In the mean time, Miniers came to Merindoll, where he found none but a young man, named Maurice Blanc, 1who had yielded himself to a Soldier, promising him for his ransom 2. French crowns. Miniers would have had him away by force, but it was answered: the soldier ought not to loose his prisoner. Miniers therefore paying the two crowns, himself took the young man, & caused him to be tied to an Olive tree, & shot through with harquebuses, and so cruelly martyred the young man, still calling on God: so he razed Merindoll, and laid it even with the ground.2 When he had so done, he laid siege to Cabriers: which when he could not overcome by force, he promised them fairly, if they would ⟨p. 488⟩let him enter in, swearing he would harm none of them, whereupon the people let him in: who when he was once entered,3 falsified his oath, and first picked out about thirty men, caused them to be carried to a certain meadow, bound, and there to be miserably cut and hewen in pieces of his Soldiers: he exercised also great cruelty over the women, and caused forty of them to be taken, of whom many were with child, and put them into a barn full of hey and straw, and caused it to be set on fire at four corners, keeping them that would break out, with pikes and halberds: there was a Soldier which being moved with pity at the lamentation of the women, opened a door to let them out, but as they were coming forth, the cruel tyrant caused them to be slain, and cut in pieces, opening their bellies,4 that their children might fall out, whom they trod under their feet: many were fled into the wine cellar of the Castle, and many hid themselves in caves, whereof some were carried into the meadow, and there stripped naked, were slain, other some were bound two and two together, and carried into the hall of the Castle, where they were slain by the Captains, rejoicing in their butchery. That done, this tyrant commanded captain John de Guy, with a band of ruffians to go into the church (where was a great number of women, children, and young infants) to kill all that he found there: he although at first refusing, yet being threatened, performed the same. The number of them which were slain,5 was a thousand persons, men, women, and children: the infants which escaped their fury, were baptized again of their enemies.
In the meane time, Miniers came to Merindoll, where hée found none but a yoong man, named Maurice Blanc, 1who had yéelded himselfe to a Souldier, promising him for his raunsome 2. French crownes. Miniers would haue had him away by force, but it was answered: the souldier ought not to loose his prisoner. Miniers therefore paying the two crownes, himself tooke the yoong man, & caused him to be tied to an Oliue trée, & shot through with harquebushes, and so cruelly martired the yoong man, still calling on God: so hée razed Merindoll, and laid it euen with the ground.2 When he had so done, he laid siege to Cabriers: which whē he could not ouercome by force, he promised thē fairly, if they would ⟨p. 488⟩let him enter in, swearing hée would harme none of them, wherevpon the people let him in: who when he was once entered,3 falsified his oth, and first picked out about thirtie men, caused them to be caried to a certaine medow, bound, and there to bée miserably cut and hewen in péeces of his Souldiers: hée exercised also great cruelty ouer the women, and caused fortie of them to be taken, of whom many were with childe, and put them into a barne full of hey and straw, and caused it to be set on fire at foure corners, kéeping them that would breake out, with pikes and halberts: there was a Souldier which being moued with pittie at the lamentation of the women, opened a dore to let them out, but as they were comming forth, the cruell tyrant caused them to be slaine, and cut in péeces, opening their bellies,4 that their children might fall out, whom they trode vnder their féete: many were fledde into the wineseller of the Castle, and many hidde themselues in caues, whereof some were caried into the medow, and there stripped naked, were slaine, other some were bound two and two together, and caried into the hall of the Castle, where they were slaine by the Captaines, reioycing in their buchery. That doone, this tyrant commaunded captain Iohn de Guy, with a band of ruffians to go into the church (wher was a great number of women, children, and yoong infants) to kill all that he found there: he although at first refusing, yet being threatned, performed the same. The number of them which were slaine,5 was a thousand persons, men, women, and children: the infants which escaped their furie, were baptized againe of their enemies.
- 1Maurice Blanc.
- 2Merindoll razed, and laid even with the ground.Merindoll razed, and layed euen with the ground.
- 3Miniers breaketh his oath with CabriersMiniers breaketh his oth with Cabriers
- 4Marvellous cruelty.Meruailous crueltie.
- 51000. slain.1000. slaine.
