Chivalry: Dizain des Reines

eu ja la nuei

icx lone de m

a jorn ni

ieus! de l'alb

IS IN HER FLIGHT FROM MARITAL OBLIGATIONS ASSISTED BY HER HUSBAND, AND IS I

ry of t

strict of Ponthieu; and the object of his southern journey was to assure the tenth Alphonso, then ruling in Castile, that the latter's sister Ellinor, now resident at Entréchat, was

present a single vote in the Diet would decide between his claims and those of his competitor, Earl Richard of Cornwall. De Gatinais ch

at Ellinor had been a married woman these ten years past was

compact between a boy of fifteen and a girl of ten was an affair of no particular moment; and that in consideration of the covenantors never having clapped eyes upon each other since the wedding-day,-even had not the precontract of marriage

f Sabionetta-now Clement, fourth Pope to assume that name-would annul the previous marriage, and in exchange get an armament to serve him against Manfred, the late and

assing extent. Either way, the barons' power was demolished, there would be no more internecine war; and spurred by the unaccustomed idleness, Prince Edward began to think of the foreign girl he had not seen since the day he wedded her. She would be a woman by this, and it was befitting that he claim his wife. He rode with Hawise Bulmer and her baby to Ambres

to amicable discourse. One fellow asked his name and business in those parts, and the Prince gave each without hesitancy as he reached for the bottle, and afterward dropped it just in time to catch, cannily, with his naked left hand, the knife-blade with which the rascal had dug at the u

d men in various conditions of dismemberment. And seated among them, as if throned upon this boulder, was a gigantic and florid person, so tall that the heads of few men reached to his shoulder; a person of handsome exterior, high-featur

give you joy! and why have you conv

," he considered, by way of peroration, "and it vexes me that I did not spare, say, one of these lank Spaniar

ss. "Felons, my Prince! You have slain some eight yards of felony which might have cheated the gallows had the

, lad, to be somewhat overheels

, God have mercy! Your wife, and for ten years left to her own devices! Why, look you,

uth." But, indeed, it was the absolute truth,

de Gatinais and King Alphonso planned, the words jostling as they came in torrents, but so that one might understand. "I am her page, my lord. I was to follow her. These fellows were to be my escort, were to ward off possible

rained at his chin; "yes, perhaps I have been remiss. Yet i

nded, "And t

y demands that I afford you my protection so far as Burgos, messire, just as p

artially tinged with anguish, and presently began to laugh. A

space she had become fond of him. She found him rather slow of comprehension, and she was humiliated by the discovery that not an eyelash of the man was irritated by his wife's decampmen

harge of her while the truant husband fought out his endless squabbles in England. Slights enough she had borne during the period, and squalor, and physical hunger also she had known, who was the child of a king and a saint.2 But now she rode toward the dear sou

l de Rueda,-a jolly lad, who whistled and sang inapposite snatches of balladry, without any

guel de

that leads

a screened an

assuage m

t may the ol

ter than

f mine, that

hat fair mai

d with l

e grace of l

rned i

it was, that

ings woke t

child t

d filled wit

ing his

"that Sicily is not the only allure. I would prefer to think my wife so

aid that people might forg

to de Gatinais. He intends to get both a kingdom and a handsome wife by this neat affair. And in reason, England must support my Uncle

b a miserable woman of her sole chance o

ve often seen-a man viewing his death-wound with a face of stupid wonder, a bewildered wretch in point to die in his lord's quarrel and understanding never a word of it. Or a woman, say-a woman's twisted and naked body

, "She has her right to happin

fivefold, to serve God without faltering, and therefore is our happiness, or our unhappiness, the more an inconsiderable matter. For, as I have read in the Annals of the Romans-" He launched upon the story of King Pompey and his daughter, whom a certain duke regarded with impure and improper emotions. "My little Miguel,

n faculties of sight and hearing and so on when she fell in love with de Gatinais. Of you two, he is, beyond any question, the handsomer and the mor

ison, no worm will engender; but if the body be smitten by lightning, in a few days the carcass will abound with vermin. My little Miguel, both men and women are at birth empoiso

rd, my Prince, though you will never know it,-and

n, for the man was never quick-witted,-"but it i

said, "What

nswered, very f

da; "and I think that the holy angels

fec, and at the ford found three brigands ready,

had procured a lute from the innkeeper, and he strummed idly as these two debated together of great matters; about them was an

d he began to chant, without rhyming, without raising his voice above t

Mig

sly we tread toward oblivion, as ants hasten toward sugar, and presently Time cometh with his broom. Multitudinously we tread dusty

whom I love seems very far away to-night, though I might be with her if I would. And she may not aid me now, for not even love is all-powe

ost. Pardie, I am not Priam at the head of his army! A little while and I will repent; to-night I cannot but remember that there are women whose li

songs which are sweeter, immeasurably sweeter, than this song of mine, but in the trodden p

is the song of a woman, or else of a boy who is very young. Give m

the P

ous names. And one trod with me who babbled of the brooding mountains and of the low-lying and adjacent clouds; of the west wind and of the

e clear, lovely colors of bread and butter, and his heart was troubled by a world profuse in beauty. And he leaped a stile to share

ying leaves. He babbled of the far-off stars; and he debated whether they were the eyes of God or gases which burned, and he demonstrated, with logic,

