The Siege Of Calais
Terrible and long-enduring had been the siege of Calais. For a whole
year it had continued, and still the sturdy citizens held the town.
Outside was Edward III., with his English host, raging at the obstinacy
of the French and at his own losses during the siege. Inside was John de
Vienne, the unyielding governor, and his brave garrison. Outside was
plenty; inside was famine; between were impregnable walls, which all the
English king but time and famine; none was left the garrison but the
hope of wearying their foes or of relief by their king. The chief foe
they fought against was starvation, an enemy against whom warlike arms
were of no avail, whom only stout hearts and inflexible endurance could
meet; and bravely they faced this frightful foe, those stout citizens of
Calais.
An excellent harbor had Calais. It had long been the sheltering-place
for the pirates that preyed on English commerce. But now no ship could
leave or enter. The English fleet closed the passage by sea; the English
army blocked all approach by land; the French king, whose great army had
just been mercilessly slaughtered at Crecy, held aloof, nothing seemed
to remain for Calais but death or surrender, and yet the valiant
governor held out against his foes.
As the days went on and no relief came he made a census of the town,
selected seventeen hundred poor and unsoldierly folks, "useless mouths,"
as he called them, and drove them outside the walls. Happily for them,
King Edward was just then in a good humor. He gave the starving outcasts
a good dinner and twopence in money each, and passed them through his
ranks to make their way whither they would.
More days passed; food grew scarcer; there were more "useless mouths" in
the town; John de Vienne decided to try this experiment again. Five
hundred more were thrust from the gates. This time King Edward was not
in a good humor. He bade his soldiers drive them back at sword's-point.
The governor refused to admit them into the town. The whole miserable
multitude died of starvation in sight of both camps. Such were the
amenities of war in the Middle Ages, and in fact, of war in almost all
ages, for mercy counts for little when opposed by military exigencies.
A letter was now sent to the French king, Philip de Valois, imploring
succor. They had eaten, said the governor, their horses, their dogs,
even the rats and mice; nothing remained but to eat one another.
Unluckily, the English, not the French, king received this letter, and
the English host grew more watchful than ever. But Philip de Valois
needed not letters to tell him of the extremity of the garrison; he
knew it well, and knew as well that haste alone could save him one of
his fairest towns.
But he had suffered a frightful defeat at Crecy only five days before
the siege of Calais began. Twelve hundred of his knights and thirty
thousand of his foot-soldiers--a number equal to the whole English
force--had been slain on the field; thousands of others had been taken
prisoner; a new army was not easily to be raised. Months passed before
Philip was able to come to the relief of the beleaguered stronghold. The
Oriflamme, the sacred banner of the realm, never displayed but in times
of dire extremity, was at length unfurled to the winds, and from every
side the great vassels of the kingdom hastened to its support. France,
ever prolific of men, poured forth her sons until she had another large
army in the field. In July of 1347, eleven months after the siege began,
the garrison, weary with long waiting, saw afar from their lookout
towers the floating banners of France, and beneath them the faintly-seen
forms of a mighty host.
The glad news spread through the town. The king was coming with a great
army at his back! Their sufferings had not been in vain; they would soon
be relieved, and those obstinate English be driven into the sea! Had a
fleet of bread-ships broken through the blockade, and sailed with waving
pennons into the harbor, the souls of the garrison could not have been
more uplifted with joy.
Alas! it was a short-lived joy. Not many days elapsed before that great
host faded before their eyes like a mist under the sun-rays, its banners
lifting and falling as they slowly vanished into the distance, the gleam
of its many steel-headed weapons dying out until not a point of light
remained. Their gladness turned into redoubled misery as they saw
themselves thus left to their fate; their king, who had marched up with
such a gallant show of banners and arms, marching away without striking
a blow. It was hard to believe it; but there they went, and there the
English lay.
The soil of France had never seen anything quite so ludicrous--but for
its tragic side--as this march of Philip the king. Two roads led to the
town, but these King Edward, who was well advised of what was coming,
had taken care to intrench and guard so strongly that it would prove no
light nor safe matter to force a way through. Philip sent out his spies,
learned what was before him, and, full of the memory of Crecy, decided
that it would be too costly an experiment to attack those works. But
were not those the days of chivalry? was not Edward famed for his
chivalrous spirit? Surely he, as a noble and puissant knight, would not
take an unfair advantage of his adversary. As a knight of renown he
could not refuse to march into the open field, and trust to God and St.
