Alphonse Daudet - "The Nabob, Volume 1 (of 2)"

Amy Brooks - "Princess Polly's Playmates"

Albert Mathiez - "Les grandes journees de la Constituante"

Stephen Leacock - "Winsome Winnie and other New Nonsense Novels"

Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

Saint Bartholomew\'s Eve

G >> G. A. Henty >> Saint Bartholomew\'s Eve




"There is the beacon alight at the hut, count," the lookout said.

"Light this bonfire then, Jules, and keep the alarm bell going.

"To horse, men!" he cried, looking over the parapet. "Bring out our
horses with your own."

The men had been previously told off in twos and threes to the
various farmhouses, to aid in driving in the cattle and, as soon as
they were mounted, each party dashed off to its destination. From
the watchtower four or five fires could be seen blazing in the
distance, showing that the lookouts had everywhere been vigilant,
and that the news had already been carried far and wide.

Francois and Philip rode up to the hut on the hill.

"There is no mistake, I hope," Francois said as, a quarter of a
mile before they reached it, they met the three men-at-arms coming
down.

"No, count, it was exactly in a line with the two stakes and, I
should think, about the distance away that you told us the tower
was. It has died down now."

The beacon fire near the hut had been placed fifty yards below the
crest of the hill, so that its flame should not be seen from the
other side. This had been at Philip's suggestion.

"If it is put where they can see it," he said, "they will feel sure
that it is in answer to that fire behind them, and will ride at
full speed, so as to get here before the news spreads. If they see
no answering fire, they may suppose that the first was but an
accident. They may even halt at the village, and send off some men
to see what has caused the fire; or if they ride straight through,
they will be at some little distance before Simon has got to the
fire and lighted it, and may not care to waste time sending back.
At any rate, it is better that they should see no flame up here."

They had often talked the matter over, and had agreed that, even if
the column was composed only of cavalry, it would be from an hour
and a half to two hours before it arrived at the chateau, as it
would doubtless have performed a long journey; while if there were
infantry with them, they would take double that time.

Directly an alarm had been given, two of the youngest and most
active of the men-at-arms had set off, to take post at the point
where the road crossed the hill. Their orders were to lie still
till all had passed, and then to make their way back along the
hill, at full speed, to inform the garrison of the strength and
composition of the attacking force.

When they returned to the chateau, people were already pouring in
from the neighbouring farms; the women staggering under heavy
burdens, and the men driving their cattle before them, or leading
strings of horses. The seneschal and the retainers were at work,
trying to keep some sort of order; directing the men to drive the
cattle into the countess's garden, and the women to put down their
belongings in the courtyard, where they would be out of the way;
while the countess saw that her maids spread rushes, thickly, along
by the walls of the rooms that were to be given up to the use of
the women and children.

Cressets had been lighted in the courtyard, but the bonfire was now
extinguished so that the enemy, on reaching the top of the hill,
should see nothing to lead them to suppose that their coming was
known. The alarm bell had ceased sending its loud summons into the
air; but there was still a variety of noises that were almost
deafening: the lowing of cattle, disturbed and angered at the
unaccustomed movement; mingled with the shouts of men, the barking
of dogs, and the crying of frightened children.

"I will aid the seneschal in getting things into order down here,
Francois," Philip said, "while you see to the defence of the walls,
posting the men, and getting everything in readiness to give them a
reception. I will look after the postern doors, and see that the
planks across the moats are removed, and the bolts and bars in
place."

Francois nodded and, bidding the men-at-arms, who had already
returned, stable their horses and follow him, he proceeded to the
walls.

"This is enough to make one weep," Pierre said, as the oxen poured
into the courtyard, and then through the archway that led to the
countess's garden.

"What is enough, Pierre? To see all these poor women and children,
who are likely to behold their homesteads in flames, before many
hours?"

"Well, I did not mean that, master; though I don't say that is not
sad enough, in its way; but that is the fortune of war, as it were.
I meant the countess's garden being destroyed. The beasts will
trample down all the shrubs and, in a week, it will be no better
than a farmyard."

Philip laughed.

"That is of very little consequence, Pierre. A week's work, with
plenty of hands, will set that right again. Still, no doubt it will
vex the countess, who is very fond of her garden."

