The Descent of the Column "WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H.K.BKOWN'E. lONDOU &TT£WYORK: GEORGE ROUTTEDGE &S01IS. CKICIITON BV WILLIAM IlAPtRISONaiNSWORTH Ergo, flos jurenum, Scotioe spes, Pallatlis ingens, Ereptumque decus Musarum e dulcibus ulnis, Te, quanivis sileant alii, Critone, poetac, Teque, tuamque necem nunquam mea Musa silebit. Abernethy. Musa Campestris WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY HABLOT K. BROWNE AUTHOR'S COPYRIGHT EDITION LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, Limited BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL MANCHESTKR AND XKW YORK I89i» ^55 PREFACE. There is a passage in David Buchanan's memorial of Crlchton, in which, alluding to the deadly eimiity home towards the Admirable Scot by Vincenzo di Gonzaga, he assigns as the cause — " quod amasiam principis deperiret." This passage may be regarded as the text of the narrative of Sir Thomas Urquhart, and of the following Romance. To a certain extent I have pursued the course taken by the never-sufficiently- to-be-admired Knight of Cromarty, whose " Discoverie of a Jewel" is, indeed, a jewel of a book. Urquhart's descriptions of the masque and duel at Mantua are inimitable. So tlioroughly was this singular writer imbued with the spirit of Rabelais (of whom he has left an unSnished, but, so far as it goes, most exquisite translation), that in his account of the disputation in the college of Navarre, he seems to have unconsciously imitated Panurge's controversy with Thaumast, the Englishman, while, in the " true pedigree and lineal descent of the ancient and honourable family of Urquhart,' he appears anxious to emulate the nii|-'ity genea- logical honours of the good Pantagruel. Sir Thomas, ho.vever, is a joyous spirit — a right Pantagruelist ; and if he occasionally Projicit ampuUas et sesquipedalia verba, he has an exuberance of wit and playfulness of fancy that amply redeems his tendency to fanfaronade. In my endeavour to ilhistrate the various shades of Crichtou's many- coloured character, I have, ])erliaps, touched too lightly on its scholastic features. But feeling that adequately to exhibit one of the scenes of intellectual digladiation in which he was so frequently and so trium- phantly engaged, it would require the possession of a depth of learning little inferior to that of the invincible disputant himself, I have elected as the safer and more suitable course to portray him as the preux cheva Her and all- accomplished gallant, rather than as the philosopher and iia- Wctitian, b 449 PRF.FACE. Boccalini's "Satiric Sketcli," Sir Thomas Urquhart's "Jewel," and other allusions of more accredited biographers, would justify me in giving my hero an air of gallantry, were it possible to conceive that he who sur- passed all the aspiring spirits of the age in which he flourished in the feats of arts and arms (and whose aim was to excel in everything), could be behind them in their excesses, especially when those very excesses tended to advance his reputation. The manners of the time were corrupt in the extreme ; and the fascinations of the belles et honnetes dames et demoiselles of the Court of Catherine de Medicis were such as required more stoicism to withstand than the handsome Scot cared to practise. The reader may, if he chooses, speedily gather a notion of the universal profligacy of the period from the bons contes of Bran tome, and the dif- ferent memoirs included in the " Journal of Henri III." What I have advanced respecting Margaret de Valois is fully borne out by the Divorce Satirique, and the details of Scipio Dupleix. The majestic and terrible figure of Catherine de Medicis is too deeply im- pressed upon tlie page of history to make it necessary to advert to the sources whence I have transferred its lineaments tc inj canvas. It only now remains to speak of Vincenzo di Gonzaga, whose cause has been warmly but unsuccessfully advocated by Dr. Black. Notwith- standing his patronage of men of letters (extended towards them as nmch from ostentation as any other motive by the various Italian rulers of the time), this prince was, we learn from Muratori, exceedingly luxu- rious and profuse in his habits — '^^ gran giocatore, grande scialacquator dal danaro, sempre involto fra il lusso, egli amori, sempre in lieti pas- \atempi o difcsti, o di balli, a di music/ie, o di commedie." Sismondi, who has given an excellent summary of his character, says — " il umait avec passion les femmes le jeu, la danse, le theatre." And Possevino, the annalist (and, therefore, the panegyrist) of his family, expressly alludes to his vindictive disposition — " qiiidam cindictce nimiiim, ideoque in abrupta tructum opinantur" For the rest, I may aflSrm with Victor Hugo — " que souvent les fables du peuple font la verite dtt poete." CONTENTS. CHAP. I. The Scholars II. The Gelosa III. The Hector . IV. An English Bulldog V. Cosmo Kuggieri . VL The Mask 33oofi3I . 1 IS . 21 33 39 43 I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. KIV. The Court of Henry III. . EsCLAlRMONDE Henri III Catherine de Medicis . Marguerite de Valois The Oratory . The Bezoar The Jester The Sabarcane The Hotel de Soissons The Laboratory .... The Incantation The Magic Ring .... The Two Masks The Column of Catherine de Medicis asoofe im. Hic Bibituk ! The Huguenot The Procession The Lists The Pavilion The Bearnais The Barb The Englishman The Two Henris The Missal The Bull The Prize The Dungeon The Conspiracy 51 64 72 76 84 92 104 119 126 141 149 157 172 181 191 199 219 226 232 242 255 268 273 282 295 308 318 325 332 Ugrfcs. The Scottish Cavalier 17 The Admirable Scot 50 Marguerite 101 A^vl-Spice no The Thirty REQuisiTBa . Ill CONTENTS. TuK Temptation of Saint Anthony The TiiKF.E Okgif.s . . . . The Lkgf.sd of Vai.dkz Anacrkontic Ode The Dirge or Bourron The Ditty of Dcgi f-si i.in The Sword of Bayard YusEF akd Zorayda YOLANDE esci.air.monde .... Ale and Sack Incaxtation .... Song of the Spirit Invocation .... The Sorcerkr's Sarrath Venite Totem us Song of the Scholar . The Chronicle of Gargantua Song of the Sorbonist . Charles IX. at Montfaucon . LeS plus rouges V SONT PUIS Druid Love's Hosiilt PAGE . 113 . 117 . 121 . 124 . ib. . 128 . 129 . 132 . 1.33 . 13.5 , 143 . 170 . 172 . 174 . 175 . 206 . 209 . 210 . 214 . 217 . 260 . 278 . 334 glppcntif.x. Epicedium ON the Cardinal Bokromeo To Caspar Visconti 343 349 ILLUSTRATIONS. AND BLOLTNT BEFORE 1. THE DF.SCENT OF THE COLUMN ... (fROM 2. CRICHTON AT THE GATE OF T1!E COLLEGE OF XAVAURE . .'{. THK, CONFLICT WITH THE STUDEN IS . . . . 4. PRESENTATION OF ESCLAIRMONIJE TO HENHI III. • 5. THK MORT.Vi, DEFIANCE BY THE MASK . . . 6. THE OKATORYT ........ 7. THE VENICE Gr.ASS b. hknri and the demoiselle torhjni 9. crichton's rencounter with OGILVY FALCON .... 10. THE LABORATORY .... I 1. THE FT.lVIit .... 12. HENRY OF NAVARRE AT THE FALCON 13. REBOURS Rl cognising HENRY 14. THE PROCESSION 15. THE LISTS 1 6. THE PAVILIOH 17. THE BULL .... la. crichton's fE.OWESS Kl.WAlU.El' ispiece) (title) PAGE . 196 1 . . 38 . OG . . 81 . 97 . . 119 . 139 Tin; . . 144 . 156 . 189 . 212 . 223 . 228 . . 238 249 . . 317 . 321 ORICIITON. BOOK THE FIRST.— CHAPTER I. THE SCHOLARS. Tu vicns Joncques c!e Paris ? dist Pantagruel — Et a quoy passez-vousle temps vous aultres Messieurs Estudians au diet Paris? — Kabelais. — Pantagruel. — liv. II., chap. vi. Towards the close of Wednesday, the 4tli of February, 1579, a vast assemblage of scholars was collected before the Gothic gate- way of the ancient college of Navarre. So numerous was this con- course, that it not merely blocked up the area in front of tlie renowned seminary in q\icstion, but extended lav down tire Rue de la Mon- tague Sainte-Genevieve, in which it is situated. Never had such a disorderly rout been brought together since the days of the uproar in 1557, when tlie predecessors of these turbulent students took up arms, marched in a body to the Pre-aux-Clercs, set fire to three houses in the vicinity, and slew a sergeant of the guard, who vainly endeavoured to re- train their fury. Their last election of" a rector, IMcssirc Adrien D'Amboise, ^'pcder eniditionum," as he is described in his epitaph, when the same body congregated within the cloisters of the jMathurins, and thence proceeded, in tumultu- ous array, to the church of Saint-Louis, in the isle of the same name, — had been nothing to it. Every scholastic hive sent forth its drones. Sorbonne, and Montaigu, Cluny, Harcourt, the Four Nations, and a host of minor establishments — in all, amounting to forty-two — each added its swarms ; and a pretty buzzing they ■created ! The lair of Saint-Germain had only commenced the day before; but though its festivities were to continue till Palm Sunday, and though it was the constant resort of the scholars, who committed, during their days of carnival, ten thousand excesses, it was now absolutely deserted. The Pomme -de-Pin, the Castcl, the Magdaleine, and the ]\Iulc, B 2 CRICriTON. those tabernes viiritolrcs, celebrated :.n Pantagruel's conlerence with tlie Liinosiu student, wliicli luii; conferred upon them an inimor- trdity like thiit of our own hostel, the INIermaid, were wliolly neg- lected; the dice-box was laid aside for the nonce; and the Avell- \ised cards were tlirust into the doublets of these thirsty tipplers of the schools. Hut not alone did the crowd consist of the brawler, the gambler, th(! bully, and the debauchee, though these, it must be confessed, predominated. It v/as a grand medley of all sects and classes. The modest demeanour of the retiring, })ale-browcd student, •was contrasted witli the ferocious aspect and reckless bearinf^ of his immediate neigliboiu', whose appearance Avas little better than that of a bravo. The grave tlieolu'jian and embryo ecclesiastic were placed in juxta-positiuu with the seofling and licentious acolyte ; while lawyer in posse, and the law-breaker in esse, Avere numbered amongst a group, wliose pursuits \vere those of violence and fraud. Various as were the characters that composed it, not less diver- sified were the costumes of this heterogeneous assemblage. Subject to no particular regulations as to dress, or rather openly infmcting them, if any such were attempted to be enforced, — each scliolar, to whatever college he belonged, attired himself in such garments as best suited his taste or his llnanccs. Takin": it alt02;ether, the mob was neither remarkable for the fashion, nor the cleanliness of the apparel of its members. From Rabelais we learn that the passion of J^lay "was so strongly ini|)lanted in the students of his day, that they would frequently stake tlie points of their doublets at tric-trac or trou-madame ; and but little improvement had taken place in their morals or manners some half century afterwards. The buckle at their girdle — the mantle on their shoulders — the sliirt to their back — often stood the hazard of the die; and hence it not unfrequently happened, that a rusty pourpoint and ragged chausses wei-e all the covering "vvhich the luckless dicers could enumerate, owing, no doubt, " to the extreme rarity and penury of pecime in their inarsi/jfies."" Round or square caps, hoods and cloaks of black, grey, or other sombre hue, were, however, the prevalent garb of the members of the university ; but here and there might be seen some gayer specimen of the tribe, whose broad-rimmed, high-crowned felt hat and Haunting feather; whose pulfed-out sleeves and exaggerated ruff — with starched plaits of such amplitude that they had been not inappropriately named plats de S'aint Jam Haptiate, from the resemblance which the wearer's liead bore to that of the saint, when deposited in the charger of the daughter of Herodias, were intended to ape the leading mode of the elegant court of their sovereign Henri Trois. To such an extent had these insolent youngsters carried their licence of imitation, that certain of tlicir members, fresh from the fair THE SCnCLARS. 