"Greatly against my will-brethren, I may Sir John Fastolfe was a favorite with the Duke confide in all of ye-I have sent to beseech the of Bedford, who had advanced him to many great most reverend Cardinal Beaufort to come to our honars. But the vehement accusations of Talbot; aid, for a few months, with the army of the cruthe impolicy of encouraging belief in Jeanne's sade, which he has levied, at the pope's prayer, witchcraft, the baneful effects of which he had against the Bohemian heretics;" said Bedford, in himself witnessed; wrath at the tremendous con- the same calm tone, though aware that the intelsequences of the loss of the battle of Pataye; the ligence was highly disagreeable to nearly all necessity of making an example; the entreaties present. "And he has promised to march on his of the miserable knight himself, who passionately expedition by way of France, provided we tramdemanded to be heard in his defense; induced mel him with no siege-and comes with what the duke to consent to his solemn trial before his haste he may to Rouen." brethren.

a fiery darkness, and his arms and senses became | what were it but with an act forbidden by God, powerless, while two fiends of red-hot bronze to plunge myself into the fiery pool?" gasped seized his charger by the bit, and raced it madly Fastolfe. Talbot laughed scornfully, and there frem the field! was a moment's profound silence. "Thine own two cowardly esquires, whom I "Take him away," said the Duke of Bedford, will hang for it when I chance on them!" ex-rising, " and bring me your judgment and your claimed Talbot. "Why should this woman have sentence to the ramparts, whither I will go air power over thee only? What master sin hast me, and look if I can yet discern this standard thou committed?-Talbot is held no saint, yet that changes men into stone." Talbot fled not."

Fastolfe grew paler still as the memory of his excommunication crossed his mind, but he replied brokenly. "Even from the first instant 1 beheld her, she has been fatal to me! I have seen her at her magic rites, and therefore she hates me as a living witness of her crimes, whom she would fain destroy. Saw you not the stag that guided her to Pataye? It was that which in evil hour I hunted in the forests of Commercy, and, being marvelously won by the savage beauty of her look, I spared it for her sake, and fastened my gold chain of St. George around its antlers in her honor."

Fastolfe clasped his hands imploringly toward his former kind master and chief, but Bedford, vailing his face in his hood, merely returned the salutes of the knights and retired.

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Even chance was an enemy to the luckless Dragon Knight. The Regent had scarcely time to cool his choler by ascending the lofty ramparts of the city, toward St. Denis, and inhaling the breeze that blew over them, ere a cry arose of the Armagnacs, the Armagnacs!" a name by which the Parisians still designated the partisans of Charles VII. And in reality the banners of an innumerable host, stretching far and near like the masts of some great harbor on a gala day, streamed into sight along the horizon toward St. Denis. A brief space of time brought them into full view, and the well-practiced eyes of the Re"But, brethren, from this spell I shall, I trust, gent discovered that the mass of his enemy's be soon released," continued Fastolfe, turning de-army was approaching the walls of Paris. spairingly from him. My Verdurer, my faithful Wulfstan of Warbois, whose aim is sure as the darts of the sun, parted from me at Rheims to return to those wilds on the Meuse, and watch day and night, at every risk, till I have my chain again."

“Thou shouldst have wedded her, and fastened them round thine own, to thine own!" said Talbot.

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"And are we to wait till this faithful liegeman of thine returns, to echo this winter-grandame's story?" returned Talbot. "By my faith, which men may say is but small, we shall lose France through other cowards following thine example ere we see his face, or hear his lying testimony back thine !"

"Atheist! no marvel thou disbelievest in man," replied Fastolfe, furiously. "Even as before the field of Pataye, I tell thee now again, if thou art Talbot,-Talbot! I will meet thee in a bear's cage, and prove on thy well-scarred carcass, I am no coward nor fugitive !"

The good will and impetuous purposes that animated the assailants might be perceived in the straining rapidity of their march, resembling that of an ostrich in flight over the desert, with its head thrust far in advance of its limbs. The magnificent company of chivalry that formed the vanguard seemed composed of the most distinguished nobles and knights, to judge by the splendor of their garniture. And in advance even of these paladins, as if she enjoyed being alone, or that her devouring thoughts urged her more restlessly on, came the Maid of Orleans. The mixture of female habiliments with those of a warrior, the length of her surcoat which flowed to her spurs, her snowy charger and plumes and standard, sufficiently distinguished her from any other leader.

The Duke of Bedford would perhaps have felt less wrath and detestation kindle in his breast when he marked this figure, if he could have read the secrets of hers. He would have experienced less doubt and apprehension could he have fathomed the various and even opposing motives which brought this numerous host so resolutely against his strength.

