acific inclination he would restrain the excesses of the
mob and hasten the return of peace.[1272]

[Sidenote: Marshal Biron appears before La Rochelle.]

[Sidenote: Beginning of the fourth religious war.]

And now the siege, which the court had long hesitated to undertake, began
in earnest. On the fourth of December, Marshal Biron approached La
Rochelle with seven ensigns of horse and eighteen companies of foot, and
two larger cannon.[1273] Meantime the most strenuous efforts were put
forth to collect an adequate besieging force. When milder measures failed
to secure prompt obedience, recourse was had to threats, and the nobles
were summoned on pain, in case of disobedience, of losing their
privileges, and being reduced to the rank of "roturiers." The menace had
its effect, and in the month of January, 1573, the force under Biron had
swollen to sixty companies of foot, with not less than thirty-seven large
cannon--a considerable provision of artillery for that period.[1274]

[Sidenote: Description of La Rochelle.]

The city of La Rochelle occupies the head of a deep bay, stretching in a
north-easterly direction from the ocean, and serving at present as the
large and convenient harbor for its extensive commerce. The old town,
whose origin is lost in the mists of antiquity, covered only a small part
of the area since inclosed by walls. A narrow peninsula, protected on the
one side by a sheet of water and on the other by marshes, offered a
tempting site, and was first occupied. The larger inlet on the west was
the old, and probably for a long time the only haven; but long before the
middle of the sixteenth century the action of the tide, which washes in
great quantities of sand, combining with the gradual deposit of alluvium
made by the neighboring springs, had converted this inlet into a
marsh--"les Marais Salans"--intersected by ditches and used only in the
manufacture of salt. The marsh itself has since been entirely reclaimed.
The "new" harbor, as the smaller inlet was still called, at the period of
which I am speaking, was of much inferior capacity, and was included
within the circuit of the walls.[1275] A chain, extended between the two
towers guarding its narrow entrance, effectually precluded the passage of
hostile vessels.

For considerably more than one-half of their circuit, the walls of La
Rochelle were inaccessible to the land forces; and the deep foss skirting
them was full of water, except on the north