The Seige of La Rochelle

           TheSiegeofLaRochellewasoneofthegreatpoliticaleventsofthereignofLouisXIII,andoneofthegreatmilitaryenterprisesofthecardinal.Itis,then,interestingandevennecessarythatweshouldsayafewwordsaboutit,particularlyasmanydetailsofthissiegeareconnectedintooimportantamannerwiththestorywehaveundertakentorelatetoallowustopassitoverinsilence.

           Thepoliticalplansofthecardinalwhenheundertookthissiegewereextensive.Letusunfoldthemfirst,andthenpassontotheprivateplanswhichperhapshadnotlessinfluenceuponhisEminencethantheothers.

           OftheimportantcitiesgivenupbyHenryIVtotheHuguenotsasplacesofsafety,thereonlyremainedLaRochelle.Itbecamenecessary,therefore,todestroythislastbulwarkofCalvinismadangerousleavenwithwhichthefermentsofcivilrevoltandforeignwarwereconstantlymingling.

           Spaniards,Englishmen,andItalianmalcontents,adventurersofallnations,andsoldiersoffortuneofeverysect,flockedatthefirstsummonsunderthestandardoftheProtestants,andorganizedthemselveslikeavastassociation,whosebranchesdivergedfreelyoverallpartsofEurope.

           LaRochelle,whichhadderivedanewimportancefromtheruinoftheotherCalvinistcities,was,then,thefocusofdissensionsandambition.Moreover,itsportwasthelastinthekingdomofFranceopentotheEnglish,andbyclosingitagainstEngland,oureternalenemy,thecardinalcompletedtheworkofJoanofArcandtheDucdeGuise.

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