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Show .&20 THE LILY AND THE TOTEM • which he ha.d so long led, was well calculated to conduce to tolera~ !.ion. "V cngcnnce is mine :11 saith the Lord; and he was very willing to believe that in his own good time, the Lord will do himrolf justice upon tho offender. He wa~ no hater of Calvin or the Protcstnnts-was quito willing that they should pray nod preach 1.ftcr the desires of their own h earts ; and did by no means sympathise with his friend, 1\Iontluc, in regard to the heretics whom be denounced. But he said nothing of this to the )farcchal. lie knew that nothing could be said safely, in relation to this vexing struggle, which tore tho bowels of the nation with perpetual strifes. He had been taught policy by painful c:.::pcricucc ; and, though boiling with intense excitement, could conceal tho secret flame with an exterior of snow, such as shrouds the top of tho burning Orizaba. He found tho old knight in tho enjoyment of a degree of repose, which was no 'vays desirable to one of his character. Tho man of wl1om tho epitaph recorda-written by him,.!£:- " Cy deuous reposent les os De Montluc, qui n'eut one repos." was not the person to feel grateful in the possession of an office which gave no exercise to his restless and martial propensities. "We arc shelved, mon ami," he said with a grim smile to Do Gourgucs, as they sat together in the warm chnmber of the speaker:-" We arc shelved. We arc under petticoat government. Lords and rulers arc now made by the pretty women of tl1o Court, and an old soldier like myself, who h:~.s saved tho tronarchy, as you know, a. dozen times, bas nothing now to do but to bang up his armor, and watch it while it falls to pieces with the rust. But I have made myself a name which is famous throughout Eul'ope, and for the opportunity to do thii!, I mu.•t DOAIIN'IQU£ DB GOt:IWU£S, 421 needs be grateful to my king. I have the lieutenancy of Guycone, but bow long I am to have it is the question. There are others who hunger after the shoes I wear; but whether they will fit so well upon the feet of Monsieur, the Marquis do Villars, must be for other eyes to determine. All J know, is, that I am lnid up forever. Strength fails, and favor fails, and I chafe at my own lack of strength. I sb:~.ll never be happy so long ns my knees refuse to bend as 1 would mount horse, yet bend even too freely when I would speed on foot. But what is this expedition for which you desire tho royal seal? Certainly, we Gascons arc the most restless of all God's creatures. Here now arc you but just arrived at home, and beginning to make merry with your friend;;, and here you arc, all at once, impatient to be upon the seas again. Well: you h:wc won a great fame upon the ocean, nnd naturn.lly desire to win still more. l' faith, I feel a. great desire to keep you company. I would be at work to tho last, still doing, still conquering, and dying in the greatest of my victories. What sayiJ the Italian-' Un btl mcmrir, tulta Ia vita 0110ra !' Did thi~ adventure of your111 Monsieur, but promise & great battle, verily, J should like to share it with you." "Ah! Monsieur, my friend, your passion is no longer mine, tl10ugh 1 am too much of the Gascon still, to fail, at the sound of tho trumpet, to prick mine cars. But this adventure tells for fortune rather than fame. 1 finJ no fnme a specific against famine. I would seck now a.ftcr those wordly goods which neither of us looked to fiud in the 'vu.rs with the Spaniard. And for which re~on, failing to find, we arc in danger now of being put aside by bdies' minions, and the feathered creatures of the Court. There is great 12;ain now to be won by a visit to the Co&8t of |
