Heroines of the Crusades Part 3

William had subdued the rebel province of Maine, and moved by the declining health, and incessant pleading of his beloved Queen, had accorded to his refractory son a full pardon for his late rebellion, "promising at the same time, to grant him everything that he could expect from the affection of a father consistently with the duty of a king."

Thus peace was restored throughout the Conqueror's dominions, and the royal family happy in their reunion, kept merry Christmas in the capital city of Rouen.

"Sweet sister mine," said Robert to Adela, as she sat engaged upon the famous Bayeux tapestry, "pray leave the royal nose of our valiant sire, which thou hast punctured and cross-st.i.tched, till verily it seems to bleed beneath thy fingers, and lend an ear to thy brother's words."

"Now, gramercy! Curthose," said Adela, laughing, "thou must have a distinct impression of thy n.o.ble father's visage, since thou canst not distinguish his nose from the 'fiery train' of the terrific comet."

"Nay," said Robert, taking up the simile, "the Conqueror's fiery train in England, has wrought more terror than all the comets since the days of Julius Caesar, as the inhabitants of York will testify; but come, lay aside that odious tapestry, I have other work for thy skilful fingers."

"My duteous brother would, perhaps, employ them in puncturing his n.o.ble sire, at the field of Archembraye, but a maiden's needle wounds less deeply than a warrior's sword," said Adela, archly.

"Certes, thy tongue is sharper than thy needle," said Robert, reddening, "and thine eyes outdo thy tongue. On the field of Archembraye I did but wound my father's arm, while one bright shaft from thine eyes has pierced Count Stephen's heart."

"Methinks a heart so vulnerable, should be clad in armor," said Adela, reddening in her turn.

"Thy woman's wit doth run before my speech and prophesy my errand," said Robert. "The Count Stephen, of Blois, bids me entreat the fair Adela to bind him in _ring armor_, that the friend of Robert may be his brother in arms."

"_He_ bids thee!" said Adela, dropping the embroidery. "Is the count, then, in Rouen?"

"Even so, bien amie," replied Robert. "Hast thou not marked a n.o.ble figure entering the church at twilight, and emerging at sunrise, his regards bent upon the ground except, perchance, when he steals a glance at my charming sister, accompanying her mother to matins or vespers."

"In truth, I marked such a youth," said Adela, blushing, "but wherefore frequents he not the court?"

"He holds his vigil of arms till twelfth day," replied Robert, "and the Conqueror has promised, that ere the Yule-clog, as Atheling calls it, has ceased to burn, he will himself lay the accolade of knighthood upon the shoulder of the young count. 'Tis my father's wish that his children a.s.sist at the ceremony."

"My father's wish!" said Adela, in a tone of deep surprise.

"Certes, sweet," replied her brother, "thinkest thou the Conqueror sees not the white flocks that range the green pastures of Blois, that he hears not the sound of the busy looms of Chartres, and loves not the sparkling wine, that flows from the blushing vineyards of Champaigne?"

"Robert, thou hast broken my needle," said Adela, striving confusedly to hide from the penetrating eyes of her brother, the influence which these considerations exercised over her own ambitious heart.

"I have broken thy needle of wool, that thou mightst thread a finer with floss of silk to embroider the scarf for thy gallant knight," said Robert, rising to withdraw. Adela followed him to the antechamber, and dismissing the attendants, concerted with him the arrangements for the pageant.

Scarcely confessing to herself the sweet hopes that for the first time agitated her bosom, she quitted the joustings and maskings of the holidays, and pa.s.sed the festive season in the privacy of her own apartment, where a.s.sisted only by the faithful Maude, she wrought upon Tyrian purple the golden lions of Chartres, budded the shining damask with the fleur de lis of Champagne, and sewed the embroidered field azure with the pearly crescent of Blois. The deep tones of the turret clock tolling the midnight hour broke the stillness that reigned through the castle, just as Adela severed the last silken thread from the embroidery frame, and held up the gorgeous baldric in the light of the lamp before the admiring gaze of her friend.

"Hush!" said Maude, placing her finger on Adela's lip to repress a joyous exclamation, "we have a proverb in the north that, 'finished works bring prophetic dreams.'--Hasten to seek thy pillow, but beware thy glance wander not from yon bright star that even now glimmers through the cas.e.m.e.nt. Breathe not a word while I wreathe the silken scarf in the folds of thy canopy, and whisper the mystic charm of the morthwyrtha." With an incredulous smile Adela obeyed, and dismissing the tire-women, Maude left her to her solitary slumbers. The sun had scarce risen when Maude again entered the apartment.

"The visions of the future have visited thy rest," said she, glancing inquiringly at the thoughtful countenance of the princess.

"Question me not," replied Adela, "a promise and a fear have bewildered me--coming years can alone explain the mystery."

