that. Wherefore must I not discourse with my lips ?" "Thou wilt know anon," said Angilbert, walking rapidly away and disappearing in the thicket. The tall mediator was by this time at a considerable distance, striding swiftly along, while he used the branch with which he had extinguished the fray as a walking-staff. The Greek, leaping upon his horse, galloped after him, apparently with the purpose of repeating his interrogatories; but just as he was about to overtake him, he saw him enter by a gate that had appeared a part of the interlaced shrubbery, which in this part of the forest served for an inclosure. The tall cavalier did not answer a word to the shouts of the curious stranger, but, locking the gate deliberately after him, walked on without turning his head; and when his pursuer reached the enclosure, he found it at once too high to be overleaped and too strong to be broken, and was therefore fain to return to the road, by nearly the same route as he had come. By dint of hard riding, he rejoined the cavalcade before it entered the palace, and, in contemplating the animated scene around, soon forgot the annoyance which the churlishness of the French cavaliers had given him. Immense galleries, surrounded by pillars, ran all round the building; and in particular, the portico, extending from the palace to the chapel, appeared to be finished with extraordinary art. Such was the extent of these galleries that they afforded shelter to the whole of the troops and inferior officers attending the court. They were divided, however, into regular compartments, each of which was appropriated for the assembling place of a particular company or class of men. To the left was seen the royal guard, constantly under arms; and in the same compartment nuinerous officers attached to the court amused themselves with pacing up and down between the marble columns, and retailing the news of the day, while waiting for orders from their superiors. There, and in the other galleries, stoves were placed at convenient distances, and were seen surrounded by crowds of retainers, clients, and strangers, whom official duty, business, or curiosity, had brought to the palace. In the interior, stupendous halls for the administration of justice, the reception of ambassadors, and other purposes, conferred an air of princely grandeur upon the building; and beyond these was the private apartment of the king, into which access could only be obtained by entering through seven doors. This chamber, nevertheless, was so contrived that Charles could see every individual who entered or quitted the palace; and hence, in a great measure, the strict order and decorum which prevailed throughout, where the officers were every instant aware that they were under the eye of the king. Beyond this was the wardrobe of the palace, for the white habits of the newly baptized, and the robes of the domestic officers, a new suit of which, made of serge or cloth, was presented to them every Easter. A staircase led downwards to the stables, the menagerie, the aviaries, and dog-kennels; and here the spacious baths, surrounded with flights of marble steps and magnificent couches, excited in their hot springs the temptation which had induced the king to pile around them these wonders of art and industry. The great gallery leading to the church, which gave its name to the palace, was supported by columns of marble, the materials of which had been brought from Rome and Ravenna. The doors and rails of the chapel were of gilt bronze; and it was ornamented with marble pillars, beautiful mosaics, and vases and candelabras of gold and silver in gorgeous profusion.* It was only by means of hurried glances and questions that the inquisitive Greek saw and learned so much; for when the cavalcade had entered the palace, the pomp and bustle increased to a degree which seemed to have an almost stunning effect upon its boldest members. The door of a magnificent hall was at length thrown open, and the embassy, floating slowly in, prepared to pay homage to the mighty chief of the French. A man of a portly and warlike presence was seated on a throne, at the farther end of the room, dressed in superb robes furred with ermine. He was surrounded by a thousand lords, clothed from head to foot in cloth of gold, and, in that regal state, and proud, bold bearing, looked " every inch a king." This personage, however, was only the Constable of the Palace; and the ambassador, agitated and confounded, passed on to another hall, of which this appeared to be but the ante-chamber. Here a spectacle of the same kind, but more magnificent in its details, awaited the strangers; and if they had not been prevented, the ambassador and his whole train would have fallen