These prisoners were three young men and three girls in men's clothes,
who had been seized just as they were about to emigrate. As the abbe
was always protected by a guard of soldiers, he sent for the officer
in command and ordered him to march against, the fanatics and disperse
them. But the officer was spared the trouble of obeying, for the
fanatics were already at hand. On reaching the gate of the courtyard he
heard them outside, and perceived that they were making ready to
burst it in. Judging of their numbers by the sound of their voices, he
considered that far from attacking them, he would have enough to do in
preparing for defence, consequently he bolted and barred the gate on
the inside, and hastily erected a barricade under an arch leading to the
apartments of the abbe. Just as these preparations were complete, Esprit
Seguier caught sight of a heavy beam of wood lying in a ditch; this was
raised by a dozen men and used as a battering-ram to force in the gate,
which soon showed a breach. Thus encouraged, the workers, cheered by the
chants of their comrades, soon got the gate off the hinges, and thus the
outside court was taken. The crowd then loudly demanded the release of
the prisoners, using dire threats.

The commanding officer sent to ask the abbe what he was to do; the abbe
replied that he was to fire on the conspirators. This imprudent order
was carried out; one of the fanatics was killed on the spot, and two
wounded men mingled their groans with the songs and threats of their
comrades.

The barricade was next attacked, some using axes, others darting their
swords and halberts through the crevices and killing those behind; as
for those who had firearms, they climbed on the shoulders of the others,
and having fired at those below, saved themselves by tumbling down
again. At the head of the besiegers were Laporte and Esprit Seguier,
one of whom had a father to avenge and the other a son, both of whom had
been done to death by the abbe. They were not the only ones of the party
who were fired by the desire of vengeance; twelve or fifteen others were
in the same position.

The abbe in his room listened to the noise of the struggle, and finding
matters growing serious, he gathered his household round him, and making
them kneel down, he told them to make their confession, that he might,
by giving them absolution, prepare them for appearing before God. The
sacred words had just been pronounced when the rioters d