``Ourfriends,’’saidWilfred,``willsurelynotabandonanenterprisesogloriouslybegunandsohappilyattained——Ono!Iwillputmyfaithinthegoodknightwhoseaxehathrentheart-of-oakandbarsofiron——Singular,’’heagainmutteredtohimself,``iftherebetwowhocandoadeedofsuch_derring-do!_*——afetterlock,andashacklebolton*_Derring-do_——desperatecourage。
afieldsable——whatmaythatmean?——seestthounoughtelse,Rebecca,bywhichtheBlackKnightmaybedistinguished?’’
``Nothing,’’saidtheJewess;``allabouthimisblackasthewingofthenightraven。NothingcanIspythatcanmarkhimfurther——buthavingonceseenhimputforthhisstrengthinbattle,methinksIcouldknowhimagainamongathousandwarriors。
Herushestothefrayasifheweresummonedtoabanquet。Thereismorethanmerestrength,thereseemsasifthewholesoulandspiritofthechampionweregiventoeveryblowwhichhedealsuponhisenemies。Godassoilziehimofthesinofbloodshed!——itisfearful,yetmagnificent,tobeholdbowthearmandheartofonemancantriumphoverhundreds。’’
``Rebecca,’’saidIvanhoe,``thouhastpaintedahero;surelytheyrestbuttorefreshtheirforce,ortoprovidethemeansofcrossingthemoat——Undersuchaleaderasthouhastspokenthisknighttobe,therearenocravenfears,nocold-bloodeddelays,noyieldingupagallantemprize;sincethedifficultieswhichrenderitarduousrenderitalsoglorious。
Iswearbythehonourofmyhouse——Ivowbythenameofmybrightlady-love,Iwouldenduretenyears’captivitytofightonedaybythatgoodknight’ssideinsuchaquarrelasthis!’’
``Alas,’’saidRebecca,leavingherstationatthewindow,andapproachingthecouchofthewoundedknight,``thisimpatientyearningafteraction——
thisstrugglingwithandrepiningatyourpresentweakness,willnotfailtoinjureyourreturninghealth——Howcouldstthouhopetoinflictwoundsonothers,erethatbehealedwhichthouthyselfhastreceived?’’
``Rebecca,’’hereplied,``thouknowestnothowimpossibleitisforonetrainedtoactionsofchivalrytoremainpassiveasapriest,orawoman,whentheyareactingdeedsofhonouraroundhim。
Theloveofbattleisthefooduponwhichwelive——thedustofthe_mle_isthebreathofournostrils!
Welivenot——wewishnottolive——longerthanwhilewearevictoriousandrenowned——Such,maiden,arethelawsofchivalrytowhichwearesworn,andtowhichweofferallthatweholddear。’’
``Alas!’’saidthefairJewess,``andwhatisit,valiantknight,saveanofferingofsacrificetoademonofvainglory,andapassingthroughthefiretoMoloch?——Whatremainstoyouastheprizeofallthebloodyouhavespilled——ofallthetravailandpainyouhaveendured——ofallthetearswhichyourdeedshavecaused,whendeathhathbrokenthestrongman’sspear,andovertakenthespeedofhiswar-horse?’’
``Whatremains?’’criedIvanhoe;``Glory,maiden,glory!whichgildsoursepulchreandembalmsourname。’’
``Glory?’’continuedRebecca;``alas,istherustedmailwhichhangsasahatchmentoverthechampion’sdimandmoulderingtomb——isthedefacedsculptureoftheinscriptionwhichtheignorantmonkcanhardlyreadtotheenquiringpilgrim——arethesesufficientrewardsforthesacrificeofeverykindlyaffection,foralifespentmiserablythatyemaymakeothersmiserable?Oristheresuchvirtueintheruderhymesofawanderingbard,thatdomesticlove,kindlyaffection,peaceandhappiness,aresowildlybartered,tobecometheheroofthoseballadswhichvagabondminstrelssingtodrunkenchurlsovertheireveningale?’’
``BythesoulofHereward?’’repliedtheknightimpatiently,``thouspeakest,maiden,ofthouknowestnotwhat。Thouwouldstquenchthepurelightofchivalry,whichalonedistinguishesthenoblefromthebase,thegentleknightfromthechurlandthesavage;whichratesourlifefar,farbeneaththepitchofourhonour;raisesusvictoriousoverpain,toil,andsuffering,andteachesustofearno,evilbutdisgrace。ThouartnoChristian,Rebecca;
andtotheeareunknownthosehighfeelingswhichswellthebosomofanoblemaidenwhenherloverhathdonesomedeedofemprizewhichsanctionshisflame。Chivalry!——why,maiden,sheisthenurseofpureandhighaffection——thestayoftheoppressed,theredresserofgrievances,thecurbofthepowerofthetyrant——Nobilitywerebutanemptynamewithouther,andlibertyfindsthebestprotectioninherlanceandhersword。’’
``Iam,indeed,’’saidRebecca,``sprungfromaracewhosecouragewasdistinguishedinthedefenceoftheirownland,butwhowarrednot,evenwhileyetanation,saveatthecommandoftheDeity,orindefendingtheircountryfromoppression。ThesoundofthetrumpetwakesJudahnolonger,andherdespisedchildrenarenowbuttheunresistingvictimsofhostileandmilitaryoppression。Wellhastthouspoken,SirKnight,——untiltheGodofJacobshallraiseupforhischosenpeopleasecondGideon,oranewMaccabeus,itillbeseemeththeJewishdamseltospeakofbattleorofwar。’’
Thehigh-mindedmaidenconcludedtheargumentinatoneofsorrow,whichdeeplyexpressedhersenseofthedegradationofherpeople,embitteredperhapsbytheideathatIvanhoeconsideredherasonenotentitledtointerfereinacaseofhonour,andincapableofentertainingorexpressingsentimentsofhonourandgenerosity。
``Howlittleheknowsthisbosom,’’shesaid,``toimaginethatcowardiceormeannessofsoulmustneedsbeitsguests,becauseIhavecensuredthefantasticchivalryoftheNazarenes!Wouldtoheaventhatthesheddingofmineownblood,dropbydrop,couldredeemthecaptivityofJudah!Nay,wouldtoGoditcouldavailtosetfreemyfather,andthishisbenefactor,fromthechainsoftheoppressor!
