On August 15th, 1415, Henry V of England caused the land of Caux to be the seat of war, which lasted several years. In May, 1418, the town of Caudebec, besieged by the English army under generals Warwick and Talbot, made a heroic defence, but surrendered in September. It remained in English hands until 1435 when the peasantry of Caux rebelled against English rule. A protracted war followed which caused famine and plague and the land was reduced almost to a desert. The province remained the seat of war until 1499 when Charles VII took Rouen by storm and later made triumphal entry into Caudebec with an army of 12,000 men. The country prospered, Caudebec grew--most of the houses in the town date to that period of the 15th century. [Illustration: Caudebec, France] [Illustration: Caudebec, France] [Illustration: Market Place, Caudebec] There are few changes in them, as new windows, new doors, but they remain the same old wooden buildings with wooden galleries suspended over the narrow, irregular, oddly paved streets. Today in Caudebec one breathes the air of the middle ages. The Reformation--the great religious awakening of the 16th century--developed great sympathy in Caudebec. The Protestants, the Huguenots (a term borrowed from Switzerland, meaning bound together by oath) were quite numerous. Religious wars followed. The English assisted the Protestants--the Spanish, the Catholics. Rival dukes and princes sought to take advantage of these conditions and conflicts followed from which pillage, incendiarism, and destruction resulted. On April 24, 1592, Caudebec capitulated to the Duke of Palma, On May 15th it capitulated a second time to Henry IV of France amid the cheers of the people. On April 15th Henry IV issued the "Edict of Nantes" and established universal liberty and equality as to religious professions and worship. Great general prosperity followed, especially in manufacture and agriculture. On Oct. 17, 1685, Louis XIV revoked "the Edict of Nantes." This was followed by persecution, pillage, and destruction of property and people, especially of the Huguenots. Great numbers of people fled from France and among them our progenitor Jacques Caudebec. On Sept. 19, 1749, Louis XV visited Caudebec with all the splendor of the French court. With their enthusiastic Royalist spirit the people unharnessed the horses and they themselves drew the royal carriage. Caudebec is to-day a noted summer resort with a population of about 2,000, with fairs three times a year, with annual boat regattas, with provision for pleasure and entertainment. The people of nearby cities may thus enjoy its healthful climate and its hospitality.