CORN. 
173 
the Simple, finding himself abandoned by the 
principal lords of his court, had the imprudence 
to call a meeting of the Champ de Mai at Sois- 
sons. There he sought friends, but found only 
factious opponents, whose audacity was increased 
by his weakness. Some reproached him with 
indolence, prodigality, and his blind confidence 
in his minister Haganon; others with his dis¬ 
graceful 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 conces¬ 
sions, 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 ad¬ 
vanced 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 • 
