nable reproaches.

"I went hence to restore some order in the van," he said, "and left the
main body under your Grace's own guidance, and now, on my return, I
can neither find that we have front, flank, nor rear, so utter is the
confusion."

"We are the more like a barrel of herrings," answered Le Glorieux,
"which is the most natural resemblance for a Flemish army."

The jester's speech made the Duke laugh, and perhaps prevented a farther
prosecution of the altercation betwixt him and his general.

By dint of great exertion, a small lusthaus, or country villa of some
wealthy citizen of Liege, was secured and cleared of other occupants,
for the accommodation of the Duke and his immediate attendants; and the
authority of D'Hymbercourt and Crevecoeur at length established a guard
in the vicinity, of about forty men at arms, who lighted a very large
fire, made with the timber of the outhouses, which they pulled down for
the purpose.

A little to the left of this villa, and betwixt it and the suburb,
which, as we have said, was opposite to the city gate, and occupied by
the Burgundian Vanguard, lay another pleasure house, surrounded by a
garden and courtyard, and having two or three small enclosures or
fields in the rear of it. In this the King of France established his own
headquarters. He did not himself pretend to be a soldier further than
a natural indifference to danger and much sagacity qualified him to be
called such; but he was always careful to employ the most skilful in
that profession, and reposed in them the confidence they merited. Louis
and his immediate attendants occupied this second villa, a part of his
Scottish Guard were placed in the court, where there were outhouses and
sheds to shelter them from the weather; the rest were stationed in the
garden. The remainder of the French men at arms were quartered closely
together and in good order, with alarm posts stationed, in case of their
having to sustain an attack.

Dunois and Crawford, assisted by several old officers and soldiers,
amongst whom Le Balafre was conspicuous for his diligence, contrived, by
breaking down walls, making openings through hedges, filling up ditches,
and the like, to facilitate the communication of the troops with each
other, and the orderly combination of the whole in case of necessity.

Meanwhile, the King judged it proper to go without farther ceremony to
the quarters of the Duke of Burgundy, to ascertain what was to be the