Page:Joan of Arc - Southey (1796).djvu/104

 With midnight murder leagues, and down the Loire, Rolls the black carcase of his strangled foe. Now confident of strength, at the King's feet He stabs the King's best friends, and then demands, As with a conqueror's imperious tone, The post of honor. Son of that lov'd Chief Whose death my arm aveng'd, may thy days Be happy; serve thy country in the field, Line 774 "The Dukes of Orleans and Burgundy had agreed to bury all past quarrels in oblivion, and to enter into strict amity: they swore before the altar the sincerity of their friendship; the priest administered the sacrament to both of them; they gave to each other every pledge which could be deemed sacred among men. But all this solemn preparation was only a cover for the basest treachery, which was deliberately premeditated by the Duke of Burgundy. He procured his rival to be assassinated in the streets of Paris: he endeavoured for some time to conceal the part which he took in the crime, but being detested, he embraced a resolution still more criminal and more dangerous to society, by openly avowing and justifying it. The Parliament itself of Paris, the tribunal of justice, heard the harangues of the Duke's advocate, in defence of assassination, which he termed tyrannicide; and that assembly, partly influenced by faction, partly overawed by power, pronounced no sentence of condemnation against this detestable doctrine."" This murder and still more the open avowal of the deed, and defence of the doctrine, tended to dissolve all bands of civil society, and even men of honour, who detested the example, might deem it just, on a favourable opportunity, to retaliate upon the author. Burgundy had entered into a secret treaty with the Dauphin, and the two Princes agreed to an interview, in order to concert the means of rendering effectual their common attack on the English; but how both or either of them could with safety venture upon this conference, it seemed somewhat difficult to contrive. The Duke, therefore, who neither dared to give, nor could pretend to expect any trust, agreed to all the contrivances for mutual security which were proposed by the Ministers of the Dauphin. The two Princes came to Monteseau; the Duke lodged in the castle, the Dauphin in the town, which was divided from the castle by the river. "And