human
What do you English do here? the eldest of them asked him when six weeks after his arrival they were able to converse fairly in a mixture of French and Spanish.
gpt
Why do you not leave us French people to fight out our quarrels by ourselves?
human
I should put it the other way, Lionel laughed.
gpt
Why don't you French people fight out your quarrels among yourselves instead of calling in foreigners to help you? It is because the Guises and the League have called in the Spaniards to fight on the Catholic side that the English and Dutch have come to help the Huguenots. We are fighting the battle of our own religion here, not the battle of Henry of Navarre.
human
I hate these wars of religion, the girl said.
gpt
Why can we not all worship in our own way?
human
Ah, that is what we Protestants want to know, Mademoiselle Claire; that is just what your people won't allow. Did you not massacre the Protestants In France on the eve of St. Bartholomew? and have not the Spaniards been for the last twenty years trying to stamp out with fire and sword the new religion in the Low Countries? We only want to be left alone.
gpt
But your queen of England kills the Catholics.
human
Not at all, Lionel said warmly;
gpt
It is all very bad, I am sure, the girl said;
human
France has been torn to pieces by these religious wars for years and years. It is dreadful to think what they must be suffering in Paris now.
gpt
Then why don't they open their gates to King Henry instead of starving themselves at the orders of the legate of the pope and the agent of Philip of Spain? I could understand if there was another French prince whom they wanted as king instead of Henry of Navarre. We fought for years in England as to whether we would have a king from the house of York or the house of Lancaster, but when it comes to choosing between a king of your own race and a king named for you by Philip of Spain, I can't understand it.
human
Never mind, Master Vickars. You know what you are fighting for, don't you?
gpt
I do; I am fighting here to aid Holland. Parma is bringing all his troops to aid the Guises here, and while they are away the Dutch will take town after town, and will make themselves so strong that when Parma goes back he will find the nut harder than ever to crack.
human
How long will Paris hold out, think you, Master Vickars? They say that provisions are well-nigh spent.
gpt
Judging from the way in which the Dutch towns held on for weeks and weeks after, as it seemed, all supplies were exhausted, I should say that if the people of Paris are as ready to suffer rather than yield as were the Dutch burghers, they may hold on for a long time yet It is certain that no provisions can come to them as long as we hold possession of this town, and so block the river.
human
But if the armies of Parma and the League come they may drive you away, Master Vickars.
gpt
It is quite possible, mademoiselle; we do not pretend to be invincible, but I think there will be some tough fighting first.