historic girls-第15章

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way　of　ridding　the　world　of　useless　incumbrances；　Chinese

historians　have　endeavored　to　blacken　her　character　and

undervalue　her　services。　But　later　scholars　now　see　that　she　was

a　powerful　and　successful　queen；　who　did　great　good　to　her　native

land；　and　strove　to　maintain　its　power　and　glory。



She　never　forgot　her　good　friend　and　protector；　Thomas　the

Nestorian。　During　her　long　reign　of　almost　fifty　years；

Christianity　strengthened　in　the　kingdom；　and　obtained　a　footing

that　only　the　great　Mahometan　conquests　of　five　centuries　later

entirely　destroyed；　and　the　Empress　Woo；　so　the　chronicles

declare；　herself　〃offered　sacrifices　to　the　great　God　of　all。〃

When；　hundreds　of　years　after；　the　Jesuit　missionaries　penetrated

into　this　most　exclusive　of　all　the　nations　of　the　earth；　they

found　near　the　palace　at　Chang…an　the　ruins　of　the　Nestorian

mission　church；　with　the　cross　still　standing；　and；　preserved

through　all　the　changes　of　dynasties；　an　abstract　in　Syriac

characters　of　the　Christian　law；　and　with　it　the　names　of

seventy…two　attendant　priests　who　had　served　the　church

established　by　O…lo…pun。



Thus；　in　a　land　in　which；　from　the　earliest　ages；　women　have　been

regarded　as　little　else　but　slaves；　did　a　self…possessed　and　wise

young　girl　triumph　over　all　difficulties；　and　rule　over　her　many

millions　of　subjects　〃in　a　manner　becoming　a　great　prince。〃　This；

even　her　enemies　admit。　〃Lessening　the　miseries　of　her　subjects；〃

so　the　historians　declare；　she　governed　the　wide　Empire　of　China

wisely；　discreetly；　and　peacefully；　and　she　displayed　upon　the

throne　all　the　daring；　wit；　and　wisdom　that　had　marked　her

actions　when；　years　before；　she　was　nothing　but　a　sprightly　and

determined　little　Chinese　maiden；　on　the　banks　of　the　turbid

Yellow　River；







EDITH　OF　SCOTLAND。：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　NORMAN　ABBEY。



＇Afterward　known　as　the　〃Good　Queen　Maud〃　of　England。＇　A。D。　1093。



On　a　broad　and　deep　window…seat　in　the　old　Abbey　guest…house　at

Gloucester；　sat　two　young　girls　of　thirteen　and　ten；　before　them；

brave…looking　enough　in　his　old…time　costume；　stood　a　manly　young

fellow　of　sixteen。　The　three　were　in　earnest　conversation；　all

unmindful　of　the　noise　about　themthe　romp　and　riot　of　a　throng

of　young　folk；　attendants；　or　followers　of　the　knights　and　barons

of　King　William's　court。



For　William　Rufus；　son　of　the　Conqueror　and　second　Norman　king　of

England；　held　his　Whitsuntide　gemot；　or　summer　council　of　his

lords　and　lieges；　in　the　curious　old　Roman…Saxon…Norman　town　of

Gloucester；　in　the　fair　vale　through　which　flows　the　noble

Severn。　The　city　is　known　to　the　young　folk　of　to…day　as　the　one

in　which　good　Robert　Raikes　started　the　first　Sunday…school　more

than　a　hundred　years　ago。　But　the　gemot　of　King　William　the　Red；

which　was　a　far　different　gathering　from　good　Mr。　Raikes'

