Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/99

 80

The features of Henry were quite familiar to the people, and as they looked at the new-comer, standing there in melodramatic attitude, they thought he was indeed the king. "Good people of Paris," cried Spifame, "hear the blackest perfidy. Our council lors are traitors, our magistrates are felons, who have held in captivity your well-beloved king, as was done to Charles the Sixth, his illustrious grandsire." The French have always been an excita ble people, and this harangue, in conjunc tion with Spifame's unmistakable likeness to his majesty, aroused a murmur of surprise and indignation. Vignet seized the oppor tunity to distribute copies of their edicts, not forgetting to mix in some of his lam poons. "See," he cried, " these are the royal edicts which your king has issued for the good of his people, but which have neither been published nor obeyed. And these," he went on, holding up some of his own effu sions, "are the divine poems which have been traitorously pilfered and debased by the scoundrels Ronsard and Saint Gelais." The people took the papers and eagerly scanned them, with exclamations of aston ishment and rage. At length the excite ment rose to such a pitch that they lifted Spifame into a rude sort of triumphal chair, and started off with him for the H6tel de Ville, with the intention of installing their abused monarch there until they had pro cured arms to attack the Louvre and seat him once again upon his rightful throne. Now, it so happened that at that very mo ment the dauphin's bride, Mary of Scotland, was entering Paris by the Porte Saint Denis,

and the real king was riding along past the Hotel de Bourgoyne to meet her. Hearing the noise of some tumult, he sent his officers forward to see what was going on, and, on their return, he was informed that a new king was being proclaimed. " We will go and meet him," said Henry, " and, by the faith of a gentleman, if he is worth it, we will offer him single combat." Hurrying on, they presently emerged into the square where was taking place the odd scene just now depicted. The advent of the soldiers caused the mob to disperse, the triumphal chair was set down, and the real and pseudo king came face to face. " A miracle! a miracle! " cried some of the onlookers, and no wonder, for there, in full view, sat two kings of France, with features exactly alike; both pale and proud .of mien, and both wearing a sparkling collarette of orders. Henry was not slow to recognize his im personator. As for Spifame, he seemed for a moment deprived of the power of speech; then one of his worst attacks came on him, and he poured out a volley of only halfintelligible language, confounding, as before, his dual existence as Henry and Spifame, which he was unable to disentangle. The king dealt very kindly with the poor fellow, and instead of allowing him to be taken back to the mad-house, he had him conveyed to one of the royal castles, where he was cared for by special servants, who were instructed to indulge his illusion by calling him " sire " and " majesty." His companion, Vignet, went with him, and in their new home they resumed their old oc cupation of issuing edicts and composing poems.

W0&^