3 of St. Germain, and not ^Yholly unacquainted ^A'ith the Lippocrasof thesuttlcvs crowding its mart, wore around their throats enormous collars of paper, cut in rlvahy of the legitimate plaits of muslin, and bore in their liands long hollow sticks, from which they dis- charged peas and other missiles in imitation of the sarbacancs then in vogue with the monarch and his liivourites. Thus fantastically tricked out, on that same day — nay, only a few houra before, and at the fair above-mentioned, had tlieso facetious wights, with more merriment than discretion, ventured to exhibit themselves before the corlege of Henri, and to exclaim loud enough to reach the eai's of royalty, *' a hi f raise on connoit le veaii /" — a piece of pleasantry for which they subsequently paid dear. Notwithstanding its shabby appearance in detail, the general effect of this scholastic rabble "was striking and picturesque. The thick moustaches and pointed beards with which tlic lips and chins of most of them were decorated, gave to their physiognomies a manly and determined air, fully borne out by their unrestrained carriage and deportment. To a man, almost all were armed with a tough vine-wood bludgeon, called in their language an estoc volant, tipped and shod with steel — a weapon fully understood by them, and rendered, by their dexterity in the use of it, formidable to their adversaries. Not a few carried at their girdles the short rapier, so celebrated in their duels and brawds, or concealed within their bosom a poignard or a two-edged knife. The scholars of Paris have ever been a ttu-bulcnt and ungovern- able race ; and at the period of which this history treats, and, indeed, long before, were little better than a licensed horde of robbers, consisting of a pack of idle and "wayw'ard youths drafted from all parts of Europe, as v/ell as from the remoter provinces of their own nation. There was little in common between the mass of students and their brethren, excepting the fellowship resulting from the universal licence in which all indulged. Hence their thousand combats amongst themselves — combats almost invariably attended with fatal consequences — and which the heads of the university found it impossible to check. Their own scanty resources, eked out by wdiat little they could derive from beggary or robbery, formed their chief subsistence ; for many of them were positive mendicants, and were so denomi- nated; and, being possessed of a sanctuarj'- wuthin their own quar- ters, to which they could at convenience retire, they submitted to the constraint of no laws except those enforced within the jurisdic- tion of the imiversit}', and hesitated at no means of enriching themselves at the expense of their neighbours. Hence, the frequent warfxre waged between them and the brethren of Saint Germain des Pres, whose monastic domains adjoined their territories, and whose meadov/s were the constant champ c/os of their skirmishes ; according to Duluure — p7'cifjue tmijoins un ihcutic dc tianalle, de B 2 4 CRICIITON'. galuntcrie, de comhats, de duds, de dlbaitclies, ct de sedition. Ilcnce their sanguinary coiiHicts with tlic good citizens of Paris, to wliom they ■were wholly obnoxious, and who occasionally repaid their ag- gressions with interest. In 1407, two of their number, convicted of assassination and robbery, were condemned to tlie gibbet, and the sentence was carried into execution ; but so great was the uproar occasioned in tlie university by this violation of its immunities, that the provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, was compelled to take down their bodies from Montduicon, and sec them honourably and ceremoniously interred. This recognition of their rights only served to make matters worse, and for a scries of years the nuisance con- tinued unabated. It is not our purpose to record all the excesses of the luiivcrsity, nor the means taken for their suppression. Vainly were the civil authorities arraved against them. Vainly were bulls thundered from the Vatican. No amendment was eflectcd. The weed might be cut down, but was never entirely extirpated. Their feuds were transmitted from generation to generation, and their old bone oi* contention with the abbot of Saint Germain (the Pre-aux-Clercs) was, after an uninterrupted strife for thirty vears, submitted to the arbitration of the Pope, who very equitably refused to pronounce judgment in favour of cither party. Such were the scholars of Paris in the sixteenth century — such the character of the clamorous crew who besieged the poitals of the college of Navarre. The object that summoned together this unruly multitude, was, it appears, a desire on the part of the scholars to be present at a public controversy, or learned disputation, then occurring within the i^rcat hall of the colle2,'e before which thev wei'e cono;reo;ated, and the disappointment caused by their finding the gates closed, and all entrance denied to them, occasioned their present disposition to riot. It v.'as in vain they were assured by the lialberdiers stationed at the gates, and who, Avith crossed pikes, strove to resist the on- ward pressure of the mob, that the hall and court were already crammed to overflowing, that there Avas not room CA^en for the sole ofafootof a doctor of the faculties, and that their orders Avere positive and imperative that none beneath the degree of a bachelor or licentiate should be admitted, and that a troop of mar- tinets* and Bejaunesf could have no possible claim to admission. In A^aln they Avcre told this Avas no ordinaiy disputation, no common controversy, that all Avere alike entitled to license of in- gress, tliat the disputant Avas no undistinguished scholar, Avhose re- nown did not extend beyon i his own trilling sphere, and Avhose ■-Dj^inions, therefore, few Avould care to hear, and £:tlll fcAVcr to ■* Scliolars eitlicr not living witliin the walls of tlie university, or not being tn f^Hsion at the c()l!ei;es. t Yellow-beaks ; a nickname applied to unwly- admitted students. THE SCHOLARS. 5 Oppugn, but a forei^uner of hi^li rank, in liigli favour and fasliion, and not more remarkable for his extraordinary intellectual endow- ments, than lor his brilliant personal acconiplishments. In vain the trembling olllcials sought to clinch their arguments by stating, that not alone did the conclave consist of the chief mem- bers of the university, the senior doctors of theology, medicine, and law, the professors of the humanities, rhetoric, and philosophy, and all the various other dignitaries; but that the dehate was honouied by the presence of Monsieur Cliristophe de Thou, first president ot parliament ; by that of the learned Jacques Augustin, of the same name; by one of the secretaries of state and governor of Paris, M. Rene de Villequier; by the ambassadors of Elizabeth, Queen of England; and of Philip II., King of Spain, and several of their suite; by Abbe de Brantome; by M. INliron, the court physician; by Cosmo Kuggieri, the Queen Mother's astrologer ; by the re- nowned poets and masque writers, jVIaitres Ronsard, Paif, and Philippe Desportcs; by the well-known advocate of parliament, Mes- sire Etienne Pasquier; but, also (and here came x\\e gravamen of the objection to their admission) by the two especial favourites of his majesty and leaders of ailairs, the seigneurs of Joyeuse and D'Epernon. It was in vain the students were informed that, for the preserva- tion of strict decorum, they liad been commanded by the rector to make fast the gates. No excuses would avail them. The scholars •were cogent reasoncrs, and a show of staves soon brought their op- ponents to a nonplus. In this line of argument they were perfectly aware of their ability to prove a major. "To the wall with them — to the wall T' cried a hundred infuri ated voices. " Down with the halberdiers — down with the gates — • down with the disputants — down with the rector himself! — Deny our privileges! To the wall with old Adrien d'Amboisc — ex- clude the disciples of the university from their own halls ! — curry favour with the court minions ! — hold a public controversy in pri- vate ! — down with him ! We will issue a mandamus for a new elec- tion on the spot !'' Whereupon a deep groan resounded throughout the crowd. It was succeeded by a volley of fresh execratior:s against the rector, and an angry demonstration of bludgeons, accompanied by a brisk shower of peas from the sarbacanes. The officials turned pale, and calculated the chance of a broken neck in reversion, with that of a broken crown in immediate pos- session. The former being at least contingent, appeared the milder alternative, and they mlglit have been inclined to adopt it, had not a further obstacle stood in their way. The gate was barred witiiin- side, and the vergers and bedels who had the custody of the door, though alarmed at the tumult without, positively le.'uicd to un- fasten it. C CRICHTON. Again, the tlircats of llie scholars were renewed, and furtlier intimations of violence were exhibited. Again the peas rattled upon the hands and faces of the lialberdiers, till their ears tingled ■with pain. " Prate to us of the king's favourites," cried one of the foremost of the scholars, a youth decorated with a paper collar; " they may rule within the precincts of the Louvre, but not within the walls of the \ini\'ersity. Maugrebleu ! We hold them cheap enough. Wc heed not the idle bark of these full-fed court lapdogs. What to us is the bearer of a bllboquet? By the four evangelists, "wc will have none of them here! Let the Gasconcadet, D'Lper- non, reflect on the fate of Qm'lus and Maugiron, and let our gay Joyeuse beware of the dog's death ot" Saint Megrln. l^lace for better men — place lor the schools — away with frills and sarbacanes !" " What to us is a president of parliament, or a governor of the city?" shouted anotlier of the same gentry. " We care nothing lor their ministration. We recognise them not, save