forgiveness for his disobedience. Meantime the garrison was daily
growing weaker. Coligny sent out of the city all useless consumers,
quartered all the women in the cathedral and other churches, where they
were locked in, lest their terror and their tears should weaken the
courage of the garrison; and did all in his power to strengthen the
defences of the city, and sustain the resolution of the inhabitants.
Affairs were growing desperate. It seemed plain that the important city
must soon fall, and with it most probably Paris. One of the suburbs was
already in the hands of the enemy. At last Coligny discovered a route by
which he believed it to be still possible to introduce reinforcements.
He communicated the results of his observations to the Constable.
Upon one side of the city the lake, or morass, was traversed by a few
difficult and narrow pathways, mostly under water, and by a running
stream which could only be passed in boats. The Constable,
in consequence of this information received from Coligny, set out from La
Fere upon the 8th of August, with four thousand infantry and two thousand
horse. Halting his troops at the village of Essigny, he advanced in
person to the edge of the morass, in order to reconnoitre the ground and
prepare his plans. The result was a determination to attempt the
introduction of men and supplies into the town by the mode suggested.
Leaving his troops drawn up in battle array, he returned to La Fere for
the remainder of his army, and to complete his preparations. Coligny in
the mean time was to provide boats for crossing the stream. Upon the
10th August, which was the festival of St. Laurence, the Constable
advanced with four pieces of heavy artillery, four culverines, and four
lighter pieces, and arrived at nine o'clock in the morning near the
Faubourg d'Isle, which was already in possession of the Spanish troops.
The whole army of the Constable consisted of twelve thousand German, with
fifteen companies of French infantry; making in all some sixteen thousand
foot, with five thousand cavalry in addition. The Duke of Savoy's army