George of England for his defence, as against God and St. Denys of
France.
Philip, thereupon, sent four of his principal lords to the English
king, saying that he was there to do battle, as knight against knight,
but could find no way to come to him. He requested, therefore, that a
council should meet to fix upon a place of battle, where the difference
between him and his cousin of England might be fairly decided.
Surely such a request had never before been made to an opposing general.
Doubtless King Edward laughed in his beard at the naive proposal, even
if courtesy kept him from laughing in the envoys' faces. As regards his
answer, we cannot quote its words, but its nature may be gathered from
the fact that Philip soon after broke camp, and marched back over the
road by which he had come, saying to himself, no doubt, that the English
king lacked knightly honor, or he would not take so unfair an advantage
of a foe. And thus ended this strange episode in war, Philip marching
away with all the bravery of his host, Edward grimly turning again to
the town which he held in his iron grasp.
The story of the siege of Calais concludes in a highly dramatic fashion.
It was a play presented upon a great stage, but with true dramatic
accessories of scenery and incident. These have been picturesquely
preserved by the old chroniclers, and are well worthy of being again
presented. Froissart has told the tale in his own inimitable fashion. We
follow others in telling it in more modern phrase.
When the people of Calais saw that they were deserted by their king,
hope suddenly fled from their hearts. Longer defence meant but deeper
misery. Nothing remained but surrender. Stout-hearted John de Vienne,
their commander, seeing that all was at an end, mounted the walls with a
flag of truce, and made signs that he wished to speak with some person
of the besieging host. Word of this was brought to the English king, and
he at once sent Sir Walter de Manny and Sir Basset as his envoys to
confer with the bearer of the flag. The governor looked down upon them
from the walls with sadness in his eyes and the lines of starvation on
his face.
"Sirs," he said, "valiant knights you are, as I well know. As for me, I
have obeyed the command of the king, my master, by doing all that lay in
my power to hold for him this town. Now succor has failed us, and food
we have none. We must all die of famine unless your noble and gentle
king will have mercy on us, and let us go free, in exchange for the town
and all the goods it contains, of which there is great abundance."
"We know something of the intention of our master," answered Sir Walter.
"He will certainly not let you go free, but will require you to
surrender without conditions, some of you to be held to ransom, others
to be put to death. Your people have put him to such despite by their
bitter obstinacy, and caused him such loss of treasure and men, that he
is sorely grieved against them."
"You make it too hard for us," answered the governor. "We are here a
small company of knights and squires, who have served our king to our
own pain and misery, as you would serve yours in like case; but rather
than let the least lad in the town suffer more than the greatest of us,
we will endure the last extremity of pain. We beg of you to plead for us
with your king for pity, and trust that, by God's grace, his purpose
will change, and his gentleness yield us pardon."
The envoys, much moved by the wasted face and earnest appeal of the
governor, returned with his message to the king, whom they found in an
unrelenting mood. He answered them that he would make no other terms.
The garrison must yield themselves to his pleasure. Sir Walter answered
with words as wise as they were bold,--
"I beg you to consider this more fully," he said, "for you may be in the
wrong, and make a dangerous example from which some of us may yet
suffer. We shall certainly not very gladly go into any fortress of yours
for defence, if you should put any of the people of this town to death
after they yield; for in like case the French will certainly deal with
us in the same fashion."
Others of the lords present sustained Sir Walter in this opinion, and
presented the case so strongly that the king yielded.
"I will not be alone against you all," he said, after an interval of
reflection. "This much will I yield. Go, Sir Walter, and say to the
governor that all the grace I can give him is this. Let him send me six
of the chief burgesses of the town, who shall come out bareheaded,
barefooted, and barelegged, clad only in their shirts, and with halters
around their necks, with the keys of the tower and castle in their
hands. These must yield themselves fully to my will. The others I will
take to mercy."
Sir Walter returned with this message, saying that no hope of better
terms could be had of the king.
"Then I beg you to wait here," said Sir John, "till I can take your
message to the townsmen, who sent me here, and bring you their reply."
Into the town went the governor, where he sought the market-place, and
soon the town-bell was ringing its mustering peal. Quickly the people
gathered, eager, says Jehan le Bel, "to hear their good news, for they
were all mad with hunger." Sir John told them his message, saying,--
"No other terms are to be had, and you must decide quickly, for our foes
ask a speedy answer."
