Catalan, the Minstrel

• Watchlist

The fame or Catalan, the famous minstrel of Queen Beatrice of Savoy, was known far and wide. King Philip of France, desiring to hear him, asked his fair cousin if she would send him to his court for a short while. Beatrice acceded to the desire of Philip and dispatched Catalan, entrusting to his care some rare Eastern perfumes as a present for the King. At the approach to Paris, Catalan ascertained from a peasant girl, Juliette, the spot where the archers who were to meet him were located, Desirous of obtaining the perfumes, the archers provoked a quarrel with Catalan and killed him. They returned to Paris and told the King that they had not met his guest. Left dying In the woods, the minstrel was found by Juliette, and he with his last breath begged her to carry to the king Queen Beatrice's written message, The king, at the girl's earnest request, gave her audience and learned of his archers' treachery. He immediately confronted his archers and accused them of the death of the bard. They denied their guilt, forgetting that the perfumes they had spread on their hair and garments irrefutably proclaimed them as the assassins. The king ordered swift punishment to be meted out to them and had a cross erected over the spot where the famous minstrel had been so cruelly slain. Juliette, who had been struck by the minstrel's handsome appearance, mourned him more than any and came frequently to the cross to pray.