family, a child whose history became so full of incident and romance, that its relation savours more of legend than of actual experience.

Anselm Badagius, Bishop of Lucca, baptized the infant and bestowed upon her the name of Matilda, which her parents had chosen and which she was to render worldrenowned.

The Princess grew and thrived, breathing the soft air of her native land, and with it that love of Italy which became to her as essential as life itself.

She is described as "a beautiful child of the royal race, she was of the race of the masters of the world." 1

The little maiden proved a worthy descendant of the illustrious line of warriors, from whom she inherited her dauntless courage, and her fame as "The Great Countess" has survived her for nearly eight centuries.

Beatrice was a wise and tender parent, and Matilda, with her brother, led a free and happy life in blissful ignorance of the future, and with no sorrow to throw a cloud over the sunshine of their childhood.

One of their greatest pleasures was to read on holy days to their mother out of her richly-ornamented Psalter. This book, though beautifully illuminated, could not be compared to that from which the mother of Bruno, Count of Hapsburg, had taught her little son, and "the contents of which he had found it so hard to master." The children had seen that now historic volume which was "interlined in letters of gold and enriched with gold and silver plates and precious stones." So much were the words of Holy Writ valued in those days before printing multiplied the copies and brought them within the reach of all, that artists devoted their talents to embellish the portions of which they were the fortunate possessors.

The Italian language, interwoven as it was with her own Tuscan tongue, presented no difficulties to Matilda. Every morning she stood with her brother by the side of Beatrice

1 Donizo.

2 Afterwards Leo IX.

Childhood of Matilda

and read or recited to her from The Book of Hymns for

Every Day. These beautiful poems were composed by Prudentius, the Spaniard, who lived in the fourth century and was esteemed as one of the most learned men of his time. The hymns, arranged for daily devotion, have been the solace of Christians for more than fifteen centuries, and some of them are not unknown even at the present day.

Matilda also received daily instruction in the tenets of her faith, and religion was so early instilled into her heart that it formed the mainspring of her life and actions.

The Catholic Church seeks by a never-ending round of services to keep alive the devotional spirit of her numerous children in all parts of the world. Matilda could not, as the chronicler reminds us, pass a day and scarcely an hour without having her thoughts recalled by the monastic bells which at stated times summoned the faithful to prayer and by the daily mass in the Castle chapel at which Donizo the family chaplain officiated. The little maiden religiously attended the ceremonials observed on Sundays and the many holy days of the Church. She followed the solemn ritual with a devotion and attention that proved her to be a child of keen perception and reflective mind.

On Palm Sunday, Matilda and her brother were taken to the cathedral at Lucca, where palms were blessed and distributed while the choir sang of the Children of Israel encamped under the palm trees at Elim. They followed with interested gaze the long line of monks who formed into procession and passed out of the building bearing gracefullywaving palms in remembrance of our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In death-like silence they listened to the thrice-repeated knocks made with the cross on the closed door, which was then thrown open "and all entered singing the praises of our Saviour God."1

With more lasting fervour than had the acclaiming

By this symbolical act is signified the opening of the gates of Heaven by the death of our Lord on the Cross.

crowd in the Holy City, Matilda joined her silvery treble to the deep sonorous tones of the black-robed brethren as they chanted the antiphons of the day.

During the year there were frequent processions through the prettily - decorated streets and hamlets of Tuscany. In these out-of-door perambulations the little maiden took active part with the children of the towns and villages belonging to the marquisate.

On Saint Mark's Day took place the procession instituted by Gregory the Great, and divided by his direction into seven parts, in the last of which walked the children of the diocese, Matilda and her brother forming a portion of the infantine group.

Another ceremony at which they assisted was that of the annual presentation of the olives and grapes for which the Tuscan provinces were renowned. These first fruits tastefully arranged by the Countess in baskets gaily decked with garlands of vine leaves were carried by the children to the altar rails, where they were asperged1 and blessed in the name of the Bountiful Giver.

