Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-01-24

The court, AT the word llueOuS, r0areu
with greater laughter than before for the
king, in spite of his pride, was at all times IA
handsome man and there was strong feel
ING at prcscn, that he had never in his life
looked so well.
Robert, when half way TO the throne, felt
as if palsy had struck him. He stopped,
and cssayed to vent his rage, but could not
speak.
The figure on the throne looked him stead
ilv in the face. Robert thought it was
wizard but hated far more than he feared
him, for he was Of great courage.
Ii was an angel.
| Bot the angel was not going TO disclose
himselfyet nor for long time. Meanwhile,
he behaved, on the occasion, very much like
IA man; we mean, like a man of ordinary
| feelings and rcsentmrnis, though still mixed
with dignity beyond what had been before
observed in the Sicilian monarch Some of
the courticrs attributed it to sort of royal
instinct of contrast, excited by the claims of
the imposter but others (by the angels
contrivance) had seen him, as he came
out of the church, halt suddenly, with an
abashed and altered visagc, before the shrine
of st. Thomas, as if supernaluraly struck
with some visitation from Heaven for his
pride and unbelirf The rumor flew about
on the instant, and was confirmed, by an or
der given from the throne, the moment the
angel seated himself upon 1t, for gift of
hitherto unlicardof amount 10 the shrine
itself.
Since thou art roval-mad,' said the new
sovereign, and in truth very king of IDIOTS,
thou shalt be crowned and sceptcred with a
cap and banblc, and be my fool
Robert was still longue.led. lie tried in
vain to spcak--to roar ont his disgust and
defiance: and half mad indeed, with the in
+ ability, pointed, with his quivering finger, to
the inside of his mouth, as if in apology TO
the behoiders for not doing it. Fresh shouts
; of laughter made his brain seem to reel with
in him.
Fetch the cap and hanble.' said the SOW
ereisn, and let the King Of Fools have his
, coronation
$ Robert fcl; that he must submit to what he
thought the power of the devil and began
to have glimpses of IA real though hesia,ing
r sense Of the advantage of securing friendship
on the side of Heaven. But rage and indie-
Q nation we're uppermosl; and while the a,ten-
!. dants were shaving his head, fixing the cap
q and jcctingly dignity ing him with the bauble-
sccplrc he was racking his brains for scheme,
a Of vengeance. What exasprrated him mos
a of all WAS to observe tina, those who had fiat.
l,red iin mos, when Hg.'wfre the loud
est in their contempt, now dat he was the
> cour, zauy. One pompous lord IN particu
IS lar, with higl, and ridiculous voice, which
continued TO laugh when all the rest hac
done, and produccd fresh peals by the con
! FINANCE, was 50 excessively provoking, tina
Robert, who felt his vocal and muscular pow
q ers restored to him as if for the occasion
o could no, hcl p shaking his fist at the grinnin
slave, and crying out, Thou beast, Terra
e nova ! which, in all but the person so ad
i dressed, only produced additional mcrrimcnl
" At length the king ordered the fool To be ia
n ken away, in order 10 sup with the dogs. -
= Robert vas stuprfird; bnt he found himscl
i, hungry against his will, and knawed til
!, bones winch had been chuckcd away BY hi
.. pob"S.
/, The proud King Robert of Sicily lived il
j. this way Inr'two years. always raging in min
always Snllen IN his manner, and snhectc
N to every inIignity that his quandam flvoric
could heap on him, without the power t
o, resent it, For the new monarch secmc
J. unjust to him only. IIe had all the humia
tons, without any of the privileges, of til
10 cap aud bells, and was the dullrst fool eve
10 heard of. All the notice the king took
ne him, consisted in his asking, now and ther
Ie IN full court, when everything was silen
e, well, fool, art thou still king I! Rober
le for some weeks, loudly answered that Il
was but, finding that the answer was b,
signal for a roar Of laughter, converted h
* speech into the silent dignity of Taught
and royal attitude; ill, observing that I'll
1u laughter was greater at this dumb show, |
ID ingrniously adopted manner which express
ID ed neither defiance nor acquiescence, an
t. the angel for some time let him alone.
,ir Meantime, everybody but the unhapr
ID Robert blessed the new, or as they suppose
S. him. the altered king: for every Thing in II
mode of government was changed. Tax
is were light: the poor had plenty work W
% reasonable the mobiles themselves were e.
, ! pected to work after their f,shion--to stud
he TO watch zealously over the Interests of the
a tenants, to travel, and bring home new boo
and innocent luxuries. Hall the day lhroue
Il healthy and intellectual enjoyment and Il
MS inhabitants became at once the manifest al
d. tenderest, the gaycst and most studious pc
Pile in the world. Wherever the king we
IN he was loaded with bencdicions; and Il
he fool heard them, and began to wonder wh
IL the depH the devil had to do with appearan
nd so extraordinary. And thus, for the spa
nd of time we have mentioned, he lived wo
deIing, and sulcn, and hated, and drspise
TT, At the expiration Of these two years,
I'd, nearly so, the king announced his inienli'
of of paying visit to his brother the pope, al
as his brother the emperor, the latter agreei'
he to come to Rome for the purpose. lie we
* accordingly with great train, clad in Il
nd most magnificent garments, all but the foo
ne who was arrayed in fox-iails, and put si'
dy by side with an ape, dressed like himse
INT The people poured out of their houses, al
be fields and vineyards, all struggling to get
sight of the kings face, and to bless it, 4
* ladies' strewing flowers, and the peasant
,ot wives holding up their rosy children, viii
nts last sight seemed particularly to delight q
sovereign. The fool bewildered, came aft
re, the court pages by the side of his ape, exc
not ing shouts of laughter, and, in some, not
are little aslonishment, TO think how monar
m so kind and cons,derate 10 all the rest of /
ne, world. should be so hard upon a sorry 70