“My son is dead,” he cried, “and it is I who am his murderer. How much better it would have been if, instead of showing clemency to the Duke of Aigremont, I had marched upon him at the head of an army. I would not have been to-day mourning the death of my son.” At this moment the messenger knight, who had ridden night and day to bring the tidings, presented himself before them and announced the bloody death of Lothaire, which having done, overcome with fatigue, he fell at the feet of Charlemagne and expired. A most touching scene then occurred between the emperor and his confidant. Both wept and amid their tears sought to console each other. “Why shed tears?” said the Duke de Naimes, “our regrets will not bring back the prince to life. It is vengeance we must have now. To punish the murderer is, above all, our sole aim. God, who never abandons those who battle for the right, will sustain us. Here, it is not only the father who fights the assassin of his son, it is the sovereign who demands account of the blood of his ambassador.” This energetic discourse had the effect intended by the duke. Charlemagne, with his face resolute, laid aside his sorrowings and gave orders to his knights, courtiers and soldiers for the disposition of the remains of his son. An immense _cortége_ accompanied the body to the church of St. Germain des Pres, where the final obsequies occurred. After the ceremony terminated, when Charlemagne was returning sorrowfully to Paris with his suite, revolving in his mind projects of vengeance, a messenger brought to him the startling intelligence that the Duke d’Aymon and his four sons had suddenly left the court and had quitted Paris. At this the king became so enraged and swore so violently that it was all in vain the courtiers sought to calm him by calling his attention to the fact that the Duke d’Aymon was the own brother of the Duke d’Aigremont, who had murdered his son, and when he left his sons were in duty bound to accompany him. Charlemagne could listen to nothing, but finally becoming more calm, demanded to know the real reason for the departure of the five knights. It was reported to him that the Duke d’Aymon de Dordogne, being made aware of the death of Lothaire and of the felony of his brother d’Aigremont, called his sons together in council. He felt that they were in a false position owing to the shameful defection of their relative, and he realized that Charlemagne, in his just anger, would take a terrible revenge. What should they do? What course should they take? Support Charlemagne and thus aid in the destruction of their relative, or embrace the cause of Aigremont and violate their oath to the emperor? Said Maugis: “I propose that we leave the court, retire to the Ardennes, and remain there to witness the result. By doing this neither party could accuse us of treason, for until we have taken a final decision we would have neither violated the ties of relationship nor the laws of friendship.”