king's complaints and to the king the constable's excuses, without
bringing the constable to decide upon joining the king at Lyons and
accompanying him into Italy, or the king upon setting out for Italy
without the constable. "I would give a hundred thousand crowns," the
king sent word to Bourbon, "to be in Lombardy." "The king will do well,"
answered Bourbon, "to get there as soon as possible, for despatch is
needful beyond everything." When Warthy insisted strongly, the constable
had him called up to his bedside; and "I feel myself," said he, "the
most unlucky man in the world not to be able to serve the king; but if I
were to be obstinate, the doctors who are attending me would not answer
for my life, and I am even worse than the doctors think. I shall never
be in a condition to do the king service any more. I am going back to my
native air, and, if I recover a day's health, I will go to the king."
"The king will be terribly put out," said Warthy; and he returned to
Lyons to report these remarks of the real or pretended invalid. While he
was away, the constable received from England and Spain news which made
him enter actively upon his preparations; he heard at the same time that
the king was having troops marched towards Bourbonness so as to lay
violent hands on him if he did not obey; he, therefore, decided to go and
place himself in security in his strong castle of Chantelle, where he
could await the movements of his allies; he mounted his horse, did six
leagues at one stretch, and did not draw bridle until he had entered
Chantelle. Warthy speedily came and rejoined him. He found the
constable sitting on his bed, dressed like an invalid and with his head
enveloped in a night-cap. "M. de Warthy," said Bourbon, "you bring your
spurs pretty close after mine." "My lord," was the reply, "you have
better ones than I thought." "Think you," said Bourbon, "that I did not
well, having but a finger's breadth of life, to put it as far out of the
way as I could to avoid the king's fury?" "The king," said Warthy, "was
never furious towards any man; far less would he be so in your case."