M. de Vaudeville held prisoner M. de Bauge, brother of M. de Martigues who died at Hesdin.  M. de Bauge was prisoner at Chateau de La Motte au Bois, belonging to the Emperor; he had been captured at Therouenne by two Spanish soldiers; and M. de Vaudeville, when he saw him there, concluded he must be some gentleman of good family:  he made him pull off his stockings, and seeing his clean legs and feet, and his fine white stockings, knew he was one to pay a good ransom.  He told the soldiers he would give them thirty crowns down for their prisoner:  they agreed gladly, for they had no place to keep him, nor food for him, nor did they know his value:  so they gave their man into his hands, and he sent him off at once, guarded by four of his own soldiers, to Chateau de La Motte au Bois, with others of our gentlemen who were prisoners.

M. de Bauge would not tell who he was; and endured much hardship, living on bread and water, with a little straw for his bed.  When Hesdin was taken, M. de Vaudeville sent the news of it to him and to the other prisoners, and the list of the killed, and among them M. de Martigues:  and when M. de Bauge heard with his own ears his brother was dead, he fell to crying, weeping, and lamentation.  His guards asked him why he was so miserable:  he told them, for love of M. de Martigues, his brother.  When he heard this, the captain of the castle sent straight to tell M. de Vaudeville he had a good prisoner:  who was delighted at this, and sent me next day with four soldiers, and his own physician, to the castle, to say that if M. de Bauge would pay him fifteen thousand crowns ransom, he would send him home free:  and he asked only the security of two Antwerp merchants that he should name.  M. de Vaudeville persuaded me I should commend this offer to his prisoner:  that is why he sent me to the castle.  He told the captain to treat him well and put him in a room with hangings, and strengthen his guard:  and from that time onward they made a great deal of him, at the expense of M. de Vaudeville.

M. de Bauge answered that he could not pay his ransom himself:  it depended on M. d’ Estampes his uncle, and Mlle. de Bressure his aunt:  he had no means to pay such a ransom.  I went back with my guards, and gave this answer to M. de Vaudeville; who said, “Possibly he will not get away so cheap”:  which was true, for they knew who he was.  Then the Queen of Hungary and M. le Duc de Savoie sent word to M. de Vaudeville that this mouthful was too big for him, and he must send his prisoner to them (which he did), and he had other prisoners enough without him.  The ransom paid was forty thousand crowns, without other expenses.

On my way back to M. de Vaudeville, I passed by Saint Omer, where I saw their great cannons, most of which were fouled and broken.  Also I passed by Therouenne, where I saw not one stone left on another, save a vestige of the great church:  for the Emperor ordered the country people for five or six leagues round to clear and take away the stones; so that now you may drive a cart over the town:  and the same at Hesdin, and no trace of castle and fortress.  Such is the evil that wars bring with them.