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

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THE TATTLER throat and tore out bin heart. The first thing Richard did after his coronation was to free hi mother from Winchester, where she had been held prisoner for a long time, and put her at the head of the English government until he arrived in England from Normandy. When he was crowned, he did not issue n charter or a pledge of good government as his father, Henry II, had done. Rut he did vow to defend the church, maintain justice, make statutory laws, and to abolish evil customs. He wna at war most of the time and was in England only a few months during his ten-year reign. Most of these wars took place in the Holy Land while he was on the Third Crusade. He had joined with the King of France and the Emperor of Germany in a crusade to make the Mohammendans give up possession of the Holy Land to the Christians. Richard did not have the funds neccsnry for the expedition so he extorted loans from the Jews who, at that time, had almost complete control of money in Europe. He also levied heavy taxes, sold offices, nnd for ten-thousand marks sold Scotland its freedom. He even sold charters to cities and towns and remarked that he would also sell Lon-don if he could find anyone rich enough to buy it. His seal for the crunadc to wrest the Holy Lands from the infidel Mohammedan? was so great that he used unchristian means to raise money for what hr and others considered a very pious and worthy undertaking. After the money was raided, he started on his crusade. His object was to drive the infidels from Jerusalem. He approached ns nenr to Jerusalem as the Mount of Olives. He did not capture Jerusalem. but he was able to make Salndin, the lender of the Saracens, agree to a truce that gave Christians free access to the holy place? without persecution. It waa on these crusades, fighting the Snracens in Palestine, that Richard gained his fame as n warrior. On his return from the Crusades he fell into the hands of his enemy, the Emperor of Germany, who held him prisoner. Prince John, Richard's brother, whom Richard had left in charge of England, tried to have Richard held captive so he himself could secure possession of the throne. It is said that Blondel. a minstrel who had accompanied Richard to the Holy Land, brought the news of Richard’s captivity to England. When Richard was taken captive. Blondel knew nothing of it and lost all trace of him. Being a faithful servant, he continued looking for his master throughout Germany. While on his search, he would sing a song which Richard and he had composed. Knowing that he would probably find Richtrd in some castle, hr traveled from one to another singing the song. One day as he was singing at the foot of a castle and had just finished the first verse, he heard Richard's voice join in on the second. He knew he had found his master and carried the news back to England. On payment of a large ransom Richard was allowed to go free. He forgave his brother John for plotting against him. Richard spent the last few years of his reign in wars in France. In the last year of his reign he heard that a Inrge amount of treasure had been found in the ground in the southern part of his French possessions. He demanded a large part of it but was refused. So he be-seiged the castle belonging to the baron there. Richard threatened to hang every man. woman, nnd child unless the castle surrendered at once. While he was riding around the castle, an arrow struck him. He neglected the wound, and it became infected. After the castle was taken, the man who had shot the arrow was brought before Richard. Richard asked him. What have I done to you that you should kill me? The man answered, You have slain my father and my brothers and taken all that belong.' to them. Richard forgave the man and bade his servants set him free, but when Richnrd died from his wound, they fell upon the man and beat him to death. Richard was burned beside his father at Norman Abbey. From Richard’s reign England gained two important advantages. First, a greater degree of political liberty, second, a new intellectual and educational impulse.. England also profited a great deal from his crusade to Palestine because the civilization of the East at that time was far in advance of that of the West. On his travels, Richard and his followers gained knowledge and new ideas unknown in England. This knowledge had a great effect on the life and government of England in Inter years. It also had influence on the growth of the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Although these institutions did not become prominent till about one hundred years later, they are today leading universities in the world. The CruRades were also beneficial in promoting trade between the East and West. Page twenty-nine 19 3 4

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THE TATTLER in the palisade, the outworks, n wall made of two rows of heavy timbers between which earth had been filled in, could be seen. Then one could see a deep ditch or moat filled with water surrounding the entire castle. Across the moat there was a drawbridge, which could be lowered to allow friends to enter, or raised to koep enemies out. Inside the moat stood the outer wall of the castle about five or six feet thick und sixteen to twenty feet high. Along the top of the wull were frowning battlements, und rounded towers at intervals, with loopholes through which the men might fire ut or watch enemies. After one crossed the drawbridge, he was confronted with a heavy wooden door which burred the entrance to the castle. Usually the muin entrance was guarded also by a portcullis. This was un armored gale or heuvy iron grating which could be raised to allow free passage or lowered to bar the way completely. After passing through these entrances, one found one’s self in the open courtyard. On entering the gate at Torquilstono Castle, where Rowcnu and Rebecca were held prisoners, one could see the soldiers’ quarters on either side. Before him stood the mighty donjon or keep. It was several stories high nnd was the strongest part of the castle. The donjon served as a residence for the lord and his family, and was fifty or sixty feet high. It was honey-combed with passages to ull parts of the castle und sometimes beyond the outer walls. The wulls of the donjon or keep wore of stonework from eight to ten feet thick, and there were loop holes in its sides where skilled arches stood guurd. The entrance to this keep led to the second floor by a drawbridge which protected those inside. In the lower part of this building were dungeons in which traitors and other prisoners were kept. The walls in this keep were slimy and dripping, and overrun with vermin. There were no win- dows to let any light in, nnd the walls were so thick that not a sound could be heard by thoxo who were locked in this prison sometimes for months. On one side of the huge donjon, one could boo two buildings of a smaller site. One of these was the stable where the lord of the castle kept his horses. The other building was the servants' quarters. As one went around the donjon, he came to another building which was the kitchen. Here, the food for all the villagers and the lord was prepared. Large ovens in which the bread was baked, could be seen. As one went on, he came to the dining room which was situated almost in the center of the reur end of the donjon. This great hull was the center of life in the pnlnce. Great dinners were served nnd knighting und wedding ceremonies were held there. Walking further, one passed another drawbridge leading to the keep. This drawbridge or passage was used chiefly by the lord und his family. In front might be seen again two buildings close together which were used a storehouses for the gram. Nearby, stood the chapel which was located in one corner of the yard. Here, the lord of the castle and his family attended dnily mass. As one came out he found himself in the place where he started his tour of the castle. There was but one more interesting thing. In a corner was the huge tUtyard. There the tournament took place and, there also, the horses were exercised and the young men had their dnily drills und contests. The invention of gunpowder made castles useless os a protection. Though many castles were built luter, they were no longer regarded as strongholds. In many parts of Europe, one may see the ruins of castles. A few have been kept in a habitable state. These now merely serve as objects of curiosity to tourists who must pay u small fee to see them. • ■ • KING RICHARD AND HIS REIGN By EDWARD AUSTIN King Richard I, one of the most noted kings of England, succeded hi» father, Henry II, to the throne in 1189. Richard 1 was the second son of Henry II. The first son having died, Richard thus became heir to the throne. He was an English king but spoke the French tongue. Fear was unknown to Richard. He was fam- ous for his bravery in war. He was like a lion when it came to fighting and was called Richard, the Lion Hearted. An old chronicler nays Richard Couer de Lion, which means Richard the Lion Hearted, got his name from an imaginary adventure he once had with a lion. It » said the lion attacked him, and as he had no weapons, he thrust his hand down the lion's 1'age twenty-eight 19 3 4

