Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I to Edict of Nantes - James Aitken Wylie

hour a battle-field. Not a province was there, scarce
even a city, in which the Roman Catholics and
Huguenots were not arrayed in arms against each
other. We nmst follow the march of the main army,
however, without turning aside to chronicle
provincial conflicts. After the defeat at Dreux,
Coligny--now commander-in-chief -- formed the
Huguenot forces into two armies, and with the one
he marched into Normandy, and sent his brother
D'Andelot at the head of the other to occupy
Orleans-- that great center and stronghold of the
Huguenot cause. The Duke of Guise followed close
on the steps of the latter, in order to besiege
Orleans. Having sat down before the town on the
5th of February, 1563, the siege was prosecuted
with great rigor. The bridge of the Loire was taken.
Next two important suburbs fell into the hands of
the duke. On the 18th all was ready for the capture
of Orleans on the morrow, he wrote to the Queenmother,
telling her that his purpose was to put
every man and woman in Orleans to the sword, and
sow its foundations with salt.[14]This good
beginning he would follow up by summoning all
the nobles of France, with their retainers, to his
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