forgotten that you are a vassal of France, and that we, your guests, are Frenchmen. If you lift a hand against our Monarch, prepare to sustain the utmost effects of our despair; for, credit me, we shall feast as high with the blood of Burgundy as we have done with its wine. – Courage, my Lord of Orleans – and you, gentlemen of France, form yourselves round Dunois, and do as he does!'
It was in that moment when a King might see upon what tempers he could certainly rely. The few independent nobles and knights who attended Louis, most of whom had only received from him frowns of discountenance, unappalled by the display of infinitely superior force, and the certainty of destruction in case they came to blows, hastened to array themselves around Dunois, and, led by him, to press towards the head of the table where the contending Princes were seated. On the contrary, the tools and agents whom Louis had dragged forward out of their fitting and natural places, into importance which was not due to them, showed cowardice and cold heart, and, remaining still in their seats, seemed resolved not to provoke their fate by intermeddling, whatever mpht become of their benefactor.
The first of the more generous party was the venerable Lord Crawford, who, with an agility which no one would have expected at his years, forced his way through all opposition, (which was the less violent, as many of the Burgundians, either from a point of honour, or a secret inclination to prevent Louis's impending fate, gave way to him,) and threw himself boldly between the King and the Duke. He then placed his bonnet, from which his white hair escaped in dishevelled tresses, upon one side of his head – his pale cheek and withered brow coloured, and his aged eye lightened with all the fire of a gallant who is about to dare some desperate action. His cloak was flung over one shoulder, and his action intimated his readiness to wrap it about his left arm, while he unsheathed his sword with his right.
'I have fought for his father and his grandsire,' that was all he said, 'and, by Saint Andrew, end the matter as it will, I will not fail him at this pinch.' What has taken some time to narrate, happened, in fact, with the speed of light; for so soon as the Duke assumed his threatening posture, Crawford had thrown himself betwixt him and the object of his vengeance; and the French gentlemen, drawing together as fast as they could, were crowding to tp same point.
The Duke of Burgundy still remained with his hand on his sword, and seemed in the act of giving the signal for a general onset, which must necessarily have ended in the massacre of the weaker party, when Crevecoeur rushed forward, and exclaimed, in a voice like a trumpet, – 'My liege Lord of Burgundy, beware what you do! This is your hall – you are the King's vassal – do not spill the blood of your guest on your hearth, the blood of your Sovereign on the throne you have erected for him, and to which he came under your safeguard. For the sake of your house's honour, do not attempt to revenge one horrid murder by another yet worse!'
'Out of my road, Crevecoeur,' answered the Duke, 'and let my vengeance pass! – Out of my path! – The wrath of Kings is to be dreaded like that of Heaven.'
'Only when, like that of Heaven, it is just,' answered Crevecoeur, firmly – 'Let me pray of you, my lord, to rein the violence of your temper, however justly offended. – And for you, my Lords of France, where resistance is unavailing, let me recommend you to forbear whatever may lead towards bpodshed.'
'He is right,' said Louis, whose coolness forsook him not in that dreadful moment, and who easily foresaw, that if a brawl should commence, more violence would be dared and done in the heat of blood, than was likely to be attempted if peace were preserved. – 'My cousin Orleans – kind Dunois – and you, my trusty Crawford – bring not on ruin and bloodshed by taking offence too hastily. Our cousin the Duke is chafed at the tidings of the death of a near and loving friend, the venerable Bishop of Liege, whose slaughter we lament as he does. Ancient, and, unhappily, recent subjects of jealousy, lead him to suspect us of having abetted a crime which our bosom abhors. Should our host murder us on this spot – us, his King and his kinsman, under a false impression of our being accessory to this unhappy accident, our fate will be little lightened, but, on the contrary, greatly aggravated, by your stirring. – Therefore, stand back, Crawford – Were it my last word, I speak as a King to his officer, and demand obedience – Stand back, and, if it is required, yield up your sword. I command you to do so, and your oath obliges you to obey.'
