The Huguenots were not surprised to find, therefore, that as soon as they had sent back their German auxiliaries8 and returned to their homes--the ink, indeed, was scarcely dry on the paper upon which the treaty was written--its conditions were virtually annulled9. From the pulpit of every Catholic church in France, the treaty was denounced in the most violent language; and it was openly declared that there could be no peace with the Huguenots. These, as they returned home, were murdered in great numbers and, in many of the cities, the mobs rose and massacred the defenceless Protestants.
Heavy as had been the persecutions before the outbreak of the war, they were exceeded by those that followed it. Some of the governors of the provinces openly refused to carry out the conditions of the treaty. Charles issued a proclamation that the edict was not intended to include any of the districts that were appanages of his mother, or of any of the royal or Bourbon princes. In the towns the soldiers were quartered upon the Huguenots, whom they robbed and ill treated at their pleasure; and during the six months that this nominal12 peace lasted, no less than ten thousand Huguenots were slaughtered13 in various parts of France.
"The Prince of Conde, the Admiral, his brothers, and our other leaders may be skilful14 generals and brave men," the Countess de Laville said indignantly to Francois when, with the troop, reduced by war, fever, and hardship to one-third of its number, he had returned to the chateau15, "but they cannot have had their senses about them, when they permitted themselves to be cozened into laying down their arms, without receiving a single guarantee that the terms of the treaty should be observed.
"Far better never to have taken up arms at all. The king has come to regard us as enemies. The Catholics hate us more than ever, for our successful resistance. Instead of being in a better position than we were before, we shall be in a worse. We have given up all the towns we had captured, thrown away every advantage we had gained and, when we are again driven to take up arms, we shall be in a worse position than before; for they no longer despise us, and will in future be on their guard. There will be no repeating the surprise of last September.
"I am disappointed above all in the Admiral, D'Andelot, La Rochefoucauld, and Genlis. Conde I have never trusted as one to be relied upon, in an extremity17. He is a royal prince, has been brought up in courts, and loves gaiety and ease; and although I say not that he is untrue to the Huguenot cause, yet he would gladly accommodate matters; and as we see, even in this treaty, the great bulk of the Huguenots all over the country have been utterly18 deserted19, their liberty of worship denied, and their very lives are at the mercy of the bigots.
"What do you think, Philip? Have you had enough of fighting for a party who wilfully20 throw away all that they have won by their sacrifices? Are you thinking of returning home, or will you wait for a while, to see how matters go on?"
"I will, with your permission, wait," Philip said. "I lament22 this peace, which seems to me to leave us in a worse position than before the war; but I agree with you that it cannot last, and that ere long the Huguenots will be driven again to take up arms. Francois and I have become as brothers and, until the cause is either lost or won, I would fain remain."
"That is well, Philip. I will be glad to have you with us, my nephew. La Noue wrote to me, a month since, saying that both my son and you had borne yourselves very gallantly23; that he was well pleased to have had you with him; and that he thought that, if these wars of religion continued--which they might well do for a long time, as in Germany and Holland, as well as in France, the reformed religion is battling for freedom--you would both rise to eminence24 as soldiers.
"However, now that peace is made, we must make the best of it. I should think it will not be broken until after the harvest and vintage; for until then all will be employed, and the Catholics as well as the Huguenots must repair their losses, and gather funds, before they can again take the field with their retainers. Therefore, until then I think that there will be peace."
The summer passed quietly at Laville. The tales of massacre10 and outrage25, that came from all parts of France, filled them with horror and indignation; but in their own neighbourhood, all was quiet. Rochelle had refused to open her gates to the royal troops and, as in all that district the Huguenots were too numerous to be interfered26 with by their neighbours, the quiet was unbroken.
