Those who hereafter may read these Memoirs, may think I have spoken very disrespectfully, and with too much freedom, of these two great princes, or that else they were persons of but small honour or faith. I would not willingly speak ill of either of them; and what great obligations I have to the king my master all the world knows. But to continue my history in the same manner (as you, my good Lord Archbishop of Vienne, have desired me) I am obliged to give an impartial and true account of what I know, which way soever it happened. However, were they to be compared with the rest of the great princes that reigned in Europe at the same time, they would appear noble and conspicuous, and our king very wise, for he left his kingdom enlarged, and at peace with all his enemies. But now let us observe a little what artifices and stratagems they used to overreach and circumvent one another, that in case any young prince, who has the same game to play, should hereafter accidentally meet with this history, he may, by reading it, be prepared, and defend himself the better; for though neither enemies nor princes are always alike, yet their affairs being often the same, it is not altogether unprofitable to be informed of what is past. To give then my opinion, I am very confident these two princes had the same desire of circumventing each other, and their ends (as you shall hear afterwards) were the same. Each of them had a numerous army in the field; the king had taken several towns, and whilst the treaty was on foot, pressed his brother very hard. There were already come over to the king, of the Duke of Guienne’s party, the Lord of Curton[355], Patris Foucart[356], and several others. The king’s army had actually invested La Rochelle, and held great intelligence in the town, which was much increased by the report of the peace, and the Duke of Guienne’s illness; and I believe the king’s resolution was (if either he succeeded in his enterprise there, or his brother died) not to swear to the peace; but, if the enemy got the better of him, he would then swear, and keep his engagements, to deliver himself from danger. In this manner he spun out his time, managed all his affairs with wonderful diligence, and, as you have heard, kept Simon de Quingy eight days together in suspense, and in the meantime his brother happened to die; for he knew the Duke of Burgundy was so intent upon the restitution of those two towns[357], that he durst not be angry, but might securely be wheedled for a fortnight or three weeks, till he saw what he had best do; and so it fell out.