Page:Zawis and Kunigunde (1895).djvu/123

 The religious ceremonies of the occasion formed only a flimsy disguise for deep political plottings. Among the crowd jugglers and jongleurs vied for popularity and pennies.

The sack of the mendicant friar exacted toll from every stall of fruit, fish, meat, and sweetmeats. The itinerant stage player gamboled before his booth, and beggars from Paris, both narquois, pietres, malingreux callots, coquillarts, capons, sabouleux and others of the craft, exhibited their well-painted deformities and fictitious ailments before every eye. The tournament was set, the reviewing stands erected, the knights contestant duly arrayed, proclamation made, and the tilts proceeded gayly. Rudolph had arranged the seats so that a blonde lady sat next a dark cavalier and the white-dressed dames interposed between knights in dark armor. Himself occupied a place next the queen, conspicuous with her white capote, and displayed much courtesy to her, styling her “Frau” in most friendly fashion, as if he were not conspiring against every fiber of her existence at that moment. Heroes and chevaliers dashed each other to the ground amid the plaudits of the corona.

Among others the well-known cognizance af Seyfried von Ehmersberg advanced proudly into the list. At sight.of her husband’s slayer, Queen Kunigunde turned deathly pale, and Rudolph’s eye noticed the pallor. His opponent was mounted on a large Hungarian charger, of the noble Tschmud race, recently imported seemingly, and of great size and strength.