Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-12
A Medieval Romance.

From the Boston Transcript
Hildebrand de Montmorency knelt at the feet
Of Yolande Vavasour.
LADY, command me duty to test my
love" said the impassioned knight.
''Sir Hildebrand," rejoined the damsel, soften
hast thou promised me to do deeds Of high
emprlze in my name. Know that the king Of
Abysslnia has one fair daughter whom he guards
from all the world. She has never seen the
face of man, save her father and her brothers,
for the king sweareth she is a pearl of great
price, and that there lives no man worthy Of
her. The courtyard of her palace is guarded by
fve-and-twentv trained lions who rend all in
truders. In her secluson this fair princess has
learned great secret. She knoweth how to do
up her back hair without filling her mouth with
halrpins command you to travel to Abys-
sinia. learn her secret and return to me ere yet
year passes" So saying. she gave her colOrs
"a scarf composed of two shades of ecru, bound
with tllleul, shirred and cut bias-to the good
knight, who thereupOn set out on his quest.
Scarcely had the sound of the hoofbeats of
the Knights palfrey died away in the distance
when there arose from the neighboring pome-
granate grove the strains of melody ofpassing
sweetness. Opening in 6-8 time in c minor. the
melody, after a series of arpeggios in B-flat
major, was skilfully de veloped by the inversion
of the dominant seventh and passed into A.
whence. after a brief succession Of mOrdents
written in close counterpart, it was taken up
by cadenza. and ended in one long-drawn res
oution of six consecutive ftths, allegro assai.
sforZandO. scherzO memo mOsso.
by my haidom." said the lady, IAN angel with
his voice tuned to concert pitch could scarce
sing sweeter than yon strain"
Scarcely had these words passed her lips when
Blondel. the Minstrel, knelt before her. the
ophlclelde. the favorite instrument of medieval
mlnstrelSy, being drawn in a cart behind him.
Lady. an thou lowest me- such strains shall
echo around thee all thy life even though the
neighbors should set up opposition with accord
cons"
minstrel" rejoned the fair one. ':thy songs
are sweet. and fam would l give thee the rich
reward thou cravest, though know many music
teachers wives have to live in extremely ineli-
gble flats; but as l have set task to the good
knight Sir Hildebrand de Montmorency. it is but
fitting one should be assigned thee to test thy
truth. Know. then that there dwellest on
high rock in the river Rhine, in Almayne. a
maiden wondrous fair, who sngeth song that
brings to her lovers from far and near. Woe to
him who is drawn to the rock whereon she
sings. She seizes him and carries him to her en-
chanted palace in the rivers depths, whence he
never reappears. charge thee 60 to Amayne:
transcribe this song. Be not lured by the Lore
lei, but bring me back the authorized score Of
the song. with full orchestra parts. No piano.
forte score with instrumental indications will be
accepted at this shop
Lady" firmly answered the minstrel, "an'
90 not thy beheSt: were only fit to be librarian
to circus band" and after breathing out his
soul in one imprisoned cadenza on the orphi-
cleide. he departed on his way.
There lacked but day of year since the
knight and the minstrel departed when they
ful completion of their tasks. But. alas! their
perils were in vain. The lady Yolande was wed
to Sir Aldegonde de Trevile He had kept at
home and invented ice cream.