authority; and, not confining themselves to passive rebellion, had, under the guidance of Colin Zannecq and Vinnock Fiere, two rude burghers of Gand, risen in arms against him, seized upon some of the strongest fortresses in the country, and then marching to Gand, where he then was, laid siege to it, and obliged him seek safety in flight.

France was the country which he naturally chose as an asylum in misfortune, as, the county of Flanders, being a fief of that kingdom, he had a right to demand the protection of its sovereign.

Thither therefore he fled, leaving his brother, Robert de Cassel, as Castellan, or governor of that fortress, whose name he bore; and which was one of the very few strong holds of which the rebels had not as yet been able to possess themselves: though only a few weeks elapsed after the Count's departure, when, by a sudden, though not unexpected rise of the populace of the town, the citadel was forced, and Robert, under the disguise of a common soldier, found himself obliged to follow his brother's footsteps

into France, that he likewise might there implore the King to furnish a force, sufficient to compel the rebels to obedience.

It was without much difficulty that the brothers prevailed upon their Sovereign to accord them that succour, which, by the feudal law, a vassal was entitled to demand from his superior lord. The enemies of France, amongst whom may be most particularly mentioned the English, taking advantage of the turbulent disposition which seems inherent in the Flemish, were constantly stirring them up against that monarchy, and used to disembark troops at Gravelines, or some of the neighbouring ports, whenever they desired to make incursions into France.

The King, therefore, by reducing them to obedience, would, he hoped, secure two great advantages. Firstly, that of binding the Count of Flanders to him by the tie of gratitude; and, secondly, by imposing heavy fines on his vassals, that of disabling them from giving aid to the King of England: who though but a boy, between fifteen and sixteen years of age, had

already shown symptoms of that ambition, which, in after-times, brought a temporary ruin on the French monarchy.

Philip de Valois had been crowned a few months previous to the epoch of which we are now speaking; but that not without having his right contested by Edward, who claimed through his mother, Isabella, the late king's sister.

If that may be called ridiculous which wrought such extreme mischief, Edward's claim was so, and was therefore at once rejected. Yet, he still talked of his failure as of a piece of injustice done to him; and having been summoned to do homage for Guienne, and the other possessions he held in France, excused himself on some frivolous pretext, which Philip at that moment found it convenient to allow, although it filled him with the most jealous apprehensions as to the designs meditated by his brother Potentate, and made him fear that he projected a descent on his dominions.

There perhaps exists not in the world a fortress so singularly situated as that of Cassel,

nor, to all appearance, so well fitted to resist an enemy. On the summit of a hill, between three or four hundred feet in height, and which rears itself in the midst of an immense plain, whose surface is as even as the ocean, a town and citadel had been constructed; the latter. of which looking down upon the space beneath, whereon was scarce a hillock on which a fortress could be raised to cope with it, seemed to bid defiance to the fiercest efforts of the most determined foe.

Such was Cassel in the days of which we have been speaking; and such it now remains in all respects, save that only of the fortress, which has been long destroyed, and the site whereon it stood been covered with the habitations of men, who do not, in truth, seem much more peaceably disposed towards their sovereigns than were their ancestors of old.

I would here make an end of this chapter, and at once enter on the tale I have undertaken to write, did I not think it better first to introduce to the reader's notice, some of the personages who are to act the principal parts in it.

The three Seigneurs-Philip of Valois, Robert of Artois, and Louis of Flanders, were nearly of the same time of life, had all been brought up together, and instructed in the same manner; that is to say, as far as regards the military exercises, which formed the chief part of education in those days. A great diversity of character was, however, apparent in them.

The disposition of the former was, by nature, generous and just,—but too easily influenced and led away by those who surrounded him :he was valiant in spirit, robust in body,-but the closest investigation of his mind would scarcely have made the observer of it say that it contained any of those latent sparks, which events in future life might call forth, and enlighten him upon the road to Fame. Yet Philip's was no common mind;-for justice and generosity are not the ordinary attributes of

man.

To the justice and generosity in Philip's character, that of Robert united other qualities, which are always dangerous, and often, if called into action, fatal, to the possessor of them, as