首页 >出版文学> Ivanhoe>第93章

第93章

  ``No,lady,’’saidtheJewess;``butamongourpeople,sincethetimeofAbrahamdownwards,havebeenwomenwhohavedevotedtheirthoughtstoHeaven,andtheiractionstoworksofkindnesstomen,tendingthesick,feedingthehungry,andrelievingthedistressed。AmongthesewillRebeccabenumbered。Saythistothylord,shouldhechancetoenquireafterthefateofherwhoselifehesaved。’’
  TherewasaninvoluntarytremouronRebecca’svoice,andatendernessofaccent,whichperhapsbetrayedmorethanshewouldwillinglyhaveexpressed。
  ShehastenedtobidRowenaadieu。
  ``Farewell,’’shesaid。``MayHe,whomadebothJewandChristian,showerdownonyouhischoicestblessings!Thebarkthatwaitsushencewillbeunderweigherewecanreachtheport。’’
  Sheglidedfromtheapartment,leavingRowenasurprisedasifavisionhadpassedbeforeher。ThefairSaxonrelatedthesingularconferencetoherhusband,onwhoseminditmadeadeepimpression。
  HelivedlongandhappilywithRowena,fortheywereattachedtoeachotherbythebondsofearlyaffection,andtheylovedeachotherthemore,fromtherecollectionoftheobstacleswhichhadimpededtheirunion。Yetitwouldbeenquiringtoocuriouslytoask,whethertherecollectionofRebecca’sbeautyandmagnanimitydidnotrecurtohismindmorefrequentlythanthefairdescendantofAlfredmightaltogetherhaveapproved。
  IvanhoedistinguishedhimselfintheserviceofRichard,andwasgracedwithfarthermarksoftheroyalfavour。Hemighthaverisenstillhigher,butfortheprematuredeathoftheheroicCur-de-Lion,beforetheCastleofChaluz,nearLimoges。
  Withthelifeofagenerous,butrashandromanticmonarch,perishedalltheprojectswhichhisambitionandhisgenerosityhadformed;towhommaybeapplied,withaslightalteration,thelinescomposedbyJohnsonforCharlesofSweden——
  Hisfatewasdestinedtoaforeignstrand,Apettyfortressandan``humble’’hand;
  Heleftthenameatwhichtheworldgrewpale,Topointamoral,oradorna=tale=。
  EndEndNotesNOTETOCHAPTERI。
  NoteA——TheRangerortheForest,thatcutstheforeclawsoffourdogs。
  AmostsensiblegrievanceofthoseaggrievedtimesweretheForestLaws。TheseoppressiveenactmentsweretheproduceoftheNormanConquest,fortheSaxonlawsofthechaseweremildandhumane;whilethoseofWilliam,enthusiasticallyattachedtotheexerciseanditsrights,weretothelastdegreetyrannical。TheformationoftheNewForest,bearsevidencetohispassionforhunting,wherehereducedmanyahappyvillagetotheconditionofthatonecommemoratedbymyfriend,MrWilliamStewartRose:
  ``AmongsttheruinsofthechurchThemidnightravenfoundaperch,Amelancholyplace;
  TheruthlessConquerorcastdown,Woeworththedeed,thatlittletown,Tolengthenouthischase。’’
  Thedisablingdogs,whichmightbenecessaryforkeepingflocksandherds,fromrunningatthedeer,wascalled_lawing_,andwasingeneraluse。TheCharteroftheForestdesignedtolessenthoseevils,declaresthatinquisition,orview,forlawingdogs,shallbemadeeverythirdyear,andshallbethendonebytheviewandtestimonyoflawfulmen,nototherwise;andtheywhosedogsshallbethenfoundunlawed,shallgivethreeshillingsformercy,andforthefuturenoman’soxshallbetakenforlawing。Suchlawingalsoshallbedonebytheassizecommonlyused,andwhichis,thatthreeclawsshallbecutoffwithouttheballoftherightfoot。SeeonthissubjecttheHistoricalEssayontheMagnaChartaofKingJohn,amostbeautifulvolume,byRichardThomson。
  NOTETOCHAPTERII。
  NoteB——NegroSlaves。
  ThesevereaccuracyofsomecriticshasobjectedtothecomplexionoftheslavesofBriandeBois-Guilbert,asbeingtotallyoutofcostumeandpropriety。Irememberthesameobjectionbeingmadetoasetofsablefunctionaries,whommyfriend,MatLewis,introducedastheguardsandmischief-doingsatellitesofthewickedBaron,inhisCastleSpectre。Mattreatedtheobjectionwithgreatcontempt,andaverredinreply,thathemadetheslavesblackinordertoobtainastrikingeffectofcontrast,andthat,couldhehavederivedasimilaradvantagefrommakinghisheroineblue,bluesheshouldhavebeen。
  Idonotpretendtopleadtheimmunitiesofmyordersohighlyasthis;butneitherwillIallowthattheauthorofamodernantiqueromanceisobligedtoconfinehimselftotheintroductionofthosemannersonlywhichcanbeprovedtohaveabsolutelyexistedinthetimesheisdepicting,sothatherestrainhimselftosuchasareplausibleandnatural,andcontainnoobviousanachronism。
  Inthispointofview,whatcanbemorenatural,thanthattheTemplars,who,weknow,copiedcloselytheluxuriesoftheAsiaticwarriorswithwhomtheyfought,shouldusetheserviceoftheenslavedAfricans,whomthefateofwartransferredtonewmasters?Iamsure,iftherearenopreciseproofsoftheirhavingdoneso,thereisnothing,ontheotherhand,thatcanentitleuspositivelytoconcludethattheyneverdid。
