CH. XIII.—How the Lord of Argenton went alone to parley with the Enemy, upon the Refusal of those that were deputed to go along with him, and of the King’s safe Arrival with his whole Army at Asti.—1495. The next morning I resolved with myself to pursue our negotiations for peace, as I was still very solicitous about the king’s passage in safety; but I could scarce find a trumpeter that would venture to the enemy’s camp, because nine of their trumpeters had been slain (unwittingly) in the battle, and they had taken one of ours and killed another, whom (as I mentioned before) the king had sent to them before the fight began; but at last one of our trumpeters was prevailed upon to go, and went to the enemy with a passport from the king, and brought me another to meet and confer in the midway between the two armies. I judged it to be dangerous; however, I resolved not to break with them, nor pretend any difficulty. The king nominated the Cardinal of St. Malo, the Lord de Gié, marshal of France, the Lord de Piennes his chamberlain, and myself. The enemy appointed the Marquis of Mantua captain-general of the Venetians, the Count di Cajazzo general for the Duke of Milan, and formerly of our side, and Signors Luca Pisani and Melchior Trevisano the two proveditors. We approached so near that we could plainly discern them, and that there were only those four upon the bank and the river between us, which was much swollen since the day before. Nobody but they appeared out of their camp, and on our side there was nobody but we four and a sentinel that stood over against them. We sent a herald to know whether they would pass the river to us, which I thought a hard matter to persuade them to, because I believed it was what both sides would scruple to do. Their answer was, that by agreement the conference was to be in the midway between the two armies; that they had advanced already above half-way, and, being the chief officers in their army, they could not pass over without danger, which they did not think it prudent to venture.