Hello Listers and Listerettes, Reading is fun. And reading the HWE archives http://www.island.net/~andreav/archives.htm can be even more so, especially when I read a story that I wrote a year ago almost to the day. At that time I waffled about one D'AUGIGNE and how he was a nice man. What has this to do with DE BERQUIN ? Well in reading minor work regarding middle age history in France, I fell asleep. On waking I remembered that in a terrible vision I mentioned right in this very list that words about DE LOIGNY were coming forthwith. Ok, ok I am getting to it. err where was I ? Ah yes, DE COLIGNY and how we all know about him. But did you know who his tutor was ? Well some of you do and so you can return to researching you immediate family history while I tell the short tale of the tutor of Gaspard DE COLIGNY, one Louis DE BERQUIN. Oh yes, the vision and how we got to this part. Well in reading up on DE BERQUIN, I discovered that D'AUBIGNE wrote about him in his very well written book "History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin" And so who was this martyr for the Huguenot cause ? "The wretched tumbrel upon which he rode, the frowning faces of his persecutors, the dreadful death to which he was going—these he heeded not; He who liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore, and hath the keys of death and of hell, was beside him. Berquin’s countenance was radiant with the light and peace of heaven. He had attired himself in goodly raiment, wearing ‘a cloak of velvet, a doublet of satin and damask, and golden hose.’ D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, book 2, chap. 16.. ok so this is at the end of the life of Louis DE BERQUIN, but at times we must begin at the end so that we are aware of how things end and you become a martyr. Yes, listers, burned him good did those Romanists. And encouraged the guards to make so much noise with their shields that his cries to the Grand Architect could not be heard. It can be said that the 16th of April 1529, was not a good day for Louis DE BERQUIN as it was to be the last day of his life. Of some minor interest is that two other noted historical figures were in Paris at the time of Louis' departure. Calvin and his almost complete opposite in Don Inigo Lopez de Recalde. Take some time and read about him, began the Jesuits you know. Back at the beginning of Louis' life it was about 1485 and all was for the best in the best of all possible worlds for him. He was from a fine family of middle nobility and recieved an outstanding education, University of Paris no less. It was during his educational years that he first heard of what he termed the writings of the heretic Luther. His family tried to prevent him doing further reading and for awhile were successful. Well it seems that Louis was certain that Luther was indeed a heretic until he began to read the bible for himself. Well talk about a turn around. The things that he heard about Luther and his thoughts became his own and so from then on his doubts about the salaried monks etc. and the oddities found in the Romanist bible caused him concern. So much so that he went off to Francis, who happened to be King at the time. Well as it turned out Louis couldn't convince Frank that there was much wrong about these monks and their teachings. In order to attempt to set Frank straight, Louis drew a 12 item list of things that were well, just not right, and sought to get some answers from these very same monks. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, was the fine pickle that the monks found themselves in as if they agreed with this smarty arty DE BERQUIN then they too would be 'heretics' but if they didn't then how would they answer his enquiries ? This was the first of three times that Louis would be banged up in the local cellblocks. He really did cause the Romanists a bad headache and with others running around like Zwingli, Bezia and Calvin, the church told the King that DE BERQUIN goose was cooked. And so he was. There is much more to this Huguenot martyr, some wil suggest that he was the first and I am sure that a hift at your local library will reveal his life in full. Kind Regards, Peter Leroy