avage the land. Accordingly, the next day all the
valuables in the chateau were packed up in carts, and the place
entirely abandoned. The whole of the tenants accompanied her,
driving their herds before them, as they would find a market for
these in the city. As they moved along they were joined by large
numbers of other fugitives, as throughout the whole country the
Protestants were making for refuge to the city.

When the Admiral marched away, Philip rode with a young French
officer, for whom he had a warm friendship, named De Piles. The
latter had been appointed governor of Saint Jean d'Angely, which
was now the sole bulwark of La Rochelle; and he had specially
requested the Admiral to appoint Philip to accompany him. The place
was scarcely capable of defence, and the Admiral had only decided
to hold it in the hope that the Duc d'Anjou, instead of following
him with his whole army, would wait to besiege it.

This decision was, in fact, adopted by the Royalists, after much
discussion among the leaders. Several of them wished to press on at
once after Coligny, urging that the destruction of the remnant of
his army would be a fatal blow to the Huguenot cause. The majority,
however, were of opinion that it was of more importance to reduce
La Rochelle, the Huguenots' stronghold in the west, and in order to
do this Saint Jean d'Angely must first be captured. Their counsel
prevailed and, just as the siege of Poitiers had proved fatal to
the plans of Coligny, so that of Saint Jean d'Angely went far to
neutralize all the advantages gained by the Catholic victory at
Moncontour.

Scarcely had De Piles taken the command than the army of the Duc
d'Anjou appeared before the walls, and at once opened fire. The
garrison was a very small one, but it was aided by the whole of the
inhabitants; who were, like those of La Rochelle, zealous
Huguenots. Every assault upon the walls was repulsed, and at night
the breaches made by the cannon during the day were repaired; the
inhabitants, even the women and children, bringing stones to the
spot, and the soldiers doing the work of building.

On the 26th of October, after the siege had continued for a
fortnight, the king himself joined the Catholic army, and summoned
the place to surrender. De Piles replied that, although he
recognized the authority of the king, he was unable to obey his
orders; as he had been appointed to hold the city by the Prince of
Navarre, the royal governor of Guyen