a steadiness of purpose in the pursuit of the studies to which Eleanora invited her attention. An appeal to lier heart never failed to induce immediate repentance for any fault, and she was altogether the most winning, but-vexatious pu-pil, that ever engaged the affections of a queen. But the accomplishments of Eleanora herself were not complete, and in 1256 she was again conveyed to Bordeaux, for the purpose of receiving instruction from masters better quali-fied to conduct her education. At her earnest request, Eva was permitted to accompany her. Her young husband was meanwhile engaged perfecting himself in every knightly accomplishment, " haunting tournaments," and carrying off the prizes from all competi-tors, with a skill and grace that gave him a renown, not in-ferior to that of his great uncle Richard Cœur de Lion. At Paris, he formed an intimacy with the Sire de Joinville, companion of St. Louis in the seventh crusade, and he lis-tened to the account of affairs in the East with an interest that inflamed his young and ardent imagination. The Lord de Joinville, high seneschal of Champagne, was one of the most erudite and affable nobles of the thirteenth century, and it was an agreeable occupation for the expe-rienced soldier, to enlighten the mind of the young prince with an account of the customs and manners of the East, and the state of the Latin kingdom in Jerusalem, which had so much influenced the politics of Europe. After the return of Frederic, Gregory IX. excommuni-cated him for declining to combat the enemy of God ; but so long had been the contest between the emperor and the pontiff, and so divided were the minds of men upon the rights of the cause, that the clergy published the sentence with many explanatory clauses, that greatly modified its effect. A curé at Paris, instead of reading the bull from the pulpit in the usual form, said to his parishioners, " You know, my brethren, that I am ordered to fulminate an ex-communication against Frederic. I know not the motive. All that I know is, that there has been a quarrel between that prince and the pope. God alone knows who is right. 348 HEROINES OF THE CRUSADES.