"May the Saints forward your Majesty's pious intent," said the Astrologer, "and guard your sacred person!"
"Thanks, learned father. – Here is something, the while, to enlarge your curious library."
He placed under one of the volumes a small purse of gold; for, economical even in his superstitions, Louis conceived the Astrologer sufficiently bound to his service by the pensions he had assigned him, and thought himself entitled to the use of his skill at a moderate rate, even upon great exigencies.
Louis, having thus, in legal phrase, added a refreshing fee to his general retainer, turned from him to address Durward. – "Follow me," he said, "my bonny Scot, as one chosen by Destiny and a Monarch to accomplish a bold adventure. All must be got ready, that thou mayst put foot in stirrup the very instant the bell of Saint Martin's tolls twelve. One minute sooner, one minute later, were to forfeit the favourable aspect of the constellations which smile on your adventure."
Thus saying, the King left the apartment, followed by his young guardsman: and no sooner were they gone, than the Astrologer gave way to very different feelings from those which seemed to animate him during the royal presence.
"The niggardly slave!" he said, weighing the purse in his hand, – for, being a man of unbounded expense, he had almost constant occasion for money, – "The base sordid scullion! – A coxswain's wife would give more to know that her husband had crossed the narrow seas in safety. He acquire any tincture of humane letters! – yes, when prowling foxes and yelling wolves become musicians. He read the glorious blazoning of the firmament! – ay, when sordid moles shall become lynxes. – Post tot promissa – after so many promises made, to entice me from the Court of the magnificent Matthias, where Hun and Turk, Christian and Infidel, the Czar of Muscovia and the Cham of Tartary themselves, contended to load me with gifts, – doth he think I am to abide in this old Castle, like a bulfinch in a cage, fain to sing as oft as he chooses to whistle, and all for seed and water? – Not so – aut inveniam viam, aut faciam – I will discover or contrive a remedy. The Cardinal Balue is politic and liberal – this query shall to him, and it shall be his Eminence's own fault if the stars speak not as he would have them."
He again took the despised guerdon, and weighed it in his hand. "It may be," he said, "there is some jewel, or pearl of price, concealed in this paltry case – I have heard he can be liberal even to lavishness, when it suits his caprice or interest."
He emptied the purse, which contained neither more nor less than ten gold pieces. The indignation of the Astrologer was extreme. – "Thinks he that for such paltry rate of hire I will practise that celestial science which I have studied with the Armenian Abbot of Istrahoff, who had not seen the sun for forty years, – with the Greek Dubravius, who is said to have raised the dead, – and have even visited the Scheik Ebn Hali in his cave in the deserts of Thebais? – No, by Heaven! – he that contemns art shall perish through his own ignorance. Ten pieces! – a pittance which I am half ashamed to offer to Toinette, to buy her new breast-laces."
So saying, the indignant Sage nevertheless plunged the contemned pieces of gold into a large pouch which he wore at his girdle, which Toinette, and other abettors of lavish expense, generally contrived to empty fully faster than the philosopher, with all his art, could find the means of filling.[28]