. But there are the trumpets! you will soon see what
will befall."

And, with a loud blast of trumpets, the gorgeously arrayed heralds rode
into the court, followed by a guard of halberdiers, in the midst of
whom rode a Knight in bright armour, his visor closed, but his shield
and crest marking the Baron of Clarenham.

When the trumpets had ceased, and the procession reached the centre of
the lists, they halted, and drew up in order,--the principal herald,
Aquitaine, immediately in front of the Prince. After another short
clear trumpet-blast, Aquitaine unrolled a parchment, and, in a loud
voice, proclaimed the confession of Fulk, Baron of Clarenham, of his
foul and unknightly conduct, in attempting to betray the person of the
good Knight and true, Eustace Lynwood, Knight Banneret, with that of
his Esquire, Gaston d'Aubricour, and of certain other trusty and
well-beloved subjects of his liege Lord, King Edward of England,
together with the fortalice, called Chateau Norbelle, in the county of
Gascogne, appertaining to my Lord Edward, Prince of Wales and Duke of
Aquitaine, into the hands of the enemy--having for that purpose
tampered with and seduced Thibault Sanchez, Seneschal of the Castle,
Tristan de la Fleche, and certain others, who, having confessed their
crime, have received their deserts, by being hung on a gallows--upon
which same gallows it was decreed by the authority of the Prince, Duke
and Governor of Aquitaine, that the shield of Fulk de Clarenham should
be hung--he himself being degraded from the honours and privileges of
knighthood, of which he had proved himself unworthy--and his lands
forfeited to the King, to be disposed of at his pleasure.

Clarenham was then compelled to dismount from his horse, and to, first
one foot, and then the other, upon the block, where a broad red-faced
cook, raising his cleaver, cut off the golden spurs. Sir John Chandos,
as Constable of Aquitaine, then came forward, and, taking the shield
from the arm of Clarenham, gave it, reversed, into the hands of one of
the heralds, who carried it away. The belt, another token of
knighthood, was next unbuckled, and Chandos, taking the sword, broke it
in three pieces across his knee, saying, "Lie there, dishonoured
steel!" and throwing it down by the spurs. Lastly, the helmet, with the
baronial bars across the visor, was removed, and thrown to the ground,
leaving visible the dark countenance, where the paleness of shame and
the flu