1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1088 
| Persecuters. | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
Notwithstandyng that the Lordes of Berne wrote for him to the towne of Oste, requiring to haue their owne subiect de- liuered vnto them, they hastened the execution, and pronoū- ced sentence, that he should bee burned. VVhiche sentence hee receaued with such constancie, that neither the kinges receauer, nor all the other enemyes could diuerte him from the truth of the Gospell, whiche hee manfully mainteined while any spirite remained in his body. Ex Ioan. Crispi. lib. 6. |
MarginaliaGeorge Tardif, Martyr. A Broderer of Tours, Martyr.The ac- cusers be not na- med in the story. | George Tardif, with one of Tours, a Brode- rer. Nicolas, a Shoma- ker of Ienuile. At Tours. An. 1558. At Ienuile An. 1558. | The Printer of the story of the Frēch martyrs, named Crispine, amōg other moe, maketh also me moriall of George Tardife, a Broderer of Tours, and Nico- las of Ienuile, declaryng that all these iij. together were in prison, and afterward were disseuered, to suffer in sondry places, one frō the other: of whom first George Tardife was executed at Sens. The Broderer of Tours, as he was commyng with v. or vi. o- ther out of a woode, beyng at prayer, was taken, and therupon examined. Before hee should be examined, he desired the Iudges, that he might praye. Whiche beyng graunted, after his prayer made, wherein he prayed for the Judges, for the king, and all e- states, and for the neceßitie of all Christes Saintes, he aunswe- red for him self, with such grace and modesty, that the hartes of many were broken, vnto the she- |
ding of teares, seeking (as it seemed) nothing els, but his de- liueraūce. Notwithstādyng, he at last was sent vnto Tours, and there was crowned with martyrdome. MarginaliaNicolas of Ienuile, Martyr.The third, which was Nicolas, beyng but yong of yeares, and newly come from Geneua, to his coūtrey, for certeine mo ney: by meanes of a Lady there dwelling, was caused to be ap prehended. When he was condemned, and set in the carte, his father comming with a staffe, would haue betten him, but the officers not suffering it, would haue stroocken the old mā. The sonne crying to the officers, desired them to let his fa- ther alone, saying, that his father had power ouer him, to do with him what he would: and so going to the place where he should suffer, hauing a balle of yron put in his mouth, he was brought at length, to the fire, in the towne of Ienuile, where he paciently tooke his death and martyrdome. an. 1558. Ex Ty pogra. Crisp. lib. 6. |
MarginaliaA terrible persecutiō at Paris against the Congregation.The Priestes of the col- ledge of Plessis. The Doc tors of Sorbone Doctour Demo- chares. Cenalis byshop of Auran- ches. Martine the kings Attur- ney. | The con- gregation of Paris persecuted to the num ber of thre or foure hū dreth. | AN. 1558. Septemb. 4. 
CloseFoxe's account of the famous 'Affaire de la rue St-Jacques' in Paris carries the correct date but not the right year. As his source-note suggests, he was unsure whether to follow the date seemingly indicated in Crespin [1564], fol 872, which (in a misprint) dated it '1558' (corrected in later editions) and Pantaleon, who (correctly) dated it 1557. Foxe's instinct was to follow what he probably believed to be the more reliable French source, but (in this instance) it proved incorrect. Crespin's account came directly from Antoine de La Roche-Chandieu, Histoire des persécutions et martyrs de l'église de Paris: depuis l'an 1557, jusques au temps du roy Charles neuvième (Lyon: n.p., 1563), pp. 3-88. Chandieu proclaimed that he had researched his account carefully ('je n'ai rien mis dans ces escritures, que je n'aye eu de la main mesme de ceux qui sont morts ou apprins de leur bouche, quand ie les ay visitez en la prison, ou extrait des registres des greffes, ou veu de mes yeux ou receu des fidèles tesmoins' [Epistre, p. xxxv]). The incident centred around a forcible entry and mass arrest of the gathered church in Paris in the rue St-Iacques, opposite the Collège Du Plessis, one of the residential colleges of the University of Paris, originally endowed in 1322 by Geoffroi du Plessis and next door to the Sorbonne in the Latin Quarter. Those identified by Foxe as taking an active part in the raid or subsequent interrogations of those arrested include:- Antoine de Mouchy ('Doctor Democrates' in Foxe's text = leg. 'Démocharès', a reference to the Greek orator and stateman, a name adopted by Mouchy, apparently to avoid the popular sobriquet 'mouchard'), Inquisiteur de la foi and doctor of theology at the Sorbonne [Jöcher, 2]; Robert Céneau ('Cenalis' in Foxe's text), (1483-1560), bishop of Vence (1523), Riez (1530), Avranches (1532) [NBG, 9]; Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine; and M. Martine ['Martin' in Foxe's text, described as 'the kinges Attorney], in reality the procureur du roi at the Parlement of Paris. Foxe mentions the charge laid against the Paris community, that 'they assembled together to make a banket ['banquet'] in the night, and there putting out the candles, they went together, Iacke with Iille (as the[y] sayde) after a filthy and beastly maner […] and other heinous crimes'. The accusation of the discovery of sexual license, including infanticide, under the cover of darkness seems to have been made, and was echoed in the diary of Claude Haton, curé of Provins (L. Bourquin, ed. Mémoires de Claude Haton 3- vols, Collection de document inédits sur l'histoire de France (Histoire Moderne) [Paris: Editions du Comité des Travaux historiques et scientifiques, 2001-6], 1). It most likely originated in a publication by Antoine de Mouchy, and, interestingly, he seems to have copied the passage directly from the medieval chronicle of Gregory of Tours (see L. Racaut, 'Accusations of infanticide on the eve of the French wars of religion.' In Infanticide: Historical perspectives on child murder and concealment, 1550-2000, ed. by M. Jackson (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002), pp. 18-34). The protestants (probably Antoine