FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123  
124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>  
equipping the lad properly, so be at no expense." Amid the applause of the company, Aymond Terrail presented his son to the good bishop, and said with tears in his eyes,-- "I give him into thy hands, and pray God that wherever thou place him, he may do thee honor." The bishop, true to his promise, provided his nephew with an outfit, and gave him a well-caparisoned horse. Then they made ready to go to Chambery to meet the Duke of Savoy. It was with no little interest that the bishop and his friends watched the young page mount his new steed, for it was a mettlesome one, and used only to a man's weight. When Pierre bounded into the saddle, the horse reared and plunged; but the boy kept his seat, and soon, with the aid of bit and spur, had the animal under complete control. The guests praised him greatly, and his father asked him if he felt no fear. "I hope," answered the young Pierre, "by God's help, to manage my horse among the enemies of the prince I am going to serve." Then he bade farewell to father and mother and to home and childhood, and went forth to enter upon a chivalric career. Arrived at Chambery, the bishop and his company were graciously received by the Duke of Savoy. The duke maintained a brilliant court, and was always the faithful ally of France. He invited the uncle and nephew to dine with him, and again Pierre's graceful manners commended him to the notice of his elders. The duke was gracious enough to notice him especially, and asked who the boy was. "Sir," said the bishop, "it is my nephew, Pierre de Terrail, whom I have brought to present to thee if thou shouldst like to have his services." "I accept him at once," answered the duke. "I should indeed be hard to please if I declined such a gift." So it was that Pierre became attached to the household of Savoy. He remained in the duke's service for some time, and easily surpassed his fellow pages in all the knightly exercises in which they were being trained. Yet with all his prowess he was so modest and so manly that he excited no envy among his companions, and the duke and duchess came to love him as if he were their own son. Pierre's chivalric traits won to him the hearts of his fellows and his patrons; but it was perhaps his personal beauty and his charm of manner that went furthest toward winning him yet another love--a love that he valued more than all others. There was in the train of the good duchess a little maid of honor
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123  
124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>  



Top keywords:

Pierre

 

bishop

 

nephew

 

Chambery

 

father

 

duchess

 

answered

 

company

 
Terrail
 

chivalric


notice

 

accept

 
services
 
declined
 

graceful

 

manners

 

commended

 

France

 

invited

 

elders


gracious
 

brought

 

present

 
shouldst
 

prowess

 

personal

 

beauty

 

manner

 

patrons

 

fellows


traits

 

hearts

 

furthest

 
winning
 

valued

 
surpassed
 

fellow

 
knightly
 
easily
 

household


remained
 

service

 
exercises
 

excited

 

companions

 

modest

 

trained

 

faithful

 
attached
 

interest