His words were followed by weeping and much lamentation among the
people. Some of them must die. Who should it be? Sir John himself shed
tears for their extremity. It was not in his heart to name the victims
to the wrath of the English king.
At length the richest burgess of the town, Eustace de St. Pierre,
stepped forward and said, in tones of devoted resolution,--
"My friends and fellows, it would be great grief to let you all die by
famine or otherwise, when there is a means given to save you. Great
grace would he win from our Lord who could keep this people from dying.
For myself, I have trust in God that if I save this people by my death I
shall have pardon for my faults. Therefore, I offer myself as the first
of the six, and am willing to put myself at the mercy of King Edward."
He was followed by another rich burgess, Jehan D'Aire by name, who said,
"I will keep company with my gossip Eustace."
Jacques de Wisant and his brother, Peter de Wisant, both rich citizens,
next offered themselves, and two others quickly made up the tale. Word
was taken to Sir Walter of what had been done, and the victims
apparelled themselves as the king had commanded.
It was a sad procession that made its way to the gate of the town. Sir
John led the way, the devoted six followed, while the remainder of the
towns-people made their progress woful with tears and cries of grief.
Months of suffering had not caused them deeper sorrow than to see these
their brave hostages marching to death.
The gate opened. Sir John and the six burgesses passed through. It
closed behind them. Sir Walter stood waiting.
"I deliver to you, as captain of Calais," said Sir John, "and by the
consent of all the people of the town, these six burgesses, who I swear
to you are the richest and most honorable burgesses of Calais.
Therefore, gentle knight, I beg you pray the king to have mercy on them,
and grant them their lives."
"What the king will do I cannot say," answered Sir Walter, "but I shall
do for them the best I can."
The coming of the hostages roused great feeling in the English host.
Their pale and wasted faces, their miserable state, the fate which
threatened them, roused pity and sympathy in the minds of many, and not
the least in that of the queen, who was with Edward in the camp, and
came with him and his train of nobles as they approached the place to
which the hostages had been led.
When they were brought before the king the burgesses kneeled and
piteously begged his grace, Eustace saying,--
"Gentle king, here be we six, who were burgesses of Calais, and great
merchants. We bring you the keys of the town and the castle, and submit
ourselves fully to your will, to save the remainder of our people, who
have already suffered great pain. We beseech you to have mercy and pity
on us through your high nobleness."
His words brought tears from many persons there present, for naught so
piteous had ever come before them. But the king looked on them with
vindictive eyes, and for some moments stood in lowering silence. Then he
gave the harsh command to take these men and strike off their heads.
At this cruel sentence the lords of his council crowded round the king,
begging for compassion, but he turned a deaf ear to their pleadings.
Sir Walter de Manny then said, his eyes fixed in sorrow on the pale and
trembling victims,--
"Noble sire, for God's sake restrain your wrath. You have the renown of
all gentleness and nobility; I pray you do not a thing that can lay a
blemish on your fair fame, or give men cause to speak of you
despitefully. Every man will say it is a great cruelty to put to death
such honest persons, who of their own will have put themselves into your
hands to save the remainder of their people."
These words seemed rather to heighten than to soften the king's wrath.
He turned away fiercely, saying,--
"Hold your peace, Master Walter; it shall be as I have said.--Call the
headsman. They of Calais have made so many of my men to die, that they
must die themselves."
The queen had listened sadly to these words, while tears flowed freely
from her gentle eyes. On hearing the harsh decision of her lord and
king, she could restrain herself no longer. With streaming eyes she cast
herself on her knees at his feet, and turned up to him her sweet,
imploring face.
"Gentle sir," she said, "since that day in which I passed over sea in
great peril, as you know, I have asked no favor from you. Now I pray and
beseech you with folded hands, in honor of the Son of the Virgin Mary,
and for the love which you bear me, that you will have mercy on these
poor men."
The king looked down upon her face, wet with tears, and stood silent for
a few minutes. At length he spoke.
"Ah, dame, I would you had been in some other place this day. You pray
so tenderly that I cannot refuse you. Though it is much against my will,
nevertheless take them, I give them to you to use as you will."
The queen, filled with joy at these words of grace and mercy, returned
glad thanks to the king, and bade those near her to take the halters
from the necks of the burgesses and clothe them. Then she saw that a
good dinner was set before them, and gave each of them six nobles,
afterwards directing that they should be taken in safety through the
English army and set at liberty.
