alsouponthepersonsofcertainfreebornmen，their_cnichts_；alsouponcertainserfs，theirbornbondsmen；alsouponacertainJew，namedIsaacofYork，togetherwithhisdaughter，aJewess，andcertainhorsesandmules：Whichnoblepersons，withtheir_cnichts_andslaves，andalsowiththehorsesandmules，JewandJewessbeforesaid，wereallinpeacewithhismajesty，andtravellingasliegesubjectsupontheking’shighway；thereforewerequireanddemandthatthesaidnoblepersons，namely，CedricofRotherwood，RowenaofHargottstandstede，AthelstaneofConingsburgh，withtheirservants，_cnichts_，andfollowers，alsothehorsesandmules，JewandJewessaforesaid，togetherwithallgoodsandchattelstothempertaining，be，withinanhourafterthedeliveryhereof，deliveredtous，ortothosewhomweshallappointtoreceivethesame，andthatuntouchedandunharmedinbodyandgoods。Failingofwhich，wedopronouncetoyou，thatweholdyeasrobbersandtraitors，andwillwagerourbodiesagainstyeinbattle，siege，orotherwise，anddoourutmosttoyourannoyanceanddestruction。WhereforemayGodhaveyouinhiskeeping——SignedbyusupontheeveofStWithold’sday，underthegreattrystingoakintheHart-hillWalk，theabovebeingwrittenbyaholyman，ClerktoGod，ourLady，andStDunstan，intheChapelofCopmanhurst。’’
　　Atthebottomofthisdocumentwasscrawled，inthefirstplace，arudesketchofacock’sheadandcomb，withalegendexpressingthishieroglyphictobethesign-manualofWamba，sonofWitless。
　　Underthisrespectableemblemstoodacross，statedtobethemarkofGurth，thesonofBeowulph。
　　Thenwaswritten，inroughboldcharacters，thewords，_LeNoirFaineant_。And，toconcludethewhole，anarrow，neatlyenoughdrawn，wasdescribedasthemarkoftheyeomanLocksley。
　　Theknightsheardthisuncommondocumentreadfromendtoend，andthengazeduponeachotherinsilentamazement，asbeingutterlyatalosstoknowwhatitcouldportend。DeBracywasthefirsttobreaksilencebyanuncontrollablefitoflaughter，whereinhewasjoined，thoughwithmoremoderation，bytheTemplar。Front-de-Buf，onthecontrary，seemedimpatientoftheirill-timedjocularity。
　　``Igiveyouplainwarning，’’hesaid，``fairsirs，thatyouhadbetterconsulthowtobearyourselvesunderthesecircumstances，thangivewaytosuchmisplacedmerriment。’’
　　``Front-de-Bufhasnotrecoveredhistempersincehislateoverthrow，’’saidDeBracytotheTemplar；``heiscowedattheveryideaofacartel，thoughitcomebutfromafoolandaswineherd。’’
　　``ByStMichael，’’answeredFront-de-Buf，``I
　　wouldthoucouldststandthewholebruntofthisadventurethyself，DeBracy。Thesefellowsdarednothaveactedwithsuchinconceivableimpudence，hadtheynotbeensupportedbysomestrongbands。
　　Thereareenoughofoutlawsinthisforesttoresentmyprotectingthedeer。Ididbuttieonefellow，whowastakenredhandedandinthefact，tothehornsofawildstag，whichgoredhimtodeathinfiveminutes，andIhadasmanyarrowsshotatmeastherewerelaunchedagainstyondertargetatAshby——Here，fellow，’’headded，tooneofhisattendants，``hastthousentouttoseebywhatforcethispreciouschallengeistobesupported?’’
　　``Thereareatleasttwohundredmenassembledinthewoods，’’answeredasquirewhowasinattendance。
　　``Hereisapropermatter！’’saidFront-de-Buf，``thiscomesoflendingyoutheuseofmycastle，thatcannotmanageyourundertakingquietly，butyoumustbringthisnestofhornetsaboutmyears！’’
　　``Ofhornets?’’saidDeBracy；``ofstinglessdronesrather；abandoflazyknaves，whotaketothewood，anddestroythevenisonratherthanlabourfortheirmaintenance。’’
　　``Stingless！’’repliedFront-de-Buf；``fork-headedshaftsofacloth-yardinlength，andtheseshotwithinthebreadthofaFrenchcrown，arestingenough。’’
　　``Forshame，SirKnight！’’saidtheTemplar。
　　``Letussummonourpeople，andsallyforthuponthem。Oneknight——ay，oneman-at-arms，wereenoughfortwentysuchpeasants。’’
　　``Enough，andtoomuch，’’saidDeBracy；``I
　　shouldonlybeashamedtocouchlanceagainstthem。’’
　　``True，’’answeredFront-de-Buf；``weretheyblackTurksorMoors，SirTemplar，orthecravenpeasantsofFrance，mostvaliantDeBracy；buttheseareEnglishyeomen，overwhomweshallhavenoadvantage，savewhatwemayderivefromourarmsandhorses，whichwillavailuslittleinthegladesoftheforest。Sally，saidstthou?wehavescarcemenenoughtodefendthecastle。ThebestofmineareatYork；soisallyourband，DeBracy；andwehavescarcelytwenty，besidesthehandfulthatwereengagedinthismadbusiness。’’
　　``Thoudostnotfear，’’saidtheTemplar，``thattheycanassembleinforcesufficienttoattemptthecastle?’’
