Chap. V. 
MURDER OF THE REGENT. 
gling groups, enveloped in their oil-paper cloaks, 
alone were near, when suddenly one of these 
seeming idlers flung himself across the line of 
march, immediately in front of the Regent’s 
norimon. The officers of his household, whose 
place is on each side of him, rushed forward at 
this unprecedented interruption — a fatal move, 
which had evidently been anticipated, for their 
place was instantly filled with armed men in 
coats of mail, who seemed to have sprung from 
the earth — a compact band of some eighteen or 
twenty men. With flashing swords and frightful 
yells, blows were struck at all around, the 
lightest of which severed men’s hands from the 
poles of the norimon, and cut down those who 
did not fly. Deadly and brigf was the struggle. 
The unhappy officers and attendants, thus taken 
by surprise, were hampered with their rain 
gear, and many fell before they could draw a 
sword to defend either themselves or their lord. 
A few seconds must have done the work, so 
more than one looker-on declared ; and before 
any thought of rescue seemed to have come to 
the attendants and escorts of the two other 
princes, both very near (if, indeed, they were 
total strangers to what was passing), one of the 
band was seen to dash along the causeway with 
a gory trophy in his hand. Many had fallen in 
the melee on both sides. Two of the assailants, 
who were badly wounded, finding escape impos- 
sible, it is said, stopped in their flight, and 