Thus ended that memorable siege of Calais, with one of the most dramatic
incidents which history has to tell. For more than two centuries the
captured city remained in English hands, being theirs long after they
had lost all other possessions on the soil of France. At length, in
1558, in the reign of Queen Mary, it was taken by the French, greatly to
the chagrin of the queen, who is reported to have said, "When I die, you
will find the word Calais written on my heart."
More
-
The Plague At Athens
During the period after the Persian war two great powers arose in Greece, which were destined to come into close and virulent conflict. These were the league of Delos, which developed into the empire of Athens, and the Peloponnesian confederacy, u... The Poisoning Of Sir Patrise
After the quest of the Sangreal was ended, and all the knights who were left alive had come again to Camelot, there was great joy in the court, with feasts and merrymakings, that this fortunate remnant might find a glad welcome. Above all, King Ar... The Progress Of Christianity In Japan
The fact that such a realm as that of Japan existed remained unknown in Europe until about six centuries ago, when Marco Polo, in his famous record of travel and adventure, first spoke of it. He knew of it, however, only by Chinese hearsay, and the ... The Proscription Of Sulla
While Marius and his friends were ruling and murdering in Rome, Sulla, their bitter enemy, was commanding and conquering in the East, biding his time for revenge. He drove the Asiatic foe out of Greece, taking and pillaging Athens as an episode. He ... The Prussian War And The Paris Commune
There have been two critical periods in the story of France in which history was made at a rate of rapidity rarely equalled in the history of the world. The first of these was the era of the Revolution and the Napoleonic regime, which has no paralle... The Raid Of The Goorkhas
During the past two and a half centuries the great empire of China has been under foreign rule, its emperors, its state officials, its generals and trusted battalions, being of Tartar blood, and the whole nation being forced to wear, in the shaved h... The Raids Of The Sea-rovers
While Central and Southern Europe was actively engaged in wars by land, Scandinavia, that nest of pirates, was as actively engaged in wars by sea, sending its armed galleys far to the south, to plunder and burn wherever they could find footing on ... The Railroad In Turkestan
On the 24th of January, 1881, Edward O'Donovan, a daring traveller who had journeyed far through the wastes and wilds of Turkestan, found himself on a mountain summit not far removed from the northern boundary of Persia, from which his startled ey... The Reign Of A Glutton
The death of Nero cut all the reins of order in Rome. Until now, as stated in a preceding tale, some form of hereditary succession had been followed, the emperors being of the family of Caesar, though not his direct descendants. Now confusion reigne... The Reign Of Otho Ii
Otho II., Emperor of Germany,--Otho the Red, as he was called, from his florid complexion,--succeeded to the Western Empire in 973, when in his eighteenth year of age. His reign was to be a short and active one, and attended by adventures and fluc... The Reign Of Taitsong The Great
The history of China differs remarkably from that of Japan in one particular. In the latter a single dynasty of emperors has, from the beginning, held the throne. In the former there have been numerous dynasties, most of them brief, some long extend... The Relief Of Londonderry
Frightful was the state of Londonderry. "No surrender" was the ultimatum of its inhabitants, "blockade and starvation" the threat of the besiegers; the town was surrounded, the river closed, relief seemed hopeless, life, should the furious besiege... The Rescue Of Thebes
On a certain cold and wet evening, in the month of December of the year 379 B.C., seven men, dressed as rustics or hunters, and to all appearance unarmed, though each man had a dagger concealed beneath his clothes, appeared at the gate of Thebes, ... The Retreat Of Napoleon's Grand Army
In the spring of 1812 Napoleon reached the frontiers of Russia at the head of the greatest army that had ever been under his command, it embracing half a million of men. It was not an army of Frenchmen, however, since much more than half the total... The Retreat Of The Ten Thousand
We have now to tell of one of the most remarkable events in Grecian history, to describe how ten thousand Greeks, who found themselves in the heart of the great Persian empire, without a leader and almost without food, marched through the land of ... The Return Of Columbus
In the spring succeeding the fall of Granada there came to Spain a glory and renown that made her the envy of all the nations of Europe. During the year before an Italian mariner, Christopher Columbus by name, after long haunting the camp and cour... The Revenge Of Coriolanus
Caius Marcius, a noble Roman youth, descended from the worthy king Ancus Marcius, fought valiantly when but seventeen years of age in the battle of Lake Regillus, and was there crowned with an oaken wreath, the Roman reward for saving the life of a ... The Revolt Of The Gladiators
