Francois de Laville and Philip had fought by the side of La Noue,
in the engagement in the streets of Orleans; but had seen little of
the Count afterwards, his time being fully employed in completing
the various arrangements to ensure the safety of the town. They had
been lodged in the house of one of the Huguenot citizens, and had
spent their time walking about the town, or in the society of some
of the younger gentlemen of their party.
"Are you both ready for service again?" the Count de la Noue, who
had sent for them to come to his lodgings, asked on the evening of
the third day after the capture of Orleans.
"Quite ready," Francois replied. "The horses have all recovered
from their fatigue, and are in condition for a fresh start. Are we
bound for Paris, may I ask?"
"No, Francois, we are going on a recruiting tour: partly because we
want men, but more to encourage our people by the sight of an armed
party, and to show the Catholics that they had best stay their
hands, and leave us alone for the present.
"I take a hundred men with me, including your troop and my own,
which I hope largely to increase. Sometimes we shall keep in a
body, sometimes break up into two or three parties. Always we shall
move rapidly, so as to appear where least expected, and so spread
uneasiness as to where we may next appear.
"In the south we are, as I hear, holding our own. I shall therefore
go first to Brittany and, if all is quiet, there raise another
fifty men. We shall travel through Touraine and Anjou as we go, and
then sweep round by Normandy and La Perche, and so up to Paris.
"So you see, we shall put a good many miles of ground under our
feet, before we join the Prince. In that way not only shall we
swell our numbers and encourage our friends, but we shall deter
many of the Catholic gentry from sending their retainers to join
the army of the Guises."
"It will be a pleasant ride, cousin," Francois said, "and I hope
that we shall have an opportunity of doing some good work, before
we reach Paris; and especially that we shall not arrive there too
late to join in the coming battle."
"I do not think that there is much fear of that," the Count
replied. "The Prince has not sufficient strength to attack Paris.
And for my part, I think that it would have been far better, when
it was found that his plan of seizing the court had failed, to have
drawn off at once. He can do nothing against Paris, and his
presence before it will only incite the inhabitants against us, and
increase their animosity. It would have been better to have applied
the force in reducing several strong towns where, as at Orleans,
the bulk of the inhabitants are favourable to us. In this way we
should weaken the enemy, strengthen ourselves, and provide places
of refuge for our people in case of need. However, it is too late
for such regrets. The Prince is there, and we must take him what
succour we can.
"I was pleased with you both, in the fights upon the day we
entered. You both behaved like brave gentlemen and good swordsmen.
I expected no less from you, Francois; but I was surprised to find
your English cousin so skilled with his weapon."
"He is a better swordsman than I am," Francois said; "which is a
shame to me, since he is two years my junior."
"Is he indeed!" the Count said in surprise. "I had taken him to be
at least your equal in years. Let me think, you are but eighteen
and some months?"
"But a month over eighteen," Francois said, "and Philip has but
just passed sixteen."
"You will make a doughty warrior when you attain your full
strength, Philip. I saw you put aside a thrust from an officer in
the melee, and strike him from his horse with a backhanded cut with
your sword, dealt with a vigour that left nothing to be desired."
"I know that I am too fond of using the edge, sir," Philip said,
modestly. "My English masters taught me to do so and, although my
French instructors at home were always impressing upon me that the
point was more deadly than the edge, I cannot break myself
altogether from the habit."
"There is no need to do so," the Count said. "Of late the point has
come into fashion among us, and doubtless it has advantages; but
often a downright blow will fetch a man from his saddle, when you
would in vain try to find, with the point, a joint in his armour.
But you must have been well taught, indeed, if you are a better
swordsman than my cousin; whose powers I have tried at Laville, and
found him to be an excellent swordsman, for his age."
"I have had many masters," Philip said. "Both my French and English
teachers were good swordsmen; and it was seldom a Frenchman who had
been in the wars passed through Canterbury, that my uncle did not
engage him to give me a few lessons. Thus, being myself very
anxious to become a good swordsman, and being fond of exercises, I
naturally picked up a great many tricks with the sword."