Nevertheless, it was certain that hostilities27 would not be long delayed. The Catholics, seeing the advantage that the perfect organization of the Huguenots had given them at the commencement of the war, had established leagues in almost every province. These were organized by the clergy28, and the party that looked upon the Guises29 as their leaders and, by the terms of their constitution, were evidently determined30 to carry out the extirpation31 of the reformed religion, with or without the royal authority; and were, indeed, bent upon forming a third party in the state, looking to Philip of Spain rather than to the King of France as their leader.
So frequent and daring were the outrages32, in Paris, that Conde soon found that his life was not safe there; and retired33 to Noyers, a small town in Burgundy. Admiral Coligny, who had been saddened by the loss of his brave wife, who had died from a disease contracted in attending upon the sick and wounded soldiers at Orleans, had abandoned the chateau at Chatillon-sur-Loing, where he had kept up a princely hospitality; and retired to the castle of Tanlay, belonging to his brother D'Andelot, situated34 within a few miles of Noyers. D'Andelot himself had gone to Brittany, after writing a remonstrance35 to Catharine de Medici upon the ruin and desolation that the breaches36 of the treaty, and the persecution11 of a section of the population, were bringing upon France.
The Chancellor37 L'Hopital had, in vain, urged toleration. His adversaries38 in the royal council were too strong for him. The Cardinal39 of Lorraine had regained40 his old influence. The king appointed, as his preachers, four of the most violent advocates of persecution. The De Montmorencys, for a time, struggled successfully against the influence of the Cardinal of Lorraine; who sought supreme41 power, under cover of Henry of Anjou's name. Three of the marshals of France--Montmorency, his brother Danville, and Vielleville--supported by Cardinal Bourbon, demanded of the council that D'Anjou should no longer hold the office of lieutenant42 general. Catharine at times aided the Guises, at times the Montmorencys; playing off one party against the other, but chiefly inclining to the Guises, who gradually obtained such an ascendency that the Chancellor L'Hopital, in despair, retired from the council; and thus removed the greatest obstacle to the schemes and ambition of the Cardinal of Lorraine.
At the commencement of August the king despatched, to all parts of his dominions43, copies of an oath that was to be demanded from every Huguenot. It called upon them to swear never to take up arms, save by the express command of the king; nor to assist with counsel, money, or food any who did so; and to join their fellow citizens in the defence of their towns against those who disobeyed this mandate44. The Huguenots unanimously declined to sign the oath.
With the removal of the chancellor from the council, the party of Lorraine became triumphant45; and it was determined to seize the whole of the Huguenot leaders, who were quietly residing upon their estates in distant parts of France. Gaspard de Tavannes was charged with the arrest of Conde and the Admiral; and fourteen companies of men-at-arms, and as many of infantry46 were placed under his orders, and these were quietly and secretly marched to Noyers.
Fortunately Conde received warning, just before the blow was going to be struck. He was joined at Noyers by the Admiral, with his daughter and sons, and the wife and infant son of D'Andelot. Conde himself had with him his wife and children. They were joined by a few Huguenot noblemen from the neighbourhood; and these, with the servants of the prince and Admiral, formed an escort of about a hundred and fifty horse.
Escape seemed well-nigh hopeless. Tavannes' troops guarded most of the avenues of escape. There was no place of refuge save La Rochelle, several hundred miles away, on the other side of France. Every city was in the hands of their foes47, and their movements were encumbered48 with the presence of women and young children.
There was but one thing in their favour--their enemies naturally supposed that, should they attempt to escape, they would do so in the direction of Germany, where they would be warmly welcomed by the Protestant princes. Therefore it was upon that line that the greatest vigilance would be displayed by their enemies.
Before starting, Coligny sent off a very long and eloquent49 protest to the king; defending himself for the step that he was about to take; giving a history of the continuous breaches of the treaty, and of the sufferings that had been inflicted50 upon the Huguenots; and denouncing the Cardinal of Lorraine and his associates, as the guilty causes of all the misfortunes that had fallen upon France.
