Part 30 (1/2)

He once held a great peace festival at Mentz, to which caold was set up by the Rhine, and hted the nobles and ladies with songs of heroes and knights The songs and ballads then sung beca ofGermany

Europe was now startled with the news that the Saracens under Saladin had taken Jerusale a neith the Pope; but when this news cao on a crusade

He was an old man now, but he entered into the crusade with the fiery spirit of youth His war-cry was,--

”Christ reigns! Christ conquers!”

He won a great victory at Iconium

There was a swift, cold river near the battle-field, called Kaly Kadmus A few days after the victory, Barbarossa went into it to bathe He was struck by a chill and sank into the rapid current, and was drowned He was seventy years of age His body was found and interred at Antioch

Of course the Ger They said that he was not dead, but had fallen a victihts had been put to sleep in the Kyffhauser cave in Thuringia They sat around a stone table, waiting for release His once red, but nohite, beard was growing through the stone

They also said that the spell that bound Barbarossa and his knights would some day be broken, and that they would come back to Germany

This would occur when the country should be in sore distress, and need a champion for its cause

Ravens flew continually about the cave where the hts were held enchanted When they should cease to circle about it, the spell would be broken, and the grand old monarch would return to the Rhine

They looked for him in days of calamity; but centuries passed, and he did not return

The legend is thus told in song:--

”The ancient Barbarossa By ic spell is bound,-- Old Frederick the Kaiser, In castle underground

”The Kaiser hath not perished, He sleeps an iron sleep; For, in the castle hidden, He's sunk in slumber deep

”With him the chiefest treasures Of e season, He shall appear again

”The Kaiser he is sitting Upon an ivory throne; Of marble is the table His head he resteth on

”His beard it is not flaxen; Like living fire it shi+nes, And groweth through the table Whereon his chin reclines

”As in a dream he noddeth, Then wakes he, heavy-eyed, And calls, with lifted finger, A stripling to his side

”'Dwarf, get thee to the gateway, And tidings bring, if still Their course the ancient ravens Are wheeling round the hill

”'For if the ancient ravens Are flying still around, A hundred years to sluic spell I's with historic places on the Rhine had proved a source of profitable entertainment to the Club It was proposed to continue the plan, and to follow Mr Beal's and the boys' journey to the North

”Let us add to these entertainht in Northern Gerht in Denht in Sweden and Norway”