“Ye men of Friesland, this is the girl who saved the Christians. What are we to do with her?” [Illustration: [_From photo: C. B. Broersand, Leuwarden._] The girl was loved by the people, and they felt compassion for her; but the priest, in a loud voice, cried shame on them for their cowardice, urging them to cruelty, until with a savage cry they shouted, “To the wolves!” Then Adgillus came forward, saying— “If you kill her I will be a Frisian no longer. If you throw her to the wolves I go with her and fight with them for her with my sword, which I have sworn to use for the protection of the innocent and defenceless, and God helping me, I’ll keep my oath!” The applause of the people was deafening, but the priest silenced them, saying— “This girl has insulted our gods and embraced the new religion. Therefore our law requires her death.” But the people cried out, with their thousands of voices— “She shall not die!” The priest, pale with spite and anger, said— “Well, let her live. She has been trying for a crown; let her have her wish. Here is one exactly like that worn by the Christ whom she worships.” So saying, he took from under his cloak a crown of thorns and held it up for inspection. Again a shout went up, “Crown her! Crown her!” And so it happened that on the following day she stood in the arena from sunrise to sunset, wearing the crown of thorns, and although her forehead and temples were painfully pierced by the sharp thorns and the blood ran down her cheeks she did not utter a sigh or a murmur. The next day, having been banished, she left the country, accompanied by the missionary and his followers, nor was the King’s son seen in Friesland for many a long day after this. He joined the army of the Franks, and accounts of his prowess and valour filled the land. At the King’s death Adgillus succeeded him notwithstanding the opposition of the priests. The people loved him and offered no objection to receive Fostedina as their Queen, and she and Adgillus were married by the missionary, according to Christian rites. The marks of the crown of thorns were still visible on her forehead and temples when, by the side of her royal husband, Fostedina rode into the old city of Stavorly, where the Frisian kings resided. At the sight of these scars the people were greatly troubled, for it reminded them of the cruelty with which they had treated her in days gone by. On the morning of the great festival with which the new king’s inauguration was to be celebrated, twelve high-born maidens entered the Queen’s apartment and presented her with a golden crown of such a shape that it completely hid the marks made by the crown of thorns. Two golden plates covered her temples, while a splendid golden strip passed over the forehead. Fostedina accepted, but did not like it. She remarked— “It will never come up to the crown of thorns, but my God has still a better crown in store for me.”