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own country by the long illness of his father, he had not departed for the Crusade. This wax taper had gone in solemn procession through the city, to prove the penitence of the count, who felt grief as a knight, and remorse as a Christian.

After the chariots came the lord count himself, mounted on a steed magnificently caparisoned. He was a beautiful youth between eighteen and nineteen, wearing long ringlets on his shoulders, waving on either side, but restrained from concealing his open brow by a fillet of gold. He wore his close-fitting coat of war, for during the watch he would have to assume his armour; but this vestment was covered with a large mantle of cloth of gold, which fell even to his stirrups. Behind him followed his arms, carried by two nobles, consisting of a helmet, with the visor closed; a coat of mail of polished steel, inlaid with gold; a buckler, on which was engraved the garland of roses, the well-known sign of sovereignty of the Counts of Barcelona. The nobleman who bore these arms was accompanied by Roger, Count de Pallars, and Alphonse Ferdinando, Lord of Ixer, both with their swords drawn, to defend, if necessary, the royal armour.

After the armour of the lord count came, in pairs, the nobles upon whom he was to confer the honour of knighthood. They were twelve in number; and these, in their turn, were each to arm ten knights as soon as they had received the order; and these hundred and twenty came also in pairs, their fine horses magnificently caparisoned, and covered with cloth of gold.

Last of all, four abreast, came, first, the prelates; then the kings and the ambassadors from foreign courts, who represented the persons of their sovereigns; then the dukes, counts, and knights; each degree separated by the musicians, who rent the air with their trumpets, timbrels, and flutes. The last rank in the pageant was followed by the jongleurs, or jugglers, in the costume of savages, running on foot, or mounted on little horses without bridle or saddle, on whose backs they exhibited a variety of tricks.

Thus, by the aid of the flambeaux, which changed night into day, and darkness into light, and with the mighty sound of drums, tymbals, trumpets, and other musical instruments, aided by the shouts of the jongleurs, and the proclamations of the heralds, who called out "Barcelona! Barcelona!" the count was conducted to the church, having been seen by every one, on account of the slow progress of the procession, and the length of way between

the palace and the sacred edifice. The hour of midnight, indeed, struck the moment the count alighted at the porch, where he was met by the Archbishop of Barcelona and all the clergy. The lord count, followed by all the nobles who were to receive their arms, entered the church, and watched them together, according to old custom on such occasions, reciting prayers and singing psalms in honour of their Saviour. They passed the night very happily in these devotional services, and attended matins, which service was performed by the archbishops, bishops, priors, and abbots.

When the day broke, the church was opened to the congregation of the faithful, who filled it in such a fashion, that it was wonderful how so many men and women could be so closely crowded together without injury to themselves or their neighbours. The archbishop then made himself ready to say mass, and the lord count put on a surplice, as if he intended to assist him; but over the surplice he wore a richer dalmatica than emperor or king had ever appeared in, clasped at the throat with a diamond star, set round with pearls of inestimable value. Then he assumed the manipule or girdle, which was also very splendid; and every time he was invested with a new garment, the archbishop repeated a prayer. This ceremony being finished, the archbishop said mass; but when the epistle was ended he paused-when the two godfathers of the count, Don Juan Ximenes de la Roca and Don Alphonso Ferdinando, Lord of Ixer, approached the count, and one affixed the spur to his right heel, the other to his left the solemn notes of the organ accompanying this part of the ceremonial. Then the count, approaching the altar, knelt before the shrine, and repeated to himself a whispered prayer, while the archbishop, standing by his side, prayed aloud.

