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

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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

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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 stayed and fought with Saludin, the chief of the Mohammedans. Dissension among the allies prevented the capture of Jerusalem, so Richard mode a truce, by which pilgrims wore allowed free access to the holy places, and then returned to England. In the year 1202 the Fourth Crusade captured Constantinople instead of Jerusalem. The crusaders established a government of their own which lasted only n little over hnlf ft century when the Greek;; recovered Constantinople and held it until 1453 when it aguin fell into the hands of the Turks. Between the Fourth and Fifth Crusades a French shepherd boy named Stephen, went from place to place in France declaring that Jesus hail commanded him to lead a company of children to the Holy I,and to rescue the sepulchre of Jesu from the unbelievers. Thousands of chlldem joined and flocked in great numbers Another young leader in Germany named Nicholas arous ed German children, mostly under twelve years of age. to set out for the Holy Land. They hud neither weapon nor any thought of using them and expected the waters of the sea to divide so that they could pass over dryshod. They supposed that the walls of Jerusalem would fall at their coming and the infidels yield to them without striking a blow. The German crusaders. 50,000 in number, crossed the Alps where nearly all perished. About 3.000 marched down through Italy to the Mediterranean and sailed away never to be heard from again. The French children, 30,000 in number, set out for Marseilles where those children, who sailed, wore betrayed and uol J us slaves among the Mohammedans. The Fifth Crusade was led by the kings of Hungary and Cyprus, but its strength was waited and it resulted in nothing. Frederick II of Germany headed the Sixth Crusade and succeeded in securing the restoration of Jerusalem and some other cities from the Saracens. The Seventh Crusade was under King Louis IX of France and accomplished little. In the year of 1270 Prince Edward of England and King Louis IX directed the Eighth Crusade. Ix uis went against the Moor in North Africa where he died of the plague and his expedition was given up. Edward succeeded in capturing Nazareth and in compelling the sultan of Egypt to agree to a treaty favorable to the Christians. The crusades were a spur to travel, trade, and cliivalary. They awakened new tastes and desires to possess luxuries enjoyed in the East. Trade between the East and the West was greatly increased. Many industries were fostered by the needs of the crusaders, and their progress hastened. The crusaders later inspired Columbus, Vasco do Gama, and Magellan to make their famous voyages of discovery and thus helped in man's knowledge and conquest of the earth. • NORMAN CASTLES By LUCILLE ROSZAK The name castle, a word derived from the Latin, castellum, was a name first upplied to the fortified camps set up by Home in Gaul. Later the word was used to mean an edifice serving as a residence and a place of defense. The French people first built wooden blockhouse; on mounds of earth, around which they dug broad ditches and built palisades. Later, the Normans built castles of stone which were a great improvement over former fortresses. They introduced these castles and the feudal system into Kng-C os tics were usually built on places of advantage. One castle was built on an island which could only be reached from the sea by ships during high tide. To reach this from the land, one had to drive along a road or dike which land after they had conquered the island. was three or four inches under the surface of the water. This road made a sharp turn with which the inhabitants were familiar. Enemies, not knowing about this curve, would piunge into water six or sevon feet deep. Norman castles however, were usually built on rocky crags, at river fork.-;, or at some point at which the enemy found it very difficult or even impossible to reach. The one narrow road around the cliff’s to the castle was very well guarded. Main entrances to castles were always well guarded. Most of the castle , which were built on level ground, and evon on mountains, had a strong palisade of heavy stake set in the ground at their outer edge. These stakes wore driven into the ground ut an angle »o that the pointed tops slanted outward. As one entered the gate 19 3 4 Page twenty-seven