on their knees before the Count of the Palace in his ordinary hall of justice. In the third hall the Grand Master of the table presided in still loftier state; and in the fourth, the Grand Chamberlain appeared to leave no higher step to the very summit of regal splendour. When the fifth door opened, a kind of hushing whisper was heard, and the voices of the crowd, nay, their very breathing, sank into profound silence. The procession entered the hall with no other noise than that produced by the rustling of their robes, the beating of their hearts, and the soft, measured tread of their feet upon the mingled flowers and rushes which carpeted the floor. Bucklers, cuirasses, and other arms were suspended from the roof, and the walls were hidden with what might have seemed the riches of a world. On a seat, without arms or supporters, the throne of the ancient sovereigns of France,t sat the renowned Charlemagne, with twenty diademed kings standing around him, and the high nobles of his empire. Crown on head and scep * Eginhard, in Vit. Carol. Magn.; in promat. Alcrin. de Carol. Magn. t. 2. Collect. Duchesnian, p. 188; Antoine Mieville, Voy. dans l'Anc. France. ↑ So constructed to signify that a king must be able to support himself without assistance. tre in hand, robed in purple and ermine, and blazing with gold and gems, the conqueror, noble in aspect, and almost gigantic in stature, seemed to be something more than man; and the Greeks, confounded by every thing they had encountered, bewildered by a display of power and wealth they had never seen before, even in dreams, and dazzled by the glory which was attached throughout the world to the name of the hero, were unable to support a presence so majestic, and fell on their faces upon the floor. The young cavalier alone, of all the embassy, remained erect, and this apparently more from surprise than philosophy. He stared at the king as if he had been a spectre; and at length, wiping the perspiration from his brow ""Tis he, 'tis he, indeed," he muttered. know him by the great eyes, the long nose, and the bull neck. The peasant lord, or the lordly peasant-he of the short cloak and the heavy arm! By the holy Virgin! this churl Angilbert is no ungenerous foe, to lug me, yea or nay, out of the lion's maw, into which-blisters on my tongue!-I would fain have thrust myself. As I live, there he is, bolt upright behind his master, and as fine as jewels and cloth of gold can make him!-Hark ye, fair sir, who is that handsome cavalier-he who stands next the king?" "His nephew, Angilbert." "Nephew! Oh ye saints! so much the better; » for that is within the forbidden line of consanguinity, and Angilbert, no doubt, bristled up so fiercely for the honour rather of his cousin, than his love." Before the young Greek had ended his meditations, the eunuch, who represented on this occasion the Empress of the East, had recovered his presence of mind, and delivered the greeting of Irene with a good grace. The reply of Charles to the powerful princess who demanded his daughter for the wife of the heir of her crown, was as favourable as might have been expected either from the courtesy or ambition of his character; and the embassy was at length dismissed from the presence, every individual overwhelmed at once with the condescension of the king and the splendour of his court. The young Greek, ever unmindful of the form of etiquette, stood absorbed in the gratification of his curiosity, as the pageant dissolved before his eyes, and at length found, with a start, that he was the only stranger remaining in the room. When about to follow his companions hastily, a voice called to him, which he recognised, with a thrill, as that of the king "Ho! young sir, a word with thee;" and obeying what in that place was a command, he walked to the other end of the hall, where the monarch stood in conversation with his courtiers. Charles then opened a small door behind, and beckoning him to follow, disappeared: and the Greek, muttering an invocation to his patron saint, followed him in silence into the passage. They walked on for some time almost in darkness, till the king, suddenly throwing open a door, slapped his visitor familiarly upon the shoulder. "Thou art impatient," said he," to know whether the merits of the Princess Bertha equal her reputation; and I deem it a duty of hospitality to gratify so laudable a curiosity. Wait in this apartment, and thou wilt see anon." The Greek entered the room, and the door was shut behind him. Ardent as Charles imagined the youth's curiosity to be with regard to his daughter, it was for some time entirely forgotten, so much was he absorbed in examining the magnificent chamber where he now found himself. The few articles of furniture