Harvard Classics, vol 38 | Page 9

he agreed,
and after I had got the man ready, he was put in a cart, on a bed well
covered and well arranged, drawn by a horse. I did him the office of
physician, apothecary, surgeon, and cook. I dressed him to the end of
his case, and God healed him; insomuch that all the three companies
marvelled at this cure; The men-at-arms of the company of M. de
Rohan, the first muster that was made, gave me each a crown, and the
archers half a crown,

THE JOURNEY TO DANVILLIERS. 1552
On his return from the expedition against the German camp, King
Henry besieged Danvilliers, and those within would not surrender.
They got the worst of it, but our powder failed us; so they had a good

shot at our men. There was a culverin-shot passed through the tent of H.
de Rohan, which hit a gentleman leg who was of his household. I had
to finish the cutting off of it, which I did without applying the hot irons.
The King sent for powder to Sedan, and when it came we began the
attack mere vigorously than before, so that a breach was made. MM. de
Guise and the Constable, being in the King's chamber, told him, and
they agreed that next day they would assault the town, and were
confident they would enter into it; and it must be kept secret, for fear
the enemy should come to hear of it; and each promised not to speak of
it to any man. Now there was a groom of the King's chamber, who
being laid under the King's camp-bed to sleep, heard they were
resolved to attack the town next day. So he told the secret to a certain
captain, saying that they would make the attack next day for certain,
and he had heard it from the King, and prayed the said captain to speak
of it to no man, which he promised; but his promise did not hold, and
forthwith he disclosed it to a captain, and this captain to a captain, and
the captains to some of the soldiers, saying always, "Say nothing." And
it was just so much hid, that next day early in the morning there was
seen the greater part of the soldiers with their boots and breeches cut
loose at the knee for the better mounting of the breach. The King was
told of this rumour that ran through the camp, that the attack was to be
made; whereat he was astonished, seeing there were but three in that
advice, who had promised each other to tell it to no man. The King sent
for M. de Guise, to know if he had spoken of this attack; he swore and
affirmed to him he had not told it to anybody; and M. the Constable
said the same, and told the King they must know for certain who had
declared this secret counsel, seeing they were but three. Inquiry was
made from captain to captain. In the end they found the truth; for one
said, "It was such an one told me," and another said the same, till it
came to the first of all, who declared he had heard it from the groom of
the King's chamber, called Guyard, a native of Blois, son of a barber of
the late King Francis. The King sent for him into his tent, in the
presence of MM. de Guise and the Constable, to hear from him whence
he had his knowledge, and who had told him the attack was to be made;
and said if he did not speak the truth he would have him hanged. Then
he declared he lay down under the King's bed thinking to sleep, and so
having heard the plan he revealed it to a captain who was a friend of his,

to the end he might prepare himself with his soldiers to be the first at
the attack. Then the King knew the truth, and told him he should never
serve him again, and that he deserved to be hanged, and forbade him
ever to come again to the Court.
The groom of the chamber went away with this to swallow, and slept
that night with a surgeon-in-ordinary of the King, Master Louis of Saint
Andre; and in the night he gave himself six stabs with a knife, and cut
his throat Nor did the surgeon perceive it till the morning, when he
found his bed all bloody, and the dead body by him. He marvelled at
this sight on his awaking, and feared they would say he was the cause
of the murder; but he was soon relieved, seeing the reason, which was
despair at the loss of the good friendship of the King.
So Guyard