Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/307

i$th Century. The fecond would be an eagle. This bird is naturally ftrong, and powerful ; and from that very circumftance we do not give him merit tor his prowefs. We do not honour violence ; we fear it. Weaknefs has recourfe to reafon and ftratagem for aid,, and a trap, or an arrow, ferves to deftroy the ftrongeft. William, therefore, mall be king, like the eagle, but, like him, he mall alfo be mifchievous, cruel', ' feared, and hated ; in a word, he mail meet with an untimely end. The third would be a ftarling. It is a bird unafluming, and gra- cious^ He prefers to live with others of the fame kind. He will not do an injury to any one ; and he awaits his diflblution tranquil and ferene. Such is the character of Henry. Naturally peaceful, he will not make war without nqceffity. Rich and beneficent, he will be fond of a court as numerous as brilliant. If he fuifer fome mortifications, time, reafon, and friendship, will foften them,, and his end will be peaceful, and regretted by his fubjecls.. This is my decifion upon the king's three children, continues the fagacious fcholar ; if you do not believe it to be juft, mend it. I may be miftaken, but if fo, I wifli to be fet right, and I will willingly give place to any opinion, better founded than my own. It is eafy to believe that all the council, from their previous em- barraflrnent, greedily adopted this determination, which opened a way for them to get out of the difficulty, impofed on them by the Conqueror ; and they alfo exhorted the fagacious fcholar to go at their head, and himfelf to difclofe to the monarch the opinion, which through his means had been adopted by the afTembly. They break up the fitting, and go to find their prince, who receives with honour thofe men, who came to draw afide for him the impenetrable veil that hides futurity from mortals. The fagaci- ous leader announces to him, that his eldeft fon would be a gallant knight, but little efteemed ; and that, in the end, he would die in 8 prifon.