in their own cou.rts. All their authority lell to the ground at the gate of the Rue Saint Jacques, when they entered our dominions. We care I'or no parties. We are poUtiqiies, and steer a middle course. We hold the Guisards as cheap as the Huguenots, and the brethren of the League weigh as little with us as the followers of Calvin. Our only sove- reign is Gregory XIIL, Pontilt" of Rome. Away with the Guise and the Bearnais !" "Away witli Henri of Navarre, if you please," cried a scholar of Ilarcourt; " or Henri of Valois, if you list, but, by all the saints, not with Henri of Lorraine, he is the fast friend of the true iaitli. No ! — no ! — live the Guise — live the Holy Union !"' "Away with Elizabeth of England," cried a scholar of Chmy; *' what doth her representative here? Seeks he a spouse for her amongst our schools? She will have no great bargain, I own, if she bestows her royal hand upon our Due d'Anjou." "If you value your bulF jerkin, I counsel you to say nothing flighting of the Queen of England in my hearing," returned a bluff, broad-shouldered fellow, raising his bludgeon after a menacing fashion. He was an Englishman belonging to the Four Nations, and had a huge bull-dog at his heels. " Away with riiilip of Spain and his ambassador," cried a Ber- nard in. " For los ojos de ml Dama !" cried a Spaniard belonging to tlie College of I^Jarbonnc, with huge moustaches curled hall' way up his bronzed and insolent visage, and a slouched hat pulled over his brow. " This may not pass muster. The representative of the King of Spain must be respected even by the Academics of Lutetia. Which of you shall gainsay me? — ha!" " What business has he here with his suite, on occasions like to the present?" returned the Bernardln. "Tcte-DIcu! this disputa- tion is one that little concerns the interest of your politic king; THE SCIIOLAKS. 7 and mctliinlcs Dom Plnlip, or his representative, has rc^^rard for little else than Avluitsoever advances his own interest. Your ambaS' sador hath, I doubt not, some latent motive lor his present atten dance in our seliools." " Perchance," returned the Spaniard. " We will discuss that point anon." " And what doth the pander of the Sybarite within the dusty !udls of learning?" ejaculated a scholar of Lcmoinc. " What doth the jealous-patcd slayer of his wife and unborn child within the reach of free-spoken voices, and mayhap of ■\vell-dlrected blades? Methinksit were more prudent to tarry within the bowers of his harem, than to hazard his perfumed pei'son among us." " Well said," rejoined the scholar of Chniy — " down Avltli Rene de Villequier, though he be Governor of Paris." " What title hath the Abbe de Brantome to a seat amongst us?" said the scion of Harcourt; " ceites ho hath a reputation for wit, and scholarship, and gallantry. But what is that to us? His place might now be filled by worthier men." " And what, in the devil's name, brings Co:mo Buggieri hither?" asked the Bernardin. " What doth the wrinkled old dealer in the black art hope to learn from us? We arc not given to alchemy, and the occult sciences; we practise no hidden mys- teries; we brew no philtres; we compouud no slov/ poisons; .wo vend no waxen images. What doth he here, I say! ^Tis a scan- dal in the rector to permit his presence. And what if he came under the safeguard, and by the authority of his mistress, Cathe- rine do INIedicis! Shall we regard her passport? Down with the lieathen abbe, his abominations have been endured too long; they smell rank in our nostrils. Thiuk how he ensnared La Mole — tliink on his numberless victims. W^ho mixed the infernal potion of Cliarlcs IX.? Let him answer that. Down with the iniidel — • the Jew — the sorcerer ! The stake were too li'ood for him.. Down "With Buggieri, I say." " Ay, down with the accursed astrologer," echoed the whole crew. " He has done abundant mischief in his time. A day of reckoning has arrived. Hath he cast his own horoscope? Did he foresee his own fate? Ha! ha!" " And then the poets," cried another member of the Foui Nations, — " a plague on all three. Would they Averc elsewhere. In what does this disputation concern them? Pierre Bonsard, being an offshoot of this same College of Xavarre, hath indu- bitably a claim upon our consideration. But he is old, and I marvel that his gout permitted him to hobble so far. O, the mercenary old scribbler ! His late verses halt like himself, yet he lowercth not the price of his masques. Besides which he is grown moral, and unsays all his former good things. Mort-Dieu ! your superannuated bards ever recant the indiscretions of their nonafje. Clement INIarot took to psalm-writing in his old age. 8 CniCIITON'. As to Bnif, his name will scarce outlast the scenery of his ballets, liis ])lays arc out of fashion since the Gclosi arrived. He deserves no place amonrrst us. And Pliilij) Desportes owes all his present pre- leiment to tlic Vicomtc de Joyeuse. However, he is not alto^ivthcr devoid of merit — let him Avear his bays, so lie trouble us not with liis company. Kooni for the sophisters of Narbonnc, I say. To the dogs Avitli poetry!" "INIorbleu!" exclaimed anotlier. " "Wliat are the sophisters of Narbonnc to the decretists of the Sorbonne, -who will discuss you a position of Cornelius a Lapide, or a sentence of Peter Jjom- bard, as readily as you would a llask of hippocras, or a slice of botargo. Ay, and cry transcnt to a thesis ot" Aristotle, though it be against rule. What sayst thou, Capete?" continued he, ad- dressing his neighbour, a scliohir of Montaigu, Avhose modest grey capucliin procured him tliis appellation; " Are we the men to be thus scurvily entreated?" " I see not that your merits are greater than oiu's," returned ho of the capuch, " though our boasting be less. The followers of the lowly John Standoncht are as well able to maintain tlieir tenets in controversy as those of llobcrt of Sorbon? and I see no reason why entrance should be denied us. The honour of the university is at stake, and all its strength sliould be mustered to assert it." " Rightly spoken," returned the Bernardin, " and it were a lasting disgrace to our schools were this arrogant Scot to carry off their laurels Avhen so manv who might have been found to lower his crest are allowed no share in their defence. The contest is one that concerns us all alike. We at least can arbitrate in case of need." " I care not lor the honours of the university," rejoined one of the Ecossais, or Scotch College, then existing in the Rue dcs Amandiers, " but I care much ibr the glory of my countryman, aud I would gladly liavc witnessed the triumph of the disciples of Rutherford, and of the classic Buchanan. But if the arbitrament to which you Avould resort is to be that of voices merely, I am glad the rector in his wisdom has thought fit to keep you Avithout, even though I myself be personally inconvenienced by it." " Hijo di Dios ! what line talking is this?'' retorted the Spaniard. •' There is litt'e chance of the triumph you predicate for your coun- tryman. Trust me, we shall have to greet his departure from the debate with many hisses and few cheers; and if Ave could penetrate through the plates of yon iron door and gaze into the court it con- ceals from our vicAV, Ave should fmd that the loftiness of his pre- tensions has been already humbled, and his argiunents gravelled. Por la Litania de los Santos I to think of comparing an obscure student of the pitiful College of Saint Andrew Avith the erudite doctors of the most erudite university in the Avorld, always except- ing those of Valencia and Salamanca, It needs all thy country's assurance to keep the blush of shame from mantling in thy cheeks." Till': SCIIOLAIJS. 9 ** TIic seminary you revile,'" replied tlic Seot, liauglitily, *'ling liecn the nursery of our Scottish kini^'s. Nay, the youthCul James Stuart pursued his studio- under the same roof, beneath the same uisc instruction, and at the seir-sanic time as our noble find giCicd James Crichton, Avliom you have falsely denominated an adventurer, but whoso lineage is not less distinguished than his learning. His renown has preceded him hither, and he was not unknown to your doctors when he allixed hisprofn-annneto these colleire walls. Hark !" continued the speaker, exultingly, '• and listen to yon evidence of Lis triumph." And as he spoke, a loud and continued clapping of hands pro- ceeding from within was distinctly heard above the roar of the students. " That may be at his defeat,"" muttered the Spaniard, between his teeth. "No such thing," replied the Scot. "I heard tiic name ot Crichton mingled with the jdaudits." " And who may be this Phoenix — this Gargantua of intellect — •who is to vanquish us all, as Panurge did Thaumast, the EnglislN man?"' asked the Sorbonist of the Scot. — " Who is he that is more pliilosophic than Pythagoras? — ha!" " Who is more studious than Carneades !" said tlie Bernardin. *' iNIore versatile than Alcibiades !" said Montaigu. *' More subtle than Averroes !" cried Hareourt. *'Morc mystical than Plotinus!" said one of the Four Na- tions. " More visionary than Arteinidorus!" said Cluny. ** ]\Iore infallible than the l^ope !" added Lemoine. *' And who pretends to dispute r/^; onini scioili I" shouted tho Spaniard. " £t quoiihet ente f' added the Sorbonist. " Mine cars are stunned with your vociferations," replied the Scot. " You ask me who James Cricliton is, and yourselves give the response. You have mockingly said he is a raiu avis ; a pro- digy of Avit and learning; and you have unintentionally spoken the truth. He is so. But I will tell you that of him of which you are wholly ignorant, or which you have designedly overlooked. His condition is that of a Scottish irentleman of h'l'j-h rank. I^ike your Spanish grandee, he need not dolf his cap to kings. On cither Side hath he the best of blood in his veins. His motlier was a Stuart directly descended from tliat regal line. His father, who owneth the f^ir domains of Eliock and Cluny, Avas Lord Advocate to our bonny and luckless Mary (whom Heaven assoilzie !) and still liolds his high ollice. jNIcthinks the Lairds of Crichton might have been heard of here. Howbeit, they are Avell known to me, Avho being an Ogilvy of Balfour, have often heard tell of a certain eon- tract or obligation, whereby — " 10 CRicnxox. " Basta!" interrupted tlic Spaniard, " liccd not tlnnc own affairs, worthy Scot. TcU us of tliis Crichton — lia !" "I have told you alrcaily more than 1 ou^ht to liavc told,'' re- plied Ogilvy, sullenly. " And if you lack further information respcctin<^ James Crichton's favour at the Louvre, his feats of arms, and the esteem in which he is held by all the dames of honour in attendance upon your Queen Mother, Catherine do Mcdicis — and moreover," he adtled, with somewhat of sarcasm, "-with her fair daughter, Marguerite de Valois — you will do well to address your- Felf to the king's buffoon jNIaitre Chicot, whom I see not far off. Few there are, methinks, who could in such short space have won so much favour, or acquired such bright renown.'' " Humph 1" muttered the Englishman, "your Scotsmen stick by each other all the world over. This James Crichton may or may not be the hero he is vaunted, but I shall mistrust his praises from that quarter, till I find their truth confirmed." " He has, to be sure, acquired the character of a stout swords- man," said the Bernardin, " to give the devil his due." " He has not met with his match at the salle-d'armes. though he has crossed blades with the first in France,'' replied Ogilvy. "I have seen him at the Manege,'' said the Sorbonist, " gfo through his course of equitation, and being a not altogether unskil- ful liorseman myself, I can report favourably of his performance." '• There is none among your youth can sit a steed like him," re- turned Ogilvy, " nor can anv of the jousters carry off the ring with more certainty at the list?. I would lain hold my tongue, but you enforce mc to speak in his praise." "Cuerpo di Dios !" exclaimed the Spaniard, half unsheathing the lengthy weapon that hung by his side. " I will hold you a wager of ten rose-nobles to as many silver reals of Spain, that with this staunch Toledo I Avill overcome your vaunted Crichton in close fight in any manner or practice of fence or digladiation which he may appoint — sword and dagger, or sword only, — stripped to the girdle or armed to the teeth. For la s^nta Trinidad ! 