H. Rider Haggard - "The Ghost Kings"

Sabine Baring Gould - "Castles and Cave Dwellings of Europe"

Alice Hegan Rice - "Calvary Alley"

Gabriele D'Annunzio - "The Child of Pleasure"

Annual Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature 2007
This paper argues that discourses of love in Ghanaian market literature for youth offer a view into complex negotiations of agency and empowerment. Drawing on Deborah Durham's notion of youth as "social `shifters'" and Francis Nyamnjoh's conception of the "interconnectedness" of agency, I take Ghanaian market literature as one specific case of how African literature for youth foregrounds questions of continuity and change as African societies enter into increasingly complex global relations. In this literature for youth, received notions of love, often constructed out of impressions from American pop and hip hop music, carry new notions of agency that compete with existing "domesticated" forms. Authors like Ike Tandoh and Evelyn Tay employ discourses of love to offer youth alternative avenues for empowerment in a context of socio-economic disenfranchizement. In a creative process of "straddling", this writing both reveals and reproduces the contradictions that obtain in youth configurations of agency.

Saint Bartholomew\'s Eve

G >> G. A. Henty >> Saint Bartholomew\'s Eve




"It has, aunt, beyond my hopes. And first, I must ask your pardon
for having deceived you."

"Deceived me, Philip! In what way?"

"My mission was an assumed one," Philip said; "and in reality,
Pierre and I journeyed to Paris."

A cry broke from the countess's lips.

"To Paris, Philip! And your mission has been successful? You have
heard something?"

"I have done more, aunt, I have found him."

"The Lord be praised for all His mercies!" burst from the lips of
the countess, and she threw herself on Philip's neck, and burst
into a passion of tears, the first she had shed since he brought
the news from Paris.

"Courage, aunt," Philip whispered.

He glanced towards the door. Claire understood him, and ran to open
it. Francois came quietly in.

"Mother," he said, and the countess, with a cry of joy, ran into
his arms.

The French army appeared before the town on the following day, and
the siege was at once commenced. With Marshal Biron were the dukes
of Anjou and Alencon, the King of Navarre, and the Prince of Conde,
who had been compelled to accompany him.

The siege made little progress. The defences were strong, and the
Huguenots were not content only to repel assaults, but made fierce
sallies, causing a considerable loss to the besiegers.

To the surprise of the defenders, they heard that the Count de la
Noue had arrived in camp, with a mission from the king. He had
remained a captive, in the camp of the Duke of Alva, after the
surrender of Mons; and so had happily escaped the massacre of Saint
Bartholomew. He had then been released, and had gone to France to
arrange his ransom.

The king, who was now tormented with remorse, sent for him; and
entreated him, as a personal favour, to go as his Commissioner to
La Rochelle, and to endeavour to bring about a cessation of
hostilities, authorizing him to grant almost any terms. De la Noue
undertook the task unwillingly, and only upon condition that he
would be no party to inducing them to surrender, unless perfectly
satisfied with the guarantees for the observance of any treaty that
might be made.

When a flag of truce came forward, and announced that Monsieur de
la Noue had arrived on the part of the king, the news was at first
received with incredulity. Then there was a burst of indignation,
at what was considered the treachery of the count. He was refused
permission to enter the town but, after some parleying, a party
went out to have an interview with him outside the gate.

The meeting was unsatisfactory. Some of the citizens pretended that
they did not recognize De la Noue, saying that the person they knew
was a brave gentleman, faithful to his religion, and one who
certainly would not be found in a Catholic camp.

A few days later, however, the negotiations were renewed. The count
pointed out that they could not hope, finally, to resist the whole
force of France; and that it would be far better for them to make
terms, now, than when in an extremity. But he was able to give no
guarantees that were considered acceptable by the citizens.

De la Noue's position was exceedingly difficult. But at last the
citizens perceived that he was still loyal to the cause; and as he
had, beforehand, received the king's authority to accept the
governorship of the town, the people of La Rochelle agreed to
receive him in that position, provided that no troops entered with
him.

