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Article THE RING OF CHARLEMAGNE. ← Page 7 of 8 →
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The Ring Of Charlemagne.
palace . There is a building in the garden , which shall serve for your asylum ; there I shall visit you daily . Adieu , for the present . " From this day Charles commenced his botanical studies , and took evident delight in the cultivation of bis garden . As the Emperor hacl commanded , Hetton , the new prelate , was informed of his unexpected elevation to the episcopal throne of Rhineberg , and the effect of the intelligence was to drive him mad with joy . He
invited to his house a crowd of guests , took his seat in the midst of them , clothed in silk and purple , and regaled his friends with the most sumptuous viands and most precious wines ; and assumed all the state and dignity of a king , save the sceptre , crown , and golden orb . The guests at this more than eastern banquet , held in their hands golden goblets , sculptured in the most exquisite fashion , various of form , and filled with perfumes . Around them attended an army of servants , in the
with musicians and singers . At the gate stood sentinels on duty , richest uniform . Never before had such a banquet been given in Aix ; the night was spent in riot and debauchery , and when day appeared , it found the poor prelate gorged with wine , and wholly insensible to his recently conferred grandeur . The Emperor , who regularly attended all the offices of the church , remarked the absence of the new Bishop from the viil of Saint Martin ,
g and when , in the course of the appointed prayers , it came to the verse to which the prelate had to make tbe response , all was silent ; no one daring to answer in the place of the absent functionary . There was , consequently , a pause in the service . Charles , highly offended at this , gave directions for the prayers tc
proceed ; but still all were silent , for each trembled , dreading the Emperor ' s anger . " Let some one—any one , " cried the Emperor , " sing the response . This new command would still have produced no other effect than silence , if Gaul , the poor priest already known to the reader , had not been presentconcealed from view in . the deep shade of one of the
, pillars : breathing inwardly a short prayer to Heaven , to inspire him with courage , he boldly sung the response . __ The surprise of the whole congregation was at its heig ht . The mmistrants at the altar would have ' interrupted him from proceeding , but Charles ordered that he should go on with the response to its conclusion . When he had done so , Gaul , who had never learned the succeeding Dominical in
portions of the service , commenced singing the prayer , a voice full of harmony , and so wholly absorbed the listeners , that when he reached the part , " Adveniat regnum tuum , " all , whether they would or not , joined in the succeeding " Fiat voluntas tua . " After lauds , which followed matins , the King returned to his apartment in the palace , to clothe himself in his robes of state , m preparation for the day ' s ceremony , and while so engaged , ordered Gaid to be
summoned into his presence . " Who gave you leave , " said the Monarch in a severe tone , to sing the response ? " , " My lord , " answered the young priest , trembhng , " your Majesty commanded that some one should answer . " ' ¦ Right , " said Charles appeasingly , " but what made you sing the Dominical prayer ? " . " May it please your Majesty , it occurred to me that it was better to simr the first that occurred to me than delay the service . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ring Of Charlemagne.
palace . There is a building in the garden , which shall serve for your asylum ; there I shall visit you daily . Adieu , for the present . " From this day Charles commenced his botanical studies , and took evident delight in the cultivation of bis garden . As the Emperor hacl commanded , Hetton , the new prelate , was informed of his unexpected elevation to the episcopal throne of Rhineberg , and the effect of the intelligence was to drive him mad with joy . He
invited to his house a crowd of guests , took his seat in the midst of them , clothed in silk and purple , and regaled his friends with the most sumptuous viands and most precious wines ; and assumed all the state and dignity of a king , save the sceptre , crown , and golden orb . The guests at this more than eastern banquet , held in their hands golden goblets , sculptured in the most exquisite fashion , various of form , and filled with perfumes . Around them attended an army of servants , in the
with musicians and singers . At the gate stood sentinels on duty , richest uniform . Never before had such a banquet been given in Aix ; the night was spent in riot and debauchery , and when day appeared , it found the poor prelate gorged with wine , and wholly insensible to his recently conferred grandeur . The Emperor , who regularly attended all the offices of the church , remarked the absence of the new Bishop from the viil of Saint Martin ,
g and when , in the course of the appointed prayers , it came to the verse to which the prelate had to make tbe response , all was silent ; no one daring to answer in the place of the absent functionary . There was , consequently , a pause in the service . Charles , highly offended at this , gave directions for the prayers tc
proceed ; but still all were silent , for each trembled , dreading the Emperor ' s anger . " Let some one—any one , " cried the Emperor , " sing the response . This new command would still have produced no other effect than silence , if Gaul , the poor priest already known to the reader , had not been presentconcealed from view in . the deep shade of one of the
, pillars : breathing inwardly a short prayer to Heaven , to inspire him with courage , he boldly sung the response . __ The surprise of the whole congregation was at its heig ht . The mmistrants at the altar would have ' interrupted him from proceeding , but Charles ordered that he should go on with the response to its conclusion . When he had done so , Gaul , who had never learned the succeeding Dominical in
portions of the service , commenced singing the prayer , a voice full of harmony , and so wholly absorbed the listeners , that when he reached the part , " Adveniat regnum tuum , " all , whether they would or not , joined in the succeeding " Fiat voluntas tua . " After lauds , which followed matins , the King returned to his apartment in the palace , to clothe himself in his robes of state , m preparation for the day ' s ceremony , and while so engaged , ordered Gaid to be
summoned into his presence . " Who gave you leave , " said the Monarch in a severe tone , to sing the response ? " , " My lord , " answered the young priest , trembhng , " your Majesty commanded that some one should answer . " ' ¦ Right , " said Charles appeasingly , " but what made you sing the Dominical prayer ? " . " May it please your Majesty , it occurred to me that it was better to simr the first that occurred to me than delay the service . "