uncle, who commanded Quentin to bed, that he might arise betimes in
the morning, and attend him to his Majesty's antechamber, to which he
was called by his hour of duty, along with five of his comrades.

CHAPTER VIII: THE ENVOY

Be thou as lightning in the eyes of France;
For ere thou canst report I will be there.
The thunder of my cannon shall be heard--
So, hence! be thou the trumpet of our wrath.

KING JOHN

Had sloth been a temptation by which Durward was easily beset, the noise
with which the caserne of the guards resounded after the first toll
of primes, had certainly banished the siren from his couch; but the
discipline of his father's tower, and of the convent of Aberbrothick,
had taught him to start with the dawn; and he did on his clothes gaily,
amid the sounding of bugles and the clash of armour, which announced the
change of the vigilant guards--some of whom were returning to barracks
after their nightly duty, whilst some were marching out to that of the
morning--and others, again, amongst whom was his uncle, were arming for
immediate attendance upon the person of Louis. Quentin Durward soon
put on, with the feelings of so young a man on such an occasion, the
splendid dress and arms appertaining to his new situation; and his
uncle, who looked with great accuracy and interest to see that he was
completely fitted out in every respect, did not conceal his satisfaction
at the improvement which had been thus made in his nephew's appearance.

"If thou dost prove as faithful and bold as thou art well favoured, I
shall have in thee one of the handsomest and best esquires in the Guard,
which cannot but be an honour to thy mother's family. Follow me to the
presence chamber; and see thou keep close at my shoulder."

So saying, he took up a partisan, large, weighty, and beautifully inlaid
and ornamented, and directing his nephew to assume a lighter weapon of
a similar description, they proceeded to the inner court of the palace,
where their comrades, who were to form the guard of the interior
apartments, were already drawn up and under arms--the squires each
standing behind their masters, to whom they thus formed a second rank.
Here were also in attendance many yeomen prickers, with gallant horses
and noble dogs, on which Quentin looked with such inquisitive delight
that his uncle was obliged more than once to remind him that the animals
were not there for his private amusement, but