It was on the 23d of August that the party set out from Noyers. Their march was prompt and rapid. Contrary to expectation, they discovered an unguarded ford51 across the Loire, near the town of Laussonne. This ford was only passable when the river was unusually low, and had therefore escaped the vigilance of their foes. The weather had been for some time dry, and they were enabled, with much difficulty, to effect a crossing; a circumstance which was regarded by the Huguenots as a special act of Providence52, the more so as heavy rain fell the moment they had crossed, and the river rose so rapidly that when, a few hours later, the cavalry53 of Tavannes arrived in pursuit, they were unable to effect a passage. The party had many other dangers and difficulties to encounter but, by extreme caution and rapidity of movement, they succeeded in baffling their foes, and in making their way across France.
On the evening of the 16th of September, a watchman on a tower of the chateau of Laville shouted, to those in the courtyard, that he perceived a considerable body of horsemen in the distance. A vigilant54 watch had been kept up for some time, for an army had for some weeks been collected, with the ostensible55 motive56 of capturing Rochelle and compelling it to receive a royal garrison57; and as, on its approach, parties would probably be sent out to capture and plunder58 the chateaux and castles of the Huguenot nobles, everything had been prepared for a siege.
The alarm bell was at once rung, to warn the neighbourhood of approaching danger. The vacancies59, caused in the garrison during the war, had been lately filled up; and the gates were now closed, and the walls manned; the countess herself, accompanied by her son and Philip, taking her place on the tower by the gateway60. The party halted, three or four hundred yards from the gate, and then two gentlemen rode forward.
"The party look to me more like Huguenots than Catholics, mother," Francois had said. "I see no banners; but their dresses look sombre and dark, and I think that I can see women among them."
A minute later, Philip exclaimed:
"Surely, Francois, those gentlemen who are approaching are Conde and the Admiral!"
"Impossible!" the countess said. "They are in Burgundy, full three hundred miles away."
"Philip is right, mother," Francois said eagerly. "I recognize them now. They are, beyond doubt, the prince and Admiral Coligny.
"Lower the drawbridge, and open the gates," he called down to the warders.
The countess hastened down the stairs to the courtyard, followed by Francois and Philip, and received her two unexpected visitors as they rode across the drawbridge.
"Madame," Conde said, as he doffed61 his cap courteously62, "we are fugitives63, who come to ask for a night's shelter. I have my wife and children with me, and the Admiral has also his family. We have ridden across France, from Noyers, by devious64 roads and with many turnings and windings65; have been hunted like rabid beasts, and are sorely in need of rest."
"You are welcome, indeed, prince," the countess said. "I esteem66 it a high honour to entertain such guests as yourself and Admiral Coligny. Pray enter at once. My son will ride out to welcome the princess, and the rest of your party."
Francois at once leapt on to a horse and galloped68 off, and in a few minutes the party arrived. Their numbers had been considerably69 increased since they left Noyers, as they had been joined by many Huguenot gentlemen on the way, and they now numbered nearly four hundred men.
"We have grown like a snowball, since we started," the prince said; "and I am ashamed to invade your chateau with such an army."
"It is a great honour, prince. We had heard a rumour70 that an attempt had been made to seize you; and that you had disappeared, no one knew whither, and men thought that you were directing your course towards Germany; but little did we dream of seeing you here, in the west."
It was not until evening that the tale of the journey across France, with its many hazards and adventures, was told; for the countess was fully21 occupied in seeing to the comforts of her guests of higher degree, while Francois saw that the men-at-arms and others were bestowed71 as comfortably as might be. Then oxen and sheep were killed, casks of wine broached72, forage73 issued for the horses; while messengers were sent off to the nearest farms for chicken and ducks, and with orders for the women to come up, to assist the domestics at the chateau to meet this unexpected strain.
"It is good to sit down in peace and comfort, again," Conde said as, supper over, they strolled in the garden, enjoying the cool air of the evening. "This is the first halt that we have made, at any save small villages, since we left Noyers. In the first place, our object was concealment74; and in the second, though many of our friends have invited us to their castles, we would not expose them to the risk of destruction, for having shown us hospitality.
