The following passage by Alexander Dumas is an account of an incident between Calvinists and Catholics in the French town on Nines in 1567. Everyone is familiar with the inquisition, the St. Bartholemew's day massacre and other acts of violence committed by Catholics during the reformation. This incident is less well known:
On the morrow of Michaelmas Day--that is, on the 31st September1567--a number of conspirators might have been seen issuing from ahouse and spreading themselves through the streets, crying "To arms!Down with the Papists!" Captain Bouillargues was taking his revenge.
As the Catholics were attacked unawares, they did not make even ashow of resistance: a number of Protestants--those who possessed the best arms--rushed to the house of Guy-Rochette, the first consul, and seized the keys of the city. Guy Rochette, startled by the cries of the crowds, had looked out of the window, and seeing a furious mobapproaching his house, and feeling that their rage was directedagainst himself, had taken refuge with his brother Gregoire. There, recovering his courage and presence of mind, he recalled theimportant responsibilities attached to his office, and resolving to fulfil them whatever might happen, hastened to consult with the other magistrates, but as they all gave him very excellent reasons for not meddling, he soon felt there was no dependence to be placed on suchcowards and traitors. He next repaired to the episcopal palace,where he found the bishop surrounded by the principal Catholics of the town, all on their knees offering up earnest prayers to Heaven,and awaiting martyrdom. Guy-Rochette joined them, and the prayers were continued.
A few instants later fresh noises were heard in the street, and the gates of the palace court groaned under blows of axe and crowbar.Hearing these alarming sounds, the bishop, forgetting that it was his duty to set a brave example, fled through a breach in the wall of the next house; but Guy-Rochette and his companions valiantly resolvednot to run away, but to await their fate with patience. The gatessoon yielded, and the courtyard and palace were filled withProtestants: at their head appeared Captain Bouillargues, sword inhand. Guy-Rochette and those with him were seized and secured in aroom under the charge of four guards, and the palace was looted.Meantime another band of insurgents had attacked the house of the vicar-general, John Pebereau, whose body pierced by seven stabs of a dagger was thrown out of a window, the same fate as was meted out to Admiral Coligny eight years later at the hands of the Catholics. In the house a sum of 800 crowns was found and taken. The two bands then uniting, rushed to the cathedral, which they sacked for the second time.
Thus the entire day passed in murder and pillage: when night came thelarge number of prisoners so imprudently taken began to be felt as an encumbrance by the insurgent chiefs, who therefore resolved to take advantage of the darkness to get rid of them without causing too muchexcitement in the city. They were therefore gathered together fromthe various houses in which they had been confined, and were broughtto a large hall in the Hotel de Ville, capable of containing fromfour to five hundred persons, and which was soon full. An irregular tribunal arrogating to itself powers of life and death was formed,and a clerk was appointed to register its decrees. A list of all the prisoners was given him, a cross placed before a name indicating thatits bearer was condemned to death, and, list in hand, he went from group to group calling out the names distinguished by the fatal sign.Those thus sorted out were then conducted to a spot which had been chosen beforehand as the place of execution.This was the palace courtyard in the middle of which yawned a well twenty-four feet in circumference and fifty deep. The fanatics thus found a grave ready-digged as it were to their hand, and to savetime, made use of it.The unfortunate Catholics, led thither in groups, were either stabbed with daggers or mutilated with axes, and the bodies thrown down thewell. Guy-Rochette was one of the first to be dragged up. For himself he asked neither mercy nor favour, but he begged that thelife of his young brother might be spared, whose only crime was thebond of blood which united them; but the assassins, paying no heed to his prayers, struck down both man and boy and flung them into thewell. The corpse of the vicar-general, who had been killed the day before, was in its turn dragged thither by a rope and added to the others. All night the massacre went on, the crimsoned water rising in the well as corpse after corpse was thrown in, till, at break of day, it overflowed, one hundred and twenty bodies being then hidden in its depths
On the morrow of Michaelmas Day--that is, on the 31st September1567--a number of conspirators might have been seen issuing from ahouse and spreading themselves through the streets, crying "To arms!Down with the Papists!" Captain Bouillargues was taking his revenge.
As the Catholics were attacked unawares, they did not make even ashow of resistance: a number of Protestants--those who possessed the best arms--rushed to the house of Guy-Rochette, the first consul, and seized the keys of the city. Guy Rochette, startled by the cries of the crowds, had looked out of the window, and seeing a furious mobapproaching his house, and feeling that their rage was directedagainst himself, had taken refuge with his brother Gregoire. There, recovering his courage and presence of mind, he recalled theimportant responsibilities attached to his office, and resolving to fulfil them whatever might happen, hastened to consult with the other magistrates, but as they all gave him very excellent reasons for not meddling, he soon felt there was no dependence to be placed on suchcowards and traitors. He next repaired to the episcopal palace,where he found the bishop surrounded by the principal Catholics of the town, all on their knees offering up earnest prayers to Heaven,and awaiting martyrdom. Guy-Rochette joined them, and the prayers were continued.
A few instants later fresh noises were heard in the street, and the gates of the palace court groaned under blows of axe and crowbar.Hearing these alarming sounds, the bishop, forgetting that it was his duty to set a brave example, fled through a breach in the wall of the next house; but Guy-Rochette and his companions valiantly resolvednot to run away, but to await their fate with patience. The gatessoon yielded, and the courtyard and palace were filled withProtestants: at their head appeared Captain Bouillargues, sword inhand. Guy-Rochette and those with him were seized and secured in aroom under the charge of four guards, and the palace was looted.Meantime another band of insurgents had attacked the house of the vicar-general, John Pebereau, whose body pierced by seven stabs of a dagger was thrown out of a window, the same fate as was meted out to Admiral Coligny eight years later at the hands of the Catholics. In the house a sum of 800 crowns was found and taken. The two bands then uniting, rushed to the cathedral, which they sacked for the second time.
Thus the entire day passed in murder and pillage: when night came thelarge number of prisoners so imprudently taken began to be felt as an encumbrance by the insurgent chiefs, who therefore resolved to take advantage of the darkness to get rid of them without causing too muchexcitement in the city. They were therefore gathered together fromthe various houses in which they had been confined, and were broughtto a large hall in the Hotel de Ville, capable of containing fromfour to five hundred persons, and which was soon full. An irregular tribunal arrogating to itself powers of life and death was formed,and a clerk was appointed to register its decrees. A list of all the prisoners was given him, a cross placed before a name indicating thatits bearer was condemned to death, and, list in hand, he went from group to group calling out the names distinguished by the fatal sign.Those thus sorted out were then conducted to a spot which had been chosen beforehand as the place of execution.This was the palace courtyard in the middle of which yawned a well twenty-four feet in circumference and fifty deep. The fanatics thus found a grave ready-digged as it were to their hand, and to savetime, made use of it.The unfortunate Catholics, led thither in groups, were either stabbed with daggers or mutilated with axes, and the bodies thrown down thewell. Guy-Rochette was one of the first to be dragged up. For himself he asked neither mercy nor favour, but he begged that thelife of his young brother might be spared, whose only crime was thebond of blood which united them; but the assassins, paying no heed to his prayers, struck down both man and boy and flung them into thewell. The corpse of the vicar-general, who had been killed the day before, was in its turn dragged thither by a rope and added to the others. All night the massacre went on, the crimsoned water rising in the well as corpse after corpse was thrown in, till, at break of day, it overflowed, one hundred and twenty bodies being then hidden in its depths