MONTPELLIER. 271

Everybody looked extremely disappointed.

‘Seneschal,’ said Louis, turning to Joinville, ‘ what
is your opinion ?’

‘Sire,’ replied Joinville, ‘it seems to me that you
ought to land; for Madame de Bourbon, being once
in this very port, put again to sea to land at Aigues
Mortes, and she was tossed about for seven long
weeks before she could make that harbour.’

‘Seneschal,’ said the king, ‘you have persuaded
me.’ And goon after, to the joy of the queen and
all on board, Louis landed at Hieros, and with
Margaret and his children took up’ his residence
in the castle, to rest from his fatigues ere setting
out for his cwn dominions. Indeed, the saint-king
was so weak, that Joinville had to carry him in his
arms; and for some time he could hardly support
the weight of his armour, or remain on horseback.

But Louis had yet many years of life before him;
and after repairing for a time to recruit his health
at Montpellier, where then, as in alter ages, the
medical science eminently flourished, he in the
autumn arrived at Vincennes, and after prostrating
himself before the altar of St. Denis and restoring
the oriflamme to the abbot, he proceeded to Paris,
where he was received with profound respect. But
the saint-king bore on his brow traces of the sorrow

caused by the multiplied disasters of his expedition,
~ and still wore the symbol of salvation on bis shoulder,
as if to intimate that he was not yet done with the
Holy Land. |