historic girls-第7章

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commander；　called　Chlorus　or　〃the　sallow；〃　from　his　pale

face；sat　in　his　tent　within　the　Roman　camp。　The　three　hours'

grace　allowed　had　scarcely　expired　when　his　sentry　announced　the

arrival　of　the　envoy　of　Coel　of　Britain。



〃Bid　him　enter；〃　said　the　prefect。　Then；　as　the　curtains　of　his

tent　were　drawn　aside；　the　prefect　started　in　surprise；　for　there

before　him　stood；　not　the　rugged　form　of　a　British　fighting　man；

but　a　fair　young　girl；　who　bent　her　graceful　head　in　reverent

obeisance　to　the　youthful　representative　of　the　Imperial　Caesars。



〃What　would'st　thou　with　me；　maiden？〃　asked　the　prefect。



〃I　am　the　daughter　of　Coel　of　Britain；〃　said　the　girl；　〃and　I　am

come　to　sue　for　pardon　and　for　peace。〃



〃The　Roman　people　have　no　quarrel　with　the　girls　of　Britain；〃

said　the　prefect。　〃Hath　then　King　Coel　fallen　so　low　in　state

that　a　maiden　must　plead　for　him？〃



〃He　hath　not　fallen　at　all；　O　Prefect；〃　replied　the　girl　proudly；

〃the　king；　my　father；　would　withstand　thy　force　but　that　I；　his

daughter；　know　the　cause　of　this　unequal　strife；　and　seek　to　make

terms　with　the　victors。〃



The　girl's　fearlessness　pleased　the　prefect；　for　Constantius

Chlorus　was　a　humane　and　gentle　man；　fierce　enough　in　fight；　but

seeking　never　to　needlessly　wound　an　enemy　or　lose　a　friend。



〃And　what　are　thy　terms；　fair　envoy　of　Britain？〃　he　demanded。



〃These；　O　Prefect；〃　replied　Helena；　〃If　but　thou　wilt　remove　thy

cohorts　to　Londinium；　I　pledge　my　father's　faith　and　mine；　that

he　will；　within　five　days；　deliver　to　thee　as　hostage　for　his

fealty；　myself　and　twenty　children　of　his　councillors　and

captains。　And　further；　I；　Helena　the　princess；　will　bind　myself

to　deliver　up　to　thee；　with　the　hostages；　the　chief　rebel　in　this

revolt；　and　the　one　to　whose　counselling　this　strife　with　Rome　is

due。〃



Both　the　matter　and　the　manner　of　the　offered　terms　still　further

pleased　the　prefect；　and　he　said：　〃Be　it　so；　Princess。〃　Then

summoning　his　lieutenant；　he　said：　〃Conduct　the　envoy　of　Coel　of

Britain　with　all　courtesy　to　the　gates　of　the　the　city；〃　and　with

a　herald's　escort　the　girl　returned　to　her　father。



Again　the　old　king　rebelled　at　the　terms　his　daughter　had　made。



〃I　know　the　ways　of　Rome；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　what　their　mercy