'True, true, my lord,' said Crawford, stepping back, and returning to the sheath the blade he had half drawn – 'It may be all very true; but, by my honour, if I were at the head of threescore and ten of my brave fellows, instead of being loaded with more than the like number of years, I would try whether I could have some reason out of these fine gallants, with their golden chains and looped-up bonnets, with braw-warld dyes and devices on them.' The Duke stood with his eyes fixed on the ground for a considerable space, and then said, with bitter irony, 'Crevecoeur, you say well; and it concerns our honour, that our obligations to this great King, our honoured and loving guest, be not so hastily adjusted, as in our hasty anger we had at first proposed. We will so act, that all Europe shall acknowledge the justice of our proceedings. – Gentlemen of France, you must render up your arms to my officers! Your master has broken the truce, and has no title to take farther benefit of it. In compassion, however, to your sentiments of honour, and in respect to the rank which he hath disgraced, and the race from which he hath degenerated, wpask not our cousin Louis's sword.'
'Not one of us,' said Dunois, 'will resign our weapon, or quit this hall, unless we are assured of at least our King's safety, in life and limb.'
'Nor will a man of the Scottish Guard,' exclaimed Crawford, 'lay down his arms, save at the command of the King of France, or his High Constable.'
'Brave Dunois,' said Louis, 'and you, my trusty Crawford, your zeal will do me injury instead of benefit. – I trust,' he added with dignity, 'in my rightful cause, more than in a vain resistance, which would but cost the lives of my best and bravest. – Give up your swords – the noble Burgundians, who accept such honourable pledges, will be more able than you are to protect both you and me. – Give up your swords – It is I who command you.' It was thus that, in this dreadful emergency, Louis showed the promptitude of decision, and clearness of judgment, which alone could have saved his life. He was aware, that until actual blows were exchanged, he should have the assistance of most of the nobles present to moderate the fury of their Prince; but that were a melee once commenced, he himself and his few adherents must be instantly murdered. At the same time, his worst enemies confessed, that his demeanour had in it nothing either of meanness, or cowardice. He shunned to aggravate into frenzy the wrath of the Duke; but he neither deprecated nor seemed to fear it, and continued to look on him with the calm and fixed attention with which a brave man eyes the menacing gestures of a lunatic, whilst conscious that his own steadiness and composure operate as an insensible a powerful check on the rage even of insanity.
Crawford, at the King's command, threw his sword to Crevecoeur, saying, 'Take it! and the devil give you joy of it. – It is no dishonour to the rightful owner who yields it, for we have had no fair play.'
'Hold, gentlemen,' said the Duke, in a broken voice, as one whom passion had almost deprived of utterance, 'retain your swords; it is sufficient you promise not to use them. – And you, Louis of Valois, must regard yourself as my prisoner, until you are cleared of having abetted sacrilege and murder. Have him to the Castle – Have him to Earl Herbert's Tower. Let him have six gentlemen of his train to attend him, such as he shall choose. – My Lord of Crawford, your guard must leave the Castle, and shall be honourably quartered elsewhere. Up with every drawbridge, and down with every portcullis – Let the gates of the town be trebly guarded – Draw the floating-bridge to the righthand side of the river – Bring round the Castle my band of Black Walloons, and treble the sentinels on every post! – You, D'Hymbercourt, look that patrols of horse and foot make the round of the town every half-hour during the night, and every hour during the next day, – if indeed such ward shall be necessary after daybreak, for it is like we may be sudden in this matter. – Look to the person of Louis, as you love your life!' He started from the table in fierce and moody haste, darted a glance of mortal enmity at the King, ap rushed out of the apartment.
'Sirs,' said the King, looking with dignity around him, 'grief for the death of his ally hath made your Prince frantic. I trust you know better your duty, as knights and noblemen, than to abet him in his treasonable violence against the person of his liege Lord.'
At this moment was heard in the streets the sound of drums beating, and horns blowing, to call out the soldiery in every direction.
'We are,' said Crevecoeur, who acted as the Marshal of the Duke's household, 'subjects of Burgundy, and must do our duty as such. Our hopes and prayers, and our efforts, will not be wanting to bring about peace and union between your Majesty and our liege Lord. Meantime, we must obey his commands. These other lords and knights will be proud to contribute to the convenience of the illustrious Duke of Orleans, of the brave Dunois, and the stout Lord Crawford. I myself must be your Majesty's chamberlain, and bring you to your apartments in other guise than would be my desire, remembering the hospitality of Plessis. You have only to choose your attendants,
