historic girls-第9节

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troubled　the　splendid　city　by　the　Golden　Horn　which　offered　so

rare　and　tempting　a　booty。



It　is　not　given　to　the　girls　of　to…day　to　have　any　thing　like　the

magnificent　opportunities　of　the　young　Pulcheria。　But　duty　in

many　a　form　faces　them　again　and　again；　while　not　unfrequently

the　occasion　comes　for　sacrifice　of　comfort　or　for　devotion　to　a

trust。　To　all　such　the　example　of　this　fair　young　princess　of　old

Constantinople；　who；　fifteen　centuries　ago；　saw　her　duty　plainly

and　undertook　it　simply　and　without　hesitation；　comes　to

strengthen　and　incite；　and　the　girl　who　feels　herself　overwhelmed

by　responsibility；　or　who　is　fearful　of　her　own　untried　powers；

may　gather　strength；　courage；　wisdom；　and　will　from　the　story　of

this　historic　girl　of　the　long　agothe　wise　young　Regent　of　the

East；　Pulcheria　of　Constantinople。







CLOTILDA　OF　BURGANDY：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　FRENCH　VINYARDS



＇Afterward　known　as　〃St。　Clotilda；〃　the　first　Queen　of　France。＇

A。D。　485。



It　was　little　more　than　fourteen　hundred　years　ago；　in　the　year

of　our　Lord　485；　that　a　little　girl　crouched　trembling　and

terrified；　at　the　feet　of　a　pitying　priest　in　the　palace　of　the

kings　of　Burgundy。　There　has　been　many　a　sad　little　maid　of　ten；

before　and　since　the　days　of　the　fair…haired　Princess　Clotilda；

but　surely　none　had　greater　cause　for　terror　and　tears　than　she。

For　her　cruel　uncle；　Gundebald；　waging　war　against　his　brother

Chilperic；　the　rightful　king　of　Burgundy；　had　with　a　band　of

savage　followers　burst　into　his　brother's　palace　and；　after　the

fierce　and　relentless　fashion　of　those　cruel　days；　had　murdered

King　Chilperic；　the　father　of　little　Clotilda；　the　queen；　her

mother；　and　the　young　princes；　her　brothers；　and　was　now

searching　for　her　and　her　sister　Sedelenda；　to　kill　them　also。



Poor　Sedelenda　had　hidden　away　in　some　other　far…off　corner；　but

even　as　Clotilda　hung　for　protection　to　the　robe　of　the　good

stranger…priest　Ugo　of　Rheims　（whom　the　king；　her　father；　had

lodged　in　the　palace；　on　his　homeward　journey　from　Jerusalem）；

the　clash　of　steel　drew　nearer　and　nearer。　Through　the　corridor

came　the　rush　of　feet；　the　arras　in　the　doorway　was　rudely　flung

aside；　and　the　poor　child's　fierce　pursuers；　with　her　cruel　uncle

at　their　head；　rushed　into　the　room。



〃Hollo！　Here　hides　the　game！〃　he　cried　in　savage　exultation。

〃Thrust　her　away；　Sir　Priest；　or　thou　diest　in　her　stead。　Not　one

of　the　tyrant's　brood　shall　live。　I　say　it！〃



〃And　who　art　thou　to　judge　of　life　or　death？〃　demanded　the　priest

sternly；　as　he　still　shielded　the　trembling　child。



〃I　am　Gundebald；　King　of　Burgundy　by　the　grace　of　mine　own　good

sword　and　the　right　of　succession；〃　was　the　reply。　〃Trifle　not

with　me；　Sir　Priest；　but　thrust　away　the　child。　She　is　my　lawful

prize　to　do　with　as　I　will。　Ho；　Sigebert；　drag　her　forth！〃



Quick　as　a　flash　the　brave　priest　stepped　before；　the　cowering

child；　and；　with　one　hand　still　resting　protectingly　on　the

girl's　fair　hair；　he　raised　the　other　in　stern　and　fearless

protest；　and　boldly　faced　the　murderous　throng。



〃Back；　men　of　blood！〃　he　cried。　〃Back！　Nor　dare　to　lay　hand　on

this　young　maid　who　hath　here　sought　sanctuary！〃＇1＇



＇1＇　Under　the　Goths　and　Franks　the　protection　of　churches　and

priests；　when　extended　to　persons　in　peril；　was　called　the　〃right

of　sanctuary；〃　and　was　respected　even　by　the　fiercest　of

pursuers。





Fierce　and　savage　men　always　respect　bravery　in　others。　There　was

something　so　courageous　and　heroic　in　the　act　of　that　single

priest　in　thus　facing　a　ferocious　and　determined　band；　in　defence

of　a　little　girl；for　girls　were　but　slightingly　regarded　in

those　far…off　days；that　it　caught　the　savage　fancy　of　the　cruel

king。　And　this；　joined　with　his　respect　for　the　Church's　right　of

sanctuary；　and　with　the　lessening　of　his　thirst　for　blood；　now

that　he　had　satisfied　his　first　desire　for　revenge。　led　him　to

desist。



〃So　be　it　then；〃　he　said；　lowering　his　threatening　sword。　〃I

yield　her　to　thee；　Sir　Priest。　Look　to　her　welfare　and　thine　own。

Surely　a　girl　can　do　no　harm。〃



But　King　Gundebald　and　his　house　lived　to　learn　how　far　wrong　was

that　unguarded　statement。　For　the　very　lowering　of　the　murderous

sword　that　thus　brought　life　to　the　little　Princess　Clotilda

meant　the　downfall　of　the　kingdom　of　Burgundy　and　the　rise　of　the

great　and　victorious　nation　of　France。　The　memories　of　even　a

