JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES 25 



and Walloon, beside his own mother-tongue. When we were 

 within eight or ten leagues of Metz, we began to go by night 

 only ; and when we came near the enemy's camp I saw, more 

 than a league and a half off, fires lighted all round the town, 

 as if the whole earth were burning; and I believed we 

 could never pass through these fires without being discovered, 

 and therefore hanged and strangled, or cut in pieces, or 

 made to pay a great ransom. To speak truth, I could well 

 and gladly have wished myself back in Paris, for the great 

 danger that I foresaw. God guided our business so well, 

 that we entered into the town at midnight, thanks to a signal 

 the captain had with another captain of the company of M. 

 de Guise; to whom I went, and found him in bed, and he 

 received me with high favour, being right glad at my coming. 



I gave him my message as the King had commanded me, 

 and told him I had a little letter for him, and the next day 

 I would not fail to deliver it. Then he ordered me a good 

 lodging, and that I should be well treated, and said I must 

 not fail next morning to be upon the breach, where I should 

 find all the princes and seigneurs, and many captains. 

 Which I did, and they received me with great joy, and did me 

 the honour to embrace me, and tell me I was welcome ; add- 

 ing they would no more be afraid of dying, if they should 

 happen to be wounded. 



M. le Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon was the first who en- 

 tertained me, and inquired what they were saying at the 

 Court concerning the town of Metz. I told him all that I 

 chose to tell. Forthwith he begged me to go and see one 

 of his gentlemen named M. de Magnane, now Chevalier of 

 the Order of the King, and Lieutenant of His Majesty's 

 Guards, who had his leg broken by a cannon-shot. I found 

 him in bed, his leg bent and crooked, without any dressing 

 on it, because a gentleman promised to cure him, having his 

 name and his girdle, with certain words (and the poor 

 patient was weeping and crying out with pain, not sleeping 

 day or night for four days past). Then I laughed at such 

 cheating and false promises; and I reduced and dressed 

 his leg so skilfully that he was without pain, and slept all 

 the night, and afterward, thanks be to God, he was healed, 

 and is still living now, in the King's service.. The Prince 