"You could not have spent your time better, if you had an intention
of coming over to take part in our troubles here. Your grandfather,
De Moulins, was said to be one of the best swordsmen in France; and
you may have inherited some of his skill. I own that I felt rather
uneasy at the charge of two such young cockerels, though I could
not refuse when the countess, my aunt, begged me to let you ride
with me; but in future I shall feel easy about you, seeing that you
can both take your own parts stoutly.
"Well, order your men to be ready and mounted, in the marketplace,
at half-past five. The west gate will be opened for us to ride
forth at six."
Philip had every reason to be satisfied with the conduct of his new
servant. In the town, as at Laville, Pierre behaved circumspectly
and quietly; assuming a grave countenance in accordance with his
surroundings, keeping his arms and armour brightly polished, and
waiting at table as orderly as if he had been used to nothing else
all his life.
"I am glad to hear it, sir," Pierre said, when Philip informed him
that they would start on the following morning. "I love not towns;
and here, where there is nought to do but to polish your armour,
and stand behind your chair at dinner, the time goes mighty
heavily."
"You will have no cause to grumble on that account, Pierre, I
fancy, for your ride will be a long one. I do not expect we shall
often have a roof over our heads."
"All the better, sir, so long as the ride finishes before the cold
weather sets in. Fond as I am of sleeping with the stars over me; I
own that, when the snow is on the ground, I prefer a roof over my
head."
At six o'clock the party started. Only two other gentlemen rode
with it, both of whom were, like the Count, from Brittany. The
little group chatted gaily as they rode along. Unless they happened
to encounter parties of Catholics going north, to join the royal
army, there was, so far as they knew, no chance of their meeting
any body of the enemy on their westward ride.
The towns of Vendome, Le Mans, and Laval were all strongly
Catholic, and devoted to the Guises. These must be skirted. Rennes
in Brittany must also be avoided, for all these towns were strongly
garrisoned, and could turn out a force far too strong for La Noue
to cope with.
Upon the march, Pierre was not only an invaluable servant but the
life of the troop; he being full of fun and frolic, and making even
the gravest soldier smile at his sallies. When they halted, he was
indefatigable in seeing after Philip's comforts. He cut boughs of
the trees best suited for the purpose of making a couch, and
surprised his master and Francois by his ingenuity in turning out
excellent dishes from the scantiest materials. He would steal away
in the night to procure fowls and eggs from neighbouring farmhouses
and, although Philip's orders were that he was to pay the full
price for everything he required, Philip found, when he gave an
account a fortnight later of how he had spent the money he had
given him, that there was no mention of any payment for these
articles. When he rated Pierre for this, the latter replied:
"I did not pay for them, sir. Not in order to save you money, but
for the sake of the farmers and their families. It would have been
worse than cruelty to have aroused them from sleep. The loss of a
fowl or two, and of a dozen eggs, were nothing to them. If they
missed them at all, they would say that a fox had been there, and
they would think no more of it. If, on the other hand, I had waked
them up in the middle of the night to pay for these trifles, they
would have been scared out of their life; thinking, when I knocked,
that some band of robbers was at the door. In their anger at being
thus disturbed they would have been capable of shooting me; and it
is well nigh certain that, at any rate, they would have refused to
sell their chickens and eggs at that time of the night.
"So you see, sir, I acted for the best for all parties. Two
chickens out of scores was a loss not worth thinking of, while the
women escaped the panic and terror that my waking them up would
have caused them. When I can pay I will assuredly do so, since that
is your desire; but I am sure you will see that, under such
circumstances, it would be a crime to wake people from their sleep
for the sake of a few sous."
Philip laughed.
"Besides, sir," Pierre went on, "these people were either Huguenots
or Catholics. If they were Huguenots, they would be right glad to
minister to those who are fighting on their behalf. If they were
Catholics, they would rob and murder us without mercy. Therefore
they may think themselves fortunate, indeed, to escape at so
trifling a cost from the punishment they deserve."
"That is all very well, Pierre; but the orders are strict against
plundering and, if the Admiral were to catch you, you would get a
sound thrashing with a stirrup leather."