When this prayer was ended, the count took the sword from the altar, kissed meekly the cross that formed its handle, girded it to his loins, and then, drawing it from its seabbard, brandished the knightly weapon three times. At the first flourish he defied all the enemies of the holy Catholic faith; at the second, he vowed to succour all widows, orphans, and minors; and at the third, he promised to render justice all his life to high and low, rich and poor, to his own subjects, and to foreigners who might require redress at his hands. At this last oath, a deep sonorous voice replied "Amen." Everybody turned round to see the person from whom this response proceeded: it came, however, from a Provençal jongleur, who had crowded

into the church, notwithstanding the opposition made by those who did not consider him fit to be in such good company; but the count, having heard the quality of his respondent, would not allow him to be turned out, declaring, "that it would ill become him at such a moment to refuse the prayer of any one, be he lord or vassal, rich or poor, provided it came from a pure and contrite heart." The jongleur, in virtue of this declaration on the part of the lord count, was permitted to keep his place.

The lord count then, returning his sword to the scabbard, offered his person and his blade, by a solemn act of dedication, to God, praying him to take him into his holy keeping, and to give him the victory over all his enemies. The archbishop, after the lord count had uttered this prayer, anointed him with the holy chrisme on the right shoulder and arm; then he took the crown of golden roses from the altar and set it on his head, the godfathers of the lord count supporting the diadem on each side. At the same instant, the archbishops, bishops, abbots, kings, princes, and the two godfathers of the lord count, chaunted in chorus, with loud voices, Te Deum laudamus, during which the lord count took the golden sceptre in his left, and the globe in his right hand, and held them while the Te Deum was chaunted and the gospel read. He then replaced them on the altar, and seated himself in his chair of state, before which twelve nobles led up twelve knights, whom they armed one after the other; these, in their turn, retired to one of the twelve chapels belonging to the church, and armed, in like manner, ten knights.

The coronation being concluded, the lord count, with his crown on his head, bearing the golden sceptre and globe in his hands, and wearing the dalmatica, star, and belt, came out of the church, and mounted his horse; but as he could not guide his steed, encumbered as he was with these insignia of his high power and dignity, two pairs of reins were attached to the bridle, that on the left being held by his godfathers; the others, which were of white silk, and forty feet in length, were held by the barons, the knights, and the most eminent citizens of Catalonia; and after these came six deputies from Valencia, six from Saragossa, and four from Tortosa; those who held the reins to the right or left marched on foot, to denote their subjection to the count their lord paramount, who in this stately manner, and with this magnificent cortége, towards noon returned to his palace of Aljaferia, amidst loud hurrahs and flourishes of

trumpets. As soon as he alighted, he entered the dining-room, where a high throne had been prepared for him between two golden stools, on which he deposited the sceptre, the globe, and the crown. Then his two godfathers seated themselves near their sovereign, and the kings of Arragon and Castile, the archbishops of Saragossa and Arboise, placed themselves by their side. At another table the bishops, dukes, and all the new-made knights, took their places; after them, the barons, envoys of the provinces, and the most eminent citizens of Barcelona, all marshalled according to their degree, were seated in due order, the whole assembly being waited upon by the junior nobility and knights.

The lord count himself was served by twelve nobles. His major domo, the Baron Gulielmo di Cervallo, brought in the first dish, singing a roundel; he was followed by twelve noblemen, each carrying a dish, and joining in full chorus. As soon as the roundel was concluded, he placed the dish before the lord count, and cut a portion, with which he served him; then he divested himself of his mantle and vest of cloth of gold, trimmed with ermine and ornamented with pearls, and gave them to a jongleur. As soon as he had arrayed himself in vestments of the same rich material, the major domo brought, in like manner, and followed by the same nobles, the first dish of the second course, singing a roundel, as before, and concluding the ceremony by the gift of his magnificent costume. He conducted, after this fashion, ten courses, with songs, and concluded with the usual rich largess, to the great admiration and astonishment of the whole assembly.

The lord count sat three hours at table, after which he rose, took up the globe and sceptre, and, entering the next chamber, placed himself on a chair raised on a platform, with steps. The two kings were seated on each side the throne, and round them, on the steps, all the barons, knights, and eminent citizens. Then a jongleur approached, and sang a new sirvente, which he had composed for this august occa sion, entitled "The Crown, the Sceptre, and the Globe"-___

"The crown being quite round, and this circle having neither beginning nor end, signifies the great power of God, which he has placed, not on the middle of the body, nor yet on the feet, but on your head, as the symbol of intelligence; and because he has placed it on your head, you ought always to remember this omnipotent God; may you, with this earthly and perishable crown, win the celestial crown of glory in the eternal kingdom.

