take it: howbeit he kept his habit still. Then he went to London, Appendix. and there was amongst his friends, that had seen him at Mount Grace, and thence he went to Lincolnshire, thinking to have the Anchorite's house at Stamford, but it would not be as then. He was counselled by sir John Harrington, then sheriff, to change his habit from grey, which he then wore, to black; and so he wandered from place to place in a black habit like a priest. And at length, about nine years past he came into Shropshire, to Bridgenorth, and there, by chance, fell in acquaintance with one Elizabeth, which was wife to one William Romney, a tinker, that died there. And, forsomuch as he had in these days both punishment and trouble, for declaring himself a professed man to the order of an Anchorite, and was plainly showed that it was against God's commandment that any man should make any such vow, he therefore, in that point, being partly persuaded, and crediting the same, was the rather moved to desire the said Elizabeth Romney to be his wife; and she thereunto agreeing, they were married together about six years past in the chapel, within the castle of Bridgenorth, by one sir William Malpas, that is now dead. And so they dwelled together in the lower town of Bridgenorth, this examinate using the tailor's craft, and going abroad into the country to get his living and his wife's, and came not home some time, for a month together. Being asked what moved him to marry, he said that he was foul troubled with vermin, and had no help of washing and tending, as was requisite, nor had any house to be in; and so made his moan to this woman; and then she being troubled as she said with certain unruly children of hers, and could not be quiet for them, was content to go with this examinate, and to be his wife. Being asked if he knew her not carnally, as men do their wives, he utterly denieth the same; and sayeth that it was not meant of any of them. Being asked how he chanced to come to this town, he saith that he was moved in conscience to the observance of his former profession, now, since the queen's reign; and the hiring of this house here at Stow, where an anchorite had been before, made means to my lady Gifford of his intent, not declaring anything that he was married; and the said lady Gifford wrote to sir T. Fitzherbert, to move the lord bishop in his favour, and so the said sir Thomas did, and gat my lord's favour in that behalf. Being asked, if my lord did, of new, profess him into the religion, he saith, nay; but did put him into the house, and restored him to his former religion and profession. Being asked where his wife was, when he came hither to be closed up, he said, she was at Bridgenorth, and knew nothing of his mind that he purposed to return to his religion; howbeit he showed her that he would go to Lichfield; and then about Whitsuntide last she came hither to hearken for this examinate. And he said, that it was communed between him and her, that she should go to Worcester and be an anchoress there, but that she fell sick and was not able to go. Again, being asked when she was last with him, he said that she was with him upon Palm Sunday last, and had nothing to do or say to him, but asked him how he did. They asked moreover what moved her to come to town that day to whom he said, that she came for her clothes that were in (1) The cruel and vile inquisition of the papists is here set forth. True trimony Appendix. the town there. Furthermore they asked him whether he showed sir Thomas Fitzherbert that he was married. He said, nay, but he godly ma- showed him that he had a sister, who was a poor woman, and was punished. desirous that she should attend him; which was the said Elizabeth that he married at Bridgenorth." For this cause the papists, suspecting the poor hermit to have a wife (as he had indeed), therefore, after other molestations, enjoined him penance :-to go before the cross barefoot, and bare-legged, in the cathedral church of Lichfield, with a taper, and I cannot tell what, in his hand, etc.; and, at Easter, cast him into a close cabin, there to remain, till he heard more of the bishop's pleasure.* A NOTE OF RALPH LURDANE, PERSECUTOR OF GEORGE EAGLES. In the history of George Eagles, alias Trudgeover-the-World, mention is made of his apprehension in a corn-field, where, by the benefit of the height of the corn, and breadth of the field, he had escaped, had not one of his persecutors, with more malicious craft, climbed a high tree to view over the place, and so descried him. This persecutor, named Ralph Lurdane (as we have since learned), a lewd fellow of life for theft and whoredom, was, within few years after he had apprehended the foresaid George Eagles for gain of money, attached of felony for stealing a horse, condemned, and hanged in the same place and town of Chelmsford, where George Eagles before suffered martyrdom. A brief Note concerning the horrible Massacre in France, The cruel Here, before the closing up of this book, in no case would be unmassacre remembered the tragical and furious massacre in France, wherein in France. were murdered so many hundreds and thousands of God's good martyrs. But because the true narration of this lamentable story is set forth in English at large, in a book by itself, and extant in print already, it shall the less need now to discourse that matter with any new repetition; only a brief touch of summary notes for remembrance Persecu- may suffice. And first, for brevity' sake to overpass the bloody tion in butchery of the Romish catholics in Orange against the protestants, Orange. most fiercely and unawares breaking into their houses, and there, the city of Persecu tion at Rouen. without mercy, killing man, woman, and child; of whom some being spoiled and naked, they threw out of their lofts into the streets; some they smothered in their houses with smoke, with sword and weapon sparing none, the carcases of some they threw to dogs, which was anno A.D.1570. 