"I have risked worse than that, sir, many times in my life; and if
I am caught, I will give them leave to use the strap. But you will
see, Monsieur Philip, that if the war goes on these niceties will
soon become out of fashion. At present the Huguenot lords and
gentlemen have money in their pockets to pay for what they want,
but after a time money will become scarce. They will see that the
armies of the king live on plunder, as armies generally do; and
when cash runs short, they will have to shut their eyes and let the
men provide themselves as best they can."
"I hope the war won't last long enough for that, Pierre. But at any
rate, we have money in our pockets at present, and can pay for what
we require; though I do not pretend that it is a serious matter to
take a hen out of a coop, especially when you can't get it
otherwise, without, as you say, alarming a whole family. However,
remember my orders are that everything we want is to be paid for."
"I understand, sir, and you will see that the next time we reckon
up accounts every item shall be charged for, so that there will be
nothing on your conscience."
Philip laughed again.
"I shall be content if that is the case, Pierre; and I hope that
your conscience will be as clear as mine will be."
On the third of November, just a month after leaving Orleans, De La
Noue, with his troop augmented to three hundred, joined the Prince
of Conde before Paris. During the interval, he had traversed the
west of France by the route he had marked out for himself, had
raised fifty more men among the Huguenots of Brittany, and had been
joined on the route by many gentlemen with parties of their
retainers.
Several bodies of Catholics had been met and dispersed. Two or
three small towns, where the Huguenots had been ill treated and
massacred, were entered. The ringleaders in the persecutions had
been hung, and the authorities had been compelled to pay a heavy
fine, under threat of the whole town being committed to the flames.
Everywhere he passed La Noue had caused proclamations to be
scattered far and wide, to the effect that any ill treatment of
Huguenots would be followed by his return, and by the heaviest
punishment being inflicted upon all who molested them.
And so, having given great encouragement to the Huguenots, and
scattered terror among their persecutors; having ridden great
distances, and astonished the people of the western provinces by
his energy and activity; La Noue joined the Prince of Conde, with
three hundred men. He was heartily welcomed on his arrival at the
Huguenot camp at Saint Denis.
Francois de Laville and Philip Fletcher had thoroughly enjoyed the
expedition. They had often been in the saddle from early morning to
late at night; and had felt the benefit of having each two horses
as, when the party halted for a day or two, they were often sent
out with half their troop to visit distant places--to see friends;
to bring into the camp magistrates, and others, who had been
foremost in stirring up the people to attack the Huguenots; to
enter small towns, throw open prisons and carry off the Huguenots
confined there; and occasionally to hang the leaders of local
massacres. In these cases they were always accompanied by one or
other of the older leaders, in command of the party.
Their spare chargers enabled them to be on horseback every day,
while half the troop rested in turn. Sometimes their halts were
made in small towns and villages, but more often they bivouacked in
the open country; being thus, the Count considered, more watchful
and less apt to be surprised.
On their return from these expeditions, Pierre always had a meal
prepared for them. In addition to the rations of meat and bread,
chicken and eggs, he often contrived to serve up other and daintier
food. His old poaching habits were not forgotten. As soon as the
camp was formed, he would go out and set snares for hares, traps
for birds, and lay lines in the nearest stream; while fish and
game, of some sort, were generally added to the fare.
"Upon my word," the Count, who sometimes rode with them, said one
evening, "this varlet of yours, Master Philip, is an invaluable
fellow; and Conde, himself, cannot be better served than you are. I
have half a mind to take him away from you, and to appoint him
Provider-in-General to our camp. I warrant me he never learned thus
to provide a table, honestly; he must have all the tricks of a
poacher at his fingers' end."
"I fancy, when he was young, he had to shift a good deal for
himself, sir," Philip replied.
"I thought so," La Noue laughed. "I marked him once or twice,
behind your chair at Orleans; and methought, then, that he looked
too grave to be honest; and there was a twinkle in his eye, that
accorded badly with the gravity of his face, and his sober attire.
