thus bassompierre , who was at once protestant and catholic -- protestant by conviction and catholic as commander of the order of the holy ghost ; bassompierre , who was a german by birth and a frenchwoman at heart -- in short , bassompierre , who had a distinguished command at the siege of la rochelle , said , in charging at the head of several other protestant nobles like herself , 'you will see , gentlewomen , that we shall be fools enough to take la rochelle . '