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Show 460 Till!: J.ILY -"ND THE TOTEM, confirm this opinion. He will not fight with him himself, but makes his myrmidons do so. What is thi.i, but the case of one of our own plumed and scented nobles, who procures his foe, whom he fears, to be murdered by the Biscaynn bully whom he buys ?-But., let me rend thee a passage from my commentaries bearing very much upon this history." X IlL FALL OF THE CURTAIN. \V£ need not listen to this passage. Tho reader will find it, with other good things, in the huge tome of the braggart, and garrulous, but very shrewd and vnliant old Gascon. Enough to say, that this counsel did not prevail with his friend. Gourgucs determined to persevere in his original intention of presenting himself at court. His reasons for this resolution were probably not altognthcr shown to Montluc. Gourgues wns n. bankrupt, and needed employment. Ilis expedition bad absorbed his little fortune, and left l1im a debtor, without. tho means of repayment. With the highest reputation as a captain, by land and sca,-and with his name honored by the sentiment of the nntion, which was not permitt-ed to applnud,-hc still fondly hoped that his friend bad mistaken his position, nod that he should be honored and welcomed to the favor and service of his sovereign. H~ was one of those to hope against hope. "As thou wilt! Unbolt the door for the man who is wilful. If thy resolution be taken, I say no more. But thou shalt have letters to the Court, and if the words of an old friend and brother in u.rms may do thee good, thou shalt lJnve the sign-m:mual of Montluc, to as many missives ns it shall please thee to despatch." DOMINIQUE DE GOIJRGU.ES. 461 The letters were written; and, with a full narrative of his expedition prepared, the Chevalier de Gourgucs made his appearance at court .. He had anticipated the ambassador of Spain; but he was rcce1vcd coldly. Tho Queen Mother, and the Princes of Lorraine, with all wbo worshipped at their altars, turned their backs upon the heroic entbusiast. The king forcborc to smile. I~ his ~ccrct heart, he really rejoiced in the vengeance taken by h1s subJCOt upon the Spaniards, but he was not in a situation to declare his true sentiments. Meanwhile, the Spanish ambassador demanded the offender, and set a price upon his head. The Queen Mother and her associates denounced him. A process was initiated to bold him responsible, in his life, for an enterprise undertaken without authority against the subjects of a monarch in alliance with France; and our chevalier was compelled to hide from the storm which he dared not openly encounter. For a long time he lay concealed in RouCn, at the bouse of the President de Marigny, and with other o.ncicnt friends. In this ~ituation, the Queen of England, Elizabeth, made him overtures, and offered him employment in her service ; but the tardy grace of _his own monarch, at length, enabled him to decline the appomtmcnt. s of o.nother and a hostile sovereign. But, nevertheless, though admitted to mercy by the king of France, be was left 'Hithout employment. Fortune, in the end, o.ppcarcd to smile. Don Antonio, of Portugal, offered him the command of a ftcet which he had armed with the view to sustaining his right to the crown of that country, which Philip of Spain wn.s preparing to usurp. Gourgucs embraced the offer with delight. It promised him employment in a familia;· field, and against the enemy whom he regarded with an immortal bate ; but the Fates forbade that be should longer listen to the plea of revenge. While preparing |