1 will have t-atisfiction for the contumelious aflront he hath put upon the very learned gymnasium to which I belong; and it would gladden me to clip the wings of this loud-crowing cock, or of any of his dung- Lid ci-ew," added he, with a scornful gesture at the Scotsman. " If that be all you seek, you shall not need to go far in your quest," returned Ogilvy. "Tarry till this controversy be ended, and if I match not your Spanish blade ^^^ith a Scottish broadsword, and approve you as recreant at heart as you arc boa^cfid and inju- rious of speech, may Saint Andrew for ever after withhold from me his protection." " Diablo !" exclaimed the Spaniard. " Thy Scottish saint will little avail thee, since thou hast incurred my indignation. Betake thee, therefore, to thy paternosters, if thou hast grace withal to Tin: scrioLAits. 11 mutter tlicni ; for ^vitluu the lionr tliou art apsurccrfy food for the kites of the Fro-aux-Clercs — sa-lia '" ' "' Look to thyrelf, vile bra^JTfrart !" rejoined Ogilvy, scornfully ; " I proriiisc thcc thou slialt need other intercession than thine own to purchase safety at my hands." " Courag-e, jNlaster Ou-ilvy," s^iid the Eng-lishman, " thou wilt do well to slit tlie er.vs of this Spanish swash-buckler. 1 Avarrant mc he liides a craven spirit beneath that slashed pourpoint. Thou art in the right, man, to make him eat his words, lie this Crichton what he mav, he is, at least, thy countryman, and in part mine own." '•' And as such 1 will u))lK)ld him," said Ouilvy, " against anv odds." .^ . .], . '•Bravo! my valorous Don Diego Carava a," said the Sorbonist, slapping the Spaniard on the shoulder, and speaking in his ear. " Shall these scurvy Scots carry all before them ? — 1 warrant me, no. AVc will make common cause against the whole beggarly nation ; and in the meanwhile we intrust thee with this particular quarrel. See thou acquit thyself in it as beseemeth a descendant of the Cid." " Account him already abased," returned Caravaja. " By Pclayo, I would the other were at his back, that both might be transfixed at a blow — ha !" " To return to the sul)ject of difference,*" said the Sorbo- nist, who was too much delighted with the prospect of a duel to xUow the quarrel a chance of subsiding, while it Wi'S in his power to fan the ilame ; " to return to tb.e dillerence," said he, iiloud, glancing at Ogilvy ; " it must be conceded that, as a Avassailer, this Crichton is without a, peer. None of us may pre- sume to cope with him in the matter of the flask and the llagon, though we number amongst us some jolly topers. Friar John, with the Priestess of Bacbuc, was a washy bibber compared with him." " He worships at the shrines of other priestesses besides hers of Bacbuc, if I be not wrongly inibrmed ;" added iNlontaigu, who understood the drift of his companion. " Else Avhcrefore our rejoinder to his cartels ?" returned the Sor- bonist. " Do you not call to mind that beneath his arrogant defiance of our learned body, affixed to the Avails of the Sorbonne, it was written, ' That he wlio would behold this miracle of learn- ing must hie to the tavern or the bordel ?' Was it not so, my hidalgo ?" " I have myself seen him at the tcnudentive tavern of the Falcon," returned Caravaja, " and at the lupanarian haunts in the Champ-Gaillard and the A^al-d' Amour, You understand me — ha !" " Ha! ha! ha!" chormsed tlic scholars. "James Crichton is no stoic. He is a disciple of Epicurus. Vcl m pudlaiii iiiipiiKjd, vel ill pocnlum — ha ! ha !" " 'Tis said that he hath dealings Avith the Evil One," observed the man of Harcourt, Avith a mysterious air ; " and that, like Jeane 12 ClllCIlTOX. d'Arc, lie hath suiTcudoi-ccl his soul for his temporal welfare llencc his "wondrous lore ; hence his su[)crnatural beauty and ac- complishments ; lienec his power of lancinating tlie fair sex; lienec his consttait run oi' luck with tluj dice; hence, also, his invtd- nerablenc^s to tlie sword." " 'Tis said, also, that he has a familiar spirit, who attends lam in the semblance of a black do^-," said Montaigu. " Or in that of a dwarf, like the sooty imp of Cosmo rjuggieri," said llareourt. " Is it not so ?"' he asked, turning to the Scot. " lie lies in his throat Avho says so," cried Ogilvy, losing ail patience. " To one and all of you 1 breathe defiance ; and there is not a brother in the colleire to which I belong who will not maintain my quarrel." A loud laugh of derision fullowed this sally; and, ashamed of having justly exposed himself to ridicule by his idle and unworthy display of passion, the Scotsman held his peace and endeavoured to turn a deaf car to their tauuii. THE GELOSO 3 3 CHAPTER .II. THE GELOSO. Ham. — Will 3'on play upon this jjipe? Gail. — My lord, 1 cannot. Ham. — 1 pray you. Shakspeare. "While liis eye glanced fiercely round upon Ins tormentors, Ogilvy suddenly encountered the dark and earnest orbs of a youtli, standintjj at a little distance from liim, but I'ully within hearing of their contention, Avho appeared to take a lively interest in the cause of quarrel, though his sympathy was evidently strongly en- listed in behalf of the Scotsman. There was something in the appearance of this youth that, despite tlie excitement of his feel- ings, at once arrested the attention of Ogiivy. In age, the youth could not be more than eighteen, perhaps not so much, as his slight, though exquisitely symmetrical figure, fragile even to effeminacy, denoted innnaturity. But the fire and intelligence of his glances showed that his spirit and resolution wcie liir in advance of his years. Tresses of jetty hair ovcr- ■sluidowcd his fiushed cheek — the olive tint of which, together with his intensely black eyes, proclaimed him a native of some more southern clime — while his attire, though not otherwise singular, was neither that of a member of the university nor .accordant with any of the received usages then adopted by the good citizens of Paris. A cap of green Genoa velvet fell on one side of his head ; a mantle of the same material, and of ampler fold than was the mode, was clasped with a chain of gold, and disposed so as best to hide his slender shape, and to give a semblance of more manly width to his narrow proportion of shoulder. " You are moved in my behalf, young sir," said Ogllvy, re- marking that the youth still kept Ids eye fixed upon him, forcing his way at the same time towards the spot where he stood. *' ^lay 1 ask to which of our academies you belong ?" " I belong to none of your schools," replied the youth, now shrinking from the Scot's approach as mucli as he had courted his attention from afar. " I came hither as a stranger, attracted solely 24 CRICHTON. by curiosity to learn the result of a disputation %vitli Avliich all Paris rings ; and having unwittingly entered this crowd, though 1 ■would fliin retire, I must now perforce abide its issue, Avhich," he added, with sonic hesitation, and a slight increase of colour, '' will, I trust, result in the triumph of" your peerless countryman, in whose success I am, I own, nearly as much interested as yoursell." There was a music in the tones that vibrated in a strange manner upon the heart of Ogilvy. " As I have a soul to be saved," he thought, " but that they are boy's lips that uttered that speech, I could have sworn it was tlie very voice of Marion; and, but that the eyes are darker, and it may be larger, I could swear they had the ain'.e look too. l>y Saint Andrew, but it is singular how like they are. I would gladly know, if he be not from my own coimtry, ■what can make him express him- self so warmly in behalf of James Crichton. Hark ye, young sir," lie cried aloud, "you are not, I suppose, from Scotland, are you?" The vouth could scarce Ibrbcar a smile at the inquiry ; but he shook his head in denial. The smile that severed the lips displayed a row of pearls. " The very teeth are Marion's," thought Ogilvy. "From Scotland?" shouted the Sorbonist. "Can any good come from out that rascal country? I know this youth well — he is one of the Gelosi — one of the Venetian troop who have the king's licence to enact their plays at the Hotel de Bourbon. I thought I knew the face and figure, but the voice ■was not to bo mistaken. *Tis he who singeth the airs in the comedies ; and right well, too, I ■warrant him. Ah! — a thought strikes me — we have a minute or two to spare, — why not employ it in a song ? What say you, com- rades, shall we lose this golden opportunity? — A song! — a song!" " Bravo I — bravo !" cried the scholars, clapping their hands. ** Nothing can be better. A song by all means ;" and a circle of faces Avas presently formed round the Geloso. iMeanwhilc Ogilvy, not less annoyed at the turn which alTairshad taken, than at the supposed imputations thrown out against the stranger, for, not being untinctured by the prejudices of his country, as to the morality of stage representations, ho entertained a feeling of contempt, amounting almost to abhorrence, for the vocation of an actor, thus addressed him : — " Hath he not belied thee?" he said, "with something of distrust. " Say he hath spoken falsely — say thou art no player — no hired mimic, and, by the pious memory of John Knox, I will hurl back the foul aspersion in his teeth." " I'eace !" cried the scholar of Montaigu. "Down with the fro- ward Scot, if he oiler further interruption." " Let him answer me, and I am dumb," returned the resolute Ogilvy. " Once more, stranger, — have I misconstrued thee?" " You have done so if you supposed me other than I am," replied the youth, raising his head. " I am one of the Gelosi !" " You hear him," cried the Sorbonist. " He admits it. Now, give us the song ■without more ado." THE GELOSO. 