historic girls-第1节

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Historic　Girls



by　E。　S。　Brooks




STORIES　OF　GIRLS　WHO　HAVE　INFLUENCED　THE

HISTORY　OF　THEIR　TIMES



E。　S。　BROOKS






PREFACE。



In　these　progressive　days；　when　so　much　energy　and　discussion　are

devoted　to　what　is　termed　equality　and　the　rights　of　woman；　it　is

well　to　remember　that　there　have　been　in　the　distant　past　women；

and　girls　even；　who　by　their　actions　and　endeavors　proved

themselves　the　equals　of　the　men　of　their　time　in　valor；

shrewdness；　and　ability。



This　volume　seeks　to　tell　for　the　girls　and　boys　of　to…day　the

stories　of　some　of　their　sisters　of　the　long…ago；girls　who　by

eminent　position　or　valiant　deeds　became　historic　even　before

they　had　passed　the　charming　season　of　girlhood。



Their　stories　are　fruitful　of　varying　lessons；　for　some　of　these

historic　girls　were　wilful　as　well　as　courageous；　and　mischievous

as　well　as　tender…hearted。



But　from　all　the　lessons　and　from　all　the　morals；　one　truth

stands　out　most　clearlythe　fact　that　age　and　country；　time　and

surroundings；　make　but　little　change　in　the　real　girl…nature；

that　has　ever　been　impulsive；　trusting；　tender；　and　true；　alike

in　the　days　of　the　Syrian　Zenobia　and　in　those　of　the　modern

American　school…girl。



After　all；　whatever　the　opportunity；　whatever　the　limitation；

whatever　the　possibilities　of　this　same　never…changing

girl…nature；　no　better　precept　can　be　laid　down　for　our　own

bright　young　maidens；　as　none　better　can　be　deduced　from　the

stories　herewith　presented；　than　that　phrased　in　Kingsley's　noble

yet　simple　verse：



　〃Be　good；　sweet　maid；　and　let　who　will　be　clever

　　　　　　Do　noble　things；　not　dream　them；　all　day　long

　　And　so　make　life；　death；　and　the　vast　forever

　　　　　　One　grand；　sweet　song。〃





Grateful　acknowledgment　is　made　by　the　author　for　the　numerous

expressions　of　interest　that　came　to　him　from　his　girl…readers　as

the　papers　now　gathered　into　book…form　appeared　from　time　to　time

in　the　pages　of　St。　Nicholas。　The　approval　of　those　for　whom　one

studies　and　labors　is　the　pleasantest　and　most　enduring　return。







CONTENTS



ZENOBIA　OF　PALMYRA：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　SYRIAN　DESERT



HELENA　OF　BRITAIN：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　ESSEX　FELLS



PULCHERIA　OF　CONSTANTINOPLE：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　GOLDEN　HORN



CLOTILDA　OF　BURGUNDY：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　FRENCH　VINEYARDS



WOO　OF　HWANG…HO：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　YELLOW　RIVER



EDITH　OF　SCOTLAND：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　NORTHERN　ABBEY



JACQUELINE　OF　HOLLAND：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　LAND　OF　FOGS



CATARINA　OF　VENICE：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　GRAND　CANAL



THERESA　OF　AVILA：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　SPANISH　SIERRAS



ELIZABETH　OF　TUDOR：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　HERTFORD　MANOR



CHRISTINA　OF　SWEDEN：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　NORTHERN　FIORDS



MA…TA…OKA　OF　POW…HA…TAN：　THE　GIRL　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　FORESTS







ZENOBIA　OF　PALMYRA：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　SYRIAN　DESERT。