little　maid　of　ten　are　not　easily　blotted　out。



Her　sister；　Sedelenda；　had　found　refuge　and　safety　in　the　convent

of　Ainay；　near　at　hand；　and　there；　too；　Clotilda　would　have　gone；

but　her　uncle；　the　new　king；　said：　〃No；　the　maidens　must　be

forever　separated。〃　He　expressed　a　willingness；　however；　to　have

the　Princess　Clotilda　brought　up　in　his　palace；　which　had　been

her　father's；　and　requested　the　priest　Ugo　of　Rheims　to　remain

awhile；　and　look　after　the　girl's　education。　In　those　days　a

king's　request　was　a　command；　and　the　good　Ugo；　though　stern　and

brave　in　the　face　of　real　danger；　was　shrewd　enough　to　know　that

it　was　best　for　him　to　yield　to　the　king's　wishes。　So　he

continued　in　the　palace　of　the　king；　looking　after　the　welfare　of

his　little　charge；　until　suddenly　the　girl　took　matters　into　her

own　hands；　and　decided　his　future　and　her　own。



The　kingdom　of　Burgundy；　in　the　days　of　the　Princess　Clotilda；

was　a　large　tract　of　country　now　embraced　by　Southern　France　and

Western　Switzerland。　It　had　been　given　over　by　the　Romans　to　the

Goths；　who　had　invaded　it　in　the　year　413。　It　was　a　land　of

forest　and　vineyards；　of　fair　valleys　and　sheltered　hill…sides；

and　of　busy　cities　that　the　fostering　hand　of　Rome　had

beautified；　while　through　its　broad　domain　the　Rhone；　pure　and

sparkling；　swept　with　a　rapid　current　from　Swiss　lake　and

glacier；　southward　to　the　broad　and　beautiful　Mediterranean。

Lyons　was　its　capital；　and　on　the　hill　of　Fourviere；　overlooking

the　city　below　it；　rose　the　marble　palace　of　the　Burgundian

kings；　near　to　the　spot　where；　to…day；　the　ruined　forum　of　the

old　Roman　days　is　still　shown　to　tourists。



It　had　been　a　palace　for　centuries。　Roman　governors　of　〃Imperial

Gaul〃　had　made　it　their　head…quarters　and　their　home；　three　Roman

emperors　had　cooed　and　cried　as　babies　within　its　walls；　and　it

had　witnessed　also　many　a　feast　and　foray；　and　the　changing

fortunes　of　Roman；　Gallic；　and　Burgundian　conquerors　and

over…lords。　But　it　was　no　longer　〃home〃　to　the　little　Princess

Clotilda。　She　thought　of　her　father　and　mother；　and　of　her

brothers；　the　little　princes　with　whom　she　had　played　in　this

very　palace；　as　it　now　seemed　to　her；　so　many　years　ago。　And　the

more　she　feared　her　cruel　uncle；　the　more　did　she　desire　to　go

far；　far　away　from　his　presence。　So；　after　thinking　the　whole

matter　over；　as　little　girls　of　ten　can　sometimes　think；　she　told

her　good　friend　Ugo；　the　priest；　of　her　father's　youngest　brother

Godegesil；　who　ruled　the　dependent　principality　of　Geneva；　far　up

the　valley　of　the　Rhone。



〃Yes；　child；　I　know　the　place；〃　said　Ugo。　〃A　fair　city　indeed；　on

the　blue　and　beautiful　Lake　Lemanus；　walled　in　by　mountains；　and

rich　in　corn　and　vineyards。〃



〃Then　let　us　fly　thither；〃　said　the　girl。　〃My　uncle　Godegesil　I

know　will　succor　us；　and　I　shall　be　freed　from　my　fears　of　King

Gundebald。〃



Though　it　seemed　at　first　to　the　good　priest　only　a　child's

desire；　he　learned　to　think　better　of　it　when　he　saw　how　unhappy

the　poor　girl　was　in　the　hated　palace；　and　how　slight　were　her

chances　for　improvement。　And　so；　one　fair　spring　morning　in　the

year　486；　the　two　slipped　quietly　out　of　the　palace；　and　by　slow

and　cautious　stages；　with　help　from　friendly　priests　and　nuns；

and　frequent　rides　in　the　heavy　ox…wagons　that　were　the　only

means　of　transport　other　than　horseback；　they　finally　reached　the

old　city　of　Geneva。



And　on　the　journey；　the　good　Ugo　had　made　the　road　seem　less

weary；　and　the　lumbering　ox…wagons　less　jolty　and　painful；　by

telling　his　bright　young　charge　of　all　the　wonders　and　relics　he

had　seen　in　his　journeyings　in　the　East；　but　especially　did　the

girl　love　to　hear　him　tell　of　the　boy　king　of　the　Franks；

Hlodo…wig；　or　Clovis；　who　lived　in　the　priest's　own　boyhood　home

of　Tournay；　in　far…off　Belgium；　and　who；　though　so　brave　and

daring；　was　still　a　pagan；　when　all　the　world　was　fast　becoming

Christian。　And　as　Clotilda　listened；　she　wished　that　she　could

turn　this　brave　young　chief　away　from　his　heathen　deities；　Thor

and　Odin；　to　the　worship　of　the　Christians'　God；　and；　revolving

strange　fancies　in　her　mind；　she　determined　what　she　would　do

when　she　〃grew　up；〃as　many　a　girl　since　her　day　has　determined。

But　even　as　they　reached　the　fair　city　of　Genevathen　half

Roman；　half　Gallic；　in　its　buildings　and　its　lifethe　wonderful

news　met　them　how　this　boy…king　Clovis；　sending　a　challenge　to

combat　to　the　prefect　Syagrius；　the　last　of　the　Roman　governors