TheproudChristianshouldthenseewhetherthedaughterofGod’schosenpeopledarednottodieasbravelyasthevainestNazarenemaiden,thatboastsherdescentfromsomepettychieftainoftherudeandfrozennorth!’’
Shethenlookedtowardsthecouchofthewoundedknight。
``Hesleeps,’’shesaid;``natureexhaustedbysufferanceandthewasteofspirits,hisweariedframeembracesthefirstmomentoftemporaryrelaxationtosinkintoslumber。Alas!isitacrimethatIshouldlookuponhim,whenitmaybeforthelasttime?——Whenyetbutashortspace,andthosefairfeatureswillbenolongeranimatedbytheboldandbuoyantspiritwhichforsakesthemnoteveninsleep!——Whenthenostrilshallbedistended,themouthagape,theeyesfixedandbloodshot;
andwhentheproudandnobleknightmaybetroddenonbythelowestcaitiffofthisaccursedcastle,yetstirnotwhentheheelisliftedupagainsthim!——
Andmyfather!——oh,myfather!evilisitwithhisdaughter,whenhisgreyhairsarenotrememberedbecauseofthegoldenlocksofyouth!——
WhatknowIbutthattheseevilsarethemessengersofJehovah’swrathtotheunnaturalchild,whothinksofastranger’scaptivitybeforeaparent’s?
whoforgetsthedesolationofJudah,andlooksuponthecomelinessofaGentileandastranger?——
ButIwilltearthisfollyfrommyheart,thougheveryfibrebleedasIrenditaway!’’
Shewrappedherselfcloselyinherveil,andsatdownatadistancefromthecouchofthewoundedknight,withherbackturnedtowardsit,fortifying,orendeavouringtofortifyhermind,notonlyagainsttheimpendingevilsfromwithout,butalsoagainstthosetreacherousfeelingswhichassailedherfromwithin。
AdditiontoNoteattachedtopage**。
IncorroborationofwhatisabovestatedinNoteatpage**,itmaybeobserved,thatthearms,whichwereassumedbyGodfreyofBoulognehimself,aftertheconquestofJerusalem,wasacrosscounterpatentcantonedwithfourlittlecrossesor,uponafieldazure,displayingthusmetaluponmetal。Theheraldshavetriedtoexplainthisundeniablefactindifferentmodes——
butFernegallantlycontends,thataprinceofGodfrey’squalitiesshouldnotbeboundbytheordinaryrules。TheScottishNisbet,andthesameFerne,insistthatthechiefsoftheCrusademusthaveassignedtoGodfreythisextraordinaryandunwontedcoat-of-arms,inordertoinducethosewhoshouldbeholdthemtomakeenquiries;andhencegivethemthenameof_armainquirenda_。
Butwithreverencetothesegraveauthorities,itseemsunlikelythattheassembledprincesofEuropeshouldhaveadjudgedtoGodfreyacoatarmorialsomuchcontrarytothegeneralrule,ifsuchrulehadthenexisted;atanyrate,itprovesthatmetaluponmetal,nowaccountedasolecisminheraldry,wasadmittedinothercasessimilartothatinthetext。
SeeFerne’s_BlazonofGentrie_,p。238。Edition1586。Nisbet’s_Heraldry_,vol。i。p。113。SecondEdition。
CHAPTERXXX
Approachthechamber,lookuponhisbed。
Hisisthepassingofnopeacefulghost,Which,asthelarkarisestothesky,’Midmorning’ssweetestbreezeandsoftestdew,Iswing’dtoheavenbygoodmen’ssighsandtears!——
Anselmpartsotherwise。
_OldPlay。_
Duringtheintervalofquietwhichfollowedthefirstsuccessofthebesiegers,whiletheonepartywaspreparingtopursuetheiradvantage,andtheothertostrengthentheirmeansofdefence,theTemplarandDeBracyheldbriefcounciltogetherinthehallofthecastle。
``WhereisFront-de-Buf?’’saidthelatter,whohadsuperintendedthedefenceofthefortressontheotherside;``mensayhehathbeenslain。’’
``Helives,’’saidtheTemplar,coolly,``livesasyet;buthadhewornthebull’sheadofwhichhebearsthename,andtenplatesofirontofenceitwithal,hemusthavegonedownbeforeyonderfatalaxe。Yetafewhours,andFront-de-Bufiswithhisfathers——apowerfullimbloppedoffPrinceJohn’senterprise。’’
``AndabraveadditiontothekingdomofSatan,’’
第57章