us mind the dogs! Look at the one which I was speaking of;-observe the action of his limbs. Here-Tristam - Tristam ! - hither, boy!—come along, and show thyself off!"

The dog bounded at his voice, and leaping on his master, placed his fore-paws on his shoulders, and covered him with kisses and caresses.

"You call him Tristam, do you!" said Gaultier," how name you then the other three?"

"Hector, Brun, and Rolland. Dogs should never have names of more than two syllables— indeed, Gaston de Foix saith that one syllable is even still better; for mine own part, I think so too; and sure I am, that if their names exceed two syllables, it is very difficult-not to say almost impossible to pronounce them, in the hurry and bustle of the chase. But now tell me, Messire Gaultier, of the three modes of hunting, which do you best love-Venerie-Fauconnerie-or that of the Arbalète?”

"Of the two first named," replied the other, "I am so passionately fond, that I know not which to prefer. Venerie hath much charm for me. There is something so enchanting,

which so exalts, in the sound of the shrill clarion, ringing through the woods at morn, and in brushing the fresh early dew from off the foliage, as one rushes through it, chasing the wild boar or wolf. This is delightful-very, very delightful, indeed! Then I'm also equally fond of Fauconnerie, and love to see my hawk striving to gain the higher air-then stoop, and pounce upon his prey;-but as for the chase of the bow-the Arbalète-follow that who will, for me-I yield it up to them with a good heart."

66

Spoken just like one of our countrymen, or as a Frenchman would speak," said Froissart"and is exactly what Phoebus-that is, Gaston de Foix, saith. He talks with all possible contempt and scorn of that sort of hunting, and saith 'tis only fit for fat people, priests, and prelates, I cry him mercy there!—and will not e'en admit that bowmen can attain unto the same high seat in paradise, as may the Veneur and the Fauconnier. Truly, indeed, he seems to think they may consider it as a piece of extreme good fortune, and look upon it as an act of special

favour, if they be allowed-as haply, indeed, they may-to be at all in paradise."

"Diantre!" exclaimed Gaultier, stepping back in wonder-" what then, doth the Count de Bearn, Messire Gaston de Foix, seriously pretend to say, that a man shall take place in the next world, according to his fashion of chasing a fallow deer in this?"

"I' faith, and in good troth, yes doth he so," quoth Froissart, smiling at the seriousness with which his young friend looked at the matter. "That, indeed, doth he; and stoutly too doth he assert, moreover, that they who never hunt at all, have no possible chance of obtaining any place whatever in paradise; whereas the true, eager sportsman, will walk in, as a mere matter of course that is to say, the Veneur and Fauconnier will do so; as to the other, 'tis a doubtful case-and even if he doth obtain admission, he will find himself but sorrily lodged, when there. However, he goes on to say, that any hunting is better than no hunting at all, as the Arbalète, though it may not, indeed, procure heaven for

its partisans, as a matter of strict right, will nathless give them a chance of it. This is what he asserts, and roundly too, almost every day at table; and not only doth he insist on this by word of mouth, but hath written a book,* to prove it must be so."

"Say you so? Pardie, then, I'm glad on't. I rejoice with all mine heart and soul; for there is no one thing in the whole world, which doth delight me half so much as hunting. Saint Halidom! I shall then go to heaven in the manner just suited to my taste. But prithee, Froissart, tell me how maketh he good his words?"

"Oh! for that matter, easily enough I can tell you. The argument is as ingenious as incontrovertible. Listen! you shall hear it.

"Our minds, he saith, being abandoned to their own reflections-as is the case when we are unemployed-can't do otherwise than turn to mischief, and prompt us to run counter to every article of the holy Decalogue. Now, the hunter's mind being incessantly occupied-first

See the work of La Curne, de St Pelage, vol. 2, p. 277.

in looking after and providing for his dogs and horses, then again with the chase itself, hath not a moment to spare; therefore, there being no void in his imagination, unseemly thoughts can never find an entrance-or if an entrance, any harbour, there. There can, therefore, be no obstacle to his salvation, but arriving at the term of his existence, he must inevitably find the gates of paradise open to receive him. Now isn't this close reasoning?"

"Never, in my life, have I heard such a conclusive argument as it is," exclaimed the Damoyseau-" never-there's no answering it. How I should like to see this Seigneur de Bearn!"

"I know of nothing which should prevent you from doing so," replied Froissart. "I shall travel to Ortez shortly myself with these dogs, and you may accompany me, if so it please you. But I was saying, that Phoebus will not allow the bowmen to have, by many degrees, so fair a chance of paradise, as the other two kinds of hunters. Indeed, he speaks of the Arbalète -which, by the bye, he calls Anglois—with all