nuity had once saved his life. Sir Francis, curious to enjoy her artful evasions, followed liim ; and a moment after, the centre stone of the groined ceiling fell with a terrible crash on the very spot where they had been sitting This almost miraculous preservation induced the prince to believe that he was destined to perform some great ser-vice for God. It recalled to his mind the benizon of our Lady at "Walsingham, and, accompanied by Eleanora and a goodly train, he set off the following day to offer on her shrine at Norfolk an altar-cloth of gold brocade, and to crave her protection upon the expedition that he now seri-ously meditated. "Eva," said the princess, very gravely, when they sat one day alone,." thou knowest my lord contemplates a pil-grimage." " The saints preserve us !" said Eva. " Are there not holy places enough in England, but my lord must risk his life upon the sea, and encounter the black Infidels whose very presence is a terror?" " 'Tis not alone to visit the holy places," replied Eleano-ra, " though that were a work well worthy knightly daring ; but to redeem our christian brethren from the power of their foes, and to establish the kingdom of Christ, in the land where He died for his people." "And have not the holiest men and the bravest warriors in Europe, from Peter the Hermit to Fulk of Neuilly, and from Godfrey of Boulogne to the good St. Louis, all at-tempted it and failed ? My lord, I warrant me, has been reading the tales of the romancers, or been deceived by the cunning manifestos of the pope," returned Eva. " Eva, dear one, when shall I teach thee to treat with re-spect those in authority." " I know that I am wrong," said Eva, " but why does not his Holiness take the cross himself, if he considers it such a pious work ?" " And if the Sovereign Pontiff' be one of those who say and do not, the Scriptures still require us to obey those who sit in Moses' seat," replied the queen. ELEANOItA. 377