eback. In
order not to incommode the king with dust, he was left to march almost
alone. To the left of him were the Dukes of Burgundy and Berry, some
paces in front, conversing together. The Duke of Orleans, the Duke of
Bourbon, Sire de Coney, and some others were also in front, forming
another group. Behind were Sires de Navarre, de Bar, d'Albret, d'Artois,
and many others in one pretty large troop. They rode along in this
order, and had just entered the great forest of Le Mans, when all at once
there started from behind a tree by the road-side a tall man, with bare
head and feet, clad in a common white smock, who, dashing forward and
seizing the king's horse by the bridle, cried, 'Go no farther; thou art
betrayed!'

[Illustration: '"Thou art betrayed."'----26]

The men-at-arms hurried up immediately, and striking the hands of the
fellow with the butts of their lances, made him let go the bridle. As he
had the appearance of a poor madman, and nothing more, he was allowed to
go without any questioning, and he followed the king for nearly half an
hour, repeating the same cry from a distance. The king was much troubled
at this sudden apparition; and his head, which was very weak, was quite
turned by it. Nevertheless the march was continued. When the forest had
been traversed, they came to a great sandy plain, where the rays of the
sun were more scorching than ever. One of the king's pages, overcome by
the heat, had fallen asleep, and the lance he carried fell against his
helmet, and suddenly caused a loud clash of steel.

"The king shuddered; and then he was observed, rising in his stirrups, to
draw his sword, touch his horse with the spur, and make a dash, crying,
'Forward upon these traitors! They would deliver me up to the enemy!'
Every one moved hastily aside, but not before some were wounded; it is
even said that several were killed, among them a bastard of Polignac.
The king's brother, the Duke of Orleans, happened to be quite close by.
'Fly, my nephew d'Orleans,' shouted the Duke of Burgundy: 'my lord is
beside himself. My God! let some one try and seize him!' He was so
furious that none durst risk it; and he was left to gallop hither and
thither, and tire himself in pursuit of first one and then another. At
last, when he was weary and bathed in sweat, his chamberlain, William de
Martel, came up behind and threw his arms about him. He was surrounded,
had his sword taken from him, was lifted from hi