"A week!" Pierre said. "Why, sir, it will take years and years
before those yew hedges grow again."

"Ah well, Pierre, if the countess keeps a roof over her head she
may be well content, in these stormy times. You had better go and
see if she and her maids have got those chambers ready for the
women. If they have, get them all in as quickly as you can. These
beasts come into the courtyard with such a rush that some of the
people will be trampled upon, if we do not get them out of the
way."

"Most of them have gone into the hall, sir. The countess gave
orders that all were to go in as they came; but I suppose the
servants have been too busy to tell the latecomers. I will get the
rest in, at once."

As soon as the farmers and their men had driven the animals into
the garden, they went up to the walls, all having brought their
arms in with them. The boys were left below, to look after the
cattle.

"Nothing can be done tonight," Philip said to some of the men. "The
cattle will come to no harm and, as the boys cannot keep them from
breaking down the shrubs, they had best leave them alone, or they
will run the risk of getting hurt. The boys will do more good by
taking charge of the more valuable horses, as they come in, and
fastening them up to the rings round the wall here. The cart horses
must go in with the cattle."

Several gentlemen, with their wives and families, came in among the
fugitives. Their houses were not in a condition to withstand a
siege, and it had long been settled that they should come into the
chateau, if danger threatened. The ladies were taken to the
countess's apartments, while the gentlemen went to aid Francois in
the defence.

An hour and a half after the lads returned to the castle, the
men-at-arms who had been sent to watch the road came in. They
reported that the column approaching consisted of about three
hundred mounted men, and fifteen hundred infantry.

Roger had, all this time, been standing by the side of his saddled
horse. Philip hurried to him, as soon as the men came in.

"Three hundred horsemen and fifteen hundred foot! Ride at full
speed to La Rochelle. Tell the Admiral the numbers, and request
him, in the name of the countess, to come to her assistance. Beg
him to use all speed, for no doubt they will attack hotly, knowing
that aid will soon be forthcoming to us."

Roger leapt to his saddle, and galloped out through the gate. A man
had been placed there to mark off the names of all who entered,
from the list that had been furnished him. Philip took it, and saw
that a cross had been placed against every name. He therefore went
up to the top of the wall.

"The tenants are all in, Francois!"

"Very well, then, I will have the drawbridge raised and the gates
closed. I am glad, indeed, that we have had time given us for them
all to enter. My mother would have been very grieved, if harm had
come to any of them.

"I have everything in readiness, here. I have posted men at every
window and loophole, where the house rises from the side of the
moat. All the rest are on the walls. I will take command here by
the gate and along the wall. Do you take charge of the defence of
the house, itself. However, you may as well stay here with me,
until we have had our first talk with them. Pass the word along the
walls for perfect silence."

In another half hour they heard a dull sound. Presently it became
louder, and they could distinguish, above the trampling of horses,
the clash of steel. It came nearer and nearer, until within two or
three hundred yards of the chateau, then it ceased. Presently a
figure could be made out, creeping quietly forward until it reached
the edge of the moat. It paused a moment, and then retired.

"He has been sent to find out whether the drawbridge is down,"
Francois whispered to Philip. "We shall see what they will do now."

There was a pause for ten minutes, then a heavy mass of men could
be seen approaching.

"Doubtless they will have planks with them, to push across the
moat," Philip said.

"We will let them come within twenty yards," Francois replied,
"then I think we shall astonish them."

Believing that all in the chateau were asleep, and that even the
precaution of keeping a watchman on the walls had been neglected,
the assailants advanced eagerly. Suddenly, the silence on the walls
was broken by a voice shouting, "Give fire!" And then, from along
the whole face of the battlements, deadly fire from arquebuses was
poured into them. A moment later half a dozen fireballs were flung
into the column, and a rain of crossbow bolts followed.

Shouts of astonishment, rage, and pain broke from the mass and,
breaking up, they recoiled in confusion; while the shouts of the
officers, urging them forward, could be heard. The heavy fire from
the walls was, however, too much for men who had expected no
resistance, but had moved forward believing that they had but to
sack and plunder; and in two or three minutes from the first shot
being fired, all who were able to do so had retired; though a
number of dark figures, dotting the ground, showed how deadly had
been the fire of the besieged.

