Trial and execution of Anne du Bourg

The trial and execution of Anne du Bourg was a critical event in the history of religious conflict in Paris, prior to the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion three years later. Anne du Bourg a judge in the Paris Parlement, would be executed, after calling the king Henry II an adulterer and blasphemer, and refusing to affirm the Real presence. He would be garrotted and burned on 23 December 1559.

Anne du Bourg being burned at the stake.

Background

Royal policy

Beginning in the reign of Francis I, Protestantism would be subject to organised persecution in France.[1] This would continue into the reign of his son Henri II, notably in the Edict of Compiègne (1557) and the Edict of Ecouen (1559).[2] Despite these efforts, Protestantism would continue to grow stronger, from two churches in 1555, to a national synod in 1559 with around 1.5 million adherents.[3] Heretic hunting by the Paris Parlement had slackened by the mid 1550's, with no one executed for heresy in 1555, with an attempt on the King's life in 1557, new legislation to push the Parlement's to action was introduced.[4] However, Henri II remained unsatisfied with their progress, and their reticence to register the Edict of Ecouen into law, but was not able to push them into more aggressive action, until the conclusion of peace with the Habsburgs and English in the Peace of Cateau Cambresis.[5]

Hostility in the city of Paris to the Huguenots exploded after the royal loss at the Battle of St. Quentin (1557), for which they were blamed by popular preachers.[6] Shortly thereafter an angry crowd surrounded a secret Protestant site of worship on the rue St Jacques, threatening and throwing stones at those who tried to leave.[6] Over one hundred would be arrested by the Parisian authorities following this, with 8 executed.[7] It was into this volatile environment that Henri would attend a mercurial session of Parlement.

The judiciary

While the judiciary largely resisted the Protestant reformation, and remained overwhelmingly Catholic, the Paris judiciary was largely of the moderate Erasmian Catholic variety, which disapproved of burning people solely for privately held views and who were hostile to what they felt was Papal interference in France's religious affairs.[8] There were however several Protestant justices among the Paris judiciary, including Louis du Faur and Anne du Bourg.[9]

The visit of the King

On 10 June, Henri II attended a session of the Parlement, accompanied by Francis, Duke of Guise, Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, Louis, Duke of Montpensier and Anne de Montmorency.[10] Alongside his grievances at the failure to register his edict, he had also been passed a list of suspect Huguenot judges by informers among the judiciary.[10] The King interrupted the deliberations of Parlement that were ongoing, expressing his dissatisfaction at how they were pursuing heresy before instructing them to continue their discussion.[10] It was now that several councillors rose to challenge him, with Louis du Faur going as far as to attack the King directly through the use of scripture in quoting Elijah's words to King Ahab.[9] Whilst Anne du Bourg took a more personal line, contrasting the widespread prosperous condition of blasphemers and adulterers, with the pure community of reformers, who desired only to cleanse the church.[9] The King interpreted this as a direct attack, being a serial adulterer himself, and thus lèse-majesté, du Bourg was arrested, alongside 6 other justices of the court.[9]

Bargaining

Du Bourg and the other judges would be houses in the Bastille, with a special commission established to try them on 19 June.[9] The King vowed to see du Bourg burn with his own eyes, however he would be killed at a joust celebrating the peace of Cateau Cambresis on July 10, succeeded by his young son Francis II who was governed by his maternal uncles, the Guise.[9][11] Du Faur and the other suspect judges would retract after softball interviews, and thus be let off by the Parlement commission with a fine and a 5 year suspension, the Parlement not enthusiastic to put any of its own to death.[12][13] The trial gripped Paris, as du Bourg alone broke against outward comformity, in admitting to attending services and denying the miracle of mass when pressed by his judges.[13] Efforts continued into December to avoid the scandal of a public execution, a compromise confession of faith being drawn up for him to sign, which on December 13 he did.[13] The execution would not however be averted, as on December 19, fearing he had become a Nicodemite, he repudiated his signature.[13] Despite the pleas of Margaret of Valois, Duchess of Berry and Frederick III, Elector Palatine his execution would go ahead.[14]

The assassination of President Minard

Whilst du Bourg languished in prison, his coreligionists were active in achieving revenge on the outside. In both October and December there would be failed attempts to jail break du Bourg.[13] On December 12, ten masked horsemen gunned down a prominent judge of the Parlement, and advocate of repression against the Protestants, President Minard. outside his home.[13] On the same day they also killed the informer of Henri II, Julian Fermé.[15] The gates to Paris were quickly closed, while house to house searches could be conducted.[16] Robert Stuart was determined as a suspect, and he was charged with the assassination of Minard, a plot to free du Bourg from prison and a plot to burn down Paris, though he confessed nothing under torture.[16]

Execution

To avoid any escape on the day of the execution, guards would be added around du Bourg, as he was transferred to the Place de Greve on December 23.[17] However they would end up being used more to keep the Catholic crowd back from seizing him themselves, than they would be blocking any such attempts.[17] As had become the custom Anne du Bourg was garroted before being burned, as the Parlement felt burning alive was too cruel a punishment.[18] The Cardinal of Lorraine wrote to the French ambassador in Rome of his hope that this execution would act as a deterrent against Protestantism, yet for the Protestants he would be a prime martyr justifying resistance.[18]

Aftermath

Sectarian violence in Paris, that first exploded as a result of du Bourg's execution in a major way with the Saint Medard riot, would only increase over the following years in Paris as the situation deteriorated.[19] This would culminate in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in which over 3000 Protestants would be killed.[20]

References
  1. Knecht, Robert (1984). Francis I. Cambridge University Press. pp. 405–6. ISBN 0521278872.
  2. Knecht, Robert (2001). The Rise and Fall of Renaissance France 1483-1610. Blackwell. p. 241.
  3. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 92. ISBN 9780199596799.
  4. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 91. ISBN 9780199596799.
  5. Diefendorf, Barbara (1991). Beneath the Cross: Catholics and Huguenots in Sixteenth-Century Paris. Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 0195070135.
  6. Diefendorf, Barbara (1991). Beneath the Cross: Catholics and Huguenots in Sixteenth-Century Paris. Oxford University Press. p. 51. ISBN 0195070135.
  7. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 9780199596799.
  8. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780199596799.
  9. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 111. ISBN 9780199596799.
  10. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780199596799.
  11. Thompson, James (1909). The Wars of Religion 1559-76: The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici and Phillip II. Chicago University Press. pp. 3–6.
  12. Thompson, James (1909). The Wars of Religion 1559-76: The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici and Phillip II. Chicago University Press. p. 13.
  13. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780199596799.
  14. Thompson, James (1909). The Wars of Religion 1559-76: The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici, and Phillip II. Chicago University Press. p. 14.
  15. Carroll, Stuart (2006). Blood and Violence in Early Modern France. Oxford University Press. p. 269. ISBN 9780199290451.
  16. Diefendorf, Barbara (1991). Beneath the Cross: Catholics and Huguenots in Sixteenth Century Paris. Oxford University Press. p. 55. ISBN 0195070135.
  17. Diefendorf, Barbara (1991). Beneath the Cross: Catholics and Huguenots in Sixteenth-Century Paris. Oxford University Press. pp. 55–6. ISBN 0195070135.
  18. Carroll, Stuart (2009). Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 114. ISBN 9780199596799.
  19. Diefendorf, Barbara (1991). Beneath the Cross: Catholics and Huguenots in Sixteenth Century Paris. Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN 0195070135.
  20. Armstrong, Alastair (2003). France 1500-1715. Heinemann. pp. 70–1. ISBN 0-435-32751-8.
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