did fo becaufe they faw others do it; and they thought that by this means they Ihould deftroy all % the nobles and gentlemen in the world. At this period, the duke of Normandy, fufpe6Ung the king of Navarre, the provoft of merchants and thofe of his faftion, for they were always unanimous in their fentiments, fet out from Paris, and went to the bridge at Charenton upon Marne, where he iftued a fpecial fummons for the attendance of the crown vaflals, and fent a defiance to the provoft of merchants, and to all thofe who Ihould fupport him. The provoft, being fearful he Veould return in the night-time to Paris ( which was then uninclofed ), colle6ied as many workmen as pofilble from all parts, and employed them to make ditches quite round Paris. He alfo furrounded it by a wall with ftrong gates. For the fpace of one year, there were three hundred workmen daily employed ; the expence of which was equal to maintaining an army. I'muft fay, that to furround, with a fufficient defence, fuch a city as Paris, was an a6l of greater utility than any provoft of merchants had ever done before ; for otherwife it would have been plundered and deftroyed feverai times by the dif-ferent faéiions^ Cc4 CHAP 391