CORN. 173 
a royal origin. The ancient chroniclers relate that, 
in 922, Charles the Simple, finding himself aban- 
doned by the principal lords of his court, had the 
imprudence to call a meeting of the Champ de Mai 
at Soissons. There he sought friends, but found 
only factious opponents, whose audacity was in- 
creased by his weakness. Some reproached him 
with indolence, prodigality, and his blind confidence 
in his minister Haganon ; others with his disgrace- 
ful concessions to Raoul, the Norman chieftain. 
Surrounded by the seditious crowd, he had recourse 
to entreaties and promises, hoping to escape from 
them by fresh concessions, but in vain. The more 
he betrayed his weakness the bolder they grew, and 
at length they declared that he should no longer be 
their king. At these words, pronounced with vehe- 
mence, and accompanied with threats, they advanced 
to the foot of the throne, broke the straws which 
they held in their hands, dashed them to the ground, 
and retired, after declaring by this act that they thus 
broke all compacts with him. 
This is the most ancient instance of the kind on 
record ; but it proves that this method of breaking 
contracts had long been customary ; since the 
