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daie to view where he ſhould place the batterie, and to put things in a readines: where in the preſence of his Maieſtie, was woorth the labour of fiftie others; for he ſtird not from the worke all the daye long, and part of the night. In the meane time, the ſaid Male-benehard who had before (whileſt the King was at Chaſteadun) deſired to parley with the Lord of Richelieu great Prouoſt of France, with whom he was familiarlie acquainted: afterward, when as the ſaide Prouoſt did goe to him into the towne, he knew not almoſt what hee required, but that hee deſired, that without yeelding the place, the Armie might retyre. Feeling himſelfe afterward pricked in conſcience, & in danger of the ſiege, he required againe to ſpeake with the ſaid Lord of Richelieu, who retourning the ſecond time, came backe againe as vncertaine and ill ſatiſfied as at the firſt. Wherin it well appeared, that God would make him throughlie feele the recompence of his deſerts, hauing giuen him reſpite inough long time before the iudgement happened, for to ſeeke remedie, and not permitted him to helpe himſelfe with reſolution, as it came to paſſe. For his Maieſtie hauing paſſed all the night in conducting and placing the Artillerie in battaile, began at the dawning of the daye to beate two towers of the Caſtle, to take away the defences of the breach, which hee purpoſed to make: but after the beſtowing of an hundred or an hundred and twentie Cannon ſhot, and hauing made a hole in one of the ſaide Towers, where onely two men could paſſe in front, the Souldiers deſirous of the aſſault, certaine of them beeing onely commanded to ſee it they could lodgein