"Well, there can be no doubt that, in war, a man who has a spice of
the rogue in him makes the best of servants; provided he is but
faithful to his master, and respects his goods, if he does those of
no one else. Your rogue is necessarily a man of resources; and one
of that kind will, on a campaign, make his master comfortable,
where one with an over-scrupulous varlet will well-nigh starve. I
had such a man, when I was with Brissac in Northern Italy; but one
day he went out, and never returned. Whether a provost marshal did
me the ill service of hanging him, or whether he was shot by the
peasants, I never knew; but I missed him sorely, and often went
fasting to bed, when I should have had a good supper had he been
with me.
"It is lucky for you both that you haven't to depend upon that
grim-visaged varlet of Francois'. I have no doubt that the countess
thought she was doing well by my cousin, when she appointed him to
go with him, and I can believe that he would give his life for him;
but for all that, if you had to depend upon him for your meals, you
would fare badly, indeed."
De la Noue was much disappointed, on joining the Prince, at finding
that the latter's force had not swollen to larger dimensions. He
had with him, after the arrival of the force the Count had brought
from the west, but two thousand horse. Of these a large proportion
were gentlemen, attended only by a few personal retainers. A fifth
only were provided with lances, and a large number had no defensive
armour. Of foot soldiers he had about the same number as of horse,
and of these about half were armed with arquebuses, the rest being
pikemen.
The force under the command of the Constable de Montmorency, inside
the walls of Paris, was known to be enormously superior in
strength; and the Huguenots were unable to understand why he did
not come out to give them battle. They knew, however, that Count
Aremberg was on his way from the Netherlands, with seventeen
hundred horse, sent by the Duke of Alva to the support of the
Catholics; and they supposed that Montmorency was waiting for this
reinforcement.
On the 9th of November news arrived that Aremberg was approaching,
and D'Andelot, with five hundred horse and eight hundred of the
best-trained arquebusiers, was despatched to seize Poissy, and so
prevent Aremberg entering Paris.
The next morning the Constable, learning that Conde had weakened
his army by this detachment, marched out from Paris. Seldom have
two European armies met with a greater disparity of numbers; for
while Conde had but fifteen hundred horse and twelve hundred foot,
the Constable marched out with sixteen thousand infantry, of whom
six thousand were Swiss, and three thousand horse. He had eighteen
pieces of artillery, while Conde was without a single cannon.
As soon as this force was seen pouring out from the gates of Paris,
the Huguenot trumpets blew to arms. All wore over their coats or
armour a white scarf, the distinguishing badge of the Huguenots;
and the horsemen were divided into three bodies. De la Noue and his
following formed part of that under the personal command of Conde.
"We longed to be here in time for this battle, Philip," Francois
said; "but I think this is rather more than we bargained for. They
must be nearly ten to one against us. There is one thing: although
the Swiss are good soldiers, the rest of their infantry are for the
most part Parisians, and though these gentry have proved themselves
very valiant in the massacre of unarmed Huguenot men, women, and
children, I have no belief in their valour, when they have to meet
men with swords in their hands. I would, however, that D'Andelot,
with his five hundred horse and eight hundred arquebusiers, all
picked men, were here with us; even if Aremberg, with his seventeen
hundred horse, were ranged under the Constable.
"As it is, I can hardly believe that Conde and the Admiral will
really lead us against that huge mass. I should think that they can
but be going to manoeuvre so as to fall back in good order, and
show a firm face to the enemy. Their footmen would then be of no
use to them and, as I do not think their horse are more than twice
our strength, we might turn upon them when we get them away from
their infantry, and beyond the range of their cannon."
As soon, however, as the troops were fairly beyond the gates of
Saint Denis, the leaders placed themselves at the head of the three
columns and, with a few inspiring words, led them forward. Coligny
was on the right; La Rochefoucauld, Genlis, and other leaders on
the left; and the column commanded by Conde, himself, in the
centre.
Conde, with a number of nobles and gentlemen, rode in front of the
line. Behind them came the men-at-arms with lances, while those
armed only with swords and pistols followed.
