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the cost of his own life and of all who were in the town; 

 and that the enemy had planted their artillery so well in 

 a certain place (which he named) that it was with great 

 difficulty he could keep them from entering the town, seeing 

 it was the weakest place in the town; but soon he hoped 

 to rebuild it well, so that they should not be able to enter. 

 This letter was sewed in the lining of the man's doublet, 

 and he was told to be very careful not to speak of it to 

 any person. And the other letter was given to him, wherein 

 M. de Guise told the King that he and all those besieged 

 with him hoped to guard the town well; and other matters 

 which I leave untold here. He sent out the man at night, 

 and he was taken by the enemy's guard and brought to 

 the Duke of Alva, that the Duke might hear what was 

 doing in the town; and the peasant was asked if he had 

 any letters. He said "Yes," and gave them the one; and 

 they having seen it asked him if he had not another. He 

 said " No." Then he was searched, and they found on him 

 that which was sewed in his doubtlet; and the poor mes- 

 senger was hanged and strangled. 



The letters were taken to the Emperor, who called his 

 council, where it was resolved, since they had been unable 

 to do anything at the first breach, the artillery should 

 forthwith be set against the place which they thought weak- 

 est, where they put forth all their strength to make a fresh 

 breach; and they sapped and mined the wall, and tried hard 

 to make a way into the Hell Tower, but dared not assault 

 it openly. 



The Duke of Alva represented to the Emperor that 

 every day their soldiers were dying, to the number of more 

 than two hundred, and there was so little hope of entering 

 the town, seeing the time of year and the great number 

 of our soldiers who were in it. The Emperor asked what 

 men they were who were dying, and whether they were 

 gentlemen and men of mark; answer was made to him 

 "They were all poor soldiers." Then said he, "It was no 

 great loss if they died," comparing them to caterpillars, grass- 

 hoppers, and cockchafers, which eat up the buds and other 

 good things of the earth; and if they were men of any 

 worth they would not be in his camp at six livres the month, 