15 '*! deny not my culling," iq)llccl tlic Geloso, "but 1 ^vlll not sing at your bidding." " Wq ■svill sec that," returned the Sorbonist. " '^I'here are pumps •within our courts Avhosc waters arc tws song-compelling us those ot" Helicon. Their virtue is marvellous." " Sangrc di Dios ! let us drag the young spark thltlier," cried Caravaja ; *' he'll iind his voice, I'll engage, rather than brook the catarrhs likely to be engendered by the gelid fount." So saying he laid his hand rudely upon the Geloso''s shoulder. The latter started back — his dark eyes shot lightnings at the ag- gressor, while, quick as thought, he drew forth a stiletto, and placed it at Caravaja's throat. " "Withdraw thv hand from my person," he cried, "or by St. Mark I will strike!'' And Caravaja, seeing from his manner that the Geloso was in earnest, deemed it prudent to relinqttish his hold, which he did ■with a shrug and his habitual bi'ag^iiadocio exclamation. " Bravissimo !" shouted the bystanders with renewed acclama- tion ; "a capital tableau. It would tell famously at the Hotel de Bourbon." " By my faith !" said the Englishman, laughing heartily, " our Spaniard hath the worst of it." " I pray you, signori," said the Geloso, heedless of their sarcasm, taking off his cap and displaying at the same time a shower of raven ringlets. " I beseech you to let me depart without further molestation ; I have it not in my power to comply with your ■wishes, neither do I see your title to require my com]:)liance. Though a player, I am not Avholly unfriended; and if " " He threatens us," said the Sorbonist ; " marked you that if? It will never do to give up our point. The song, Signor Geloso, and then depart as soon as you list." " Never !" replied the Geloso ; " and I coimscl you to bewaro how you drive me to extremities." " if none other will take the youth's part I will." said the Eng- lisliman ; " I care not if he be Geloso or Diaboloso. If all are against him I am for him. The Blounts ever take the weaker side, and Simon Blount will not disgrace the name he bears. Come, Sir Scot, this quarrel is partly yours. Draw your blade, man, and stand by this poor lad, who looks as if he had never seen a blow struck belbre." A blithe jingle of small silver bells was heard amongst the crowd, offering a seasonable interruption to the brawl, and a very fantastic personage, from whom the sound proceeded, strove to press forward. He was clad in a singular parti-coloured raiment, composed of white, crimson, and blue damask, so quaintly fashioned, and striped with such numberless straight and horizontal lines, that it produced the most whimsical effect imaginable. His slashed jiiste-au-corps was puffed out at the hips in the most extravagant 16 CRiCTlTON. ftjle, and served as an admiinblc foil to lils tliin mis-shopcn lo^^s, decked in ]io?c of amniantliine Imc. Over lils sliouldcrs was thrown a, surcoat which rescndjled nothing' so nearly as the vestment whcrewitli the knave of" ehabs is arrayed, and whicli depended in Iniire sleeves over his arms. At tlic back of this surcoat tlic royal arms were emblazoned in '^old tissue, and again displayed on either sleeve. Innumerable tags, to which, as well as to the edges of his sleeves, hung the bells in question, adorned each knee. Around his neck he wore a chain of small medallions, stamped with devices a /afulie,the gift of his c/uT Jlenn'ot, as he fraternally termed his royal master, and his tall conical cap — which had superseded the old orthodox cock's-comb, then quite out of date — had the triple points a la cornette, borne by all the servitors of the court. In his hand he carried his ensign of oflice — the bauble, an ebony truncheon decorated with tlie fool's head, cast in Avrought silver. A huge escarcelle, or pouch, filled with confectionery, of which he was immoderately fond, hung a.t his girdle, and near it was stuck a formidable dagger of lath. 'Jhis bizarre figure was the king's favoiu-ite bufibon Chicot. " By your leave, my masters," he cried, shouldering his way through the crowd, and bestowing buffets with his bauble upon all who opposed his progress. " Why would you stop me? Fully was ever current in the University of Paris, liesides, all my wisdom is needed. They are about to souse a singer in cold water to give him a voice. That were a feat worthy the first ibol in France. I should lose my post were I not to assist. Have a care, I say. Make way for the Abbe of the Bcjauncs, though he be not mounted on his ass as at the Feast of the Innocents." And planting himself immediately before the Geloso, to whom he nodded in the most familiar manner, Chicot drew his laihcn dagger, and, with abundance of gesticulations and grimaces, bran- dished it in the face of the students. *' This youth, wdio is my foster-brother," said the jester (here there was a loud laugh), " is in the right to refuse you. He is engaged for the masque to-night, and must not exhibit himself before-hand. Our gossip Henriot is •chary of his services. If you want music, come with us to the gates of the Louvre. The band of the Swiss Guard is celebrated ibr its quick movement." " Exasperate them nut, kind sir," whispered the Geloso, " I will rather comply with their demands, unreasonable though they be, than endanger another's safety by reliisal. Signori," he continued, addressing his persecutors, " I will do your bidding, provided I am free to depart when my song is ended."" "Agreed!" shouted the scholars, waving their caps. In an instant the clamour ceased. A dense ring was formed around the Geloso, while in a voice of the most exquisite modulation, tliough with something of sarcasm in its tone, he sang the following strain, evidently the insjjirutiou of" the moment: — THt. iJKLOsO. 17 THE SCOTTISH CAVALIER. I. Trun Scoti;i's clime to lauj,'liinf,' Franco 'I'lie peerless Cricliton came ; Like li'iii no kiiii^lit could shiver lance, Wielil suonl, or worshij) (iame. Alas I eat'li maiden siylis in vain, Jle turns a careless ear : Tor quceidij tetters last enchain 'I'lie bcottisli cavalier ! IL Eut not o'er camp and court, alone, Hesisticss Cricliton rules ; Logicians next, del'eated, own His empire o'er the Schools, 'Gainst soplusts shrewd shall wit prevail, ThoM'jfh t ime on tome they rear ; And pcdan.s i>ale, as victor, hail I'lie bcottish cavalier ! *' No move of tlii?," crictl the Sorbonist, " tliis is not tlic sodl"^ Avc bai'ujaincd lor. AVc 'will liave thy favoiivite air from La Majd- diileiia, or the caiizunct liom La FlorinJa, or thou stirrcst not, nion mig-non." " Ball !" ejaculated Chicot ; " you arc no judges. The song wa3 charming, and I vote for its repetition. But the bufloonery of the: f.i.;op at the hutcl of the Abbe dc Clugni, in the Kue des Ma- ti'.v.rins, Avould be more in your way. What say you to a motet from their last sotte — La Furcejoynise dcs bejaunes sopliibtes ?" '•' Ventrcblcu! What mockery is this ?" cried one of the scho- lars with the preposterous paper collars. " Are Ave to be chaflered. out of our projects by yon magot-pic, Avho, having newly-esctiped his cage, hath llown hitlier to babble at his case ?" " 'Tis well," returned Chicot, " that, like some I wot of, I have not arrayed myself in peacock's plumes. Strut as it may, the daw will out; and roar as loudly and lion-like as he may, the ass is.an ass still. Fool as I am, I am not folly's counterfeit. The ape, but not the ape's shadow, compere. ' By the caul you may know the calf;' that is your cry, they tell me. Now, were your calf-ship to be judged by that rule, we could scarce find subject fitter for the shambles." •' A thousand devils 1" cried the enraged schoLu-. "Were yoii ten times the licensed fool you arc, you shall repent this insolence."' " Back !" exclaimed Blount, interposing his bludgeon so as to ward oil" the blow aimed at the jester's sconce, " A bloody cock's- comb were an unseemly consmnmatlon to such gay apparel. Beservo your blows ^oy one more able to requite them. See you not hi.r weapon is of lath ?' " Let him keep better ndc over his tongue, then," replied tl;^ angrv scholar. '"'JIa! ha! ha!" cried Chicot^ screaming with laughter, "stay me not. 1 will combat Avith him to the outrance. !My marotto C 1 8 ciuciiT'^y to liis ruli", but I slay him on tlie (.■xcliangc of a stoccata. "My fecMe shall prove his reversed " In the mean time we are losing sight of our songster," said the Sorhonist. " What liath become of the Geloso?" " Vanislied, ss I think," exclaimed Caravaja. " I nowhere be- held hiui." " I had not remarked his departure," thought Ogilvy, " but 'tis better thus. I could not have refused the poor youth aid m case of need, and yet my soul revolts at the thought of being embroiled in the quarrel of a stage-player. 'Tis strange the face should haunt me so much. I will think of him no more." But, in spite of his resolution, Ogilvy could not prevent his eyes from wandering amongst the distant ranks of the scholars in search of the fugitive, liis quest was vain. During the confusion created by the jester's deliance of the student, and not improbably by his connivance, or that of the Englishman, the G;j1oso had contrived, unobserved, to make good his retreat. " Hath Maitre Chicot secreted him in his escarcelle ? It is largo enough," said llarcourt. " (Jr in the sleeves of his surcoat?" said the Bernardin. " Or swallowed him, as Gargantua did the pilgrim," added Caravaja, laughing. " Or as thou wouldst a cup of Val dc Penas, Avere it proffered thee ; or thine own words, if need be, Seiior CabalWo." said the jester. *•' Senor Satan!" roared Caravaja, unshc;;thing his sword; "1 will carve thee into as many slices as there are patches in thy jerkin — sa — ha !" " Or as there arc dints on thy sword, of thine own notching," rejoined Chicot, with a malignant grin; " or oaths in thy moutli, of thine own coining. Or lies in thy brain, of thine own hatching. Or dice in thy pocket, of thine own loading. Or pence in thy pouch, of mine own pilfering. Or scars in thy back, of thine own procuring ^ha! ha! Slued me into as many pieces as a Spanish onion, and the number shall yet be far below thy own countless pecca- dilloes — sa — ha !" " Sangrc di Dios! Give me way to the scurrilous ribald," vociferated Caravaja, furious as a bull chafed by the matador, nourishing liis rapier and stamping on the ground, and with diih- culiy wiiliheld by the students. But nothing could check the wild exhilaration of the jester, who was nigh convulsed with laughter at the inellectual attempts of the vindictive Spaniard to reach him. He exhibited no alarm, but stood his ground as care- lessly as if no danger threatened him. Nay, he even continued his galling mockery, and might, in all probability, have paid the penalty of his rashness, if a new incident hud not occurred, which operated as a diversion in his i'avour. The gates of the College of Navarre were suddenly tlu'own open, THE GELOSO. 