Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-26
AN INVI TAT 10 N
The Expensive Banquet That Was Furnished
to His High and Mighty Lordship,
Archbishop Baldwin of TreveA
BY ROBERT BARR



Written for The Evening Star.
The proud and warlike Archbishop Bald
win of Treves well mounted and. al
though the ro1d by the margin of the river
was in places bad, the august horseman
nevertheless made good progress along it,
for he had long distance to travel before
the sun went down. The way had been
rudely constructed by that great maker of
roads. the army, and the troops who had
built 1T did not know when they labored at
1t that they were preparing a path for
their own retreat, should disaster overtake
them The grim and silent horseman had
been the brains, where the troops were the
lin bs. this thoroughfare had been OF his
planning, and over it, back into Treves,
had returned a victorious, not a defeated
army. The iron hand of the archbishop
had come down or every truculent noble
in the land, and every castle gate that had
not opened to him through fear had been
battered in by force. Peace now spread
her white wings over all the country, and
whore opposition TO his lordships stubborn
will had been the strongest there was si-
leLce as well, with perhaps a thin wreath
OF blue smoke lowering over the biackened
walls. The provinces on each bank of the
Mo selle from Treves to the Rhine now ac-
knOwledged Baldwin their overload
Suzerafnty technically claimed by mis- lord
ships predecessors. but the iron archbishop
had changed the nominal into the actual,
ana II had taken some hard knocks to do
1t. His present journey was well earned.
Tor he was betaking himself from his more
formal and exacting court at Treves to his
sumner palace at Cochem. there to rest
from the fatigues of campaign in which
he had used not only his brain, but his
good right arm as well.
The palace. which was to be the end of
his Journey. was in some respects we'll suit
ed to its master. for, standing on an emf
Lerce high above Cochem, with its score
of piBnscles glittering in the sum- it SEEM
ed, 10 one below, a light and airy struc-
ture. but it was in reality a fortress al
most impregnabie. and 500 years later it
sent into less turbulent sphere the souls
of 800 Frenchmen before its flag was
lowered to the enemy.
The personal appearance of the arch
pishop and the smallness of his escort were
practical illustrations of the fact that the
land was at peace and that he was the
ma ster of 1t. His attire was neither cler-
zeal nor warlike. but rather that of noble
man riding abroad where no enemy could
possibly lurk. He was TO all appearance uu-
armed, and had no protection save a light
chain mail jacket of bright STEEL which was
worn over his vesture and not concealed
as was the custom. This jacket spanked in
the sun as if it were woven of fine threads
strung with small and innumerable dia-
Tonds. 1t might ward off dagger thrust
or turn ASIDE half-sDent arrow. but it
was too light to be of much service against
a sword or pike. The archbishop was well
mounted on powerful black charger that
had carried him through many a hot cor
rer and that now made little of the diff
cuities of the RECONSTRUCTED road. putting
the other horses on their mettle to equal
the pace set to them
The escort consisted of twelve men, all
nghtly armed, for Gottlieb. the monk who
rcde sometimes by the archbishoD's side
put more often Dehind him. could hardly
DC couGted as a warrior should defense be-
come necessary When the archbishop left
f-..1 h..I Sl,-;-
taxing an escort OF a thousand men at
least putting 1t on the ground that such a
NUMBER was necessary to uphold the dig
nifty of the Office, but Baldwin smiled dark
iy, and said that where he rode the die
NIFTY OF the dictatorship would be safe. even
though none rode beside him or behind him
Few dared ofer'adyice TO the elector but
tie bluff general persisted. and spoke of
Danger in riding down the MoselIe valley
with so small following
Who is there left to modest me?" asked
the archbishop, and the general was forced
10 admit that there was none.
An army builds road along the line of
the least resistance. and often when a
Pro:nohtory thrust its rocky nose into the
river. the way led up the hill through th,
forest, getting back into the valley again
as best it could. During these inland ex-
cLrsions the monk, evidently unused to
equest-ianism. fell behind. and sometimes
the Whole troop was halted by command of
It's chief until Gottiieb cIingfng to his
hCrse's name, emerged from the thicker.
the archbishop curbing the impatience of
MS charger and watching with a cynical
smile curling his stern lips the reappear-
arce of the good father
After one OF the most laborious ascent
ana descelts they had encountered that
Cay, the archbishop waited for the monk
anu whea he came up with mis- leader, pant
ing and somewhat disheveled, the latter
sad: There appears to be a lesson in your
fluctuations which hereafter you may re-
tail with profit to your flock relating how
good man leaving the right and beaten
pain and following his own devices in the
wilderness, may bring discontinue upon
himself +0'-
The lesson it conveys to me. nv lord
SAID the monk dryly, lis that A man IL
put fool to leave the stability of good
stout sandals with which he is accustomed
to venture his body on a horse that pays
little heed TO his wishes"
This Is our last detour." replied the
elector- There now many miles Of
winding but level, road before us and Won
nave thus a chance to retrieve your rcpu-
tation as horseman in the eyes of our
troop"
In truth, my lord. never boasted Of it."