historic girls-第8节

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sounding　trumpets　and　swaying　standards　and；　high　over　all；　the

purple　labarum；　woven　in　gold　and　jewels；the　sacred　banner　of

Constantine。　Marching　and　counter…marching；　around　and　around；

and　in　and　out；　until　it　seemed　wellnigh　endless；　the　martial

procession　passed　before　the　eyes　of　the　northern　barbarians；

watchful　of　every　movement；　eager　as　children　to　witness　this

royal　review。



〃These　are　but　as　a　handful　of　dust　amid　the　sands　of　the　sea　to

the　troops　of　the　empire；〃　said　the　prefect　Anthemius；　when　the

glittering　rear…guard　had　passed　from　the　Hippodrome。　And　the

Princess　Pulcheria　added；　〃And　these；　O　men　from　the　north；　are

to　help　and　succor　the　friends　of　the　great　emperor；　even　as　they

are　for　the　terror　and　destruction　of　his　foes。　Bid　the

messengers　from　Ruas　the　king　consider；　good　Anthemius；　whether

it　were　not　wiser　for　their　master　to　be　the　friend　rather　than

the　foe　of　the　emperor。　Ask　him　whether　it　would　not　be　in

keeping　with　his　valor　and　his　might　to　be　made　one　of　the　great

captains　of　the　empire；　with　a　yearly　stipend　of　many　pounds　of

gold；　as　the　recompense　of　the　emperor　for　his　services　and　his

love。〃



Again　the　prefect　looked　with　pleasure　and　surprise　upon　this

wise　young　girl　of　fifteen；　who　had　seen　so　shrewdly　and　so　well

the　way　to　the　hearts　of　these　northern　barbarians；　to　whom　gold

and　warlike　display　were　as　meat　and　drink。



〃You　hear　the　words　of　this　wise　young　maid；〃　he　said。　〃Would　it

not　please　Ruas　the　king　to　be　the　friend　of　the　emperor；　a

general　of　the　empire；　and　the　acceptor；　on　each　recurring　season

of　the　Circensian　games；　of　full　two　hundred　pounds　of　gold　as

recompense　for　service　and　friendship？〃



〃Say；　rather；　three　hundred　pounds；〃　said　Eslaw；　the　chief　of　the

envoys；　〃and　our　master　may；　perchance；　esteem　it　wise　and　fair。〃



〃Nay；　it　is　not　for　the　great　emperor　to　chaffer　with　his

friends；〃　said　Pulcheria；　the　princess。　〃Bid　that　the　stipend　be

fixed　at　three　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　of　gold；　good　Anthemius；

and　let　our　guests　bear　to　Ruas　the　king　pledges　and　tokens　of

the　emperor's　friendship。〃



〃And　bid；　too；　that　they　do　leave　yon　barbarian　boy　at　our　court

as　hostage　of　their　faith；〃　demanded　young　Theodosius　the

emperor；　now　speaking　for　the　first　time　and　making　a　most　stupid

blunder　at　a　critical　moment。



For；　with　a　sudden　start　of　revengeful　indignation；　young　Attila

the　Hun　turned　to　the　boy　emperor：　〃I　will　be　no　man's　hostage；〃

he　cried。　〃Freely　I　came；　freely　will　I　go！　Come　down　from　thy

bauble　of　a　chair　and　thou　and　I　will　try；　even　in　your　circus

yonder；　which　is　the　better　boy；　and　which　should　rightly　be

hostage　for　faith　and　promise　given



〃How　now！〃　exclaimed　the　boy　emperor；　altogether　unused　to　such

uncourtier…like　language；　〃this　to　me！〃　And　the　hasty　young　Hun

continued：



〃Ay；　this　and　more！　I　tell　thee；　boy；　that　were　I　Ruas　the　king；

the　grass　should　never　grow　where　the　hoofs　of　my　war…horse　trod；

Scythia　should　be　mine；　Persia　should　be　mine；　Rome　should　be

mine。　And　look　you；　sir　emperor；　the　time　shall　surely　come　when

the　king　of　the　Huns　shall　be　content　not　with　paltry　tribute　and

needless　office；　but　with　naught　but　Roman　treasure　and　Roman

slaves！〃



But　into　this　torrent　of　words　came　Pulcheria's　calm　voice　again。

〃Nay；　good　Attila；　and　nay；　my　brother　and　my　lord；〃　she　said。

〃'T　were　not　between　friends　and　allies　to　talk　of　tribute；　nor

of　slaves；　nor　yet　of　hostage。　Freely　did'st　thou　come　and　as

freely　shalt　thou　go；　and　let　this　pledge　tell　of　friendship

between　Theodosius　the　emperor　and　Ruas　the　king。〃　And；　with　a

step　forward；　she　flung　her　own　broad　chain　of　gold　around　the

stout　and　swarthy　neck　of　the　defiant　young　Attila。



So；　through　a　girl's　ready　tact　and　quiet　speech；　was　the　terror

of　barbarian　invasion　averted。　Ruas　the　Hun　rested　content　for

years　with　his　annual　salary　of　three　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　of

