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Richard the Fearless, Or, The Little Duke
Richard the Fearless Or The Little Duke Author:Charlotte Mary Yonge Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Duke William of the Long Sword was buried the next morning in high pomp and state, with many a prayer and psalm chanted over his grave. When t... more »his was over, little Kichard, who had all the time stood or knelt nearest the corpse, in one dull heavy dream of heavy wonder and sorrow, was led back to the palace, and there his long heavy black garments were taken off, and he was dressed in his short scarlet tunic, his hair was carefully arranged, and then he came down again into the hall, where there was a great assembly of Barons, some in armour, some in long furred gowns, who had all been attending his father's burial. Kichard, as he was desired by Sir Eric de Centeville, took off his cap, and bowed low in reply to the reverences with which they all greeted his entrance, and he thenslowly crossed the hall, and descended the steps from the door, while they formed into a procession behind him, according to their ranks— the Duke of Brittany first, and then all the rest, down to the poorest Knight who held his manor immediately from the Duke of Normandy. Thus they proceeded, in slow and solemn order, till they came to the Church of our Lady. The clergy were there already, ranged in ranks on each side of the choir ; and the Bishops in their mitres, and rich robes, each with his pastoral staff in his hand, were standing round the Altar. As the little Duke entered, there arose from all the voices in the Chancel the full loud clear chant of Te Deum Laudamus, echoing among the dark vaults of the roof. To that sound Richard walked up the choir, to a large, heavy, cross-legged carved chair, raised on two steps, just before the steps of the Altar began, and there he stood. Bernard de Harcourt and Eric de Centeville on each side of him, and all his other vassals in due order i...« less