"I do remember me, and it is well reminded," exclaimed Talbot. "How darest thou say the witch affrighted thee, when long ere we met with her thou wert so dastard-hued that Talbot himself wept hot tears of shame to see it? Yea, I will battle with thee, armed with my nails and thou in Milan steel, if these thy brethren declare Charles VII. and his minister had apparently thee not to be a base recreant, false to all fellow- every reason to exult in the success of their proship and brotherhood, which the French them-ject. After the events of Rheims, and the conselves called thee in Rheims! Then will I tear sent of the Maid to continue in his service, the off these dishonored gauds of the garter, worn by hearts of the French soldiery and people seemed so vile a slave. Shame now is not to him who to return to him by an invisible but irresistible atthinks shame of Edward's badge, but to him who thinks not shame of it! Yea, sirs, make it so, and I will fight with him as your champion while I have blood to spend, or arm to shed it."

Ah, gentle sirs, brothers! give me death ere. that dishonor!" said Fastolfe, despairingly clasping his hands.

'Death follows this dishonor; death, by all laws that soldiers ever made," returned Talbot. "But death may go before and prevent the shame of our order. If thou darest die, Fastolfe, until thy sword is snatched from thee and shivered by the hangman, thou hast the means!"

"Ha, ere now I had found that remedy! but

traction. He had only to march to conquer, and in the general opinion, Paris itself awaited only his arrival to imitate an almost universal example, and open her gates to a beloved vanquisher.

But a change had come over the spirits both of Charles and his favorite adviser. The young, vain, and amorous king was wearied and offended with the coldness and even aversion which after the revelation of Rheims appeared to govern the Maid in her intercourse with him. The excess of passion in that pure and high-souled nature took the hues and forms of a contrary sentiment. She dared no longer trust herself to the slightest evidence of the love within her heart lest the

mighty torrent finding the smallest dam removed, | further weakened her sway over the popular beshould overwhelm all. She could no longer deny lief. They beheld her no longer environed by a to her own convictions the frenzy she shared, and sacred escort of priests and monks to chant the which nature herself had avowed so dangerously anthems of her glory. The archbishop of Rheims and irresistibly. Her pellucid conscience showed had withdrawn those over whom he had influthe slighest stain too glaringly to be mistaken, ence, and was busied with the new prior of St. and its excess of religious sensitiveness exagger- Remy in weeding his chapter and diocese of all ated whatever partook of evil into monstrous who favored the English cause. criminality. The idea haunted her incessantly, and fed upon her heart as a raven upon its food, that, however pure in conduct, she encouraged by her consent to accompany the king, an adulterous passion and hopes in him. And in herself, what might be that fatal pleasure that enabled her to battle the reproaches of her soul, and continue with him in spite of sufferings so great as now environed her?

For it was no longer as in the early days of her glory and of the popular enthusiasm. The discontented captains grew daily more averse to her and her projects. Every new success increased their apprehensions and gloom. All the renown of the achievements performed went to the Maid, or rather there seemed no longer any occasion for the martial virtues on which they prided themselves. Jeanne d'Arc leveled strong walls with her looks and words more irresistibly than the trumpet of Jericho! The great captains of France felt themselves degraded to the rank of the pageant followers in a triumphal progress.

The conduct and demeanor of Jeanne d'Arc herself added to these unfavorable rumors and misgivings. The profound melancholy that dwelt upon her amidst the luster of her triumphs seemed to the people, unskilled in divining the secrets of great souls, a visible testimony which she bore against herself. Her resolves had no longer the simplicity and fixedness of a divine impulse. Difficulties became visible to her, for she now saw with the naked eye of humanity, that cannot bring the distant mountains near. She was deserted by her voices; they no longer gave her advice and consolation, or confirmed into a fixed light the irradiations of her genius. She had lost confidence in the heavens and in herself; at times was appalled and amazed at the grandeur of her own destiny, and at the terror which stretched before it into the immensity of the unknown, like a shadow of the night which comes behind the magnificence of the sun. Above all, a dreary sentiment was in her heart which, as it were, poisoned and choked the fountains of her inspiration of love and of glory.

tunes of Charles of France. In blind obedience to its dictates, she had defied those of God and her own soul: a terrific punishment was darkly menaced, and overhung her like a perpetual gloom, without having the power to affright her back from the path of its fulfillment. But the worst and most incessant pang of all was the discovery of the earthy essence of that idol which her imagination had decked with the attribute of a god. The debasing gratitude of the recompense intended to be conferred upon her, the consciousness that her noble rejection irritated and alienated the heart which to win was guilt and to lose was despair, made her existence a kind of troublous dream.

