, 1863-05-14

Bride OF heaven, said the Lady AboeSS
is meet TO attire thee for the bridegroom. Behold
he comethl Kneel, daughter, in oil humility p
The Lady Edelburga kneeled mechanically-who
was there to help or comfort her ?-and dead
silence fell upon the assembly.
/ But what strange noise IS this? II Is not the
sough Of the wind-it Is not the roar Of the waves
on the coast Of Kent. The TilOonbeams still steal
in through the clerestory Of the ancient chapel,
and the night otherwise is calm. There is pause
and q silence; but again comes q roar, and this
time It Is the f0af Of tOiceS. Theaged priest was
undecided; the nuns clustered around the Lady
Abbess. Every ear was straining to listen and
there were blanched cheeks and beating hearts.
Again, and nearer than before, came the roar ol
voices like the rushing Of tHS6t &aters, hnd abOte
the deep roar could Be heard the cries Of alarmed
rustics, "The Danesl the Danes!'
At this point we take up the narrative from On
old BLACK Letter Book; Trittsn. by. one who
subscribes "E. G., Sub-Deane, OF Exeter" who
relates that in the yer 1919 Il happened the Danes
to be disappointed Of certain tribute which they
claimed as due unto them. "FOr want whereof
they spoiled and burned the cite Of Canterbury.
The monks and people thereof men, women and
childrep-they ,tlthsd, putting nine to the sword,
and letting go tenth only; 50 that FOR 800 that
were suffered to escape, 1896 went to the pot. As
for the Archbishop, (Elphage) they kept him In
prison for seven months, and at last put him TO
death at Greenwich. The Vengeance Of God"
continues the Subj Deane suffered not these hell
hounds to escape unpunished. By suDdry kinds Of
misfortune they were, little and little, in manner
consumed very shortly after"
"The Danes the DAneer, !, Even in, lOl2 Il
was o cry Of terror. No wonder that It was 90 ;
for Il Is well known that in their repeated invasiOns
Of England they spared neither age, nor sex, nor
condition
They ielled the hoary priest, dishonOred matrOn
and maid, dashed the infant against the stones,
polluted the Sanctuary, tsged and set fire to the
homestead, and, in Short committed every cOnceiv-
able kind Of atrOcity and barbarity.
Thus It was the cry, The Danes the Danes n
which disturbed the ceremony that eventful mid
night in the chapelof st. WinifFed. In the after
noon Of that day the eIexs Of three viking vessels
had landed OF Whitstable and, marching rapidly
towards Canterbury, rObbing, staying and burning
in their progress-turning the merry-tnaking Of
the harvesthome into grief and lamentatiOn-- they
were now at the gates Of Canterbury.
The nuns Of st. Winiffed well knew the horrid
doom that possibly awaited them. A holy and
vestal LIE was no protection from the assaults Of
these wild sea-FOvers. The Lady Abbess swOOned
at the foot Of the altar, and tc nuns fe 10 their
cells. The priest concealed himself In the cOnIes-
sional. Alone remained the Lady Edelburga, who
gave The old Abbess hsF best care. She sought
not to hy, and in the tnmult, preserved her calm.
ness and presence Of mind. The gates Of the con-
vent did not long withstand the blows Of the maces
and axes Of the danes, SHd die Chapel Of ST.
Winifred was speedily filed with band of armed
men. The leaders few towards the altar, which
was then dimly lighted BY q single lamp, and the
gold and silver vessels and ornaments which rested
upon = LIVER. were sPeeal!y 4 msPPEePrlatsd.
tthe! tuner exclaimed one grim barba-
rian, sei5ing rTdely upon the Lady Edelb1rga. who
w,s sun kneelng oy me slde o. the scnseess Lady
Aooess; Dane GET and ne vlrginF and he
raiseS tne tenaer Y. mal9en n nis 1fawny arms.
ana oy Wooen' tnenT aid young man
oI sta.wan nanle put o. eomeiy mce nay her.
moe, out IOr tns once tne geit snaii pe mine. And
lnge6org, We war not with womanr
Thorod commands to-nightF said HsFmod, IN
gloomy tone. tomorrow command. Take
ny geit IN NE virgin! Inc son Of lngeDoFg, me
thinks, Is nidllng TINS nignI
More words, and not pleasing cnes, passed be
tween the toster-bFothers. Nldling," which
means uslrer or exactor, was term Of reproach,
winch no Norseman would have looked Tor from
any but kin.man 90 sacred as q tOster-brOther
without resenting as deadly insult,
Thorod maintained bis claim as CHIEF and at bis
command his followers Quilted the Chapel OF 81
WnliFed, and went iorth to maFaud among the
citizens OF Canterbury. who were By this time
aroused and speeding in every direction.
Though OF necessity good deal scared, the
Lady Edelburga had not lost her eelfPossession.
She was SURRENDERED by HeFmod with groWl to
Thorod, who gently seated her on q stone bench.
and did bis best in his rough bat kind seaman
fashion, TO corgose her perturoed spirits.
Fear not, little one" be said; "an Danes are
not ravishersp
The Lady Edelburga did not speak, but hereyes
expressed her gratitude. In the mild countenance
Of Thorod she OWNED that she had met with an
@We must not tarry longer here" he said.
These companions OF mine, flushed with the con