  Besides,thereisaninstanceinromance。
  JohnofRampayne,anexcellentjugglerandminstrel,undertooktoeffecttheescapeofoneAudulfdeBracy,bypresentinghimselfindisguiseatthecourtoftheking,wherehewasconfined。
  Forthispurpose,``hestainedhishairandhiswholebodyentirelyasblackasjet,sothatnothingwaswhitebuthisteeth,’’andsucceededinimposinghimselfontheking,asanEthiopianminstrel。Heeffected,bystratagem,theescapeoftheprisoner。Negroes,therefore,musthavebeenknowninEnglandinthedarkages。*
  *DissertationonRomanceandMinstrelsy,prefixedtoRitson’sAncient*MetricalRomances,p。clxxxvii。
  NOTETOCHAPTERXVII。
  Note,C——Minstrelsy。
  TherealmofFrance,itiswellknown,wasdividedbetwixttheNormanandTeutonicrace,whospokethelanguageinwhichthewordYesispronouncedas_oui_,andtheinhabitantsofthesouthernregions,whosespeechbearingsomeaffinitytotheItalian,pronouncedthesameword_oc_。Thepoetsoftheformerracewerecalled_Minstrels_,andtheirpoems_Lays_:thoseofthelatterweretermed_Troubadours_,andtheircompositionscalled_sirventes_,andothernames。Richard,aprofessedadmirerofthejoyousscienceinallitsbranches,couldimitateeithertheminstrelortroubadour。ItislesslikelythatheshouldhavebeenabletocomposeorsinganEnglishballad;yetsomuchdowewishtoassimilateHimoftheLionHearttothebandofwarriorswhomheled,thattheanachronism,iftherebeonemayreadilybeforgiven。
  NOTETOCHAPTERXXI。
  NoteD——BattleofStamford。
  Agreattopographicalblunderoccurredhereinformereditions。
  Thebloodybattlealludedtointhetext,foughtandwonbyKingHarold,overhisbrothertherebelliousTosti,andanauxiliaryforceofDanesorNorsemen,wassaid,inthetext,andacorrespondingnote,tohavetakenplaceatStamford,inLeicestershire,andupontheriverWelland。Thisisamistake,intowhichtheauthorhasbeenledbytrustingtohismemory,andsoconfoundingtwoplacesofthesamename。TheStamford,Strangford,orStaneford,atwhichthebattlereallywasfought,isafordupontheriverDerwent,atthedistanceofaboutsevenmilesfromYork,andsituatedinthatlargeandopulentcounty。AlongwoodenbridgeovertheDerwent,thesiteofwhich,withoneremainingbuttress,isstillshowntothecurioustraveller,wasfuriouslycontested。OneNorwegianlongdefendeditbyhissinglearm,andwasatlengthpiercedwithaspearthrustthroughtheplanksofthebridgefromaboatbeneath。
  TheneighbourhoodofStamford,ontheDerwent,containssomememorialsofthebattle。Horseshoes,swords,andtheheadsofhalberds,orbills,areoftenfoundthere;oneplaceiscalledthe``Danes’well,’’anotherthe``Battleflats。’’FromatraditionthattheweaponwithwhichtheNorwegianchampionwasslain,resembledapear,or,asotherssay,thatthetroughorboatinwhichthesoldierfloatedunderthebridgetostriketheblow,hadsuchashape,thecountrypeopleusuallybeginagreatmarket,whichisheldatStamford,withanentertainmentcalledthePear-piefeast,whichafterallmaybeacorruptionoftheSpear-piefeast。Formoreparticulars,Drake’sHistoryofYorkmaybereferredto。Theauthor’smistakewaspointedouttohim,inthemostobligingmanner,byRobertBelt,Esq。ofBossalHouse。Thebattlewasfoughtin1066。
  NOTETOCHAPTERXXII。
  NoteE——Therangeofironbarsabovethatglowingcharcoal。
  ThishorridspeciesoftorturemayremindthereaderofthattowhichtheSpaniardssubjectedGuatimozin,inordertoextortadiscoveryofhisconcealedwealth。But,infact,aninstanceofsimilarbarbarityistobefoundnearerhome,andoccursintheannalsofQueenMary’stime,containingsomanyotherexamplesofatrocity。Everyreadermustrecollect,thatafterthefalloftheCatholicChurch,andthePresbyterianChurchGovernmenthadbeenestablishedbylaw,therank,andespeciallythewealth,oftheBishops,Abbots,Priors,andsoforth,werenolongervestedinecclesiastics,butinlayimpropriatorsofthechurchrevenues,or,astheScottishlawyerscalledthem,titularsofthetemporalitiesofthebenefice,thoughhavingnoclaimtothespiritualcharacteroftheirpredecessorsinoffice。
  Oftheselaymen,whowerethusinvestedwithecclesiasticalrevenues,someweremenofhighbirthandrank,likethefamousLordJamesStewart,thePriorofStAndrews,whodidnotfailtokeepfortheirownusetherents,lands,andrevenuesofthechurch。Butif,ontheotherhand,thetitularsweremenofinferiorimportance,whohadbeeninductedintotheofficebytheinterestofsomepowerfulperson,itwasgenerallyunderstoodthatthenewAbbotshouldgrantforhispatron’sbenefitsuchleasesandconveyancesofthechurchlandsandtithesasmightaffordtheirprotectorthelion’sshareofthebooty。ThiswastheoriginofthosewhowerewittilytermedTulchan*