historic girls- 第6部分

summoning　his　lieutenant；　he　said：　〃Conduct　the　envoy　of　Coel　of

Britain　with　all　courtesy　to　the　gates　of　the　the　city；〃　and　with

a　herald's　escort　the　girl　returned　to　her　father。



Again　the　old　king　rebelled　at　the　terms　his　daughter　had　made。



〃I　know　the　ways　of　Rome；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　what　their　mercy

meaneth。　Thou　shalt　never　go　as　hostage　for　my　faith；　O　daughter；

nor　carry　out　this　hazardous　plan。〃



〃I　have　pledged　my　word　and　thine；　O　King；〃　said　Helena。　〃Surely

a　Briton's　pledge　should　be　as　binding　as　a　Roman's。〃



So　she　carried　her　point；　and；　in　five　days'　time；　she；　with

twenty　of　the　boys　and　girls　of　Camalodunum；　went　as　hostages　to

the　Roman　camp　in　London。



〃Here　be　thy　hostages；　fair　Princess；〃　said　Constantius　the

prefect　as　he　received　the　children；　〃and　this　is　well。　But

remember　the　rest　of　thy　compact。　Deliver　to　me　now；　according　to

thy　promise；　the　chief　rebel　against　Rome。〃



〃She　is　here；　O　Prefect；〃said　the　intrepid　girl。　I　am　that

rebelHelena　of　Britain！〃



The　smile　upon　the　prefect's　face　changed　to　sudden　sternness。



〃Trifle　not　with　Roman　justice；　girl；〃　he　said；　〃I　demand　the

keeping　of　thy　word。〃



〃It　is　kept；〃　replied　the　princess。　〃Helena　of　Britain　is　the

cause　and　motive　of　this　revolt　against　Rome。　If　it　be　rebellion

for　a　free　prince　to　claim　his　own；　if　it　be　rebellion　for　a

prince　to　withstand　for　the　sake　of　his　people　the　unjust　demands

of　the　conqueror；　if　it　be　rebellion　for　one　who　loveth　her

father　to　urge　that　father　to　valiant　deeds　in　defence　of　the

liberties　of　the　land　over　which　he　ruleth　as　king；　then　am　I　a

rebel；　for　I　have　done　all　these；　and　only　because　of　my　words

did　the　king；　my　father；　take　up　arms　against　the　might　and　power

of　Rome。　I　am　the　chief　rebel。　Do　with　me　as　thou　wilt。〃



And　now　the　prefect　saw　that　the　girl　spoke　the　truth；　and　that

she　had　indeed　kept　her　pledge。



〃Thy　father　and　his　city　are　pardoned；〃　he　announced　after　a　few

moments　of　deliberation。　〃Remain　thou　here；　thou　and　thy

companions；　as　hostages　for　Britain；　until　such　time　as　I　shall

determine　upon　the　punishment　due　to　one　who　is　so　fierce　a　rebel

against　the　power　of　Rome。〃



So　the　siege　of　Camalodunum　was　raised；　and　the　bloodless

rebellion　ended。　Constantius　the　prefect　took　up　his　residence

for　a　while　within　King　Coel's　city；　and　at　last　returned　to　his

command　in　Gaul　and　Spain；　well　pleased　with　the　spirit　of　the

little　maiden　whom；　so　he　claimed；　he　still　held　in　his　power　as

the　prisoner　of　Rome。



Constantius　the　prefect　came　again　to　Britain；　and　with　a　greater

