le he was
thinking upon these things the day dawned and two warders blew a blast
from the turret where they walked, which announced the wedding morning
of the knight and Elsa. A warder in another turret answered with his
trumpet, and soon people began to assemble from all the country round.
Frederick looked about for some place to conceal himself from the
crowd. Seeing some projecting ornamentation upon the porch of the
place where he and Ortrud had sat, he slipped behind and waited.

_Scene III_

Trumpets began to sound back and forth, from all parts of the vast
buildings of the palace. Soon the warders descended from their towers
and unlocked the gates of the court. The servants of the castle
entered, and went about their duties, some drawing water at the well,
some passing on into the palace, where they were employed to wait upon
knights and ladies. The four royal trumpeters went to the gates, and
sounding their trumps to the four corners of the earth, notified the
country round that it was time to assemble at the palace. Nobles and
inhabitants of the great castle entered and peasants and knights
living without the gates came from the road, till a magnificent host
were gathered for the occasion of Elsa's wedding.

When all had assembled, a Herald mounted a high place before the
palace.

"Now all listen," he cried. "By order of the King, Frederick of
Telramund is laid under a ban, and whoever shall serve him or take
pity upon him shall suffer his fate." The people cried curses upon the
false knight. "Furthermore," the Herald cried, "I am to announce that
the King has given to the brave knight who defended the honour of the
Lady Elsa a sceptre and a crown. The knight does not consent to take
the title of Duke, but he is willing to be known as the Guardian of
Brabant, and as such he will defend his people." All hailed the knight
joyously, and welcomed him as their guardian. "The knight bids me give
a message. All of you are to come to the wedding, but as soon as it is
over he bids ye take up arms, and to-morrow at dawn, he will go forth
with ye to rout the invader who has so long troubled our King." Again
all cried, "Hail!" They were delighted with the valour of their new
defender.

"We shall follow where he leads!" all cried, and turned to speak
enthusiastically with each other and to promise loyalty among
themselves.

In the midst of this rejoicing and good will, four nobles of Frederick
collected.

"Ye h