Roger de Lauria had insisted that the Prince of Salerno should cause the Infanta Beatrice, Queen Constantia's sister, to be set at liberty, and whom the Duke of Anjou had kept a close prisoner ever since the death of Manfred, her father. Accompanied by this princess, and with his prisoners, he re-entered Messina in triumph, and then waited upon the Queen, who, in order to lighten the humiliation of the Prince of Salerno, had the delicacy to send the Infantas her sons out of the way at the time she received him. She then gave orders that he should be confined with all the gentlemen of his suite in the castle of Matagrifon.

At this time an occurrence took place which strongly marks the necessity of respecting justice in the midst of victory, and the great danger of outraging the feelings of a whole people. Notwithstanding the victories and triumphs which the people of Sicily had so lately obtained, they still preserved a keen and lively recollection of the grievous injuries which they had received at the hands of the French; and they thought that such barbarians, who had so wantonly abused their former power and victories, did not now deserve the protection of the law of nations. Collecting in a tumultuous manner, the crowd broke open the prisons; and before the magistrates could put a stop to the disorder, more than seventy of the wretched French and Neapolitans were massacred. Not satisfied with this, the Syndics of the different cities met in Messina, and in a General Assembly of the Estates of the Island passed a decree that the captive Prince should forfeit his life in satisfaction for the execution of Conradin by his father, the Duke of Anjou. Little did Charles of Anjou think, when he put the young and brave Conradin to death, that a day would come in which his son and heir would be on the point of paying with his own life the forfeit of his father's inhuman cruelty, or that in such a strait that son should owe his preservation solely to the generosity of Manfred's daughter, whom, after having slain the father, he had also treated with unexampled barbarity. But, at the earnest entreaty of her sister Beatrice, Queen Constantia gave the exasperated Sicilians to understand that so grave a matter could not be entertained without the knowledge or concurrence of the King of Aragon; and at the same time she had the prisoner removed to another and securer fortress, where he would be safe from any insult of the people. And thus was the Prince of Salerno's life saved, the Infanta Beatrice and Queen Constantia gaining by an action so generous the respect of all ages, while the sanguinary conduct of the Duke of Anjou appears the more odious by contrast, condemning his memory to infamy as long as history shall be read.

Three days after the defeat of his son, and while Naples was still in mutiny and confusion, the King of Naples reached Gaeta with a large reinforcement of troops and galleys. So enraged was he when he heard of this revolt against his authority, that he vowed to give the city up to flames, and for a long time could not be dissuaded from this intention, till, at the earnest entreaties of the Pope's Legate, he at last relented so far as to spare the city, but put to death 150 of the nhabitants who had taken the most prominent part in the riots. Then, without entering Naples, he advanced with his army into Calabria, for the purpose of regaining the Aragonese conquests along that coast, after which he meant to carry the war into Sicily.

De Lauria, when he was reinforced by a squadron of galleys which were sent from Spain by the King of Aragon, put to sea, and ran down the coast of Calabria. The enemy's fleet were descried off Cape Pellerino; but the French commander would not venture to risk an engagement. The Aragonese Admiral then, disembarking in the night, sacked Nicotera, a strong place and well garrisoned, with such despatch that he had re-embarked his men and rejoined the body of his fleet by daylight, unobserved by the French Admiral. In the same manner, and with equal success, he took Castelvetro, Castrovilari, and several other towns on the coast. These conquests were so considerable that a governor was sent from Sicily to hold them for the King of Aragon.

After these successes Roger de Lauria quitted the coast of Calabria, and steering for Barbary, landed a body of men on the Island of Gerbes. The Moors, unable to offer any effectual resistance, immediately surrendered. Roger then built a fort, and placing a sufficient garrison in it, left the island in charge of one of his officers. To crown his good fortune, one of his Catalan galleys made capture of a Moorish prince, and with this prize and the plunder of the island he returned, covered with glory as before, to Messina.

In the beginning of the year 1285 Charles of Anjou, King of Naples, died at Foggia in the Capitanata, it is said of grief and vexation, caused by so many reverses. Charles was a valiant man, and would have been deemed an illustrious warrior, had not his deeds been stained with acts of cruelty and ferocity, of which his whole life gave such numerous examples. And when we compare his vices and excesses with the moderation and gentleness of his brother San Louis, they appear, from the contrast, still more odious and revolting. He won great victories, made himself master of extensive dominions, and, from simple Count of Provence, saw himself King of Naples and Sicily, arbiter of Italy, and an object of terror and alarm to Greece, at which his towering ambition was ready to strike. But fortune, which at the commencement of his career had so favoured and caressed him, in the end overwhelmed him with bitter disappointment and misfortunes, the fruits of the implacable ferocity of his own character, and the insolence and tyranny of his countrymen and adherents. Had he governed the people, whom his arms subdued, with the least moderation and justice, then his dominion, based upon the affection and good wishes of his subjects, upheld as it was by Popes, and supported by all the weight and power of France, would not have felt the feeble efforts of a King of Aragon.