1 9 and a long-contimicd thunder of applause bursting from witliin, an- nounced the conchislon of the debate. That it had terminated in favour of Criehton could no longer be doubted, as his name formed the burden of all the plaudits with which the courts were ringing. All Vv'as excitement: there was a general movement. Ogilvy could no longer restrain himself. Pushing forward by prodigious cllbrts, he secured himself a position at the portal. The first person who presented himself to his inquiring eyes, was a gallant llgure in a glittering steel corslet, crossed by a silken sash, who bore at his side a long sword with a magniticent handle, and upon his shoulder a lance of some six feet in length, headed with a long scarlet tnsscl, and brass half-moon pendant. " Is not Criehton victorious?" asked Ogilvy of Captain Larchant, for he it was. " Pie hath acquitted himself to admiration," replied the guards- man, who, contrary to the custom of such gentry (for captains of the guard have been fine gentlemen in all ages), did not appear to be displeased at this appeal to his courtesy, "-and the rector hath adjudged him all the honours that can be bestowed by the uni- versity." "lluvrah for old Scotland," shouted Ogilvy, throwing his bon- net in the air, "I was sure it would be so; this is a day worth living for. Hccc olim vieininlsse juvabit !" " Thou at least shall have reason to remember it," muttered Ca- ravaja, who being opposite to him, heard the exclamation — "and he too, perchance," he added, frowning gloomily, and drawing his cloak over his shoulder. " If the noble Cricliton be compatriot of yours, you are in tlio right to be proud of him," replied Captain Larchant, " for the memory of his deeds of this day will live as long as learning shall be held in reverence. Never before hath such a marvellous display of universal erudition been heard within these schools. -By my liiith, I am absolutely wonder-stricken, and not i alone, but all. In proof of whicli I need only tell you, that coupling liis matchless scholarship with his extraordinary accomplishments, the professors in their address to him at the close of the controversy, have be- stowed upon him the epithet of ' admirable' — an appellation by which he will ever after be distinguished." " The Admirable Criehton 1" echoed Ogilvy — " hear you that ! — a title adjudged to him by the whole conclave of the luiiversity — hurrah! The Admirable CiiicnTON ! ^Tis a name will find an echo in the heart of every true Scot. By Saint Andrew ! this is a proud day for us." ''hx the meantime," said Larchant, smiling at Ogilvy's exulta- tions, and describing a circle with the point of his lance, " I mu#t trouble you to stand back, ^Messieurs Scholars, and leave free pa:^- eaj;e for the rector and his train. — Archers advance, and make clea? c2 20 CRiciiTOir. the way, and let the companies of the Baron D'Epcrnon and of the Vlcomtc dc Joycuse be summoned as •well as the guard of his ex- cellency, Seigneur Kenc dc Ville(juier. Patience, mcs!?iciirs, you will hear all particulars luion.*' So saying, he retired, and the men-at-arms, less complaisnut than their leaders, soon succeeded in ibrcing back the crowd. THE RECTOR OF THE UNlVliESITY Oi; fAKIS. 31 CHAPTER IIL THE EECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OP PARIS. Tlie rector now finding it hii^h time to give some relaxation to these wort'iy spirits, v'hieli, during siicli a long space had been so iiitenscl}' bent upon tlio abstrusest speculations, rose up, and saluting the divine Crichton, after he had made an e'egant panegyric, or encomiastic speech of half an hour's continuance, tending to nothing else but the extolling of hini for the rare and most singular gifts witli which God and nature had endoweil him, presented him witii a diamond ring, and a purse full of gold. — Sut TiiojiAS Urquiiart. As the avchci-s advanced, and posted one of their number at every interval of ten paces, the scholars drew back, and, with almost military precision, formed themselves into two solid bodies. A profound hush of expectation reigned tliroughout their lines.- Each eye was directed towards the embrowned archway of the Academy, but not a word was uttered. All remained in postures as motionless as those of the statues of Philippe-lc-Bcl and Jeanne de Navarre his spouse (the foundress of the institution), who looked from their niches on the portal like mute spectators of the scene. Meanwhile, from out the gateway there issued sitch a constant stream of grave and gowned dignitaries, that the space between the two files of students was presently fdlcd up by a moving mass of robes and caps. First, flourishing his rod of ollicc; a blue wand plentifully besprinkled with fleurs-de-lis of gold, alternately plant- ing it on the ground, or elevating it in the air, with a strut and simper worthy of IMalvolio, strode forth the clerk of the messengers, who bore upon his tunic the blazon of the university, namely, a hand descending from the sky, holding a book, surrounded by three ilcurs-(Je-lis, or, on a field, azure. Glancing at the scholars Avith a supercilious smile, the herald passed on. Next came the bedels and the minor bedels of all Faculties, wdio by some accident were so jumbled together that it was impossible to determine or arrange any order of precedence. All put their best feet fore- inost. jNIcdicine trod hard on the licels of Theology and the .Arts, while Civil Law appeared most uncivilly inclined to out- strip all three. These bedels or grediers were jolly robustious fouls, bending beneath the weight of their ponderous silver maces, and attired in gowns of black, blue, violet, or dark red, each colour 2i CKICIITO:>. dcnolinpf the Faculty to ■\vliich the ■weaver pertained. To the bedels succeeded a confusion worse confounded, in the heads of the Facul- ties themselves, avIio strove in vain to collect together their scat- tered forces, or to form them into any thing like processional array. Violations of collegiate etifjuette took place each instant. Hero vras a Doctor oi' Theology in his black cope edged with ermine, by the side of a procureur of the Nations, in his red I'obe of office; a propinquiiy which the Theologian internally execrated, and openly rcsfjited. There a Doctor of Medicine in his scarlet cope, trimmed with minever, was elbowed by a licentiate of Theology, who hap- pened to be suppler of joint, and who was arrayed in cope of sable bordered with white fur. No degrees Avere resjicctcd. The Doctoi-s of the Canon and Civil Law, who had kept together during the debate, and wlioso costume consisted of scarlet robes with hoods of fur, were most scandalously luistled in maintaining their ground against a rush of youthful baclielors of INledicine. Notwithstanding all this confusion of raiments, which Averc so massed and heaped together as to present an almost rainbow variety of tints in the ravs of the setting sun — notwithstanding the utter want of order Avliich occasioned much objurgation on the ])art of the seniors, and not a little expenditure of patience as well as of ermine, by tlieir too close pi'oximity to each other — notwithstand- ing all this, the whole body of Doctors, Professors, Bachelor?, and Licentiates, were imanimous upon one point — viz. that the dispu- tation at which they had assisted had been more admirably con- tested than any controversy since the days of Petrus Abelardus, and Berengarlus, and that in vanquishing them Crichton had vanquished the whole world of science and learning. Suddenly the shrill blast of a trumpet shook the air, and echoed far down the hill of St. Genevieve. The call was immediately an- swered by the trampling of a troop of horsemen in the distance. Presently the clatter of hoofs drew nearer, and a few seconds had not elapsed ere two companies, each consisting of fifty archers of the body-guard, fully accoutred and superbly mounted, rode into the area and drew up in the rear of the students. Besides this jirray of soldiery might be seen the numerous retinue of Rene de Villcquier, composed not merelv of his own lacqueys and attendants in their sumptuous apparel of blue and red cloth, but of certain armed cross-bowmen of the Guet Royal, headed by their chevalier, Avho surrounded the governor's huge unwicldly caroche of state and richly caparisoned Flanders horses. Altogether it was a gal- lant sight; and the scholars, though not entirely satisfied with the presence of so many intruders, and perhaps not wholly unawed by their numbers, manil'ested no further show of discontent. A pause now took place in the procession. The foremost in ad- vance came to a halt, and the whole body wheeled roimd and iaced the college. Three semicircles were thus formed, of which tlie professors described the inner and the lesser, the archers oa THE RECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS. 23 lioiscback tlie outer and wider, and tlic student? the intermediate and den-er circle. Still, however, a small vacant space was pr<' • served before the portal. At this instant a murmur arose amongst the schoolmen. " Pie comes, — he comes" — llew from one to other with the rapidity of lightning. Four other mace-bearers, walking abreast, strode deli- berately through the gateway, as if they had been the only objects of interest, and drew up two on either side. The course was now completely unobstructed. The rector ap- peared. He was a man of venerable aspect and majestic mien, and well became the magnificent apparel — the ample stole of scarlet, and mantle of snowy ermine, in which, as chief of the university, he was clad. A sash of sky-blue silk crossed his robe, and sustained a sumptuous velvet escarccUc, fringed with lace and decorated with buttons of gold. Upon his head he Avorc the square cap of a Doctor of Theolo^'v. At his side, and on his right, walked one on whom all eyes "vvere bent with wonder and curiosity. The rector and his com- panion stopped without the gateway, when, as if they were in- iluenced by some sudden and uncontrollable impulse, one long, loud, continuous acclamation burst from the ranks of the scholars. Nor were the graver members of the university silent. Even the Doctors of Theology lent the aid of their voices; while tlie archers, '•aising themselves in their stirrups, lilted their helmets from their brows, and waving them in the air, increased and prolonged the •clamour by their vociferations. James Crichton possessed an exterior so striking and a manner so eminently prepossessing, that his mere appearance seemed to act like a spell on the beholders. The strongest sympathy was instantly and universally excited in his favour. Youth is ever in- teresting; but youth so richly graced as his could not fail to produce an extraordinary impression. At the sight of him the ■whole aspect of things was changed. Enthusiasm, amounting almost to devotion, usurped the place of animosity, and all vin^ dictive feelings resulting from wounded pride or other petty am oy- ances, were obliterated or forgotten. Even discomfiture wore the aspect of victory. But in the demeanour of the victor no external sign of self- elation was perceptible. He might not be insensible to the distinc- tion of his achievement, but he did not plume himself upon it, or rather, with the modesty ever inherent in true greatness, appea ed to iniderratc his own success. His cheek was slightly Hushed, and a smile of tempered satisfaction played upon his countenance as ho acknowledged the stunning applauses of the concourse before him. No traces of over-e.xertion or excitement were visible in his fcatuxes or deportment. His brow was unclouded, his look serene, his step buoyant ; — and, as his blight eye wandered over the multitude, there was not an individual upon whom his gaze momentar ly tested, but he felt his heart \qvi> within his breast. 