Champagne with his regiment to oppose their march, and was riding home to quarters one evening, when he met another solitary horseman belonging to the Allies. Neither of them thought it honourable to pass on without attempting to take the other prisoner. They fought for a long time, without giving or receiving a wound. At last the daylight failed. and they were both so tired that they sat still on their horses and began to talk. Both spoke German, and the same dialect; and André, the man who told the author the story, asked the other from what province he came? from what village? what was his family? It turned out that they were brothers! When André was taken away to serve the French, he had left the other, his little favourite, playing on the cottage floor. He might now have killed him without ever knowing it! They stayed a long while talking of past times, the youngest telling the eldest all that had happened at home since his last visit. At length they departed. The misery of the provinces occupied by the two armies in 1815 was very great; but it was greater all over France during the years suc ceeding the battle of Poitiers in 1356. The king, Charles the Fifth, after considering several plans for relieving the sufferings of the country, at length determined to hire the "free bands" and send them into Castile, to make war on Don Pedro the Cruel, who had caused his wife, sister to the queen of France, to be murdered; the avowed object of the enterprise being to punish Pedro for this crime, to take the kingdom from him, and give it to his brother, Don Henry. Charles, wishing for an able general to conduct the expedition, paid a high ransom for Bertrand du Guesclin, who had remained till this time a prisoner of Chandos: and a herald was sent to the camp of the free companies, near Chalons upon Saone, and was admitted to the tent, where the chief captains, Sir Hugh Calverley, Sir Matthew de Gournay, and many more, were at dinner. They all said that they should gladly confer with Du Guesclin, and sending him a safe conduct, he soon appeared amongst them. Sir Hugh Calverley, who had seen his wonderful exertions at Auray, threw himself upon his neck, declaring that he was ready to follow him anywhere and everywhere, provided it was not against his natural lord, Edward the Black Prince; and when Bertrand answered that "it was not," Sir Hugh in great joy poured out wine. Bertrand at first hesitated to take the glass, because drinking wine together imported agreement and amity; and Bertrand wished to propose his plan, and to know that all was agreed upon before he gave this pledge of friendship. But he would not give pain to a man who loved him so well and offered him welcome so cordially; wine-cup. so he accepted the He then, in the King's name, offered them two hundred thousand francs, provided they would undertake the war in Spain, and give up all the French castles and towns at present in their power. The chiefs replied, the castles would be of no use to them when they were out of France. Some of the more indolent and thievish, however, secretly thought that the castles would be of the greatest use if they could but contrive to stay behind, and rob at their ease; but when the captains and the more soldierly of their comrades had accepted the |