3C AMBR01SE PARE 



and therefore it was no great harm if they died Moreover, 

 he said he would never depart from the town till he had 

 taken it by force or by famine, though he should lose all 

 his army; because of the great number of princes who 

 were shut up in it, with the greater part of the nobility 

 of France, who he hoped would pay his expenses four times 

 over; and he would go yet again to Paris, to see the Paris- 

 ians, and to make himself King of all the kingdom of 

 France. 



M. de Guise, with the princes, captains, and soldiers, 

 and in general all the citizens of the town, having heard 

 the Emperor's resolve to exterminate us all, forbade the 

 soldiers and citizens, and even the princes and seigneurs, 

 to eat fresh fish or venison, or partridges, woodcocks, larks, 

 francolines, plovers, or other game, for fear these had 

 acquired any pestilential air which could bring infection 

 among us. So they had to content themselves with the 

 fare of the army; biscuit, beef, salt cow-beef, bacon, cerve- 

 las, and Mayence hams; also fish, as haddock, salmon, shad, 

 tunny, whale, anchovy, sardines, herrings; also peas, beans, 

 rice, garlic, onions, prunes, cheeses, butter, oil, and salt : pep- 

 per, ginger, nutmegs and other spices to put in our pies, 

 mostly of horses, which without the spice had a very bad 

 taste. Many citizens, having gardens in the town, had 

 planted them with fine radishes, turnips, carrots, and leeks, 

 which they kept flourishing and very dear, for the extreme 

 necessity of the famine. Now all these stores were distri- 

 buted by weight, measure, and justice, according to the qual- 

 ity of the persons, because we knew not how long the 

 siege would last. For after we heard the Emperor's words, 

 how he would not depart from before Metz, till he had taken 

 it by force or by famine, the victuals were cut down; and 

 what they used to distribute to three soldiers was given to 

 four; and it was forbidden to them to sell the remains 

 which might be left after their meals; but they might give 

 them to the rabble. And they always rose from table with 

 an appetite, for fear they should be subject to take physick. 



And before we surrendered to the mercy of the enemy, 

 we had determined to eat the asses, mules, and horses, 

 dogs, cats, aad rats, even our boots and collars, and other 



