waiting • on the king of France to know his will : he fet out as foon as pofïibîe, having ordered all his men into the garrifons which he had con-quered, and appointed his nephew, fir Oliver de Mauny, commander over them. He rode on to Paris, where he found the king furrounded by a number of the lords of his coun-cil. He was received by all with great pleafure j and the king told him of his being chofen con-ftable of France. On hearing which, fir Bertrand modeftly and fagely excufed himfelf, faying, f he was not worthy/of it : that he was but a poor knight and Ample batchelor, in comparifon with the great lords and valorous men of France, how-ever fortune might have been favourable to him.* The king replied, c that his excufes- would be of no avail ; that he muft confent to accept this dig-, nity, for it had been fo determined by the decifion of the whole of the council of France, and that he would not break through fuch a refolution.* Sir Bertrand ufed other arguments to excufê him-felf ; adding c Dear lord and noble king, I cannot, I dare not, whatever I may wifh, oppofe what may be your good pleafure : but in truth I am too poor a man, and of low extraétion, for the office of conftable, which is fo grand and noble that it is proper for thofe (who wifh to excercife itjuftly and honourably) to command and keep a ftrid eye more upon the great than the poor. Now Sir, here are my lords your brothers, your nephews and your confins,"who will have different commands in your flrmies, and in various expeditions -9 and how fhall • ' I dare 108