Ittookhimalongtimetoclothehispoeticalthoughtsinwords。
NearlyfiveyearshadelapsedsinceherecitedTheBlindGirlofCastel-CuilletothecitizensofBordeaux；sincethenhehadwrittenafewpoeticalthemes，buthewasmainlythinkinganddreaming，andattimeswritingdownhisnewepicFranconnette。
Itwascompletedin1840，whenhededicatedthepoemtothecityofToulouse。
Thestoryembodiedinthepoemwasfoundedonanancienttradition。Thetimeatwhichitoccurredwastowardstheendofthesixteenthcentury，whenFrancewastorntopiecesbythecivilwarbetweentheHuguenotsandtheCatholics。AgenwasthenacentreofProtestantism。Itwastakenandretakenbybothpartiesagainandagain。TheHuguenotcaptain，Truelle，occupiedthetowninApril1562；butBlaizedeMontluc，”afierceCatholic，”asheistermedbyM。PaulJoanne，assailedthetownwithastrongforceandrecapturedit。Onenteringtheplace，Montlucfoundthattheinhabitantshadfledwiththegarrison，and”theterriblechiefwasgreatlydisappointedatnotfindinganypersoninAgentoslaughter。”[2]MontlucstruckwithaheavyhandtheProtestantsoftheSouth。InthenameoftheGodofMercyhehewedtheHuguenotstopieces，and，afterspreadingdesolationthroughtheSouth，heretiredtohisfortressatEstellac，kneltbeforethealtar，tookthecommunion，andwaswelcomedbyhispartyasoneofthegreatestfriendsoftheChurch。
Thecivilwarwentonfortenyears，untilinAugust1572themassacreofSaintBartholomewtookplace。Afterthateventtheword”Huguenot”wasabolished，orwasonlymentionedwithterror。Montluc’scastleofEstellac，situatedneartheprettyvillageofEstanquet，nearRoquefort——famousforitscheese——