Sunday…school；　was　held　in　the　great　chapter…house　of　the　old

Benedictine　Abbey；　while　the　court　was　lodged　in　the　Abbey

guest…houses；　in　the　grim　and　fortress…like　Gloucester　Castle；

and　in　the　houses　of　the　quaint　old　town　itself。



The　boy　was　shaking　his　head　rather　doubtfully　as　he　stood；

looking　down　upon　the　two　girls　on　the　broad　window…seat。



〃Nay；　nay；　beausire＇1＇；　shake　not　your　head　like　that；〃　exclaimed

the　younger　of　the　girls。　〃We　did　escape　that　way；　trust　me　we

did；　Edith　here　can　tell　you　I　do　speak　the　truthfor　sure；　't

was　her　device。〃



＇1＇　〃Fair　sir〃：　an　ancient　style　of　address；　used　especially

toward　those　high　in　rank　in　Norman　times。





Thirteen…year…old　Edith　laughed　merrily　enough　at　her　sister's

perplexity；　and　said　gayly　as　the　lad　turned　questioningly　to

her：



〃Sure；　then；　beausire；　't　is　plain　to　see　that　you　are

Southron…born　and　know　not　the　complexion　of　a　Scottish　mist。　Yet

't　is　even　as　Mary　said。　For；　as　we　have　told　you；　the　Maiden's

Castle　standeth　high…placed　on　the　crag　in　Edwin's　Burgh；　and

hath　many　and　devious　pathways　to　the　lower　gate；　So　when　the　Red

Donald's　men　were　swarming　up　the　steep；　my　uncle；　the　Atheling；

did　guide　us；　by　ways　we　knew　well；　and　by　twists　and　turnings

that　none　knew　better；　straight　through　Red　Donald's　array；　and

all　unseen　and　unnoted　of　them；　because　of　the　blessed　thickness

of　the　gathering　mist。〃



〃And　this　was　YOUR　device？〃　asked　the　boy；　admiringly。



〃Ay；　but　any　one　might　have　devised　it　too；〃　replied　young　Edith；

modestly。　〃Sure；　't　was　no　great　device　to　use　a　Scotch　mist　for

our　safety；　and　't　were　wiser　to　chance　it　than　stay　and　be

stupidly　murdered　by　Red　Donald's　men。　And　so　it　was；　good

Robert；　even　as　Mary　did　say；　that　we　came　forth　unharmed；　from

amidst　them　and　fled　here　to　King　William's　court；　where　we　at

last　are　safe。〃



〃Safe；　say　you；　safe？〃　exclaimed　the　lad；　impulsively。　〃Ay；　as

safe　as　is　a　mouse's　nest　in　a　cat's　earas　safe　as　is　a　rabbit

in　a　ferret's　hutch。　But　that　I　know　you　to　be　a　brave　and

dauntless　maid；　I　should　say　to　you〃



But；　ere　Edith　could　know　what　he　would　say；　their　conference　was

rudely　broken　in　upon。　For　a　royal　page；　dashing　up　to　the　three；

with　scant　courtesy　seized　the　arm　of　the　elder　girl；　and　said

hurriedly：



〃Haste　ye；　haste　ye；　my　lady！　Our　lord　king　is　even　now　calling

for　you　to　come　before　him　in　the　banquet…hall。〃



Edith　knew　too　well　the　rough　manners　of　those　dangerous　days。

She　freed　herself　from　the　grasp　of　the　page；　and　said：



〃Nay；　that　may　I　not；　master　page。　'T　is　neither　safe　nor　seemly

for　a　maid　to　show　herself　in　baron's　hall　or　in　king's

banquet…room。〃



〃Safe　and　seemly　it　may　not　be；　but　come　you　must；〃　said　the

page；　rudely。　〃The　king　demands　it；　and　your　nay　is　naught。〃



And　so；　hurried　along　whether　she　would　or　no；　while　her　friend；

Robert　Fitz　Godwine；　accompanied　her　as　far　as　he　dared；　the

young　Princess　Edith　was　speedily　brought　into　the　presence　of

the　king　of　England；　William　H。；　called；　from　the　color　of　his

hair　and　from　his　fiery　temper；　Rufus；　or　〃the　Red。〃



For　Edith　and　Mary　were　both　princesses　of　Scotland；　with　a

history；　even　before　they　had　reached　their　teens；　as　romantic　as

it　was　exciting。　Their　mother；　an　exiled　Saxon　princess；　had；

after　the　conquest　of　Saxon　England　by　the　stern　Duke　William　the

Norman；　found　refuge　in　Scotland；　and　had　there　married　King

Malcolm　Canmore；　the　son　of　that　King　Duncan　whom　Macbeth　had

slain。　But　when　King　Malcolm　had　fallen　beneath　the　walls　of

Alnwick　Castle；　a　victim　to　English　treachery；　and　when　his

fierce　brother　Donald　Bane；　or　Donald　the　Red；　had　usurped　the

throne　of　Scotland；　then　the　good　Queen　Margaret　died　in　the　gray

castle　on　the　rock　of　Edinburgh；　and　the　five　orphaned　children

were　only　saved　from　the　vengeance　of　their　bad　uncle　Donald　by

the　shrewd　and　daring　device　of　the　young　Princess　Edith；　who

bade　their　good　uncle　Edgar；　the　Atheling；　guide　them；　under

cover　of　the　mist；　straight　through　the　Red　Donald's　knights　and

spearmen　to　England　and　safety。



You　would　naturally　suppose　that　the　worst　possible　place　for　the

fugitives　to　seek　safety　was　in　Norman　England；　for　Edgar　the

Atheling；　a　Saxon　prince；　had　twice　been　declared　king　of　England

by　the　Saxon　enemies　of　the　Norman　conquerors；　and　the　children

of　King　Malcolm　and　Queen　Margarethalf　Scotch；　half

Saxonwere；　by　blood　and　birth；　of　the　two　races　most　hateful　to

the　conquerors。　But　the　Red　King　in　his　rough　sort　of　wayhot

to…day　and　cold　to…morrowhad　shown　something　almost　like

friendship；　for　this　Saxon　Atheling；　or　royal　prince；　who　might

have　been　king　of　England　had　he　not　wisely　submitted　to　the

greater　power　of　Duke　William　the　Conqueror　and　to　the　Red

William；　his　son。　More　than　this；　it　had　been　rumored　that　some

two　years　before；　when　there　was　truce　between　the　kings　of

England　and　of　Scotland；　this　harsh　and　headstrong　English　king；

who　was　as　rough　and　repelling　as　a　chestnut　burr；　had　seen；

noticed；　and　expressed　a