Coligny, on the right, was most advanced, and commenced the battle
by charging furiously down upon the enemy's left.
Facing Conde were the great mass of the Catholic infantry but,
without a moment's hesitation, the little band of but five hundred
horse charged right down upon them. Fortunately for them it was the
Parisians, and not the Swiss, upon whom their assault fell. The
force and impetus of their rush was too much for the Parisians, who
broke at the onset, threw away their arms, and fled in a disorderly
mob towards the gates of Paris.
"Never mind those cowards," the Prince shouted, "there is nobler
game!" and, followed by his troop, he rode at the Constable; who,
with a thousand horse, had taken his post behind the infantry.
Before this body of cavalry could advance to meet the Huguenots,
the latter were among them, and a desperate hand-to-hand melee took
place. Gradually the Huguenots won their way into the mass;
although the old Constable, fighting as stoutly as the youngest
soldier, was setting a splendid example to his troops.
Robert Stuart, a Scotch gentleman in Conde's train, fought his way
up to him and demanded his surrender. The Constable's reply was a
blow with the hilt of the sword which nearly struck Stuart from his
horse, knocking out three of his teeth. A moment later the
Constable was struck by a pistol ball, but whether it was fired by
Stuart himself, or one of the gentlemen by his side, was never
known. The Constable fell, but the fight still raged.
The Royalists, recovered from the first shock, were now pressing
their adversaries. Conde's horse was shot by a musket ball and, in
falling, pinned him to the ground so that he was unable to
extricate himself. De la Noue, followed by Francois and Philip, who
were fighting by his side, and other gentlemen, saw his peril and,
rushing forward, drove back Conde's assailants. Two gentlemen,
leaping from their horses, extricated the Prince from his fallen
steed and, after hard fighting, placed him on a horse before one of
them; and the troops, repulsing every attack made on them, fell
slowly back to Saint Denis.
On the right, Coligny had more than held his own against the enemy;
but on the left the Huguenots, encountering Marshal de Montmorency,
the eldest son of the Constable, and suffering heavily from the
arquebus and artillery fire, had been repulsed; and the Catholics
here had gained considerable advantages. The flight of a large
portion of the infantry, and the disorder caused in the cavalry by
the charges of Conde and Coligny, prevented the Marshal from
following up his advantage; and as the Huguenots fell back upon
Saint Denis the Royalists retired into Paris, where the wounded
Constable had already been carried.
Victory was claimed by both sides, but belonged to neither. Each
party had lost about four hundred men, a matter of much greater
consequence to the Huguenots than to the Catholics, the more so as
a large proportion of the slain on their side were gentlemen of
rank. Upon the other hand the loss of the Constable, who died next
day, paralysed for a time the Catholic forces.
A staunch and even bigoted Catholic, and opposed to any terms of
toleration being granted to the Huguenots, he was opposed to the
ambition of the Guises; and was the head of the Royalist party, as
distinguished from that of Lorraine. Catharine, who was the moving
spirit of the court, hesitated to give the power he possessed, as
Constable, into hands that might use it against her; and persuaded
the king to bestow the supreme command of the army upon his
brother, Henri, Duke of Anjou. The divisions in the court, caused
by the death of the Constable and the question of his successor,
prevented any fresh movements of the army; and enabled the Prince
of Conde, after being rejoined by D'Andelot's force, to retire
unmolested three days after the battle; the advanced guard of the
Royalists having been driven back into Paris by D'Andelot on his
return when, in his disappointment at being absent from the battle,
he fell fiercely upon the enemy, and pursued them hotly to the
gates, burning several windmills close under the walls.
On the evening of the battle De la Noue had presented his cousin
and Philip to the Prince, speaking in high terms of the bravery
they displayed in the battle, and they had received Conde's thanks
for the part they had taken in his rescue from the hands of the
Catholics. The Count himself had praised them highly, but had
gently chided Francois for the rashness he had shown.
"It is well to be brave, Francois, but that is not enough. A man
who is brave without being prudent may, with fortune, escape as you
have done from a battle without serious wounds; but he cannot hope
for such fortune many times, and his life would be a very short
one. Several times today you were some lengths ahead of me in the
melee; and once or twice I thought you lost, for I was too closely
pressed, myself, to render you assistance. It was the confusion,
alone, that saved you.
