y reason that
at his being at the Isle of Ree, he had received great supplies of
victuals, and some companies of their garrison from the town, the want
of both which they were at this time very sensible of, and grieved at.

'This morning of St. Bartholomew, the duke had received letters, in
which he was advertised, that Rochelle had relieved itself; upon which
he directed that his breakfast might be speedily made ready, and he
would make haste to acquaint the King with the good news, the court
being then at Southwick, about five miles from Portsmouth. The chamber
in which he was dressing himself was full of company, and of officers
in the fleet and army. There was Monsieur de Soubize, brother to the
duke de Rohan, and other French gentlemen, who were very sollicitous
for the embarkation of the army, and for the departure of the fleet
for the relief of Rochelle; and they were at that time in much trouble
and and perplexity, out of apprehension that the news the duke had
received that morning might slacken the preparations of the voyage,
which their impatience and interest, persuaded them was not advanced
with expedition; and so they held much discourse with the duke of the
impossibility that his intelligence could be true, and that it was
contrived by the artifice and dexterity of their enemies, in order to
abate the warmth and zeal that was used for their relief, the arrival
of which relief, those enemies had much reason to apprehend; and a
longer delay in sending it, would ease them of that terrible
apprehension; their forts and works towards the sea, and in the
harbour being almost finished.

'This discourse, according to the natural custom of that nation, and
by the usual dialect of that language, was held with such passion and
vehemence, that the standers-by who understood not French, did believe
they were angry, and that they used the duke rudely. He being ready,
and informed that his breakfast was ready, drew towards the door,
where the hangings were held up; and in that very passage turning
himself to speak with Sir Thomas Fryer, a colonel of the army, who was
then speaking near his ear, he was on a sudden struck over his
shoulder upon the breast with a knife; upon which, without using any
other words, than that the villain has killed me, and in the same
moment pulling out the knife himself, he fell down dead, the knife
having pierced his heart. No man had ever seen the blow, or the man
who gave it; but in the