Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/48

26 what holy words she had taught. All except the real murderer, who kept declaring she was the guilty one.

The king asked her, “Have you any champion who could fight for you?”

At this Constance, falling on her knees, cried out that she had no champion but God, and prayed that He would defend her innocence.

“Now,” cried the king, “bring the holy book which was brought from Brittany by my fathers, and let the knight swear upon it that the maiden is guilty.”

So they brought the book of the Gospels, and the knight kissed it, but as soon as he began to take the oath he was felled down as by a terrible blow, and his neck was found broken and his eyes burst from his head. Before them all, in great agony, he died, confessing his guilt and the innocence of Constance.

King Alla had been much moved by the beauty of Constance and her innocent looks, and now she was proved guiltless, all his heart went out to her. And when he asked her to become his queen she gladly consented, for she loved him because he had pitied and helped her. They were soon married amidst the great rejoicing of the people, and the king and all the land became converted to the Christian faith.

This king also had a mother, named