"Your life is a valuable one. You are the head of an old family,
and have no right to throw your life away. Nothing could have been
more gallant than your behaviour, Francois; but you must learn to
temper bravery by prudence.
"Your cousin showed his English blood and breeding. When we charged
he was half a length behind me, and at that distance he remained
through the fight; except when I was very hotly pressed, when he at
once closed up beside me. More than once I glanced round at him,
and he was fighting with the coolness of a veteran. It was he who
called my attention to Conde's fall which, in the melee, might have
passed unnoticed by me until it was too late to save him. He kept
his pistols in his holsters throughout the fray; and it was only
when they pressed us so hotly, as we were carrying off the Prince,
that he used them; and, as I observed, with effect. I doubt if
there was a pistol save his undischarged, at that time. They were a
reserve that he maintained for the crisis of the fight.
"Master Philip, I trust that you will have but small opportunity
for winning distinction in this wretched struggle; but were it to
last, which heaven forbid, I should say that you would make a name
for yourself; as assuredly will my cousin Francois, if he were to
temper his enthusiasm with coolness."
The evening before the Huguenots retired from Saint Denis, the
Count sent for Francois and his cousin.
"As you will have heard," he said, "we retire tomorrow morning. We
have done all, and more than all, that could have been expected
from such a force. We have kept Paris shut up for ten weeks, and
have maintained our position in face of a force, commanded by the
Constable of France, of well-nigh tenfold our strength.
"We are now going to march east, to effect a junction with a force
under Duke Casimir. He is to bring us over six thousand horse,
three thousand foot, and four cannon. The march will be toilsome;
but the Admiral's skill will, I doubt not, enable us to elude the
force with which the enemy will try to bar our way.
"The Admiral is sending off the Sieur D'Arblay, whom you both know,
to the south of France, in order that he may explain to our friends
there the reason for our movement to the east; for otherwise the
news, that we have broken up from before Paris, may cause great
discouragement. I have proposed to him that you should both
accompany him. You have frequently ridden under his orders, during
our expedition to the west, and he knows your qualities.
"He has gladly consented to receive you as his companions. It will
be pleasant for him to have two gentlemen with him. He takes with
him his own following, of eight men; six of his band fell in the
battle. The Admiral is of opinion that this is somewhat too small a
force for safety; but if you each take the four men-at-arms who
ride behind you, it will double his force. Two of yours fell in the
fight, I believe, Francois."
"I have taken two others from the troop to fill their places."
"Your men all came out of it, Philip, did they not?"
"Yes, sir. They were all wounded, but none of them seriously, and
are all fit to ride."
"You will understand, Francois, that in separating you from myself
I am doing so for your sakes, alone. It will be the Admiral's
policy to avoid fighting. Winter is close upon us, and the work
will be hard and toilsome; and doubtless, ere we effect a junction
with the Germans, very many will succumb to cold and hardship. You
are not as yet inured to this work, and I would rather not run the
risk of your careers ending from such causes.
"If I thought there was a prospect of fighting I should keep you
with me but, being as it is, I think it better you should accompany
the Sieur D'Arblay. The mission is a dangerous one, and will demand
activity, energy, and courage, all of which you possess; but in the
south you will have neither cold nor famine to contend with, and
far greater opportunities, maybe, of gaining credit than you would
in an army like this where, as they have proved to the enemy, every
man is brave.
"Another reason, I may own, is that in this case I consider your
youth to be an advantage. We could hardly have sent one gentleman
on such a mission, alone; and with two of equal rank and age, each
with eight followers, difficulties and dissensions might have
arisen; while you would both be content to accept the orders of the
Sieur D'Arblay without discussion, and to look up to him as the
leader of your party."
Although they would rather have remained with the army, the lads at
once thanked the Count; and stated their willingness to accompany
the Sieur D'Arblay, whom they both knew and liked--being, like De
la Noue, cheerful and of good spirits; not deeming it necessary to
maintain at all times a stern and grave aspect, or a ruggedness of
manner, as well as sombre garments.
