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Zurich Herald, 1927-10-27, Page 6Ci usaders Ruins Reveal a Story Excavators Find Evidence of Luxurious Life at the Old Castle of Montfort in Palestine—Soiree of the Relics Un- covered by Thetii Evidence of luxurious life in which ties and flasks, sheaving the shape to the twelfth century Crusaders were indulging in Palestine at the time of their filial dt,feat by the Saracens has at last been gathered in conclusive form by the excavations at the old castle of Montfort, near Tyre, m'ad'e on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York. For more than six centuries, from its fall in 1271 until 1926, Montfort Castle was left undisturbed, and when excavations were finally undertaken it was only in the hope the specimens of crusad::ng armor might be discov- ered. Most of the castle was in ruins. The woodwork a.s was found by W. L. Calver, the field director, had been burned by the Saracens; many of the walls had fallen and lit - t:•, was unearthed that could be added to the museum's collection of armor. Whvt the findings did show was that the complaint of William, Archbishop of T i e, the red,:eval historian, had - been correct; the Crusaders had not been on a perpetual pilgrimage and at time must have 'enjoyed almost as nirch comfort as did their contempor- aries in Western Europe. Vsr:lliam had noted, about the mid- dle of the twelfth century, that the kingdom of the West :n the East was have been somewhat similar to the modern wine flask, the bottom rising a little within the cavity. In some oases the flasks were oval in outline, the maks sometimes short, sometimes long. In .a few examples the neck had been made to resemble a string of beads. In one chamber several small bottles were discovered together, along with a mortar, still in its up- right position. These, it is •said, may denote the one-time existence there of a medieval drug store. Among the other interesting glass objects were fragments of lamp hangers. These were formed of small lumps of cobalt blue glass and pre- sumably were once affixed to a bowl of transparent glass. The blue lump had been made into a wide hook, to which chains or cords could be attach- ed. The number of...these hangers indicates a more or less general use. The most important lamp was a hang- ing one, chattered but retaining its form. It is transparent above, blue below, and bears on several zones a calligraphic gold inscription in Arabic. This is now in the museum at Acre. '.` Traces of stained glass windows were found in two of .the chambers beginning to tremble. He thought it and in the chapel. According to Dr. was because the invaders in the East I Dean, not only was "colorless" glass had forsaken God and were in turn used, but also green, blue and corn - being forsaken by Him; that the' colored. The pieces show the glass princes of the West were no longer giving themselves up wholly to the crusade. A peace party, which saw no need for continuous warfare, was, in fact, to have been pain. ted in grisaille, with bands and interlaced foliation, as well as human figures. A small fragment of a humanhead done in white glass grnsaille is at present in the Metro - springing up under the leadership of politan Museum. Raymond of Tripoli. The laxity of I FINELY CARVED MARKERS the Eastern sun had begun to affect; Two blocks apparently of litho - the knights, who desired also, per- haps, to pursue art and literature— which could not very well be done in the midst of battle. They made their castles, churches -"and monasteries as much like those at home as they could, and settled down to peaceful activity or inactivity. TRAINING FOR KNIGHTHOOD. Songs and history show life there to have been not unlike that of the West. The young knight, as a poten- tial ruler, spent his early years at his fathers castle, learning to hunt, haws: and ride, then was sent to the castle of a king for further training. Wbsn he had finished his courtly training he returned to the family castle. There was, it is true, a cer- tain amount of fighting to be done, but the pastimes of the period were many — tournaments, hunting and games; in the evenings the singing of the minstrels. This appears. to have been the state of affairs at the time the Saracens were gathering their forces for at- tack. When Bibars, a relentless foe of the i'ranks, became Sultan in 1260, • he took up with fresh vigor the cam- paign against the Crusaders. Where ever he went he burned and pillaged. Although