de La Roche-Chandieu himself) prepared two documents in their defence, one a manuscript 'remonstrance' for the king, and the second a printed 'Apologie ou defense des bons chrestiens contre les ennemis de l'Eglise catholique'. The first was summarised in La Roche-Chandieu, op.cit., and the second was reproduced in full. Both texts found their way into later editions of Crespin (Crespin [1582], fol. 427 et seq) but had not appeared earlier. Foxe seems to have known them only through the brief summaries initially printed in Crespin [1564]. His résumé of the interrogations and trials of those arrested at this time is a summary of that same source, with a small, but interesting addition from Pantaleon, book 11, check to the effect that protestant princes and cities, meeting at the Diet of Worms (11 September - 8 October 1557), in concert with Swiss protestant cities, made strong representations against the arrests of those concerned. These arrests, trials and executions can be followed in detail in the accompanying notes on the individuals mentioned in this passage. [Back to Top]panie of the faithfull, to the nūber of 3. or 4. hundreth, were together conuented at Paris, in a certeine house, hauyng before it, the Colledge of Pleßis, in the streate of S. Iames, and behinde it, the Colledge of Sorbone. Who there assembled in the beginning of the night, to the intent to com municate together the Lordes Supper: but incontinēt that was discouered, by certaine Priestes of Pleßis: Who gathering toge- ther such as were of their factiō, came to beset the house, & made an outcry that the watch might come and take them, so that in short tyme, almost all the citie of Paris was vp in armour, thin- king some conspiracie to haue |
| Persecuters. | Martyrs. | The Causes. |
The Car dinall of Lorrane. Maillar- dus. Henry 2. French kyng. | At Paris. An. 1558. | ben in the Citie. Who then folow yng the noyse, and perceauyng that they were Lutherans, a MarginaliaThe furie of thys world agaynst the poore Christians.great part of them were in ex- treme rage, furiouslye seeking to haue their bloud, and ther- fore stopped the streetes & lanes with cartes, and made fiers to see that none should escape. The faithfull, albeit God had geuen them leysure to finishe their ad- ministration and prayers, with such quietnes, as they neuer had better, seyng the sodennes of the |
thing, were stroockē in great feare. Who thē beyng exhorted by the gouernours of the congregation, fell to prayer. That done, through the counsaile of some, which knew the cowerd- ly hartes of the multitude, this order was taken, that the mē whiche had weapō, should aduenture through the prese: one- ly the wemen and children remained in the house, and a few men with them, whiche were lesse bold then the other, to the nūber of vi. or vij. score. Where appeared the admirable pow er of God in thē that went out with weapon, which notwith stādyng that the lanes & passages were stopped, & the fires MarginaliaOne of the Congregation beaten down in the streetes, & Martyred.made, did all escape saue onely one, who was beaten downe with stones and so destroyed. Certaine that remained in the house, with the wemē, afterward leaped into gardens, where they were stayed, till the Magistrates came. The wemen (whiche were all gentlewemen, or of great wealth, onely vi. viij. excepted) seyng no other hope, and perceauyng the fury Marginalia* Mercy here importeth no offence acknowleged, but to be saued from the rage of the people.of the people, went vp to the wyndowes, crying * mercy, and shewyng their innocent intent, required Iustice ordinarie. Thus as they were enclosed about vi. or vij. houres, at last came Martin the kings Atturney, with force of Cōmissaries and Sergeantes. Who with much a do, appeasing the outrage of the people, entred into the house, where he vewing the wemē and children, and the other furniture there beyng prepared for that congregatiō, perceaued testimonies sufficient of their innocencie, in somuch, that in consideryng therof, for pitie of hart, his eyes could not refrayne from teares. Notwithstan- ding, proceding in his office, he had thē all to prison within the litle Castle. I omitte here the furious vsage of the people by the way, how despitefully they plucked and haled the wemē, tare their garmentes, thruste of their hoodes from their heades, and disfigured their faces with dust and durt. Nei- ther were they better entreated in the prison, then they were in the streetes: for all the vilanes & theues there, were let out of their holes and stinking caues, and the poore Christians placed in their rowmes. MarginaliaA false & malicious sclaunder raised agaynst the Congregation.Besides these manifolde iniuries and oppreßions done to these poore innocentes, folowed then (whiche was worst of all) the cruell and sclaunderous report of the Friers and Priestes, who in their rayling Sermons, and other talke, cryed out of the Lutherans, persuading the people most false- ly, that they assembled together, to make a bancket in the night, and there puttyng out the candles, they went together, Iacke with Iylle (as they sayd) after a filthy and beastly ma ner: Addyng moreouer (to make the lye more likely) that cer taine Nunnes also and Monkes were with them. Also that they should conspire agaynst the king, and other like heynous crimes, what soeuer their malice could inuent for defacyng of the Gospell. With such like malicious misreportes & sclaū- ders, Sathan went about to extinguish the auncient Church of Christ in the primitiue tyme: accusing the innocent Chri- stians then of inceste, conspiracie, killing of infantes, puttyng out of candles, and filthye whoredome. &c. MarginaliaVid. supra. pag. 64.vid. sup. pag. 64. These sinister rumors and cursed dif- famations were no sooner geuē out, but they were as soone re- ceaued, and spread farre, not onely to thē of the vulgare sort, but also among the Estates of the Court, & euē to the kings eares. The Cardinall of Lorraine the same time bare a great sway in the Court: who then procured a certain Iudge of the Castle, to come in, declaryng to the king, that he found there |