"Here, however, we have entered the stronghold of our faith; for from this place to La Rochelle, the Huguenots can hold their own against their neighbours, and need fear nothing save the approach of a large army; in which case, countess, your plight75 could scarcely be worse for having sheltered us. The royal commissioners76 of the province must long have had your name down, as the most stiff necked of the Huguenots of this corner of Poitou, as one who defies the ordinances77, and maintains public worship in her chateau. Your son and nephew fought at Saint Denis; and you sent a troop across France, at the first signal, to join me. The cup of your offences is so full that this last drop can make but little difference, one way or the other."
"I should have felt it as a grievous slight, had you passed near Laville without halting here," the countess said. "As for danger, for the last twenty years we have been living in danger; and indeed, during the last year I have felt safer than ever for, now that La Rochelle has declared for us, there is a place of refuge, for all of the reformed religion in the provinces round, such as we have not before possessed78. During the last few months, I have sent most of my valuables in there for safety; and if the tide of war comes this way, and I am threatened by a force against which it would be hopeless to contend, I shall make my way thither79.
"But against anything short of an army, I shall hold the chateau. It forms a place of refuge to which, at the approach of danger, all of our religion for many miles round would flock in; and as long as there is a hope of successful resistance, I would not abandon them to the tender mercies of Anjou's soldiers."
"I fear, countess," the Admiral said, "that our arrival at La Rochelle will bring trouble upon all the country round it. We had no choice between that and exile. Had we consulted our own peace and safety only, we should have betaken ourselves to Germany; but had we done that, it would have been a desertion of our brethren, who look to us for leading and guidance.
"Here at La Rochelle we shall be in communication with Navarre and Gascony; and doubt not that we shall, ere very long, be again at the head of an army with which we can take the field, even more strongly than before; for after the breaches of the last treaty, and the fresh persecutions and murders throughout the land, the Huguenots everywhere must clearly perceive that there is no option between destruction, and winning our rights at the point of the sword.
"Nevertheless, as the court will see that it is to their interest to strike at once, before we have had time to organize an army, I think it certain that the whole Catholic forces will march, without loss of time, against La Rochelle. Our only hope is that, as on the last occasion, they will deceive themselves as to our strength. The evil advisers of the king, when persuading him to issue fresh ordinances against us, have assured him that with strong garrisons80 in all the great towns in France, and with his army of Swiss and Germans still on foot, we are altogether powerless; and are no longer to be feared, in the slightest degree.
"We know that even now, while they deem us but a handful of fugitives, our brethren throughout France will be everywhere banding themselves in arms. Before we left Noyers we sent out a summons, calling the Huguenots in all parts of France to take up arms again. Their organization is perfect in every district. Our brethren have appointed places where they are to assemble, in case of need; and by this time I doubt not that, although there is no regular army yet in the field, there are scores of bands ready to march, as soon as they receive orders.
"It is true that the Catholics are far better prepared than before. They have endeavoured, by means of these leagues, to organize themselves in our manner; but there is one vital difference. We know that we are fighting for our lives and our faith, and that those who hang back run the risk of massacre in their own homes. The Catholics have no such impulse. Our persecutions have been the work of the mobs in the towns, excited by the priests; and these ruffians, though ardent81 when it is a question of slaying82 defenceless women and children, are contemptible83 in the field against our men. We saw how the Parisians fled like a flock of sheep, at Saint Denis.
"Thus, outnumbered as we are, methinks we shall take up arms far more quickly than our foes; and that, except from the troops of Anjou, and the levies84 of the great Catholic nobles, we shall have little to fear. Even in the towns the massacres85 have ever been during what is called peace; and there was far less persecution, during the last two wars, than in the intervals86 between them."
The next morning the prince and Admiral, with their escort, rode on towards La Rochelle; which they entered on the 18th September. The countess, with a hundred of her retainers and tenants87, accompanied them on the first day's journey; and returned, the next day, to the chateau.
