But the people loved him, the good old man, and were not willing to accept
the scheming Ervigio as their king unless he could prove his right to the
throne. So, in the year 681, he called together a council of lords and
bishops at Toledo, before whom he appeared with a great show of humility,
bringing testimony to prove that Wamba had become monk at his own wish,
when in peril of death. To this he added a document signed by Wamba, in
which he abdicated the throne, and another in which he recommended Ervigio
as his successor. For eight days the council considered the question. The
documents might be false, but Wamba was a monk, and Ervigio was in power;
so they chose him as king. The holy oil of consecration was poured upon
his unholy head.

Thus it was that Wamba the husbandman first became king and afterwards
monk. In all his stations--farmer, king, and monk--he acquitted himself well
and worthily, and his name has come down to us from the mists of time as
one of those rare men of whom we know little, but all that little good.

THE GREEK KING'S DAUGHTER.

History wears a double face,--one face fancy, the other fact. The worst of
it is that we cannot always tell which face is turned towards us, and we
mistake one for the other far oftener than we know. In truth, fancy works
in among the facts of the most sober history, while in that primitive form
of history known as legend or tradition fancy has much the best of it,
though it may often be founded upon fact. In the present tale we have to
do with legend pure and simple, with hardly a thread of fact to give
substance to its web.

There was a certain Grecian king of Cadiz whose daughter was of such
peerless beauty that her hand was sought in marriage by many of the other
kings of Andalusia. In those days "that country was ruled by several
kings, each having estates not extending over more than one or two
cities." What to do with the crowd of suitors the father was puzzled to
decide. Had a single one asked for his daughter's hand he might have
settled it with a word, but among so many, equally brave, handsome, and
distinguished, answer was not so easy; and the worthy king of Cadiz was
sorely troubled and perplexed.

Luckily for him, the fair damsel was as wise as she was beautiful, and
took the matter into her own hands, making an announcement that quickly
cut down the number of her admirers. She said that she would have no
husband but one who could prove