　　``Notso，SirBrian，’’answeredFront-de-Buf。
　　``Theseoutlawshaveindeedadaringcaptain；butwithoutmachines，scalingladders，andexperiencedleaders，mycastlemaydefythem。’’
　　``Sendtothyneighbours，’’saidtheTemplar，``letthemassembletheirpeople，andcometotherescueofthreeknights，besiegedbyajesterandaswineherdinthebaronialcastleofReginaldFront-de-Buf！’’
　　``Youjest，SirKnight，’’answeredthebaron；
　　``buttowhomshouldIsend?——MalvoisinisbythistimeatYorkwithhisretainers，andsoaremyotherallies；andsoshouldIhavebeen，butforthisinfernalenterprise。’’
　　``ThensendtoYork，andrecallourpeople，’’
　　saidDeBracy。``Iftheyabidetheshakingofmystandard，orthesightofmyFreeCompanions，I
　　willgivethemcreditfortheboldestoutlawseverbentbowingreen-wood。’’
　　``Andwhoshallbearsuchamessage?’’saidFront-de-Buf；``theywillbeseteverypath，andriptheerrandoutofhisbosom——Ihaveit，’’headded，afterpausingforamoment——``SirTemplar，thoucanstwriteaswellasread，andifwecanbutfindthewritingmaterialsofmychaplain，whodiedatwelvemonthsinceinthemidstofhisChristmascarousals——’’
　　``Sopleaseye，’’saidthesquire，whowasstillinattendance，``IthinkoldUrfriedhasthemsomewhereinkeeping，forloveoftheconfessor。Hewasthelastman，Ihaveheardhertell，whoeversaidaughttoher，whichmanoughtincourtesytoaddresstomaidormatron。’’
　　``Go，searchthemout，Engelred，’’saidFront-de-Buf；
　　``andthen，SirTemplar，thoushaltreturnananswertothisboldchallenge。’’
　　``Iwouldratherdoitatthesword’spointthanatthatofthepen，’’saidBois-Guilbert；``butbeitasyouwill。’’
　　Hesatdownaccordingly，andindited，intheFrenchlanguage，anepistleofthefollowingtenor：——
　　``SirReginaldFront-de-Buf，withhisnobleandknightlyalliesandconfederates，receivenodefiancesatthebandsofslaves，bondsmen，orfugitives。
　　IfthepersoncallinghimselftheBlackKnighthaveindeedaclaimtothehonoursofchivalry，heoughttoknowthathestandsdegradedbyhispresentassociation，andhasnorighttoaskreckoningatthehandsofgoodmenofnobleblood。
　　Touchingtheprisonerswehavemade，wedoinChristiancharityrequireyoutosendamanofreligion，toreceivetheirconfession，andreconcilethemwithGod；sinceitisourfixedintentiontoexecutethemthismorningbeforenoon，sothattheirheadsbeingplacedonthebattlements，shallshowtoallmenhowlightlyweesteemthosewhohavebestirredthemselvesintheirrescue。Wherefore，asabove，werequireyoutosendapriesttoreconcilethemtoGod，indoingwhichyoushallrenderthemthelastearthlyservice。’’
　　Thisletterbeingfolded，wasdeliveredtothesquire，andbyhimtothemessengerwhowaitedwithout，astheanswertothatwhichbehadbrought。
　　Theyeomanhavingthusaccomplishedhismission，returnedtothehead-quartersoftheallies，whichwereforthepresentestablishedunderavenerableoak-tree，aboutthreearrow-flightsdistantfromthecastle。HereWambaandGurth，withtheiralliestheBlackKnightandLocksley，andthejovialhermit，awaitedwithimpatienceananswertotheirsummons。Around，andatadistancefromthem，wereseenmanyaboldyeoman，whosesilvandressandweatherbeatencountenancesshowedtheordinarynatureoftheiroccupation。Morethantwohundredhadalreadyassembled，andotherswerefastcomingin。Thosewhomtheyobeyedasleaderswereonlydistinguishedfromtheothersbyafeatherinthecap，theirdress，arms，andequipmentsbeinginallotherrespectsthesame。
　　Besidesthesebands，alessorderlyandaworsearmedforce，consistingoftheSaxoninhabitantsoftheneighbouringtownship，aswellasmanybondsmenandservantsfromCedric’sextensiveestate，hadalreadyarrived，forthepurposeofassistinginhisrescue。Fewofthesewerearmedotherwisethanwithsuchrusticweaponsasnecessitysometimesconvertstomilitarypurposes。Boar-spears，scythes，flails，andthelike，weretheirchiefarms；
　　fortheNormans，withtheusualpolicyofconquerors，werejealousofpermittingtothevanquishedSaxonsthepossessionortheuseofswordsandspears。ThesecircumstancesrenderedtheassistanceoftheSaxonsfarfrombeingsoformidabletothebesieged，asthestrengthofthementhemselves，theirsuperiornumbers，andtheanimationinspiredbyajustcause，mightotherwisewellhavemadethem。ItwastotheleadersofthismotleyarmythattheletteroftheTemplarwasnowdelivered。
　　Referencewasatfirstmadetothechaplainforanexpositionofitscontents。
　　``BythecrookofStDunstan，’’saidthatworthyecclesiastic，``whichhathbroughtmoresheepwithinthesheepfoldthanthecrookofe’eranothersaintinParadise，IswearthatIcannotexpounduntoyouthisjargon，which，whetheritbeFrenchorArabic，isbeyondmyguess。’’
　　HethengavethelettertoGurth，whoshookhisheadgruffly，andpassedittoWamba。TheJesterlookedateachofthefourcornersofthepaperwithsuchagrinofaffectedintelligenceasamonkeyisapttoassumeuponsimilaroccasions，thencutacaper，andgavethelettertoLocksley。