The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-17 00:00:00

THE SIEGES OF PARIS.

The Volontaire has published an interesting account of
the sieges which Paris has sustained during the Christian
era. The first goes back to the year 53 before our era.
At that time the whole of Paris was comprised in the isle
which we call the cite. The Roman General L4brennes
having made himself master of the banks of the Seine,
prepared to invade the isle of the city when the Parisians
seeing the impossibility of defending their position, set
fire to their houses and withdrew to the neighbouring
heights, where a terrible fight soot took place. The
Parisians fought with the greatest courage, but they were
forced to give way before the numbers and the
skill of the Romans. The Romans kept possession
of Paris for 530 years, and extended it on both banks.
In 465 Childeric 1., son of Merovee, and chief of the
Franks, drove out the Romans.
In 845 the Normans, attracted by the richness of the
capital, its churches, and its monasteries, made an attack
on the town, plundered, and burned it.

In 856 these same Norman brigands again advanced
upon Parig. The inhabitants left the town, after having
burned it.

In 861 the barbarians renewed their attacks but having
twice been ruined by them, the town presented nothing
for them to seize upon. Worn out with these continued
disasters, the Parisians set to work to surround
their city with fortifications. The walls were
not completed when the hordes of the Normans
numbering 30,000, encamped before Paris. The Parisians
defended themselves .with a constancy and n tenacity that
the Normans could not overcome. The siege lasted for
more than a year, 885-887. The Normans, worn out with
so long a siege, were about to retire, when King Charles
le Gros hoisted the flag of truce, and soon after signed the
most disgraceful capitulation that has ever been concluded
without consulting the citizens of Paris, on the ground
that he had the right to make war and peace at his own
discretion. All he gained by it was his dethronement.
In 1358 the Dauphii'made the siege of Paris in vain.
In 1359 the King of England was not more successful.
In 1420 Paris was taken by the English, who held it for
sixteen years.
In 1427 Charles the Seventh endeavoured to retake
Paris, but the English drove him back.

In 1462 the Duke of Burgundy could only ravage the
suburbs.

In 1464 Count Charolois, after having encircled the
town, attacked it in several directions in vain.

1536 Paris was again protected by its walls from the
army of Charles Quint.
Under Henry the Second and under Henry the Fourth
Paris sustained a siege which has become famous in his-
tory (1593).
Finally, On the 31st of March, 1814, the gates of Paris
were opened to the allied armies by treason. The people
preserved a mournful silence as they saw the ranks
of the en emy defiling through its streets. But in the
best quarters flowers and crowns were profusely thrown
upcn the Northern armies. The intrepid population of
the Faubourgs, especially those who the day before had
rushed to the defence of the town, displayed sufficient
hostility by their demeanour to inspire uneasiness among
these foreign soldiers. It is believed that had they been
certain of the support of the bourgeoisie, the Faubourg
party would have attacked the enemy in the streets and
on the boulevards.

Paris is entering on its sixteenth siege, and to-day it
possesses strong walls, forts that are well situated, and
valiant defenders. Paris fiuctuel nec mergitur.

In the list of French wounded at Woerth, we find the
name of Parmentier, head of the Genie Corps, and hus-
band of the celebrated lady violinist, Therese Milanollo.
Among the fallen at Sedan was Captain Adolph von
Berlepsch, a brave officer and well-known litterateur. His
brother was killed at the battle before Metz. These offi-
cers were the descendants of that Berlepsch who conducted
Martin Luther to the Wartburg.
The Paris correspondent of the Manchester Examiner
writing on Wednesday on a review of the Parisian
troops, says the manner in which the batta-
lions manoeuvred into their positions, and were
afterwards, without confusion, withdrawn from the
streets, shewed that in this portion of their drill, so gene-
rally neglected by the French troops, they were not want-
ing, and the superior march of both Gardes Mobile and
Gardes Nationales was most marked.

It is said that the War Minister did not authorise
General 'Terim to deliver up the citadel of Laon, but
upon receiving an intimation that the Municipal Council
desired to give up, he replied—" Burn your last cartridge,
and eat your last biscuit." Upon another message being
addressed to him, he said—" Act in accordance with the
necessities of the situation." It was in consequence
of this dispatch that the General decided to blow up the
citadeL

The French Provisional Government have consented
for free traffic to take place thr nigh the gates of Paris
during the siege. The gates will remain open until eight
o'clock in the evening. had the first idea of prohibiting
all ingress and egress been carried out, the health of the
population would have suffered from the privation of
butter, milk, and vegetables. The guards will exercise
the greatest vigilance in order to stop the passage of sus-
picious characters.
The inhabitants of the town of Liibben and the sur-
rounding villages are in deep mourning. It appears that
the losses sustained by the 3rd Battalion of the Branden-
burg Jagers, which had been principally composed of men
draughted from these places, have been so severe that
there is no family which has not to lament the death of
either a husband, son, or some near relation. It is, in
fact, a vast family of mourners.
The Eleeteur Libre relates this episode of the Paris Re-
view':—When Admiral Cailley was going through the
preparatory review of thetwenty-firstbattalion he stopped
before a National Guard of the Sixth Company, who