The exultation of La Trimouille, moreover, revealed his projects and hopes of entirely eman- She had discovered the too human and guilty cipating himself and his master from their control. nature of the passionate feeling binding her to The haughty nobles could not contemplate with-serve through every peril and anguish, the forout dismay the certainty that they should soon be no longer necessary to their king. With more reason than ever, they began to revive their intrigues to remove the evil counselor from the presence of their sovereign, and to restore to it the bold and powerful Constable. Jeanne d'Arc was at the same instant feared and doubted by the favorite minister, and hated and thwarted as his partisan by his enemies. The king could not believe in the strength and devotion of a passion which took none of the forms in which his own earthy and voluptuous nature ever indulged its dictates; whose very intensity of fervor purified itself. Still less could the licentious and suspicious minister. La Trimouille began to remember with increasing distrust the circumstances of her former connection with the Constable. Every hour that brought them nearer to the forces which this great officer had set afoot in Normandy, and where his successes became brilliant now that the English army was shut up at Paris, contributed to the misgivings of La Trimouille.

More surprising than most of these changes was one which Jeanne herself was as yet far from dreaming possible, in the people and soldiery. Despite her continued and dazzling career of victory, doubts and fears began to mingle largely in the popular exultation. Amazing as it may appear, every new triumph only increased the vague but general apprehension of some approaching and signal failure. The captains took care to spread assiduously her own declaration in Rheims that the days of her glory and mission were over, and that she stayed with the army against the dictates of the supernatural powers that had hitherto supported her. Rumors were carefully spread concerning the nature of her intimacy with the king, which even the generous Dunois believed in sorrowful silence, and which

Jeanne herself was perhaps the only one of the immense mass which she led against Paris, who sincerely desired to behold its walls. The captains dreaded a crowning success which would render their secret plans abortive; the common soldiery vaguely anticipated the catastrophe that haunted their imaginations, and which continual success only deepened, as breaks of sunshine illumine the gathering darkness of a tempest. The excessive severity of her discipline-unfelt, or once regarded as the suitable rigor of an angelic purity-began now to excite murmurs and disgust among men who deemed the enforcer herself subject to human frailties of no light hue. The time she spent in solitary sorrow, or in suffering, they now imagined to be devoted to courtly pleasures and enjoyments. And conscious within her heart of the too human and blamable sentiment that reigned in it, she rejected the adoration and enthusiasm of the people with an asperity which seemed to take it for reproach, and both diminished and cooled the outward signs.

Charles himself and his minister halted at St

I am Jeanne the Maid. What English are ye?" she said, with her characteristic brevity, but with less than her wonted cheer.

"I am John of Lancaster. Are maids so scarce in France, that to be one is something marvelous ?" replied the Duke of Bedford.

In very faith, to be one after the pattern of this straw-wench, is marvelous!" muttered Talbot.

Denis, and declined accompanying the march of cording to her custom, to summon the city. the army on Paris. The king alleged excess of John of Lorraine, at his own earnest desire, fatigue, and a wish to avoid appearing in person preceded her with his largest and best beloved against his rebellious capital, where he was by no cannon, which he called "the shepherdess" in means personally popular. And in truth he was honor of his captainess, wreathed with flowers. wearied of the very sameness and rapidity of his Dunois and the Duke of Alençon, with the hertriumphs; and accustomed to a life of ease and ald, France, were her only company. pleasure, the toils and privations of a campaign made him glad of a pretext to halt. But still more powerful reasons influenced La Trimouille. The little he had seen of war nevertheless deprived it of all attractions to his fearful contemplation; and an attack on the ferocious capital of the Burgundian faction was likely to prove no child's play. He anticipated with growing apprehensions some sudden outbreak of the discontent which he saw in the looks of the French "If thou art John of Lancaster, calling himself captains, maturing against him. The vicinage Regent of France, know that the King of France of the Constable and his army, engaged in the is of age and needs none !” replied Jeanne d'Arc, siege of Evreux, rendered some daring attempt whose eye ranged with astonishment along the on his person very possible, and he had no longer mighty defenses of the city her adventurous forconfidence in the support of Jeanne d'Arc. She tune had now brought her to assail. "But if had even evinced a degree of contempt his cow-thou art he, thou art a knight of old renown, ardly and unskillful conduct in arms, in which famous on stricken fields. Therefore, in the he yet persisted to make a display, naturally ex-name of God, come down from thy castled cited. And La Trimouille-himself incapable of strength, if ye dare meet us in equal conflict, and an act of generosity-recognized only an overt sign we will withdraw and give ye ample space and of hostility in one perpetrated by Jeanne, against time to marshal yourselves in battle array." his advice. The town of Compiègne surrendered "Is not thy master-if thou ownest one less to the Constable's lieutenant, Guillaume de Flavy, than the fiend-a murderer? Doth God battle on condition that the Maid of Orleans was al-with murderers?" said Bedford, calmly. "Wolowed to name their governor. De Flavy was man-if woman thou art-listen to me. Neither a man who owed her a bitter grudge, both on his by the aid of heaven or of hell hast thou so far own and his master's account, yet she appointed prevailed, but by cowardice and treason. In the him to the government of Compiègne, observing, with a deep sigh, that they who win should

