This prince died at the castle of Vincennes, at the age of

twenty-three, in the most exquisite torments, bathed in his own blood which oozed from his skin. The third son of Catherine, Duke of Anjou, and King of Poland, succeeded him.

From this period to the end of the book, we have an account of the renewal of the war, the first exploits of Rosny, (the author); and a very ingenuous description of the errors of his own conduct at nineteen, concludes it thus:

"I was at supper one night with Beauvais, the son of the King of Navarre's governor, and an officer named Useau, who, happening to quarrel, resolved to fight, and intreated me to provide them with the means. Instead of immediately acquainting the King of Navarre with their design, that prince being very solicitous to prevent these sort of combats, which a false sense of honour made very frequent at that time, I was imprudent enough to promise to comply; and after having in vain endeavoured to reconcile them, conducted them myself to the meadow where they fought, and each received a very dangerous wound. The King of Navarre, who loved Beauvais, was extremely offended with me for the part I had acted in this affair. He ordered me to be sent for, and told me in a rage, that I abridged the sovereign's authority, even in his own court, and that, were strict justice to be done on me, I should lose my head. Instead of repairing my fault by an ingenuous confession of it, I added another still greater: Piqued at this prince's threatening, I answered haughtily, That I was neither his subject nor vassal; and threatened him, in my turn, with quitting his service. The king discovered no other resentment for this insolence, than a contemptuous silence. I went out of his presence, with an intention to leave this good prince, and perhaps for ever, had not the princesses undertook to make my peace with the king, who, listening only to the dictates of his friendship for me, contented himself with punishing me no otherwise for my fault, than by treating me, during some time, with great coldness: at length, when he was convinced of the sincerity of my repentance, he resumed his former sentiments. This instance of his goodness made me know in what manner so worthy a prince ought to be served. I attached myself to him more strongly than before, resolving, from that moment, never to have any other master: but I saw myself removed from him for some time, by an imprudent promise which I had made to the Duke of Alençon."

The marriage of the narrator took place in the year 1583, an account of which must not be omitted, as it is full of character.

"I became violently enamoured of the daughter of the President de St. Mesmin, one of the most beautiful ladies in France.

"At first, I wholly abandoned myself to a passion, which, in the beginning, is so delightful, that when I would have stifled it afterwards, upon reflecting that this alliance was not convenient for me, I

found that consideration too weak, when opposed to the friendship this whole family expressed for me, the esteem of a father truly respectable, and the charms of a mistress worthy my tenderest affection. My own endeavours alone would not have been sufficient to have broken this chain. La Fond, to divert the course of my thoughts, proposed to me to visit Mademoiselle de Courtenay, whom he wished I would make my addresses to, as a person who, in all respects, was much more suitable to me. I saw her, and approved this choice, but Mademoiselle de St. Mesmin soon destroyed all these wise reflections.

"Being one day at Nogent upon the Seine, attended by this La Fond, and some other persons, I went to lodge at an inn, whither chance had conducted both Mademoiselle de St. Mesmin, and Mademoiselle de Courtenay, which I learned the moment I entered the inn. This was one of the most delicate conjunctures imaginable, and I judged it would be impossible to leave the place without breaking for ever with that lady of the two, to whom I should neglect to pay my first visit and assiduities. In a case of this nature, no artifice, no address, can satisfy two women at the same time.

"Mademoiselle de St. Mesmin's youngest sister coming down stairs that moment, found me absorbed in reflection, like a man that was labouring to reconcile his reason with his love, She perceived it, and my confusion affording her a fine opportunity to display the vivacity of her wit, she endeavoured to draw me to her sister's feet; when La Fond approaching me, whispered in my ear, Turn to the right, monsieur: there you will find a large estate, a royal extraction, and equal beauty, when it shall have attained to the age of perfection.' These few words, so seasonably uttered, recalled my scattered reason, and fixed my wavering purpose. I was convinced the advice La Fond gave me was good, and that the only difference between the beauty of Mademoiselle de Courtenay and her rival, was, that the one was already in the possession of charms, which a year or two more promised the other. I sent an excuse for not attending Mademoiselle de St. Mesmin, which drew upon me great reproaches; but I sustained the assault, and went immediately after to visit Mademoiselle de Courtenay, who valued this sacrifice at its full price. She was pleased with the preference; and I applauded myself for it, when I considered my new mistress with more attention, and that a few visits more had given me a perfect knowledge of her character. My addresses were favourably received, and a short time after this adventure we were married."

The second book concludes with a victory obtained by Henry, at Coutras, and the third commences with lamenting the errors committed after it. The assassination of the Duke and Cardinal Guise follow; also the death of Catherine de Medicis, of which little is said; but it appears to have made way for the reconciliation of her son, Henry III. with his successor, the King of Navarre. This circumstance had, however, scarcely

your counsels, as they say they are determined to do, they will never do an injury either to my person or state.' 'Sire,' returned I, " your majesty says this in a manner so unreserved, that I see you are in a good humour, and better satisfied with me than you have been these fifteen days.' What! you still remember that then,' interrupted Henry, I assure you I do not; you know that our little resentments ought never to last more than a day: I know that yours did not hinder you from undertaking, the very next day, something for my advantage in my finances. I have not,' continued Henry, with great gaiety, 'found myself so light and so easy these three months as this day; I mounted my horse without help; I have had great pleasure in the chase this morning; my hawks have flown, and my greyhounds have run so well, that the former have taken a great number of young partridges, and the latter three large hares; one of the best of my hawks, which I thought lost, has been found and brought back to me: I have a very good appetite, have eat some excellent melons, and they have served me up some quails, the fattest and tenderest I have ever eat. By letters from Provence,' continued the king, to show me that every thing conspired to his happiness, I am informed that the seditions in Marseilles are entirely quelled: and from several other provinces I have news, that there never has been so fruitful a season, and that my people will grow rich, if I permit them to export corn. SaintAntoine writes me word, that the prince of Wales is always talking of me, and of the friendship which he promised you he would ever preserve for me. From Italy I am informed, that affairs there are in such a situation, that I shall have the honour of reconciling the pope and the Venetians. Bongars writes me word from Germany, that the new king of Sweden is upon better terms every day with his subjects; and that the landgrave of Hesse acquires me constantly new friends and allies. Buzenval has written to Villeroi, that both the Spaniards and Flemings are brought so low, that they will soon be obliged to listen to proposals for a peace or a truce, of which I must necessarily be the mediator and protector: and thus begin to render myself the arbitrator of all the differences among the princes of Christendom. And for an increase of satisfaction,' said the prince gaily, behold me here at table, surrounded with all these you see,' (for he had with him DuLaurens, Du-Perron the younger, Gutron, Des-Yvetaux, Chaumont, and the fathers Cotton, and Gonthier), of whose affection for me I am well assured, and who, as you know, are capable of entertaining me with useful as well as agreeable conversation; which shall not, however, hinder me from talking of business as soon as I have dined, for then I will listen to every body, and will satisfy all, if reason and justice can do it.'"

"This conversation, which, from being gay and lively, had taken a very serious turn, was interrupted by the queen, who had left her chamber, and was going to her closet. The king, rising from table, went to meet her, saying, "Well, my dear, were not the melons, partridges, and quails I sent you very good? if your appetite has been as keen as mine, you have dined extremely well; I never eat so much as I have done to-day, or was ever in a better humour; ask Rosny, he