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Works (17); Wolfert's Roost and Other Papers
Works Wolfert's Roost and Other Papers - 17 Author:Washington Irving Volume: 17 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1873 Original Publisher: G.P. Putnam Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where... more » you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IT Of Count Julian. JOR a time Don Roderick lived happily with his young and beautiful queen, and Toledo was the seat of festivity and splendor. The principal nobles throughout the kingdom repaired to his court to pay him homage, and to receive his commands; and none were more devoted in their reverence than those who were obnoxious to suspicion from their connection with the late king. Among the foremost of these was Count Julian, a man destined to be infamously renowned in the dark story of his country's woes. He was one of the proudest Gothic families, lord of Consuegra and Algeziras, and connected by marriage with Witiza and the bishop Oppas -- his wife, the countess Frandina, being their sister. In consequence of this connection, and of his own merits, he had enjoyed the highest dignities and commands, being one of the Espatorios, or royal sword-bearers -- an office of the greatest confidence about the person of the sovereign.1 He had, moreover, been intrusted with the military govern- 1 Condes Espatorios; so called from the drawn swords of ample size and breadth with which they kept guard in th ante-chambers of the Gothic kings. Comes Spathariorum, custodum corporis Regis Profectus. Hunc et Propospatha aum appellatum existimo. -- Pair. Pant, de Offic. Goth ment of the Spanish possessions on the African coast of the strait, which at that time were threatened by the Arabs of the East, the followers of Mahomet, who were advancing their victorious standard to the extremity of Western Africa. Count Julian established his seat of government at ...« less