Montfort Castle withstood one siege, it eventually fell. The site, according to Dr. Bashford Dean, curator of arms and armor of the Metropolitan Museum, proved an excellent one for the castle's medieval occupants. Montfort was reared on an abrupt shoulder of a hill, jutting out between the arms of the Wady Kurn. This was about 600 feet above the water. The hill was precipitous on its western side, eloping by easy stages on the eastern. It was about six miles from the sea, half way be- tween Acre and Tyre, and near it a road passed along toward the Sea of Galilee. ONCE A ROMAN FORTRESS. graphic limestone were picked up in the one chamber of the castle whose roof had not fallen in. Both blocks were chiseled in intaglio—perhaps with the very chisels found in an armor compartment—and both evi- dently served as molds into which some material, such as leather, could be pressed. The better artistically of the two blocks, retained by the De- partment of Antiquities of the Gov- ernment of Palestine, measures• seven by eleven by three inches, and was carved on the wide side with a her- aldic shield and fleur de lis. The shield bore an eagle, and was evident- ly the badge of the German Ritts- corden. The second, a triangular stone, roughly four by nine by two inches, represents on its main face two fishes, symbols of early Christian- ity. The other faoes have curved and straight designs, possibly to be used for the printing of belts, holders, car- riers or similar objects. It is now in the Metropolitan. In the same room with the two matrices was found evidence suggest- ing that the decorations produced in- cluded paintings. This evidence was a small piece of a wooden panel, cov- ered on one side with canvas and gesso, on which are still to be seen traces of the portrayal of human figures. STONE WORK WAS MADE ORNATE. The sculptured stone work of the castle, with its scrolls, bassets, folia- tion, and an occasional grotesque head also show the desire of the knights for beautiful surroundings. A number of , pillar sections, bearing polychrome decorations, and arch ribs painted with transverse bands, were brought to Bight by the excavators. Outside the castle proper a so-called "mill arouses further speculation as to the life of the inhabitants. The history of the region is not, It stands 600 feet north of the main altogether known but, judging from) buildings, and along the bank of the Wady Kurn, a ruin measuring almost 150 feet in length. Many features of the castle are repeated. in it. There are chambers with groined arches, delicate capitals and ornamental key- stones. The whole building is divided into sections which, from the charac- ter of the rooms, night well have been tied to house pilgrims. As far as the recent excavators could tell, there was ne great outer ring wall extending around all the buildings, though in the midst of such formidable enemies a wall of some, kind would seen to have been needed! Instead there may have been merely a mound surmounted by a palisade and enclosed by a ditch. As has been said, the armor finds were disappointing; yet they suffice to throw further light on an obscure subject. The pieces found range from arrows, spear -heads and jazerant scales to the "cannon balls" which, scattered through the rooms near the chapel, bear mute testimony to the fact that staimned glass windowed formed a target. All in all, the excavations did not do ea much to enrich museum's as they. slid to add to what washitherto known about the Crusaders. Montfort housed men who demanded the best luxuries and comforts the age afforded. tn. 1270 they must still have been worthy warriors, however, since Montfort re- sisted the enemy once before it fell. Roman coins and bits of marble sculp- ture, the site had been fortified in the days of the empire, possibly before that. The castle was built at the beginning of the thirteenth century. In 1229 the lords of Mandelee were in possession and the same year ceded Montfort to Herman de Salza, Grand Master c.f the Order of the Hospital of Our Lady of the Teutons, who, using. the German equivalent, who, enberg, made the fortification the general headquarters of the Order in Palestine. In 1266 the new Sultan 13ibars attacked the castle, but was repulsed. In 1271 he again attacked, this time probably by tunneling under the western end, and was successful. He seems to have broken all the en- gines of war, or to have taken them away. The excavators found only pieces. The climate of Palestine is far from favorable