Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/149

I572-] THE MASSACRE OF ST BARTHOLOMEW. 129 Bethisi, where his intended victim lodged; and after waiting: for two days, on the morning of the J August 22. 22nd, as the Admiral was slowly walking past, reading, Maurevert succeeded in shooting him. The work was not done effectually ; the gun was loaded with slugs, one of which shattered a finger, the other lodged in an arm. The Admiral was assisted home the house from which the shot was fired was recognized as belonging to the Guise family, and the assassin was seen galloping out of St Antoine on a Horse known to be the Duke's. The King, when the news reached him, was playing tennis with Guise himself and Teligny the Admiral's son-in-law. He dashed his racket on the pavement, and went angrily to the palace. Navarre and Conde came to him to say that their lives were in danger, and to ask permission to leave Paris. The King said it was he who had been wounded, and he would make such an example of the murderers as should be a lesson to all posterity. Conde and all who were afraid might come to the Louvre for protection. Charles placed a guard at Coligny's house ; he sent his own surgeon to attend him, and went himself to his bedside. The Queen-mother and Anjou, not daring to trust the King out of their sight, accompanied him. The Admiral desired to speak to Charles alone, and he sent them out of the room. When he followed them, they pressed him to tell them what Coligny had said. Charles, after a pause, answered : ' He said that you two had too much hand in the management of the State ; and, by God's death, he spoke true/ VOL. X.