of Hermengard herself and of Raymond’s hereditary rivals, the king of Aragon and his brothers.[990] The way in which Raymond prepared to meet their attack supplies a vivid illustration of southern character and manners. He sought an ally in Bertrand de Born, and he appealed to him in his character not of knight but of troubadour. He sent a messenger to Hautefort to state his cause and to ask Bertrand, not to fight for it, but simply to publish it to the world in a _sirvente_. Bertrand answered readily to the appeal; he was only too glad of any excuse for a _sirvente_ which should “cause dints in a thousand shields, and rents in a thousand helms and hauberks.” “I would fain have the great barons ever wroth one with another!” is the characteristic exclamation with which he ends his war-song.[991] [985] _Ib._ pp. 131, 132. [986] _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 127. [987] _Ib._ p. 132. [988] The _Gesta Hen._, as above, say Châteauroux was surrendered to him at once; but we hear nothing more of it till the autumn, and then we find that the elder king has to besiege it himself; so if the younger one ever did win it, he must have lost it again as quickly. [989] Geoff. Vigeois, l. i. cc. lxix., lxx. (Labbe, _Nova Biblioth._, vol. ii. pp. 322, 323). [990] See Vic and Vaissète, _Hist. du Languedoc_ (new ed.), vol. vi. pp. 69, 70; and the terms of the league, _ib._ vol. viii. cols. 325, 326. [991] Clédat, _Bert. de Born_, pp. 38, 39.