"The sceptre signifies justice, which you ought to maintain and extend to all ranks; and as this sceptre is a long rod with a curve, fit to strike and chastise, thus justice should, in like manner, punish, that the wicked may leave off their bad ways, and the good may become better and better.

“The globe signifies, that as you hold the globe in your hand you also hold your country and your power; and since God has confided them to you, it is necessary that you should govern with truth, justice, and clemency, that none of your subjects may sustain injury from yourself or any other person."

The lord count appeared to hear this sirvente with pleasure, like a prince who laid the good counsel it contained to heart, and intended to put it in practice. The sirvente was followed by a song in twelve parts, and the song by a poem in three cantos; and when all was said and done, the lord count, who was much fatigued, took up the globe and sceptre, and went into his chamber to get a few minutes' sleep, of which, indeed, he was much in need. His attendants had scarcely unclasped his mantle of state, before he was informed that a jongleur must speak with him, having affairs of interest to communicate, which would not bear delay. The lord count ordered him to be admitted.

The jongleur advanced two steps, and bent his knee to the ground.

"Speak!" said the count.

"May it please your lordship to order that you should be in private with your servant ?" Raymond Berenger made a sign to his people that he wished to be alone with the jongleur. "Who are you?" asked he, as soon as the door was shut.

"I am," said the jongleur, "the person who answered 'Amen,' in the church of St. Saviour, when your lordship vowed, sword in hand, to render justice to the high and low, the rich and poor, to foreigners as well as your own subjects."

"In whose name do you ask justice?"

"In the name of the Empress Praxida of Germany, unjustly accused of adultery by Guthram de Falkemberg and Walter de Than, and condemned by her husband, the Emperor Henry the Fourth, to die, unless a champion, within a twelvemonth and a day, successfully defend her innocence against her accusers."

"Why has she chosen such a singular messenger for this important mission ?"

"Because none but the poor jongleur dared expose himself to the anger of a powerful prince, and the vengeance of two renowned

knights like Guthram de Falkemberg and Walter de Than; and certainly I should not have ventured to do so myself, if my young mistress, Douce, Marchioness of Provence, who has such fine eyes and such a touching voice that no one can refuse what she asks, had not required it of me. I went, therefore, by her command, in search of a knight sufficiently brave to defend, and sufficiently powerful to dare to vindicate, the fame of an injured and innocent lady. I have traversed, in obedience to my mistress, France and Italy in vain, and even Spain, the very holy land of chivalry, and found no one disposed to championise the Empress of Germany. On the way to Barcelona I heard you named as a generous and courageous gentleman. I entered the church at the moment you vowed, sword in hand, to defend the oppressed against the oppressor; and it appeared to me that the hand of God had led me there. I raised my voice, and cried 'Amen, so be it!""

"So let it be, then," chivalrously replied the count; "for the honour of my name, and the increase of my renown, in the name of the Lord, I will hold myself ready to undertake this enterprise."

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Thanks, my lord, for this grace; but, saving your good pleasure, you have no time to lose, for ten months have already elapsed, and you will have little left for your journey to Cologne."

"Well; these festivals will be ended by Thursday night; on Friday we shall offer up our public thanks to God; and on Saturday we will put ourselves en route for Cologne."

"Let it be so, according to your lordship's pleasure," replied the jongleur, making his farewell devoir to the Count of Barcelona. Before he could withdraw from his presence, the count detached from his neck a magnificent gold chain of great value, and threw it round that of the jongleur; for the lord count was as generous as he was brave, and the union of these qualities acquired for him the surname of Great, an appellation which the judgment of posterity has confirmed to the sovereign of Barcelona. He was pious, too; for these festival-days were designed to do honour to Easter, the day of the resurrection of the Redeemer; and the gracious rain that, after a long period of drought, descended on Catalonia, Arragon, and the kingdoms of Valencia and Murcia, the evening on which these religious fetes concluded, gave to his people the presage of a long and happy reign, of which, indeed, Barcelona still preserves the memory.

