ROBERT D'ARTOIS;

OR,

THE HERON VOW.

CHAPTER I.

A COUNCIL of war was being held in the royal tent, pitched at the foot of Mount Cassel, where the King, Philip de Valois, had, at the prayer of Louis, Count of Flanders, assembled numerous forces, in order to reduce the citizens to the dominion of their Lord.

The insurgents-above twenty thousand in number-had congregated from all quarters of the country, to shut themselves up in their citadel, where, headed by Colin Zannecq and Vinnocq Fiere, two coarse spirited burghers

VOL. 1.

B

of Gand, they considered themselves as sufficiently strong to set the King's troops at defiance.

"The question now to be decided," said the King," is, whether we shall attempt to take the fortress by storm, or content ourselves with blockading it. For mine own good part I am convinced that the former of these is the plan best suited to the present position of the kingdom; for however idle may be young Edward's claim to rule in France, we yet must- -How then!-What is that noise without?--Hark!-Tis from the citadel. Sir constable," he continued-addressing Gaucher de Creci, who stood near the entrance of the tent," I pray you lift yon curtain which now hides from us the view of what those rude citizens are doing."

The constable obeyed: when Philip, going to the aperture, beheld upon the opposite ramparts an immense concourse of people, who, with loud and joyful acclamations of defiance, had just hoisted a flag, whereon was portrayed the figure of a cock, under

neath which the artist had inscribed the following couplet, in large letters of gold :

"Quand ce coq chanté aura,

Le Roi Cassel conquetera."

Which lines, being translated into others not less doggrel, are,

"When this cock the hour shall tell,

Then the King may take Cassel."

"Best laughs he who laughs the last," said Philip, as, dismissing the assembly, he ordered De Creci to prepare for an immediate attack upon the insolent mechanics.

The efforts of the royal forces were without success; and the Casselites, secure in the strength of massive walls and an elevated position, not only laughed at the besiegers, but, elated at their failure, resolved to turn aggressors, and carry war into the very intrenchments of the enemy.

This resolution had nigh proved fatal to their cause, and the burghers soon found how unable they were to cope in fair and equal combat with the gallant chivalry of France,

by whom their ranks were shortly reduced to half of their original number.

A total defeat would have ensued, but that an event happened, which again changing the tide of war, placed the rebels in a still more advantageous position than they had before occupied.

It so chanced, that the King's horse-a young high spirited animal,-being alarmed at the sound of trumpets, the smell of blood, and the whole scene which now for the first time presented itself to his eyes,- became infuriated by the touch of the spur, with which the King thought to reduce his spirit, and bounding off with a sudden spring, rushed forward, and in spite of all the exertions Philip could make to restrain him, soon buried himself amid the phalanx of the hostile troops.

On and on he sped across the plain; at one time, frightened at the attempts made to stay his progress by those who caught at the rein, he darted aside, and by the suddenness of the jerk nearly threw his rider; at another, alarmed at the sight of carnage, he shyed again, and

turning into a different direction, followed it till some other object presented itself to arrest his course.

At length, fatigued with his own exertions, his courage began to fail, and the violence of his pace to relax; so that when he arrived within a short distance of the spot on which Zannecq and his comrade Fiere were advancing for to this it was that chance directed him, he appeared but little minded to renew his exertions.

"Hola there! Who is the flying horseman," exclaimed Zannecq, perceiving their approach. "Pierre tête-boeuf! Lay hold on the bridle man.-Jacques Boucher, I'll ne'er buy another livre's worth of meat at thy shambles an thou dost not catch him.-Louis le Brasseur, I'll engage the citadel shall draw beer at thy casks an wilt secure yon runaway."

Having none of the insignia of royalty about him, the King's rank was not guessed at, and Zannecq little thought that he, the capture of whom had been the chief object of his present