for the preservation of iron objects, and this explains why, as krgards armor, the excavations were hot a greater success. What colored glass windows . them were at the tune. of Bibars wem c presumably broken by 'rim. Other glassware must have )t:een smashed either by the invader ;Or by the crumbling of the ,walls; paintings were eaten by decay. But from such fragments as remain Dr. II)ean draws the conclusion that the pights of Montfort were living on iens high material level. ! Glass is apt to be as goad evidence pf their luxury as any, for armies on the march or accustomed to the rigors of warfare are not Sellially well provided with it. In Montfoat gieeos of g es and fragments of ornant€7..ts were f ti d. WELL Eq_T iPPEti WITH O 1;`LES. iteireit wn1.w1 woos a 0 timorous boot. A photographer says that Most politicians are good sitters.. Unfor- tunately they are seldom photograph- ed in their characteristic attitude sit - Ulm on the fence. All education does to-dayis to drew velop the memory at the expense of ale initgiaation.—Own Johnson. A New Route Opened A GRACB.FUL CBREMONY ' Captain Kirk Thornie of the motorship Benjamin Franklin receiving a souvenir flag from. Lord Mayor Watson Boyes of Hull, England, to com- memorate the inauguration of direct commercial service to Vancouver, B.C. Fi,, mune Telling 11ng low in the front, stand usually two squat men of dark complexion.. They are the husbands, the winter support Skill in Character Reading of the wives who are their summer Helps the Gypsy Girl support Their fierce mustachios YP Y twirling skyward, their thick hands, Tell Your Fortune their hot black eyes, all aid in form- ing a picture that reeks of bohemia,. a free life and an easy one. Is it love of adventure that attaches these people to their way of life? Gipsy women scorn the idea, we are told. Said one: "We own our country home in this town, a long, high, frame house with "It is all memorized," said a gypaY fortune-teller the other day , in ex- plaining her method to a newspaper woman. "It is handed down by word of mouth from generation to genera- tion. All that we learn to acquire.is the ability to detect characteristics, mannerisms, of all types of people." Unbending still more, she added,. "I fourteen light, airy rooms. We Ameri- can gipsies, we do not roam about the country. We are not like Brazilian gipsies who live in dirty wagons or cars and have no place to call home. In winter we live in New York, on Delancey Street, and send our child- ren to school. They must be edu- said you were nervous. I could tell. that from the way your hand twitched when I held it. You also chewed your lips, a sure indication of great ner- vousness. I saw your wedding ring. It shines with newness. And you are young. You could not have been mar sated American children. We live in reed long." Lapsing into broken Eng- lish she spoke of the gipsies, who have about 3,000 fortune-telling booths in this country. "People think we wild. We not wild. We save money and buy property. We rich people, but, like to do this." As the writer tells us, "a swarm of gipsies have estab- lished themselves in booths along the coast -wise boardwalks," where "few pleasure -seekers resist the call: 'Tell your past, present, and future for fifty cents? Tell your fortune?' " Pub- lished in the New York Times, the article informs us: Usually the booths are clean. The gipsies have the proud appearance of having recently been bathed and, combed; the fingers that lightly hold the hand of the client are well cared houses. We are good American gip- sies, citizens." "H9,,w many camps are there in this country?" the fortune-teller was ask- ed. "Oh, I can not say how many gipsy camps there are. Gipsies are divided. There are Brazilian, American, and Roumanian gipsies in this country. Some have their kings still," she said, "but American gipsies have only ene boss. He is Washington, the Presi- dent. We are not dirty. We try to be good Americans. "We do not steal, we respectable. We will send our babies to college when they grow up—not he dummy, like mother—father." Then came the fortune-telling: for. A pot of ice -water stands on the.. "For fifty cents I tell you one table across which meet the hands of hind," 'the gipsy woman said.. "For dollar r read both hands. You want know all or half?" Only half a for- tune was wanted. "You are very nervous," she droned. "You have been married only a short while. You are in dan- ger of losing your husband to a blonde or brunette, both of