historic girls-第17章

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king。〃　And；　taking　the　mate　to　the　glove　which　the　Princess　Edith

had　flung　down　in　defiance；　he　thrust　it　into　the　guard　of　his

cappe。　line；　or　iron　skull…cap；　in　token　that　he；　Godwine　of

Winchester；　the　father　of　the　boy　Robert；　was　the　young　girl's

champion。



Three　days　after；　in　the　tilt…yard　of　Gloucester　Castle；　the

wager　of　battle　was　fought。　It　was　no　gay　tournament　show　with

streaming　banners；　gorgeous　lists；　gayly　dressed　ladies；

flower…bedecked　balconies；　and　all　the　splendid　display　of　a

tourney　of　the　knights；　of　which　you　read　in　the　stories　of

romance　and　chivalry。　It　was　a　solemn　and　sombre　gathering　in

which　all　the　arrangements　suggested　only　death　and　gloom；　while

the　accused　waited　in　suspense；　knowing　that　halter　and　fagot

were　prepared　for　them　should　their　champion　fall。　In　quaint　and

crabbed　Latin　the　old　chronicler；　John　of　Fordun；　tells　the　story

of　the　fight；　for　which　there　is　neither　need　nor　space　here。　The

glove　of　each　contestant　was　flung　into　the　lists　by　the　judge；

and　the　dispute　committed　for　settlement　to　the　power　of　God　and

their　own　good　swords。　It　is　a　stirring　picture　of　those　days　of

daring　and　of　might；　when　force　took　the　place　of　justice；　and

the　deadliest　blows　were　the　only　convincing　arguments。　But；

though　supported　by　the　favor　of　the　king　and　the　display　of

splendid　armor；　Ordgar's　treachery　had　its　just　reward。　Virtue

triumphed；　and　vice　was　punished。　Even　while　treacherously

endeavoring　（after　being　once　disarmed）　to　stab　the　brave　Godwine

with　a　knife　which　he　had　concealed　in　his　boot；　the　false　Sir

Ordgar　was　overcome；　confessed　the　falsehood　of　his　charge

against　Edgar　the　Atheling　and　Edith　his　niece；　and；　as　the

quaint　old　record　has　it；　〃The　strength　of　his　grief　and　the

multitude　of　his　wounds　drove　out　his　impious　soul。〃



So　young　Edith　was　saved；　and；　as　is　usually　the　case　with　men　of

his　character；　the　Red　King's　humor　changed　completely。　The

victorious　Godwine　received　the　arms　and　lands　of　the　dead

Ordgar；　Edgar　the　Atheling　was　raised　high　in　trust　and　honor；

the　throne　of　Scotland；　wrested　from　the　Red　Donald；　was　placed

once　more　in　the　family　of　King　Malcolm；　and　King　William　Rufus

himself　became　the　guardian　and　protector　of　the　Princess　Edith。



And　when；　one　fatal　August　day；　the　Red　King　was　found　pierced　by

an　arrow　under　the　trees　of　the　New　Forest；　his　younger　brother；

Duke　Henry；　whom　men　called　Beauclerc；　〃the　good　scholar；〃　for

his　love　of　learning　and　of　books；　ascended　the　throne　of　England

as　King　Henry　I。　And　the　very　year　of　his　accession；　on　the　11th

of　November；　1100；　he　married；　in　the　Abbey　of　Westminster；　the

Princess　Edith　of　Scotland；　then　a　fair　young　lady　of　scarce

twenty…one。　At　the　request　of　her　husband　she　took；　upon　her

coronation　day；　the　Norman　name　of　Matilda；　or　Maud；　and　by　this

name　she　is　known　in　history　and　among　the　queens　of　England。



So　scarce　four　and　thirty　years　after　the　Norman　conquest；　a

Saxon　princess　sat　upon　the　throne　of　Norman　England；　the　loving

wife　of　the　son　of　the　very　man　by　whom　Saxon　England　was

conquered。



〃Never；　since　the　battle　of　Hastings；〃　says　Sir　Francis　Palgrave；

the　historian；　〃had　there　been　such　a　joyous　day　as　when　Queen

Maud　was　crowned。〃　Victors　and　vanquished；　Normans　and　Saxons；

were　united　at　last；　and　the　name　of　〃Good　Queen　Maud〃　was　long

an　honored　memory　among　the　people　of　England。



And　she　was　a　good　queen。　In　a　time　of　bitter　tyranny；　when　the

common　people　were　but　the　serfs　and　slaves　of　the　haughty　and

cruel　barons；　this　young　queen　labored　to　bring　in　kindlier

manners　and　more　gentle　ways。　Beautiful　in　face；　she　was　still

more　lovely　in　heart　and　life。　Her　influence　upon　her　husband；

Henry　the　scholar；　was　seen　in　the　wise　laws　he　made；　and　the

〃Charter　of　King　Henry〃　is　said　to　have　been　gained　by　her

intercession。　This　important　paper　was　the　first　step　toward

popular　liberty。　It　led　the　way　to　Magna　Charta；　and　finally　to

our　own　Declaration　of　Independence。　The　boys　and　girls　of

America；　therefore；　in　common　with　those　of　England；　can　look

back　with　interest　and　affection　upon　the　romantic　story　of　〃Good

Queen　Maud；〃　the　brave…hearted　girl　who　showed　herself　wise　and

fearless　both　in　the　perilous　mist　at　Edinburgh；　and；　later

still；　in　the　yet　greater　dangers　of　〃the　black　lists　of

Gloucester。〃







JACQUELINE　OF　HOLLAND：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　LAND　OF　FOGS；　A。D。　1414。