The news of the escape, and the reports that the Huguenots were arming, took the court by surprise; and a declaration was at once published, by the king, guaranteeing his royal protection to all adherents88 of the reformed faith who stayed at home, and promising89 a gracious hearing to their grievances90. As soon, however, as the Catholic forces began to assemble in large numbers, the mask of conciliation91 was thrown off, all edicts of toleration were repealed92, and the king prohibited his subjects in all parts of his dominions, of whatever rank, from the exercise of all religious rites93 other than those of the Catholic faith, on pain of confiscation94 and death.
Nothing could have been more opportune95, for the Huguenot leaders, than this decree. It convinced even the most reluctant that their only hope lay in resistance; and enabled Conde's agents, at foreign courts, to show that the King of France was bent upon exterminating96 the reformed faith, and that its adherents had been forced to take up arms, in self preservation97.
The fanatical populations of the towns rejoiced in the new decree. Leagues for the extermination98 of heresy99 were formed, in Toulouse and other towns, under the name of Crusades; and high masses were celebrated100 in the churches, everywhere, in honour of the great victory over heresy.
The countess had offered to send her son, with fifty men-at-arms, to swell101 the gathering102 at La Rochelle; but the Admiral declined the offer. Niort was but a day's march from the chateau and, although its population were of mixed religion, the Catholics might, under the influence of the present excitement, march against Laville. He thought it would be better, therefore, that the chateau should be maintained, with all its fighting force, as a centre to which the Huguenots of the neighbourhood might rally.
"I think," he said, "that you might, for some time, sustain a siege against all the forces that could be brought from Niort; and if you are attacked I will, at once, send a force from the city to your assistance. I have no doubt that the Queen of Navarre will join us, and that I shall be able to take the offensive, very shortly."
Encouraged by the presence of the Admiral at La Rochelle, the whole of the Huguenots of the district prepared to take the field, immediately. Laville was the natural centre, and two hundred and fifty men were ready to gather there, directly an alarm was given.
Three days later a man arrived at the chateau from Niort, soon after daybreak. He reported that, on the previous day, the populace had massacred thirty or forty Huguenots; and that all the rest they could lay hands on, amounting in number to nearly two hundred, had been dragged from their homes and thrown into prison. He said that in all the villages round, the priests were preaching the extermination of the Huguenots; and it was feared that, at any moment, those of the religion would be attacked there; especially as it was likely that the populace of the town would flock out, and themselves undertake the work of massacre should the peasants, who had hitherto lived on friendly terms with the Huguenots, hang back from it.
"We must try to assist our brethren," the countess said, when she heard the news. "Francois, take what force you can get together in an hour, and ride over towards Niort. You will get there by midday. If these ruffians come out from the town, do you give them a lesson; and ride round to the villages, and bring off all of our religion there. Assure them that they shall have protection here until the troubles are over, or until matters so change that they can return safely to their homes. We cannot sit quietly, and hear of murder so close at hand. I see no prospect103 of rescuing the unfortunates from the prison at Niort; and it would be madness, with our small force, to attack a walled city; but I leave you free to do what may seem best to you, warning you only against undertaking104 any desperate enterprise.
"Philip will, of course, ride with you."
"Shall we ring the alarm bell, mother?"
"No; it is better not to disturb the tenantry, unless on very grave occasion. Take the fifty men-at-arms, your own men, and Philip's. Sixty will be ample for dispersing105 disorderly mobs; while a hundred would be of no use to you, against the armed forces of the town and the garrison of two hundred men."
In a quarter of an hour, the troop started. All knew the errand on which they were bent, and the journey was performed at the highest speed of which the horses were capable.
