of ropes, by which he was to effect his escape into the court below, was
also transmitted. The plan had been completely arranged. A certain Pole
employed in the enterprise was to be at Hernani, with horses in readiness
to convey them to San Sebastian. There a sloop had been engaged, and was
waiting their arrival. Montigny, accordingly, in a letter enclosed
within a loaf of bread--the last, as he hoped, which he should break in
prison--was instructed, after cutting off his beard and otherwise
disguising his person, to execute his plan and join his confederates at
Hernani. Unfortunately, the major-domo of Montigny was in love. Upon
the eve of departure from Spain, his farewell interview with his mistress
was so much protracted that the care of sending the bread was left to
another. The substitute managed so unskilfully that the loaf was brought
to the commandant of the castle, and not to the prisoner. The commandant
broke the bread, discovered the letter, and became master of the whole
plot. All persons engaged in the enterprise were immediately condemned
to death, and the Spanish soldier executed without delay. The others
being considered, on account of their loyalty to their master as
deserving a commutation of punishment, were sent to the galleys. The
major-domo, whose ill-timed gallantry had thus cost Montigny his liberty,
received two hundred lashes in addition. All, however, were eventually
released from imprisonment.

The unfortunate gentleman was now kept in still closer confinement in his
lonely tower. As all his adherents had been disposed of, he could no
longer entertain a hope of escape. In the autumn of this year (1568) it
was thought expedient by Alva to bring his case formally before the Blood
Council. Montigny had committed no crime, but he was one of that band of
popular, nobles whose deaths had been long decreed. Letters were
accordingly sent to Spain, empowering certain functionaries there to
institute that preliminary examination, which, as usual, was to be the