Part 17

(A) Guglielmo, Marquis of Monferrato: _died_ 1180.

(B) GUY DE LUSIGNAN: _mar._ 1183; _died_ September (Fabyan) 1193 (ib.) 1194 (Moreri, Woodward and Coates Chron. Cycl.) 1195 (Roger de Hoveden) 1196 (Anderson). [Character historical]

_By Maria_:--

3. ISABEL I. [Character historical] _Married_--

(A) HOMFROY DE TOURS: _mar. circ._ 1183; _divorced_ 1190; _died_ 1199. [The legality of the divorce was very doubtful, and caused many subsequent counter-claims to the throne.]

(B) Conrado, Marquis of Monferrato, Count of Tyre: _mar._ 1190; _assassinated_ at Tyre, Apr. 27, 1192.

(C) Henri, Count of Champagne: _mar._ 1193, _died_ at Acre, by accident, 1196-7.

(D) AMAURY DE LUSIGNAN, brother of Guy: _mar._ 1197, _d._ 1205. [Character imaginary.]

_Issue of Sybil I. By Guglielmo_:--

1. BALDWIN V., _born_ 1180, _crowned_ Nov. 20, 1183; _died_ at Acre, 1186. [Character imaginary.]

_By Guy_:--

2, 3. DAUGHTERS, died with mother, during siege of Acre, 1190. [Some writers ascribe four daughters to Sybil.]

_Issue of Isabel I. By Conrado_:--

1. Marie, or Violante, I. Married--

Jean de Brienne, third son of Erard II. Count of Brienne, and Agnes de Montbeliard; Emperor of the East, 1233; _died_ Mar. 21, 1237.

_By Henri_:--

2. Alix I., _died cir._ 1246. Married--

(A) HUGUES DE LUSIGNAN, son of Amaury de Lusignan and Eschine d'Ibellin: _died_ 1219.

(B) Bohemond IV., Prince of Antioch: _divorced_.

(C) Raoul, Count of Soissons: _died circ._ 1246.

3. Philippa, _mar._ 1214, Erard de Brienne, Lord of Rameru; living 1247.

_By Amaury_:--

4. Sybil, _mar._ Leon I., King of Armenia.

5. Robert, Abbot of St. Michael

6. Amaury, _died_ young.

_Issue of Marie I_.

Violante, _mar._ at Brindisi, 1223-5, Friedrich II., Emperor of Germany: _died_ 1228-9.

From this marriage the Emperors of Germany and Austria derive the empty title of Kings of Jerusalem. They have no right to it, since the posterity of Violante became extinct in the second generation. The Kings of Italy, on the contrary, have a right to the title, being descendants of Anna of Cyprus, the heir general of Alix I.

*III. HOUSE OF LUSIGNAN.*

It will be perceived from the following table, that in the story, the three Williams, sons of Count Geoffrey, have been made into one; and that the sisters, Alix and Elaine, are fictitious characters.

The House of Lusignan begins about A.D. 900, with Hugues I., surnamed _Le Veneur_. Eighth in descent from him we find--

Hugues VIII., died 1164. _Married_--

Bourgogne, daughter of Geoffroy de Rancon.

_Issue_:--

1. Hugues IX, _died_ 1206. _Married_--

Mahaud, daughter of Wulgrain III., Count of Angouleme.

2. GEOFFROY, COUNT DE LA MARCHE, living 1210. [Character imaginary.] _Married_--

(A) Eustacie de Chabot.

(B) Clemence, daughter of Hugues Viscount de Chatelherault. [Character imaginary.]

_Issue of Hugues IX. and Mahaud_:--

Hugues X., le Brun: _killed_ at Massoura, 1249. _Married_--

Isabelle, Countess of Angouleme, and widow of John King of England; _mar._ 1217-21; _died_ 1246.

[From this marriage sprang the House of Valence, Earls of Pembroke, famous in English history.]

_Issue of Count Geoffroy and Eustacie_:--

1. GUILLAUME, surnamed _a la grande dent_, _died_ issueless before 1250. _Married_--

UMBERGE, daughter of the Viscount de Limoges. [Character imaginary.]

2. GUILLAUME, Lord of Mairevant. _Married_--

[Unknown.]

3. GUILLAUME de Valence, _died_ 1170.

4. GUY, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon: _crowned_ King of Jerusalem, Sept. 1186; _died Sept._, 1193-6. [See the previous article.]

5. AMAURY, _died_ 1205. _Married_--

(A) ESCHINE, daughter of Beaudouin d'Ibellin, Lord of Rames; _died_ 1193. [Character imaginary.]

