Seneschal

Perhaps the greatest difficulty is to understand why it is that no Teutonic name of an office, which was certainly not Roman but Teutonic, should have survived in history.

An opinion which has found some powerful supporters is that the office was the same which was called by the Germans Seneschal, the oldest servant in the palace, and that as the last part of this word denoted a servile condition, the more respectful Latin term Maiordomus was adopted instead.

This opinion is, however, as powerfully opposed, and certainly the fact that both Maiordomus and Seneschalcus are found in the same documents as titles of apparently different offices seems to throw a doubt upon its correctness.

But whatever the origin of the name, it is pretty clear that the Mayor of the Palace was originally but the chief domestic of the king, he to whom it appertained to order the ceremonies of the court, to rule the royal pages, probably to superintend the repairs of the royal dwelling.

Hence not only reigning kings but queens dowager and even princesses had their Maiordomus, and it even seems probable that one king might have several mayors, each superintending one of his various palaces.

The surprise and the possession of the higher ground fully compensated for the mountaineers' inferiority in arms and discipline.

In fact, in such an encounter the heavier armor of the Franks was a positive disadvantage.

By the confession of the biographer of Charlemagne, at least the whole of the rear guard were cut to pieces, and with them fell many of the nobles of Charles' court, notably Egehard the Seneschal, Anselm the Count of the Palace, and Roland the Governor of the Breton March.

who scorns thy idle scoff and bids thee be defied to take defiance at a lady's word quoth he i hold it no indignity but were he here that would it with his sword abet perhaps he mote it dearer by cowherd quoth she were not that thou wouldst fly ere he do come he should be soon in place If I do so, said he, then liberty I leave to you, for I me to disgrace with all those shames that erst ye spake me to deface.

With that a dwarf she called to her in haste, and taking from her hand a ring of gold, a privy token, which between them passed, bade him to fly with all the speed he could to Crudor, and desire him that he would vouchsafe to rescue her against a knight, who those strong power had now herself in hold, having late slain her Seneschal in fight, and all her people murdered with outrageous might.

the dwarf his way did hast and went all night but calidore did with her there abide the coming of that so much threatened knight where that discourteous dame with scornful pride and foul entreaty him indignified that iron heart it hardly could sustain yet he that could his wrath full wisely guide did well endure her womanish disdain and did himself from frail impatience refrain the morrow next before the lamp of light above the earth upreared his flaming head the dwarf who bore that message to her knight brought answer back that ere he tasted bread he would her succour and alive or dead her foe deliver up into her hand Therefore he willed her do away all dread, and that of him she mote assured stand, and sent to her his bassinet as a faithful band.

Thereof full blithe the lady straight became, And gan to augment her bitterness much more, Yet no whit more appall'd for the same, Nor aught dismay'd was Sir Calidor, But rather did more cheerful seem therefore.

The chief combatants on the Scottish side were the Earls of Douglas, Moray, March, and Crawford; the Lord Montgomery, and Patrick Hepburn of Hails and his son.

On the English side were Sir Henry [Hotspur] and Sir Ralph Percy, sons of the Earl of Northumberland; the Seneschal of York; Sir Ralph Langley; Sir Matthew Redman, Governor of Berwick; Sir Robert Ogle; Sir Thomas Gray; Sir Thomas Hatton; Sir John Felton; Sir John Lilburne; Sir William Walsingham; and many others, all good men and true.

The circumstances which brought about this famous encounter are worth recalling, as they shed an interesting light on the history of the period as well as on the manners and customs of the age.

The Scots, with the aid of their French allies under the command of Sir John D'Vivienne, had made frequent successful incursions upon the English borders, ravaging with fire and sword considerable districts of the country both to the east and west of the frontier.

Perhaps the greatest difficulty is to understand why it is that no Teutonic name of an office, which was certainly not Roman but Teutonic, should have survived in history.

An opinion which has found some powerful supporters is that the office was the same which was called by the Germans Seneschal, the oldest servant in the palace, and that as the last part of this word denoted a servile condition, the more respectful Latin term Maiordomus was adopted instead.