"They can have a good, long rest when they get there," Francois said to Philip; "and half an hour, earlier or later, may mean the saving or losing of fifty lives. The mob will have been feasting, and exulting106 over the slaying of so many Huguenots, until late last night; and will not be astir early, this morning. Probably, too, they will, before they think of sallying out, attend the churches; where the priests will stir them up to fury, before they lead them out on a crusade into the country.
"I would that we knew where they are likely to begin. There are a dozen villages, round the town."
"What do you say to dividing our force, Francois? As we near the town, you with one party could ride round to the left, I with the other to the right and, searching each village as we go, could join forces again on the other side of the town. If Montpace had been with us, of course he would have taken the command of one of the parties. It is unfortunate that he is laid up with that wound he got, at Saint Denis."
"I am afraid he will never be fit for active service again, Philip. But I am not sorry that he is not here. He might have objected to our dividing the troop; and besides, I am glad that you should command, putting aside everything else. We understand each other.
"You will, of course, cut down the ruffians from the towns without mercy, if you find them engaged in massacre. If not, you will warn the Huguenots of the villages, as you pass through, to leave their homes at once and make for Laville; giving a sharp intimation to the village maires that, if the Protestants are interfered with in any way, or hindered from taking their goods and setting out; we will, on our return, burn the village about their ears, and hang up any who have interfered with our people."
"I should say, Francois, that we should take prisoners, and hold as hostages, any citizens of importance, or priests, whom we may find encouraging the townsfolk to massacre. I would take the village priests, and maire too, so as to carry out the same plan that acted so well at Toulouse. We could then summon Niort, and say that, unless the Huguenots in prison are released, and they and all the Huguenots in the town allowed to come out and join us, we will in the first place burn and destroy all the Catholic villages round the town, and the pleasure houses and gardens of the citizens; and that in the second place we will carry off the prisoners in our hands, and hang them at once, if we hear of a single Huguenot being further ill treated."
"That would be a capital plan, Philip, if we could get hold of anyone of real importance. It is likely some of the principal citizens, and perhaps Catholic nobles of the neighbourhood, will be with those who sally out; so that they can claim credit and praise, from the court party, for their zeal107 in the cause. I wish our parties had been a little stronger for, after we have entered a village or two, we shall have to look after the prisoners."
"I do not think it matters, Francois. A dozen stout108 men-at-arms, like ours, would drive a mob of these wretches109 before them. They will come out expecting to murder unresisting people; and the sight of our men-at-arms, in their white scarves, will set them off running like hares."
"Let it be understood," Philip continued, "that if, when one of us gets round to the other side of the town, he should not meet the other party, and can hear no tidings of it, he shall gallop67 on till he meets it; for it is just possible, although I think it unlikely, that one or other of us may meet with so strong a party of the enemy as to be forced to stand on the defensive110, until the other arrives."
"I think there is little chance of that, Philip; still, it as well that we should make that arrangement."
As they neared Niort, they met several fugitives. From them they learned that, so far, the townspeople had not come out; but that the Catholics in the villages were boasting that an end would be made of the Huguenots that day, and that many of them were, in consequence, deserting their homes and making their escape, as secretly as they could, across the country. When within two miles of Niort, a column of smoke was seen to arise on the left of the town.
"They have begun the work!" Francois exclaimed. "That is my side!"
And he placed himself at the head of half the troop, giving them orders that they were to spare none whom they found engaged in massacring Huguenots, save priests and other persons acting111 as leaders. These were to be taken as hostages, for the safety of their brethren in the town.
"You need not be over careful with them," he said. "Throw a picket112 rope round their necks, and make them trot113 beside you. They came out for a little excitement, let them have enough of it."
As Francois rode off one way, Philip led his party the other.
"You have heard these orders," he said. "They will do for you, also."
The first place they rode into, they found the Catholic inhabitants in the streets; while the houses of the Huguenots were closed, and the shutters114 barred. The men fled as the troop dashed in.
"Pursue them," Philip cried, "and thrash them back with the flat of your swords, but wound no one."
