The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-01-03

| the ground, ana Jn0 ueoecEatcu oh0
dead bodies of young children and OF women
were lying exposed in the fields to be devonred
by ravens ask You, is this the work of hon
orable warriors !"
Having uttered these words, he rose from
the table, raised a portion of the hangings Of
the tent, and continued, pointing to the coun-
try: Look you, measures, turn your eyes in
all directions; every where You behold the
flames of this atrocious devastation {; the sky
is blackened with smoke the whole country
is in a conflagration. What does such war
as this betoken 1t is worse than if the ruth
less Northmen had come again, and turned
the world into den of robbers"
Robert d'Artois became livid with anger ;
he moved himself impatiently in his chair, |
and cried
"This has lasted too long; / can no longer
permit any man to speak thus in my presence.
know we'll enough what have to do; FIan-
| ders must be swept clean, and it is out of my |
power to prevent it, This strife of words dis
| composes me much, and beseech Messire the
| Constable to speak more in this tone. Let
| him keep his sword unstained (; we all will do
the same, for no disgrace can rebound to us from
the excesses of our soldiers. Let MS now end
this angry dispute and each man see that he
does his duty"
Then raising his golden goblet, he cried:
"To the honor of Franco and the extermin-
| alton of the rebels !"
| Rodolf de Nesle repeated, "To the honor of
France" and laid significant emphasis on the
words 30 that every one might see that he
would not drink to the determination of the
Flemings. Hugo van Arckel placed his hand
on the goblet which stood before him ; but he
neither raised it from the table nor spoke .
word. All the others repeated the words of
the general exactly, and followed his example.
For some little time the countenance of
Hugo van Arckel had assumed peculiar ex-
, preston disapprobation and dispieasure were
depicted on it, At length he looked fixedly at
the general, as though he had made up his
mind to brave him, and exclaimed
"I should do myself dishonor were I now to
2 drink to the honor of France"
At these words the face of Robert d'Artois
y glowed with wrath /; he struck the table so
G violently with his goblet, that he made all the
+ drinking-ve ssels ring, and shouted:
'Messire Arckle, you shall drink to the
n honor of France it is my will"
"Messire," replied Hugo with imperturbable
# GOODNESS, 81 drink not to the devastation of a
# Christian land. Long have warred, and in
many lands; yet never have found knight
N atrocities"
a. "You shall do my behest I will it bic
d you."
"And will not" answered Hugo. "Heark
lr en- Messire d'Artois, you have already said tina
n. my soldiers demanded too high pay, and tina
ma they cost you too much we'll then, you shal
nr pay thom no longer, for will no longer serv
70 in Your camp and our contention is at al
be end"
These words caused an unpleasant Eensatio
-. in all the knights, and even in the geners
:" ~ himself; for the departure of Hugo would b
no light loss. The Zeelander meanwhile DIRE,
back his chair threw one of his gloves o
tho table, and exclaimed with increasing az
nd ger:
N "Messires, 1 aver that you are all liars!
scorn you oil to your faces! There lies m
-, glove take it up who lists, challenge hill
to mortal combat"
=, Almost all the knights, and amongst the
:. even Rodolf de Nesle, snatched eagerly at IL
"a glove but Robert d'Artois threw himself
eagerly upon it. that he seized it before Il
!. others. az accept you challenge" said ht
~ "come, let CO."
.o But at this moment the old king Sigis VI
u Melinde arose. and waved his hand in tok
~ that he wished to speak, The great vener
inn tion with which both the combatants regar
ed him restrained them, and they stood still
al silence to hear him. The old man spoke thu
ese "Messires, let your angry passions subs
to- awhile, and give heed to my counsel. Yo
rs. Count Robert, are not ut this moment mast
of your life. Were you to fall, the army
Il, your prince would be deprived of it's lead
,n' and consequently exposed to disorder and d
T Nv" organization you cannot resolve to risk tn
, And now, Messire van Arckle, ask yo
aa have you any doubt of the bravery of Mess
d'Artois I"
oe "No, truly" replied Van Arckel, "I ackno
~ ledge Messire Robert to be fearless and '
liant knight"
,o, "weI, then" continued the king, "you he
49, general, that your personal honor is not call
in question there remains to you only I