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 IVIASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEvV 125

the expulsion of the fugitive Huguenots 'who had taken refuge in the Protestant parts of the Confederation. They made overtures to the Pope for a secret alliance against their Confederates. 1 In Italy, \vhere the life of a heretic was cheap, their \vholesale destruction \vas confessed a highly politic and ingenious act. Even the sage Venetians were constraineù to celebrate it with a procession. The Grand Duke Cosmo had pointed out two years before that an insidious peace \vould afford excellent opportunities of extinguishing Protestantism; and he derived inexpressible consolation from the heroic enterprise. 2 The Viceroy of Naples, Cardinal Granvelle, received the tidings coldly. He was surprised that the event had been so long postponed, and he reproved the Cardinal of Lorraine for the un states- manlike delay.s The Italians generally were excited to \varmer feelings. They saw nothing to regret but the death of certain Catholics \vho had been sacrificed to private revenge. Profane men approved the skill with \vhich the trap was laid; and pious men ackno\vledged the presence of a genuine religious spirit in the French court. 4 The nobles and the Parisian populace were admired for their valour in obeying the sanctified commands of the good King. One fervent enthusiast praises God for the heavenly news, and also St. Bartholome\v for having lent his extremely penetrating knife for the salutary sacrifice. 5 A month after the event the reno\vned preacher Panigarola delivered from the pulpit a panegyric on the monarch \vho had achieved \vhat none had ever heard or read before, by banishing heresy in a single day, and by a single word, from the Christian land of France. 6

1 Eidgenössische Abschiede, iv. 2, 501, 503, 506, 5 10, 2 Cosmo to Camaiani, Oct. 6, 1570 (Cantù, Gli Eretici d'ltalia, iii. 15); Cosmo to Charles IX" Sept. 4, 1572 (Gachard, Raþport sur les Archi,,'es de Litle, 199)' 3 Grappin, j}fémoire Historique sur Ie Card, de Granvelle, 73' 4 Bardi, Età delllJondo, 1581, iv, 2011; Campana, Historie deI1t.fondo, 1599, i. 145; B, D, da Fano, Aggiunte all' Historie di l.}fa11lbrino Roseo, 1583, v. 25 2 ; Pellilli, Storia di Perugia, vol. iii, MS, 5 Si è degnato di prestare alli suoi divoti il suo taglientissimo coltello in cosl salutifcro sacrificio (Letter of Aug. 26 ; Alberi, I ïta di Caterina de'

fedici, 4 01 ). tI Labitte, Dé1l1ocratie cht;Z les Prédicatt:.'urs de la Ligue, 10.