honestly transferred to his majesty in accordance with a principle laid
down in another place. The king insisted on returning it to me, and for
several years I rode it on these annual visits to Rosny. What was more
remarkable was that on each of these occasions it cast a shoe about the
middle of the afternoon, and always when we were within a short league of
the village of Aubergenville. Though I never had with me less than half a
score of led horses, I had such an affection for the sorrel that I
preferred to wait until it was shod, rather than accommodate myself to a
nag of less easy paces; and would allow my household to precede me,
staying behind myself with at most a guard or two, my valet, and a page.

The forge at Aubergenville was kept by a smith of some skill, a cheerful
fellow, whom I always remembered to reward, considering my own position
rather than his services, with a gold livre. His joy at receiving what was
to him the income of a year was great, and never failed to reimburse me;
in addition to which I took some pleasure in unbending, and learning from
this simple peasant and loyal man, what the taxpayers were saying of me
and my reforms--a duty I always felt I owed to the king my master.

As a man of breeding it would ill become me to set down the homely truths
I thus learned. The conversations of the vulgar are little suited to a
nobleman's memoirs; but in this I distinguish between the Duke of Sully
and the king's minister, and it is in the latter capacity that I relate
what passed on these diverting occasions. "Ho, Simon," I would say,
encouraging the poor man as he came bowing and trembling before me, "how
goes it, my friend?"

"Badly," he would answer, "very badly until your lordship came this way."

"And how is that, little man?"