The great hall of the palace was fitted up for a brilliant ceremony. All the knights and n.o.bles, bishops and clergy of Normandy, and the adjacent provinces, arrayed in the most gorgeous vestments of their several orders, with high-born dames and blushing maidens, sparkling in jewelry, lined the apartment, at the upper end of which stood the family of the Conqueror, beside an altar covered with cloth of gold.

The young princes Robert and William after attending Count Stephen to the bath clothed him in white garments, and covered him with a crimson cloak, the one symbolical of the purity of his soul, the other of his determination to shed his blood in the cause of heaven. Arrayed in this simple garb, after the celebration of the high ma.s.s, he entered the hall and approaching the altar, presented his sword to the bishop, who blessed and consecrated it to the service of religion and virtue.

Lanfranc then addressed him thus. "Thou seekest, Count of Blois, to become a knight--thou art of n.o.ble birth--of liberal gifts and high in courage.--Thou must be strong in danger--secret in councils--patient in difficulties--powerful against enemies--prudent in deeds. Lay thy hand upon this holy missal, and swear to observe the following rules." And Stephen laid his hand upon the clasped volume, and repeated slowly, after the priest.

"I do solemnly promise and swear to spare neither my blood nor my life in defence of the Catholic faith,--to aid all widows and orphans--to protect the innocent and oppressed--to be humble in all things--to speak the truth from the heart--to seek the welfare of my va.s.sals--to regard the rights of my sovereign--and to live righteously before G.o.d and man."

Then rising from his knees and throwing off his cloak the neophyte stood with his head reverently inclined toward the priest, while Prince William buckled on the spurs of knighthood, and Edgar Atheling fastened the greaves, and Robert belted the corselet; gracefully he sank upon his knee, when Maude advancing adjusted the helmet upon his closely curling locks, and Constance presented the spear with its drooping pennon; but his head bowed in conscious devotion, and the warm blood glowed eloquently on his manly cheek, while Adela, the lady of his love, tremulous with agitation, pa.s.sed the scarf about his neck--fitted the silken folds across his breast, and belted the jewelled knot upon the ivory sheath of his sword.

Appareled in his splendid armor the young count took the consecrated weapon from the altar, and presenting it to the king, knelt before the throne while the monarch rose and laid upon his shoulder three gentle blows, saying in a voice whose deep tones echoed to the farthest end of the hall, "In the name of St. Michael, and St. Stephen, I make thee knight. Be loyal, bold and true."

Following the example of the Conqueror, each knight advanced a step, drew his sword from the sheath, and while the hall gleamed with the flash of burnished steel, the man of G.o.d again took up the word, blessing him who had newly undertaken, and those who had long been engaged in holy warfare, and praying that all the hosts of the enemies of heaven, might be destroyed by christian chivalry.

The trumpets sounded without, and the knights thronging around their brother in arms, conducted him to the court below, where vaulting upon their steeds, they rode through the admiring crowds, among whom Stephen scattered largesses with a liberal hand.

The banquet over, a gallant train of mounted knights and ladies emerged from the wooded park and wound along the banks of the Seine. There was rare sport that day, when the fox broke cover, and the hounds darted away upon his track, and the curveting steeds bounded over the crisp green sward, in the wild excitement of the chase; but the proud barb of Stephen obedient to the rein, curved his glossy neck and moved with lofty step, by the dappled palfrey of Adela, while the young knight whispered words that the princess loved to hear; and thus in sweet converse the day wore away, and when the solemn night came on, beneath the blue cope of heaven, while the stars gazed from their sapphire thrones and the river mingled its low music with the murmur of their voices, Adela plighted her troth to Stephen Count of Blois.

But a ceremonial more joyous than a betrothal--more solemn than a burial, occasioned the removal of the court to Feschamp.

From the day of Harold's death, Cicely his betrothed, devoted herself to the cloister. Her father had bestowed a princely dower upon the convent of her choice, and fixed the day of her profession upon the high festival of Easter. At the close of the lenten fast, she quitted the scene of her childish pleasures, gazed a last adieu on the hills, vales and streams, over which the early spring of that bright climate was casting its mellow sheen--distributed alms among the mendicant crowds that thronged her route, and bade a kind farewell to the mult.i.tudes, that flocked from every village and hamlet, to invoke the blessing of heaven upon her holy purpose.

Adela stood again in the old abbey of Feschamp, listening to the joyous sound of the matin chime, but neither the happy a.s.sociations awakened by the place and hour, nor the warm breath of early love could charm the sadness from her heart.

She had entered the dark cloister, and conducted Cicely from her weary vigil beside the holy relics, to wreathe her dark locks with jewels and gold, and array her fair form for the last time in the garb of a princess.

With the selfishness of affection, she suffered none but Maude to share the pious task.

