n the greatest zeal in their cause,
commanded the besiegers. He was wounded in one of the attacks upon
the town, and died shortly afterwards.

The two armies finally met, on the 19th of December, 1562. The
Catholic party had sixteen thousand foot, two thousand horse, and
twenty-two cannon; the Huguenots four thousand horse, but only
eight thousand infantry and five cannon. Conde at first broke the
Swiss pikemen of the Guises, while Coligny scattered the cavalry of
Constable Montmorency, who was wounded and taken prisoner; but the
infantry of the Catholics defeated those of the Huguenots, the
troops sent by the German princes to aid the latter behaving with
great cowardice. Conde's horse was killed under him, and he was
made prisoner. Coligny drew off the Huguenot cavalry and the
remains of the infantry in good order, and made his retreat
unmolested.

The Huguenots had been worsted in the battle, and the loss of Conde
was a serious blow; but on the other hand Marshal Saint Andre was
killed, and the Constable Montmorency a prisoner. Coligny was
speedily reinforced; and the assassination of the Duke of Guise, by
an enthusiast of the name of Jean Poltrot, more than equalized
matters.

Both parties being anxious to treat, terms of peace were arranged;
on the condition that the Protestant lords should be reinstated in
their honours and possessions; all nobles and gentlemen should be
allowed to celebrate, in their own houses, the worship of the
reformed religion; that in every bailiwick the Protestants should
be allowed to hold their religious services, in the suburbs of one
city, and should also be permitted to celebrate it, in one or two
places, inside the walls of all the cities they held at the time of
the signature of the truce. This agreement was known as the Treaty
of Amboise, and sufficed to secure peace for France, until the
latter end of 1567.

Chapter 2: An Important Decision.

One day in June, 1567, Gaspard Vaillant and his wife went up to
Fletcher's farm.

"I have come up to have a serious talk with you, John, about
Philip. You see, in a few months he will be sixteen. He is already
taller than I am. Rene and Gustave both tell me that they have
taught him all they know with sword and dagger; and both have been
stout men-at-arms in their time, and assure me that the lad could
hold his own against any young French noble of his own age, and
against not a few men. It is time that we came to some conclus