with which the customs of the age and people had garnished their dwelling-houses, and. which, indeed, consisted of nothing more than stools, benches, and tables, here made up for their want of variety by the extraordinary richness of each individual piece. The stools and benches* were covered with fine carpeting, and three of the tables were of silver, and the fourth of gold. The silver tables exhibited the most rare and beautiful workmanship, the surface of each presenting a picture in carved work. On one the city of Rome was displayed; on another that of Constantinople; and on the third the whole world. The table of -gold, of a plain and solid construction, appeared to be used in common by the king, for on it lay his implements of writing, books, and other articles. The books, which, indeed, formed nearly his whole library, consisted of some of the works of Saint Augustine, the Psalms of David, a history of Jerusalem, and certain chronicles of the ancient kings of the Franks. These, and more particularly the City of God of Saint Angustine, of which hơ was a great admirer, Charles was in the habit of having read to him every day after dinner, to prepare him for his customary nap of three or four hours. Notwithstanding the display of writing materials, there lay a glove beside them stained with ink, which gave rise to a just impression on the part of the visitor, that this great prince had not yet succeeded in learning the mystery of the alphabetical signs, and adopted, therefore, the practice common in his age, of using for a signature a daub made with the end of his glove. A sword, with the hilt carved, for sealing letters, and a wine cup of gold, enriched with sapphires, completed the furniture of the table; although the latter was probably more for show than use, Charles, unlike his subjects, being said to be a decided enemy to drinking.j While the stranger was engaged in examining curiously these tools of royalty, he was startled by hearing the breathing of some person near him; and looking up, he saw a lady gazing at him, with a mixture of surprise and bashfulness. She was of the age when the greenness of * Bancs; these were used at table, whence the word banquet. † Poesies de Fortunat. Eginhard in Vit. Carol. Magn. His enactments against this sort of excess show what was its extent among the people. Challenges to drink are forbidden in his Capitulaires; as also "drinking healths to the dead saints." The latter practice was anathematized by a council of Nantes; and Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims, wrote against it. youth is ripening in its last summer into womanhood. Her stature exhibited the golden mean between short and tall; and her complexion was so brilliantly fair, and her eyes so dazzlingly bright, that the young Greek was uncertain for a moment whether his imagination had not conjured up one of those aerial forms which exist only in the day-dreams of poetry. In another moment she moved-retreated; the sapphire cup fell from his hand, and he stepped forward, as if to catch the vision ere it faded. Gracefully bending, sweetly smiling, and brightly blushing, the maid of France gained the door; her eyes lightened for an instant upon his heart, and she melted from his view. The Greek smote his brow with his two hands; he gasped for breath; his thoughts in vain demanded utterance-" Bertha! Bertha! Bertha!" was the only sound emitted by his trembling lips. "Bertha! Bertha! Bertha!" he repeated, in a succession of sighs, rather than of breathings, and sank upon his knees on the floor. At this moment the door opened, and an officer of the court entered. "Sir," said hé"Oh Jesu!" starting back at the singular posture of the stranger. "Oh Bertha!" "The king desires thy company-" "Bertha!" "In the great bath." "Bertha! Bertha! Bertha! Why-what-who art thou? what dost thou want?" 'I?-nothing. It is the king who wants thee, and I am commanded to wait upon thee to the great bath, where he is." The Greek followed is conductor like a man in a dream; and when at length he found himself in the midst of the thick vapours of an immense bath, where he could see a number of naked figures plunging in the smoking waters, he began to doubt whether he were really awake. The bath, supplied by the celebrated hot mineral springs of the place,* was so large and so deep as to admit of many persons swimming in it at once. It was completely surrounded by a flight of marble steps, which conducted to the water's edge; and here and there luxurious couches were placed for the accommodation of the bathers. Our adventurer, however, had little time for examination; his conductor, finding ⚫him stand idly staring around, snatched off his cloak without ceremony, and then