FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  
ill be found a fascinating puzzle. Half the lines are, of course, on the sides, and the others radiate from the centre. 36.--_The Donjon Keep Window._ On one occasion Sir Hugh greatly perplexed his chief builder. He took this worthy man to the walls of the donjon keep and pointed to a window there. "Methinks," said he, "yon window is square, and measures, on the inside, one foot every way, and is divided by the narrow bars into four lights, measuring half a foot on every side." "Of a truth that is so, Sir Hugh." [Illustration] "Then I desire that another window be made higher up whose four sides shall also be each one foot, but it shall be divided by bars into eight lights, whose sides shall be all equal." "Truly, Sir Hugh," said the bewildered chief builder, "I know not how it may be done." "By my halidame!" exclaimed De Fortibus in pretended rage, "let it be done forthwith. I trow thou art but a sorry craftsman if thou canst not, forsooth, set such a window in a keep wall." It will be noticed that Sir Hugh ignores the thickness of the bars. 37.--_The Crescent and the Cross._ When Sir Hugh's kinsman, Sir John de Collingham, came back from the Holy Land, he brought with him a flag bearing the sign of a crescent, as shown in the illustration. It was noticed that De Fortibus spent much time in examining this crescent and comparing it with the cross borne by the Crusaders on their own banners. One day, in the presence of a goodly company, he made the following striking announcement:-- "I have thought much of late, friends and masters, of the conversion of the crescent to the cross, and this has led me to the finding of matters at which I marvel greatly, for that which I shall now make known is mystical and deep. Truly it was shown to me in a dream that this crescent of the enemy may be exactly converted into the cross of our own banner. Herein is a sign that bodes good for our wars in the Holy Land." [Illustration] Sir Hugh de Fortibus then explained that the crescent in one banner might be cut into pieces that would exactly form the perfect cross in the other. It is certainly rather curious; and I show how the conversion from crescent to cross may be made in ten pieces, using every part of the crescent. The flag was alike on both sides, so pieces may be turned over where required. 38.--_The Amulet._ A strange man was one day found loitering in the courtyard of the cas
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

crescent

 

window

 

pieces

 
Fortibus
 

Illustration

 

banner

 

lights

 
conversion
 

noticed

 

builder


greatly

 

divided

 
presence
 

banners

 

goodly

 
company
 

announcement

 

striking

 

turned

 

courtyard


loitering
 

required

 
Amulet
 

illustration

 

examining

 

Crusaders

 

thought

 

comparing

 
strange
 

mystical


converted
 

Herein

 

explained

 

curious

 
friends
 

masters

 

finding

 

marvel

 
perfect
 

matters


craftsman

 

square

 

measures

 

inside

 
Methinks
 

donjon

 

pointed

 

narrow

 
desire
 

measuring