Listen, then, Richard, and may the grief
and despair which cannot avail this wretched remnant of what was
once a man be powerful as an example to so noble, yet so wild, a
being as thou art! Yes--I will--I WILL tear open the long-hidden
wounds, although in thy very presence they should bleed to
death!"
King Richard, upon whom the history of Alberick of Mortemar had
made a deep impression in his early years, when minstrels were
regaling his father's halls with legends of the Holy Land,
listened with respect to the outlines of a tale, which, darkly
and imperfectly sketched, indicated sufficiently the cause of the
partial insanity of this singular and most unhappy being.
"I need not," he said, "tell thee that I was noble in birth, high
in fortune, strong in arms, wise in counsel. All these I was.
But while the noblest ladies in Palestine strove which should
wind garlands for my helmet, my love was fixed --unalterably and
devotedly fixed--on a maiden of low degree. Her father, an
ancient soldier of the Cross, saw our passion, and knowing the
difference betwixt us, saw no other refuge for his daughter's
honour than to place her within the shadow of the cloister.
Pages:
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416