"By God sir," he said, "
Gaston has given me a beating, but he deserves one just as much as I do, and more."
"Why is that?" said the
count, who became immediately suspicious as he has an active imagination.
"By my faith my lord, since he came back from
Navarre he has been wearing a little purse full of powder at his chest, but I do not know what it is for or what he is planning to do with it, except that he has told me once or twice that his
mother will very soon be on better terms with you than she ever was."
"Ha!" said the
count, "Be silent and take care not to reveal what you have told me to a single soul."
"Certainly not, sir." said the
young man.'
'The
count of Foix pondered deeply, keeping to himself until dinner time when he washed and sat down as usual at the table in his hall.
Gaston, his son, was in the habit of serving him all of his dishes and tasting his food. As soon as he had set the
count's first dish in front of him and had done what he had to do, the count looked at him, fully aware of his plan, and saw the strings of the purse at his son's neck. His blood boiled and he said,
"
Gaston, come close. I want to have a word in your ear."
The
young man approached the table. Then the
count unfastened and opened the neck of the lad's tunic; taking a knife, he cut the purse strings and held it in his hand. Then he said to his
son,
"What is it you have in this purse?"
The
young man was shocked and taken aback and did not say a word, but instead went white through fear and confusion and began to tremble violently, for he felt as if he had done wrong. The
count of Foix opened the purse, took out some powder and put it on a trencher of bread. He then whistled to a greyhound that he had near him and gave it the bread to eat. As soon as the dog had taken the first bite, it rolled on its back and died.
When the
count of Foix saw this he was livid, and no wonder. He got up from the table, took his knife and made to throw it at his
son. He would have killed him there and then, but knights and squires jumped up in front of him, saying,
"My lord, for God's sake do not be too hasty. Find out more about the matter before doing your
son any harm."
The first words the count said were in his native Gascon,
"Zo,
Gaston, traïtour! For your sake and to increase the inheritance that was to pass to you, I have incurred hostilities and animosity between us and the kings of
France,
England,
Spain,
Navarre and
Aragon. I have stood my ground against them all, and now you want to murder me! There is evil in your very nature. Know that you will die by this blow."
Then he leapt across the table, knife in hand, intending to kill him on the spot, but the knights and squires fell to their knees before him, weeping, and said,
"Ah, my lord, for God's sake do not kill
Gaston. You have no other heir. Put him under guard and investigate the matter. Perhaps he did not know what he was carrying and is innocent of any crime."'
'"Quickly then," said the
count. "Put him in the tower and let him be so well guarded that full account be given to me."
So the
young man was put in the tower of the castle. Then the count seized a number of those who served his
son, but he did not get them all since many escaped. One of them is even now the
bishop of Lescar, near
Pau, outside this domain, who was under suspicion as well as several others, but at least fifteen of them were put to death very horribly. The reason he gave was that they had been so ignorant of the lad's secrets, for they should have told the count what was going on, along the lines of,
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