nt was restored to its former state of efficiency. The
reason why he had sent the regiment back from the Rhine was explained by
Turenne to Hector before he started.

"The orders from court were," he said, "that I was to retain only the
Weimar regiments, and I should have been obliged to send you back with
those of Enghien had I not represented to him that it might be of the
greatest importance to me to have even one good French regiment within
call. We talked it over at some length, and he finally agreed to take
upon himself the responsibility of ordering that your regiment should
not go beyond Nancy, upon the ground that there were very few troops in
Lorraine; and that peasant risings had taken place there, as in other
departments, owing to the terrible distress caused by heavy taxation. He
has handed to me a paper authorizing you to take such steps as you may
think fit, as soon as you receive news of such risings, to aid the civil
authorities, if they should take place at any point within reasonable
reach. The regiments stationed at Metz will naturally maintain order
north of Pont-a-Mousson, while you will send detachments to points south
and east of Nancy. You will understand that you are not to move troops
on the strength of mere rumours, but only when requests for aid are sent
by local authorities."

Indeed, during the winter of 1644-45, as in that preceding it, troubles
broke out in many parts of France, and in some the risings of
"the barefooted ones," as they were called, became for a time very
formidable. The rage of the unhappy peasantry was principally directed,
as during the Jacquerie, against the nobles, and any chateaux were
sacked and burned, all within killed, and terrible excesses committed.

In February serious outbreaks took place. A messenger arrived at Nancy
with an urgent appeal for help, and Hector took four companies and
marched with all speed to the disturbed district. As soon as he reached
it he broke up his force, despatching each company in a different
direction, his instructions being that any body of armed peasants
they might meet were to be dispersed, but, once beaten, were not to
be pursued and cut up, and that life was not to be unnecessarily
sacrificed. He himself, with one company, marched towards Poissons. He
was within a mile of the town when a mounted man, bleeding from several
wounds, rode up.

"The chateau of Blenfoix has been attacked by two hundred peasants,"
he said. "My la