At the beginning of the first Punic War, or war with Carthage, a new form of entertainment was introduced into Rome. This was the gladiatorial show, the fights of armed men in the arena, the first of which was given in the year 264 B.C., at the fune... The Revolt Of The People
The overthrow of the kings of Rome did not relieve the people from all their oppression. The inhabitants of that city had long been divided into two great classes, the Patricians, or nobles, and the Plebeians, or common people, and the former held i... The Ring Of Polycrates
Near the coast of Asia Minor lies the bright and beautiful island of Samos, one of the choicest gems of the AEgean archipelago. This island was, somewhere about the year 530 B.C., seized by a political adventurer named Polycrates. He accomplished ... The Rise Of The Manchus
Twice had a Tartar empire been established in China, that of the Kin dynasty in the north, and that of their successors, the Mongols, over the whole country. A third and more permanent Tartar dynasty, that of the Manchus, was yet to come. With the s... The Rival Kings Of Granada
"In the hand of God is the destiny of princes. He alone giveth empire," piously says an old Arabian chronicler, and goes on with the following story: A Moorish horseman, mounted on a fleet Arabian steed, was one day traversing the mountains which ... The Rival Queens
From the days of Clovis to the days of Charles Martel and Charlemagne the history of the Frankish realm, so far as its kingship is concerned, is almost a blank. It was an era of several centuries of incompetent and sluggish monarchs, of whom we can ... The Rivalry Of Tristram And Palamides
When morning again dawned over the forest and the smiling fields that surrounded the castle of Epinegris, the two brothers rode out, taking with them the blessings and prayers for good fortune of those they left behind. But had they known into wha... The Rock Of Gibraltar
The great Mediterranean Sea has its gate-way, nine miles wide, opening into the Atlantic, the gate-posts being the headland of Ceuta, on the African coast, and the famous rock of Gibraltar, in southwestern Spain, two natural fortresses facing each... The Romantic Story Of The Prince Of Tezcuco
About a hundred years before the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, there reigned over the kingdom of Tezcuco, in the valley of Mexico, a monarch whose history is as interesting and romantic as any that can be found in the annals of Europe. His story... The Royal And Diamond Jubilees Of Queen Victoria
In the year 1887 came a great occasion in the life of England's queen, that of the fiftieth anniversary of her reign, a year of holiday and festivity that extended to all quarters of the world, for the broad girdle of British dominion had during h... The Sabine Virgins
A tract of ground surrounded by walls does not make a city. Men are wanted, and of these the new city of Rome had but few. The band of shepherds who were sufficient to build a wall, or perhaps only a wooden palisade, were not enough to inhabit a cit... The Sacred War
There were two places in Greece which had been set aside as sacred,--Plataea, the scene of the final defeat of the Persian invaders, and Delphi, the seat of the great temple of Apollo, in whose oracles all Greece placed faith. We have already seen... The Sacrifice Of Virginia
In the year 504 B.C. a citizen of Regillum, of much wealth and importance, finding himself at odds with his fellow-citizens, left that city and proceeded to Rome, with a long train of followers, much as the elder Tarquin had come from Tarquinii. His... The Sea Fight In The Waters Of Japan
On the memorable Saturday of May 27, 1905, in far eastern waters in which the guns of war-ships had rarely thundered before, took place an event that opened the eyes of the world as if a new planet had swept into its ken or a great comet had sudde... The Sea-kings And Their Daring Feats
From the word vik, or bay, comes the word viking, long used to designate the sea-rovers of the Northland, the bold Norse wanderers who for centuries made their way to the rich lands of the south on plundering raids. Beginning by darting out suddenly... The Second Conquest Of The Capital Of Mexico
The ancient city of Mexico, the capital of the Aztecs and their Spanish successors, has been the scene of two great military events, its siege and capture by Cortez the conqueror in 1521, and its capture by the American army under General Scott in... The Second Day Of The Tournament
When the next morning dawned, Tristram, Palamides, and Gareth, with La Belle Isolde and her ladies, all arrayed as before in green, took horse at an early hour, and rode into the fresh forest. But Dinadan was left still asleep in bed. As they pass... The Seven Against Thebes
Among the legendary tales of Greece, none of which are strictly, though several are perhaps partly, historical, none--after that of Troy--was more popular with the ancients than the story of the two sieges of Thebes. This tale had probably in it a... The Siege Of Belgrade
