The Little Duke: Richard the FearlessYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
General
The Little Duke: Richard the Fearless
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Richard I, Duke of Normandy, approximately 932-996 -- Juvenile fiction
{5} The Banner of Normandy was a cross till William the Conqueror
adopted the lion.
{6}
"Sire, soies mon escus, soies mes defendemens."
_Histoire des Ducs de Normandie_ (MICHEL).
{7} The Cathedral was afterwards built by Richard himself.
{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 guardianship, 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
assumed 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account