Outre cinq cons Rcfugds
Que la France a rcpudics,
Et rciluits prcsquc a riiidij^cnco
Qui ne rcspiraicnt que vciigeauce,
Cc qu'on Icur forait eprouver
S'ils osaicnt nous vonir trouver."

Quite as exciting must have been the war
with the pirates, who were at this time the
greatest liind ranee to the trade. Tliese free-
booters held possession of the seas for years.