"They will do nothing more tonight, I fancy," one of the Huguenot
gentlemen standing by the two friends remarked. "They expected to
take you entirely by surprise. Now that they have failed in doing
so, they will wait until morning to reconnoitre, and decide on the
best points of attack. Besides, no doubt they have marched far, and
are in need of rest before renewing the assault."

"Well, gentlemen," Francois said, "it would be needless for you all
to remain here; and when they once begin in earnest, there will be
but slight opportunity of rest until relief reaches us. Therefore,
I beg you to go below. You will find a table laid in the hall, and
two chambers roughly prepared for you; and you can get a few hours'
sleep.

"I myself, with my own men, will keep watch. Should they muster for
another attack, my horn will summon you again to the wall.

"Philip, will you go down and see that these gentlemen have all
that they require? You can dismiss all save our own men from guard,
on the other side of the house. The tenants and their men will all
sleep in the hall."

Philip went down, and presided at the long table. The gentlemen
were seated near him while, below them, the tenants and other
followers took their places. There was enough cold meat, game, and
pies for all; and when they had finished, the defenders of the wall
came down, half at a time, for a meal.

When the gentlemen had retired to their apartments, and the farmers
and their men had thrown themselves down upon the rushes strewn on
each side of the hall, Philip went up to join Francois.

"Any sign of them, Francois?"

"None at all. I expect they are thoroughly tired out, and are lying
down just as they halted. There is no fear that we shall hear any
more of them, tonight."



Chapter 14: The Assault On The Chateau.


The night passed quietly. Just as the sun rose a trumpet sounded,
calling for a truce; and two knights in armour rode forward,
followed by an esquire carrying a white flag. They halted thirty or
forty yards from the gate; and the countess herself came up on to
the wall, when the knight raised his vizor.

"Countess Amelie de Laville, I summon you, in the name of his
majesty the king, to surrender. I have with me an ample force to
overcome all resistance; but his gracious majesty, in his clemency,
has empowered me to offer to all within the walls their lives; save
only that you and your son shall accompany me to Paris, there to be
dealt with according to the law, under the accusation of having
taken up arms against his most sacred majesty."

"Methinks, sir," the countess said, in a loud clear voice, "that it
would have been better had you delayed until this morning, instead
of attempting, like a band of midnight thieves, to break into my
chateau. I fancy we should have heard but little of his majesty's
clemency, had you succeeded in your attempt. I am in arms, not
against the king, but against his evil counsellors; the men who
persuade him to break his pledged word, and to treat his
unoffending subjects as if they were the worst of malefactors.
Assuredly their royal highnesses, the Princes of Conde and Navarre,
have no thought of opposing his majesty; but desire, above all
things, that he should be able to act without pressure from
Lorraine or Guise, from pope or King of Spain; and when they lay
down their arms, I shall be glad to do so. Did I know that the king
himself, of his own mind, had sent you here to summons me, I would
willingly accompany you to Paris, to clear myself from any charges
brought against me; but as your base attempt, without summons or
demand, to break into my chateau last night shows that you can have
no authority from his majesty to enter here, I refuse to open my
gates; and shall defend this place until the last, against all who
may attack it."

The knights rode away. They had, after the rough reception on their
arrival, perceived that the countess was determined to defend the
chateau, and had only summoned her to surrender as a matter of
form.

"I would we had never entered upon this expedition, De Brissac.
They told us that the house was but poorly fortified, and we
thought we should assuredly carry it last night by surprise; and
that by taking this obstinate dame prisoner, burning her chateau,
and sweeping all the country round, we should give a much needed
lesson to the Huguenots of the district. One could not have
expected to find the place crowded with men, and everyone ready
with lighted matches and drawn crossbows to receive us. I believe
now that that fire we saw, two or three miles in our rear as we
came along, was a signal; but even if it were, one would not have
given them credit for gathering so promptly to withstand us.

"As for the place itself, it is, as we heard, of no great strength.
'Tis but a modern house, inclosed on three sides with a wall some
twenty feet high, and surrounded by a moat of the same width. With
our force we should carry it in half an hour. We know that the
garrison consists of only fifty men, besides a score or so of
grooms and servants."

