PVager of Battle. hands of the hangman." But the man who wore the crown of France, and for whose sake Vivonne had imperilled his life, be trayed no emotion and gave no sign of as sent to their petition. Jarnac then made a last appeal to Mar guerite of France, the King's sister, implor ing her to obtain from the King the life of Vivonne, which could only be done by his being taken into the royal charge, since his defeat in the judicial duel was a conviction of perjury. Her appeal was successful, and the King at last said :
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in ejectment was brought in the Court of Common Pleas by one Lowe, against Kyme and others who held the land in question. The defendants demanded the Wager of Battle, and each side produced a champion. The Court accepted the champions and fixed a day for the duel. Thorne, defendant's champion, then threw down his glove, which Naylor, for the plaintiff, took up. The champions were then sworn to do battle at Tuthill Fields in Westminster. On the ap pointed day an arena had been prepared, sixty feet square, on level ground. It was
THE JUDICIAL DUEL. COMBAT OF A KNIGHT WITH A DOG. From a manuscript of the Thirteenth Century. "Jarnac, do you give him to me?" "Gladly, Sire, do I give him. For the love of God, and for your own sake. Am I not a man of honor?" "You have done your duty, Jarnac," was the reply; " and your honor is restored to you. Take away the Seigneur de la Chasteigneraye! " He had no other message for his champion. Vivonne was borne from the field, but on learning what had taken place he tore the bandages from his wound and died in a few hours. In England, the judicial duel, although legalized by William the Conqueror, was scarcely ever resorted to. In 1571, a suit
surrounded by a palisade; on the west side was erected a platform for the judges, and their judicial chairs were brought from the court room in Westminster Hall for them to sit in. Before them was a bench for the Sergeants-at-Law. On the other sides of the arena tiers of seats were erected for the spectators. At opposite ends of the en closure a tent was pitched for the use of each champion and a knight waited in each, to act as second or Master of Ceremonies for him. At nine o'clock, the three judges, clad in their scarlet robes of office, and attended by the court officials and the learned Ser geants-at-Law, appeared and formally opened
