The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-08-30
Yi.E JUSTICE OF THE KING,

gallant gentleman and wise Prince,
| Edward l.. set out for the conquest OF
the Holy Land, accompanied by mis-
| Queen. Among the many knights who
| followed the valiant King was one
named Sir Francis ID Essai, an admirer
of the beautiful Eva Glare, young
| lady attendant upon the Queen. The
fair maid did not reciprocate his atten-
tions, but bestowed her smiles upon
Sir Henry Courtenay, young knight
distinguished for his valor and ludg-
ment D'r.ssai. jealous and mad with
rage, determined to possess the young
| lady at all hazards. AS Queen Eleanor
and Eva, with an escort commanded
| by D'Essai, were proceeding on a pill
| grimage to the Jordan, band of his
satellites, dressed as Arabs, suddenly
attacked them, and carried off the
| maid to the castle of the Old Man of
| the Mountain, where D'Essai shortly
repaired. Soon Sir Henry Courtenay
| heard of the outrage, and comprehend
| ed the plot. He rescued his lady-love,
| took the false knight prisoner, and
| had him conveyed to Area for the pun
| lshment he SO richly deserved at the
hands of his brother knights. The
particulars of the awful ceremony of
degradation are thus recorded
The great Church of Area was thrown
open, and knights III brilliant armor,
| and Templars and Hospitallers in the
| habiliments of their orders, bishops
| and priests in their sacred robes, and
vassals in their holiday array, crowd
ed up the long ais'es and filled the
spacious church, as though eager to
| wintess some splendid ceremonial
| Bnt, instead of gorgeons decorations,
| wainscot windows, draped with black,
| ditfused funeral gloom, and The sol
emn reverberatlon OF the tolling bell
seemed to sound a requiem over the
grave of Hope.
Sir Francis ID Essai had been tried
III a council of his peers. and found
guilty of treason to religion and knight
ly devoir and tins day, the anniver-
sary of his admission TO the rank of
knighthood, his companions in arms,
the vassals whom he despiscd, and all
those actuated by curiosity or enmity,
were assembled to witness his degrad-
alton. Eva shuddcTed at The fate of
her former lover, and De Courtney,
y,
permission to absent himself from the
scene on a visit to the Holy Sepulchre
As king alarms and first in rank, it
was the duty of King Edward to preside
over this fearful ceremony, which by
the true and loyal, was regarded as
more terrible than death itself.
At the first stroke of the great bell
the pursuivants, having robed Sir
Francis DEssai for the last time in
his knightly habillments, conducted
him from the Cursed Tower to-
wards the church. As they entered
the door, the doleful peal sank in 81
lence, and, after one awful moment,
his fellow knights, with broken voices,
began to chant the burial service.
An elevated stage, hung with black
had been erected in the centre of the
nave, and upon this the pursuivants,
whose business 1T was to dIvest him of
every outward INSIGNIA of courage and
truth, placed the culprit i'll full view
of all the vast concourse.
When the chanting ceased King Ed
ward spoke in voice that thrilled to
every heart - Sir Francis D'Essai
thou who didst receive the sword of
knighthood from the hand of the good
ST Louis. dOst stand before lis this
day attaint of treason to thy God, thy
truth, and the lady of thy love. Where
fore thy peers have willed that the
order of knIghthood, by which thou
has received all the honor and worship
upon thy body. he brought to naught,
and thy state be undone, and thou be
driven forth outcast and dishonored,
according to thy base deserts. In
stantly the brazen tongue from the bel
fry ratified the fiat, and announced the
hour of doom.
At the word, the squire with trem-
bling hand removed the helmet, the
defence of disloyai eyes, revealing the
pale and haggard countenance of the
recreant knight, and the choir resum-
ed the mournful dirge. Then each
pursuivant advanced III his order to
the performance of his unweicome duty
One by one the knighty trappings of
D'Essai were torn from his body, and
as cuirass, greaves. brassarts, and
gauntlets rang upon the pavements, the
heralds exclaimed
g Behold the harness of a mis-
creant !"
Trembling and bent beneath the
weight of shame the craven stood, while
they smote the golden spurs from his
heels, aud broke his dishonored sword
above his head, and the terrible re
QUEEN walled over the persisted en-
blems of his former innocence.
The Grand Masters of the Templars
then entered upon the stage, bearing
a silver basin filled with tepid water,
and the herald, holding it up, exclaim-
ed By what. name call you the
knight before us y
The pursuivants answered ." The
name which was given him In baptism
the name by which his father was
known the name confirmed to him in
chivalry is Sir Fra ncis D'Essai.'
The heralds again replied False
hood sits upon his tongue and rules in
his heart he is a miscreant, traitor,
and infidel."
Immediately, the Grand Master, in
imitation of baptism, dashed water in
his face, saying Henceforth be
thou called by thy right name-Trait
or ."