When the report of his death reached the ears of his rival the King of Aragon, he generously praised the warlike and military qualities of Charles, declaring that, in him, the world had lost one of the valiantist and most accomplished knights it had ever known.

On the death of the King of Naples, the Prince of Salerno's son assumed the government of the State, aided by the Count d'Artois, his father's cousin, and Gerald of Parma, the Pope's legate.

Meantime the war still went on. Philip the Bold, King of France, invaded Roussillon, supporting with arms the investiture of the King of Aragon's dominions, which the Pope had bestowed upon one of Philip's sons. The King of France's preparations for the war were

formidable. One hundred and fifty galleys menaced the Spanish coast, while on the land side the frontiers were assailed by nearly two hundred thousand combatants, of which eighteen thousand were cavalry, and seventeen thousand cross-bowmen.

Peter III., excommunicated by the Pope, betrayed by his own brother, the King of Majorca, abandoned by the King of Castile, and attacked by the whole power of France, far from being intimidated in such a strait, resolutely made head against all his enemies. The French, occupying Roussillon, crossed the Ampurdan, and laid siege to Gerona. The garrison defended itself with vigour, until, after an unsuccessful, though spirited sortie, it was at length obliged to offer to capitulate on terms. But fortune, which till now had showed itself favourable to the French, suddenly turned against them. A disease of a most pestilent and malignant nature broke out in the camp, and the leaders, after consultation, decided upon retreating as expeditiously as possible into France. At the same time a large part of the fleet, which lay in the Bay of Rosas, was dismissed for want of funds to maintain it, and thus reduced, the remainder was unable to resist De Lauria, who, recalled from Italy, had hastened to the King's assistance.

When the order to return to Catalonia with the fleet reached him, Roger had reduced the city of Taranto, and nearly completed the conquest of Calabria. But he immediately complied with the King's command, and with such diligence, that he reached Barcelona before the enemy had knowledge of his approach. Thither the King repaired to meet him, and ordered him to sail forthwith in search of the French galleys, saying as he dismissed him, "You know, Roger, from experience, how easy it is for Catalans and Scilians to beat those Frenchmen by sea.'

With words so cheering and encouraging he put to sea. The enemy having left fifteen galleys in the Bay of Rosas, were at the same time steering with a fleet of forty sail for Barcelona, through which, in his retreat, the King of France purposed to pass. The French fleet had arrived off San Felix, when they discovered a division of the Catalan galleys, and they immediately detached twenty-five sail in chase. The Catalan division effected its escape; but before the pursuers could rejoin the body of their fleet, they were met by the squadron under Roger de Lauria, of whose arrival on the coast of Catalonia they were still ignorant. The day was closing in, but that circumstance did not prevent Roger from sending a challenge to the enemy. On learning the name of the adversary who confronted them, the French were dismayed, and prepared for the coming flight, without confidence or spirit. Trusting, however, to the darkness of night, they hoped, by adopting the same signals and watch-word, to cause confusion in the Spanish line. "Aragon" was the word heard called by the galleys of of De Lauria, and "Aragon" was repeated by those of France. The Spanish vessels carried each a distinguishing lantern at the poop, and the French galleys hoisted one likewise. From this cause some confusion at first ensued; aud when the battle commenced, the hostile vessels became mixed and confounded together. But this disorder did not last. Roger, in his own vessel, attacked a Provencal galley, and with the first shock carried away all the oars on one side, rowers and the men who defended them being all jerked overboard with the

concussion. The rest of the Spanish galleys imitated the boldness and gallantry of their commander. The Catalan cross-bowmen, then the most formidable in Europe, dealing such slaughter among the French, that they soon lost all confidence and courage. Henry de Mar fled with twelve galleys. The rest, under another commander, surrendered. De Lauria immediately shifted his men into the captured galleys, as they were found to be in better condition than his own; and then sending the latter to Barcelona, he gave chase to the fugitives. In this battle the French were said to have lost five thousand men. The conqueror reserved the prisoners for a future day, when he was resolved that they should pay in their persons for all the ravages and cruelties committed by their countrymen in and about Roussillon. The admiral who commanded the captured galleys and fifty gentlemen were alone exempted from this inhuman resolution, and with a ferocity little worthy of his name and reputation, he ordered three hundred to be lashed to cables, and then flung into the sea. Two hundred and seventy more had their eyes put out, and in that state sent to the French camp. After this he entered the port of Cadaques, still in the enemy's possession, and after reducing the castle, took out three vessels laden with treasure for the payment and maintenance of the French army. Gerona, which had obtained a truce of thirty days, at the expiration of which, if not relieved before, it was to surrender, had not yet fallen. The French, seeing the astonishing success and activity of De Lauria, wished it to be supposed that the whole of the contending forces were included in that truce, and, thercfore, the Count de Foix was sent to request he would desist from hostilities pending its continuance. But Roger replied, that to the French, nor to the inhabitants of Provence would he ever grant, or be a party