De la Noue at once took them across to D'Arblay's tent.
"My cousin and his kinsman will gladly ride with you, and place
themselves under your orders, D'Arblay. I can warmly commend them
to you. Though they are young I can guarantee that you will find
them, if it comes to blows, as useful as most men ten years their
senior; and on any mission that you may intrust to them, I think
that you can rely upon their discretion; but of that you will judge
for yourself, when you know somewhat more of them. They will take
with them eight men-at-arms, all of whom will be stout fellows; so
that, with your own men, you can traverse the country without fear
of any party you are likely to fall in with."
"I shall be glad to have your cousin and his kinsman with me,"
D'Arblay said courteously. "Between you and I, De la Noue, I would
infinitely rather have two bright young fellows of spirit than one
of our tough old warriors, who deem it sinful to smile, and have
got a text handy for every occasion. It is not a very bright world
for us, at present; and I see not the use of making it sadder, by
always wearing a gloomy countenance."
The next morning the party started, and rode south. Avoiding the
places held by the Catholics, they visited many of the chateaux of
Huguenot gentlemen, to whom D'Arblay communicated the instructions
he had received, from the Admiral, as to the assemblage of troops,
and the necessity for raising such a force as would compel the
Royalists to keep a considerable army in the south, and so lessen
the number who would gather to oppose his march eastward.
After stopping for a short time in Navarre, and communicating with
some of the principal leaders in that little kingdom, they turned
eastward. They were now passing through a part of the country where
party spirit was extremely bitter, and were obliged to use some
caution, as they were charged to communicate with men who were
secretly well affected to the cause; but who, living within reach
of the bigoted parliament of Toulouse, dared not openly avow their
faith.
Toulouse had, from the time the troubles first began, distinguished
itself for the ferocity with which it had persecuted the Huguenots;
yielding obedience to the various royal edicts of toleration most
reluctantly, and sometimes openly disobeying them. Thus, for many
miles round the city, those of the Reformed faith lived in
continual dread; conducting their worship with extreme secrecy,
when some pastor in disguise visited the neighbourhood, and
outwardly conforming to the rites of the Catholic church. Many,
however, only needed the approach of a Huguenot army to throw off
the mask and take up arms; and it was with these that D'Arblay was
specially charged to communicate. Great caution was needed in doing
this, as the visit of a party of Huguenots would, if denounced,
have called down upon them the vengeance of the parliament; who
were animated not only by hatred of the Huguenots, but by the
desire of enriching themselves by the confiscation of the estates
and goods of those they persecuted.
The visits, consequently, were generally made after nightfall; the
men-at-arms being left a mile or two away. D'Arblay found
everywhere a fierce desire to join in the struggle, restrained only
by the fear of the consequences to wives and families, during
absence.
"Send an army capable of besieging and capturing Toulouse, and
there is not one of us who will not rise and give his blood for the
cause, putting into the field every man he can raise, and spending
his last crown; but unless such a force approaches, we dare not
move. We know that we are strictly watched and that, on the
smallest pretext, we and our families would be dragged to prison.
Tell the Admiral that our hearts and our prayers are with him, and
that nothing in the world would please us so much as to be fighting
under his banner; but until there is a hope of capturing Toulouse,
we dare not move."
Such was the answer at every castle, chateau, and farmhouse where
they called. Many of the Huguenots contributed not only the money
they had in their houses, but their plate and jewels; for money
was, above all things, needed to fulfil the engagements the Admiral
had made with the German mercenaries who were on their march to
join him.
Sometimes Philip and Francois both accompanied their leader on his
visits. Sometimes they went separately, for they were always able
to obtain, from the leading men, the names of neighbours who were
favourable to the cause. In the way of money they succeeded beyond
their expectations for, as the gentlemen in the district had not,
like those where the parties were more equally divided,
impoverished themselves by placing their retainers in the field,
they were able to contribute comparatively large sums to the cause
they had at heart.