Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-04-20

arrive. Ih0 troops reIuSeu W sor'e any
longer without pay. l entreated, threat
ened, but without avail; the traitors de-
serted secretly. 1t would not have hap
pended, sire, if you had kept your word as
well as kept mine, and had sent the
money as you promised, .
"Whatl' cried Charles, rising from his
seat, and pale with rage;" did not.send
the money!" w IL
"No, sire" at
"No? And the money has been collected
from the country for the purpose! What
has become of It'll" asgipA
,..Ask the maranis de Giac gonrmajesty;
perhaps he knows" answered the con-
stable, coldly.
The marquis, who had hitherto lis
tened to the conversation in state Of the
greatest anxiety, replied to the kings
question:
"Sire," said he, "out of the hundred
thousand dollars, the Chevalier DANCE
WAS paid the bet he laid with your maj
esty; and the rest took iii part payment
for the three horses 1 had brought from
Burgundy"
$50 the money has gone for bet and
three horses!'' cried the constable, angrily.
turning to the marquis. "you are truly an
excellent treasurer!"
whether L am so or not" answered
the marquis, scornfully. "it is not your
business to decide" The Constable bit
his lips without making any reply, and
then fell on one knee before the king, and
presented his sword.
Here, sire," said he, els my sword
back again.
"No, my cousin we will not accept il. 1"
cried Charles; "for we know none more
worthy to whom we can con6de it,
The constable appeared to consider for a
minute, and then, with n side glance at
the marquis:
"Snce you command it, sire," said he,
"I will retain my sword, hoping long to
wear it to the honor of my king and
France; but 1 must make one condition,
which hope you will grant me-"
"Most willingly, cousin!
GAS constable oc France" continued
the count, 81 exercise the highest juris-
diction within the provinces confded to me,
as we'll as within the district of the town
of Bourges."
Right
"Allow me then, sire, to make use OF
this power; and permit that the same obe-
dience may be shown 10 me that would be
show to yourself" Charles appeared for
a moment embarrassed, and then, with a
side-look at his visibly anxious favorite:-
at shall be so, COUSIN" said he, "but
with one stipulation: you must answer to
me with your honor tor the safety of the
head of the Marquis de Giac."
81 answer for his life, sire," said the
constable. Then turning to the marquis:
"My lord marquis" said he, you are
my prisoner"
| A few hours after tho visit Of the con
stable TO King Charles, the Marquis de
Giac was a prisoner in Bourges on the
charge of having squandered the money
belonging to the royal treasury. This, at
least, was the form under which the con-
stable had proposed to himself to retaliate
upon the marquis for long list of offences
he had for some time been committing
with impunity, feeling himself safe under
the especial protection of the king. The
prisoner was fully aware of the danger OF
the position in which he was placed, al
though the word of the king, as we'll as
that of the constable, was undoubtedly Sc
curity for his life. But are there no pun
ishments infinitely more painful than
death. Are there not tortures insufficient
to destroy the thread of life, yet, in com,
parison with which, death itself would be
boon? And what was there to hope from
the protection OF a weak and frivolous
king, at the time when the will of the con.
stable was of greater weight than that ol
his master?
Giving himself up to these reflections,
his head resting on his two hands, the
marquis sat in a corner of his dark and
dismal prison, awaiting the arrival of the
messenger who was to make known to him
his fate; for in those days no heightened
process WAS necessary for the condemna-
lion of one who had fallen under the dis
pleasure of the constable. 1t was, there
fore, that same evening that the door of the
prison opened, and the mayor of Bourges,
attended by two sheriffs, appeared before
the marquis. A long roll of paper in the
hand of the former announced to him thai
his fate was decided.
"My Lord Marquis de Giac," said the
mayor, after clearing his throat, and un'
rolling the paper, draw near and
hear the sentence which the good city o.
Bourges, according to right and con
science, passes upon you"
The prisoner, by nature hot timid, and
endowed with certain strength of SOU
which enabled him to meet with fortitude
inevitable evils, arose courageously, and
walking up to the mayor with an air o.
pride:
"Let me hear it," said he, ''but, pray,
use not many words"
| GAS you command" replied the mayor
bowling low as he spoke; and then he pro-
ceeded to read, with all the pomposity q
his Office, as follows: "The supreme ad.
ministration of the laws of the good and
true city of Bourges DEGREES, according tc
right and conscience, that Arthur PhRbui
Charles, Marquis de Giac, be held guilty
of having improperly and fraudulently