Note 86 — Chapter VIII · The Birth of the Bourgeoisie and the English Occupation

Of this La Hire the following anecdote is told. He was marching to relieve Montargis, which was in dire straits after a long resistance to the besieging English. On his way he met a priest, from whom he demanded absolution. ‘Confess your sins, then,’ returned the priest. ‘I have no time,’ was the reply, ‘for I am in a hurry to engage the English; and, besides, the tale of a soldier’s sins is not a short one.’ The priest somewhat hesitatingly pronounced the sentence of absolution. La Hire immediately knelt down by the wayside and prayed aloud, ‘God, I pray Thee to do this day on La Hire’s behalf what Thou wouldst that La Hire should do for Thee, supposing he was God and Thou wast La Hire.’ His somewhat uncanonical prayer was granted. He attacked the English and obliged them to raise the siege of Montargis. I note a curious parallel between this prayer of his and the quaint old English epitaph of John Hildebrod,—