ir hair in the dust, beat their breasts and
rend their faces, calling on St. Germain: "Blessed St. Germain,
succour thy servants." The fighters on the walls take up the cry;
Bishop Gozlin invokes the Virgin, Mother of the Redeemer, Star of the
Sea, bright above all other stars, to save them from the cruel Danes.

[Illustration: ST GERMAIN L'AUXERROIS.]

On February 6th, 886, a sudden flood sweeps away the Petit Pont, and
its tower, with twelve defenders, is isolated. With shouts of triumph
the Northmen cross the river and surround it. The twelve refuse to
yield, and fire is brought. The warriors (a touching detail) fearing
lest their falcons be stifled, cut them loose. There is but one vessel
wherewith to quench the flames and that soon drops from their hands;
the little band rush forth; they set their backs against the ruins of
the bridge, their faces to their foes and fought a hopeless fight. The
walls of the city are lined with their kinsmen and friends impotent to
help; the enemies of God, doomed one day to dine at Pluto's cauldron,
press upon them; they fight till Phoebus sinks to the depths of the
sea, so great is the courage of despair. The survivors are promised
their lives if they will yield, they are disarmed, then treacherously
slain, and their souls fly to heaven. But one, Herve, of noble bearing
and of great beauty, deemed a prince, is spared for ransom. With
thunderous voice he refuses to bargain his life for gold, falls
unarmed on his foes and is cut to pieces. "These things," writes Monk
Abbo, "I saw with mine eyes," and he gives the names of the heroic
twelve who went to receive the palm of martyrdom: Ermenfroi, Herve,
Herland, Ouacre, Hervi, Arnaud, Seuil, Jobert, Hardre, Guy, Aimard,
Gossuin. Their names are inscribed on a little marble tablet over the
Place du Petit Pont,[35] near the spot where they fell. Hail to the
brave who across twelve centuries thrill our hearts to-day! They were
examplars to the land; they helped to make France by their desperate
courage and noble self-sacrifice, and to win for Paris the hegemony of
her cities. The city is at length revictualled by Henry of Saxony and
again the Parisians are left to themselves. On the sixth of April
Bishop Gozlin, their shield, their two-edged axe, whose shaft and bow
were terrible, passes to the Lord. On May 12th, Eudes steals away to
implore further help from the emperor, and as soon as he sees the
imperialists on the march returns and hew