Count　William　of　Hainault；　of　Zealand　and　Friesland；　Duke　of

Bavaria　and　Sovereign　Lord　of　Holland；　held　his　court　in　the

great；　straggling　castle　which　he　called　his　〃hunting　lodge；〃

near　to　the　German　Ocean；　and　since　known　by　the　name　of　〃The

Hague。〃＇1＇



＇1＇　〃The　Hague〃　is　a　contraction　of　the　Dutch's　Gravenhagethe

haag；　or　〃hunting　lodge；〃　of　the　Graf；　or　count。





Count　William　was　a　gallant　and　courtly　knight；　learned　in　all

the　ways　of　chivalry；　the　model　of　the　younger　cavaliers；

handsome　in　person；　noble　in　bearing；　the　surest　lance　in　the

tilting…yard；　and　the　stoutest　arm　in　the　foray。



Like　〃Jephtha；　Judge　of　Israel；〃　of　whom　the　mock…mad　Hamlet　sang

to　Polonius；　Count　William　had



　　　　　　　　　　〃One　fair　daughter；　and　no　more；

　　　　　　　　　　　The　which　he　loved　passing　well〃；



and；　truth　to　tell；　this　fair　young　Jacqueline；　the　little　〃Lady

of　Holland；〃　as　men　called　her；but　whom　Count　William；　because

of　her　fearless　antics　and　boyish　ways；　called　〃Dame

Jacob；〃＇1＇loved　her　knightly　father　with　equal　fervor。



＇1＇　Jaqueline　is　the　French　rendering　of　the　Dutch　Jakobinethe

feminine　of　Jakob；　or　James。





As　she　sat；　that　day；　in　the　great　Hall　of　the　Knights　in　the

massive　castle　at　The　Hague；　she　could　see；　among　all　the　knights

and　nobles　who　came　from　far　and　near　to　join　in　the　festivities

at　Count　William's　court；　not　one　that　approached　her　father　in

nobility　of　bearing　or　manly　strengthnot　even　her　husband。



Her　husband？　Yes。　For　this　little　maid　of　thirteen　had　been　for

eight　years　the　wife　of　the　Dauphin　of　France；　the　young　Prince

John　of　Touraine；　to　whom　she　had　been　married　when　she　was

scarce　five　years　old　and　he　barely　nine。　Surrounded　by　all　the

pomp　of　an　age　of　glitter　and　display；　these　royal　children　lived

in　their　beautiful　castle　of　Quesnoy；　in　Flanders；＇1＇　when　they

were　not；　as　at　the　time　of　our　story；　residents　at　the　court　of

the　powerful　Count　William　of　Holland。



＇1＇　Now　Northeastern　France。





Other　young　people　were　there；　too；nobles　and　pages　and　little

ladies…in…waiting；　and　there　was　much　of　the　stately　ceremonial

and　flowery　talk　that　in　those　days　of　knighthood　clothed　alike

the　fears　of　cowards　and　the　desires　of　heroes。　For　there　have

always　been　heroes　and　cowards　in　the　world。



And　so；　between　all　these　young　folk；　there　was　much　boastful

talk　and　much　harmless　gossip　how　the　little　Lady　of　Courtrai　had

used　the　wrong　corner　of　the　towel　yesterday；　how　the　fat　Duchess

of　Enkhuysen　had　violated　the　laws　of　all　etiquette　by　placing

the　wrong　number　of　finger…bowls　upon　her　table　on　St。　Jacob's

Day；　and　how　the　stout　young　Hubert　of　Malsen　had　scattered　the

rascal　merchants　of　Dort　at　their　Shrovetide　fair。



Then　uprose　the　young　Lord　of　Arkell。



〃Hold；　there！〃　he　cried　hotly。　〃This　Hubert　of　Malsen　is　but　a

craven；　sirs；　if　he　doth　say　the　merchants　of　Dort　are　rascal

cowards。　Had　they　been　fairly　mated；　he　had　no　more　dared　to　put

his　nose　within　the　gates　of　Dort　than　dare　one　of　you　here　to　go

down　yonder　amid　Count　William's　lions！〃



〃Have　a　care；　friend　Otto；〃　said　the　little　Lady　of　Holland；　with

warning　finger；　〃there　is　one　here；　at　least；　who　dareth　to　go

amid　the　lionsmy　father；　sir。〃



〃I　said　nothing　of　him；　madam；〃　replied　Count　Otto。　〃I　did　mean

these　young　red　hats　here；　who　do　no　more　dare　to　bait　your

father's　lions　than　to　face　the　Cods　of　Dort　in　fair　and　equal

fight。〃



At　th