611-617.] Henry IV.

commissioned Rosny to negotiate with him; and Rosny went into Normandy, to Louviers first and then to Rouen itself.

The negotiation seemed to be progressing favorably, but a distrustful whim in regard to Villars, and the lofty pretensions he put forward, made Rosny hang back for a while, and tell the whole story to the king, at the same time asking for his instructions.

Henry replied,-- "My friend, you are an ass to employ so much delay and import so many difficulties and manoeuvres into a business the conclusion of which is of so great importance to me for the establishment of my authority and the relief of my people.

Do you no longer remember the counsels you have so many times given to me, whilst setting before me as an example that given by a certain Duke of Milan to King Louis XI., at the time of the war called that of the Common Weal?
It was to split up by considerations of private interest all those who were leagued against him on general pretexts.