The Rival Barons

• Watchlist

The Duke of Hartings and John of Northbourne are rivals for the hand of Alice, the daughter of a neighboring baron. The Duke, rejected, waylays the lovers and imprisons them. On a threat that her lover will be killed, Alice consents to marry the Duke. John makes his escape, and flies for sanctuary to a monastery where the Prior, invested with all the authority of his order, withstands the fugitive's pursuers. A message comes to the Prior from the Duke, asking that a monk may attend at the castle and perform the marriage ceremony. John, disguised as a monk, goes to the castle, first enlisting the aid of Alice's father, who follows him with a bodyguard. Instead of performing the ceremony, the monk throws off his disguise. The Duke, beset from within and without, is overpowered, and the lovers are triumphant.