M. de Vaudeville, Governor of Graveline, and colonel of seventeen
ensigns of infantry, asked him to send me to him, to dress an old
ulcer on his leg, that he had had for six or seven years. M. de
Savoie said he was willing, so far as I was concerned; and if I
used the cautery to his leg, it would serve him right. M. de
Vaudeville answered, if he saw me trying it, he would have my
throat cut. Soon after, he sent for me four German halberdiers of
his guard; and I was terrified, for I did not know where they
were taking me: they spoke no more French than I German. When I
was come to his lodging, he bade me welcome, and said, now I
belonged to him; and so soon as I had healed him, he would let me
go without ransom. I told him I had no means to pay any ransom.
He called his physician and his surgeon-in-ordinary, to show me
his leg; and when we had examined it, we withdrew into a room,
where I began my discourse to them. ... Then the physician left
me with the surgeon, and went back to M. de Vaudeville, and said
he was sure I could cure him, and told him all I had decided to
do; which pleased him vastly. He sent for me, and asked if I
thought I could cure him; I said yes, if he were obedient to what
was necessary. He promised to do only what I wished and ordered;
and so soon as he was healed, he would let me go home without
ransom. Then I asked him to make better terms with me, saying it
was too long to wait for my liberty: in fifteen days I hoped his
ulcer would be less than half its present size, and give no pain;
then his own surgeon and physician could finish the cure. He
granted this to me. Then I took a piece of paper to measure the
size of the ulcer, and gave it to him, and kept another by me; I
asked him to keep his promise, when I had done my work; he swore
by the faith of a gentleman he would. Then I set myself to dress
him properly, after the manner of Galen. ... He wished to know if
it were true, what I said of Galen, and bade his physician look
to it, for he would know it for himself; he had the book put on
the table, and found that what I said was true; so the physician
was ashamed, and I was glad. Within the fifteen days, it was
almost all healed; and I began to feel happy about the compact
made between us. He had me to eat and drink at his table, when
there were no more great persons than he and I only. He gave me a
big red scarf which I must wear; which made me feel something
like a dog when they give him a clog, to stop him eating the
grapes in the vineyards. His physician and surgeon took me
through the camp to visit their wounded; and I took care to
observe what our enemy was doing. I found they had no more great
cannons, but only twenty-five or thirty field-pieces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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