Both had been equally faithless in their professions of amity.

Both were equally responsible for the scenes of war, plunder, and misery, which again were desolating the fairest regions of Christendom.
At the time when the French court had resolved to concede to the wishes of the Caraffa family, Admiral Coligny, who had been appointed governor of Picardy, had received orders to make a foray upon the frontier of Flanders.

Before the formal annunciation of hostilities, it was thought desirable to reap all the advantage possible from the perfidy which had been resolved upon.
It happened that a certain banker of Lucca, an ancient gambler and debauchee, whom evil courses had reduced from affluence to penury, had taken up his abode upon a hill overlooking the city of Douay.

Here he had built himself a hermit's cell.

Clad in sackcloth, with a rosary at his waist, he was accustomed to beg his bread from door to door.