＇Afterward　known　as　〃Zenobia　Augusta；　Queen　of　the　East。〃＇　A。D。

250。



MANY　and　many　miles　and　many　days'　journey　toward　the　rising　sun；

over　seas　and　mountains　and　deserts；farther　to　the　east　than

Rome；　or　Constantinople；　or　even　Jerusalem　and　old

Damascus；stand　the　ruins　of　a　once　mighty　city；　scattered　over

a　mountain…walled　oasis　of　the　great　Syrian　desert；　thirteen

hundred　feet　above　the　sea；　and　just　across　the　northern　border

of　Arabia。　Look　for　it　in　your　geographies。　It　is　known　as

Palmyra。　To…day　the　jackal　prowls　through　its　deserted　streets

and　the　lizard　suns　himself　on　its　fallen　columns；　while　thirty

or　forty　miserable　Arabian　huts　huddle　together　in　a　small　corner

of　what　was　once　the　great　court…yard　of　the　magnificent　Temple

of　the　Sun。



And　yet；　sixteen　centuries　ago；　Palmyra；　or　Tadmor　as　it　was

originally　called；　was　one　of　the　most　beautiful　cities　in　the

world。　Nature　and　art　combined　to　make　it　glorious。　Like　a

glittering　mirage　out　of　the　sand…swept　desert　arose　its　palaces

and　temples　and　grandly　sculptured　archways。　With　aqueducts　and

monuments　and　gleaming　porticos　with　countless　groves　of

palm…trees　and　gardens　full　of　verdure；　with　wells　and　fountains；

market　and　circus；　with　broad　streets　stretching　away　to　the　city

gates　and　lined　on　either　side　with　magnificent　colonnades　of

rose…colored　marblesuch　was　Palmyra　in　the　year　of　our　Lord

250；　when；　in　the　soft　Syrian　month　of　Nisan；　or　April；　in　an

open　portico　in　the　great　colonnade　and　screened　from　the　sun　by

gayly　colored　awnings；　two　young　peoplea　boy　of　sixteen　and　a

girl　of　twelvelooked　down　upon　the　beautiful　Street　of　the

Thousand　Columns；　as　lined　with　bazaars　and　thronged　with

merchants　it　stretched　from　the　wonderful　Temple　of　the　Sun　to

the　triple　Gate…way　of　the　Sepulchre；　nearly　a　mile　away。



Both　were　handsome　and　healthytrue　children　of　old　Tadmor；　that

glittering；　fairy…like　city　which；　Arabian　legends　say；　was　built

by　the　genii　for　the　great　King　Solomon　ages　and　ages　ago。　Midway

between　the　Mediterranean　and　the　Euphrates；　it　was　the

meeting…place　for　the　caravans　from　the　east　and　the　wagon　trains

from　the　west；　and　it　had　thus　become　a　city　of　merchant　princes；

a　wealthy　commercial　republic；　like　Florence　and　Venice　in　the

middle　agesthe　common　toll…gate　for　both　the　East　and　West。



But；　though　a　tributary　colony　of　Rome；　it　was　so　remote　a

dependency　of　that　mighty　mistress　of　the　world　that　the　yoke　of

vassalage　was　but　carelessly　worn　and　lightly　felt。　The　great

merchants　and　chiefs　of　caravans　who　composed　its　senate　and

directed　its　affairs；　and　whose　glittering　statues　lined　the

sculptured　cornice　of　its　marble　colonnades；　had　more　power　and

influence　than　the　far…off　Emperor　at　Rome；　and　but　small　heed

was　paid　to　the　slender　garrison　that　acted　as　guard　of　honor　to

the　strategi　or　special　officers　who　held　the　colony　for　Rome　and

received　its　yearly　tribute。　And　yet　so　strong　a　force　was　Rome

in　the　world　that　even　this　free…tempered　desert　city　had

gradually　become　Romanized　in　manners　as　in　name；　so　that　Tadmor

had　become　first　Adrianapolis　and　then　Palmyra。　And　this

influence　had　touched　even　these　children　in　the　portico。　For

their　common　ancestora　wealthy　merchant　of　a　century

beforehad　secured　honor　and　rank　from　the　Emperor　Septimus

Severus　the　man　who　〃walled　in〃　England；　and　of　whom　it　was

said　that　〃he　never　performed　an　act　of　humanity　or　forgave　a

fault。〃　Becoming；　by　the　Emperor's　grace；　a　Roman　citizen；　this

merchant　of　Palmyra；　according　to　a　custom　of　the　time；　took　the

name　of　his　royal　patron　as　that　of　his　own　〃fahdh；〃　or　family；

and　the　father　of　young　Odhainat　in　the　portico；　as　was　Odhainat

himself；　was　known　as　Septimus　Odaenathus；　while　the　young　girl

found　her　Arabic　name　of　Bath　Zabbai；　Latinized　into　that　of

Septima　Zenobia。



But　as；　thinking　nothing　of　all　this；　they　looked　lazily　on　the

throng　below；　a　sudden　exclamation　from　the　lad　caused　his

companion　to　raise　her　flashing　black　eyes　inquiringly　to　his

face。



〃What　troubles　you；　my　Odhainat？〃　she　asked。



〃There；　there；　look　there；　Bath　Zabbai！〃　replied　the　boy

excitedly；　〃coming　through　the　Damascus　arch；　and　we　thought　him

to　be　in　Emesa。〃



The　girl's　glance　followed　his　guiding　finger；　but　even　as　she

looked　a　clear　trumpet　peal　rose　above　the　din　of　the　city；　while

from　beneath　a　sculptured　archway　that　spanned　a　colonnaded

cross…street　the　bright　April　sun　gleamed　down　upon　the　standard

of　Rome　with　its　eagle　crest　and　its　S。　P。　Q。　R。　design　beneath。

There　is　a　second　trumpet　peal；　and　swinging　into　the　great

Street　of　the　Thousand　Columns；　at　the　head　of　his　light…armed

legionaries；　rides　the　centurion　Rufinus；　lately　advanced　to　the

rank　of　tribune　of　one　of　the　chief　Roman　cohorts　in　Syria。　His

coming；　as　Odhainat　and　even　the　young　Bath　Zabbai　knew；　meant　a

stricter　supervision　of　the　city；　a　re…enforcement　of　its

garrison；　and　the　assertion　of　the　mastership　of　Rome　over　this

far　eastern　province　on　the　Persian　frontier。



〃But　why　should　the　coming　of　the　Roman　so　trouble　you；　my

Odhainat？〃　she　asked。　〃We　are　neither　Jew　nor　Christian　that　we

should　fear　his　wrath；　but　free　Palmyreans　who　bend　the　knee

neither　to　Roman　nor　Persian　masters。〃



〃Who　WILL　bend　the　knee　no　longer；　be　it　never　so　little；　my

cousin；〃　exclaimed　the　lad　hotly；　〃as　this　very　day　would　have

shown　had　not　this　crafty　Rufinusmay　great　Solomon's　genii　dash

him　in　the　sea！come　with　his　cohort　to　mar　our　measures！　Yet

seewho　cometh　now？〃　he　cried；　and　at　once　the　attention　of　the

young　people　was　turned　in　the　opposite　direction　as　they　saw；

streaming　out　of　the　great　fortress…like　court…yard　of　the　Temple

of　the　Sun；　another　hurrying　throng。



Then　young　Odhainat　gave　a　cry　of　joy。



〃See；　Bath　Zabbai；　they　come；　they　come〃！　he　cried。　〃It　is　my

father；　Odhainat　the　esarkos；＇1＇　with　all　the　leaders　and　all　the

bowmen　and　spearmen　of　our　fahdh　armed　and　in　readiness。　This　day

will　we　fling　off　the　Roman　yoke　and　b