Similar processions to the churches were made at various times for blessing the bells, and blessing the oil to be burned in the church lamps which hung alight night and day before the altars, and many like ceremonies.

Perhaps Matilda loved best the anniversary of the Feast of St Agnes, since it involved the long and irksome, but, to the children, highly exciting and interesting journey to Rome.

The Eternal City, with its wonderful buildings and monuments on all sides, was an overwhelming vision to the little country-bred princess, who soon wearied of the crowds and bustle she everywhere encountered. What a relief it was to the child to step from the glaring streets and the noise of the gay capital into the calm grandeur of the palace wherein dwelt the Vicar of Christ.

The name asperges is taken from the Latin commencement "asperges me" of the Psalm, "Thou shalt wash me," etc., which precedes the ceremony of sprinkling with holy water.

Boniface of Tuscany

Young as she was she felt his influence, and her face flushed with pleasure when she encountered the gaze of the saintly Leo, whom she had been taught to revere as the Head of the Church.

As he slowly passed through the kneeling multitude on his way to the Church of St Agnes she followed the example of those around her and reverently bowed her dark little head to receive his apostolic blessing.

The Tuscan visitors had come to witness the ceremonial of the presentation of two spotless lambs, which were on the Feast of St Agnes presented at the altar during the singing of the Agnus Dei.

With eager interest Matilda saw them, after the service, given into the charge of the nuns, who would weave from their wool, bands, which were afterwards placed all night upon St Peter's altar. These were the palliums which were afterwards to be sent by the Pope to the future primates to be worn as symbolical of their sacred office.

The warlike customs and restlessness peculiar to the times did not allow a prince to spend much of his time in his home. Boniface, occupied as he was with the affairs of his marquisate and engrossed with his favourite sport of hunting, which with him amounted to a passion, saw but little of his family. The Margrave was a man of warm affections, devoted to his wife, the regal Beatrice, and proud of his children, in whom he saw refined reflections of his former self. His little daughter was his idol, and he loved to look upon her earnest, up-turned face with its winsome smile and trace therein the regular features of her mother. "Her tall form and the ardour of Italian blood," says the family chronicler," she derived from her father," together with that fearlessness of disposition which reminded Boniface of his own childhood and afforded a striking contrast to her mother's shrinking nature.

The liberality of the Margrave was renowned throughout Italy. The lordly portals of Canossa, so formidable to its enemies, were thrown open to all who came with friendly

intent. No one was refused admission. Boniface the Magnificent well deserved his title. He received weary travellers who had climbed the steep ascent to his fortress with a generous kindness that became proverbial. The personal attentions bestowed upon the needs of wayfarers by himself and his family were, we are told, "almost conventual." His munificent displays of open-handed hospitality were even in those days of extravagance unrivalled in their splendour, and were distinguished by a refinement yet more rare. He hailed with boisterous demonstrations of welcome the advent of knightly visitors with their brilliant trains, with whom he not unfrequently made excursions in search of game, for Boniface, as has been already remarked, was an ardent lover of the chase.

On the other hand Beatrice encouraged the presence of those whose intellectual endowments "formed a wholesome and pleasing restraint upon the more reckless of her husband's guests."

Sometimes the children of the family were allowed to be present at these gatherings, but very seldom, for the conversation was not always suitable for childish ears. Matilda, who possessed a lively imagination, listened with musical appreciation to the songs and poetic recitals of the guests who sought hospitality at the Castle. With ready ear and kindling eye she heard their accounts of stirring deeds of valour, of sieges, battles, victories over almost fabulous numbers, and other gallant and often impossible adventures. When, as it generally happened on these festive occasions, the Margrave recalled the warlike scenes through which he had passed, his little daughter at his feet was oblivious of aught else. She sat entranced, watching the varying emotions which affected him during the recapitulation of those tales of heroism. Nurtured in the traditions of her race, she loved best to hear the stories of her grandsire's exploits. How he took pity on the youthful widow Adelaide, the betrothed bride of Otto the Great, and whose name "is found in the calendar of saints and is honoured in many churches." How Azzo