This the King disputed, and loudly declared his vexation at being left in ignorance of the matter.

The Ambassador excused himself as well as he could, on the ground that he had been in Zealand when the troops were marching, but told the King his impression that they had been sent to chastise the people of Cologne for their cruelty in burning and utterly destroying the city of Mulheim.
"That is none of your affair," said the King.
"Pardon me, your Majesty," replied Caron, "they are our fellow religionists, and some one at least ought to resent the cruelty practised upon them." The King admitted that the destruction of the city had been an unheard--of cruelty, and then passed on to speak of the quarrel between the Duke and City of Brunswick, and other matters.

The interview ended, and the Ambassador, very downhearted, went to confer with the Secretary of State Sir Ralph Winwood, and Sir Henry Wotton.
He assured these gentlemen that without fully consulting the French government these radical changes in the negotiations would never be consented to by the States.

Winwood promised to confer at once with the French ambassador, admitting it to be impossible for the King to take up this matter alone.

He would also talk with the Archduke's ambassador next day noon at dinner, who was about leaving for Brussels, and "he would put something into his hand that he might take home with him." "When he is fairly gone," said Caron, "it is to be hoped that the King's head will no longer be so muddled about these things.