of Alencon, and went to reside in the town of
Argentan, ten leagues distant, whither he took his wife, thinking that
Dumesnil would abstain from coming. Withal he did not abstain, but came
several times to the said town of Argentan, and frequented his (St.
Aignan's) wife; whereby the people of Argentan were scandalised. And the
said St. Aignan endeavoured to prevent him from coming, and employed
the nurse of his child to remonstrate with Dumesnil, but the latter
persevered, saying and declaring that he would kill St. Aignan, and
would still go to Argentan, albeit it might cause his death. Insomuch
that the said Dumesnil, on the eighth day of this month, departed from
Alencon between two and three o'clock in the morning, a suspicious hour,
having disguised himself and assumed attire unsuited to his calling,
which is that of the law; wearing a Bearnese cloak,(2) a jacket of white
woollen stuff underneath, all torn into strips, with a feathered cap
upon his head, and having his face covered. In this wise he arrived at
the said town of Argentan, accompanied by two young men, and lodged
in the faubourgs at the sign of Notre Dame, and remained there
clandestinely from noon till about eleven o'clock in the evening, when
he asked the host for the key of the backdoor, so that he might go out
on his private affairs, not wishing to be recognised.

"At the said suspicious hour, with his sword at his side,(3) and dressed
and accoutred in the said garments, he started from his lodging with one
of the said young men.

2 See _ante_, p. 24, note 8.

3 The French word is _basion_, which in the sixteenth
century was often used to imply a sword; arquebuses and
musketoons being termed _basions a feu_ by way of
distinction. Moreover, it is expressly stated farther on
that Dumesnil had a sword.--Ed.

"In this wise Dumesnil reached the house of St. Aignan, which he found a
means of entering, and gained a closet up above, near the room where the
said St. Aignan and his wife slept. St. Aignan was without thought
of this, inasmuch as he was ignorant of the enterprise of the said
Dumesnil, being in the living room with one Master Thomas Guerin, who
had come upon business. Now, as St. Aignan was disposing himself to go
to bed, he told one of his servants, named Colas, to bring him his _cas_
(4) and the servant having occasion to go up into a closet in which
St. Aignan's wife was sleeping, and in which the said Du