Catherine became more unpopular every day among the extreme Romanists, and the discontent with her policy became general: many of the nobility remonstrated with her for her toleration, and the monks gladly seized the opportunity of arousing the fanaticism of the populace. One of these tonsured preachers of sedition actually exhorted the citizens of Paris not to permit the watch, who were paid by them, to protect the heretics. The violence of the Romish clergy--especially of the regulars--at this time can hardly be exaggerated. Simon Vigor,[258] whose sermons are still extant, spoke thus ferociously from his pulpit: “Our nobility will not strike.... Is it not very cruel, they say, to draw the sword against one’s uncle or father?... Come now, which is nearest and dearest to you, your Catholic and Christian brother or your carnal Huguenot brother? The spiritual affinity or relationship is much higher than the carnal, and therefore I tell you that since you will not strike the Huguenots, you have no religion. Accordingly some morning God will execute justice, and permit this bastard nobility to be trodden down by the commonalty. I do not say that it ought to be done, but that God will permit it to be done.”[259] The garrulous Claude Haton declares that Vigor far surpassed all others in violence, and gives an outline of a sermon in which he accused the king’s government of favoring Huguenotry, and “destroying the Church of Christ.” Claude de Sainctes, who was in the household of the Cardinal of Lorraine, declared in one of his writings, “that if the fires which had been lighted up in France for the destruction of Calvinism had not been extinguished, that sect would not have spread.”[260] This incendiary language produced the intended effect, and the whole kingdom became the theatre of frightful disorders. At Cahors the tocsin called the people to arms (26th December, 1561). The Catholics shut up the Huguenots in their place of meeting and then set fire to it. As the poor wretches forced their way through the flames, they were struck down by the pikes and swords of the savage crowd. Similar disturbances occurred in other parts of France--at Pamiers, Dijon, Troyes, Amiens, Abbeville, Tours, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Marseilles--the Roman Catholics being determined to prevent all assemblies that were not authorized by edict. François Channeil and Louis de Brezous, accompanied by 600 horse and foot, entered Aurillac, and shutting the gates so that none might escape, began to fire upon the inhabitants, killing one of their own number. Many Protestants were thus murdered. The soldiers hanged without trial a book-seller and a hosier, who died bravely singing the 27th Psalm to the last moment: God is my strong salvation, What foe have I to fear? In darkness and temptation My light, my help is near.