retreat of their
armament in the month of May." But it was too late coming; the mole was
finished, and the opening in it defended by two forts; and a floating
palisade blocked the passage as well. The English sent some petards
against this construction, but they produced no effect; and when, next
day, they attacked the royal fleet, the French crews lost but
twenty-eight men; "the fire-ships were turned aside by men who feared
fire as little as water." Lord Lindsay retired with his squadron to the
shelter of the Island of Aix, sending to the king "Lord Montagu to
propose some terms of accommodation." He demanded pardon for the
Rochellese, freedom of conscience, and quarter for the English garrison
in La Rochelle; the answer was, "that the Rochellese were subjectss of
the king, who knew quite well what he had to do with them, and that the
King of England had no right to interfere. As for the English, they
should meet with the same treatment as was received by the French whom
they held prisoners." Montagu set out for England to obtain further
orders from the king his master.

All hope of effectual aid was gone, and the Rochellese felt it; the
French who were on board the English fleet had taken, like them, a
resolution to treat; and they had already sent to the cardinal when, on
the 29th of October, the deputies from La Rochelle arrived at the camp.
"Your fellows who were in the English army have already obtained grace,"
said the cardinal to them; and when they were disposed not to believe it,
the cardinal sent for the pastors Vincent and Gobert, late delegates to
King Charles I. "they embraced with tears in their eyes, not daring to
speak of business, as they had been forbidden to do so on pain of death."

The demands of the Rochellese were more haughty than befitted their
extreme case. "Though they were but shadows of living men, and their
life rested solely on the king's mercy, they actually dared,
nevertheless, to propose to the cardinal a general treaty on behalf of
all those of their party, including Madame de Rohan and Monsieur de
Soubise, the maintenance of their privileges, of their governor, and of
their mayor, together with the right of those bearing arms to march out
with beat of drum and lighted match" [with the honors of war].

The cardinal was amused at their impudence, he writes in his _Memoires,_
and told them that they had no right to expect anything more than pardon,
which, moreover, they did not