gold；　or　over　seventy　thousand　dollars；　and　his　title　of　General

of　the　Empire；　while　not　for　twenty　years　did　the　hot…headed

young　Attila　make　good　his　threat　against　the　Roman　power。



Anthemius　the　prefect；　like　the　wise　man　he　was；　recognized　the

worth　of　the　young　Princess　Pulcheria；　he　saw　how　great　was　her

influence　over　her　brother　the　emperor；　and　noted　with

astonishment　and　pleasure　her　words　of　wisdom　and　her　rare

common…sense。



〃Rule　thou　in　my　place；　O　Princess！〃　he　said；　soon　after　this

interview　with　the　barbarian　envoys。　〃Thou　alone；　of　all　in　this

broad　empire；　art　best　fitted　to　take　lead　and　direction　in　the

duties　of　its　governing。〃



Pulcheria；　though　a　wise　young　girl；　was　prudent　and

conscientious。



〃Such　high　authority　is　not　for　a　girl　like　me；　good　Anthemius；〃

she　replied。　〃Rather　let　me　shape　the　ways　and　the　growth　of　the

emperor　my　brother；　and　teach　him　how　best　to　maintain　himself　in

a　deportment　befitting　his　high　estate；　so　that　he　may　become　a

wise　and　just　ruler；　but　do　thou　bear　sway　for　him　until　such

time　as　he　may　take　the　guidance　on　himself。〃



〃Nay；　not　so；　Princess；〃　the　old　prefect　said。　〃She　who　can　shape

the　ways　of　a　boy　may　guide　the　will　of　an　empire。　Be　thou；　then；

Regent　and　Augusta；　and　rule　this　empire　as　becometh　the　daughter

of　Arcadius　and　the　granddaughter　of　the　great　Theodosius。〃



And　as　he　desired；　so　it　was　decided。　The　Senate　of　the　East

decreed　it　and；　in　long　procession；　over　flower…strewn　pavements

and　through　gorgeously　decorated　streets；　with　the　trumpets

sounding　their　loudest；　with　swaying　standards；　and　rank　upon

rank　of　imperial　troops；　with　great　officers　of　the　government

and　throngs　of　palace　attendants；　this　young　girl　of　sixteen；　on

the　fourth　day　of　July；　in　the　year　414；　proceeded　to　the　Church

of　the　Holy　Apostles；　and　was　there　publicly　proclaimed　Pulcheria

Augusta；　Regent　of　the　East；　solemnly　accepting　the　trust　as　a

sacred　and　patriotic　duty。



And；　not　many　days　after；　before　the　high　altar　of　this　same

Church　of　the　Holy　Apostles；　Pulcheria　the　princess　stood　with

her　younger　sisters；　Arcadia　and　Marina；　and　with　all　the

impressive　ceremonial　of　the　Eastern　Church；　made　a　solemn　vow　to

devote　their　lives　to　the　keeping　of　their　father's　heritage　and

the　assistance　of　their　only　brother；　to　forswear　the　world　and

all　its　allurements；　never　to　marry；　and　to　be　in　all　things

faithful　and　constant　to　each　other　in　this　their　promise　and

their　pledge。



And　they　were　faithful　and　constant。　The　story　of　those　three

determined　young　maidens；　yet　scarcely　〃in　their　teens；〃　reads

almost　like　a　page　from　Tennyson's　beautiful　poem；　〃The

Princess；〃　with　which　many　of　my　girl　readers　are　doubtless

familiar。　The　young　regent　and　her　sisters；　with　their　train　of

attendant　maidens；　renounced　the　vanity　of　dresswearing　only

plain　and　simple　robes；　they　spent　their　time　in　making　garments

for　the　poor；　and　embroidered　work　for　church　decorations；　and

with　song　and　prayer　and　frugal　meals；　interspersed　with　frequent

fasts；　they　kept　their　vow　to　〃forswear　the　world　and　its

allurements；〃　in　an　altogether　strict　and　monotonous　manner。　Of

course　this　style　of　living　is　no　more　to　be　recommended　to

healthy；　hearty；　fun…loving　girls　of　fifteen　than　is　its　extreme

of　gayety　and　indulgence；　but　it　had　its　effect　in　those　bad　old

days　of　dissipation　and　excess；　and　the　simplicity　and　soberness

of　this　wise　young　girl's　life　in　the　very　midst　of　so　much　power

and　luxury；　made　even　the　worst　elements　in　the　empire　respect

and　honor　her。



It　would　be　interesting；　did　space　permit；　to　sketch　at　length

some　of　the　devisings　and　doings　of　this　girl　regent　of　sixteen。

〃She　superintended　with　extraordinary　wisdom；〃　says　the　old

chronicler　Sozemon；　〃the　transactions　of　the　Roman　government；〃

and　〃afforded　the　spectacle；〃　says　Ozanam；　a　later　historian；　〃of

a　girlish　princess　of　sixteen；　granddaughter　and　sole　inheritor

of　the　genius　and　courage　of　Theodosius　the　Great；　governing　the

empires　of　the　east　and　west；　and　being　proclaimed　on　the　death

of　her　brother；　Augusta；　Imperatrix；　and　mistress　of　the　world！〃



This　last　eventthe　death　of　Theodosius　the　Youngeroccurred　in

the　year　449；　and　Pulcheria　ascended　the　golden　throne　of

Constantinoplethe　first　woman　that　ever　ruled　as　sole　empress

of　the　Roman　world。



She　died　July　18；　453。　That　same　year　saw　the　death　of　her

youthful　acquaintance；　Attila　the　Hun；　that　fierce　barbarian　whom

men　had　called　the　〃Scourge　of　God。〃　His　mighty　empire　stretched

from　the　great　wall　of　China　to　the　Western　Alps；　but；　though　he

ravaged　the　lands　of　both　eastern　and　western　Rome；　he　seems　to

have　been　so　managed　or　controlled　by　the　wise　and　peaceful

measures　of　the　girl　regent；　that　his　destroying　hordes　never

troubled　the　splendid　city　by　the　Golden　Horn　which　offered　so

rare　and　tempting　a　booty。



It　is　not　given　to　the　girls　of