Legends -- Pyrenees; Pyrenees -- Description and travel; Pyrenees -- History
“The two squires who had brought the water, to free themselves
from any charge of having poisoned him, said, ‘Here is the
water; we have already drunk of it, and will now do it again
in your presence,’ which they did, to the satisfaction of all.
They put into the Count’s mouth bread, water, and spices, but
all to no purpose, for in less than half an hour he was dead.”
No sooner was the breath out of his body than Evan de Foix, his
bastard, whom he loved dearly, galloped to Orthez to get possession
of the treasure in the tower. On his admission to the castle, before
it was known in the town that the Count was dead, he endeavoured to
open the chamber that contained the treasure, but failed; it was fast
behind three oak doors, and he could nowhere find the key. But in the
meanwhile the chaplain had found it upon the body of the Count, and
guessing the predicament in which was Evan, he also took horse and
raced off to Orthez.
By this time a vague rumour had reached the town that something had
happened to the Count, and the townsmen began to assemble in the
streets. The chaplain entered the castle, and now that he was provided
with the key Evan de Foix was able to reach the treasure. But it was
too late for him to make off with it. Before he could pack it up and
form plans for its transport, the death of Gaston Phœbus was known, and
crowds surrounded the castle and forbade egress. Evan was constrained
to show himself at a window and speak the citizens fair. They wished
him no ill, they replied, but they would neither suffer him to plunder
and carry off the treasure, nor leave the castle, till the Viscount of
Châteaubon, the lawful heir, had arrived--this latter was in Aragon at
the time. He at once started for Orthez, and a great assembly of the
Estates of Béarn was held. It was then determined that of the treasure,
the Viscount should have five thousand francs, and the bastards, who
had been put in chains till the will of the Estates was known, should
be set at liberty and allowed each two thousand francs.
“The Viscount of Châteaubon, on his arrival at Orthez, set at
liberty all prisoners confined in the castle. They were very
numerous; for the Count of Foix was very cruel to any person
who incurred his indignation, never sparing them, however high
their rank, but ordering them to be flung headlong over the
walls, or confined on bread and water during his pleasure; and
such as ventured to speak for their deliverance ran the risk of
being treated in like manner.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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