Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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THE TATTLER Lois Guilbert, by whom it had been occupied, had loft his place and was standing near the ex trctnv comer of one of the benches occupied by the knights’ companions of the Temple. One hand held his long mantle so that it hid his face. In order to save Bob GoQbert and the order of Knights Templars, the Grand Muster rose, and, with an eloquent tongue, put forth the circum-stances which had occasioned the trial. He stated that the noble Bois Guilbcrt. no doubt had erred, but that he could not be blamed for bringing KelMTCca to the preceptory for the knight was possessed by same demon or was under the in fluence of a spell cast over him by the wicked sorceress. Several witnesses were called upon to bring evidence to prove his statements. One by one they came and told their stories which had been carefully prepared to fasten the guilt upon the beautiful Jewish maiden. There was in the crowd a man, whom Rebecca hud restored to the perfect use of his limbs by a miraculous balsam after he had been bedridden for years. He was dragged forward to the bar, terrified by the guilt of having been cured of the palsy by a Jewish damsel. Perfectly cured, he was not, for he supported himself on crutches while he gave evidence to prove his statements. One by one, his evidence. He also produced a small box bearing same Hebrew characters on the lid which was sure proof thut the devil hud brewed the ointment it had contained. At this period of the trail, the Grand Master commanded Rebecca to unveil herself. Opening Iter lip. for the first time, she replied patiently, but with dignity, thut it was not the custom of her people to uncover their faces when alone in un assembly of strangers. The sweet tones of her voice and the softness of her reply made an impression on the audience. But the Grand Muster, who didn't have any sympathy for her, repeated his commands that she should be unveiled. The guards were about to remove the covering from her fuel accordingly, when she stood before the Grand Muster and told him that if she had to unveil herself, she would do it herself rather than let it be removed by such rude grooms. In her countenance, bashfulness contended with dignity. Her exceeding beauty caused a murmur of surprise, and the younger knights told each other silently with their eyes that Brain had been under the power of her real charm rather than witchcraft. Another witness, one of the guards from Tor quilstone Castle, was called before the bar to tcstifiy against Rebecca. He said that he had seen her standing upon the turret of the castle, and, all of a sudden, she changed into the form of a milk-white swan and flew around the castle three times; and then, settling on the turret, she had once more assumed her own form. All that evidence had been too much for Rebecca. and there seemed to be nothing for her to do to save herself. The Grand Maxtor hnd learned all thut he wanted, and, in a solemn tone, demanded of Rebecca what she had to say against the sentence of condemnation which he was a-bout to pronounce. In her hand there was a note which had been thrust into it by someone when she entered the Hall. Slyly opening it she read in Arabic characters, Demand a champion. She quickly destroyed the scroll unobserved. Then the Grand Master spoke again and asked if she hud anything to say. She broke out with the statement that there was one chance of life left for her and that she would not cast away the gift of God. She told him that she was innocent und declared the falseness of the accusation and demanded a champion to buttle Bois de Guilbert for her, and if he won, she would be saved. The epistle to her father, urging him to procure a champion for her, was sent out by a messenger and reached him soon for he hud come as near the preceptory as he dured. He quickly turned his mule and went in search of lvanho whom he found at Coningsburgh Castle. He made straight for the Preceptory of Templestowe to rescue Rebecca. On the third day as the noon hour approached, Rebecca didn't know whether she was facing life or death. All eyes were watching the gutt of the preceptory for Rebecca’s champion, und arrangements were being made outside for the combat. A throne which was erected at the east end of the tilt yard for the Grand Master was surrounded with seats of distinction for the preceptors and knights of the order. At the opposite end was u pile of faggots arranged u-round a stake where Rebecca was to be burned to death if her champion failed in the combat. The bell of Templestowe began to ring, the drawbridge fell, the gates opened, and a knight bearing the great standard of the Knights Templars. sallied from the castle, preceded by six trumpeters, and the preceptors of the order, with the Grand Master, mounted on a stately horse, lust. At some distance came Brian de Bois Guilbert whose face was partly hidden by a long plume which floated down from his cap. Behind him came other champions of thr Temple. Still behind these marched a guard of wardens, and with them was Rebecca, moving with a slow but undismayed step owards the scene of her fate. Stripped of her ornaments, she hud been com- Boge twenty-five

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THE TATTLER led to one after another. The knights knell ho-fore her when she presented the prize to them. Then she gavo a little talk. After the prises were awarded, gifts were presented to the heralds. Often, one day was not enough so the second day the lists were given over to the squires. Kaeh one wore the armor which his knight had used and did his West to do as well. Young maidens presented prizes to thorn. Sometimes the great event continued through the third day when both squires and knights took part. If two knights were rivals or enemies, they took advantage of the opportunity to comlmt with each other. So the tournament at times became a little war for the purpose of injuring and destroying life. Sharp weapons were then imported into the lists. At such times the ground also was drenched with blood. While it is true that real lighting occasionally took place, the purpose of the tournament was to encourage and exhibit skill, strength and bravery in the use of weapons. At best it was a rough and dreadful sport. The tournament varied in different countries and not all had the same rules and ideals, but I have mentioned in the short space 1 have the points which were general. THE TRIAL OF REBECCA By ADELINE MALM Rebecca, the daughter of Isaac, the Jewish money lender, was made a captive at Temple stowe by the Templar, better known as Sir Brian do Bote Guilbort. After the fall of Tar-quilslone Castle which had been captured by Richard I with the help of Robin Hood and his forest outlaws, Rebecca had been forced upon a horse and carried off to the Preceptory of Templestowe by the Templar whose overture she had already refused. The