historic girls-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　Leyenburg　made　answer　for　his　sovereign　lady：



〃Hear　ye；　sir　Herald；　and　answer　thus　to　the　rebel　Lord　of

Arkell：　'For　the　purpose　of　fighting　him　came　we　here；　and　fight

him　we　will；　until　he　and　his　rebels　are　beaten　and　dead。'　Long

live　our　Sovereign　Lady　of　Holland！〃



On　the　morrow；　a　murky　December　day；　in　the　year　1417；　the　battle

was　joined；　as　announced。　On　the　low　plain　beyond　the　city；

knights　and　men…at…arms；　archers　and　spearmen；　closed　in　the

shock　of　battle；　and　a　stubborn　and　bloody　fight　it　was。



Seven　times　did　the　knights　of　Jacqueline；　glittering　in　their

steel　armor；　clash　into　the　rebel　ranks；　seven　times　were　they

driven　back；　until；　at　last；　the　Lord　of　Arkell；　with　a　fiery

charge；　forced　them　against　the　very　gates　of　the　citadel。　The

brave　von　Brederode　fell　pierced　with　wounds；　and　the　day　seemed

lost；　indeed；　to　the　Lady　of　Holland。



Then　Jacqueline　the　Countess；　seeing　her　cause　in　dangerlike

another　Joan　of　Arc；　though　she　was　indeed　a　younger　and　much

more　beautiful　girl　general；seized　the　lion…banner　of　her

house；　and；　at　the　head　of　her　reserve　troops；　charged　through

the　open　gate　straight　into　the　ranks　of　her　victorious　foes。

There　was　neither　mercy　nor　gentleness　in　her　heart　then。　As　when

she　had　cowed　with　a　look　Ajax；　the　lion；　so　now；　with　defiance

and　wrath　in　her　face；　she　dashed　straight　at　the　foe。



Her　disheartened　knights　rallied　around　her；　and；　following　the

impetuous　girl；　they　wielded　axe　and　lance　for　the　final

struggle。　The　result　came　quickly。　The　ponderous　battle…axe　of

the　knight　of　Leyenburg　crashed　through　the　helmet　of　the　Lord　of

Arkell；　and　as　the　brave　young　leader　fell　to　the　ground；　his

panic…stricken　followers　turned　and　fled。　The　troops　of

Jacqueline　pursued　them　through　the　streets　of　Gorkum　and　out

into　the　open　country；　and　the　vengeance　of　the　countess　was

sharp　and　merciless。



But　in　the　flush　of　victory　wrath　gave　way　to　pity　again；　and　the

young　conqueror　is　reported　to　have　said；　sadly　and　in　tears：



〃Ah！　I　have　won；　and　yet　how　have　I　lost！〃



But　the　knights　and　nobles　who　followed　her　banner　loudly　praised

her　valor　and　her　fearlessness；　and　their　highest　and　most

knightly　vow　thereafter　was　to　swear　〃By　the　courage　of　our

Princess。〃



The　brilliant　victory　of　this　girl　of　sixteen　was　not；　however；

to　accomplish　her　desires。　Peace　never　came　to　her。　Harassed　by

rebellion　at　home；　and　persecuted　by　her　relentless　and

perfidious　uncles；　Count　John　of　Bavaria；　rightly　called　〃the

Pitiless；〃　and　Duke　Philip　of　Burgundy；　falsely　called　〃the

Good；〃　she；　who　had　once　been　Crown　Princess　of　France　and　Lady

of　Holland；　died　at　the　early　age　of　thirty…six；　stripped　of　all

her　titles　and　estates。　It　is；　however；　pleasant　to　think　that

she　was　happy　in　the　love　of　her　husband；　the　baron　of　the

forests　of　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　a　plain　Dutch　gentleman；　Francis

von　Borselen；　the　lad　who；　years　before；　had　furnished　the　gray

gabardine　that　had　shielded　Count　William's　daughter　from　her

father's　lions。



The　story　of　Jacqueline　of　Holland　is　one　of　the　most　romantic

that　has　come　down　to　us　from　those　romantic　days　of　the　knights。

Happy　only　in　her　earliest　and　latest　years；　she　is；

nevertheless；　a　bright　and　attractive　figure　against　the　dark

background　of　feudal　tyranny　and　crime。　The　story　of　her

womanhood　should　indeed　be　told；　if　we　would　study　her　life　as　a

whole；　but　for　us；　who　can　in　this　paper　deal　only　with　her

romantic　girlhood；　her　young　life　is　to　be　taken　as　a　type　of　the

stirring　and　extravagant　days　of　chivalry。



And　we　cannot　but　think　with　sadness　upon　the　power　for　good　that

she　might　have　been　in　her　land　of　fogs　and　floods　if；　instead　of

being　made　the　tool　of　party　hate　and　the　ambitions　of　men；　her

frank　and　fearless　girl　nature　had　been　trained　to　gentle　ways

and　charitable　deeds。



To　be　〃the　most　picturesque　figure　in　the　history　of　Holland；〃　as

she　has　been　called；　is　distinction　indeed；　but　higher　still　must

surely　be　that　gentleness　of　character　and　nobility　of　soul　that；

in　these　days　of　ours；　may　be　acquired　by　every　girl　and　boy　who

reads　this　romantic　story　of　the　Countess　Jacqueline；　the　fair

young　Lady　of　Holland。







CATARINA　OF　VENICE：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　GRAND　CANAL。