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THE TATTLER A DAY IN THE FOREST WITH THE OUTLAWS By LORRAINE SZABLEWSKI Before rotating the experiences of n day in the forest with the outlaws, I should like to muke some explanation as to who they were. The well-known Robin Hood, the leader of these merry men of Sherwood Forest In England, is supposed to have been Robert, Earl of Huntington. During the time of the Third Crusade in Palestine, when England was trying to capture the Holy Lund, under the leadership of King Richard; and Prince John was ruling the country. Robert, Earl of Huntington, won a happy, wealth-y. generous, highly respected earl, owning a castle near Sherwood Forest. However, the time came when his joy was suddenly turned to sor-row, for he was obliged to sell his castle to pay his debts. At a big dinner to which he had inivted the few friends who were still faithful to him, there stood in the doorway n herald, telling him to appear at the king's court, where ho would he tried foi treason and debt. The messenger added that if he failed to follow those orders within six days, he would he made an outlaw. The earl, not knowing which choice to make, turned for help to his sweetheart Murian. daughter of Lord Fitz-wnlter, who, though unbidden, hud been brought in by Friar Tuck. She advised him to become an outlaw .explaining that, though the accusation was false, once in the king’s court, there would bo no escape lor him. As an outlaw, she was confident that he could outwit the king. (Jo and seek your own kingdom! she said firmly. He then usked some of his admirers to follow him into the forest. There were about a hundred men in all who joined him. Among them, who were of noble birth, were Friar Tuck, the priest. Little John, his trustworthy servant, and Allan-u Dale and Miller, his best friends. When they set off for the forest, they were clad in homespun; and instead of hows and arrows, they carried heavy quarterstaves. After taking up their abode in the greenwood, they wandered among the trees and thickets, killing the king's deer, and often going into the city in disguise. The place in Sherwood Forest where they dwelt was not very far from Torquilstonc Castle, a strong fortification, owned by Reginald Front de Reauf, a mightly but cruel Norman knight, who kept prisoners in the dungeons of his castle in order to extort huge sums of money a - ransom. On this particular day each prisoner of Tor- quiistonc Castle hud been put into a room and was waiting to meet his fate. Isaac, a Jewish money lender, had been thrown into the dungeon of the castle and was being forced to tell whore his money wo . He refused, and when Front de eauf was about to bum the Jew’s feet with n hot iron rod, he heurd the blast of a horn. Dropping the iron, Front de Iteauf hurried to sec what the excitement was. The guard at the castle gate informed him that n huge knight in black armor seemed to he lending a targe group of forest men on the caatlc. He proved to be the knight who had taken part in a tournament at Ashby the day before, where ho had designated himself os the Black Knight. He hud joined Robin Hood and his men and soon led them to victory; the castle was destroyed, and all the prisoners except the little Jew Isaac were rescued. After the fall of Torquilstone Castle, the out-taws entered the ruined fortress, and. after securing its treasures, carried them to their Trysl-ing Tree on Hnrthil! Walk whore they divided the spoils. The place of rendezvous was on aged oak under whose twisted branches sat the bold outlaws. Robin Hood assumed his seat, n silvan throne of turf erected near the ouk. He commanded the Black Knight to sit at his right; while Cedric, n wealthy Saxon noble, who had been rescued at Torquilstone by the outlaws, was placed nt his left Then Robin Hood, or Locksley ns he had been known at the tournament, declared that a tenth part of the spoils was for the church; a portion was next nlloted to a certain public treasury; another for the poor; and the rest wa to go to the members of the band according to their rank and merit After each had taken his portion of the booty, Robin Hood discovered the absence of Friar Tuck. While they were discussing his whereabout-:, a loud shout from the yeomen announced the arrival of the priest with the Jew. Isaac as his prisoner. The priest told of his return to the ruined castle in search of some wine and how he had found the Jew there. The Black Knight was about to leave for Con-ingsburgh Castle, where there was to be a burial feast; but before taking his departure, Robin Hood handed him hi horn to give warning when in danger. After he departed, Robin Hood and his men hud a merry feast consisting of stock-fish and ale. The Black Knight and his guide, Wamba. were 19 3 4 Page thirty