Cathedrals and churches of the Rhine . r her death spoken of. Shedid but sleep, he said; and the Emperorclung to the chamber of his beloved, andwould not abate his watchfulness till Fras-trade woke. Meantime the affairs of the Empire werefalling into confusion. Provinces were all butrevolting, and foreign foes were musteringtheir forces. The Emperors chief counsellorwas the Archbishop of Reims. One night —though this is more legendary than historical— the archbishop was walking by himselfwhen he came upon a shape in the moonlightwhich proclaimed itself as follows: I amthe good genius of Charle
Cathedrals and churches of the Rhine . r her death spoken of. Shedid but sleep, he said; and the Emperorclung to the chamber of his beloved, andwould not abate his watchfulness till Fras-trade woke. Meantime the affairs of the Empire werefalling into confusion. Provinces were all butrevolting, and foreign foes were musteringtheir forces. The Emperors chief counsellorwas the Archbishop of Reims. One night —though this is more legendary than historical— the archbishop was walking by himselfwhen he came upon a shape in the moonlightwhich proclaimed itself as follows: I amthe good genius of Charlemagne. I came toteach you how to remove the shadow from hisspirit. Dig, where I stand, a grave and letthe festering body of Frastrade lie in it. But,mark you! Ere you move her body, searchbeneath her tongue and take out what youfind there. The archbishop hurried toward a gro-tesquely carved cottage door where lived agravedigger. No silken sleeper so calm as theyWho seek a couch in the churchyard clay, sang a voice from within. 278. Cathedrals and Churches of the Rhine In half an hour the grave was begun, andin another half-hour the churchman was inthe chamber of Frastrade, where the Emperor,exhausted by his vigil, slept kneeling at thebedside. The archbishop approached, and, peeringinto the mouth of the corpse, saw beneath thetongue a glittering jewel. With hasty fingers he seized the token, and,as he removed it, a loud wail startled thesilence of the death-chamber and aroused theking. The spell was broken. Throwing but a single glance at the corpseof his wife, Charlemagne left the chamber,and, even as he went, agreed to the archbish-ops arrangements for her burial. The grave so secretly made ready was un-necessary, however, for the body was borne toMayence, where a tomb raised to the memoryof Frastrade is still to be seen. At the archbishops desire Charlemagneonce more took his seat in the Council of State,and once more the Empire was put in order. The courtiers resented t
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