began to tug at his tunic. The stranger, accustomed to undress himself, and seeing that it was here absolutely necessary, then pulled off his clothes without resistance; and in another moment found himself swimming in hot water with the King of France, his sons Charles, Louis, and Pepin, and several officers and soldiers of the guard. † * These baths, before the time of Charlemagne, had been fitted up by some Roman lord or governor, named Granus, and the place, therefore, was known by the Latin name of Aquis-Granum. ↑ In prœmat. Alcuin. de Carol. Magn. Collect. Duchesnian; Eginhard, in Vit. Carol. Eginhard assures us, that not one of the company usually assembled in the bath, swam better than Charlemagne. "And the Princess Bertha?" said Charles, laughing," what think'st thou of the little French maid? Is she a jewel worthy to be set in the crown of the East?" .. "Ay, in the crown of heaven!" cried the Greek. Angilbert was right; the proudest diadem of the world will show but as worthless lead beside that glorious gem!" The fond father appeared to be as much delighted with the enthusiasm of the stranger as the latter was with the frankness of the king and the beauty of his daughter; and we shall now leave them for a space, to follow to her apartment the fair subject of their conversation. Bertha retired to her. chamber, wondering at the fancy her father had taken to send her so stealthily, without form or introduction, into the presence of a stranger; but, attributing his copduct, in this instance, to an ebullition of the playful and social feelings he so often manifested in his intercourse with his children, she resumed her work without bestowing farther consideration on the subject. This work was nothing more than spinning, which was an accomplishment, it should be said, not shared by every young lady of the time; but Charlemagne is allowed in history to have been particularly attentive to the education of his children. Bertha, also inheriting her father's love of music, knew how to wile away the hours of her task with singing; and on the present occasion, instead of the church hymns, which had been her usual amusement ever since the king had kindled a religious war by importing the Italian tunes, she sang one of the lais d'amour of the day, which probably resembled more nearly the song adopted as a motto to this historiette than any modern composition. The natural melody of her voice, like the wind "breathing on a bank of violets," stole new softness from the subject, till at length it seemed to become languid with its own richness; and the concluding lines of the lay fell in broken and dying gusts of harmony from her lips "Est miens leigement,‡ The silence which followed the song was interrupted by a whispering sound at the door, and, supposing one of her maids was there, she desired her to come in. The door slowly opened, and a man entered the chamber. "What, Angilbert! cousin! How now, sir?" `said the maiden, blushing, half with modesty, half with anger;-" in my own apartment!" "in "Thou may'st forgive it, Bertha,” said Angilbert, taking both her hands gently and mournfully; "it is for the last time!” "In the name of the Virgin, what means this? Thine eyes are wild, and yet thy cheeks pale; thy hands burn and tremble, and thy step is feeble and uncertain! Art thou unwell, my cousin, my dear Angilbert? Yet, haste, O haste thee He is my liege vassal-he is devoted to me for life. » D'assurance. H J'ai. away from a spot so perilous; I will follow thee to some more public room; we are lost if thou art found here.” "We are lost, at any rate,” replied Angilbert; "but worthless as life seems to me now, I would not endanger thine for an empire. The king is in the bath, and we are safe for at least an hour." "Then tell me what has happened to pale thy cheek, my Angilbert? Art thou ordered for Rome? or is the blow dealt through me? Say in what worst alternative my lot is cast, and whether thy faithful Bertha must break her heart in a convent or on a throne." "Thou hast said it. The Greek Empress has sent to demand thee for her son, Constantine.” "But my father will not consent; he loves me too well to part with me; no-never think it, Angilbert!!" "The king will sacrifice his affection to the interests of his country and his daughter. He will part with thee, Bertha!" "But not to her not to the house of Irene, that cruel and usurping queen-No, no-never! never! never!” "Alas! I have just come from the audiencethe affair is settled, and thou art lost to Angilbert!" The blood forsook Bertha's cheek, her eyes closed, and she sank fainting into his arms. Distracted with terror, and ignorant what to do, he laid her down upon the bench, hung over her pale form, fanned her face, pressed