meaneth。　Thou　shalt　never　go　as　hostage　for　my　faith；　O　daughter；

nor　carry　out　this　hazardous　plan。〃



〃I　have　pledged　my　word　and　thine；　O　King；〃　said　Helena。　〃Surely

a　Briton's　pledge　should　be　as　binding　as　a　Roman's。〃



So　she　carried　her　point；　and；　in　five　days'　time；　she；　with

twenty　of　the　boys　and　girls　of　Camalodunum；　went　as　hostages　to

the　Roman　camp　in　London。



〃Here　be　thy　hostages；　fair　Princess；〃　said　Constantius　the

prefect　as　he　received　the　children；　〃and　this　is　well。　But

remember　the　rest　of　thy　compact。　Deliver　to　me　now；　according　to

thy　promise；　the　chief　rebel　against　Rome。〃



〃She　is　here；　O　Prefect；〃said　the　intrepid　girl。　I　am　that

rebelHelena　of　Britain！〃



The　smile　upon　the　prefect's　face　changed　to　sudden　sternness。



〃Trifle　not　with　Roman　justice；　girl；〃　he　said；　〃I　demand　the

keeping　of　thy　word。〃



〃It　is　kept；〃　replied　the　princess。　〃Helena　of　Britain　is　the

cause　and　motive　of　this　revolt　against　Rome。　If　it　be　rebellion

for　a　free　prince　to　claim　his　own；　if　it　be　rebellion　for　a

prince　to　withstand　for　the　sake　of　his　people　the　unjust　demands

of　the　conqueror；　if　it　be　rebellion　for　one　who　loveth　her

father　to　urge　that　father　to　valiant　deeds　in　defence　of　the

liberties　of　the　land　over　which　he　ruleth　as　king；　then　am　I　a

rebel；　for　I　have　done　all　these；　and　only　because　of　my　words

did　the　king；　my　father；　take　up　arms　against　the　might　and　power

of　Rome。　I　am　the　chief　rebel。　Do　with　me　as　thou　wilt。〃



And　now　the　prefect　saw　that　the　girl　spoke　the　truth；　and　that

she　had　indeed　kept　her　pledge。



〃Thy　father　and　his　city　are　pardoned；〃　he　announced　after　a　few

moments　of　deliberation。　〃Remain　thou　here；　thou　and　thy

companions；　as　hostages　for　Britain；　until　such　time　as　I　shall

determine　upon　the　punishment　due　to　one　who　is　so　fierce　a　rebel

against　the　power　of　Rome。〃



So　the　siege　of　Camalodunum　was　raised；　and　the　bloodless

rebellion　ended。　Constantius　the　prefect　took　up　his　residence

for　a　while　within　King　Coel's　city；　and　at　last　returned　to　his

command　in　Gaul　and　Spain；　well　pleased　with　the　spirit　of　the

little　maiden　whom；　so　he　claimed；　he　still　held　in　his　power　as

the　prisoner　of　Rome。



Constantius　the　prefect　came　again　to　Britain；　and　with　a　greater

following；　fully　ten　years　after　King　Coel's　revolt；　for　now；

again；　rebellion　was　afoot　in　the　island　province。



Carausius　the　admiral；　biding　his　time；　sought　at　last　to　carry

out　his　scheme　of　sole　supremacy。　Sailing　with　his　entire

war…fleet　to　Britain；　he　won　the　legions　to　his　side；　proclaimed

himself　Emperor　of　Britain；　and　defied　the　power　of　Rome。



So　daring　and　successful　was　his　move　that　Rome　for　a　time　was

powerless。　Carausius　was　recognized　as　〃associate〃　emperor　by

Rome；　until　such　time　as　she　should　be　ready　to　punish　his

rebellion；　and　for　seven　years　he　reigned　as　emperor　of　Britain。



But　ere　this　came　to　pass；　Helena　the　princess　had　gone　over　to

Gaul；　and　had　become　the　wife　of　Constantius　the　prefect；〃Since

only　thus；〃　said　he；　〃may　I　keep　in　safe　custody　this　prisoner　of

Rome。〃



The　imperial　power　of　Carausius　was　but　short…lived。　Crafty

himself；　he　fell　a　victim　to　the　craft　of　others；　and　the　sword

of　Allectus；　his　chief　minister　and　most　trusted　confidant；　ended

his　life　when　once　again　the　power　of　Rome　seemed　closing　about

the　little　kingdom　of　Britain。



Constantius　became　governor　of　Britain；　and　finally　caesar　and

emperor。　But；　long　before　that　day　arrived；　the　Princess　Helena

had　grown　into　a　loyal　Roman　wife　and　mother；　dearly　loving　her

little　son　Constantine；　who；　in　after　years；　became　the　first　and

greatest　Christian　emperor　of　Rome。



She　bestowed　much　loving　care　upon　her　native　province　of

Britain。　She　became　a　Christian　even　before　her　renowned　son　had

his　historic　vision　of　the　flaming　cross。　When　more　than　eighty

years　old　she　made　a　pilgrimage　to　the　Holy　Land。　There　she　did

many　good　and　kindly　deeds；　erected　temples　above　the　Sepulchre

of　the　Saviour；　at　his　birthplace　at　Bethlehem；　and　on　the　Mount

of　Olives。　She　is　said；　also；　to　have　discovered　upon　Calvary　the

cross；　upon　which　had　suffered　and　died　the　Saviour　she　had

learned　to　worship。



Beloved　throughout　her　long　and　useful　life　she　was　canonized

after　her　death；　and　is　now　recognized　one　of　the　saints　of　the

Romish　church。



To…day　in　the　city　of　London　you　may　see　the　memorial　church

reared　to　her　memorythe　Church　of　Great　St。　Helena；　in

Bishopgate。　A　loving；　noble；　wonderful；　and　zealous　woman；　she　is

a　type　of　the　brave　young　girlhood　of　the　long　ago；　and；　however

much　of　fiction　there　may　be　mingled　with　the　fact　of　her

life…story；　she　was；　we　may　feel　assured；　all　that　the

chroniclers　have　claimed　for　her〃one　of　the　grandest　women　of

the　earlier　centuries。〃







PULCHERIA　of　CONSTANTINOPLE：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　GOLDEN　HORN



＇Afterward　known　as　〃Pulcheria　Augusta；　Empress　of　the　East。〃＇

A。D。　413。



There　was　trouble　and　confusion　in　the　imperial　palace　of

Theodosius　the　Little；　Emperor　of　the　East。　Now；　this　Theodosius

was　called　〃the　Little〃　because；　though　he　bore　the　name　of　his

mighty　grandfather；　Theodosius　the　Great；　emperor　of　both　the

East　and　West；　he　had　as　yet　done　nothing　worthy　any　other　title

than　that　of　〃the　Little；〃　or　〃the　Child。〃　For　Theodosius　emperor

though　he　was　called；　was　only　a　boy　of　twelve；　and　not　a　very

bright　boy　at　that。



His　father；　Arcadius　the　emperor；　and　his　mother；　Eudoxia　the

empress；　were　dead；　and　in　the　great　palace　at　Constantinople；　in

this　year　of　grace；　413；　Theodosius；　the　boy　emperor；