experienced martialist; but when his narrative bore him into the heat of the battle, his heart and tongue kindled with his theme, and he exclaimed, "Hadst thou seen, sir knight, the close of that day, thou hadst never wished to behold another: no after-time, or after-tale, were worth the living for or listening. The field was well-nigh won by king Philip's chivalry, when the emperor Otho, who had all that day done deeds surpassing human valour, made his last and furious charge against the royal guard, who fought closely round the king, for fear of the assassinates. It was a perilous. and mortal shock-a bloody and fearful grappling. The royal guard dealt about their iron-headed clubs with heavy force and wearied strength. The duke of Burgundy, who fought by the king's banner, was unhorsed. The count St. Paul, the stoutest lance in the royal host, lay wounded, and supported by his squires at the foot of a tree. King Philip himself fought on foot, though he was now dealing impotent blows on the dead bodies of his guard, that, faithful even after death, lay

The emperor

round him like a rampart. Otho pressed on, mounted for the third time. that day, and surrounded by the flower of the imperial chivalry. It was then the few who still fought round King Philip, and deemed all lost in his danger, shouted aloud, "Lower the oriflamme, in token of the king's peril!" The oriflamme had bent no more from its stately height all that day than the oak of the forest, when the storm hath swept it, and laid all but its monarch on the earth; but, at the cry of the knights, the bannerbearer lowered the oriflamme, and a hundred knights, from various distances and dangers of the field, hasted to the royal rescue. I was then in a far distant spot, confronted with that traitor Eustache de Maguelines; but, when I saw the oriflamme lowered, it seemed to me as if the sun was sunk. I know not how it fared with me-all wandered in a bloody mist. But I say, Sir Paladour," continued the veteran, recovering his voice, an hundred, yea two hundred, sore wounded as they were,

so that many could scarce bestride their steeds, hastened from every part of the field at that signal.

"But there was one, a boy in arms, a wanderer, a mere adventurer of the day, unnamed and unknown, who arrived first of them allwith one blow of a battle-axe, which he had snatched from some powerless hand, he clove the skull of the emperor's horse, while the rider's grasp was on the king of France's rein, who was again horsed; and the noble steed, rearing in mortal agony, turned with his rider from the blow. King Philip shouted, "The emperor hath turned his back and fled!" The word spread like lightning. The chivalry of France rallied;—and—and for the rest of the day," said Sir Aymer, wiping his eyes, which overflowed involuntarily at the mention or relation of a noble action," methinks this boy left us little to do but to chase the flanks of the emperor's host as a hawk would a flight of pigeons; and, as we bound up our wounds, to curse the Count of Flanders, who gave the cause of

quarrel. But, as touching that boy,- Know you him?" said he abruptly to Amirald.

"No one knows him less," said the youth, in a suppressed tone.

"There thou liest, and loudly," quoth Sir Aymer, with the coarse jocularity permitted in that age between equals in rank.

"Thou

art the man, or wilt be, if thou livest to be a man. Now, by the saints, it was thou thyself didst the very deed, and won'st thy title of knight banneret from the royal hand of Philip an hand that would, ere this day, have been cold, had not thine-thine, clove the skull of the emperor's steed. Tush, what signify words, or becks, or blushes? reserve them for thy bridal, if ever thou gettest a beard, and breath enough to woo a maiden withal. Sir Paladour, I wot thee to know this is Amirald, who saved the life and royaume of our liege lord King Philip. Now shame to me, a bearded knight, to sit betwixt two boys knight bannerets, whilst I - Fill me a cup of Muscadel, good cellarer, to wash down remembrance."

While the cellarer promptly handed the cup, which the knight as promptly quaffed, Sir Paladour, tearing off his glove of mail, eagerly extended his hand to Sir Amirald; and again the youth, instead of grasping it in his, pressed it to his lips with grateful re

verence.

"And wast thou the unknown youth," said Paladour, extricating his hand, " of whom I have heard such glorious tales; who, when the oriflamme and fleur-de-lis vailed before the lion and the dragon, upbore them like the streamers of a drifting bark, and sailed gloriously with them into haven?"

"Less honoured in such deed," said the blushing youth," than in the clasp of that hand, which saved a soul from mortal sin, and baptized it in the blood that burst from the gracious fountain of a Christian heart."

"I like not this," said Sir Aymer, shaking his head, "I like not this. I see thou hast found thee a new brother-in-arms; and thy father-in-arms, as you was wont in fondness to term me, must now give place." But as he