her hands, and finally was on the point of calling aloud for aid. The warm stream of life, however, soon returned to flow through its paradise of beauty, and as his mistress opened again her bright eyes, Angilbert clasped her in his arms, and showered upon her brow, and cheeks, and lips, the kisses of his love and his despair. The hour allowed by the lover for his visit passed quickly away; and, in mingling tears and vows, they had as yet neglected to consider seriously the situation in which they were placed, and to inquire whether any possibility of escape existed, however wild and desperate. Another hour passed away more quickly and less sad; and the lovers, whose only lights were each others' eyes, at length perceived that the evening had come down in silence and darkness. "So much the better," said Angilbert, in reply to the startled remark of Bertha. "Under cover of this friendly shade I can retire in safety when I will; let us then steal one other hour of mournful joy, and then--then, sweet, good-night!" The third hour passed away more swift Than meditation or the thoughts of love, and they again looked round. The thick clouds had rolled from the face of the sky, and the moon stood full and bright in the serene heavens. It was as clear as day and as silent as night; and as the horn of a sentinel on the ramparts echoed through the court, the lovers feeling that the moment of separation had indeed arrived, glided with noiseless step to the window to look together upon the beautiful moon. An extensive open court was before them, across which lay the way of Angilbert, and the only egress from this part of the palace. The court was surrounded by piazzas, and the moon light, streaming upon the marble pillars, made them appear of dazzling whiteness. Below, however, was spread a carpet still more purely white; for during the hour of darkness a heavy fall of snow had descended, and the whole pavement of the court was covered with what might have seemed a sheet of virgin silver. There was not a breath of air to ruffle this beautiful surface; and as the women of the royal family-all but Bertha-had long since retired to rest, with their whole household, its purity was unsullied, and its regularity unbroken by human foot. "Thou tremblest, oh, my love!" whispered Angilbert; "the cold of this heavenly night has fallen upon thy heart. Farewell, farewell-retire to thy repose; and for me, before seeking my sleepless couch, I will offer up a prayer in the chapel to its holy protectress, the blessed Virgin, for thy health and life." Trembling, till the agitation seemed a nervous affection, but clinging to his embrace with the strength of despair, Bertha raised her eyes, which had been fixed with speechless terror upon the court, and her lover saw that her face was as white as ́the snow itself. She at length pointed with a shudder to the snow; and as a terrible thought struck like lightning through the heart of Angilbert, he smote his breast, and groaned aloud. "A man's footsteps," cried he, "to be seen in the morning in the midnight snow--and from thy apartment! Wretch that I am, I have destroyed her whom I love more than life! Hark! that distant noise of doors and voicesthe king is retiring to bed; the door of egress from the court will be locked; nay, thy father may come here himself, as is sometimes his wont, to ask if thou art asleep! What is to be done? There is not a moment to be lost; lend me thy shoes-alas they are too small! Quick, quick, set thy woman's wit to work-arouse thee, bestir thee-awake, awake, for by the holy Virgin, 1 am duller than an owl, and more helpless than a babe!" The noise they had heard was indeed the breaking up of the court; for Charles, sleeping enough in the morning, after dinner, to satisfy nature, cared not about the time of retiring; and, even when in bed, was in the habit of receiving visitors, and transacting business during a great part of the night.* The Greek stranger had had the honour of seeing him sup, when he observed, with surprise, the temperate habits of so great a prince. The supper consisted of only four dishes, principally roast game, brought to table on the spit by the chief huntsman; and during the repast the king drank wine only three or four times, getting up without ceremony as soon as his appetite was satisfied. The affair, however, was conducted in other respects with all befitting pomp and circumstance. Besides * Eginhard, in Vit. Carol. Magn. ↑ Ibid. # the candelabras with which the room was furnished, attendants stood round the table with great wax candles in their hands; and the tassled table-cloth was laid double, and folded with the nicest regularity.