The Columbian fountain., 1846-03-10

A ROMANCE.---ROGE DU IION; On
THE TRUE PROPHECY.
(BY @. P. R. JAMEs,)
.Author of "Da,7.lsu,' "Richelieu," "Ihe Rob
6sr,. ".Mary Of Burg,mdy," &c.
M. CHAPTER I.
THE DANCING GIRL.
It was merry time 10 the town Of Ches-
ter, a merry time as eye could see or ear
could hear the whole place was ringing
with harps, and fddles, and songs, bag
,;,as, ..ias, aud rebecks IL seemed as if
himself was about to wor-
ship his golden image, for certainly there
was the sound Of the cornet, flute, sackbut,
psaltery, dulcimer, and all other kinds Of
music; besides a good deal Of believing
and shouting, roaring Of laughter, and every
other kind Of noise that the human voice
can be called upon to produce. In short,
it was the fair-time in Chester, little be-
fore the loose reign Of King John. In one
place might be seen the juggler, performing
all manner of tricks in another place the
leaping through ring, dancing
on rope, or casting somersets to the de-
light Of the people; in another place the
fool or merry Andrew throwing his with
cisms abroad right and left But these were
only accessories and adjutants Of the fair,
which was, in truth, a great commercial
mart where goods and chattels, of almost
every kind, were sold; from complete hau-
berks to gimnel rings, pieces ofcloth, velvet
and silk, filrs Of all kinds, hoods made up
and ready to be tried on any one, who might
covet them, with clasps in a neighboring
stall to fasten them under the chin of the
buyer. Then there were clotheiers of all
kinds; men who sold boxes Of curious
wood for containing the rare manuscript
books, one or two of which formed libra
ry, and close by were the books to be so
the Missal, according to the rule
Of Salisbury, or Hereford, or Lincoln, in
its magnificent velvet cover, lying cheek
by jowl with book of fsongs, such as might
issue from the Partisan press, even in the
persent days Of prurient literature. Near,
was the vender Of rich shoes and boots,
with toes that varied from each other in ev-
cry respect, except that Of being all enor-
mously long some were twisted into the
shape of serpents, some were curled up so
as to resemble rams horn, some initiated
the peaked cap Of professed fool, and one
pair had double points, with hook at the
end of each. Here, too, were booths dis
playing drinking cups Of all sorts and sizes,
and descriptions; and even glass, then rare
and valuable in another place were gums
and spices, and all the stores of the apoth-
ecary; in another were delicate perfumes
and cosmetics, palm oil and ambergris,
frankincense and altar of roses, brought by
the wandering merchant from the far East.
Everything, almost, that the four quarters
of the world could produce, with exception
of the one quarter which was awaiting 10
be found out, was displaying in one corner
or the other in the fair, while the Pied
poudre Court held its sitting hard by, for
the purpose Of protecting all the various
wares by it's stern sentences, which were
executed without respite or delay.
In several parts Of the great space devo-
ted to the purposes of the fair, were booths
for entertainments where revelry, ribaldry,
mirth, drunkenness, feasting, and debauchs-
ry was indulged with degree Of license
unknown at other times and seasons; while
in other booths, again, the more sober mer-
chants, and the large households that they
brought with them, could provide them
selves with food of all sorts at reasonable
price, and in decent manner. Through
all the manifold streets, turnings, and alleys
of the fair foated mixed multitude Of all
kinds; buyers, sellers, minstrels, musicians,
old women, beautiful girls, young children
knights, sailors, soldiers, friars, priests,
nuns, franklins, yeomen, clowns, all jost-
ling, husting, talking, laughing, singing, and
playing in the most vivid dresses that it il
Pv5sruft .onvrIvr. Drgnt and brilliant
was the scene; sort of maddening merri-
ment was in every sound; it was intoxicat-
ing, it was infectious; no one could help i'm
bibing the miasma Of hilarity that spread
around, and you could see grave merchants
with their long boards joking and testing
with the aged prioress Of some very respec-
table order, or with the severe confessor
who suffered not little sin of all man s
multitude to escape without penance and
repentance.
1t was about the hour of four in the even
ing, when down the principal alley Of the
fair, with rich dresses, but hoods so far
drawn down over their faces that they
served the purposes of masks, came gay
party of both sexes, walking at rapid
nace iesfinU with thoso around thano and