e was about to embark at St. Malo for England,
when the Duke's Grand Treasurer (Landais) arrived, warned Henry of his
danger, and helped him to take refuge in the sanctuary of the church,
whence he afterwards withdrew him again to place him in honourable
captivity for twelve more years, till King Edward's death. A party being
formed in England, aided by the Duchess of Brittany, Francoise de Foix,
Henry attempted a descent; but the plan being discovered, after seeing the
English coast, Henry was obliged to return to Brittany and his ships were
scattered in a storm. Again within his power, Landais listened to the
offers of King Richard III., and agreed to give him up; but Henry,
informed in time, left Vannes, threw himself into the forest, and escaped
to France, where he obtained from the regent, Anne de Beaujeu, the
assistance which enabled him to mount the English throne.

The castle of Elven, with those of Rieux and Rochefort, belonged to the
Marechal de Rieux. Elven was rebuilt by him with the materials of the old;
but they were all dismantled by the orders of the Duchess Anne in 1496, to
punish her guardian for his revolt. Yet Rieux acted as he thought best for
the welfare of his late master and his daughter, whose cause he defended
against the interested views of the King of France. Rieux had that keen
sense of honour which is one of the characteristics of the Breton
gentleman. When he reproached Anne de Beaujeu, regent, to her brother
Charles VIII., for having instigated the King to attack Nantes, contrary
to his engagements, Anne replied, "He had no written promise." "Et quoi,
Madame!" he indignantly exclaimed; "la parole d'un roy, ne vaut elle pas
mille scellez?" Louis de Rieux, the last of the race, was shot on the
Champs des Martyrs. True to the motto of his house, "A toute heure,
Rieux," he showed himself ready "at any hour" to die for the altar and the
throne.

Elven is the scene of M. Octave Feuillet's "Roman d'un jeune Homme
pauvre;" and the keeper who shows the ruins points out the spot whence the
"Hero of Romance" took the leap to prove his loyalty, and which gained him
the hand of the lady.

Next morning we started early by rail to Questembert, to meet the
diligence for Ploermel, twenty miles from this station, passing through
Malestroit. We saw quantities of chestnuts on our road, and were told they
were largely exported to England. They come principally from the
neighbourhood of Redon and other plac