The Iron Trevet or Jocelyn the Champion

haumontel, leaving the outstretched body of the serf on the sand, rejoined his

e plebs crowd was slowly recovering its voice, and, despite its habit of respect towards the seigneurs, had begun to murmur with rising indignation. Several voices were heard to say that the knight having been unhorsed by the vassal, the latter was to be considered the victor and should not be killed. The turmoil was on the increase, when an unexpected event suddenly drew to itself the attention of the crowd and cut short its criminations. A large troop of men-at-arms, covered with dust and

what brings

neurs and noblemen of Beauvoisis. Having learned that a large number of them

Nointel to the herald, who, producing a parchment from a richly em

daughter Gloriande. "King John is going to demand some levy of men of us for his war

is so magnificently prodigal towards the courtiers. You would then have gained on the one side what you lost on the other. And then also ... they say the court is such a c

closing his fist, which he applied to his ear for a trumpet, so as to be better able to hear

the herald reading from his parchment, "to his dear, b

liteness and greetings," grumbled the aged seigneur of

said Gloriande impatiently. "The royal lang

son of the King of England, has perfidiously broken the truce that was not t

with his feet. "It is a levy of men that we are going to b

r, we impose upon our peoples and our beloved nobility a double tax for this year. Furthermore, we enjoin, order and command all our dear, beloved and faithful seigneurs of Beauvoisis to take up arms themselves, levy their me

f Beauvoisis was received by the noble assemblage with a mute stu

unt of Chivry. "Already has he imposed subsidies upon us for the maintenance

kept up no army. All our moneys have been squandered in pleas

Bonhomme sweat all the wealth he can, and the cream thereof is to go into

is domains are more exposed tha

marauders, of Navarrais and of the hired soldiery that ravages our lands! And are we to aband

me, who seems to indulge in dreams

ss, may not, to the shame of knighthood, remain barracked on o

vry. "Are you curious to make acquaintance with war? Very well; depart qui

epart for the war, and return crowned with the laurels of victory, leading to my feet ten Englishmen in chains. Shame and disgrace! Galla

ger number of seigneurs, a general murmur of approval received the words of the aged seigneur of Chivry, who, encourage

d be disastrous for us to take the field in distant regions. For the rest, the request of the King will be considered when the de

ry; and Adam the Devil, leaving Jocelyn the Champion for a moment alone with Mazurec, who, having regained cons

t in tourneys with pointless lances and edgeless swords, or to indulge in bravados in c

eral angry voices. "To th

make one's heart ache to see his face bleed

nd throw him into the water!... I decla

the Devil, "what with our masters on one side and the English on the other, we shall be like iron beaten on the an

upon our villages. We flee for safety to the woods, and

What a lo

secures our salvation ... in

s we are to be ravaged and tortured

mselves, their families and retainers safely entrenched and provisioned in their fortified castles,

region like a hurricane: 'Pay your taxes, Jacques Bonhomme,' 'But, Sire, the marauders have carried away everything; they have left us only our eyes to weep with, and we weep!' 'Oh, y

ment taken aback by the incredible audacity of Jacques Bonhomme, bridled up furiously, drew their swords, and, in the midst of alarmed cries of the elder and younger ladies, precipitately descended the st

d, we are a thousand. Have you not a minute ago seen Mazurec unhorse a knight all alone, with his stick and only a handful of sand? Let'

responded the more daring ones. "The devil take the sei

led their threats and imprecations against the seigneurs. Attracted by the tumult and catching a glimpse of Adam the Devil, who with glistening eyes was brandishing one of the posts o

Devil, grinding his teeth, saying which he redoubled his

him!" and turning to the surrounding serfs he said: "Do not attack the seigneurs; you are

edily mounted their horses, the armed nobility now advanced in good order, and charged upon the revolted serfs with swords and lances. The women and children who happened to be in the crowd, were thrown down and trampled over by the horses, and filled the air with their heart-rending cries. The peasants, without order and without leadership, and already frightened at their own audacity whose consequences they now dreaded, fled in all directions over the meadow. Some few of the more valorous and determined stood their ground and were eithe

lled Adam the Devil, who was greatly enfeebled by the loss of blood, to take shelter behind a heap of lumber that had been brought thi