As the horses were fresh, and travelled at a good pace, they soon came
up with the ancient fortress--which was still formidable in appearance,
though it could not have offered any adequate resistance to the
projectiles of modern artillery. The gilded crescents on the minarets of
the chapel built by Pierre de Montereau shone out brightly, as if joyous
at finding themselves in such close proximity to the cross--the sign of
redemption. After pausing a few minutes to admire this monument of
the ancient splendour of our kings, the travellers entered the forest,
where, amid the dense growth of younger trees, stood a few majestic old
oaks--contemporaries doubtless of the one under which Saint Louis, that
king of blessed memory, used to sit and dispense justice to his loyal
subjects in person--a most becoming and laudable occupation for a
monarch.
The road was so little used that it was grass-grown in many places, and
the chariot rolled so smoothly and noiselessly along over it that they
occasionally surprised a party of rabbits frolicking merrily together,
and were very much amused to see them scamper away, in as great a hurry
as if the hounds were at their heels. Farther on a frightened deer
bounded across the road in front of them, and they could watch its
swift, graceful flight for some distance amid the leafless trees.
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