oble King Lassla. When the office was completed I carried the
noble King down again, and laid him in the cradle, for he was very
tired from sitting so long upright. Then he was borne to St. Peter's
church, where I was again obliged to take him out of his cradle and
place him on a chair, as it is the custom for every king when crowned
to be seated there. Again I carried his Highness down and laid him in
his cradle; and he was taken from St. Peter's church, followed by his
noble family on foot, back to the inn. The only one who rode was Count
von Eily, for he had to hold the holy crown over the head of the noble
King, that every one might see it was the holy crown which had been
placed on the head of the holy St. Stephen and other Hungarian Kings.
Count Bartholomae carried the orb, and the Duke von Lindbach the
sceptre; a legate's staff was borne before the noble King, because he
did not hold any part of Hungary on feudal tenure from the holy Roman
Empire; and the sword with which his Highness had been knighted was
also carried before him, and pence were scattered among the people. The
noble Queen was so humble and showed such respect to her son, that I,
poor woman, had to walk before her, next to the noble King, because I
had held his Highness in my arms at the anointing and coronation. When
the noble King had arrived at the inn, he was put to rest, as his
Highness was very tired. The lords and all others went away, and the
noble Queen remained alone with her son. Then I knelt down before her,
and reminded her of the service which I had rendered to her Highness
and the noble King; and also to her other children and members of the
royal family. Thereupon the noble Queen gave me her hand and said,
'Rise up, and if please God our affairs prosper, I will exalt you and
your whole race. You have well deserved it, for you have done for me
and my children what I myself could not have done.' Then I inclined
myself humbly, and thanked her Highness for her kind encouragement."

Thus far Helen Kottenner. History tells us in what consternation the
party of King Wladislaus of Poland was placed by the robbery of the
crown, and also how the crown itself was mortgaged by the Queen to the
Emperor Frederick III., but of the after life of Helen Kottenner we
know nothing.

What interests us most in this narrative is the night scene in which
the holy crown of Hungary is purloined, and the mental struggles of a
strong female character. But th