following；　fully　ten　years　after　King　Coel's　revolt；　for　now；

again；　rebellion　was　afoot　in　the　island　province。



Carausius　the　admiral；　biding　his　time；　sought　at　last　to　carry

out　his　scheme　of　sole　supremacy。　Sailing　with　his　entire

war…fleet　to　Britain；　he　won　the　legions　to　his　side；　proclaimed

himself　Emperor　of　Britain；　and　defied　the　power　of　Rome。



So　daring　and　successful　was　his　move　that　Rome　for　a　time　was

powerless。　Carausius　was　recognized　as　〃associate〃　emperor　by

Rome；　until　such　time　as　she　should　be　ready　to　punish　his

rebellion；　and　for　seven　years　he　reigned　as　emperor　of　Britain。



But　ere　this　came　to　pass；　Helena　the　princess　had　gone　over　to

Gaul；　and　had　become　the　wife　of　Constantius　the　prefect；〃Since

only　thus；〃　said　he；　〃may　I　keep　in　safe　custody　this　prisoner　of

Rome。〃



The　imperial　power　of　Carausius　was　but　short…lived。　Crafty

himself；　he　fell　a　victim　to　the　craft　of　others；　and　the　sword

of　Allectus；　his　chief　minister　and　most　trusted　confidant；　ended

his　life　when　once　again　the　power　of　Rome　seemed　closing　about

the　little　kingdom　of　Britain。



Constantius　became　governor　of　Britain；　and　finally　caesar　and

emperor。　But；　long　before　that　day　arrived；　the　Princess　Helena

had　grown　into　a　loyal　Roman　wife　and　mother；　dearly　loving　her

little　son　Constantine；　who；　in　after　years；　became　the　first　and

greatest　Christian　emperor　of　Rome。



She　bestowed　much　loving　care　upon　her　native　province　of

Britain。　She　became　a　Christian　even　before　her　renowned　son　had

his　historic　vision　of　the　flaming　cross。　When　more　than　eighty

years　old　she　made　a　pilgrimage　to　the　Holy　Land。　There　she　did

many　good　and　kindly　deeds；　erected　temples　above　the　Sepulchre

of　the　Saviour；　at　his　birthplace　at　Bethlehem；　and　on　the　Mount

of　Olives。　She　is　said；　also；　to　have　discovered　upon　Calvary　the

cross；　upon　which　had　suffered　and　died　the　Saviour　she　had

learned　to　worship。



Beloved　throughout　her　long　and　useful　life　she　was　canonized

after　her　death；　and　is　now　recognized　one　of　the　saints　of　the

Romish　church。



To…day　in　the　city　of　London　you　may　see　the　memorial　church

reared　to　her　memorythe　Church　of　Great　St。　Helena；　in

Bishopgate。　A　loving；　noble；　wonderful；　and　zealous　woman；　she　is

a　type　of　the　brave　young　girlhood　of　the　long　ago；　and；　however

much　of　fiction　there　may　be　mingled　with　the　fact　of　her

life…story；　she　was；　we　may　feel　assured；　all　that　the

chroniclers　have　claimed　for　her〃one　of　the　grandest　women　of

the　earlier　centuries。〃







PULCHERIA　of　CONSTANTINOPLE：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　GOLDEN　HORN



