The Iron Arrow Head or The Buckler Maiden: A Tale of the Northman InvasionSue, Eugène
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The Iron Arrow Head or The Buckler Maiden: A Tale of the Northman Invasion
Sue, Eugène
Northmen -- Fiction
"Oh, young man of Nazareth!" exclaimed Eidiol. "Oh, Jesus, the
carpenter! The friend of the poor in rags! You, whom our ancestress
Geneviève saw done to death in Jerusalem by the high priests of your
day! Would you acknowledge as your disciples these priests, these
bishops so gorgeously robed and surrounded by so much splendor? Oh,
clergy, ye modern generation of vipers!"
"Do you hear the chaunts of the priests and the sound of the portable
organs, Master Eidiol? The clarions break in between. The bells are
chiming with increased noise. The King, his daughter and old Rolf enter
the portal of the basilica. Gold censers are being swung right and left
and the smoke of incense mounts to the sky!"
"They burned incense to Clovis, the firebrand and blood-thirsty monster;
they burned incense to Charles the Great who dethroned the stock of
Clovis! And to-day they burn incense to Rolf, to Rolf the old pirate, to
Rolf the murderer, to Rolf the perpetrator of sacrilege! The god of the
priests is gold!"
The marriage of Rolf and Ghisèle was blessed and consecrated by
Archbishop Francon in the princely cathedral of Rouen. The prelate also
on the same day blessed the union of Shigne and Gaëlo. The ceremony of
Ghisèle's marriage was barely over when the wretched girl again swooned
away--the third time on that day--and was carried into an adjoining
chamber on the arms of her women in waiting. Rolf, Charles the Simple,
the Count of Paris, together with the seigneurs of their respective
suites proceeded to the vast hall of the chapter of the Archbishopric of
Rouen. On his head the gold crown of the Frankish Kings, in his hand his
scepter, and the long royal mantle trailing on the floor behind him,
Charles the Simple ascended and remained standing on an elevated dais.
The Archbishop of Rouen and the bishops of the neighboring dioceses
placed themselves to the right, while to the left of the King were
ranked Rothbert, Count of Paris and Duke of France, and the Viscounts of
Monthery, of Argenteuil, of Pontoise, together with many other Frankish
seigneurs, among and above whom towered the tall figure of Burchart,
seigneur of the country of Montmorency. At the foot of the dais, and
facing the King and this assemblage of seigneurs and prelates, stood
Rolf, accompanied by Gaëlo and Shigne, together with the leading
Northman chiefs. The old pirate still had on the white shirt of the
neophyte over his armor. His demeanor was triumphant, insolent and sly.
Charles the Simple, on the contrary, looked sad and dejected, and
furtively wiped away the tears that insisted on forcing themselves to
his eyes. Despite his imbecility, the man loved his daughter; and the
fate of Ghisèle overpowered him with grief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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