SAterdaye beynge the last day of Februarie, the duke of Guyse lay at Dāmartin se frank to the which it is two leagues from Iainuille, and from the said Dammartin to Vassy are other two leagues, both the which make foure leagues distaunce be­twene the sayd Iainuille (wher is the sayde dukes house and restyng place) and the said Vassy.

Sondaye the fyrste of Marche the said duke departed from Dam martyn aforesayde, accompanied with .ii. hundred horse at the least, euery horse man of them, hauynge two or thre pistolets, and many of [Page] theim hauyng long harquebuses.

The sayd duke of Guyse fayned he wold the straight way to Escla­ron, without commyng to Vassy: And thereof was made a greate bruite before he disloged, he passed by Broussell, a village neere to the said Vassy, within one quarter of a league. And at that time thei rang to a sermon in the reformed church of the said Vassy. Wherevppon the duke and his companye tooke oc­casion to say and aske, what mea­neth this ryngyng?

Wherevnto it was aunswered by many of the Dukes band and som others of the sayd towne of Vassy, it is to the sermō of the Hugenots. Whervpon they could not possibly so colour and dissemble the mat­tier, but there escaped oute of the mouths of the most honorable and respected persons among them: yea [Page] and others of meaner degree, these woordes folowynge, By Goddes deathe we will Hugenote them by and by of an other fashion.

Others, that wer of the basest sort as pages, seruantes, and lackays, swearyng also Gods deathe, sayd, Will they not geue vs the spoyle▪ And as sone as that talke was ended, the sayd Duke and his troupe drew towards the sayd Vassy, & so beyng well appointed, entred into the abbey, and made his horse and the horses of the beste to be helden in hand, without that any of them were put into the stable.

The said duke beyng within the monasterie acompanied and wayeted on by the Priour of the sayde Vassy, called de Salles, hauynge after them a nōbre of pages & lac­keys, with long harquebuses, pi­stolets, and their gauntlets, taried [Page] there a verye lytle whyle. For hee could not conteine, so long thought he the time til he might execute his former determyned intente, as it is easie to se and iudge. And being there (because his deuocion myght be seene) he toke onely a lytle holly water, and after went foorth with his great company.

Within the market place of the sayd towne were .xl. men of armes and archers, of the company which were the ordinary garrison there. Who had put them selues therein, and walked vp and downe wel ar­med, and had taried the dukes comming all that morninge.

The sayde men of armes and ar­chers ioyned with him, namely the head of them, yong Brosse, the sōne of the Lord of Brosse, marching in order to fight. And wente straighte [Page] to the place where those of the sayd Churche and reformed Relygion made their preaching. Which was in a barne that they had made fit for that purpose, beynge dystante from the Monastery aboute one hundred pases.

And commynge to the place they found the wicket open, which whā they sawe, they caused the sayde la Brosse the yonger, to enter firste hauinge .vii. men of armes wyth hym. And hauynge considered the Minyster and the people assem­bled, whyche were aboute twelue hundred persons, it was sayd vnto them by some of the Churche, my maysters, If it please you, take a rome. Wherevnto for answere the firste worde they vsed was this, Goddes death lette vs kyll them all.

[Page] And hauyng so sayd, woulde haue gone out, and in dede some of them wente foorth, while the rest taried within: because the people vppon this threatnyng sent to the doore, thinkyng to shutte it vppon them, knowyng there was some busines toward, & that they were in greate danger, for than they perceiued the duke of Guyse in armes.

Which thyng the sayde Duke per­ceyuyng, with his people presented them the harquebouse and pistolet, and shot thorow the rehersed wyc­kette of the barne, whyche was yet open, and so were the next vn­to the doore staine & hurt: and ther by the same forsaken, & consequē ­ly thassemble deliuered to the pray

Then entred in the Duke, with many others, shootyng mightilye at the thickest assemble of all the people, and stewe and hurt a great [Page] numbre. That doone they wente vppon theim with greate slices of swordes and curtalaces, and hun­ted out the poore men, the women, and children. and when they were out: of necessitie thei must passe be­twixt two rankes, as well of men of armes, as of others of his com­panie, and euen thorowe the myd­dest betwene bothe, as it were tho­rowe a lane, or an alley of a great lengthe. And in passyng, euery one of them strake at them with great blowes of curtilace and swoorde, in suche sorte as manye of theim wente not farre, but felle downe starke deade.

Notwithstandyng some one esca­ped, one sorte beyng hurt, some o­ther vnhurte: but immediatly they were rencountred with an other troupe of the companie which slew and hurte with as muche crueltie [Page] as the others, and that as much as in them laye.

Those which gat vp to the toppe of the barne sekinge all meanes to saue them selues were shotte at, and ouertaken with shotte of har­quebouse, wherby many were stri­ken and fell downe dead to the grounde, whyche was an horrible sighte and a dredfull, the same en­duringe before it ceassed one houre and a halfe.

After this were the trumpettes blowen vp in signe of victorye and triumphe, after whiche soundyng, yet they withdrew not them selues in halfe an houre more. Ther died within the barn .xii. men, wemen, and Children, and manye others that passed thorowe the rankes with some that gotte as farre as theyr houses. And there dieth day­ly of the nomber of the hurt, which [Page] is greate.

The house of one called Cham­panion, whyche was nexte to the sayde church was sacked and rob­bed, whyle there was one napkyn lefte, thoccasion was that it was sayd there was armour and wea­pon therein.

The sayd Duke toke and led a­waye the minister being sore woū ­ded and also the Captayne of the sayd towne of Vassy with certaine others of the towne for prysoners: and after that went to dinner to a village called Alanccourt, & whan hee had dyned, wente to bedde to Esclaron.

And because the sayde Minister was vnable to sit on horsebacke by reason of hys woundes, whyche were not dressed, he was caryed by foure men vppon a barrowe vnto the sayde Esclaron.

[Page] And or euer the Duke departed Vassy, before he came oute of the churche, the wyfe of a man called Nicholas la Vausse, an honeste merchant who was sore hurt, and mynded to go to her house, saw her sonne in passyng thorow the mar­ket place, whose bodye one ranne thorowe with a sworde, wherwith she beyng moued, hyed her, thyn­kyng for pitie to saue hym, but she so lyttle preuayled, as a horseman ran at her, and after he had thrust her thorow with his sworde, tooke from her her purse and girdle with other thyngs she had, and gat hym agayne to horse.

The tewsday folowing were bu­ried .xlv. flayne persons, and there remaineth hurt .iiii. score or a hun­dred, whereof a greate parte were out of all hope of lyfe.

Thus may ye in a maner behold [Page] the full discourse of this vnnatu­ralnesse, crueltie, and murder, that the sayde Duke of Guyse hath committed against the subiectes of the Frenche Kyng his soue­raigne Lord.