Chapter XIII

CHARLES THE SIXTH, KING OF FRANCE, FROM A DREAM, CHOOSES A FLYING HART FOR HIS DEVICE.

It happened that during the residence of the young king Charles at Senlis, as he was sleeping in his bed a vision appeared to him. He thought he was in the city of Arras, where until then he had never been, attended by all the flower of knighthood of his kingdom; that the Earl of Flanders came there to him, and placed on his wrist a most beautiful and elegant pilgrim-falcon, saying, “My lord, in God’s name I give this falcon to you for the best that was ever seen, the most indefatigable hunter, and the most excellent striker of birds.” The king was much pleased with the present, and said, “Fair cousin, I give you my thanks.” He then thought he turned to the Constable of France, who was near him, and said, “Sir Oliver, let you and I go to the plains, and try this elegant falcon which my cousin of Flanders has given me;” when the constable answered, “Well, let us go.” Then each mounted their horses, and went into the fields, taking the falcon with them, where they found plenty of herons to fly him at. The king said, “Constable, cast off the falcon, and we shall see how he will hunt.” The constable let him fly, and the falcon mounted so high in the air they could scarcely see him: he took the direction toward Flanders. “Let us ride after my bird,” said the king to the constable; “for I will not lose him.” The constable assented; and they rode on, as it appeared to the king, through a large marsh, when they came to a wood, on which the king cried out, “Dismount, dismount! we cannot pass this wood on horseback.” They then dismounted, when some servants came and took their horses. The king and the constable entered the wood with much difficulty, and walked on until they came to an extensive heath, where they saw a falcon chasing herons, and striking them down; but they resisted, and there was a battle between them. It seemed to the king that his falcon performed gallantly, and drove the birds before him so far that he lost sight of him. This much vexed the king, as well as the impossibility of following him; and he said to the constable, “I shall lose my falcon, which I shall very much regret; for I have neither lure nor any thing else to call him back.” While the king was in this anxiety he thought a beautiful hart, with two wings, appeared to issue out of the wood, and come to this heath, and bend himself down before the king, who said to the constable as he regarded this wonder with delight, “Constable, do you remain here; and I will mount this hart that offers himself to me, and follow my bird.” The constable agreed to it; and the young king joyfully mounted the hart, and went seeking the falcon. The hart, like one well tutored to obey the king’s pleasure, carried him over the tops of the highest trees, when he saw his falcon striking down such numbers of birds that he marvelled how he could do it. It seemed to the king that, when the falcon had sufficiently flown and struck down enough of the herons, he called him back; and instantly, as if well taught, he perched on the king’s wrist, when it seemed to him that after he had taken the falcon by its lure, and given him his reward, the hart flew back again over the wood, and replaced the king on the same heath whence he had carried him, and where the constable was waiting, who was much rejoiced at his return. On his arrival he dismounted: the hart returned to the wood, and was no more seen. The king then, as he imagined, related to the constable how well the hart had carried him, and that he had never rode so easy before in his life; and also the goodness of his falcon, who had struck down such numbers of birds: to all which the constable willingly listened. The servants then seemed to come after them with their horses, which, having mounted, they followed a magnificent road that brought them back to Arras. The king at this part awakened, much astonished at the vision he had seen, which was so imprinted on his memory that he told it to some of his attendants who were waiting in his chamber. The figure of this hart was so agreeable to him, that he could not put it out of his imagination; and this was the cause why, on this expedition to Flanders against the Flemings, he took a flying hart for his device.