f Anjou, of
Provence, and Paris, yes, even King Hako of Norway, {4} can all read."

"I tell you, Richard, when the treaty was drawn up for restoring this
King Louis to his throne, I was ashamed to find myself one of the few
crown vassals who could not write his name thereto."

"But none is so wise or so good as you, father," said Richard, proudly.
"Sir Eric often says so."

"Sir Eric loves his Duke too well to see his faults," said Duke William;
"but far better and wiser might I have been, had I been taught by such
masters as you may be. And hark, Richard, not only can all Princes here
read, but in England, King Ethelstane would have every Noble taught; they
study in his own palace, with his brothers, and read the good words that
King Alfred the truth-teller put into their own tongue for them."

"I hate the English," said Richard, raising his head and looking very
fierce.

"Hate them? and wherefore?"

"Because they traitorously killed the brave Sea King Ragnar! Fru Astrida
sings his death-song, which he chanted when the vipers were gnawing him
to death, and he gloried to think how his sons would bring the ravens to
feast upon the Saxon. Oh! had I been his son, how I would have carried
on the feud! How I would have laughed when I cut down the false
traitors, and burnt their palaces!" Richard's eye kindled, and his
words, as he spoke the old Norse language, flowed into the sort of wild
verse in which the Sagas or legendary songs were composed, and which,
perhaps, he was unconsciously repeating.

Duke William looked grave.

"Fru Astrida must sing you no more such Sagas," said he, "if they fill
your mind with these revengeful thoughts, fit only for the worshippers of
Odin and Thor. Neither Ragnar nor his sons knew better than to rejoice
in this deadly vengeance, but we, who are Christians, know that it is for
us to forgive."

"The English had slain their father!" said Richard, looking up with
wondering dissatisfied eyes.

"Yes, Richard, and I speak not against them, for they were even as we
should have been, had not King Harold the fair-haired driven your
grandfather from Denmark. They had not been taught the truth, but to us
it has been said, 'Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.' Listen to me, my
son, Christian as is this nation of ours, this duty of forgiveness is too
often neglected, but let it not be so with you. Bear in mind, whenever
you see the Cross {5} marked on our banner, or carved in stone on