Show r. r I I. I Ten Minute Classics I s f Famous Tales and Legends Told in Brief Form i I IA Ir I IJ J 1 t r tA A Love Story of th the Scarred Battle-Scarred Land of Champagne By By J. J VII U L L IE R 1 i Copyright br Playwrights Playwright 1 authors and poets find a de deep p fount o of f inspiration and story in the troubadour lite literature of the middle ages Most enrolls of these tales are the Fren T N tales of the thirteenth century and from one one o of f them is taken taken e a story presented presented presented pre pre- today It Bats with th that t part vart of o f the Champagne Champ gas from Sots Sots- sons to Reims where today a line is held desperately by French and arid Germans who are face to face and andin in some parts almost within touch of f each ach other Messire William was a n loyal knight of Champagne who was vas honored by byall byall all nil men who truth and nobility His fortune however did not equal his merit He possessed a castle It Is true but the only Income that he had was obtained painfully In tournaments i out of the ransoms of his overthrown I adversaries He owned only one thing that was valuable It was his horse Gray It was flower bright of coat Never had men seen another such steed so proud so Impetuous and yet so dainty so-dainty dainty of foot Men near and far coveted it and offered him wealth for it it but he would not lis lis- lis ten Between these two knight and horse there was a great love as ns between between between be be- tween brothers Poor as he was Messire William set his heart on the daughter of ot the richest richest rich rich- est lord In all the tho Champagne She was as good as she was beautiful which Is no scanty praise since the minstrels all nil sang that she was In truth part and parcel of the loveliness of their land She gave her heart to the tall taU splendid splendid did knight but never could they meet Her father kept her close never permitting permitting permitting per per- her to pass from the battlements battlements battle battle- ments and walled gardens Still the knight rode to her castle every day and every day they saw each other and talked love loe though they could do It only through a n gap in the masonry of ofa ofa ofa a great wall ugh Although he well knew the tho futility of ot It Messire William ventured at last to ask her father for her hand Think you I am so besotted as to give my child to a n knight who lives Ives by byplay byplay play roared the old man She shall marry no beggar 1 I I have not yet found the man from to Helms nelms and from Reims to Chalons or from the Lorraine Lon to Germany who is rich enough to match me 1 This fruit is too high for your our seeking I 1 Cursed be your fathers father's wealth said the knight when he saw his sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart again If I I would go with you gladly and be bea a beggar I said she But ut my father Is old and prayers will not move him for age and youth annot understand each other Yet I would counsel you Have you not an uncle fully as rich as ns my father And do these two not greatly honor each other Why do you not ride to him and ask for tor his Intercession Intercession Inter Inter- cession 1 The knight took courage and rode to his aged relative who not only agreed to help him but started at once telling telling tell tell- ing the knight to return to his own castle and wait walt for word from him It was an nn evil word that reached him after a week of ot anxious waiting A friend brought him the news that his uncle had wooed Indeed but not for tor his nephew He had wooed and won for himself and the girl locked safely within th the castle could do nothing but wring her hands Scarcely bad had the news reached the poor knight before one of the nobleman's nobleman's nobleman's noble noble- mans man's varlets arrived ed to ask him for his steed My 1 lord prays you was the message to lead your beautiful horse to carry his daughter in honor and state to the church on her wedding wedding wed wed- ding morn May heavers bless my wicked uncle never for tor this foul toul treasonable deed I lamented the knight He lIe has killed me I Cain wrought no redder wrong l I lYet Yet I will send my horse gladly to her who gave gaye me her dear love It Is the thelast thelast thelast last service I can cnn do her Never er e shall shallI I hear her ber sweet voice again or see her come como to meet me me fair dainty-fair Saddle the horse with my best gear and lead It to the most tender of maidens I That night the tile wedding company In Inthe Inthe inthe the rich mans man's castlo castle feasted and nade so merry that when the warders sound sound- ed their trumpets at dawn to av awaken aken all for the wedding journey the I church city guests and guard ere alike sleepy and before they rf H den far they were nodding In t dies Ev E Even En n those who were jJ u. u to guard the ho bride rode with with closed closed ey eyes eyes J. J Soon there was none o 0 guide th the brides bride's horse for tor s shi shA rode weeping with thoughts far tar away avay and the reins relas lay Idle on the animals animal's neck When the pr entered a devious devious devious devi devi- ous forest t tray trail al' al the horse being left to Itself turn off aft ff on his own account and a hidden woodland path that led lel le l to i Williams William's home The weeping bride became aware at et last that she was alone but as os the horse ambled d on with great gentleness and anti she did not know which way to togo togo togo go she permitted It to take her whither width width- er It would Boon Soon It t stopped before a castle if I. I r. r w. w Muter Mailer A warder ran to the knight who was wan and und broken from long hours of or unavailing unavailing un un- un availing grief Oh sir cried the man There Is before the draw-bridge draw a most wondrous lovely woman clad richly In scarlet and gold Never have we seen any so slim sHin so dainty sosweet sosweet so sosweet sweet I And lord ord she rides on your our horse borse The knight bounded down the stairs and through the portal He lifted down the bride kissing her a hundred times Umes and more Then he Ile sent for a chaplain and led her to the chapel of his house where they were married forthwith In the meantime there was wild trouble among the wedding party Theold Theold The Tho old lord and the old bridegroom tore toro their beards and laid lustily with whip J Jand and boot on the guards who ml made le mad clamor blaming each other To them at nt last spurred a rider sent by William with this message Sir my master sends you assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance of or his great friendship He also charges me to say to his uncle who betrayed him so shamefully that he pardons him the more easily for the reason that you daughter has given herself to him as a gift girt this day The old lord listened with wonder and anger But le le took took thought to I Iwas himself and concluded that since she was married nothing he could do would undo It Therefore presently all the company rode peacefully to the knights knight's castle where the old no lo embraced his undesired son law with all aU courtesy while the graybeard of a n bridegroom who was not a bridegroom tried In vain to discover a few crumbs of comfort that might console him Failing Falling In this he went home and died which was a favor to Messire William since all his wealth went to the knight And there Is no troubadour troubadour dour in Champagne who ever has told or sung this this' story who was not forced to add in accordance with the truth that there never was vas a horse In all the world that was so honored and beloved as the horse borse that stole the bride and brought her to her bridegroom The famous stories o of f the middle ages were preserved by three agencies agen agen- cies the cies-the the who lived usually usually usually ally among noblemen and often were poets an and originators the troubadours troubadours trou trou- who were wandering minstrels minstrels minstrels min min- and generally recited other mens men's tales and verses and the learned monks who set the more important legends down in writing One o of f the latter was a monk of Soissons Gautier de who did dida a great service by setting down tales talesin talesin talesin in French instead o of f Latin Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakespeare Shake Shake- speare Montaigne Browning Anatole Ana Ana- tole France and many others have used these tales lales to make versions of their own |