Protestantism in France From Death of Henry IV to the Revolution - James Aitken Wylie
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now commenced on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> Buck<strong>in</strong>gham a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> blunders and disasters, which, whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
ow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>competency or perfidy, tarnished <strong>the</strong><br />
naval glory <strong>of</strong> England, and bitterly mocked <strong>the</strong><br />
hopes <strong>of</strong> those <strong>to</strong> whom it had held out <strong>the</strong> delusive<br />
prospect <strong>of</strong> deliverance. Better, <strong>in</strong> truth, it had<br />
never come, for its appearance suggested <strong>to</strong><br />
Richelieu <strong>the</strong> expedient which led <strong>in</strong>evitably <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city. La Rochelle might be victualled by<br />
sea, and so long as it was so, its reduction, <strong>the</strong><br />
card<strong>in</strong>al felt, was impracticable. To prevent this,<br />
Richelieu bethought him <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same expedient by<br />
which a conqueror <strong>of</strong> early times had laid a yet<br />
prouder city, Tyre, level with <strong>the</strong> waters. The<br />
card<strong>in</strong>al raised a dyke or mole across <strong>the</strong> channel<br />
<strong>of</strong> about a mile's breadth, by which La Rochelle is<br />
approached, and so closed <strong>the</strong> gates <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st its succor. The English fleet assailed this<br />
dyke <strong>in</strong> va<strong>in</strong>. Baffled <strong>in</strong> all <strong>the</strong>ir attempts, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
returned <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own shores, and left <strong>the</strong><br />
beleaguered city <strong>to</strong> its fate. Fam<strong>in</strong>e now set <strong>in</strong>, and<br />
soon became sore <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> city; but it 'would be <strong>to</strong>o<br />
harrow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> dwell on its horrors. The deaths were<br />
300 daily. The most revolt<strong>in</strong>g garbage was cooked<br />
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