whom are also jealous and envy you your good job. Beware of eating too much meat. You understand, understand?" The reading was peppered with her customer and fortune-teller. The gip- sy woman dips her fingers into the pot before going through the motions of reading the lines in a hand at which she glances intermittently. She allows the hand to rest gently within her own while her glance roves over the clothes, the jewelry, or coiffure of her customers. Leaning against the outside sup- ports of the booth, which is sheltered from the sun by cheap drapery hung queries: "'Understand, understand? • • Tell the truth, :am I right tinder - stand ?" She took up her droning, 'You will come into ane money soon, you will be very) happy. You have had some trouble, little trouble with your husband. You will have more trou- ble. Watch your temper, , You will take a long Joureey. You aro good- hearted, you do things for evoi'yrbadse. nobody does things for you. You ,ex- travagant, you spend money foolish: You buy much clothes; your husband no like, understand? You gone have two children, you bo very happy, you live sixty-five y^ears, Good luck, make a wish." When the newspaper woman asked if such predictions as the one about the "blonde or brunette" were not likely to make trouble --- The gipsy shook her head with a wise air. "Oh, no, that only makes love -,bigger and better. When you, aro in danger of losing something Precious you hold it more dear. I took a chance on believing that you held a job;most modern girls work. And for every girl with 'a job there are dozens of blondes and brunettes who would like to have that job, so that was a safe statement. She thought the others fully as safe, and explained: "The warning to -beware of too much meat is always good. "Every one gets some money. No matter how far away from the time I told your fortune, you would always say I predicted it. Of course, you will be happy; no one unhappy all the time. It is safe to tell any person that they will have trouble, that they must watch their tempers. "Every one takes journeys, at some time or other. No person thinks his heart is mean, or that he is stingy, or that he doesn't do things for peo- ple. A customer always believes that he does things for everybody, but no- body does anything for him.. "It flatters a customerto be told that she is extravagant, that she is well dressed. I took a chance in say- ing that your husband did not like you to be a spendthrift. Every young married couple has its lover's quar- rels, no matter how trivial, and they are always called troubles." "But what about your prediction of two children and a life of sixty-five years?" the customer asked. The gip- sy shrugged her shoulders. . "Who knows? It makes the fortune nicer!" Gipsies may stick to fortune-telling "because they like it," but it does not appear that they wholly enjoy being gipsies, for the gipsy woman said, half questioning, half pleading, "I do not look gypsy, I look American?" Final- ly, as if telling her people's fortune, she remarked: "Some day we all be good American citizens with educated children; then nobody think we . gip- sies." A High Flyer. "I hear Mr. Lark is quite a sport." "Well, he's a high-flier." Perpetuating Plowing Prowess maisitomer :a£ INTERNATIONAL PLOWIlt;G MATCH A'1 LANGSTAFF Lovers of the straialtt, tuirety congregated at T the Toronto Mrrnicipal !'aim recently When the annualIntorno.- tions; Plowing Match was held under government auspices., ideal conditions marked the opening day. At Left George Lawson, Icing P.0., director of the York Plowmen's Association and treasurer of the King and Vaughan Plowmen's,' AssooiatIou'for 21 years. Centre, J. Leckie Wilson, secretary and managing director of the 'Ontario 'Nearing Association. Right, Henry Pleasance, Langstaff P.O., one of the most interested spectators, who was a successful competitor in the Maple and Vaughan math fifteen years ago. Lower Center, a youthful contestant in action. fIe' is 12 year's 'old, Bert Tapscott, of Millik n, Scarboro. ow its the ' 'one For Mushrooms A delicious sauce to he politica gYgt" broiled or baked mushrooms #n'y be made by putting the peeled, broken mushroom stalks to simmer in beef juice extracted from round steak just heated, Mushroom Consomme Put three-fourths oil a pound of fresh mushrooms in a stewpan with one cupful of water, a little salt and pa-pper,ono tablespoon of butter and. three gratings of nutmeg. Cook over the fire for twenty -live minutes, then' press through