to a truce.

Upon hearing this answer the Count reproached him with being too proud and arrogant, at the same time telling him that on the following year, the Prince, his master, would have a fleet of three hundred galleys at sea, and that he defied Peter of Aragon to show an equal number.

"I trust," replied Roger, " that God, who has blessed me with victory up to the present time, will not in future desert me, and I dare you to meet me at sea;" and his haughty spirit waxing higher before so many witnesses, he added; "Not a squadron, no, nor a single galley, dare cross the sea without the King of Aragon's permission. do I say, a galley? the very fishes of the ocean, if they put their heads above water, must display the banner of the house of Aragon."

What

The Count de Foix, with an indignant smile, changed the conversation, and taking his leave, returned to the French camp.

When this haughty answer of the Aragonese admiral was received, the French officers, upon consultation, decided to burn their ships in the Bay of Rosas, that they should not fall into the enemy's hands; and despairing now of assistance by sea, with disease in the camp, and the King, Philip the Bold, at the point of death, they saw themselves compelled to retreat within their own frontier, although Gerona had just surrendered. To execute this retrograde march the army was put in mot on, and the disorder and destitution of its retreat formed a

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striking contrast to the arrogancy and pride, and sweeping devastation of its advance.

The King of Aragon hung upon its rear, cutting off stragglers and supplies, and with incessant attacks, giving it rest neither day nor night, so that that army, which considered Catalonia as already conquered, re-entered France (without having lost a battle) in the utmost confusion, broken and dispirited, its king dead of contagion, and in the retreat, leaving the road strewn with sick and dying, and with booty of every description, and those who escaped in no condition soon to attempt another invasion.

Gerona was again speedily reduced, and Peter III., now clear of the French, turned his attention to chastise his brother, the King of Majorca. Accordingly a fleet and army were prepared for that purpose, and the command given to his son Don Alonzo.

While thus employed, the King of Aragon was seized with an illness at Villa Franca, of which he died at that place, in the six-andfortieth year of his age.

Sicily conquered, Naples menaced, his own dominions successfully defended against a formidable invasion, Majorca chastised and subduedsuch were the brilliant achievements of Peter's reign. His subjects bestowed upon him the title of "Great," a title justly applied, not only to distinguish him from others of the same name, but from all monarchs of his time, to whom, in every respect, he was so far superior. But as his predecessor, Don Jayme, had given a sufficient extent to his dominions, his successor would have gained more true glory and renown, had he employed the noble gifts with which nature had endowed him in cultivating the arts of peace and civilization, instead of using them for the purpose of extending his conquests, depopulating kingdoms, and laying the foundation of the series of pretensions, which were sustained by his successors at the expense of so much Spanish blood.

Hele Crawford paused, as it was drawing near to midnight, and, with thanks, in which we listeners joined, returned the story so prized of his ancestor to the Señor Andrea, adding a hope, that, if he should be weather-bound on the morrow, we might have the gratification of finishing it. To which desire the Señor gave a polite assent.

"THE FORTIETH ESTATE."

An eminent writer whom the Times termed the Tacitus of sporting literature once remarked that the "Fortieth Estate" had given a glowing account of the German Meeting. Only to the initiated is this subtle remark intelligible. The race committee of Baden-Baden devote a large sum of money annually to secure the laudation of the London press, and I regret to say that certain journalists quietly accept the bribe (£40 each). What can criticism on such a meeting be worth? Do not these writers on their return to England blush to be considered free journalists? And what can be said of the management of a meeting which resorts to such tactics to ensure its success? So long as these practices are carried on no special reporter for THE SPORTSMAN will be seen at Baden, as, for the honour of the journal, not one of its contributors would lay himself open to the suspicion of sharing in that which the policy of the paper condemns. After the above explanation, let the favourable notices of Baden, which are sure to appear, be taken for what they are worth.-The Sportsman Newspaper.