e that he had given them their dismissal, and desired them
to go and set about preparing, one way or another, a large armament by
the spring." The Rochellese were rejoicing over the treaty they had
just concluded with the King of England, who promised "to aid them by
land and sea, to the best of his kingly power, until he should have
brought about a fair and secure peace." The mole was every moment being
washed away by the sea; and, "whilst the cardinal was employing all the
wits which God had given him to bring to a successful issue the siege of
La Rochelle to the glory of God and the welfare of the state, and was
laboring to that end more than the bodily strength granted to him by God
seemed to permit, one would have said that the sea and the winds,
favoring the English and the islands, were up in opposition and
thwarting his designs."

The king was growing tired, and wished to go to Paris; but this was not
the advice of the cardinal, and "the truths he uttered were so
displeasing to the king that he fell somehow into disgrace. The dislike
the king conceived for him was such that he found fault with him about
everything." The king at last took his departure, and the cardinal, who
had attended him "without daring, out of respect, to take his sunshade to
protect him against the heat of the sun, which was very great that day,"
was on his return taken ill with fever. "I am so downhearted that I
cannot express the regret I feel at quitting the cardinal, fearing lest
some accident may happen to him," the king had said to one of his
servants: "tell him from me to take care of himself, to think what a
state my affairs would be in if I were to lose him." When the king
returned to La Rochelle on the 10th of April, he found his army
strengthened, the line of circumvallation finished, and the mole well
advanced into the sea; the assault was becoming possible, and the king
summoned the place to surrender. [_Siege de La Rochelle. Archives
eurieuses de l'Histoire de France,_ t. iii. p. 102.] "We recognize no
other sheriffs and governors than ourselves," answered the sergeant on
guard to the improvised herald sent by the king; "nobody will listen to
you; away at once!" It was at last announced that the re-enforcements so
impatiently expected were coming from England. "The cardinal, who knew
that there was nothing so dangerous as to have no fear of one's enemy,
had a long while before set everything in order, as if the Engl