a coarse sieve. Scald four cups of sweet milk, and when It reaches the boiling point add to It two tablespoons of sifted flour and one tablespoon of butter creamed together. When the mixture thickens add the mushrooms. Just before taking from the stove to serve add olio -half cup 4'bf swept cream: Serve with crisp wafers. Four or five serviings. Mushroom and Veal Loaf ,t Chop two pounds of cold roast veal very fine, mince one dozen olives and; one dozen large mushrooms. Mix all together in a bowl and season it with salt, pepper and onion juice. }lave ready one cup of strained gravy or stock and wet the mixture with it.1 Unless the gravy is quite thick it le well to add one-third package of gela- tin. The mixture should not be too soft. Pack in greased mold and set in a pan of boiling water. Put in the oven and cook an hour. When cold and set turn out. Six to eight serv- ings. Another Loaf One pound mushrooms, peeled, cut fine, ono -half pound fresh pork, two pounds veal, one curl bread crumbs,' one-fourth cup milk, juice and rind of one lemon, three eggs; two tablespoons butter, juice of half onion, salt and pepper to `taste and a rash of mace. Put the veal and pork through a meatchopper, soften the bread crumbs in milk, add the seasoning, half of the mushrooms and the beaten eggs. Shape in an oblong loaf and place; In a shallow pan; dredge with flour,' Lay several thin slices of bacon on top of the loaf and pond a little water in the baking pan. Bake forty min- utes. Baste the loaf frequently with the juice in the pan. Serves eight persons. Thicken the sauce with butter, sea- son well and add the remainder of the mushrooms, which have been cooked separately, and pour around the loaf on a serving platter: • ar • Macaroni and Mushrooms Have prepared one-fourth pound of cooked macaroni, drained. Melt one tabl•espgonful of butter and cook one- half cup or more of mushrooms, brok- en, and sprinkled with one teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook gently for five minutes and sprinkle over two table- spoons of flour and stir. Add en and one-fourth cups of milk and sti until the mixture boils. Add two tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste; then add the macaroni and reheat over hot water. • Turn into a ,- hot serving dish‘sprinkle with cheese and serve as soon as the cheese is melted. Four servings. Mushrooms and Crabmeat This is after the Spanish way of serving this delicious dish. (It may be made in a chafing dish.) Cook until brown two tablespoons of butter with one spoon of minced pepper (green or red), one-half teaspoon of minced onion and one tablespoon of tomato catsup. To a cream sauce add the pepper mixture with half cup of crab. meat and the sane amount of mush- rooms that have been cooked in but. ter. Four servings. Baked Mushrooms Peel, wash and drain mushroms, Place then in a buttered dish or bait ing pan. Season to taste AIith salt, pepper, lemon juice and minced pars.. ley. Cook in a moderate over fifteen minutes, basting occasionally with but. ter; arrange on a hot serving dish and pour the gravy over them. Serve with parsley cream sauce made as follows: Scald one cup of thick bream, add one tablespoon of minced parsley, , two tablespoons, of butter, a dash of cayen- ne pepper, salt to taste, one tablespoon Of thick white sauce and Iwo table- spoon of lemon juice. It eat' over hot water.:+Four servings. Mushrooms and Oysters Peel the caps of fresh mushrooms and saute in butter, then place in a small shallow pan buttered, cap side up. Place on each a large oyster, sprinkle with salt, pepper and bits of butter. Hold each oyster and ,mush rooms together with a little wooden pick, Bake in a hot oven until the oysters ars plump. Remove tosmall plates and around each pour Bechamel sauce. This is made as follows.: Cook ops and one-hclf cups of chicken stock with one slice each of onion and car- rot,a bit of bay leaf and parsley and six Pepper'corns'; cook twenty minutes. Strained, there should be one cup. Melt one-fourth cup of butter, add one- fourth. cup of hour, stir until well blended and add the stock with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper, Beat one egg yolk slightly, acid to the sauce with a few drops of strong beet extract, - The spell of : fine weather export enceel of late is due no doubt to the fact that the majority of weather ex- perts aro now away. on their holidays. So far as I remember, nobody ever , asked whether the bathing boautel could switri,—Ilenry Ruggles.