a, all ye saints who hear me, pray for me, a sinner.] He then
smote his breast, arose, reassumed his hat, and continued: "Be assured,
good father, that whatever there may be in our commission of the nature
at which you have hinted, the execution shall not be intrusted to this
youth, nor shall he be privy to such part of our purpose."

"In this," said the Astrologer, "you, my royal brother, will walk
wisely.--Something may be apprehended likewise from the rashness of
this your young commissioner, a failing inherent in those of sanguine
complexion. But I hold that, by the rules of art, this chance is not to
be weighed against the other properties discovered from his horoscope
and otherwise."

"Will this next midnight be a propitious hour in which to commence a
perilous journey?" said the King. "See, here is your Ephemerides--you
see the position of the moon in regard to Saturn, and the ascendence of
Jupiter.--That should argue, methinks, in submission to your better art,
success to him who sends forth the expedition at such an hour."

"To him who sends forth the expedition," said the Astrologer, after a
pause, "this conjunction doth indeed promise success; but, methinks,
that Saturn, being combust, threatens danger and infortune to the party
sent; whence I infer that the errand may be perilous, or even fatal
to those who are to journey. Violence and captivity, methinks, are
intimated in that adverse conjunction."

"Violence and captivity to those who are sent," answered the King,
"but success to the wishes of the sender.--Runs it not thus, my learned
father?"

"Even so," replied the Astrologer.

The King paused, without giving any farther indication how far
this presaging speech (probably hazarded by the Astrologer from his
conjecture that the commission related to some dangerous purpose)
squared with his real object, which, as the reader is aware, was to
betray the Countess Isabelle of Croye into the hands of William de la
Marck, a nobleman indeed of high birth, but degraded by his crimes into
a leader of banditti, distinguished for his turbulent disposition and
ferocious bravery.

The King then pulled forth a paper from his pocket, and, ere he gave
it to Martivalle, said, in a tone which resembled that of an apology,
"Learned Galeotti, be not surprised that, possessing in you an oracular
treasure, superior to that lodged in the breast of any now alive, not
excepting the great Nostradamus himself [a French astrol