＇Afterward　known　as　Queen　of　Cyprus　and　〃Daughter　of　the

Republic。〃＇　A。D。　1466。





〃Who　is　he？　Why　do　you　not　know；　Catarina　mia？　　'T　is　his　Most

Puissant　Excellency；　the　mighty　Lord　of　Lusignan；　the　runaway

Heir　of　Jerusalem；　the　beggar　Prince　of　Cyprus；　with　more　titles

to　his　nameho　ho；　ho！than　he　hath　jackets　to　his　back；　and

with　more　dodging　than　ducats；　so　't　is　said；　when　the　time　to

pay　for　his　lodging　draweth　nigh。　Holo；　Messer　Principino！　Give

you　good…day；　Lord　of　Lusignan！　Ho；　below　there　here　is　tribute

for　you。〃



And　down　upon　the　head　of　a　certain　sad…faced；　seedy…looking

young　fellow　in　the　piazza；　or　square；　beneath；　descended　a

rattling　shower　of　bonbons；　thrown　by　the　hand　of　the　speaker；　a

brown…faced　Venetian　lad　of　sixteen。



But　little　Catarina　Cornaro；　just　freed　from　the　imprisonment　of

her　convent…school　at　Padua；　felt　her　heart　go　out　in　pity

towards　this　homeless　young　prince；　who　just　now　seemed　to　be　the

butt　for　all　the　riot　and　teasing　of　the　boys　of　the　Great

Republic。



〃Nay；　nay；　my　Giorgio；〃　she　said　to　her　brother；　〃　't　is　neither

fair　nor　wise　so　to　beset　one　in　dire　distress。　The　good　sisters

of　our　school　have　often　told　us　that　't　is　better　to　be　a　beggar

than　a　dullard；　and　sure　yon　prince；　as　you　do　say　he　is；　looketh

to　be　no　dolt。　But　ah；　see　there！〃　she　cried；　leaning　far　over

the　gayly　draped　balcony；　〃see；　he　can　well　use　his　fists；　can　he

not！　Nay；　though；　't　is　a　shame　so　to　beset　him；　say　I。　Why

should　our　lads　so　misuse　a　stranger　and　a　prince？〃



It　was　the　Feast　Day　of　St。　Mark；　one　of　the　jolliest　of　the

old…time　holidays　of　Venice；　that　wonderful　City　of　the　Sea；

whose　patron　and　guardian　St。　Mark；　the　apostle；　was　supposed　to

be。　Gondolas；　rich　with　draperies　of　every　hue　that　completely

concealed　their　frames　of　sombre　black；　shot　in　and　out；　and　up

and　down　all　the　water…streets　of　the　beautiful　city；　while

towering　palace　and　humbler　dwelling　alike　were　gay　with　gorgeous

hangings　and　fluttering　streamers。



In　noticeable　contrast　with　all　the　brilliant　costumes　and

laughing　faces　around　him　was　the　lad　who　just　now　seemed　in　so

dire　a　strait。　He　had　paused　to　watch　one　of　the　passing　pageants

from　the　steps　of　the　Palazzo　Cornaro；　quite　near　the　spot　where；

a　century　later；　the　famous　bridge　known　as　the　Rialto　spanned

the　Street　of　the　Nobles；　or　Grand　Canalone　of　the　most　notable

spots　in　the　history　of　Venice　the　Wonderful。



The　lad　was　indeed　a　prince；　the　representative　of　a　lordly　house

that　for　more　than　five　hundred　years　had　been　strong　and

powerful；　first　as　barons　of　France；　and　later　as　rulers　of　the

Crusaders'　kingdom　of　Jerusalem　and　the　barbaric　but　wealthy

island　of　Cyprus。　But　poor　Giacomo；　or　James；　of　Lusignan；　royal

prince　though　he　was；　had　been　banished　from　his　father's　court

in　Cyprus。　He　had　dared　rebel　against　the　authority　of　his

step…mother；　a　cruel　Greek　princess　from　Constantinople；　who

ruled　her　feeble　old　husband　and　persecuted　her　spirited　young

step…son；　the　Prince　Giacomo。



And　so；　with　neither　money　nor　friends　to　help　him　on；　he　had

wandered　to　Venice。　But　Venice　in　1466；　a　rich；　proud；　and

prosperous　city；　was　a　very　poor　place　for　a　lad　who　had　neither

friends　nor　money；　for；　of　course；　the　royal　prince　of　a　little

island　in　the　Mediterranean　could　not　so　demean　himself　as　to

soil　his　hands　with　work！



So　I　imagine　that　young　Prince　Giacomo　had　any　thing　but　a

pleasant　time　in　Venice。　On　this　particular　Feast　Day　of　St。

Mark；　I　am　certain　that　he　was　having　the　most　unpleasant　of　all

his　bitter　experiences；