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LINES.
"Thomas à Becket may have inherited a romantic turn of mind from his mother, whose story is a singular one. His father, Gilbert Becket, had been in his youth a soldier in the Crusades, and being taken prisoner, became a slave to an Emir, or Saracen Prince. By degrees he obtained the confidence of his master, and was admitted to his company, where he met a personage who became more attached to him. This was the Emir's daughter. After some time he contrived to escape. The lady, with her loving heart, followed him. She knew, they say, but two words of his language—London and Gilbert; by repeating the former, she obtained a passage in a vessel, arrived in England, and found her trusting way to the Metropolis. She then took to her other talisman, and went from street to street, pronouncing "Gilbert." Chance brought her at last to the one in which he who had won her heart in slavery was living in good condition. The crowd drew the family to the window, the servant recognized her, and Gilbert Becket took to his arms, and to his bridal bed, his far-come Princess, with her solitary fond word."—See Hunt's Indicator, vol. 1.
A Moorish Princess rode,
Her fair foot touched the English strand.
On English soil she trod—
The foreign language met her ear
Unheeded and unknown,
For oh! her heart by love was tuned
To one fond word alone—
