The New York herald., 1873-09-25

THE FOURTH CHRISTIAN KING OF JERUSALEM
rgYnt '9Wa d 0 Ascaion @ belonged to the ruler Of
frontiers OF the Christian dominiOns The crusaders
and the inndels were constantly skirmishng round
ment IN Palestine OF the Plantagenet King Richard
CGur de Lion In one OF these skirmishes the
who were always beaten at hand to- hand fighting
In the open country, caught them by an ambus-
cade; ana saS took them first to Ascalon then, Tor
greater security, as they were men OF note, to
Cairo, IN Egypt; and It was perfectly in accord
ance with the custom OF the time that resolute
and crafty attempt should be made to induce them
to renOunce their religion.
the Knights Of Eppes. when first interrogated by
picture or image OF the Virgin; but that If she
would bring them wood and carving implements
they would endeavor to make such a resemblance
idea (9rOSStere fd6e) OF
THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN.
This was a very natural reply OF these Catholic
gentlemen to their jailer's daughter They were
willing TO do what they honestly could to satisfy
her wishes.
The Princess, impatient for the fulilment of this
promise, hastened to bring them the tools they re-
CURED, ana went herself to their prison TO bid
mems gossip was new and pleasant to her.
They sat down TO labor with good will; but
hands accustomed only to guide the lance made
slow progress with the chisel and they began 10
lear that, In their anxiety to oblIge a beautiful
woman, they had made too light OF
THE NICE ART OF THE SCULPTOR.
Several persons among my personal friends have
fallen into similar mistakes. 1t Is 50 cheerful to
answer lovellness promptly :-"What IL possible IS
done; what Is impossible shall be done" Alas for
youth and pride Alas Tor wayward beauty
fancy that these Knights Of Eppes spoiled much
good wood and cut their fingers considerably as
they gazed discounted on the clumsy, iunny,
humpbacked, topsded things they made, and COM
pared them with the masterpieces of great sculp-
tors hands which they had In grand cathedrals
At last they prayed, prayed aloud, and lmplored
the assistance of the divine Mary and her crucided
Son that, by their all-powerlul intercession, cum
ming and dexterity OF hand might be given to them
to accomplish the desire OF the Eastern Princess,
and 70 give her some idea Of the Lady Of Mercy.
They were poor fellows very miserable, very thin
from fasting but assuredly with that Frankish wit
and spirit, so fral and yet so naughty (as though
forever Growing under protectiOn), which has In
all times and places won the compassionate kind
ness OF women who love most those wnom they
most succOr, dare say the Princess, large eyed,
dreamy woman, watched the strange and merry
warriors who talked to her so pleasantly, while they
cut their fingers and prayed by turns to do her
bidding.
At length they fell asleep, exhausted over their
queer looking blocks OF WOOD and had agltated
them completed image OF the Virgin; and around
1t was a glory oil light, which may have been sun
beam. 1t Is possible that they may have or that
one OF them may nave worked in his sleep better
than he could have done awake. Such things have
happened, and there Is nothing impossible in the
suppositiOn They very naturally agreed, however,
that miracle had been accomplished Tor them,
and they prayed with passionate iervor to the
celestial image
The Princess came to see them by times in the
morning, and was, perhaps, not very critical
judge OIL art.
NBGRESs,
which does not say much for the knights hand-
so much devotion and obedience to her will; and
when the Knight OF Eppes who was the eldest OF
the brothers presented her with the miraculous
image the wOman's heart went out to him and
she prOiessed herself u Christian. II they at all
resembled their pictures the three young Cru
saders must have looked very handsome in their
suits of gittering mall with the red cross on their
breasts and the jeweled belt around each OF their
tuncs The youngest OF the knights too, seemed
To hnun haA n fu1 knn n
Alter the conversion OF the Princess they all
four prayed together to the divine image and
called it "Our Lady of Liesse." Then the Princess
became conscious of the serious of the step
she had taken To remain In the power Of her
father was certain and ignominiOus death. More.
over, her conversion was perfectly sincere and she
began to see visions and to dream dreams OF the
Virgin She therefore resolved to effect the escape
OF the knights from Egypt and to accompany them
With this view she took the prudent means Of
collecting ner levels which were the best part Of
her to overcome all dlifculQes. Her miraculous
voyage to France may, thereH have been moth
ing more than another historical proof OF the
amazing power OF brbes discreetly offered to official
persons.
Ismerie came to France with the Knights Of
Eppes. She was baptized by the Bishop OF LaOn,
lived life Of great snctity and died unmarried,
The three brothers.
The kings Of France-and kings have usually
visits to Our Lady OF Lesse that 1t came to be dis
tinguished as
Charles VI went there IN l4l4; Charles VII. made
several pgrimages there; Louis XI. appeared there
twice as pilgrim: Francis made pilgrimage TO
turn thanks for his deliverance from the prisons
of Charles "; Henry H. Went there June 10, 1854
numerous that the Castle Of Marchais was rebuilt
expressly to receive him. LOUIS XIII. made two
as Louis XIV made three prmsSes Sere
one in 1862, one in 1878 and the last in 1880. This
was the latest OF the royal 'pilgrlmages, but the
shrine has never ceased to be an object OF pop
uar devotion, and more than
THIRTY THOUSAND PILGRIMS
assembled for the coronation or the miraculous
statue, which took place on the 18th August, 1858.
MIRACULOUS CURES
began to manifest themselves at Lesse at an early
period. Jean de Marty, who wrote in the fifteenth
century, declares that they were OF daily occur
renee in his time, and that the church was full OF
the crutches OF crippes who had been healed there.
These miracles are attested by an enormous
mass Of contemporary evidence and 1t may be,
therefore, interesting to cite a few OF them.
/. Nicolas de Vervius, possessed by devils, was
delivered from his aiiction at Llesse In 1865,
BEELzEBUB PUBLICLY AvowED
to Jean de BOurs, Bishop Of Laon, that the Virgin
Mary had deprived him Of the aid OF twenty.six OF
his companions by ODliGng them to come out Of
2 Nicolas Frahaut, OF Boulogne, was cured OF
mortal wound by the intercesson OF Our Lady OF
g. The wife Of the Lord Of Gratereau was cured
of a peursy in 1911.
4. Nine. de L0rme wife OF the Treasurer Of
France was cured OF cancer In the breast in 1920
s. Nine. Roger, wife OF a tradesman In Paris, was
cured OF an issue of blood in the same year.
9. Jeanne Gautier was cured OF paralysis in 1858,
7. Claude D'Apitte miracuousy recovered her
speech in 1854.
8. A musket ball which had remained ten years
in the body Of Viscount de TincOurt, and which no
surgeon had been able TO extract, came out OF It.
self, upon prayer being made to Our Lady OF Lesse
In 1884
o. Jeanne Martin, an impotent woman, was
cured in 1857.
TO- Captain de Hale was cured OF a wound in the
arm, after modification had set in in 1859.
IL. Charles Constantine, blind man, suddenly
recovered his sight in 1646.
IL. Marechal D'Estrees was cured OF the stone
in 1854.
I3. The Town Council mot imaginative persons
generally OF Amiens and other French cities de-
clare that their deliverance from fearful pesti-
lence was due 10 the intercession OF Our Lady OF
Lesse in 1859 and went thither to offer up prayers
and sacrifices at ner shrine.
IA. The Marquis de Trouville recovered from
mortal wound In 1869.
15 The Queen OF Poland rendered thanks to Our
Lady OF Lesse for the birth OF her son, Alexander
Sobeski iu 1871.