The empire of Rome finally reached its end, not in the fifth century, as ordinarily considered, but in the fifteenth; not at Rome, but at Constantinople, where the Eastern empire survived the Western for a thousand years. At length, in 1453, the T... The Siege Of Calais
Terrible and long-enduring had been the siege of Calais. For a whole year it had continued, and still the sturdy citizens held the town. Outside was Edward III., with his English host, raging at the obstinacy of the French and at his own losses du... The Siege Of Fort Schuyler
All was terror in the valley of the Mohawk, for its fertile fields and happy homes were threatened with the horrors of Indian warfare. All New York State, indeed, was in danger. The hopes of American liberty were in danger. The deadliest peril th... The Siege Of Jerusalem
Christ had not long passed away from the earth when the reign of peace and brotherly love which He had so warmly inculcated ceased to exist on the soil of Judaea. Forty years after He foretold the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem that noble ed... The Siege Of Saragossa
On the banks of the Ebro, in northwestern Spain, stands the ancient city of Saragossa, formerly the capital of Aragon, and a place of fame since early Roman days. A noble bridge of seven arches, built nearly five centuries ago, crosses the stream,... The Siege Of Sianyang
In the year 1268 the army of Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis the famous conqueror, made its appearance before the stronghold of Sianyang, an important city of China on the southern bank of the Han River. On the opposite side of the stream stood the... The Siege Of Sinching
When the great dynasty of the Hans, which had held supreme rule in China for more than four hundred years, came to an end, it left that country divided up into three independent kingdoms. The emperors who had once ruled over all China found themselv... The Sports Of The Amphitheatre
In no other nation upon the earth and no other period of history has enjoyment taken so cruel and brutal a shape as in the Roman empire. The fierce people of the imperial city seemed to have a native thirst for blood and misery, which no amount of s... The Story Of Arabella Stuart
Of royal blood was the lady here named, near to the English throne. Too near, as it proved, for her own comfort and happiness, for her life was distracted by the fears of those that filled it. Her story, in consequence, became one of the romances ... The Story Of Lucretia
We have next to tell how Tarquin the Proud lost his throne, through his own tyranny and the criminal action of his son. Once upon a time, when this king was at the height of his power, he, as was usual, offered sacrifices to the gods on the altar in... The Story Of Queen Exilona
When Roderic overthrew the ancient dynasty of Spain and made himself king, he had the defences of the cities thrown down that they might not give shelter to his enemies. Only the walls of the frontier cities were left, and among these was the anci... The Story Of The Regicides
The years 1675 and 1676 were years of terrible experience for New England. The most dreadful of all the Indian outbreaks of that region--that known as King Philip's War--was raging, and hundreds of the inhabitants fell victims to the ruthless rag... The Story Of The Sainte Ampoule
Sad years were they for kings and potentates in France--now a century ago--when the cup of civilization was turned upside-down and the dregs rose to the top. For once in the history of mankind the anarchist was lord--and a frightful use he made of h... The Strange Adventures Of Sir Bors
When Sir Bors parted from his companions, on the quest of the Sangreal, not far had he gone when he met a religious man riding on an ass, whom he courteously saluted. "Who are you?" asked the good man. "I am one of those knights who have set ... The Stratagem Of Theodomir
The defeat of the Guadalete seemed for the time to have robbed the Goths of all their ancient courage. East and west, north and south, rode the Arab horsemen, and stronghold after stronghold fell almost without resistance into their hands, until n... The Suitors Of Agariste
Sicyon, the smallest country of the Peloponnesus, lay on the Gulf of Corinth, adjoining the isthmus which connects the peninsula with the rest of Greece. In this small country--as in many larger ones--the nobles held rule, the people were subjects... The Swiss At Morgarten
On a sunny autumn morning, in the far-off year 1315, a gallant band of horsemen wound slowly up the Swiss mountains, their forest of spears and lances glittering in the ruddy beams of the new-risen sun, and extending down the hill-side as far as t... The Table Of Solomon
We have told how King Roderic, when he invaded the enchanted palace of Toledo, found in its empty chambers a single treasure,--the famous table of Solomon. But this was a treasure worth a king's ransom, a marvellous talisman, so splendid, so beaut... The Taking Of Pontefract Castle
