years' war with England?

* * * * *

No answer being outwardly given to her challenge, no thunderbolt
hurled upon her head, they imagine that she has triumphed over the
Christ. The nimble band of demons seized their moment to astonish the
people with various small wonders which amazed and overawed the more
credulous. The toads, quite harmless in fact, but then accounted
poisonous, were bitten and torn between their dainty teeth. They
jumped over large fires and pans of live coal, to amuse the crowd and
make them laugh at the fires of Hell.

Did the people really laugh after a scene so tragical, so very bold? I
know not. Assuredly there was no laughing on the part of her who first
dared all this. To her these fires must have seemed like those of the
nearest stake. Her business rather lay in forecasting the future of
that devilish monarchy, in creating the Witch to be.

CHAPTER XII.

THE SEQUEL--LOVE AND DEATH--SATAN DISAPPEARS.

And now the multitude is made free, is of good cheer. For some hours
the serf reigns in short-lived freedom. His time indeed is scant
enough. Already the sky is changing, the stars are going down. Another
moment, and the cruel dawn remits him to his slavery, brings him back
again under hostile eyes, under the shadow of the castle, beneath the
shadow of the church; back again to his monotonous toiling, to the old
unending weariness of heart, governed as it were by two bells, whereof
one keeps saying "Always," the other "Never." Anon they will be seen
coming each out of his own house, heavily, humbly, with an air of calm
composure.

Let them at least enjoy the one short moment! Let each of these
disinherited, for once fulfil his fancy, for once indulge his musings.
What soul is there so all unhappy, so lost to all feeling, as never to
have one good dream, one fond desire; never to say, "If this would
only happen!"

The only detailed accounts we have, as I said before, are modern,
belonging to a time of peace and well-doing, when France was blooming
afresh, in the latter years of Henry VI., years of thriving luxury,
entirely different from that dark age when the Sabbath was first set
going.

No thanks to Mr. Lancre and others, if we refrain from pourtraying the
Third Act as like the Church-Fair of Rubens, a very miscellaneous
orgie, a great burlesque ball, which allowed of every kind of union,
especially between near kindred. According to those