eing butchered. Carouge, at
Rouen, received a commission to visit the other towns in his province.
The magistrates implored him to remain, as nobody, in his absence, could
restrain the people. When the King had twice repeated his commands,
Carouge obeyed; and five hundred Huguenots perished.[67]

It was thought unsafe even for the King's brother to give distinct
orders under his own hand. He wrote to his lieutenant in Anjou that he
had commissioned Puygaillard to communicate with him on a matter which
concerned the King's service and his own, and desired that his orders
should be received as if they came directly from himself. They were,
that every Huguenot in Angers, Saumur, and the adjoining country should
be put to death without delay and without exception.[68] The Duke of
Montpensier himself sent the same order to Brittany; but it was
indignantly rejected by the municipality of Nantes.

When reports came in of the manner in which the event had been received
in foreign countries, the Government began to waver, and the sanguinary
orders were recalled. Schomberg wrote from Germany that the Protestant
allies were lost unless they could be satisfied that the King had not
decreed the extermination of their brethren.[69] He was instructed to
explain the tumult in the provinces by the animosity bequeathed by the
wars of religion.[70] The Bishop of Valence was intriguing in Poland on
behalf of Anjou. He wrote that his success had been made very doubtful,
and that, if further cruelties were perpetrated, ten millions of gold
pieces would not bribe the venal Poles. He advised that a counterfeit
edict, at least, should be published.[71] Charles perceived that he
would be compelled to abandon his enterprise, and set about appeasing
the resentment of the Protestant Powers. He promised that an inquiry
should be instituted, and the proofs of the conspiracy communicated to
foreign Governments. To give a judicial aspect to the proceedings, two
prominent Huguenots were ceremoniously hanged. When the new ambassador
from Spain praised the long concealment of the plan, Charles became
indignant.[72] It was repeated everywhere that the thing had been
arranged with Rome and Spain; and he was especially studious that there
should be no symptoms of a private understanding with either power.[73]
He was able to flatter himself that he had at least partially succeeded.
If he had not exterminated his Protestant subjects, he had preserved his
Prot