f, it was guilt to resist him. All the preachers and
hypocrites of the army set upon me, but I cared as little for their
abuse as for their sermons. At last one of the prince's gentlemen, to
curry favour with his master, called me libertine, before all our
captains. I struck him: we fought--and he was killed. At that time there
were a dozen duels a day in the army, and no notice taken. In my favour
an exception was made; I was fixed upon by the prince to serve as an
example. The entreaties of the other leaders, including the Admiral,
procured my pardon. But the prince's rancour was not yet appeased. At
the fight of Jazeneuil, I commanded a company: I had been foremost in
the skirmish; my cuirass battered and broken by bullets, my left arm
pierced by a lance, showed that I had not spared myself. I had only
twenty men left, and a battalion of the king's Swiss guards advanced
against us. The Prince of Conde ordered me to charge them; I asked for
two companies of _reitres_, and--he called me coward.'

"Mergy rose and approached his brother with an expression of strong
interest. The Captain continued--his eyes flashing with anger at the
recollection of the insult:--

"'He called me coward before all those popinjays in gilt armour who
afterwards abandoned him on the battle-field of Jarnac. I resolved to
die, and rushed upon the Swiss--vowing, if I escaped with life, never
again to draw sword for that unjust prince. Grievously wounded, thrown
from my horse, one of the Duke of Anjou's gentlemen, Beville--the mad
fellow whom we dined with to-day--saved my life, and presented me to the
duke. He treated me well. I was eager for vengeance. They urged me to
take service under my benefactor, the Duke of Anjou; they quoted the
line--

Omne solum forti patria est, ut piscibus aequor.

I was indignant to see the Protestants summoning foreigners to their
assistance. But why disguise the real motive that actuated me? I
thirsted for revenge, and became a Catholic, in hopes of meeting the
Prince of Conde in fair fight, and killing him. A coward forestalled me,
and the manner of the prince's death almost made me forget my hatred. I
saw his bloody corpse abandoned to the insults of the soldiery; I
rescued it from their hands, and covered it with my cloak. I was pledged
to the Catholics; I commanded a squadron of their cavalry; I could not
leave them. I have happily been able to render some service to my former
party; I have done my be