St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-05-03
Selected 3furn.
A HEROIC DAUGHTER.

Jul VS. ohc oho
temper often drove him to commit
acts OF wanton cruelty.
The governor of Nancy at that
time, whose name history has not
preserved, was a man of dauntless
Courage and great military ex-
perienCe, and, moreover, an excellent
and devoted father. His only child,
whose mother had died in giving her
birth. was the JOY and pride of bis
heart and shone conspicuously
among all the maidens of her time
TOR her goodness and knowledge.
Telesia at the date of the siege was
in her eighteenth year, and had al
ready received many offers of mar
riage from mobiles attracted by the
charms OF her beauty and amiabil1ty,
but she refused all suitors, preferring
to watch over the declining days of
her gray haired father, and by her
love and devotion cheer and prolong
his existence.
The inhabitants, led by their gov
ernor, in whose skill and judgment
they had the utmost confidence,
made a brave defense against the
countless troops Of the fiery duke.
All the men and youths capable of
bearing arms had taken weapons, as
was hitting in the time of danger,
and posted themselves on the ram
parts to beat off every attack.
The aged men encouraged the
faint-hearted and insisted on the
women aiding, as far as their
strength permitted, by carrying
stones to the walls to be hurled
down on the besiegers; they also
lighted fires under enormous caldrons
filled with pitch, oil and even water,
and when the enemy ventured on an
assault the seething mass was pour
ed on their devoted heads.
Nothing that the most resolute
bravery and experienced skill could
accomplish was left undone to de-
fend the town, and Charles, after
vainly endeavoring for a considera-
BILE time to take the place by assault,
at length resolved to make overtures
of peace, hoping thus to gain the end
which it seemed useless to expect
from force of arms.
He whose custom it was to deliver
every conquered city to be plundered
and burned he who, after a success
full siege, invariably wreaked his
bitterest vengeance on the inhab-
ltants and defenders, now proposed
to the governor and inhabitants of
Nancy that they should surrender
and open to him the gates of the
city, pledging himself to protect
their dwellings and property from
all plundering, and to take care that
no one should suffer the least harm
ethics IN life or nncSaScIOnc Tho
proposals caused many to WAIVER,
but the noble governor, who had
grown gray in the service of his
prince, stepped forward and declared
that he would rather be buried under
the ruins OF the ramparts than
deliver up the city to the enemy, so
long as there were means to defend
it. He encouraged soldiers and
citizens to bravery and perseverance
and implored them to keep the city
for their sovereign, the Duke of Lor-
raine. and he succeeded so well by
his enthusiastic eloquence that all
swore to sacrifice their lives rather
than surrender.
While the brave governor thus
terminated the courage of the men,
his daughter, on her side, raised the
wOmen's talnt1ng spirits and cheered
them by her presence and inspiriting
words, and by her own conduct gave
the example to maids and matrons
to share in the ~hardships and
dangers of the defence. She remind
ed them how, a short time before,
when the Duke of Burgundy besieged
the town of Beauva1S, the women
had taken up arms and fought beside
the men on the ramparts and how
they had succeeded in driving back
the besiegers.
The brave women were far fewer
than we are" continued Telesia,
while the enemy was the same in
number and strength. Why should
we be afraid, when we have before
us such an example of devoted
patriotism ?"
This speech made the greatest i'm
preston on the minds of her listeners.
Fresh courage was instilled into men
and women, and no one spoke of
surrender.
Meanwhile, Charles had recourse
to every stratagem that ingenuity
could devise to endeavor to render
himself master of the own During
the night watches he kept the
besieged in a state of alarm by on
tinual feints of attack, and then, as
morning advanced, when they were
quite wearied and worn out, he
would rush with tenfold violence to
the assault.
He caused large stones to be hurled
bv the machines at the walls wher-
ever they were weakest, in the hope
of making a breach, which at last,
by the greatest efforts, he succeeded
in doing, and after two hours des-
perate fighting he forced an entrance
into the city, breathing vengeance
against its defenders, whose OBJ