The negotiations fell through, and the siege was renewed with
vigour, De la Noue now taking the lead in the defence, his military
experience being of immense assistance. Very many of the nobles and
gentlemen in the Catholic army were present, as a matter of duty.
They fought with the usual gallantry of their race, but for the
most part abhorred the massacre of Saint Bartholomew; and were as
strongly of opinion as were the Huguenots of France, and the
Protestants throughout Europe, that it was an indelible disgrace
upon France.

Their feeling was shown in many ways. Among others, Maurevel, the
murderer of De Mouy, and the man who had attempted the assassination
of the Admiral, having accompanied the Duke of Anjou to the camp, no
one would associate with him or suffer him to encamp near, or even go
on guard with him into the trenches; and the duke was, in consequence,
obliged to appoint him to the command of a small fort which was
erected on the seashore.

Incessant fighting went on, but the position was a singular one.
The Duke of Alencon had been an unwilling spectator of the massacre
of Saint Bartholomew. He was jealous of Anjou, and restless and
discontented, and he contemplated going over to the Huguenots. The
King of Navarre and his cousin Conde, and the Huguenot gentlemen
with him, were equally anxious to leave the camp, where they were
closely watched; and De la Noue, while conducting the defence,
occasionally visited the royal camp and endeavoured to bring about
a reconciliation.

He was much rejoiced, on his first arrival at the city, to find
both Francois and Philip there; for he had believed that both had
fallen in the massacre. He took great interest in Philip's love
affair, and made inquiries in the royal camp; where he learned that
Mademoiselle de Valecourt was supposed to have perished with her
father, in the massacre; and that the estates had already been
bestowed, by the king, on one of his favourites.

"I should say that, if our cause should finally triumph, a portion
at least of her estates will be restored to her; but in that case
the king would certainly claim to dispose of her hand."

"I care nothing for the estates, nor does she," Philip said. "She
will go with me to England, as soon as the fighting here is over;
and if things look hopeless, we shall embark, and endeavour to
break through the blockade by the king's ships. Even had she the
estates, she would not remain in France, which has become hateful
to her. She is now fully restored to health, and we shall shortly
be married."

When De la Noue next went out to the French camp, he sent a
despatch to the king, saying that Mademoiselle de Valecourt had
escaped the massacre and was in La Rochelle. He pointed out that,
as long as she lived, the Huguenots would, if at any time they
became strong enough to make terms, insist upon the restoration of
her estates, as well as those of others that had been confiscated.
He said that he had had an interview with her, and had learned that
she intended, if a proper provision should be secured for her, to
retire to England. He therefore prayed his majesty, as a favour to
him and as an act of justice, to require the nobleman to whom he
had granted the estates to pay her a handsome sum, when she would
make a formal renunciation of the estates in his favour.

A month later he received the royal answer, saying that the king
had graciously taken the case of Mademoiselle de Valecourt into his
consideration, that he had spoken to the nobleman to whom he had
granted her estate, and to the Duke of Guise, whose near relative
he was; and that these noblemen had placed in his hands the sum of
ten thousand livres, for which was enclosed an order, payable by
the treasury of the army upon the signatures of Monsieur de la Noue
and Mademoiselle de Valecourt, and upon the handing over of the
document of renunciation signed by her.

Monsieur de la Noue had told Philip nothing of these negotiations
but, having obtained from Claire the necessary signature he, one
evening, on his return from the royal camp, came into the room
where they were sitting, followed by two servants carrying small,
but heavy bags.

"Mademoiselle," he said, when the servants had placed these on the
table and retired, "I have pleasure in handing you these.

"Philip, Mademoiselle de Valecourt will not come to you as a
dowerless bride, which indeed would be a shame for a daughter of so
old and noble a family. Mademoiselle has signed a formal
renunciation of her rights to the estates of her late father and,
by some slight good offices on my part, his majesty has obtained
for her, from the man to whom he has granted the estates of
Valecourt, the sum of ten thousand livres--a poor fraction, indeed,
of the estates she should have inherited; and yet a considerable
sum, in itself."