"So we heard; but I am mistaken if there were not more than double
that number engaged on the wall. Still, as you say, there will be
no great difficulty in carrying the place. The ladders will be
ready in a couple of hours, and De Beauvoir will bring in, from the
farmhouses, plenty of planks and beams for throwing bridges across
the moat. It is two hours since he set out with the horsemen, so as
to catch the Huguenot farmers asleep."

As they returned to the spot where the men were engaged in cooking
their breakfast, while some were occupied in constructing ladders
from young trees that had been felled for the purpose, a gentleman
rode in.

"What is your news, De Villette?"

"The news is bad. De Beauvoir asked me to ride in to tell you that
we find the farmhouses completely deserted, and the whole of the
cattle and horses have disappeared, as well as the inhabitants.
Save for some pigs and poultry, we have not seen a living thing."

"Sapristie! The Huguenot dogs must have slept with one eye open.
Either they heard the firing last night, and at once made off; or
they must have learned we were coming, and must have gathered in
the chateau. Their measures must have been indeed well planned and
carried out, for them all to have got the alarm in time to gather
here before our arrival.

"I hope that is what they have done, for we reckoned upon carrying
off at least a thousand head of cattle, for the use of the army. It
was for that, as much as to capture the countess and strike a blow
at this hive of Huguenots, that the expedition was arranged.
However, if they are all in there, it will save us the trouble of
driving them in."

"In that case though, De Brissac, the fifty men will have been
reinforced by as many more, at least."

"Ay, maybe by a hundred and fifty, with the farmers and all their
hands; but what are a hundred and fifty rustics and fifty
men-at-arms, against our force?"

De Brissac had guessed pretty accurately the number of fighting men
that could be mustered among the tenants of the countess. The
training that they had undergone had, however, made them more
formidable opponents than he supposed; and each man was animated by
hatred of their persecutors, and a stern determination to fight
until the last, in defence of their lives and freedom of worship.
They had been mustered at the first dawn of day in the courtyard,
their arms inspected, and all deficiencies made up from the
armoury.

Fifty men were placed under Philip's orders, for the defence of
that portion of the house that rose directly from the edge of the
moat. The lower windows were small and strongly barred, and there
was little fear of an entrance being forced. The postern gate here
had, during the night, been strengthened with stones; and articles
of heavy furniture piled against it. A few men were placed at the
lower windows; the main body on the first floor, where the
casements were large; and the rest distributed at the upper
windows, to vex the enemy by their fire, as they approached.

Philip appointed Eustace to take the command of the men at the
lower windows; and Roger of those on the upper floor; he, with
Jacques, posting himself on the first floor, against which the
enemy would attempt to fix their ladders. Great fires were lighted
in all the rooms, and cauldrons of water placed over them; and boys
with pails stood by these, in readiness to bring boiling water to
the windows, when required.

The walls round the courtyard and garden were not of sufficient
thickness for fires to be lighted, along the narrow path on which
the defenders were posted; but fires were lighted in the courtyard,
and boiling water prepared there, in readiness to carry up when the
assault began. The Huguenot gentlemen were placed in command, at
the various points along the wall most likely to be assailed.

Had the besiegers been provided with cannon, the defence could not
have lasted long, for the walls would not have resisted battering
by shot; but cannon, in those times, were rare, and were too clumsy
and heavy to accompany an expedition requiring to move with speed.
For a time, the men-at-arms alone garrisoned the wall; the farmers
and their men being occupied in pumping water from the wells and
carrying it to the cattle, of which some eight hundred had been
driven in. The granaries were opened, and a plentiful supply of
food placed in large troughs.

At ten o'clock a trumpet called all the defenders to their posts.
The enemy were drawn up in order, and moved towards the house in
six columns; two taking their way towards the rear, to attack the
house on that side, while the others advanced toward different
points on the wall.

Ladders and long planks were carried at the head of each column. As
they approached the assailants halted, and the arquebusiers came
forward and took their post in line, to cover by their fire the
advance of the storming parties.

