Actually, he is referring to the coup de Jarnac, not Jarnot, named for the French the Duke of Jarnac, in a duel against the Duke of La Chataigneraie, who was acting as a proxy for the king, Henri II. It is a somewhat unconventional blow, and not considered a particularly glorious fencing stroke, to say the least, Chabot won by striking his opponent down with a blow to his calf. From that day on the stroke became known as "Le Coup de Jarnac" and entered the French language as a popular expression, usually implying a dirty tactic or one beneath the scruples of an honorable opponent.

Interestingly enough, the cause of the duel was a rumor started by Henri II, that the Duke of Jarnot, yclept Chabot, had taken his mother-in-law as a mistress, which apparently, for reasons which are obscure, was considered an unhonorable thing to do in the French court circle.

However, I am not the one who started this rumor about Rapaire, and I am not among the many who have passed it on.

A