A week later, Sir Philip Fletcher and Claire de Valecourt were
married in the principal church of La Rochelle. The Count de la
Noue, as a friend and companion-in-arms of her father, gave her
away; and all the Huguenot noblemen and gentlemen in the town were
present. Three weeks later, a great assault upon the bastion of
L'Evangile having been repulsed, the siege languished; the
besieging army having suffered greatly, both from death in the
trenches and assaults, and by the attacks of fever.

The Count of Montgomery arrived from England, with some
reinforcements. De la Noue resigned to him the governorship, and
left the city. The Prince of Anjou, shortly afterwards, received
the crown of Poland; and left the camp, with a number of nobles, to
proceed to his new kingdom; and the army became so weakened that
the siege was practically discontinued and, the blockading fleet
being withdrawn, Philip and his wife took passage in a ship for
England, Pierre accompanying them.

"I may come some day with Francois, Philip," the countess said,
"but not till I see that the cause is altogether lost. Still I have
faith that we shall win tolerance. They say that the king is mad.
Anjou has gone to Poland. Alencon is still unmarried. I believe
that it is God's will that Henry of Navarre should come to the
throne of France, and if so, there will be peace and toleration in
France. So long as a Huguenot sword is unsheathed, I shall remain
here."

Philip had written to acquaint his father and mother of his
marriage, and his intention to return with his wife as soon as the
siege was over. There was therefore but little surprise, although
great joy, when he arrived. He had sent off Pierre on horseback, as
soon as the ship dropped anchor at Gravesend, and followed more
leisurely himself.

They were met, a few miles out of Canterbury, by a messenger from
his uncle; telling them to ride straight to his new estate, where
he would be met by his mother and father--the latter of whom had
started, the day before, in a litter for the house--and that his
uncle and aunt would also be there.

Upon Philip and Claire's arrival, they were received with much
rejoicing. Monsieur Vaillant had sent round messengers to all the
tenantry to assemble, and had taken over a number of his workmen,
who had decorated the avenue leading to the house with flags, and
thrown several arches across it.

"It is a small place in comparison to Valecourt, Claire," Philip
said, as they drove up to the house.

"It is a fine chateau, Philip; but now that I have you, it would
not matter to me were it but a hut.

"And oh, what happiness to think that we have done with persecution
and terror and war, and that I may worship God freely and openly!
He has been good to me, indeed; and if I were not perfectly happy,
I should be the most ungrateful of women."

Claire's dowry was spent in enlarging the estate, and Philip became
one of the largest landowners in the county. He went no more to the
wars, save that, when the Spanish armada threatened the religion
and freedom of England, he embarked as a volunteer in one of
Drake's ships, and took part in the fierce fighting that freed
England for ever from the yoke of Rome, and in no small degree
aided both in securing the independence of Protestant Holland, and
of seating Henry of Navarre firmly upon the throne of France.

Save to pay two or three visits to Philip and her sisters, the
Countess de Laville and her son did not come to England. Francois
fought at Ivry and the many other battles that took place, before
Henry of Navarre became undisputed King of France; and then became
one of the leading nobles of his court.

Philip settled a small pension on the four men-at-arms who had
followed his fortunes and shared his perils, and they returned to
their native Gascony; where they settled down, two being no longer
fit for service, and the others having had enough fighting for a
lifetime.

The countess had, soon after Francois returned to La Rochelle, sent
a sum of money, to the girl who had saved his life, that sufficed
to make her the wealthiest heiress in her native village in Poitou;
and she married a well-to-do farmer, the countess herself standing
as godmother to their first child, to their immeasurable pride and
gratification.

Pierre remained to the end of his life in Philip's service, taking
to himself an English wife, and being a great favourite with the
children of Philip and Claire, who were never tired of listening to
the adventures he had gone through, with their father and mother,
in the religious wars in France.

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