The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-23
HER CHILD CHAMPION.
A Pretty Medieval Romance---The
Queens Honor Saved.

In the Fourteenth century, in the DAYS
when there were knights, and when
those who committed great crimes in
England were burned at the stake, there
lived a king who had a beautiful queen,
as good as she was lovely. All men. adj
mired her, but for her part she thought
of no one but her husband, the king.
There was. however, in the kings SER
vice a steward called Sir Aldingar, who
thought himself irresistible, and who did
all he could to cause the queen to smile
upon him. She. however, knowing what
q true wife should be, not only showed
herself unmoved by his smiles and signs
and tender chances, but was brave
enough to rebuke him for them, and tell
him that if he repeated his insolence she
would inform the king.
This not only made Sir Aldingar furi-
Gus, but caused him to fear that he
might lose that place at court which
was so valuable to him.
He had good wages, and the favor Of
the king. Moreover, no doubt, being
dishonorable in n direction, he was SO
in all, and robbed his master Of his
money as he wished to rob him of his
wife's love. Therefore, he resolved to
bring the queen into disgrace, to make
the king believe her false to him, and
to compass her death if possible. The
queen who was untrue to her husband
in those days was burned at the stake,
and the steward was fiend enough to en-
deavor to bring this about, for, once
burned, the beautiful queen could never
harm him more.
She, for her part, thought that she had
asserted her dignity, and had no fear of
any harm coming to her.
Perhaps she should have denounced
the steward t the king, but she was
pitiful, and justice was prompt in those
days. The steward would have met
some fearful death. So she prayed to
heaven to keep her heart and her life
pure, and sat among her maidens teach
ing them to spin, and weave, and en-
broider, and giving them, one may be
sure, good counsel.
But Aldingar did not soften. On the
contrary, his wrath grew greater, and
his determination to do the queen to
death stronger with every hour.
Now, the queen had o beautiful sum-
mer bower, in which she sat alone at
times. It was hung with tapestry, and
rich rugs from the orient were spread
upon the stone floor. Without the deep
windows were blooming vines, swayed
by every breeze that blew, and the birds
perched on the carver stills and pecked
the crumbs that the queen cast them;
and here not ever the maidens entered.
No one ever came there but the king,
and as the August days grew warm the
beautiful queen, in loose and graceful
dishabille, reclined upon her couch and
read her missal or sang to her lutte until
the king came to rest there also.
Sir Aldingar knew this, and planned
accordingly.
There were Ministries in those days
men who travelled along the road with
lutes in their hands or harps on their
shoulders, and were fed and housed by
those for whom they played. There was
one who was handsome, young and
blind, who played the Lutte divinely.
This man Aldingar met upon the road
one day and spoke kindly to him.
Come with me-" he said, s'and you
shall meet a lady who win give you
large aims and good entertainment, for
she is fond of music like yours"
And then he led the blind man, who
could not see where he was going, and
had no thought of treachery, into the
good queens summer bower, where it was
a crime for any man to set foot, a " at
the royal bidding, and led him also to
the queens couch, where he babe him
rest himself until some one came.
After this he sought the king and told
him that he had sad tidings, which he
was loath to utter. However, the king
babe him speak boldly, and Aldingar,
with great show of sorrow, declared that
the queen had a lover; that she invited
a handsome blind minstrel to her sum
mer bower and there listened to his mu-
sic. In fact, he made a very bad story
of it, and added that the minstrel was
now in the queens bower.
The king, dashed to fury, swore e
geance if the tale proved true, but added
that, if it were not, Aldingar should be
A-AASSN APOl SHAO" o,0tAN uo.iNN away
followed by the steward, to find his
queen.
Meanwhile the beautiful lady had gone
innocently to her bower and, entering,
saw a man seated on her couch. She
knew him to be blind, and saw that he
was a wandering minstrel, and her in
quiry as to how he came there was less
stern than it would have been to one
who could see.
The minstrel, hearing the lady's voice,
arose and answered that a most kindly
and courteous knight, or gentleman, had
brought him thither, saying that a lady
who loved the lutte would listen to him
and recompense him.
1T could be no other than the king,
my husband said the queen. "And
since it is his command, play for me-"
Then, with her own hand, she led him
to a seat near by, that he might rest
there while he played; and as she did
so, the door of the bower burst open and
in entered the king, followed by Adm
gar.
The beautiful wife told the truth, the
minstrel swore to his tale, but the king
was jealous; and, thinking himself de