This opinion is, however, as powerfully opposed, and certainly the fact that both Maiordomus and Seneschalcus are found in the same documents as titles of apparently different offices seems to throw a doubt upon its correctness.

But whatever the origin of the name, it is pretty clear that the Mayor of the Palace was originally but the chief domestic of the king, he to whom it appertained to order the ceremonies of the court, to rule the royal pages, probably to superintend the repairs of the royal dwelling.

Hence, not only reigning kings but queens dowager and even princesses had their Maiordomus, and it even seems probable that one king might have several mayors, each superintending one of his various palaces.

The surprise and the possession of the higher ground fully compensated for the mountaineers' inferiority in arms and discipline.

In fact, in such an encounter, the heavier armor of the Franks was a positive disadvantage.

By the confession of the biographer of Charlemagne, at least the whole of the rear guard were cut to pieces, and with them fell many of the nobles of Charles' court, notably Egehard the Seneschal, Anselm the Count of the Palace, and Roland the Governor of the Breton March.

And pretty soon, Puss felt his eyelids drooping, and before long, He was in the land of dreams, and he thought he had wings and was flying through the air by the side of Goosey Goosey Ganter.

By and by, he came to the castle of My Lord of Caribous, where his father, the famous Puss in Boots, was Seneschal.

And he flew into the window and sat on the foot of the bed.

But at first...

"'And if I ever have a little grandchild, "'I hope this fairy will come in through the window "'and give him a cheerful disposition.' "'Whither are you bound, Sir Cat?' asked the miller, lighting his corncob pipe and blowing the smoke into the clear morning air.

"'I'm on my way to the castle of my Lord of Carabas,' replied our little traveller.

"'My father, the famous Puss in Boots, is Seneschal to Lord Carabas.' "'Indeed,' exclaimed the miller, "'I have often heard of your illustrious father.

In fact, I've read a book about him.' So have I, grinned Puss Jr.

Foul distrust, and breach Disloyal on the part of man, revolt And disobedience; on the part of Heaven Now alienated, distance and distaste, Anger and just rebuke, and judgment given; That brought into this world a world of woe, Sin and her shadow death, and misery Death's harbinger: sad task, yet argument Not less but more heroic than the wrath Of stern ACHILLES on his foe pursued Thrice fugitive about TROY wall, or rage Of TURNUS for LAVINIA disespoused, Or NEPTUNE's ire, or JUNO's, that so long Perplex'd the GREEK and CYTHEREA's son.

If answerable stile I can obtain Of my celestial patroness, who deigns Her nightly visitation unimplor'd, And dictates to me slumbering, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse; Since first this subject for heroic song Pleas'd me, long choosing and beginning late, Not sedulous by nature to indite Wars, hitherto the only argument Heroic deem'd, chief mastery to dissect With long and tedious havoc fabled Knights In battles feign'd; the better fortitude Of patience and heroic martyrdom Unsung, or to describe Races and Games, Or tilting furniture, emblazon'd Shields, Impresses quaint, caparisons and Steeds, Bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous Knights At Joust and Tournament; then marshal'd feast Serv'd up in Hall with Sewers and Seneschals; The skill of artifice, or office mean, Not that which justly gives heroic name To Person or to Poem.

Me of these Nor skill'd nor studious, higher argument Remains, sufficient of itself to raise That name, unless an age too late, or cold Climate, or years damp my intended wing Depress'd: and much they may, if all be mine, Not hers who brings it nightly to my ear.

The Sun was sunk, and after him the Star Of HESPERUS, whose office is to bring Twilight upon the Earth, short arbiter 'Twixt Day and Night; and now from end to end Night's Hemisphere had veil'd the Horizon round: When SATAN, who late fled before the threats Of GABRIEL out of EDEN, now improv'd In meditated fraud and malice, bent On mans destruction, maugre what might hap Of heavier on himself, fearless return'd.

Yeah.

And in the original version I wrote, he had like a Seneschal with him and he had.

his, you know, crab officer hugged the kid for him.

And then I was like, no, no, no, that's all wrong.