JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES 4S 



his guard: and from that time onward they made a great 

 deal of him, at the expense of M. de Vaudeville. 



M. de Bauge answered that he could not pay his ran- 

 som himself: it depended on M. d' Estampes his uncle, 

 and Mile, de Bressure his aunt: he had no means to pay 

 such a ransom. I went back with my. guards, and gave this 

 answer to M. de Vaudeville ; who said, " Possibly he will 

 not get away so cheap " : which was true, for they knew 

 who he was. Then the Queen of Hungary and M. le 

 Due de Savoie sent word to M. de Vaudeville that this 

 mouthful was too big for him, and he must send his 

 prisoner to them (which he did), and he had other prisoners 

 enough without him. The ransom paid was forty thousand 

 crowns, without other expenses. 



On my way back to M. de Vaudeville, I passed by Saint 

 Omer, where I saw their great cannons, most of which 

 were fouled and broken. Also I passed by Theroiienne, 

 where I saw not one stone left on another, save a vestige 

 of the great church: for the Emperor ordered the coun- 

 try people for five or six leagues round to clear and take 

 away the stones; so that now you may drive a cart over 

 the town: and the same at Hesdin, and no trace of castle 

 and fortress. Such is the evil that wars bring with them. 



To return to my story; M. de Vaudeville soon got the 

 better of his ulcer, and was nearly healed: so he let me 

 go, and sent me by a trumpet, with passport, as far as 

 Abbeville. I posted from here, and went to find my 

 master, King Henry, at Aufimon, who received me gladly 

 and with good favour. He sent MM. de Guise, the Con- 

 stable, and d' Estres, to hear from me the capture of 

 Hesdin; and I made them a true report, and assured them 

 I had seen the great cannons they had taken to Saint Omer: 

 and the King was glad, for he had feared the enemy 

 would come further into France. He gave me two hun- 

 dred crowns to take me home: and I was thankful to be 

 free, out of this great torment and thunder of the dia- 

 bolical artillery, and away from the soldiers, blasphemers 

 and deniers of God. I must add that after Hesdin was 

 taken, the King was told I was not killed but taken prisoner. 

 He made M. Goguier, his chief physician, write to my 