On the top of a lofty hill, with a broad outlook over the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, stood Pontefract Castle, a strong work belonging to the English crown, but now in the hands of Cromwell's men, and garrisoned by so... The Tartar Invasion Of Japan
In all its history only one serious effort has been made to conquer the empire of Japan. It ended in such dire disaster to the invaders that no nation has ever repeated it. During the thirteenth century Asia was thrown into turmoil by the dreadful o... The Tartars And Genghis Khan
In the northern section of the vast Mongolian plateau, that immense outreach of pasture-lands which forms the great abiding-place of the shepherd tribes of the earth, there long dwelt a warlike race which was destined to play an extraordinary part i... The Temptation Of Sir Percivale
Many adventures had the other knights that set out in search of the Sangreal, and much reproof did many of them receive for the evil lives they had led; but all this we cannot stop to tell, but must confine ourselves to the deeds of a few only. As... The Thrilling Adventure Of Captain John Smith
For those who love stories of the Indians, and the strange and perilous adventures of white men in dealing with the forest tribes, we cannot do better than give a remarkable anecdote of life in the Virginia woodlands three centuries ago. On a day... The Tournament At Lonazep
When Palamides learned that Tristram was not at Lonazep, he tarried not there, but crossed the Humber, and sought him at Joyous Gard. Here he found lodgings in the town, and word was quickly brought to Tristram that a knight-errant had come. "W... The Trapping Of The Lion
In May, when every lusty heart flourisheth and bourgeoneth,--for as winter, with its rough winds and blasts, causes man and woman to cover and sit fast by the fire, this fresh and joyous season brings them forth to gladden in the coming of the flo... The Treachery Of King Mark
The story of Tristram's valorous deeds, and of the high honor in which he was held at Camelot, in good time came to Cornwall, where it filled King Mark's soul with revengeful fury, and stirred the heart of La Belle Isolde to the warmest love. The ... The Tribunal Of The Holy Vehm
The ideas of law and order in mediaeval Germany were by no means what we now understand by those terms. The injustice of the strong and the suffering of the weak were the rule; and men of noble lineage did not hesitate to turn their castles into d... The Tyrants Of Corinth
We have already told what the word "tyrant" meant in Greece,--a despot who set aside the law and ruled at his own pleasure, but who might be mild and gentle in his rule. Such were the tyrants of Sicyon, spoken of in our last tale. The tyrants of C... The Vengeance Of Queen Olga
The death of Oleg brought Igor his ward, then nearly forty years of age, to the throne of Rurik his father. And the same old story of bloodshed and barbarity went on. In those days a king was king in name only. He was really but the chief of a ban... The Victory Of The Don
The history of Russia during the century after the Mongol conquest is one of shame and anarchy. The shame was that of slavish submission to the Tartar khan. Each prince, in succession, fell on his knees before this high dignitary of the barbarians... The Voyage Of The Argonauts
We are forced to approach the historical period of Greece through a cloud-land of legend, in which atones of the gods are mingled with those of men, and the most marvellous of incidents are introduced as if they were everyday occurrences. The Argo... The West Gothland Insurrection
Sweden never had a wiser or more judicious ruler than King Gustavus Vasa, but in that land of turbulent lords and ambitious mischief-makers the noblest and most generous of kings could not reign without secret plotting and rebellious sentiments. So ... The White Rose Of England
The wars of the White and the Red Roses were at an end, Lancaster had triumphed over York, Richard III., the last of the Plantagenets, had died on Bosworth field, and the Red Rose candidate, Henry VII., was on the throne. It seemed fitting, indeed... The Woes Of Two Lovers
Early on the third morning of the tournament the knights of Tristram's party were up and armed, they now being all arrayed in red, as was also Isolde and her maidens. And rare was the show they made as they rode gayly to the priory, where they lef... The Wonderful March Of The Freebooters
The March of the Ten Thousand, from Babylon to the Black Sea, is one of the famous events of history. The march of the three hundred, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, which we have here to tell, is scarcely known to history at all, yet it was mar... The Wooden Walls Of Athens
The slaughter of the defenders of Thermopylae exposed Athens to the onslaught of the vast Persian army, which would soon be on the soil of Attica. A few days' march would bring the invaders to its capital city, which they would overwhelm as a flig... The Wooing Of Clotilde
A beautiful, wise, and well-learned maiden was Clotilde, princess of Burgundy, the noblest and most charming of the daughters of the Franks. Such was the story that the voice of fame whispered into the ear of Clovis, the first of the long line of Fr...