{"product_id":"2940013198760","title":"THE TRUCE OF GOD","description":"The Truce of God\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow the day of the birth of our Lord dawned that year grey and dreary,\u003cbr\u003eand a Saturday. But, despite the weather, in the town at the foot of the\u003cbr\u003ehill there was rejoicing, as befitted so great a festival. The day\u003cbr\u003ebefore a fat steer had been driven to the public square and there\u003cbr\u003edressed and trussed for the roasting. The light of morning falling on\u003cbr\u003ehis carcass revealed around it great heaps of fruits and vegetables. For\u003cbr\u003ethe year had been prosperous.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut the young overlord sulked in his castle at the cliff top, and bit\u003cbr\u003ehis nails. From Thursday evening of each week to the morning of Monday,\u003cbr\u003eMother Church had decreed peace, a Truce of God. Three full days out of\u003cbr\u003eeach week his men-at-arms polished their weapons and grew fat. Three\u003cbr\u003efull days out of each week his grudge against his cousin, Philip of the\u003cbr\u003eBlack Beard, must feed on itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis dark mood irritated the Bishop of Tours, who had come to speak of\u003cbr\u003ecertain scandalous things which had come to his ears. Charles heard him\u003cbr\u003ethrough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"She took refuge with him,\" he said violently, when the Bishop had\u003cbr\u003efinished. \"She knew what hate there was between us, yet she took refuge\u003cbr\u003ewith him.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The question is,\" said the Bishop mildly, \"why she should have been\u003cbr\u003edriven to refuge. A gentle lady, a faithful wife--\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Deus!\" The young _seigneur_ clapped a fist on the table. \"You know well\u003cbr\u003ethe reason. A barren woman!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"She had borne you a daughter.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Charles was far gone in rage and out of hand. The Bishop took his\u003cbr\u003eoffended ears to bed, and left him to sit alone by the dying fire, with\u003cbr\u003ebitterness for company.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCame into the courtyard at midnight the Christmas singers from the town;\u003cbr\u003ethe blacksmith rolling a great bass, the crockery-seller who sang\u003cbr\u003efalsetto, and a fool of the village who had slept overnight in a manger\u003cbr\u003eon the holy eve a year before and had brought from it, not wit, but a\u003cbr\u003evoice from Heaven. A miracle of miracles.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47082376888560,"sku":"2940013198760","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013198760_p0.jpg?v=1763578115","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013198760","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}