Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-08-24
The Bridal of 81. Omer.

lie Drl0di oil 81 inner.
JAcQuELINE folded up her embroidery. and
sighed as she deposited the work in u drawer OF
an antique cabinet which stood in her chamber
for her hitherto obedent needle refused 10 trace
those flowers which were wont TO spring up be
meath her creative fingers She wandered into
the garden but its plants and blossoms no longer
delighted her the sckly tinls Of autumn had sad
dened the face Of nature, and every surrounding
object reminded her other own faded hopes Re.
turning into the house she sat dU~n and listened
with dnxlous'yet despalring ear for some stir or
tumult, beokenng the arrival Of news: but no I'M
usual sound disturbed the calm Of the silent streets
The French soldiers basking in the sun in the
front 81 their guard-room, now and then broke
the stiffness by snatchcs of old tunes, a fragment
OF soGe ancient romance chaunied to a national
AIR, or the light laugh which occasionally follow.
ed jest uttered in too low tone to be heard be-
You'd their own circle 1t was evident, from the
careless gaiety of these men, that although the
king Of England was laying siege to Boulogne,
they had no fear of being disturbed in the fortress
so fraudulently wresttd by Louis XII, the prcde-
cessor Of the preseit monarch of France from the
house of Burgundy. JacqueIine's melancholy
thoughts naturally turned upon the fallen fortunes
of that luckless family. She herself retained a
lively recollection OF the beautiful orphan beress
the Princess Mary, at the period of her deep dis
tress, when, BY the death of her gallant fi,her.
Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, she was
left to the mercy of the factous citizens of Client
and exposed to the hostility of her most inveterate
enemy, the cruel and crafty Louis. Jacquene's
heart burned with Indignation she reflected up.
on the disgraceful roverses which the Burgun.
dams had sustained, from the period of their gal
lant sorereisn's last fa.i SOFA ra,an IN uesinany
and she marvelled at the supineness displayed by
Macmillan, in suffering the territories of his
wife and son 10 whom, upon the decease Of Mary
he had been constituted guardian) to remain in
subjuga,ion TO the crown of France The maiden
gazed npon her delicate white hands as they hung
listlessly over the arms of high backed chair on
which she was reclining and wished that they
could be endowed with giants strength to burst
the letters imposed by foreign power. She lho
upon the heroic deeds achieved at Orleans by q
| frame as weak, and she almos, hnced that she
could welcome the fate of Joan of Arc, to be, like
her the deliverer of her country
! Suddenly the French guard sprang up from
their rccumbent attitudes, and the ponderous mail
of the men at arms FLASHED as they rose in haste
to salute their commanding officer Count Der
,rand de Montmorenci, the governor of St Omer
For moment Jacquclne hoped that he brought
intelligence OF the approach Of the English or The
Burgundians that Boulogne had fallen, and thai
the town was threatened by hostile force; bu
this expectation was soon disspated few trinng
orders, given with his usual affectation sufccd &c
display the soldiers attention TO his military do
ties Ia another moment she heard the boisterou.
and hearty greetings Offered by her father, and
the interview was inevitable
Ushcred INTO the apartment by his friendly but
unpublished host Count Bertrand, aitirod in the ex
IRENE OF the las, Partisan fashion, advanced to pay
his respects 10 the provincial rustic whose beauty
and whose wealth had attracted him despite heI
country breeding Jacqueline was an inanenuvt
listener to her noble admirers Aorid compliments
and lule interested IN the hoods and winples the
long training gowns, and flowing head-dresses
worn by the gay danes of the French capital
since she never desired TO exchange her naliona
costume for foreign vanities; and was only reused
TO animation when the conversation turned upon
the politics Of The day.
''rhe English have fofgoiisn The AT of war,
cried Non,norenci 'or love 10 fight only upon
their own soil A French htfad is now in lhe
camp, and when he can strike a bafgsia viii
these trading islanders our master will be free L
pursue his conquests Ia Italy
And where then is MIximilianf exelamel
Jacqueline: 'will he look tamely on aud see tb,
only chance Of recovering his sons inheritance
battered away for few pallry pieces Of gold 2
Know We not, returned hohlinoIencl, mat M
German beat is dull and slow Of foot2 Wher
was the recrean, knight when Charles the VIII
carried ava, his affianced BRIDE the heiress o
Breiagne Where is BE- now, when hs shouic
spur on his English allies 10 aefiOnl Engages
in some piiilul broil at home, he keeps aloOf CIV
ing Henry Of Lancaster an excuse 10 follow hI
own sordd incIna,ions, and gather duca,s inrea,
Of laurels ia his wars
Jacsueline was grered aud angry at this dis
diinfui mention Of me king Of the Romans, bu
lef that n. reproach vas Bot 700 just she there
fore remained silenl KstenIng with xo5bded ca
10 the remarks OF her faiher, who, devoted L
! France, rejOieod over the declining state Of IA
Burgundisn affairs
Arnold Won RolhfyIs though descendei boH
noble family, had soiled hls fingers By trade
/ Has love Of gaia had in The irsi instance osercom
bis pride bat laien, spark sal existing ~ b.
breas, he was dazzled by the prospect 81 unitin.