o the king."
"The king will be terribly put out," said Warthy; and he returned to
Lyons to report these remarks of the real or pretended invalid. While he
was away, the constable received from England and Spain news which made
him enter actively upon his preparations; he heard at the same time that
the king was having troops marched towards Bourbonness so as to lay
violent hands on him if he did not obey; he, therefore, decided to go and
place himself in security in his strong castle of Chantelle, where he
could await the movements of his allies; he mounted his horse, did six
leagues at one stretch, and did not draw bridle until he had entered
Chantelle. Warthy speedily came and rejoined him. He found the
constable sitting on his bed, dressed like an invalid and with his head
enveloped in a night-cap. "M. de Warthy," said Bourbon, "you bring your
spurs pretty close after mine." "My lord," was the reply, "you have
better ones than I thought." "Think you," said Bourbon, "that I did not
well, having but a finger's breadth of life, to put it as far out of the
way as I could to avoid the king's fury?" "The king," said Warthy, "was
never furious towards any man; far less would he be so in your case."
"Nay, nay," rejoined the constable, "I know that the grand master and
Marshal de Chabannes set out from Lyons with the archers of the guard and
four or five thousand lanzknechts to seize me; and that is what made me
come to this house whilst biding my time until the king shall be pleased
to hear me." He demanded that the troops sent against him should be
ordered to halt till the morrow, promising not to stir from Chantelle
without a vindication of himself. "Whither would you go, my lord?" said
Warthy: "if you wished to leave the kingdom, you could not; the king has
provided against that everywhere."

"Nay," said Bourbon, "I have no wish to leave the kingdom; I have
friends and servants there." Warthy went away from Chantelle in company
with the Bishop of Autun, Chiverny, who was one of the constable's most
trusted friends, and who was bearer to the king of a letter which ran
thus: "Provided it please the king to restore to him his possessions, my
lord of Bourbon promises to serve him well and heartily, in all places
and at all times at which it shall seem good to him. In witness whereof,
he has signed these presents, and begs the king to be pleased to pardon
those towards whom he is ill disposed on account of this busin