"He suffered atrociously in the hands of the surgeon, for he had come without his instruments, and amputated Coligny's fingers with a dagger so blunt that it was only on the third attempt that he succeeded.

Merlin, his minister, was by his side, with several of his most intimate friends.

We were in tears at the sight of our noble chief thus traitorously struck down.

He turned to us and said calmly: "'My friends, why do you weep?
As for me, I deem myself happy at having thus received wounds for the sake of God.' "Then he said that, most sincerely, he forgave the man who wounded him, and those who had instigated him to make the attack; knowing for certain that it was beyond their power to hurt him for, even should they kill him, death would be a certain passage to life." An hour later Francois arrived.
"The prince has seen the king, Philip.

He is furious, and has sworn that he will inflict the most signal punishment upon the authors and instigators of the crime: Coligny had received the wound, but he himself most felt the smart.