ess them with grand ideas of the rider's
wealth and splendor. After leaving Constantinople, Robert resumed his
pilgrim's garb, and went on toward the Holy Land.

The journey, however, did not pass without the usual vicissitudes of so
long an absence and so distant a pilgrimage. At one time Robert was
sick, and, after lingering for some time in a fever, he so far recovered
his strength as to be borne on a litter by the strength of other men,
though he could not advance himself, either on horseback or on foot; and
as for traveling carriages, there had been no such invention in those
days. They made arrangements, therefore, for carrying the duke on a
litter. There were sixteen Moorish slaves employed to serve as his
bearers. This company was divided into sets, four in each, the several
sets taking the burden in rotation. Robert and his attendant knights
looked down with great contempt on these black pagan slaves. One day the
cavalcade was met by a Norman who was returning home to Normandy after
having accomplished his pilgrimage. He asked Duke Robert if he had any
message to send to his friends at home. "Yes," said he; "tell them you
saw me here, on my way to Paradise, carried by sixteen _demons_."

Robert reached Jerusalem, and set out on his return; and soon after
rumors came back to Paris that he had died on his way home. The accounts
of the manner of his death were contradictory and uncertain; but the
fact was soon made sure, and the news produced every where a great
sensation. It soon appeared that the brothers and cousins of Robert, who
had claimed the right to succeed him in preference to his son William,
had only suspended their claims--they had not abandoned them. They began
to gather their forces, each in his own separate domain, and to prepare
to take the field, if necessary, in vindication of what they considered
their rights to the inheritance. In a word, their oaths of fealty to
William were all forgotten, and each claimant was intent only on getting
possession himself of the ducal crown.

In the mean time, William himself was at Paris, and only eleven years of
age. He had been receiving a careful education there, and was a very
prepossessing and accomplished young prince. Still, he was yet but a
mere boy. He had been under the care of a military tutor, whose name
was Theroulde. Theroulde was a veteran soldier, who had long been in
the employ of the King of France. He took great interest in his young
pupil'