no? kh council will thank youj and would you thus difgrace yourfelf for the life of one man? For the love of God, change your intention, as the one you want to carry into effed is not only good for nothing but difhonourable. It would be infamous thus to put to death fo great a baron and fo gallant a knight as thç lord de ClifTon ; and, fhould you do fo, it will be confidered as traitorous, and Re-proach to you before God and by all the #orld. You invited him to dine with you : he came. You then feek for him, ii* the moft friendly manner, and defire him to accompany you to fçe your buildings : he does fo : he obeys your every command, and drinks of your wine ; and is all this affe&ion you {hew him but a veil to cover your treachery, and the means to rob him of his life ? Should you do fo, no lord will be ever fo difgraced ; all the world will deleft you, reproach you for it, and make war upon you. But, fince your hatred is fo violent againft the conftable, I will tell you how you fhall ad : you fhall give him his liberty for a large fum of florins. This you may compound for; and, fhould he hold any caftle that you claim as yours, he {hall deliver it up; and I will be his fecurity for the due performance of whatever you may agree to/ When the duke of Brittany heard the lord de Laval thus addrefs him, and never for one moment quit his prefence, for he followed him the whole night: he paufed a while, and, being fomewhat cooled, faid,—c Lord de Laval, you have been of the greateft fervice to your brother-in-law ; for know 948