He continued to press the raising of the famous dyke which was to starve La Rochelle. Meanwhile, he cast his eyes over that unfortunate city, which contained so much deep misery and so many heroic virtues, and recalling the saying of Louis XI, his political predecessor, as he himself was the predecessor of Robespierre, he repeated this maxim of Tristan’s gossip: "Divide in order to reign."
Continuó haciendo elevar el famoso dique que debía hacer padecer hambre a La Rochelle; mientras tanto, puso los ojos sobre aquella desgraciada ciudad que encerraba tanta miseria profunda y tantas virtudes heroicas y, acordándose de la frase de Luis XI, su predecesor politico como él era predecesor de Robespierre, murmuró esta máxima del compadre de Tristán: «Dividir para reinar.»