Preceptory was a religious house of the order of Knights Templar of which Bois Guil-bert was a member. As a rule, the members of thut organization were not allowed to marry. This establishment was strongly built and well fortified. Two halberdiers, clad in black, guarded the drawbridge, and others in the same livery glided to and fro with a funeral pace upon walls so that they resembled spirits more than soldiers. The Grand Muster of the Templars had arrived unexpectedly at Templestowe from Prance where the headquarters of the order were located. He was a man advanced In age to which hte long grey beard, and shaggy grey eyebrows testified. When the news reached him that Ret cccn had been confined in a remote and secret part of the building, he demanded that she be brought to trial the next day. Orders were sent out to prepare the castle hall as a court of justice in which the sorceress, as he had determined to call her in order to save Bote Guilbert from merited punishment, was to be condemned to death. In order to prove that she was a sorceress. evidonee, that she had thrown spe b and used incantations over the soldiers of the blessed Temple, was to bo presented at the trial. The innocent and unhappy Rebeccu was led into the room and placed on the dais or elevated part of the upper end of the great hall where she for the first time faced the Grand Master of the Templars. He was dressed in full and ample robes of flowing white, and in hb hard. In- held the mystic stuff which bore the symbol of hte order. At hte feet was placed a table occupied by two scribes, chaplains of the order, whose duty it was to make a formal record of the proceedings of the day. The preceptors, of whom there were four present, occupied seat lower in height and somewhat behind that of their superior, and leaser knights were placed on benches still lower. Behind them, but still upon the dais, stood esquires of the order in white gowns of an inferior quality. The remaining and lower part of the hull was filled with guards, holding partisans, or pikes, and with persons whom curiosity had drawn to see the meeting of the Grand Master and the Jewish sorceress. A psalm, which was sung to the old church tune by the Templars and the Grand Master who, in spite of his advanced years, had still a deep and mellow voice, rose to the vaulted roof of the hall like the sound of rushing waters. When the sounds ceased, the Master cast hte eye slowly around the circle and observed that the seat of one of the preceptors was vacant. Brian dc Page twenty-four

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THE TATTLER polled to substitute a coarse white dress for her Oriental garments. Sh - was conducted to a black chair near the pile of faggot and calmly waited for her champion, but as none appeared, u herald was aent to Rebecca by the Grand Master to inquire. Her reply was that she would not give up us she felt sure that her champion would come. At that instant, a Id ugh t, urging his spent horse to greater speed, appeared in the distance, and when he approached the gate, informed the herald that he was the champion for Rebecca, the Jewess, to combat against Lois de Guilbert who, he said, was a traitor, a murderer nnd a liar. When the Templar saw Ivanhoe, he refused to fight so that the Saxon culled him a coward. Thus stung, the Templar was forced into the combat. Soon, seeing ench one in his place, the herald read the rules of the combat. Then the trumpets sounded, and the knights charged each other ut full speed. Hois Guilbert reeled u his Middle, lost his stirrups, nnd fell in the lists. Ivanhoe, hastening toward him, leaped to the ground, and with his foot on his fallen antagonist's body and the sword's point at his throat, was about to snulT out his life, hut Hois Guilbert did not answer nor move. He was ha.-itily examined, and bis spirit was found to hnvc tied before Ivanhoe bad had a chance to slay him. Thus the trial of Rebecca was ended with Ivanhoe the victor of the comhnt, for apparently God in His wisdom hud seen fit to smite down the proud, haughty Templar, and free the innocent Rebecca. • THE CRUSADES By WALTER REUTER From the early days of Christianity it was the custom in all parts of Christian Europe for people to make journeys to the Holy Land and worship where Christ hud lived nnd died. This was thought to la; a very pious and meritorious act and one that secured for the pilgrim the blessing of Heavcn.But the Mohammedans of Asia Minor secured possession of Palestine and persecuted the pilgrims. They destroyed churches or turned them into stables. The people of Western Europe wished to rescue the Holy Land from the infidels and so undertook military expeditions to Palestine for that purpose. These Crusades covered u period of nearly two hundred years. In the year 10! f» the Pope commissioned Peter the Hermit of France to prench a crusade against the infidels. The idea spread like wild fire. Many thousands, without waiting to gather supplies or to form an nrmy, marched under Peter the Hermit and a poor knight called Walter the Penniless. The crusaders knew nothing of the country to which they were going, and but little of the road by which it should be reached. They made no provisions for fighting the Turks or to protect themselves. On the way thousands perished from hunger, sickness and lack of shelter and when they crossed the Bosporus into Asia almost all were slaughtered by the Turks. The main body of the First Crusade hud better leaders and along the way many armies were ndded until the expedition numbered 300,000, but when they reached Jerusalem, only about 20,000 remained. At Jerusalem a battle was fought and many infidels were killed. The crusaders succeeded in capturing the city and established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, loiter some went home while the rest remained in the Holy Land. In the year 114f« the city of Edesmi was tuken by the Turks anil the population was slaughtered or sold into slavery. The Second Crusade wns then formed under the leadership of the Kings of France and Germany but accomplished nothing. Fifty yeurs later the Third Crusade wus caused by the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt. Frederick Barbu rossn of Germany. Phihip Augustus of Franco und Richard I of Eng.und took the cross, that is they vowed to engage in a new war against the Turks, and set out, each at the head of a large army, to recover the Holy City. Richard 1 raised all the money he could und gathered a large fleet to go to the Holy Land. While the German army under the Emperor Frederick was crossing a swollen stream, the emperor was drowned. The nrmy, discouraged at the loss of their leader, returned to Germany. The English and French armies finally reached Acre which they captured. I ater Philip of France nnd Richard I of Englund quarrelled and Phillip returned home leaving his army in Palestine. For more than three years Richard 19 3 4 Page twenty-six