＇Afterward　known　as　〃Pulcheria　Augusta；　Empress　of　the　East。〃＇

A。D。　413。



There　was　trouble　and　confusion　in　the　imperial　palace　of

Theodosius　the　Little；　Emperor　of　the　East。　Now；　this　Theodosius

was　called　〃the　Little〃　because；　though　he　bore　the　name　of　his

mighty　grandfather；　Theodosius　the　Great；　emperor　of　both　the

East　and　West；　he　had　as　yet　done　nothing　worthy　any　other　title

than　that　of　〃the　Little；〃　or　〃the　Child。〃　For　Theodosius　emperor

though　he　was　called；　was　only　a　boy　of　twelve；　and　not　a　very

bright　boy　at　that。



His　father；　Arcadius　the　emperor；　and　his　mother；　Eudoxia　the

empress；　were　dead；　and　in　the　great　palace　at　Constantinople；　in

this　year　of　grace；　413；　Theodosius；　the　boy　emperor；　and　his

three　sisters；　Pulcheria；　Marina；　and　Arcadia；　alone　were　left　to

uphold　the　tottering　dignity　and　the　empty　name　of　the　once

mighty　Empire　of　the　East；　which　their　great　ancestors；

Constantine　and　Theodosius；　had　established　and　strengthened。



And　now　there　was　confusion　in　the　imperial　palace；　for　word　came

in　haste　from　the　Dacian　border　that　Ruas；　king　of　the　Huns；

sweeping　down　from　the　east；　was　ravaging　the　lands　along　the

Upper　Danube；　and　with　his　host　of　barbarous　warriors　was

defeating　the　legions　and　devastating　the　lands　of　the　empire。



The　wise　Anthemius；　prefect　of　the　east；　and　governor　or　guardian

of　the　young　emperor；　was　greatly　disturbed　by　the　tidings　of

this　new　invasion。　Already　he　had　repelled　at　great　cost　the

first　advance　of　these　terrible　Huns；　and　had　quelled　into　a　sort

of　half　submission　the　less　ferocious　followers　of　Ulpin　the

Thracian；　but　now　he　knew　that　his　armies　along　the　Danube　were

in　no　condition　to　withstand　the　hordes　of　Huns；　that；　pouring　in

from　distant　Siberia；　were　following　the　lead　of　Ruas；　their

king；　for　plunder　and　booty；　and　were　even　now　encamped　scarce

two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　the　seven　gates　and　the　triple

walls　of　splendid　Constantinople。



Turbaned　Turks；　mosques　and　minarets；　muftis　and　cadis；　veiled

eastern　ladies；　Mohammedains　and　muezzins；　Arabian　Nights　and

attar　of　roses；　bazars；　dogs；　and　donkeysthese；　I　suppose；　are

what　Constantinople　suggests　whenever　its　name　is　mentioned　to

any　girl　or　boy　of　to…day；the　capital　of　modern　Turkey；　the

city　of　the　Sublime　Porte。　But　the　greatest　glory　of

Constantinople　was　away　back　in　the　early　days　before　the　time　of

Mohammed；　or　of　the　Crusaders；　when　it　was　the　centre　of　the

Christian　religion；　the　chief　and　gorgeous　capital　of　a　Christian

empire；　and　the　residence　of　Christian　emperors；from　the　days

of　Constantine　the　conqueror　to　those　of　Justinian　the　law…giver

and　of　Irene　the　empress。　It　was　the　metropolis　of　the　eastern

half　of　the　great　Roman　Empire；　and　during　this　period　of　over

five　hundred　years　all　the　wealth　and　treasure　of　the　east　poured

into　Constantinople；　while　all　the　glories　of　the　empire；　even

the　treasures　of　old　Rome　itself；　were　drawn　upon　to　adorn　and

beautify　this　rival　city　by　the　Golden　Horn。　And　so　in　the　days

of　Theodosius　the　Little；　the　court　of　Constantinople；　although

troubled　with　fear　of　a　barbarian　invasion　and　attack；　glittered

with　all　the　gorgeousness　and　display　of　the　most　magnificent

empire　in　the　world。



In　the　great　daphne；　or　central　space　of　the　imperial　palace；　the

prefect　Anthemius；　with　the　young　emperor；　the　three　princesses；

and　their　gorgeously　arrayed　nobles　and　attendants；　awaited；　one

day；　the　envoys　of　Ruas　the　Hun；　who　sought　lands　and　power

within　the　limits　of　the　empire。



They　came；　at　last；great；　fierce…looking　fellows；　not　at　all

pleasant　to　contemplatebig…boned　broad…shouldered；　flat…nosed；

swarthy；　and　small…eyed；　with　war…cloaks　of　shaggy　skins；

leathern　armor；　wolf…crowned　helmets；　and　barbaric　decorations；

and　the　royal　children　shrunk　from　them　in　terror；　even　as　they

watched　them　with　wondering　curiosity。　Imperial　guards；　gleaming

in　golden　armor；　accompanied　them；　while　with　the　envoys　came

also　as　escort　a　small　retinue　of　Hunnish　spearmen。　And　in　the

company　of　these；　the　Princess　Pulcheria　noted　a　lad　of　ten　or

twelve　yearsshort；　swarthy；　big…headed；　and　flat…nosed；　like

his　brother　barbarians；　but　with　an　air　of　open　and　hostile

superiority　that　would　not　be　moved　even　by　all　the　glow　and

glitter　of　an　imperial　court。



Then　Eslaw；　the　chief　of　the　envoys　of　King　Ruas　the　Hun；　made

known　his　master's　demands　So　much　land；　so　much　treasure；　so

much　in　the　way　of　concession　and　power　over　the　lands　along　the

Danube；　or　Ruas　the　king　would　sweep　down　with　his　warriors；　and

lay　waste　the　cities　and　lands　of　the　empire。



〃T