Page:Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia; also, The Man Without a Name.djvu/93

Rh ing that they have made the fortune of the poor fellow whom they honour with their precious self, recall to him in after times with insolence his wooden shoes. On the contrary, she imitated the famous Palmyrean queen Zenobia,, whowho [sic] led her good-natured Odinat solely by the superiority of her talents.

The happy pair lived in the enjoyment of unchanging love, as was the custom at that time, when the links that united hearts were as strong and lasting as the cement and mortar which made the walls of the ancient world so indestructible. Duke Primislas soon became one of the most gallant knights of the age, and the Bohemian court the most splendid in Germany. Insensibly many knights and noblemen came from all parts of the empire, with their followers, to the residence, which soon became too small for the inhabitants. Therefore Libussa sent for her administrators, and ordered them to build a town where they would find at noon a man making the wisest use of his teeth. They went and found, at the indicated time, a man who was hard at work in cutting a block of wood in two. They judged that this industrious man, who made a far better use of the teeth of the saw at noon-time than the parasite makes of his at the tables of the great, was