首页 >出版文学> Ivanhoe>第57章

第57章

  ``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,’’