The Other Historical Essays. Frederick Schiller

he has his family and possessions. For the Duke of Estampes, current Governor of Brittany, was very sick; it would hence be Lord Gyé, his Lieutenant, who would follow him, and Vieilleville would receive the latter's position.

      Vieilleville would be told about it, secretly, fifteen days before Easter 1553 through Secretary Malestroit, in order for him to take a decision. The letter of April 22nd, 1553, from the King really arrived and was written so as to translate the Constable's wish. Vieilleville answered to the King very respectfully, why mainly four causes prevented him for accepting this grace.

      Firstly, Estampes was nothing less than very sick; accepting the position would estrange them from each other, as they are now in good terms; he remarked regarding this position that he was indeed two years older than the Duke of Estampes.

      Secondly, he has a lot of relatives and friends who, maybe, could rely upon their ties and could act against the laws, since he was an enemy of partisanship; hence, he must act most severely, and it would be sorrowful for him to see his acquaintances being treated as criminals.

      Thirdly, he was still really not in the years to see himself placed in a province where people could live calmly and has nothing else to do than to take a walk on the banks and observe the tides. He was forty two and hopes still to be in stand to serve His Majesty before the enemy.

      It would be too hard for him, fourthly, to serve under Lord Gyé who was his subject, and with whom he was not really in good terms. He knew that His Majesty has thought about him for the Government of Metz, and he was amazed how people threw themselves so much between the King and him, and have undermined everything which he has planned.

      As the King read this letter, he would be irritated that people opposed him in such a manner, called the Constable and said to him very determinedly that Vieilleville should have the Governorship of Metz, that Gonnor should leave immediately Metz and that Vieilleville should go there; a change which really happened. He exercised a very extended omnipotence through which he decided about life and death, and which would be so limiting to the Commanders of Toul and Verdun, that they, so to speak, were only his Captains. He brought with him two month salaries for the garrison and allowed it to be disbursed to each man, with the War Commissar calling the roll. Otherwise, it was the Captains who would receive the payment for their companies, and generated hence around them some form of servility. The inhabitants of Metz gained a lot with this manner of proceeding, as they depended otherwise totally upon the Captain's grace, when a soldier was owing them something. After that Gonnor has tendered everything that was in the arsenals, he abandoned Metz and recommended particularly the Sergeant Major of the city, Captain Nycollas and the Provost, named Vauré to Vieilleville; he praised them extraordinarily in their presence, which created immediately a mistrust in Vieilleville; however, he did not allow people to remark anything.

      He found the garrison in great disorder, it has become so proud of having resisted a siege from such a powerful Emperor, and a week did not pass, where five to six disputes did not break out about who has acted most bravely. Often such disputes broke out among officers who defended their soldiers' glory; often the soldiers would break their necks for their officers. Vieilleville was, for that reason, in great embarrassment; he feared arousing a rebellion by giving drastic orders which were the more dangerous as Count Mansfeld commanded in the Luxemburg territory and had many troops, particularly in Thionville, just four hours from Metz. The inhabitants themselves were completely worried about the situation, for after the Emperor's retreat, they realized that they could also not count on the french support. For that reason, the gregarious officers were severely blamed and ordered in a painful manner to remain in the barracks, no member of the spiritual authorities, of nobility, not even members of a tribunal, could relieve them from this situation. On the other side, Vieilleville could not allow such liberalities against his honour and dignity to continue; and so he decided to do whatever it may also cost to show his courage and to restore authority and obedience.

      He rapidly gathered, in that respect, all his senior people and announced them his plan, as he was still at that time responsible about the orders and the punishments to be given in cases of disobedience; and no one, no matter of what standing he may also be, should be excepted from his authority. Everyone who knew him well, knew how firmly he sticks to his cause when he has given sufficient thought about such cause, and hence offered him unrestrictedly their help; yet, they told him in this occasion, that he has been lesser severe in allocating the latest salaries. He told them, however, that it was shameful to allow oneself to be dominated by avarice; and that this vice was not compatible with a soldier's honour.

      “I am firmly resolved, he said, not to depart the least from what I will command and order; and would rather choose death! In the afternoons, the orders would be read with greater solemnity, particularly on the great marketplace where all the cavalries were performing their marches with their officers”; he himself was on the same marketplace, on his beautiful horse, in the middle of his body guards made up of Germans, some very beautiful people whom the Count of Nassau has sent him, with their imposing halberds and fighting axes, dressed in yellow and black, for these were the colours which Lady Vieilleville has given him when she was still a young lady, and which he has also ever since kept. It made such an impression onto the soldiers and officers, that in two months, no more dispute would arouse among them than the one between two soldiers over a game in which the first one killed the second. Vieilleville necessitated the officer in whose company belonged the surviving soldier who has hidden himself, to bring him before court where the killed soldier first and then the surviving one would be beheaded.

      Shortly afterwards, people announced to him that some soldiers, under the excuse of hunting, attacked street merchants who were bringing foods into the city and took away their money. Toward midnight, people arrested three of the attackers who immediately were tortured so severely, that they gave the name of seven of their accomplices. He allowed these immediately to be fetched from their beds and participated himself in the capture with his guards and soldiers. These ten street robbers would be brought to his lodging where four of the merchants were also present; and as they would recognize their attackers, they would immediately be tried. In the morning, at eight o’clock, three of them were already dismembered and the others hanged, so that their Captains learned about their death even before about their capture.