Nevertheless he must speak. Drouin's Protocol, then, is not a contribution to the historical understanding, but rather it is an expression of his ego and his desire for immortality. An additional admission renders Drouin's Protocol almost useless as a contemporaneous source of historical truth. The last time it was examined and put aside was in the year 1637. Drouin consciously and unabashedly rewrites history.
Some amendments are obvious.
This is the first appearance of this particular phrase which, however, appears frequently in the protocol. With the example of Grainier before him, Drouin is aware of the consequences of criticizing the Cardinal. Most of Drouin's revisions undoubtedly were made for the purpose of self-protection, and Drouin's original remarks are lost forever. Some revisions are more obvious, but the reader cannot know what parts of the protocol were written currently and what parts were rewritten. The integrity of the entire protocol is impaired.