'for the citadel is vacant, and, moreover, I am in profound terror, and, besides, I have not as yet

ence. "You paint a dr

e know that every road, whether it be my trodden path or some byway through your gayer meadows, yet leads in the end to God. We have our choi

aid, after a lengthy interval, "although I dec

h he were a patriarch. "But we have sung, we two, the Eternal Tenson of

ry glorious Prince. Concerning that Hawise-" But Miguel de Rueda choked. "Oh, I

e darkness to note how soft was this hair, since the man was less a

d I, the children of many kings, of God's regents here on earth; and it was

ted the prayer which Saint Theophilu

, je

lentier et

filz Diex

ssoming of the rose or of the lily! thou to whom was confided the very Son of God! Harken, for I am afraid! afford counsel to me that am ensna

day as these two rode southward,

Mig

-whatever y

Time a fi

a dwindl

re till al

ove, Heart

hear men

nd vagrant

her pas

all her

ve her t

member: t

s in one m

to age

the maid I

to, nor

om the Prince fought for a long while, without either contestant giving way; in consequence a rendezvous was fix

ned there at the Fir Cone. Three or four lackeys were about-some exalted person's retinue? Prince Edward

of all passage as a cat over a mouse-hole. Eh, monseigneur expected some one, doubtless-a lady, it might be,-the gentlefolk had t

" Prince Edward said, with a p

huddered a

ng back his shoulders, all resolution. On the stairway he passed the black little landlord, who was now in a sad

, as indeed the whole world knew him to be distinguished by every namable grace; and the innate weakness of de Gatinais, which she alone suspected, made him now seem doubly dear. Fiercely she wanted to shield him, less from bodily hurt th

n as I am now a woman! grant that the man may slay him quickly! grant that he ma

rankly, I do await the arrival of her who is your nominal wife; and your intervention at this late sta

said, "I am no

is unanswerable. Yet in this case we have each of us too much to live for; you to govern your reconquered England, and I-you perceive that I am candi

willy-nilly, to avert the impending war between Spain and England; to-day El Sabio intends to purchase Germany with her body as the price; you to

nais spat at him, viciously, for the Frenchman n

Yet afterward I failed her. Love had no clause in our agreement; but I owed her more protection than I have afforded. England has long been no place for women. I thought she would comprehend that much. But I know very little of w

fellow if his fellow jostle him? We walk as in a mist of error, and Belial is fertile in allurements; yet always it is granted us to behold that sin is sin. I have perhaps sinned through anger, M

o constant, God alone divides with my lady, and the portion which God possesses He holds but as a part of her domain, and as her vassal.'" "This is blasphemy," Prince Edward now retorted, "and for such observations alone you merit death. Will you always talk and

id; "yet I reiterate that you play an absurd part. Your wife has deserted you, has fled in a

"was at my request. We were wedded at Burgos; it was natural that we should desire our

that is the tale you wi

ain you," the Pr

, there would be none to know that you risk all for a draine

od!" the P

ld not see any brave gentleman slain in a cause so foolish. In consequence I kiss and tell. In effect, I was eloquent, I was magnificent, so that in the

shift!" He drew near and struck the Frenchman. "Talk and talk and talk! and

living than these two. The eavesdropper could see nothing clearly. Round and round they veered in a whirl of turmoil. Presently Prince Edward trod upo

a hundred candles to the Virgin of Beaujolais!" He

rd. The sword dug deep into her shoulder, so that she shrieked once with the cold pain of this wound. The

a long interval before he said, "Ellinor!" an

tered! Certainly, messire, it is not your death which I desire, since a man dies so ve

de Gatinais replied; "for as God reigns, I love you, of

loved you. It is stra

raid of this terrible and fair and righteous man. I saw all hope of you vanish

n. Look you, Messire de Gatinais, you and I are not strong. We are so fashioned that we can enjoy only the pleasant things of life. But this man can enjoy-enjoy, mark you-the commission of any act, however distasteful, if he think i

im!" said d

eart, soul, and body-may be longing just to comfort you, and to give you all which you desire, my Etienne, and to make you happy, my handsome Etien

between these two

owerless. My fellows are within call. A word secures the Prince's death; a word gets me you and Sic

she crooned, as if rapt with incurious content; "these are the old empty protestations of all you strutting poets. A word gets you what you desire! Then why do you not speak that

nds. "I am shamed," he said; a

deed, but she thought little of it, never raised her head as the troop clattered from Mauléon, with a

d left her not all sorry nor profoundly glad, for living seemed by this, though scarcely the

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