Fast fell her tears as the whispered sounds of her sister's devotions forced upon her an appalling sense of the final separation.

The convent bell had scarce ceased its summons, ere a splendid concourse filled the galleries, and thronged the aisles of the Abbey to witness the holy bridal.

Proudly and painfully beat the heart of the king, as his saintly daughter leaned upon his breast--twined her soft arms lovingly about his neck--and imprinted her last kiss upon his cheek; but sympathetic tenderness overmastered all other emotions, as with gentle force he drew her from the last fond embrace of her weeping mother, and the convulsive clasp of the almost frantic Adela, and resigned her in all her youthful beauty, to be immured in a living tomb. Her three young sisters less grieved at the parting, than pleased with the pageant, with hasty adieus prepared to take their place in the ceremony.

With a light step nicely modulated to the soft chanting of the nuns, the little Adeliza bearing a jewelled crucifix, led the procession, followed by Constance and Gundred, each carrying a lighted taper and bearing between them a lily-shaped basket of wrought silver, containing the vestal habit and veil which they laid upon the altar.

At the solemn call of the bishop, the fair Cicely entered, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and supported by the matron sisters pa.s.sed up the long aisle, her white robes like a gathering mist floating about her fragile form, and her calm and serene countenance, beaming with such angelic sweetness from beneath the gossamer wreath which ornamented her head, that to Maude's fanciful vision she seemed already crowned with the radiant halo of the saints. A brilliant burst of jubilant melody, pealing from the organ, accompanied the nuns in their welcoming hymn, "O Gloriosa Virginium," and a breathless silence pervaded the holy courts as the soft voice of Cicely responded. "Receive me, oh Lord! according to thy holy word."

Kneeling before the bishop she begged his benediction and the name of Cecilia her patron-saint. The reverend Father gave her the consecrated name, signed her with the sign of the cross, and sprinkled holy-water upon her garments.

The high ma.s.s celebrated, and the Kyrie Eleison sung, a waxen taper was placed in her hand, and seated by the chancel, she listened with devout attention, while the archbishop portrayed the beat.i.tude of that high vocation, which had called her from the pomps and vanities of earthly grandeur, to the durable riches of a heavenly kingdom; from the waning light of earthly affection to the ineffable love of the immortal bridegroom;--from the fading l.u.s.tre of an earthly diadem, to the changeless glory of an eternal crown: and scarcely had he concluded with the gracious words, "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all," when the whole orchestra took up the note of commendation and "Gloria in Excelsis" sounded through the cloistered aisles, echoed along the vaulted roof, and breathed to the heart of the waiting novice the full reality of joy. The sacred vestments were blessed and replaced in their silver shrine, and the children resuming their precious burden preceded their sister into an inner, apartment, where busy nuns disrobed her of her resplendent array,--despoiled her of her costly ornaments--and one by one shred away her long, bright locks, that never more might stir a thought of pride.

The solemn bandeau was bound about her brow, the black serge garment wrapped about her form, and when she again knelt before the bishop, saying, "I am the handmaid of Christ," an ill-suppressed shriek from Adela, told how changed was her appearance, and how gloomy was the fate that awaited her--but the votaress saw nothing, heard nothing, save the sacred mysteries in which she was engaged. Prostrated as if in deep abas.e.m.e.nt she lay upon the marble floor, while the choir chanted the litany; gently she inclined to the abbess, to be bound by the girdle of humiliation; reverently she bowed her head to receive the veil that should forever shut the world from her sight; joyfully she accepted the ring that sealed the irrevocable vow; and while the choir chanted, "Come, oh spouse of Christ, receive the crown," a coronal of mingled thorns and roses was placed upon her head--and Cicely was a nun.

Loud anthems pealed upward to the swelling dome, and every demonstration of joy welcomed the bride to her new home.

The royal guests sat down to a splendid repast in the great hall of the convent, and nuns and novices shared in the sumptuous entertainment; but between Cicely and her family was an impa.s.sable barrier of an iron grating, and four thick and cold stone walls separated her forever from the friends of her youth.

CHAPTER VI.

"What is't we live for? tell life's fairest tale-- To eat, to drink, to sleep, love, and enjoy, And then to love no more!

To talk of things we know not, and to know Nothing but things not worth the talking of."

SIR R. FANE, JR.

"Methinks," said Adela, as she sat with Maude in the loved twilight conference, "it were a weary thing, to fast and pray as doth my sister Cicely, and look forever on those dull, cold images of stone or pictured saints, whose holiness we can never hope to reach."

"Thou thinkest so, dearest, because on the bright scroll of thy future is pictured a living form glowing with youth and beauty," said Maude; "but when death shuts out the light of hope, the pencil of love illumines the canva.s.s ever with the image of a saint."