COLIGNI
408
COLLAR
against the Spaniards. In spite of a heroic defence, on the 27th of August St. Quentin fell. Goligni was taken prisoner and brought to the Netherlands, where he remamed two years. Here he became a Protestant. At the peace of Chateau-Cambresis in 1659, he regained his liberty for a ransom of 60,000 florins. Through the sudden death of Henry II (1569), and the ascension of his throne by Francis II, the Guises became temporarily all powerful, and Coligni lost many of his honors. He left the court with a light heart He had been suspected of ^* her- esy," but had not yet publicly confessed hhnself a Protestant. Aware that this step might be fatal to his family, it was only after his wife had gladly con- fessed to the "Church of Christ'' that he partook of the Lord's Supper in presence of the whole village. The news was received with rejoicing among all Prot- estants. While Coligni lived a peaceful, secluded life with his fiimily, the public discontent at the usurpa- tions of the Guises had reached a climax. The con- spiracy of Amboise in 1560 amply shows the state of popular opinion in France. Coligni did not partici- pate in, though he seems to have known of the plot. But at the Convention of the Notables he made brave but ineffiBctual attempts to gain more fk^edom of wor- ship for the Protestants.
. The death of Francis II, in 1560, however, changed the whole aspect of affairs. Coligni and his brother Andelot were reinstated in their honors, and now &ore than ever Protestantism found & powerful protector in him. He took part in the terrible religious wars which lasted for thirty years. At the head of the Boman Catholic party stood the Guises, while Cond6 and Coligni led the Protestants. But the latter suf- fered severe reverses, and only after the assassination of Francis of Guise, 1563, by Jean Poltrot, fortune be- gan to be once more fitvorable to them. Coligid was not implicated in this murder, as has sometimes been asserted. After the peace of Amboise, concluded March 19, in which freedom of conscience and of wor- ship was granted the Protestant nobility, the admi- ral again retired to his estates in Chatillon. Four years later the war broke out anew, and was on both sides waged with the old spirit and bitterness. For a time the prospects of the Reformed party looked very dark. In 1569 Condd fell, and only a few weeks later Coligni's brother Andelot. The admiral's siege of Poitiers was a fulure ; and, while he withdrew his troops, the Parliament in Paris had condemned him to death, hung him in effigy, broke his escutoheon, and offered a price of 60,000 florins for his head. Coligni's life, indeed, was endangered by several at- tempts to assassinate him. But no reverses could break Coligni's spirit or daunt his energy- In 1670, at Arnay le Due, the Pittestants gained a complete vic- tory ; and shortly after all further movements were ended by a truce, which resulted in the peace of St. Germidns.
Coligni's wife had died three years before, and in 1671 the admiral, although already at an advanced age, married Jaqueline, countess of Montlul and £n- tremont, a young, beautiful, intelligent, and pious lady of Savoy. Meanwhile the current of opinion at court seemed to be gradually settling in flavor of the Protestants. The union of the two parties was to be completed by the marriage of Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV) to Margaret of Yalois. Charles IX need- ed a man who would be equally respected by aU par- ties, and Coligni was summoned to court. He went fhll of confidence in the king's good-will ; and, indeed, it does not appear that Charles and his mother, Catha- rine de Medicis, had at that time any hostile intentions towards him. The admiral wept tears of Joy at his re- ception in Blois (Sept 18, 1571). The king embraced him, and both Charles and his mother showed him ev- ery honor. Gradually Coligni gained a decided influ- ence over the king, an4 made go<>d use of it in flavor of
the Huguenots. Catharine became alarmed, and he jealousy of Coligni changed into hatred, althouish it^ pears that as yet Charles was not ill disposed toward the admiral. On the 18th of August, 157^ tliemaina^ of Heniy and Margaret took place. On the same dj^ I Coligni wrote to his wife that he hoped to aee her boob. as he was weary of court lifer llieee were the bet I lines she ever received from his hand. Four ^ later, as he was walking in the street, a shot was find at him fh>m a house in the present Eoe de Bivc^; a &b- ger of his right hand was destroyed, and hia IcA aia wounded. The assassination of the admiiml was m- cribed to the Guises, and filled all Paris with slam and horror. The king visited Coligni, professed tls greatest sympathy, and swore to the Protestants be would be revenged for the bloody deed. Bat Catha- rine de Medicis had resolved on Coligni's death, (k the evening of the 28d, everything was prepared far the terrible massacre that was to take place oo the following night. On the 28d, alter midnight, a guard of only five men and a few servants lenaalned wUk the admiral. In the morning, between one and tm (Sunday, August 24), a murderous band approached Uie house. It had been resolved to kill the admial first, and then give the signal for the general mas- sacre. The young Duke of Guise had nndertakes to destroy lus great enemy. The doors were beni open and the guards killed. At the first noise CoUga requested to be lifted fh>m his bed, and said to ]» miiuster, ** Say a prayer, sir ; I put my sool into ^ Saviour's hand." A servant burst into the room, asd on being questioned, replied, ^*God calls ns." '*! have long been ready to die," Coligni replied ; "b^ you others save yourselves." The murderecs entoed the room, and found the admiral standing oprigk. One called to him, **Are you not the admird?" "Yes," Coligni answered with dignity; "and yoa, young man, should respect my gray hairs, and oat take my lifs." With an oath the soldier thrust his sword into Coligni's breast His body, in which life was still not entirely extinct, was thrown out d tbe window. Guise, who had- been waiting below, wiped the blood ftom the face of the corpse to recognise it, and kicked the body with his foot. An Italian, Fe- trucci, cut off the head and brought it to the Louvre. The body was mutilated, dragged throu^ the streeti of Paris, and at last hung upon the galiowa by tbe feet. When Charles IX came to see it a few dajt later, he^is said to have repeated the words of Tltd- lius, ** The body of an enemy always smells weD." In Parliament, on the 26th of August, he stated thit the massacre of St. Bartholomew had been neceasaiy to prevent the execution of a plot In which the kiog was to be assassinated, and accused Coligni of ingrati- tude and treason. The servile Parliament accepted these statements, declared Coligni a traitor, and de- creed the forfeiture of all his rights and honors, which resolution was, however, afterwards completely re- voked.—Hersog, Beal-Enctfkicp, xix, 881 sq. ; Hoefer, N(m»,Bioff,GetUraief7S,lS7; Ba^, La Firattoe Prokt' (ante, yol. iii