Most of the men were soon brought back. By this time the Huguenots had opened their doors and, with shouts of joy, were welcoming their deliverers.
"Have they threatened you with harm?" Philip asked.
"Yes; there has been mass in the church this morning, and the priest has told them to prepare to join in the good work, as soon as the townspeople arrive."
The priest had already been fetched from his house, guarded by two troopers. The maire was next pointed16 out, and seized. Two horses were brought out, and the prisoners placed on them.
"Put a rope round each of their necks," Philip ordered. "Fasten it firmly."
Two troopers took the other ends.
"Now you will come along with us," Philip went on, "and if you try to escape, so much the worse for you.
"Now," he said to the villagers, "we shall return here shortly, and then woe115 betide you if our orders are not executed. Every house in the village shall be burned to the ground, every man we lay hold of shall be hung.
"You will at once place every horse and cart here at the disposal of your Huguenot brethren. You will assist them to put their household goods in them, and will at once start with them for Laville. Those who do so will be allowed to return, unharmed, with their animals and carts.
"Eustace, you will remain here with two men, and see that this order is carried out. Shoot down without hesitation116 any man who murmurs117. If there is any trouble whatever, before our return, the priest and the maire shall dangle118 from the church tower."
The next two villages they entered, the same scene was enacted119. As they approached the fourth village, they heard cries and screams.
"Lower your lances, my friends. Forward!"
And at a gallop, the little band dashed into the village.
It was full of people. Several bodies of men and women lay in the road. Pistol shots rang out here and there, showing that some of the Huguenots were making a stout defence of their homes. Through and through the crowd the horsemen rode, those in front clearing their way with their lances, those behind thrusting and cutting with their swords.
The Catholics were, for the most part, roughly armed. Some had pikes, some had swords, others axes, choppers, or clubs; but none now thought of defence. The arms that had been brought out for the work of murder were thrown away, and there was no thought, save of flight.
The doors of the Huguenot houses were thrown open and the men, issuing out, fell upon those who were, just before, their assailants. Philip saw some horsemen, and others, collected round a cross in the centre of the village and, calling upon the men near him to follow, dashed forward and surrounded the party, before they apprehended120 the meaning of this sudden tumult121. Two or three of the men drew their swords, as if to resist; but seeing that their friends were completely routed, they surrendered.
The party consisted of three men who were, by their dresses, persons of rank; four or five citizens, also on horseback; four priests, and a dozen acolytes122, with banners and censers.
"Tie their hands behind them," Philip ordered. "Not the boys; let them go."
"I protest against this indignity," one of the gentlemen said. "I am a nobleman."
"If you were a prince of the blood, sir, and I found you engaged in the massacre of innocent people, I would tie you up, and set you swinging from the nearest tree, without compunction."
Their arms were all tightly bound behind them.
"Would you touch a servant of the Lord?" the leading priest said.
"Your clothing is that of a servant of the Lord," Philip replied; "but as I find you engaged upon the work of the devil, I can only suppose that you have stolen the clothes.
"Four of you take these priests behind you," he said to his men; "tie them tightly, with their backs to yours. That will leave you the use of your arms.
"Pierre, do you ride beside the other prisoners and, if you see any attempt at escape, shoot them at once.
"Quick, my lads; there may be more of this work going on, ahead."
He then gave similar instructions, for the carriage of the Huguenot goods, as he had at the preceding places.
At the next village they were in time to prevent the work of massacre from commencing. A party of horsemen and some priests, followed by a mob, were just entering it as they rode up. The horsemen were overthrown123 by their onset124, the mob sent flying back towards the town, the Huguenots charging almost up to the gates. The horsemen and priests were made prisoners, as before; and when the rest of the band returned from their pursuit, they again rode on. They had now made half a circuit of Niort, and presently saw Francois and his party, galloping125 towards them.
"I had begun to be afraid that something had happened," Francois said, as he rode up. "I waited a quarter of an hour and then rode on, as we agreed.
