The ladies' garland. [volume], January 26, 1828, Image 1

About The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828

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VOL. 4. HARPEHS-Z'ERHV, VIRGINIA, JANUARY 26, 1828. VO. 33.
rrBLISHF.il KVKUY SATURDAY EVENING,
BY JOHN S. GALLAHKR.
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payable at the expiration of the first quarter, or
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TIIX? REPOSITORY.
CATHARINE OP LANCASTER,
OH
TOURNAMENT OF TOLEDO.
It was a day of unclouded splendour; the
bells of Toledo rang out their most joyous peals ;
all that was gay, gallant, or beautiful among
the English, Portuguese, and that part of the
Castilian nobility who were disaffected to the
existing government, were there assembled to
witness the bridal festivities of the young King
of Portugal and the Lady Pliillippa, eldest
daughter of John of Gaunt. Duke, of Lancaster,
whose marriage was there celebrated with a
grandeur suitable to the rank of the royal bride
groom and the magnificent spirit of the father
of the bride, who contemplated in this alliance
the aggrandizement of another part of his fami
ly
It is scarcely necessary to remind (hose who
are acquainted with the chronicles of those
days, of the claims which that Prince made to
the crown of Castile, in right of his second wife,
Constanlia, eldest daughter of Peter the Cruel.
To substantiate this claim he '-ntered Spain
with an P2nglish army of twenty thousand men,
and the promise oi further assistance from his
nephew, Richard li. of England. This, and the
probable co operation of the King of Portugal,
caused great uneasiness to the reigning King of
Castile, J< fin 01 Trastamaia. who, though his
defective title was counterbalanced bv the popu- i
larity of his government and the disgust which i
the majority of the Castilians felt to the line of
Peter the Cruel, was yet aware that tiie Duch
ess of Lancaster was not without a strong par
ty among the old adherents of her father in
Castile. 1 he pretensions of this lady were, in
deed, likely to receive the ablest support from
hi i husband, one of the richest and most pow
erful princes in Europe; and above all, the fa
mily alliance now formed with the king of Por
tugal, rendering his assistance no longer a mat
ter ot political speculation, raised to their acme
the hopes of the aspiring house of Lancaster._
TLhe hand of the, lair heiress of these hopes and
Expectations was consequently sought by many
a noble and ev en royal suitor, among the Princes
and grandees of the Peninsula, now assembled
at I oh In assist ,ii the tournament proclaim
ed hv the king if Portugal in honor of his bride.
O these tin- King of Portugal's brother. Don
P* o. w ,. the loan most favoured by the Duke
ot Larva h i ; hut the Lady Cattcrine beheld
hn prill.- !v I .ver- with equal indifference, and
appeared oppressed with a melancholy for which
no one could account, and which contrasted
strongly with the gaiety that surrounded her,
and with the overflowing happiness of her sis
ter the Queen of Portugal.
Attached to each other by a more than sister
ly love, these Princesses appeared to haw; for
gotten that they owed their birth to dith rent
mothers, and the sadness of the Lady • uiha
rine was generally attributed to the approach
ing separation between herself and that beloved
sister Th- rnval blide h'rs-1 >•„ among the
foremost in placing the dejection oi h. you. g
Princess to that account; tor, not even to her
had Catharine revealed the cause of her disqui
et. Well, indeed, was she aware, that the
Queen of Portugal, notwithstanding her gentle
ness, sweetness of temper, and unbounded af
fection towards herself, was. in pride and .real,
for the aggrandizement of her familc, a true
daughter of the house of Lancaster. !t was not
to her, therefore, that Catharine could declare
that, while her alliance was sought by almost
every royal house in Europe, her heart had
been given in secret to arv-obseure individual
(who, whatever were his graces of person and
manner, and knightly accomplish.neuts) she
could not conceal from herself -.vas a nameless
adventurer.
At trie hull tights, ruling at the ring, rite! ait
the other late chivalrous exercises, the prizes
had been won by a young cavalier, unattended
save by a single squire. His only adornments
were his white plumage and seal f. He display
ed neither banner w ith armorial bearing's, nor
heraldic devices on his shield ; no one knew
him , and, euniraij to ‘be -• o f•'*'■ at soeh r-a
geants, he gratified not the curiosity of the as
semblage by raising his vizor when lie received
the palm of conquest To the courteous entrea
ties of the Duke of Lancaster that he would de
clare his name and quality, he replied, that lie
was a soldier of fortune, a wandering knight,
who could claim no other na u than that which
he received at his baptism; surd as in: bore that
in common with so many of every Christian na
tion, if could afford no parti: olar satisfaction to
that illustrious company eve were r.r to reveal
it.
