He then commenced a cannonade of the citadel, which
surrendered on the 6th. On the 7th the town capitulated. Lord Wentworth,
the Governor, and fifty others remained as prisoners. The English
inhabitants, about four thousand, were ejected from the home which they
had so long colonized, but without any exercise of cruelty. "The
Frenchmen," say the chroniclers, "entered and possessed the town; and
forthwith all the men, women, and children were commanded to leave their
houses and to go to certain places appointed for them to remain in, till
order might be taken for their sending away.
"The places thus appointed for them to remain in were chiefly four, the
two churches of Our Lady and St. Nicholas, the deputy's house, and the
stable, where they rested a great part of that day and one whole night
and the next day till three o'clock at afternoon, without either meat or
drink. And while they were thus in the churches and those other places
the Duke of Guise, in the name of the French King, in their hearing made
a proclamation charging all and every person that were inhabitants of
the town of Calais, having about them any money, plate, or jewels to the
value of one groat, to bring the same forthwith, and lay it down upon
the high altars of the said churches, upon pain of death; bearing them
in hand also that they should be searched.
Pages:
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45