its battle plain.
Cease awhile, clarion! clarion wild and shrill!
Cease, let them hear the captive's voice! be still, be still!

"Must I pine in my fetters here?
With the wild waves' foam, and the free bird's flight,
And the tall spears glancing on my sight,
And the trumpet in my ear?
Cease awhile, clarion! clarion wild and shrill!
Cease, let them hear the captive's voice! be still, be still!

"They are gone! they have all passed by!
They in whose wars I have borne my part,
They that I loved with a brother's heart,
They have left me here to die!
Sound again, clarion! clarion, pour thy blast!
Sound, for the captive's dream of hope is past!"

FELICIA HEMANS.

RICHARD COEUR-DE-LION

Honor enough his merit brings,
He needs no alien praise
In whose train, Glory, like a king's,
Follows through all his days.

_Itinerarium Regis Ricardi._

RICHARD COEUR-DE-LION

(1157-1199 A. D.)

There was once a prince of England who was married when only five years
old. This youthful bridegroom was Richard, the son of Henry II. and
Eleanor of Aquitaine; and his bride was a maiden of three, Alice,
daughter of Louis VII. of France. The ceremony was a curious one, for of
course such babies could not really take the marriage vows. But the
parents of the small couple made the required vows in the name of their
children, and solemnly promised that the little prince and princess
should marry as soon as they were old enough. Though the children were
too young to understand the meaning of the ceremony, it was considered
as binding upon them as if they had been a man and a woman.

It seems strange for such babies to be married, but it was the custom in
those days for kings to arrange marriages for the royal children in
order to increase their own power and dominions, or for other reasons
connected with the welfare of the country. Thus Henry II., by this
marriage, obtained possession of lands in France, and the City of
Gisors, given by Louis as a dower to Alice. The little girl and her
lands were placed in the hands of Henry to be guarded for Richard until
the boy should be old enough to claim his bride.

Doubtless the tiny bride of three and her little groom played together
happily after their marriage, with little thought of the imposing
ceremony; for it meant nothing to them then, though destined to have sad
consequences for both i