In like manner he declined all invitations to
partake in the princely hospitality of the Duke
of Lancaster. . • d they who beheld him daily
sharing in all deeds oi hardihood and chivalrie
enterprise, sought him in vain in the banquet
ting rooms, or in the princely halls where the
fair and tire brave nightly assembled, to con
clude with dancing and minstrelsy the diurnal
pleasures prepared for them bv the royal bride
groom and the father of the bride.
The general interest and curiosity excited by
this singular conduct was felt bv no one more
powerfully than by the ludy Catharine, who.
charmed with his knigliflj^proWess and noble
bearing, earnestly desired to penetrate the mys
tery that surrounded him.
It was with a feeling of pleasure, which she
could scarcely accout||^to herseil for experi
encing, that she recognized his stately figure
among a gaily dressed group one evening at a
mask given by her father on the banks of the
Tajo He wore the habit of an ancient Palu
din. and appeared as though his sole business at
this entertainment were to watch her move
ments, By a singular .coincidence she had as
Minted the dress and character of* a Saracen
Princess, and she availed herself of this cirenm
stance to address him with the license allowed
by this fascinating diversion.
So far from Palestine, Sir Paladin, w^icn
th" Moor so closely beset.- the walls of tire good
city?”
The stranger Knight started at her observa
tion. and replied—“Fair enemy, are thy words
lightly spoken ? or is it from the daughter of the
invading Sultan that the loyal Paladin receives
- i'rier.d'. •.»••• -nin<;
“ Sir Paladin. 1 see you arc not , ready re id
cr ofriddles, and I leave you to tlie enjoyment
of the perplexity 1 have unw itlitiglj occasioned.’’
- gd the Princess, turning from him with an air
oi playful coquetry. “ heave me not, fair arid
tress of my destiny.’’ said the Palad- . detuning
her, “ till 1 have poured forth my passion at thy
feet.”
• IIow, Sir Paladin! docs a Christian Knight
avow his love, for a Pagan lady? What will ho
ly mother church say to conduct so unorthodox?'
‘Alas, fair tyrant1 you but amuse yoursclt
with the sufferings your beauty inflicts,'1 said
the Knight, withdrawing the princess to a more
retired spot. ‘ Rut how can I, the nameless and
obscure son of a nameless race, how can I dar<>
to hope that a mighty Princess, the sister of ?.
Queen, and the presumptive heiress of a crown,
would listen to a suit like mine ?’
‘V on forget, Sir Knight,' said the Princess,
faintly struggling to disengage her hands from
his impassioned grasp—‘ You forget that I hold11'
conference with you only in my assumed cha
racter. and with that freedom wl'ich the diver
tisement of masking permits, it you proceed
to address me as Catharine, of Lancaster, f
must resume the fetters of state and haughty
reserve which that name and rank impose on
their possessor.’ She sighed as she concluded
‘ Would,' said the Knight,' that that lofty name
might be forgotten, and that exalted rank ex
changed lor the lowly estate of a village maid
i n, that 1 might be allowed the opportunity of
proving how little a heart like min- regards the
adventitious circumstances of birth and gran
lieur ’
I heknight would have been indeed a no
\ iec had he not perceived (hat his language was
far from displeasing the Princess. She had al
most unconsciously seated herself beneath the
orange trees that overhung the moonlit waters
of the Tajo. and had removed her ma‘k for ihr
benefit of breathing the fragrant breezes tha'
played round her, and sported in her hair of
darkest luxuriance. Perhaps the Knight, well
versed in all the movements of the heart of wo
man, might suspect her of wishing to display
the touching effect which moon light gave to
her beautiful dark eyes and transparently pure
complexion.
‘ It is not in the stately halls of Toledo, or ir,
the royal balcony, at the games uhrre ti.c
kings and princes of the land contend to n
your smites, that you appear in your true p^m .
and loveliness, fair Pfantagenot,’ said tl.r
Knight, gazing passionately on her. He. too,
had removed hi* mask, and it was with feelings
of the most thrilling interest that the Princess
contemplated, for the first time, the features o',
her beloved; and. as she timidly raised bet
eves to his fare, she wjs strurk wl«b h;s mae'v