which they wrote to the King of France, beseeching
him, by the love of God, that he would never liberate them of
their fidelity, nor separate them from his government and
place them in the hands of strangers; for they would prefer
being taxed every year one-half of what they were worth,
rather than be in the hands of the English." (Froissard, i. c.
214, Johnes's Trans.) When compelled to yield, it was with the
words: "We will honor and obey the English, but our hearts
shall never change." Edward the Third had solemnly confirmed
their privileges (Callot, 8).

But La Rochelle's unwilling subjection to the English crown
was of brief duration. By a plot, somewhat clumsily contrived,
but happily executed (Aug., 1372), the commander of the
garrison, who did not know how to read, was induced to lead
his troops outside of the castle wall for a review. The royal
order that had been shown him was no forgery, but had been
sent on a previous occasion, and the attesting seal was
genuine. At a preconcerted signal, two hundred Rochellois rose
from ambush, and cut off the return of the English. The
latter, finding their antagonists reinforced by two thousand
armed citizens under the lead of the mayor himself, soon came
to terms, and, withdrawing the few men they had left behind in
the castle, accepted the offer of safe transportation by a
ship to Bordeaux. (See the entertaining account in Froissard,
i. c. 311.) The wary Rochellois took good care, before even
admitting into their city Duguesclin, Constable of France,
with a paltry escort of two hundred men-at-arms, to stipulate
that pardon should be extended to those who immediately after
the departure of the English had razed the hateful castle to
the ground, and that no other should ever be erected; that La
Rochelle and the country dependent upon it should henceforth
form a particular domain under the immediate jurisdiction of
the king and his parliament of Paris; that its militia should
be employed only for the defence of the place; and that La
Rochelle should retain its mint and the right to coin both
"black and white money." (Froissard, _ubi supra_, corrected by
Arcere, i. 260.) Not only did the grateful monarch readily
make these concessions, and confirm all La Rochelle's past
privileges, but