long period of comparative inaction was now succeeded by a spasmodic
effort at energetic conduct. The six days' truce had scarcely expired when
the prince resolved to throw himself unexpectedly upon the neighboring
camp of the Roman Catholics, before Montmorency, Guise, and Saint Andre
had resumed their accustomed posts. One of those nocturnal attacks, which,
under the name of _camisades_, figure so frequently in the military
history of the period, was secretly organized, and the Protestant
soldiers, wearing white shirts over their armor, in order that they might
easily recognize each other in the darkness of the night, started with
alacrity, under D'Andelot's command, on the exciting adventure. But their
guides were treacherous, or unskilful, and the enterprise came to
naught.[142] Disappointed in this attempt, and unable to force the enemy
to give battle, Conde turned his attention to Beaugency, which the King
of Navarre had failed to restore, and carried it by storm. He would gladly
have followed up the advantage by laying siege to Blois and Tours, which
the triumvirate had taken and treated with the utmost cruelty; but heavy
rains, and the impossibility of carrying on military operations on account
of the depth of the mud, compelled him to relinquish his project, and
reduced the main army to renewed inactivity.[143]

The protracted delays and inexcusable sluggishness of the leaders had
borne their natural fruits. Many of the Protestant gentlemen had left the
camp in disgust at the mistakes committed; others had retired to their
homes on hearing that their families were exposed to the dangers of war
and stood in need of their protection; a few had been corrupted by the
arts of the enemy. For it was a circumstance often noticed by
contemporaries, that no envoy was ever sent from Orleans to the court who
did not return, if not demoralized, yet so lukewarm as to be incapable of
performing any good service in future.[144] Yet the dispersion of the
higher rank of the reformed soldiers, and the consequent weakening of
Conde's army in cavalry, were attended with this incidental advantage,
that they contributed greatly to the strengthening of the party in the
provinces, and necessitated a similar division of the opposing
forces.[145]

[Sidenote: Huguenot discipline.]

Never, perhaps, was there an army that exhibited such excellent discipline
as did the army of the Protestants in this the first stage of its warfare.
Never