ich deserves the sarcastic jibe of Boileau:
"Frenchmen, born _malin_, created the guillotine." The Parisian of all
time cracks jokes and makes lampoons before, during, and after the most
horrible revolutions.

Theodore de Beze wore the dress of a courtier, black silk stockings,
low shoes with straps across the instep, tight breeches, a black silk
doublet with slashed sleeves, and a small black velvet mantle, over
which lay an elegant white fluted ruff. His beard was trimmed to a
moustache and _virgule_ (now called imperial) and he carried a sword
at his side and a cane in his hand. Whosoever knows the galleries of
Versailles or the collections of Odieuvre, knows also his round, almost
jovial face and lively eyes, surmounted by the broad forehead which
characterized the writers and poets of that day. De Beze had, what
served him admirably, an agreeable air and manner. In this he was a
great contrast to Coligny, of austere countenance, and to the sour,
bilious Chaudieu, who chose to wear on this occasion the robe and bands
of a Calvinist minister.

The scenes that happen in our day in the Chamber of Deputies, and which,
no doubt, happened in the Convention, will give an idea of how, at this
court, at this epoch, these men, who six months later were to fight to
the death in a war without quarter, could meet and talk to each other
with courtesy and even laughter. Birago, who was coldly to advise the
Saint-Bartholomew, and Cardinal de Lorraine, who charged his servant
Besme "not to miss the admiral," now advanced to meet Coligny; Birago
saying, with a smile:--

"Well, my dear admiral, so you have really taken upon yourself to
present these gentlemen from Geneva?"

"Perhaps you will call it a crime in _me_," replied the admiral,
jesting, "whereas if you had done it yourself you would make a merit of
it."

"They say that the Sieur Calvin is very ill," remarked the Cardinal de
Lorraine to Theodore de Beze. "I hope no one suspects us of giving him
his broth."

"Ah! monseigneur; it would be too great a risk," replied de Beze,
maliciously.

The Duc de Guise, who was watching Chaudieu, looked fixedly at his
brother and at Birago, who were both taken aback by de Beze's answer.

"Good God!" remarked the cardinal, "heretics are not diplomatic!"

To avoid embarrassment, the queen, who was announced at this moment, had
arranged to remain standing during the audience. She began by speaking
to the Connetable, who had previousl