JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES 41 



death/' Then they all with one voice said he had been 

 very well dressed and cared for altogether, and it could 

 not be better, and it was impossible to cure him, and his 

 wound was of necessity mortal. Then M. de Savoie was 

 very angry with them, and cried, and asked them again 

 if for certain they all held his case hopeless : they answered, 

 yes. 



Then a Spanish impostor came forward, who promised on 

 his life to cure him; and if he did not, they should cut him 

 in an hundred pieces; but he would have no physicians, 

 nor surgeons, nor apothecaries with him: and M. le Due 

 de Savoie forthwith bade the physicians and surgeons not 

 go near M. de Martigues; and sent a gentleman to bid me, 

 under pain of death, not so much as to touch him. Which 

 I promised, and was very glad, for now he would not die 

 under my hands; and the impostor was told to dress him, 

 and to have with him no other physicians or surgeons, 

 but only himself. By and bye he came, and said to M. de 

 Martigues, " Senor Cavallero, M. de Savoie has bid me 

 come and dress your wound. I swear to God, before eight 

 days I will set you on horseback, lance in hand, provided 

 none touch you but I alone. You shall eat and drink what- 

 ever you like. I will be dieted instead of you; and you 

 may trust me to perform what I promise. I have cured 

 many who had worse wounds than yours." And the 

 Seigneurs answered him, " God give you His grace for 

 it" 



He asked for a shirt of M. de Martigues, and tore it 

 in little strips, which he laid cross-wise, muttering and mur- 

 muring certain words over the wounds: having done this 

 much for him, he let him eat and drink all he would, 

 saying he himself would be dieted in his stead; which he 

 did, eating but six prunes and six morsels of bread for 

 dinner, and drinking only beer. Nevertheless, two days 

 later, M. de Martigues died: and my friend the Spaniard, 

 seeing him at the point of death, eclipsed himself, and got 

 away without good-bye to any man. And I believe if he 

 had been caught he would have been hanged and strangled, 

 for the false promise he made to M. le Due de Savoie and 

 many other gentlemen. M. de Martigues died about ten 