wear.

The King was therefore not among the leaders of the French host who now approached Paris, beneath the gaze of the Regent, Bedford, and inundated the open country between Montmartre and the gates of St. Honoré and St. Denis. It was amidst the general uproar and alarm of the city at this approach that the chivalry of the Garter mounted the ramparts, and announced to the Duke of Bedford their judgment and sentence on Sir John Fastolfe,―guilty, degradation, and death!

name of chivalry and true knighthood,—if such be in any degree remaining among ye,-agree with us for an hour's truce, and we will show to you and all the world our true opinion!"

"We grant and promise it, royal Lancaster, on our swords," said the Duke of Alençon, eagerly; and as Jeanne made no objection but a glance of mute reproach, an hour's truce was solemnly proclaimed, by sound of trumpets, on the walls and in the French host. In a few instants, the second verge of the two ditches dividing the walls of Paris from the Marché-aux-Pourceaux, was crowded with a multitude anxious to see the city and the promised exhibition. The citizens and garrison of Paris crowded the wall; and as only Bedford and his chivalry were in the secret, curiosity was highly excited on all sides.

Before, however, comment could be made by the Duke, a sufficient one was enacted beneath his eyes. A lofty swelling mound between these two gates, upon which the hog-market of Paris was It was gratified within a brief space, when the usually held, and which was designated from that drawbridge of the gate St. Honoré being lowered, circumstance, was defended on the summit by an a procession of the knights of the garter, in long outwork of considerable strength. It was occu- mourning robes, that concealed their gorgeous pied by a body of choice archers and men-at- costumes, appeared on it. They were afoot, and arms; and yet, scarcely an assault made, they kept their heads cast down and faces concealed evacuated the fortification, and were seen flying as if at an actual funeral. The Duke of Bedford in disorder and terror toward the city walls. In alone came on horseback, but without the inaddition to this calamity, although the most in- signia of the order. Twelve priests followed stant orders were given for a party to sally forth with lighted tapers, dolorously chanting the and regain possession of the hight, not a single prayers for the dead; and after them, environed lance or cross-bow ventured from the opened by a strong guard, and manacled at the wrists gates. Only the fugitives entered; none sallied with a many times coiled chain, came the unforth. happy Dragon Knight. He was completely "And say you, my lord Regent, that no ex-armed, with this precaution against his using his ample is necessary to make these cowardly weapons; a page bore his lance, his sword was knaves understand there is something more ter- girded on, and Garter, king-at-arms, bore his emrible than the swords of the witch's bullies?" blazoned shield behind him. said Talbot, pale with wrath.

The procession halted on the farther end of "Ye have one in readiness," replied Bedford; the drawbridge, and the priests continued their and almost as he spoke, the French trumpets dismal harmony until they reached the conclusounded a parley, and Jeanne approached,^ac- \sion of the Miserere. The most obdurate then

beheld with some emotion, the deformed execu- | by which even the children of the degraded knight tioner of Paris, Loupgarou, advance with his were declared forever infamous, ignoble, and peasnaked ax, and joyfully throw down a billet of ants, when a cry or rather yell was heard from wood before the condemned knight to serve as a the gate of St. Honoré. A man in a stained and block. The deathsman, leaning on his weighty ragged garb, as if he had been for months exposed curtal, seemed to await only the conclusion of to all the variations of the weather, with an arsome further ceremonies, to inherit his victim. cher's bow on his back, and shaking a chain of The clerical assistants resumed their chanting, gold deliriously aloft, came rushing over the drawand at the conclusion of every subsequent verse bridge. made a deep pause and silence. Two heralds-atarms at these intervals removed pieces of Fastolfe's armor, uncovering his head first, and revealing a ghastly picture of despair and shame, that affected the hardest spectators. Dunois, whom he had overthrown in battle, covered his face and wept aloud, and Jeanne turned hers away with an expression of anguish.