1570, in the reign of Charles the ninth. Likewise to pass over the cruel slaughter at Rouen, where the protestants being at a sermon without the city-walls upon the king's edict, the catholics in fury ran. upon them coming home, and slew of them above forty at least; many siain com- more they wounded. This example at Rouen stirred up the papists a sermon. in Dieppe to practise the like rage also against the Christians there Persecu- returning from the sermon; whose slaughter had been the greater, had they not more wisely before been provided of weapons for their own defence at need: all which happened about the same year aforesaid, anno 1570. But these with such like I briefly overslip, to enter now into the matter above promised, that is, briefly to entreat of the Forty ing from tion at Dieppe. rible mas sacre at The pretence. names of the admi scribed. A bloody horrible and most barbarous massacre wrought in Paris, such as I Appendix. suppose was never heard of before, in any civil dissension amongst the The horvery heathen. In few words to touch the substance of the matter. After long troubles in France, the catholic side, foreseeing no good Paris. to be done against the protestants by open force, began to devise king's dishow by crafty means to entrap them, and that by two manner of sembled ways the one by pretending a power to be sent into the lower The country, whereof the admiral to be the captain; not that the king so all the fameant indeed, but only to understand thereby what power and force vourers of the admiral had under him, who they were, and what were their ral denames. The second was by a certain marriage suborned, between the prince of Navarre and the king's sister. To this pretensed mar- marriage riage, it was devised that all the chiefest protestants of France should between be invited, and meet in Paris. Among whom first they began with sister and the queen of Navarre, mother to the prince that should marry the of Naking's sister, attempting by all means possible to obtain her consent thereunto. She, being then at Rochelle, and allured by many fair words to repair unto the king, consented at length to come, and was received at Paris; where she, after much ado, at length being won to the king's mind, and providing for the marriage, shortly upon the same fell sick, and within five days departed, not without suspicion, as some said, of poison. But her body being opened, no sign of poison could there be found, save only that a certain apothecary made his brag, that he had killed the queen by certain venomous odours and smells by him confected. the king's the prince varre. miral After this, notwithstanding, the marriage still going forward, the admiral, the prince of Navarre, Condé, with divers other chief states of the protestants, induced by the king's letters and many fair promises, at last were brought to Paris; where with great solemnity they were received, but especially the admiral. To make the matter short, the day of the marriage came, which was the 18th of August, anno 1572. Which marriage being celebrate and solemnized by the cardinal of Bourbon upon a high stage set up of purpose without the church walls, the prince of Navarre and Condé came down, waiting for the king's sister being then at mass. This done, they resorted all together to the bishop's palace to dinner. At evening they were had to a palace in the middle of Paris to supper. Not long after this, The adbeing the 22d of August, the admiral, coming from the council-table, ma by the way, was struck with a pistolet, charged with three pellets, in with at both his arms. He being thus wounded, and yet still remaining in shot out Paris, although the vidame2 gave him counsel to flee away, it so fell of a winout that certain soldiers were appointed in divers places of the city to be ready at a watchword at the commandment of the prince; upon which watchword given, they burst out to the slaughter of the The adprotestants, first beginning with the admiral himself, who, being miral wounded with many sore wounds, was cast out of the window into the his bed, street, where, his head being first struck off, and embalmed with spices thrown to be sent to the pope, the savage people raging against him, cut off out of the his arms and privy members. And so, drawing him three days through the streets of Paris, they dragged him unto the place of execution out (1) Namely Henry, and Margaret of Valois.-ED. (2) "Vidame," the judge who has charge of a French bishop's temporal jurisdiction - ED. wounded pistolet dow. slain in and window. Appendix. of the city, and there hanged him up by his heels to the greater show and scorn of him. Ten thousand slain in three days. After the martyrdom of this good man, the armed soldiers with rage and violence ran upon all other of the same profession, slaying and killing all the protestants they knew or could find within the city gates enclosed. This bloody slaughter continued the space of many days, but especially the greatest slaughter was in the three first days, in which were numbered to be slain, as the story writeth, above ten thousand men, women, old and young, of all sorts and conditions.1 The bodies of the dead were carried in carts to be thrown in the river so that not only the river was all stained therewith, but also whole streams, in certain places of the city, did run with gore blood of the slain bodies. So great was the outrage of that heathenish persecution, that not only the protestants, but also certain, whom they Ramus, thought indifferent papists, they put to the sword instead of protesnus, with tants. In the number of them that were slain of the more learned sort, was Petrus Ramus, also Lambinus, another notorious learned man; Plateanus, Lomenius, Chapusius,2 with others. Petrus Lambi others, slain. The spirit rity of the noted. And not only within the walls of Paris this uproar was contained, but it extended further into other cities and quarters of the realm, especially Lyons, Orleans, Toulouse, and Rouen :3 in which cities it is almost incredible, nor