* The drinking cups were of gold and silver, and some of them enriched with precious stones. “And now,” said the king, rising-" now that we have finished the more important business of the day, let us make the tour of our palace, as our brother, the Caliph Aaron of Persia,† does of his city, to ascertain that proper order is kept throughout. The Count of the Palace will have the goodness to remit to my hearing such cases as have stood over from intricacy or other causes, from the forenoon; and all visitors on pressing business may be informed that in half an hour I shall be in bed and ready to receive them." Charles then led the way from the banquet-hall, followed at a distance by some of his officers, and more closely by the Greek stranger, with whom he continued to converse familiarly on subjects connected with the affairs of the East, and the adventures of his journey. They thus visited every station of importance in the building, challenged the sentinels, and looked out into the appearance of the night; and the stranger, at every step, had fresh cause to wonder, not only at the extent and appointments of the place, but at the admirable discipline established throughout. The king was at length about to retire into his own apartment, and had already bid good-night to his companion, when suddenly recollecting something .. "A word with thee," said he; "let us walk this way alone, and make the tour of the inner court, where the moon seems to shine so bravely on these marble piazzas, that will look, I'll warrant thee, like columns of ice rising from their pavement of snow. What! thou hast not all the curiosity to thyself; I, too, am impatient, to ask questions, and I will pray thee to give me some tidings of this Constantine of Greece, who sends so far for my daughter." When they had reached the inner court, they stood still for a moment to admire the regularity of the buildings and the extreme whiteness and smoothness of the snow which covered the pavement. "And now of this Constantine," resumed the king; "what manner of man is he?" "Why,” replied the stranger, "he is a man'faith he is the son of an Empress, and that is saying much as the world goes.' "Thou art in the right," returned the king; "but is he brave in action, agreeable in person, and honourable in purpose?" "He is as brave as his sword, which cares not a jot about the quarrel, so there be but fighting; his person offends not, when his holiday suit is on; and some say he is more honest than wise." "Truly, a flattering portrait! My daughter will be but too happy in such a husband. That * "Candida præponant niveis mantilia villis." Nigellus de rebus gestis Ludovici Pii. † Haroun Alraschid. "Ay! Say'st thou? Right again; stand aside -it must be her woman." "A man's, by this light!" "St. Maurice!" muttered the king, grinding his teeth; and as his hand sought the hilt of his sword, the trappings rattled with his agitation. The two shadows disappeared from the inner wall; and as the next instant the door opened, the Greek drew back the king, per force, into the shade of the piazza. All was silent for some moments, that appeared ages to the witnesses; till at length a singular spectacle presented itself. The Princess Bertha appeared emerging from the doorway, faltering under the weight of her cousin Angilbert, whom she carried in her arms! Panting-totteringswaying to and fro under the unusual burthen, she advanced slowly and painfully across the court, till at length she succeeded in setting down her lover under the piazzas beside the astonished witnesses, where no tell-tale snow could receive the print of his feet. The king's sword flew like lightning from its scabbard, and without uttering a word he would have cleft the skull of Angilbert in twain, had not the Greek suddenly caught him in his arms. "Fly for thy life!" cried he, during the fierce but short struggle that ensued. "Away, if thou be'st a man! Hie thee-haste-vanish, in the name of the foul fiend! What, art not gone? Wilt not stir? wilt not budge? Oh, dolt-headed animal!-Most clement king; most just and merciful lord! hear before thou strikest! One moment-a space that might serve to wink in! Jesu-I can no more! There, go an thou wilt! go, with a fury to thee! I'd as lief hold a hungry lion!" And Charles, with a mighty effort, dashing his athletic opponent upon the pavement, sprang to his victim. "Strike here!" cried Bertha, throwing herself suddenly between-and her father's sword, which he was unable wholly to check in its furious descent, would have drunk the blood of her shoulder but for a thick gold chain which intervened. "Harlot!" exclaimed the king, in a voice hoarse with passion; "speak, ere thou diest! Tell me of my shame, that I may curse thee, ere 1 kill thee!" "I am no such name," said the Princess, F |