YOUGHALL CHURCH.

I Do not think we sufficiently appreciate the power we enjoy in these our days of easily and rapidly passing from country to country, accompanied by the actual living beauty of the land, associated with histories of the past; this combination of sight and memory makes travelling so full of interest, and so delicious to an observant and cheerful spirit. The mere power of looking upon the beautiful—of imbibing its essence of feeling its necessity and fulfilment of thanking GOD for its holy and purifying influence-is a mighty blessing,and then, the memory of a pleasant journey, in a pleasant country, is

"A joy for ever.”

Ireland, so full of beauty and legend-the one so actual, the other so suggestive affords ample theme for all who wield either pen or pencil, and YoUGHALL, situated at the mouth of the beautiful Blackwater, has an English as well as an Irish immortality; for there Sir Walter Raleigh lived, and there he held communion with his friend, the poet Spencer. In a garden, still preserved with care and attention, it is believed the first potatoes planted in Ireland took root and flourished,-whether for the good or evil of the "green Island," is a disputed point; I believe it has not been a blessing, because it gave a bare animal subsistence-a "living" without thought, or skill, or labour, to a people whose ambition did not tend to elevate their comforts.

"The earth yielded its increase;"

the potato grew while the mother begged, and the father delved a master's soil; and, like the squirrel or the mole, they returned to their horde in the winter, and were abundantly content with what, after a few years' residence in other lands, they would spurn.

Since we sate in Sir Walter Raleigh's garden at Youghall, beneath the shadow of the yewtrees which, it is pleasant to believe, were planted by his hands-pestilence, famine, and emigration, have swept over the country; its great features remain unchanged; but the pleasant faces, the pleasant voices, are gone from us for ever!

The house in which Raleigh lived is still standing close to the church and the wall of the ancient city. When we were there, it was occupied by Colonel Fount, who carefully preserved all the objects that are associated with the memory of the gallant but unfortunate knight. It has, however, undergone many modern" improvements."

"Ah!" exclaimed the aged gardener, "it was a fine ould ancient place onc't; the wardens of the holy church lived and died in it, and a great man, by name Sir Richard Boyle, and another, Sir George Carew, besides the great man entirely, that Queen Elizabeth smiled on, who loved the sod' with all his heart; and sure he was happy under them trees, dreaming of the goolden country, which brought his head to the block in the end!"

The collegiate church of Youghall is one of the most interesting in the kingdom; part of it is still used for service, but a large portion is a ruin, and, we fear, one of those which neglect is consigning to utter destruction. The east window is considered especially beautiful, although its effect is considerably impaired by being partially built up. It is divided into two distinct compartments, each consisting of two slight mullions, surmounted by open circular tracery, and terminating in a trefoil ornament. These compartments become one window by the outside line of their arches uniting in a common point over the double massive mullion, thus made the centre; and the intervening space is filled up by a Catherine wheel. The nave is now used as the parish church; it has six pointed arches, supported by pilasters, with two transepts and two side aisles.

In the south transept, "the great Earl" of Cork is buried beneath a monument that was erected by him during his life-time; he is represented in armour, in a recumbent posture; on each side is a female figure, kneeling (his two wives), and underneath are figures of his nine children, with the dates of their several births. The church is full of curious and remarkable monuments, among which those of the Boyles and Fitzgeralds are the most conspicuous.

Now that English capital is, with English energy, influence, and example, making way in Ireland, Youghall and its beautiful neighbourhood cannot fail to attract the attention of those "producers" who see in a fine harbour, a rapid river, and a fertile soil, the sure means of obtaining wealth, and the thousand blessings that may come with it. There are few districts in the island, indeed, which possess so many beauties, in combination with so many real and practical advantages; and Youghall will, we doubt not, ere long, be familiar to the tourists from all lands.

A. M. H.

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