Part 17 (2/2)

{8} Sus le maistre autel del iglise Li unt sa feaute juree.

{9}

Une clef d'argent unt trovee A sun braiol estreit noee.

Tout la gent se merveillont Que cete clef signifiont.

Ni la cuoule e l'estamine En aveit il en un archete, Que disfermeront ceste clavete De sol itant ert tresorier Kar nul tresor n'vait plus cher.

The history of the adventures of Jumieges is literally true, as is Martin's refusal to admit the Duke to the cloister:--

Dun ne t'a Deus mis e pose Prince gardain de sainte iglise E cur tenir leial justise.

{10} An attack, in which Riouf, Vicomte du Cotentin, placed Normandy in the utmost danger. He was defeated on the banks of the Seine, in a field still called the ”Pre de Battaille,” on the very day of Richard's birth; so that the _Te Deum_ was sung at once for the victory and the birth of the heir of Normandy.

{11} ”Biaus Segnors, vees chi vo segneur, je ne le vous voel tolir, mais je estoie venus en ceste ville, prendre consel a vous, comment je poroie vengier la mort son pere, qui me rapiela d'Engletiere. Il me fist roi, il me fist avoir l'amour le roi d'Alemaigne, il leva mon fil de fons, il me fist toz les biens, et jou en renderai au fill le guerredon se je puis.”--MICHEL.

{12} In a battle fought with Lothaire at Charmenil, Richard saved the life of Walter the huntsman, who had been with him from his youth.

{13} At fourteen years of age, Richard was betrothed to Eumacette of Paris, then but eight years old. In such esteem did Hugues la Blanc hold his son-in-law, that, on his death-bed, he committed his son Hugues Capet to his guardians.h.i.+p, though the Duke was then scarcely above twenty, proposing him as the model of wisdom and of chivalry.

{14} ”Osmons, qui l'enfant enseognoit l'eu mena i jour en riviere, et quant il revint, la reine Gerberge dist que se il jamais l'enmenait fors des murs, elle li ferait les jeix crever.”--MICHEL.

{15} ”Gules, two wings conjoined in lure, or,” is the original coat of St. Maur, or Seymour, said to be derived from Osmond de Centeville, who a.s.sumed them in honour of his flight with Duke Richard. His direct descendants in Normandy were the Marquises of Osmond, whose arms were gules, two wings ermine. In 1789 there were two survivors of the line of Centeville, one a Canon of Notre Dame, the other a Chevalier de St.

Louis, who died childless.

{16} Harald of Norway, who made a vow never to trim his hair till he had made himself sole king of the country. The war lasted ten years, and he thus might well come to deserve the t.i.tle of Horrid-locks, which was changed to that of Harf.a.gre, or fair-haired, when he celebrated his final victory, by going into a bath at More, and committing his s.h.a.ggy hair to be cut and arranged by his friend Jarl Rognwald, father of Rollo.

{17} Richard obtained for Arnulf the rest.i.tution of Arras, and several other Flemish towns. He died eight years afterwards, in 996, leaving several children, among whom his daughter Emma is connected with English history, by her marriage, first, with Ethelred the Unready, and secondly, with Knute, the grandson of his firm friend and ally, Harald Blue-tooth.

His son was Richard, called the Good; his grandson, Robert the Magnificent; his great-grandson, William the Conqueror, who brought the Norman race to England. Few names in history s.h.i.+ne with so consistent a l.u.s.tre as that of Richard; at first the little Duke, afterwards Richard aux longues jambes, but always Richard sans peur. This little sketch has only brought forward the perils of his childhood, but his early manhood was likewise full of adventures, in which he always proved himself brave, honourable, pious, and forbearing. But for these our readers must search for themselves into early French history, where all they will find concerning our hero will only tend to exalt his character.

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