The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-03-17
MISCELLANY.
The Two Brothers.

IL was holiday in the beautiful town
If Provence, for the courts young bruth-
cr was expected every hour With gall.
ant cnvalcalc cscor;ing the beautiful
bride of Guiscar,l, the r,igning Count of
Provence, his chivalrous valur, and inficx
lille love Of justice, as well rs generosity
OF character
lie was perfectly iloliz ID Ivy his sub
iccts, whom he ruled more like father
than n sovereign. Although trihe past
the grave side of 70 ty, he was still an
cinincn;ly handsome man; albeit there
was sternness in his cuuntenance which
was the result Of the habit of command
and not his nature, which was very g.
nial and jast.
His brother Henri, twenty years his
junior, was the hanIsomcst and nrust ac
complishcd young noble Of his time Il
sklliul tronhadonr, his manners were
most polished and gei,tle.
Between the two hrOthcrs the deepest
affection existed the elder regarding him
in the light uf a s.n, willie Henri loved
the other with all the love of favorite
child.
Indeed lie iaiglt be regarded as such,
for being deprived Of both parents when
he was only three years old. Gu scari
succeeded to his Inheritance. n gallant
! warrior of twcn;y-threr, unusually scd ate
for his as'.
The cuntnna! wars Of that time had
NO much occupied lis attention, that lie
had remrined bachelor, untouched by
Che tender passion ct love. Some six
months before, however, the Count Of
I''izi had, during u Wit TO the Count Of
Provence. 50 praised his daughter blanche
Cor her virtues, accomplishments and
marvellous beauty. that Guiscard had
proposed for her hand, an oticr which
the old Count Of Pisa had readily accepto
cd. 1t was iO accuy lance with the mr.
rangement then made that Gniscard had
despatched his beloved brother to escort
her, considering him the only Oh. worthy
50 treat trust.
A courier had arrived the day pre-, ious
with the welcome ilding' from his brother
that the Lady Blanche was in excellent
health, and that they would arrive on the
following morning. Henri adding that
he had sent the messenger in advance,
that the count might give to his brile IL
icc, ton befilting the future Countess of
Provence Tor III those da the Counts
Of Provence wield'd sovereign power in
their domains, IN the state which sur.
rounded them wn- altogether regal in its
mapuifc nee
Never had the count felt in so gay a
mood; creation seemed 10 rrjpicc with
him Tie full bloom of May flushed with
beauty the cheek of nature the birds
sang sSeeter and more jpyously; the
meadows wore 81 brighter green; Will
the perfume of II thousand hJwers filled
the air.
lie had stationed one of his retaincrs
on the lufiiest tower of the castle to an
nGunce when llIe 'avalcade came in sight.
In the courtyard there were hun Ircd
handsome girls the dau. hter4 OF his | G u.s.
aniry. in their holiday attire, waiting to
strew the path Of the fair bride whll
flowers. In a worl, all that the most
thoughtful and tender gallAntIv couiI de-
wise had been provided TO wclco,ac the
Count I" Pisa's beautiful daughter, The
betrothed wife of the l)rd )f Provence.
Although the count was, ts we have
said. on the grave side of forty, and ex
p'sure in The tented fell, with other mil-
itary barlships, had hronzsd his face and
linged his dark brown hair with gray, he
was a fine AMI cuurty looking man
slightly inrlinced TO corpnlcncy, bnt not
70 ~ 10 make him inelegant his man
ncrs, although somewhat imperious, w,re
courteous and engaging, and in his festive
hours he sang roundelay with taste and
effect. HIS morals were singularly pure
for that lax age and every kind of der
bauchery, whether in high Or low lie,
met with exemplary punishment as hi.
hands. Ills love Of justice was so pro
verbal, that many difficult and delicate
d,spuies hal been left 20 his decision, and
his award was always implicily received.
Hitherto the great solace Of biz lilc had
been in experimenting the education of
his brother, for whom, as we have al.
ready said, he cherished tender afTec>
'ioh, ieooiholhb hi1 iosc VI uiotrer
for her fasor,c son.
So rapt was he in his safety, that he
had Fept him at home pursuing his
studies not permitting him to accompany
him in any Of those military expeditions
so common in those lines, The previous
year, however, Henri had SO earnestly
begged his brother to iako him in the
French campaign against the Spsnial is,
that he had been forced to comply with
his request, although the thought that
any evil nigh, befall him had half un-
manned the fearless warrior ard once
in battle, when he saw Henri in danger,
he set spurs to his horse, and reckles, of
his own life, dashed into the thick of the
fight, just in time to bsstridc his proslraie
brother, and slay the knight who was vn
the point Of running him through.
At this hour, when hc was all feverish
impatlence to bch I'D hi, bride, it was
almost difficult TO decide whether he was
not more anxious 10 see his much lolized
brother. He WAS standing on the top
most of the broad steps which led TO II
terrace overlooking the road by which The
expected calvacade would co@e, when
the striking of the castle bell was heard