JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES 33 



never let them, saying on the contrary we had better make 

 their way smooth for them, and build them gold and silver 

 bridges to let them go; like the good pastor and shepherd, 

 who will not lose one of his sheep. 



That is how our dear and well-beloved Imperials went 

 away from Metz, which was the day after Christmas Day, 

 to the great content of those within the walls, and the 

 praise of the princes, seigneurs, captains, and soldiers, 

 who had endured the travail of this siege for more than 

 two months. Nevertheless, they did not all go: there 

 wanted more than twenty thousand of them, who were 

 dead, from our artillery and the fighting, or from plague, 

 cold, and starvation (and from spite and rage that they 

 could not get into the town to cut our throats and plunder 

 us) : and many of their horses also died, the greater part 

 whereof they had eaten instead of beef and bacon. We 

 went where their camp had been, where we found many 

 dead bodies not yet buried, and the earth all worked up, 

 as one sees in the Cemetery of the Holy Innocents during 

 some time of many deaths. In their tents, pavilions, and 

 lodgings were many sick people. Also cannon-shot, weapons, 

 carts, waggons, and other baggage, with a great quantity of 

 soldier's bread, spoiled and rotted by the snows and rains 

 (yet the soldiers had it but by weight and measure). Also 

 they left a good store of wood, all that remained of the 

 houses they had demolished and broken down in the vil- 

 lages for two or three leagues around; also many other 

 pleasure-houses, that had belonged to our citizens, with 

 gardens and fine orchards full of diverse fruit-trees. And 

 without all this, they would have been benumbed and dead of 

 the cold, and forced to raise the siege sooner than they did. 



M. de Guise had their dead buried, and their sick people 

 treated Also the enemy left behind them in the Abbey of 

 Saint Arnoul many of their wounded soldiers, whom they 

 could not possibly take with them. M. de Guise sent them 

 all victuals enough, and ordered me and the other surgeons to 

 go dress and physick them, which we did with good will; 

 and I think they would not have done the like for our men. 

 For the Spaniard is very cruel, treacherous, and inhuman, 

 and so far enemy of all nations: which is proved by Lopez 

 (2) uc xxxvui 



