THEOBALD, THE IRON-HEARTED;
CONTENTS
GOTTFRIED AND ERARD—PURSUIT OF A HORSEMAN—RESCUE OF THE WOUNDEDCHEVALIER
TRAPPINGS OF THE HORSE—MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL—CHARACTER OF THE WOUNDED MANDISCOVERED—HIS NARRATIVE—FAMILY WORSHIP
THEOBALD'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CONFLICT WITH ARNOLD THE LION—HATRED OFENEMIES—DISTRESS OF THE FAMILY
KINDNESS TO AN ENEMY—ARNOLD ARRIVES ALIVE, BUT WOUNDED—THEOBALD'SAMAZEMENT AT THE KINDNESS HE RECEIVES
ARNOLD'S NARRATIVE OF THE BATTLE AND WHAT FOLLOWED—HILDEGARDE ANDTHEOBALD'S CHILDREN
ANXIETIES OF THEOBALD—WORSHIP OF MARY—THEOBALD INFORMED WHERE HE IS
ARNOLD INFORMED OF WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE—HIS JOYFUL SURPRISE—ABSENCE OFGOTTFRIED
FRIENDLY MEETING OF THE WARRIORS—MUTUAL FORGIVENESS—THEOBALD'S DESIREFOR INSTRUCTION—RETURN OF GOTTFRIED—THE BIBLE—LESSON OF LOVE TOENEMIES
THEOBALD, THE IRON-HEARTED.
CHAPTER I.
GOTTFRIED AND ERARD—PURSUIT OF A HORSEMAN—RESCUE OF THE WOUNDEDCHEVALIER
In the long and bloody war which followed the martyrdom of John Huss andJerome of Prague,[1] two hostile armies met, in 1423, in one of the mostbeautiful valleys of Bohemia.
The battle commenced towards the close of day, and continued until aftersunset.
It was then that old Gottfried, accompanied by Erard, his grandson,climbed to the summit of a steep hill, from the edge of which might beperceived, in the depth of the valley, behind a wood, some troops stillfighting.
The old man and the child, (Erard was scarcely nine years of age,) weresad and silent. They both looked towards the plain, and it was with aprofound sigh that Erard at last said, "O, how good is the Lord, if hehas preserved my father!"
"The Lord can preserve him!" said Gottfried, with solemnity, "Arnoldbelongs to him; yes, my son, your father is one of his dear children!"
"But, grandpapa," resumed Erard, looking at the old man, "do notChristians also die in battle? God does not preserve them all."
"If my son has laid down his life for the Lord," continued Gottfried,"he is not dead: his soul has gone from this world to be with hisSaviour."
"To be with my good mamma!" said the child. "In heaven with the angels,is it not, dear grandpapa?"
"To be with thy mother, my son," replied the old