scarce ever heard of in any nation what cruelty was showed, what numbers of good men were destroyed; insomuch that within the space of one month thirty thousand, at least, of religious protestants are numbered to be slain, as is credibly reported and storied in the commentaries of them which testify purposely of the matter.4 Furthermore here is to be noted, that when the pope first heard of and cha- this bloody stir, he with his cardinals made such joy at Rome, with pope to be their procession, with their gunshot, and singing of "Te Deum,” that in honour of that festival act, a jubilee was commanded by the pope with great indulgence, and much solemnity. Whereby thou hast here to discern and judge, with what spirit and charity these catholics are moved to maintain their religion, which otherwise would fall to the ground without all hope of recovery. Likewise in France, no A less rejoicing there was upon the 28th day of the said month, the king commanding public processions through the whole city, to be made, with bonfires, ringing, and singing; where the king himself, with the queen his mother, and his whole court resorting together to the church, gave thanks and laud to God, for that so worthy victory achieved upon St. Bartholomew's day against the protestants, whom they thought to be utterly overthrown and vanquished in all the realm for ever. 28th of August, St. Bartholo mew's, a bloody day. distress of the pro And in very deed, to man's thinking it might appear no less after The great such a great destruction of the protestants, having lost so many worthy and noble captains as then were cut off, whereupon many, for fear testants revoking their religion, returned to the pope, divers fled out of the realm, such as would not turn, keeping themselves secret, durst not be known nor seen, so that it was past all hope of man, that the gospel should ever have any more place in France. But such is the in France. (1) Ex Historia Ric. Dinothi, [De Bello Civili Gallico, etc. Basil, 1582, lib. v. page 341.-ED. (2) Some of these sufferers will be better known by the names of Pierre de la Ramée; le Chape; and De Lomenie.-ED. (3) Ibid. (4) Commentaria de Statu Galliæ, part iii. helping admirable working of the Lord, where man's help and hope most Appendix. fail, there he most showeth his strength and helpeth, as here is to be seen and noted. For whereas the little small remnant of the God's gospel side, being now brought to utter desperation, were now ready hand at to give over unto the king, and many were gone already against con- need. science, yielding to time, yet the Lord of his goodness so wrought, that many were stayed and reclaimed again through the occasion first of them in Rochelle; who, hearing of the cruel massacre in Paris, The town and slaughter at Toulouse, most constantly, with valiant hearts (the of RoLord so working), thought to stand to their defence against the king's ample to power; by whose example certain other cities, hearing thereof, took towns. no little courage to do the like: as namely Montalban, the city The cities called Nismes, Sancerre in Occitania, Millaud, Mirebeau, Foix, proteswith other towns and cities more: who being confederate together, exhorted one another to be circumspect, and take good heed of the to defend false dissembling practices not to be trusted of the merciless papists, selves. intending nothing but blood and destruction. governor 1 chelle ex other of the tants take courage them chal] • Biron. These things thus passing at Rochelle, the king hearing thereof, giveth in commandment to captain Strozzi and Guarde2 to see to Rochelle. After this he sendeth a nobleman, one Biron, requiring [Mareof the Rochelle men to receive him for their under the king. Of this great consultation being had, at length the Rochelle men began to condescend upon certain conditions; which being not easily granted unto, and especially they hearing, in the mean time, what was done to other of their fellows, which had submitted themselves, thought it so better to stand to the defence of their lives and consciences, and to adventure the worst. Whereupon began great siege stand to and battery to be laid against Rochelle both by land and sea, which fence. was anno 1572, about the 4th day of December. Rochelle men their de first be anno It would require another volume to describe all things, during the time of this siege, that passed on either side, between the king's part, and the town of Rochelle. Briefly to run over some parts of the matter: In the beginning of the next year following, which was in Rochelle 1573, in the month of January, commandment was given out by the sieged by king to all and sundry nobles and peers of France, upon great punish- Biron, ment, to address themselves in most forcible wise to the assaulting of 1573. Rochelle. Whereupon a great concourse of all the nobility, with the whole power of France, was there assembled, amongst whom was also the prince of Anjou, the king's brother (who there not long after was proclaimed king of Poland), accompanied with his other brother The whole the duke of Alençon, Navarre, Condé, and other a great number of France states besides. Thus, the whole power of France being gathered against against one poor town, had not the mighty hand of the Lord stood Rochelle. on their side, it had been impossible for them to escape. power of set of Ro seven During the time of this siege, which lasted about seven months, The siege what skirmishes and conflicts were on both sides, it would require a chelle, long tractation. To make short, seven principal assaults were given during to the poor town of Rochelle, with all the power that France could months. make in all which assaults ever the pope's catholic side had the assaults worst. Concerning the first assault thus I find written, that within against the space of twenty-six days were charged against the walls and houses (1) Fuduzla in the okl editions. (2) These were Phillip Strozzi and Baron de la Garde.-Ep. Seven Rochelle, |