Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-09-27

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the political history of the insular
power. After the fall of Annie Bo-
levn, and when her death had been
determined, the Papacy prepared
terms of reconciliation so favorable in
every particular to Henry, and so fiat
tering to the vanity of which he pos
sessed rather more than a due share,
that it WAS impossible for him not to
accept them. a delegate was de-
spatched from Rome with the proposals,
and rode post haste across Europe with
them. When only a days Journey
from Calais, however, his horse cast a
shoe and fell lame. As the horse was
a favorite animal, the Papal messen-
ger determined to wait for day rather
than take another steed which might
not be so easy under the saddle. The
next day the horse was well and the
Journey was resumed, Calais was
reached, the Channel was crossed, and
the delegate arrived in London only
to find that on the day Of his arrival
Henry had been married to Jane Sey-
mour Protestant: that Anne had
been beheaded the day before, and
that all hope of reconciliation was
lost. He was a day too late. \ lost
horseshoe had changed the course Of
a nations history \ similar mlshap
is said to have been responsiblefor the
arrest and DENTON of Louis XVI, at
Varrennes A guard Of cavalry had
been sent to meet him at the village
and escort him in safety across the
frontier. One of the horses drawing
the royal carriage became lame from
the loss of a shoe, and the royal party
was detained. Meantime the cavalry
escort fearful of attracting too much
attention in the village, Withdrew to a
bridge a few hundred yards distant and
on the opposite side from which the
King was expected, and there waited
his arrival. The delay and change
were fatal. The King was recognized,
the party was detained; the cavalry
becoming tired of waiting, and sup
posing that the King had taken some
other route, rode off, and Louis went
back to Paris and the scafiold.
According to the testimony Of at
least two reliable historians Of his own
time, Attila's invasion of the Western
Empire, an event that brought meal
culable misery on half Of Europe for
several years, was brought about by
the sheerest accident From \. D.
445 to 449 Attila was engaged in con-
tinual hostilities with the Eastern
Empire, but in the latter both sides
being tired of the war, an attempt was
made to patch up the treaty. An
ambassador from the court Of Theodo-
sius, was sent to the camp Of Attilla,
and in the party was young man
from Rome, who was then on a visit to
Constantinople. Hewas of noble birth
and had sweetheart in the person Of
Honoria, relative of the Roman i'm
perial family. As lovers have been
known to do, he carried on his person
the miniature of his sweetheart, and
while the party was in the presence of
his savage chief he CHANGED to drop
the picture out of his pocket. 1t fell
unnoticed in the straw which covered
the ground in Attilla's tent, where, on
the following day it was found by an
attendant and shown to the Hunnish
monarch himself. Struck by the beau
tv of the face, the amorous King in
quired in what part of the world such
women were 70 be found. and when
told from the inscription on the back
of the picture that the counterfeit pre-
sentiment was that of an Italian beauty
he at once made up his mind to 60
hither. SO he started in 44O, with
his hordes of Asiatics, ravaged the
heart of Europe with fire and sword,
marched through a part Of Germany
into France, and at Chalons encoun-
tered one of the most tremendous de-
feats recorded in history. 1t Is pre-
sumed that he forgot all about the Ro-
man Honoria after this event, for he
retired into Hungary, where he found
another beauty, and while celebrating
his marriage with her, he died, either
of bursting a blood vessel, as was given
out, or Of poison.
Everybody has heard Of the chance
which led Columbus to change his
course in mid-ocean, and thus leave
North America for the English to set
tie, but everybody has not heard Of
the game of chess which led the Span
| ish monarch to take an interest in the
nr,,lorer and esnnnse his cause. 1t Is