"This is the helmet of Sir John Fastolfe, Knight of the Garter, Lord of Caister, and Lieutenant of Champagne, attaint and convicted of cowardice and desertion of the banner of my Lord St. George and of the king, and therefore most worthily adjudged and condemned to degradation from his noble, chivalric, and warlike rank, and to death! Live the King!" proclaimed Garter, and repeated a similar speech at the removal of every piece of armor.

Helmet, collar, girdle, sword, gorget, gauntlets, spurs, breastplate, and backplate, were thus removed, and Fastolfe appeared in his doublet and hose of soiled silk. The heralds continued their task. Garter, king-at-arms, advanced, and reversing the shield of Fastolfe's blazonry which he carried, proclaimed, "This is the shield and coat of the false traitor and recreant, Fastolfe, of Caister !"

"That deserted me at Pataye!" shouted Talbot, and anticipating the herald's diligence, he shattered the shield to shreds with the ax of the executioner.

"Release my lord, release him!" cried the verdurer of Commercy. "The spell is broken; I have slain the stag! Many a moonlight did I watch for him till I dared seek him beneath the witch's tree! That was his lair, and there I slew him!"

"It is in vain, good yeoman! your lord is condemned, but we retain thee in our proper service,”. said the Duke of Bedford.

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My lord, I am a vassal of Caister; I will serve none but Sir John Fastolfe," replied the archer. "Release him, for I have redeemed him from his spell."

I

"No, Wulfstan, leave me. Let all leave me ; am an excommunicated wretch, that have brought my penalties on the cause I thought to serve!" said Fastolfe, accepting with a wild look his strangely restored chain. "The Bishop of Beauvais excommunicated me, and rightly, for striking a priest; yet dared I still to mingle among Christian men !"

"Deem not I dread the deathsman and his ax, This ceremony concluded, the priests extin- my mighty lord! when, for this cause, I beseech guished their tapers, and walked round the con- you on my knees to spare my life, until the bishop demned and motionless knight in a circle until has withdrawn his curse," said the woful knight, they had chanted the hundred and nineteenth falling prostrate before the regent's charger. psalm of David, held by the Church to be a pro-" Only in this behalf do I dare remind your royal phetic malediction of Judas Iscariot. These grace, that once I was your dear knight, and called curses duly sung, a pursuivant in attendance on your brother-in-arms !" the heralds advanced, and held a silver ewer full of warm water over Fastolfe's head.

"Tell me, pursuivant, what man is this, by name and surname?" then quoth Garter.

"Sir John Fastolfe! Sir John Fastolfe! Sir John Fastolfe!" replied the pursuivant, in a raised voice, as if proclaiming its ignominy to the world.

"Thou art deceived, pursuivant, for that was a noble and faithful knight; and tell me, knights, what have ye adjudged this man to be ?" returned the king-at-arms.

Fastolfe," replied the Duke, even his stern and cold nature moved to tears. "Talbot has forgotten Rouvrai, but England and Bedford have not! Go to Beauvais, and in person win this absolution thou needest, and never return to the death thy brethren have doomed thee !"

"I will return, my lord! I will return to die as faithfully as a bridegroom to a new-wedded love!" said Fastolfe, springing up with a sudden reäction as if of all the powers of life.

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We will give thee way, fortuneless knight, and God speed thee on it," said Dunois; and the "A traitor, a coward! Read, Garter, our judg-Duke of Bedford, vaulting from his horse, threw ment," said Talbot, handing a scroll to the func-him the reins. My grooms will deem thou hast tionary, who read aloud that, by the unanimous profaned by touching it, therefore take it with judgment of the brethren of the Garter, in chapter thee," he said; and Fastolfe leaped into the assembled, Sir John Fastolfe was declared unwor- saddle. Then as if anxious to speed from the thy any longer to bear the title of a knight, ban-sight of his ignominy, he struck his spurless heels ished from their fellowship, degraded from chiv- on the charger's flanks, and crossed at a wild alry, and condemned to die by the ax of the bound, the space of drawbridge not lowered, to common executioner. These words uttered, the king-at-arms emptied the ewer of water over Fastolfe's head! A willow drenched in midnight rain could scarcely present a more woful and wobegone spectacle.

Garter was then about to pronounce the words

the opposite verge. Another ditch divided him from the host of France, but he was now directly opposite the station of Jeanne d'Arc. And even her mighty heart quailed before the glare of mad hatred and vengeance in the glance which he cast upon her when, raising his still shackled hands to