As soon as these advanced, a heavy fire was opened by the besieged
with crossbow and arquebus. The parapet was high and, while they
exposed only their heads to fire, and were altogether sheltered
while loading, the assailants were completely exposed. Orders were
given that the defenders should entirely disregard the fire of the
matchlock men, and should direct their aim upon the storming
parties. These suffered heavily but, urged forward by their
officers, they gained the edge of the moat, pushed the planks
across, and placed the ladders; but as fast as these were put into
position, they were hurled down again by the defenders who, with
long forked sticks, thrust them out from the wall and hurled them
backwards; sometimes allowing them to remain until a line of men
had climbed up, and then pouring a pail of boiling water over the
wall upon them.

The farmers vied with the men-at-arms in the steadiness of the
defence, being furious at the sight of columns of smoke which rose
in many directions, showing that the cavalry of the besiegers were
occupied in destroying their homesteads. Sometimes, when four or
five ladders were planted together, the assailants managed to climb
up to the level of the parapet; but only to be thrust backward with
pikes, and cut down with swords and axes. For two hours the assault
continued, and then De Brissac, seeing how heavy was the loss, and
how vain the efforts to scale the wall at any point, ordered the
trumpeters to sound the retreat; when the besiegers drew off,
galled by the fire of the defenders until they were out of range.

The attempts of the two columns which had attacked the house,
itself, were attended with no greater success than those of their
fellows; their efforts to gain a footing in any of the rooms on the
first floor having been defeated, with heavy loss.

The leaders of the assailants held a consultation, after their
troops had drawn off.

"It is of no use," De Brissac said, "to repeat the attack on the
walls. They are too stoutly defended. It is out of the question for
us to think of returning to Poitiers. We undertook to capture the
place, to harry the farms, to destroy all the Huguenots, and to
return driving in all the cattle for the use of the army. Of all
this we have only so far burned the farmhouses, and we have lost
something like a couple of hundred men.

"This time, we must try by fire. The men must gather bundles of
firewood, and must attack in three columns; the principal against
the great gate, the others against the two posterns; the one at the
back of the house itself, the other nearest the angle where the
wall joins it. If we had time to construct machines for battering
the walls, it would be an easy business; but that is out of the
question. In a couple of days, at the latest, we shall have them
coming out like a swarm of hornets from La Rochelle. It is not
likely, when they had all their measures so well prepared, that
they omitted to send off word at once to Coligny; and by tomorrow,
at noon, we may have Conde and the Admiral upon us. Therefore we
must make an end of this, by nightfall.

"Have you any better plans to suggest, gentlemen?"

There was no reply. Several of those present had been wounded, more
or less severely; and some terribly bruised, by being hurled back
from the ladders as they led the troops to the assault. Five or six
of the young nobles, who had joined what they regarded as an
expedition likely to meet with but slight resistance, had been
killed; and all regretted that they had embarked upon an affair
that could bring them but small credit, while they were unprovided
with the necessary means for attacking a place so stoutly defended.

De Brissac at once issued orders, and strong parties of soldiers
scattered and proceeded to cut down fences and bushes, and to form
large faggots. Their movements were observed by the men placed on
the summit of the tower, and no doubt was entertained of the
intentions of the enemy.

"What do you think we had better do, Philip?" Francois asked, as
they stood together at the top of the tower, watching the Catholics
at work. "We may shoot a number of them but, if they are
determined, they will certainly be able to lay their faggots; and
in that case we shall be open to attack at three points, and likely
enough they will at the same time renew their attack on the walls."

"That is the most dangerous part of it," Philip said. "We ought to
have no difficulty in holding the three entrances. The posterns are
narrow, and forty men at each should be able to keep back a host;
and this would leave you a hundred and twenty to hold the main
gates. But if we have to man the walls, too, the matter would be
serious.

"If we had time, we might pull down one of the outbuildings and
build a thick wall behind the gates; but in an hour they will be
attacking us again."

He stood thinking for a minute or two, and then exclaimed:

"I have it, Francois. Let us at once kill a number of the cattle,
and pile their carcasses up, two deep, against the gates. They may
burn them down if they like, then, but they can do nothing against
that pile of flesh; the weight of the carcasses will keep them in a
solid mass. At any rate, we might do that at the two posterns. The
great gates are, perhaps, too wide and lofty; but if we formed a
barricade inside them of, say, three bodies high, a hundred men
ought to be able to defend it; and that will leave a hundred for
the walls and house."

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