(B) ISABEL I., Queen of Jerusalem. [See last article.]

6. RAOUL d'Issoudun, _d._ 1218-9. _Married_, before Aug. 31, 1199.

Alice, Countess of Eu: living Sept. 19, 1119.

_Issue of Guillaume Lord of Mairevant_:--

1. VALENCE, _mar._ Hugues, Lord of Parthenay.

2. Elise, or Aline, _mar._ Bartholome, Lord de La Haye.

_Issue of Amaury and Eschine_:--

1. GUY, _died_ young.

2. Jean, _died_ young.

3. HUGUES, _died_ 1219. _Married_--

Alix I., Queen of Jerusalem. [See last article]

4. Bourgogne, _mar._ Gaultier de Montbelliard.

5. HELOISE, _mar._ (1) Eudes de Dampierre; (2) Rupin, Prince of Antioch.

[For issue of Amaury and Queen Isabel, see last article.]

*TITLES.*

Society was divided in the twelfth century into four ranks only,--nobles, clergy, bourgeoisie, and villeins. Two of these,--nobles and villeins--were kept as distinct as caste ever kept classes in India, though of course with some differences of detail. All titled persons, knights, and landed proprietors, belonged to the nobility. The clergy were recruited from nobility and bourgeoisie--rarely from the villein class. The bourgeoisie were free men, without land, and usually with some trade or profession; and were despised by the nobles, as men who had lifted themselves above their station, and presumed to vie with their betters. The villeins were always serfs, saleable with the land on which they lived, bound to the service of its owner, disposable at his pleasure, and esteemed by him very little superior to cattle. Education was restricted to clergy and noble women, with a few exceptions among the male nobility; but as a rule, a lay gentleman who could read a book, or write anything beyond his signature, was rarely to be seen.

No kind of title was bestowed in addressing any but nobles and clergy. The bourgeois was merely Richard Haberdasher, John the Clerk, or William by the Brook--(whence come Clark and Brook as surnames)--the villein was barely Hodge or Robin, without any further designation unless necessary, when the master's name was added. Such a term as Ralph Walter-Servant (namely, Ralph, servant of Walter) is not uncommon on mediaeval rolls.

The clergy, as is still the case in Romish countries, were addressed as Father; and those who had not graduated at the Universities were termed Sir, with the surname--"Sir Green," or "Sir Dickson." It is doubtful, however, whether this last item stretches so far back as the twelfth century. "Dan," the epithet of Chaucer, certainly does not.

The names bestowed on the nobles consisted of three for the men, and two for the women. (French, it must be remembered, was the language of England as well as of France at this time. Only villeins spoke English.) The lowest epithet was "Sieur" (gentleman), which was applied to untitled landed proprietors. The next, "Sire" or "Messire" (Sir) was the title of the knights; and the King was addressed as Sire only because he was the chief knight in the realm. The highest, "Seigneur" (Lord) was applied to royalty, peers, and all nobles in authority, especially those possessing territorial power. The ladies, married and single, were addressed as "Dame" and "Damoiselle." The English version of the last title, damsel, was used of the young nobility of both sexes.

Among themselves, nobles addressed their relatives by the title of relationship, with the epithet "bel" prefixed--which, when English began to be spoken by the higher classes, was translated "fair." "Fair Father," "Fair Brother," sound very odd to modern ears: but for centuries they were the usual appellations in a noble family, both in England and in France. They were not, however, used between husband and wife, who always ceremoniously termed each other Monseigneur and Madame.

It was only natural--and is what we ourselves do to this day--that our ancestors should address God in prayer by those terms which in their eyes were the highest titles of honour. In this light, though "Majesty" is peculiar to Spain, yet "Seigneur," "Messire," and "Bel Pere," obtained currency in most civilised countries. The first we have retained: and though we have degraded "Lord" into the title of our lesser nobility, we still use it as the special epithet of Deity. It is only custom which has made the other names sound strange to our ears. We no longer prefix "fair" to "Father" when we address the human relative; and it has also become unusual to transfer it to the divine Father. "Sir God" would shock us. But in our ancestors' eyes it was the most reverent and honourable of all titles, which was the reason why they chose it. Even so late as the fifteenth century, the Maid of Orleans never spoke of God by any other term than "Messire."