24 CRICHTON. The countenance of Cricliton Avas one that Phidias might have pourti"a3^ed, so nearly did its elevated character of beauty approach to the standard of perfection erected by the great Athenian sculp- tor. Chiselled like those of some ancient head of the Delphic god, the features were "wrought with the utmost fineness and precision — the contour of the face was classical and harmonious — the lip? were firm, i'uU, and fraught with sensibility, yet giving token of dauntless resolution — the chin was proudly curved — the nose Grecian — the nostril thin and haughty — the brow ample and majestical, shaded by hair of light brown, disposed in thick ringlets, after the manner of the antique* There was a brilliancy and IVeshness in Crichton's compleixion, the more surprising, as the pallid hue and debilitated look of the toil-worn student might more naturally be expected in his features than the sparkling bloom of health. A slight moustache feathered his upper lip, and a short, pointed beard, clothed his chin, and added to the manliness of his aspect. Crichton's attire, which partook more of his chivalrous than of his scholastic character, was that of a complete gentleman of the period, and was calculated to display to the utmost advantage the faultless svmmetry of figure with wliich nature, not less lavish than art and science in her gifts, had endowed him. A doublet of white da- mask, slashed with black bands of the same material, crossed by other bands, so as to form a sort of grating, buttoned from the throat to the girdle, and fitting closely to the pci'son, revealed the outline of his full Antlnous-llke chest, as well as his slender circumference of waist ; while tlie just proportions of his lower limbs were as ac- curately defined by the satin hose, similar in colour to his doublet, and similarly slashed, in which they were enveloped. A short Spanish cloak of black velvet, edged with gold lace, hung from his left shoulder, and descended as low as the elbow. His arms were a rapier and a poignard, suspended from a richly ornamented girdle. Boots of bull-skin, sharply pointed at the top, as was then the mode, were fitted upon feet that seemed almost diminutive in comparison with the lofty stature of the wearer. His hat was looped with a diamond buckle, and crested by a single green feather. To the modern observer, perhaps the triple folds of hk rufF and the voluminous width of his sleeve might appear formal and redun- dant ; but these exuberances were then altogether unnoticed, or possibly regarded with as much complacency as a sleeve a (jifjot mi'dit be at the present time. In soothe, despite its stilliicss and ex- travagance, there was something picturesque and imposing in the court costume of Henri Trois (who, if he had no especial genius for monarchy, had unquestionably a great talent for the toilet), that amply redeemed its incongruities of taste. Crichton's figure, how- * Cricliton is described in the letter of Aldus IManutiiis to the Dulie of Sora elsewhere quoted, as '•'■ yiunde ui stutuia, di julv bunah, et d'asjieltu LiUianinio" Tin: IIFXTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TAIIIS. 25 ever, owed little to tlie adventitious circumstance of dress, and in lact was "wholly independent of it. As Crichton linctor then — " " Los aux Ecoles," replied Chicot, with a laugh. "We shall have a pleasant specimen of their chivalry anon. By my marotte, they are in no mood to listen to a dissertation now." " 'Tis a waste of time,"' cried Joyeuse, "•forbearance is thrown away. When the king's majesty is not lield sacred by these felon scholars, how can their Rector expect obedience from them? To' my side, Larchant — i7i avaiit T And drawing his sword, and attended by the captain of the guard, the vicomte flung himself headlong into the press. Intelligence that Crichton was vmhurt somewhat abated the frenzy of the multitude. Still they were vehemently excited. Ogilvy had been dragged from Crichton's grasp, and was threatened witli instant immolation. Deprived of utterance by the choaking gripe of Ciichton ; stimned by the bullets of the students, it v.as only in this perilous extn^mity that he recovered his power of speech. With a force that could only have been given him by despair, lie burst from their hold and shouted to Crichton for aid. He was instantly retaken, and his cries drowned by a roar of mockery from tlie ruthless mob. " Call on Crichton lor jirotection I" shouted Caravaja, who had been a prominent instrument ni assaihng the unfortunate Scot, and Avluj indulged in a savage rejoicing at his situation. " As well might tlie serpent sue for protection to tlie heel it hath bitten, as thou implore succour from him thou wouldst have slain. But thv count2ynian, thou scest, turns a deaf ear to thy plaints — ha! ha!" ''Surely mine ears deceiAcd me," said Crichton, who, with his broidered kerchief was busied in staunching the wound of the Geloso, and who had only caught this latter exclamation of the Spaniard. " Can it be that the assassin is countryman of mine?" " 'Tis even so, Senor Crichton," repHed Caravaja. *' To his eternal infamy be it spoken." AN ENGLISH BULL-DOG. 35 " ricarmc, noble Ciicliton!" shouted 0^sj;ilvy, whom the Spaniard vahily endeavoured to silence. " Think nie not guilty of this I'oul olFencc. I care not for death, but 1 would not die dishonoured. I would not perish charged with a deed which my soul abhorreth. I am no assassin. I am Jasper Ogilvy, of lialfouv." *' Hold !" exclaimed Crichton, consigning his yet inanimate burthen to the care of a bystander, and pressing towards Ogilvy, *' let mc speak with this man. Give me some token that I may know thou art he whom thou callest thyself. Thy voice brings back by-gone days ; but I can discern nought of Jasper Ogilvy in those blood-stained features." " You would not know my visage, were it freed from its stain," returned Ogilvy. '"' We both have grown to manhood since we met ; but you will call to mind a moonlight cruise upon the lake of Cluny, years ago, when a noble youth was saved from perishing in its waters. To me the recollection of that deed hath been ever sweet; to-day it hath been proud. Let me but establish my truth with you, honoured sir, and these hell-hounds may do their worst." " You have said enough; I am satisfied, more than satisfied," replied Crichton. " Messieurs, release this young man. He is wholly guiltless of the crime laid to his charge. 1 will answer for him with my life." The scholars replied witli a laugh of Incredulity. " We have only his bare word lor his innocence," replied the Bernardin. " Appearances are sadly against him." " This knife Avas within his vest when we drau'ircd him from the Seiior Crichton," added Caravaja, holding up an ensanguined blade. "Por los Revelationes de San Juan! this, metliiuks, is proof unanswerable." A volley of execrations answered this appeal to the passions of the multitude. " Thou liest," cried Ogilvy, struggling to set free his hands; ■*' that polgnard is thine own; my dirk hangs at my girdle — would it Avere now within my grasp !" " Produce the weapon, then," said Caravaja. And he thrust his hand into the Scot's torn doublet. " Ha !" exclaimed he, sud- denly, what have I found ? Por nuestra Senora ! ^tis the diamond ring, with the cipher of the university. He is a robber as well as an assassin." A sudden light seemed to break upon Crichton. " Let the accuser and the accused both be brought before the Hector," he cried. A murmur arose amongst the scholars. *' He would shield his countryman," they vociferated; '* we are satisfied of his guilt." "But you are not to constitute yourselves his judges," replied ■Crichton, sternly. " Deliver him to the proper authorities; let l> 2 rw) CRicnTox. that Spaniard, who stands forth his accuser, be pocured ; and I aic satisfied."" " Mighty well !" returned Caravaja. "All I pet for my ex- ertions in seizinj^ the assassin is to be accused of the crime myself. But if you are so readily gulled by your countryman's subterfu^'e, Senor Cricliton, my comrades are not so easily imposed upon, llijo di Dios ! they know me too well to suspect me of any such enormity." " Tlie scholars of Paris are apt to take the law into their own hands upon occasions like the present, where the guilt of the ollcnder is manifestly established," said the Sorbonist. " It is the part of their privileges to adjudicate their own causes, and they are always wllHng to abide by the consequences of their own de- cisions. We have sentenced this man to run the gauntlet of the schools, and he shall not escape. Wherefore do we delay, comrades?" " Ay, wherefore?" rejoined Caravfja. " Beware," shouted Crichton, in a voice of thunder, "how you proceed to further acts of violence. INIy respect for your university has thus long withheld me ; but I will not stand by and see out- rage committed." " I am with you," said the English student, Simon Blount, adA^incing towards him, and still followed by his huge bull-dog, " Your countryman shall suffer no wrong, while I have staff to wield, or blade to draw in his defence. And as to the merits of his case, I have as little doubt of his innocence, as I have assurance of yon cut-throat Spaniard's guilt. But in any case, he shall not be put to death without judge or jury. What, ho! Druid," added lie, glancing signilicantly at his dog, " it will be time to slip thy muzzle in case these curs show their teeth." At this juncture, the Eector and the Doctor Launoy made their appearance. " Hear me, my children," said the Hector, in a loud voice, "justice shall be dealt upon this Scot. Deliver him into the custody of the sergeant of the guard now in attendance upon me, and I pledge myself to the instant examination of his case. Wlmt more can you require ? By your threatened violence, you will only add one crime to another, and increase the scaiuhd you have already brought upon the university." Crichton conferred an instant