the night before I had sent my master notice of their alliance (as I had done often), and that he had written me word he had news of it, both from Milan and Rome. The Doge seemed to be surprised to hear I had written concerning the alliance on the night before; for there are no people in the world so jealous, nor who keep their counsels so secret as they; and upon bare suspicion they many times imprison their dearest friends. Upon that consideration I told them further, that I had written to the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon to take care to reinforce the garrison of Asti; and I said this in hopes to discourage them from attempting to surprise it, which they might certainly have done, had they been as ready as they pretended; for it was in a weak posture of defence a long time after. They replied that they had no hostile intentions against the king; that what they had done, or should do, would be only in defence of themselves; and they could not suffer that my master should amuse all Europe with his fair words, as he had done, saying that he wanted nothing but the kingdom of Naples, and would next turn his arms against the Turk; and that then he should falsify his word, act quite contrary, possess himself of what he could in the territories both of the Florentines and the Pope, and endeavour to destroy the Duke of Milan. To which I answered, that the kings of France had been so far from defrauding the Church of any of its revenues, that, on the contrary, they had always augmented them, and defended its rights; that those could not be the reasons for their league, as they pretended, but that they had a desire to involve Italy in new troubles, to make their advantage out of them, and that I thought they intended to do it. They resented that expression of mine, as I was informed afterwards; however, it proved true, as appeared by the towns which King Ferrand pledged to them in Apulia to induce them to assist him against us. I rose up to take leave, but they made me sit down again; and the Doge asked me if I had any overtures of peace to make, because on the day before I had said something to that purpose; but that was only offered in case they would have protracted the conclusion of the league for fifteen days longer, that I might have had time to write to his majesty, and receive his answer.