THE END

* * * * * * * *

*Stories of English Life.*

*BY EMILY S. HOLT.*

A.D. 597

I. Imogen: A TALE OF THE EARLY BRITISH CHURCH.

A.D. 1066

II. Behind the Veil: A STORY OF THE NORMAN CONQUEST.

A.D. 1159

III. One Snowy Night; OR, LONG AGO AT OXFORD.

A.D. 1189

IV. Lady Sybil's Choice: A TALE OF THE CRUSADES.

A.D. 1214

V. Earl Hubert's Daughter; OR, THE POLISHING OF THE PEARL.

A.D. 1325

VI. In all Time of our Tribulation: THE STORY OF PIERS GAVESTONE.

A.D. 1350

VII. The White Lady of Hazelwood: THE WARRIOR COUNTESS OF MONTFORT.

A.D. 1352

VIII. Countess Maud; OR, THE CHANGES OF THE WORLD.

A.D. 1360

IX. In Convent Walls: THE STORY OF THE DESPENSERS.

A.D. 1377

X. John De Wycliffe, AND WHAT HE DID FOR ENGLAND.

A.D. 1384

XI. The Lord Mayor: A TALK OF LONDON IN 1384.

A.D. 1390

XII. Under One Sceptre: THE STORY OF THE LORD OF THE MARCHES

A.D. 1400

XIII. The White Rose of Langley; OR, THE STORY OF CONSTANCE LE DESPENSER.

A.D. 1400

XIV. Mistress Margery: A TALE OF THE LOLLARDS.

A.D. 1400

XV. Margery's Son; OR, UNTIL HE FIND IT.

A.D. 1470

XVI. Red and White; OR, THE WARS OF THE ROSES.

A.D. 1480

XVII. The Tangled Web: A TALE OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

A.D. 1515

XVIII. The Harvest of Yesterday: A TALE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

A.D. 1530

XIX. Lettice Eden; OR, THE LAMPS OF EARTH AND THE LIGHTS OF HEAVEN.

A.D. 1535

XX. Isoult Barry of Wynscote: A TALE OF TUDOR TIMES.

A.D. 1544

XXI. Through the Storm; OR, THE LORD'S PRISONERS.

A.D. 1555

XXII. Robin Tremayne: A TALE OF THE MARIAN PERSECUTION.

A.D. 1556

XXIII. All's Well; OR, ALICE'S VICTORY.

A.D. 1556

XXIV. The King's Daughters. HOW TWO GIRLS KEPT THE FAITH.

A.D. 1569

XXV. Sister Rose; OR, THE EVE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW.

A.D. 1579

XXVI. Joyce Morrell's Harvest: A STORY OF THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.

A.D. 1588

XXVII. Clare Avery: A STORY OF THE SPANISH ARMADA.

A.D. 1605

XXVIII. It Might Have Been: THE STORY OF GUNPOWDER PLOT.

A.D. 1635

XXIX. Minster Lovel: A STORY OF THE DAYS OF LAUD.

A.D. 1662

XXX. Wearyholme; A STORY OF THE RESTORATION.

A.D. 1712

XXXI. The Maiden's Lodge; OR, THE DAYS OF QUEEN ANNE.

A.D. 1745

XXXII. Out in the Forty-five; OR, DUNCAN KEITH'S VOW.

A.D. 1750

XXXIII. Ashcliffe Hall: A TALE OF THE LAST CENTURY.

XXXIV. A.D. 1556

For the Master's Sake; OR, THE DAYS OF QUEEN MARY.

A.D. 1345

The Well in the Desert. AN OLD LEGEND.

XXXV. A.D. 1559

All for the Best; OR, BERNARD GILPIN'S MOTTO.

A.D. 1560

At the Grene Griffin: A TALE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

XXXVI. A.D. 1270

Our Little Lady; OR, SIX HUNDRED YEARS AGO

A.D. 1652

Gold that Glitters; OR, THE MISTAKES OF JENNY LAVENDER.

XXXVII. A.D. 1290

A Forgotten Hero: THE STORY OF ROGER DE MORTIMER.

A.D. 1266

Princess Adelaide: A STORY OF THE SIEGE OF KENILWORTH.

XXXVIII. 1ST CENTURY.

The Slave Girl of Pompeii.

2ND CENTURY.

The Way of the Cross. TALES OF THE EARLY CHURCH

A.D. 870 to 1580

XXXIX. Lights in the Darkness: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

A.D. 1873

XL. Verena. SAFE PATHS AND SLIPPERY BYE-WAYS. A Story of To-day.

LONDON: JOHN F. SHAW AND CO.,

48 PATERNOSTER ROW.