"Sir White Knight, you may now rejoice to good purpose, for we have reached the term so long desired by you; and if you have a good sum of money for us, we will make a good bargain. If we chose to resist we have still arms, provisions, and valour; but the truth is, we want a legitimate master to whom we can dedicate our service. For which reason, noble warrior, knowing your merit, we elect and constitute you henceforth Count of Le Mans." Hélie, after this, took part against Robert and the Count of Mortain at the battle of Tinchebray, where he commanded an army composed of Bretons and Manceaux. He distinguished himself wherever he appeared in battle, and died in 1110, and was buried in the abbey church of La Couture, where his tomb was formerly seen. He was the hero of his age. Pious, loyal, and valiant, his device expressed his qualities:--"No glory without honour, and no honour without glory." He was active, vigilant, and just, says one of his biographers, as great in his reverses as in his successes; he added to the merit of a great captain the talents of a sound politician, and the enlightened mind of a statesman; but his highest praise is that he merited and obtained the affection of his vassals. His memory was long cherished in Le Mans, even till the events of the great Revolution swept away all records but that of the crimes then committed. CHAPTER V. LUDE--SAUMUR REVISITED--THE GARDEN--LA PETITE VOISINE--THE RETIRED MILITAIRE--LES PIERRES COUVERTES--LES PETITES PIERRES--LOUDUN--URBAIN GRANDIER--RICHELIEU--THE NUNS--THE VICTIM--THE FLY--THE MALLE POSTE--THE DISLODGED SERPENTS. LEAVING Le Mans, and all its recollections, we continued our way towards the Loire, which we proposed crossing at Saumur, not only with a pleasing memory of our former visit there, when the sight of Fontevraud and its treasured tombs of our English kings first delighted us, but because, with all my wish to leave nothing unnoticed in the interesting towns of France, I had quitted Saumur without having made a _pilgrimage_ to some of its most singular and important monuments. It was only on reading a passage in Michelet's History of France, when he alludes to the "_prodigious Dolmen_" of Saumur, that I found there was still something of interest which I had neglected. Doubtless this has often been the case in my wanderings; and, probably, there is scarcely a town where some new treasure may not be discovered by some fresh traveller, where there is so much to excite attention. I determined, therefore, to pause at Saumur, to enjoy its beauties once more, and pass a day with its Druids.