"We have lost no time," Philip said. "We have been through five villages. At one we were just in time, for they had begun the work of massacre, before we got up. At another, we met them as they arrived. But at the other three, although the villagers were prepared for the work, the townsmen had not arrived."
"There were only three villages on my side," Francois said. "At the first, they had nearly finished their work before we arrived. That was where we saw the smoke rising. But we paid them for it handsomely, for we must have cut down more than a hundred of the scoundrels. At one of the others, the Huguenots were defending themselves well; and there, too, we gave the townspeople a lesson. At the third, all was quiet. We have taken six or eight burghers, as many gentlemen, and ten priests."
Philip told him the orders he had given, for the Catholics to place their horses and carts at the disposal of their Huguenot fellow villagers.
"I wish I had thought of it," Francois said. "But it is not too late. I will ride back with my party, and see all our friends well on their way from the villages. I left four men at each, to keep the Catholics from interfering127.
"If you will go back the way you came, we will meet again on the main road, on the other side of the town. I don't think there is any fear of their making a sortie. Our strength is sure to be greatly exaggerated; and the fugitives, pouring in from each side of the town with their tales, will spread a report that Conde himself, with a whole host of horsemen, is around them."
Philip found all going on well, as he returned through the villages, the scare being so great that none thought of disobeying the orders; and in a couple of hours he rejoined Francois, having seen the whole of the Huguenot population of the villages well on their way.
"Now, Philip, we will go and summon the town. First of all, though, let us get a complete list of the names of our prisoners."
These were all written down, and then the two leaders, with their eight men-at-arms, rode towards the gates of Niort, a white flag being raised on one of the lances.
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1
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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2
perfidious
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| adj.不忠的，背信弃义的 | |
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3
unstable
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| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
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4
advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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5
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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6
revoked
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| adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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8
auxiliaries
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| n.助动词 ( auxiliary的名词复数 )；辅助工，辅助人员 | |
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9
annulled
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| v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去 | |
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10
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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11
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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12
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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13
slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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15
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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16
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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17
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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18
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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19
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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20
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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21
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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22
lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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23
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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24
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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25
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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26
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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27
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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28
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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29
guises
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| n.外观，伪装( guise的名词复数 )v.外观，伪装( guise的第三人称单数 ) | |
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30
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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31
extirpation
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| n.消灭，根除，毁灭；摘除 | |
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32
outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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33
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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34
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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35
remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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36
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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37
chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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38
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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39
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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40
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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41
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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42
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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43
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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44
mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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45
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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46
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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47
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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48
encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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50
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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52
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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53
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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54
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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55
ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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56
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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57
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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58
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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59
vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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60
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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61
doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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63
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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64
devious
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| adj.不坦率的，狡猾的；迂回的，曲折的 | |
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65
windings
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| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
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66
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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67
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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68
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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69
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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70
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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71
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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73
forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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74
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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75
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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76
commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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77
ordinances
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| n.条例，法令( ordinance的名词复数 ) | |
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78
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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79
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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80
garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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81
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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82
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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83
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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84
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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85
massacres
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| 大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败 | |
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86
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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87
tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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88
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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89
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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90
grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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91
conciliation
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| n.调解，调停 | |
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92
repealed
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| 撤销，废除( repeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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94
confiscation
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| n. 没收, 充公, 征收 | |
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95
opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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96
exterminating
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的现在分词 ) | |
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97
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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98
extermination
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| n.消灭，根绝 | |
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99
heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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100
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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101
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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102
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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103
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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104
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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105
dispersing
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| adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
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106
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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107
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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109
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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110
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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111
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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112
picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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113
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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114
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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115
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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116
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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117
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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dangle
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| v.(使)悬荡，(使)悬垂 | |
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119
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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120
apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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122
acolytes
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| n.助手( acolyte的名词复数 )；随从；新手；（天主教）侍祭 | |
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123
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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124
onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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125
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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126
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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