with the licctor, who apparently acquiesced in the propriety of the suggestion ma;!e to him. " Disperse at once : and let each man seek his respective college," continued Adrian D'Amboise, with some severity. " Sergeant, advance, and seize upon the persons of Jasper Ogilvy, of the Ecossais, and Diego Caravaja of the college of Narbonne. Messieurs Scholars, give hiin your aid. Ah I do you hesitate? — is it possible that you venture to disobey the paternal injunction of the latlier of the university — what frenzy is this?" A sullen murmur ran through the battalion oi'the scholars; and AN ENGLISH BULL-DOG. 37 sucli was tlieir tlircatcning aspect, that the sergeant of the guard liesltated to obey the command of the Rector. " Why should Ave respect his mandates ?" muttered the Sor- bonii^t. " 'Tis plain we are but lightly considered at his paternal hands. Let the Father of the University tell us why his Children were excluded from the disputation this morning, and we will then perpend the propriety of compliance with his request." " Ay, let him answer that," said th*^ Bernardin. '* 'Twould shrewdly perplex him to do so," returned Caravaja. ** By the perdition of the world! I will surrender myself to no man living, sergeant or rector, Scot or Englishman ; and to show them how little I regard tlieir threats, If no other can be found to smite this starveling bravo, my hand shall deal the first blow." Caravaja raised his knife wltli the Intent to strike. At that in- stant, however, he was seized by a nervous grasp, and hurled backwards with such force, that, muttering an oath, he fell heavily to the ground. Crichton, for it was by his hand that the Spaniard had been prostrated, threw himself amongst the ranks of the scliolars with such Irresistible I'oree, that their united efforts were unable to withstand him. Shaking off Ogilvy's captors, he placed a poignard within his grasp, and, drawing his own sword, calmly awaited the further assault of the students. Rugged and resolute as the bull-dog at his heels, Blount fol- lowed closely in his rear. Confining himself to the warding off a few blows, aimed at Crichton, he at (irst dealt none in return ; but he could not long act upon the defensive. A rude buffet on the head aroused his ire. lie then laid about him with such good- will and determination, that an opponent dropped for every blow of his cudgel, Avhicli was not a vine-wood staffj but a huge l^nglisli crab-stick, seasoned, knotty, and substantial. The might of twenty threshers seemed to reside in Blount's single arm. Sconces were cracked by him with as much ease as a boy for pastime would beat in pieces as many gourds. The Sorbonist ventured to oppose his estoc against the Englishman's club. The sophister, however, had now a more difficult thesis to maintain than any he had hitherto de- fended. His postulate Avas eflectually blanked by Blount's knotty rejoinder. Yielding to the weighty blow, the supple vlne-statF fled from his grasp, spinning throujjfh the air to u considerable distance, while the arm tliat sustained it, shattered by the stroke, sank powerless to his side. Meantime, Ogilvy and Crichton were not left unmolested. Placed back to back, both stood in postures of defence. Uttering frightfid yells, and brandishing their staves, the scholars furiously commenced the assault. Caravaja, who had regained his feet, was amongst the foremost of the assailants. " By Saint James of Compostella !" he roared, " 1 will wash out, in blood, the stain he hath put on our academies, and on myself, lilve way; look to thyself, proud Scot." And pressing forward, he made a desperate thrust at Crichton. 38 cniciiTOX. Caravaja was no contemptible swordsman ; but lie had to do with an antagonist unequalled in the art ol" selt-deienee. His thrust was parried with iu'lnite dexterity, and after the exchange of a lew lierce and rapid passes, his long Toledo was twisted iiom his grasp, and he lay at the mercy of his adversary. Crichton, hov/ever, forbore to strike ; bvit dismissed his foe as one unworthy of his steel. Gnashing liis teeth Avith rage, Caravaja sought a new wea- pon ; and encouraging each other by shouts and cries, the scholars still pressed madly on. One amongst their number, of colossal stature, noted amongst his brethren fur extraordinary atldetic feats, and rejoicing in the liabelaisian sobriquet of Louiigarou, advanced deliberately towards him. He wielded a bar of iron, and while Crichton was engaged on all sides, he discharged a tremendous blow full at his hend. The ponderous weapon descended, but Crichton had foreseen the stroke and averted it, not, however, without some loss. Such was the force of the blow, that his sword blade, ihough of the best tempered steel, was shivered at the hilt. It was now that Crlchton's great personal strength, and remark- able activity, stood him in admirable stead. AV'^ithout allowing his gigantic antagonist time to repeat his blow, he sprang forward and grappled him with an energy tliat shook his Herculean frame to its foundation. The Antajus of the schools reeled. For the ■jlrst time he had met Avlth his match. Locked in Crlchton's gripe, LoupL!"arou could neither discntaniilc his rluht arm, nor brinir his Unwieldy powers into play. He cuidd scarcely even draAV breath, and his brawny chest heaved like a labouring mountain. Confident of tlie result of the strife, and unwilling to deprive their champion of the entire honours of conquest, the scholars sus- pended further hostilities against Crichton, and directed their at- tacks upon Ogilvy and Blount. Abandoned by his comrades, Loupgarou was asliamed to roar ibr aid ; and experienced some such qualms as I'ell to the share of his namesake when struggling within the clutcli of the redoubted Pantagruel. Like a tower shaken from its enullibrium bv the blatt of the miner, he tottered on his base, and with a concussion heard above the din of the fray, he I'cll to the ground, deprived of sense and motion. Snatching the bar from the relaxed grasp of his adversary, Crich- ton was about to rejoin his comrades, when his attention was suddenly drawn to a new quarter. Hearing his own name called upon, as he thought, by the voice of the Geloso, followed by a lotid shriek for help, he strove to force Ills Avay in the direction ol the soimd. Ogilvy, meantime, found an unexpected and most eflicient ally in the Englishman's dog, Druid. Galled by the fierce and per- tinacious assaults of his enemies, Blount suddenly slipped the inuzzle of the savage animal, and he rushed at the scholars. Blount directed his attacks, and cheered him on. Blows availed nothing COSMO KUGGIERI. 39 against the tough hide of the liardy anhnal, and served only to in- cense him. He raged amongst them hkc a wolf" in a lamb-pusture. I'ain would the students liave taken to their heels, but retreat was impossible. Those behind puslied forward the ranks in front. Shrieks and execrations evidenced the devastation of the relentless pursuer. His teeth met in the legs of one, in the arms of another, in the throat of a third. A space was quickly cleared around Blount and Ogilvy bv their staunch partisan. With his back on the ground — his fiice shielded by his hands to protect himself li'om the teeth of the dog, by whom he had been pinned to the earth, lay the prostrate form of the Ber- nardin. Planting his heavy paws upon his neck, and sprawling over the body of the half-dead scholar, Druid upturned his glowing eyeballs to his master, as if to inquire whether or not he should complete his Avork of destruction. It was a critical moment for the Bernardin. Just then, however, the clatter of swords, the trampling of steeds, and shouts of " Joyeuse, to the rescue !" announced that the vi- comte had reached his company of archers. With a swoop like that of an eagle upon a flock of meaner fowl — and with his charger rearing into the air, Joyeuse dashed amongst the multitude. On the other hand came the halberdiers of the Rector and the laeqi;eys of Bene de Villequier with bills and partisans ; and, fur- thermore, the crowd was invested to the rl^ht by the well disci- plined C^?/cr7«?^^e Cimj, imder the command of the Baron D'Epernon. Thus menaced on all sides, the scholars found themselves in an awkward predicament. At first there was a murmur of " Down with the minions! — Down with the Gascon coufejarrctaV but these cries were speedily silenced. A i'ew strokes from the blunt edges of the swords of the guardsmen, and their staves were thrown to the ground in token of submission, CHAPTER V. COSMO EUGGIEKI. Icy pres, dist Epistemoii, denioure Her Trippa, vous s(,'avoz comment par art d'AstroIogic, Gcomancie, Cliiromaiicie, et anltres de pareille farine, il predict toutes choses futures ; conf'erons de vostre atl'aire avec lui. De cela, respuudit Panurge, je lie s^ay rien. — Kabelais. — Panlugruel. — Liv. 111. The by-stander to whom. Crichton committed the inanimate Geloso, when he rushed to the assistance of Ogilvy, received his charge with an eager readiness, that almost appeared as if he had anticipated the event. Shielding his burden with his arms, and unwilling, it would seem, to attract further attention, he endea- voured to extricate himself from the crowd. He was a little old man, of singular and inauspicious appearance, dressed in a flowing robe of black taffeta, lined Avith llame-coloured silk, and edged with sable fur. In lieu of doublet and hose, he 40 CRICnXON. uuic a ricli gown of crimson velvet, fastened round the waist with a silken cord, in the which was stuck a costly purse, embroidered with the arms of Catherine de Medicis. A collar of medallions, graven with cabalistic characters, hung over his shoulder, and upon liis head he wore a small scull-cap of purple velvet. He bore ]ieither arms nor device of any sort beyond the blazon of the Queen Mother. His forehead would have appeared venerable from its lieight, haldness, and innumerable wrinkles, had not his black scowling brows given it a sinister and portentous look. His temj)les were hollow and sunken; his cheeks emaciated; the colour of his skin was sallow and jaundiced, and its texture like tiiat of shrivelled parchment. His nose was high and aquiline, tufted between the eyes with a clump of dusky hair; and the wIkjIc expression of his features was craity, s\isplciou?, and malignant. AVhen erect, liis stature might have been lofty, but his height was now dwindled to insignificance, by his stooping shoulders and contracted spine. His distorted limbs were concealed from view by the arnplo I'olds of his drapery ; but his joints had been wrenched from their sockets, and but ill restored, during his confinement in the Bastille, Avhere he had been incarcerated and tortured for supposed practices of sorcer3% during the reign of Charles IX. Cosmo Ruggierl, the forbidding personage described, — by birth a Florentine, by vocation a mathematician, alchemist, nay, even bard, as may be gathered from the Ana(jraniato