``Well,’’answeredtheTemplar,``anthouwilttarrythere,rememberIhaveredeemedwordandglove。Bethehawkswheretheywill,methinksthewallsofthePreceptoryofTemplestowewillbecoversufficient,andthitherwillI,likeherontoherhaunt。’’
Havingthusspoken,hegallopedoffwithhisfollowers。
Thoseofthecastlewhohadnotgottentohorse,stillcontinuedtofightdesperatelywiththebesiegers,afterthedepartureoftheTemplar,butratherindespairofquarterthanthattheyentertainedanyhopeofescape。Thefirewasspreadingrapidlythroughallpartsofthecastle,whenUlrica,whohadfirstkindledit,appearedonaturret,intheguiseofoneoftheancientfuries,yellingforthawar-song,suchaswasofyoreraisedonthefieldofbattlebythescaldsoftheyetheathenSaxons。
Herlongdishevelledgreyhairflewbackfromheruncoveredhead;theinebriatingdelightofgratifiedvengeancecontendedinhereyeswiththefireofinsanity;andshebrandishedthedistaffwhichsheheldinherhand,asifshehadbeenoneoftheFatalSisters,whospinandabridgethethreadofhumanlife。Traditionhaspreservedsomewildstrophesofthebarbaroushymnwhichshechantedwildlyamidthatsceneoffireandofslaughter:——
1。
Whetthebrightsteel,SonsoftheWhiteDragon!
Kindlethetorch,DaughterofHengist!
Thesteelglimmersnotforthecarvingofthebanquet,Itishard,broad,andsharplypointed;
Thetorchgoethnottothebridalchamber,Itsteamsandglittersbluewithsulphur。
Whetthesteel,theravencroaks!
Lightthetorch,Zernebockisyelling!
Whetthesteel,sonsoftheDragon!
Kindlethetorch,daughterofHengist!
2。
Theblackcloudislowoverthethane’scastleTheeaglescreams——heridesonitsbosom。
Screamnot,greyriderofthesablecloud,Thybanquetisprepared!
ThemaidensofValhallalookforth,TheraceofHengistwillsendthemguests。
Shakeyourblacktresses,maidensofValhalla!
Andstrikeyourloudtimbrelsforjoy!
Manyahaughtystepbendstoyourhalls,Manyahelmedhead。
3。
Darksitstheeveninguponthethanescastle,Theblackcloudsgatherround;
Soonshalltheyberedasthebloodofthevaliant!
Thedestroyerofforestsshallshakehisredcrestagainstthem。
He,thebrightconsumerofpalaces,Broadwaveshehisblazingbanner,Red,wideanddusky,Overthestrifeofthevaliant:
Hisjoyisintheclashingswordsandbrokenbucklers;
Helovestolickthehissingbloodasitburstswarmfromthewound!
4。
Allmustperish!
Theswordcleaveththehelmet;
Thestrongarmourispiercedbythelance;
Firedevoureththedwellingofprinces,Enginesbreakdownthefencesofthebattle。
Allmustperish!
TheraceofHengistisgone——
ThenameofHorsaisnomore!
Shrinknotthenfromyourdoom,sonsofthesword!
Letyourbladesdrinkbloodlikewine;
Feastyeinthebanquetofslaughter,Bythelightoftheblazinghalls!
Strongbeyourswordswhileyourbloodiswarm,Andspareneitherforpitynorfear,Forvengeancehathbutanhour;
StronghateitselfshallexpireIalsomustperish!*
*NoteF。Ulrica’sDeathSongThetoweringflameshadnowsurmountedeveryobstruction,androsetotheeveningskiesonehugeandburningbeacon,seenfarandwidethroughtheadjacentcountry。Toweraftertowercrasheddown,withblazingroofandrafter;andthecombatantsweredrivenfromthecourt-yard。Thevanquished,ofwhomveryfewremained,scatteredandescapedintotheneighbouringwood。Thevictors,assemblinginlargebands,gazedwithwonder,notunmixedwithfear,upontheflames,inwhichtheirownranksandarmsglancedduskyred。ThemaniacfigureoftheSaxonUlricawasforalongtimevisibleontheloftystandshehadchosen,tossingherarmsabroadwithwildexultation,asifshereinedempressoftheconflagrationwhichshehadraised。
Atlength,withaterrificcrash,thewholeturretgaveway,andsheperishedintheflameswhichhadconsumedhertyrant。Anawfulpauseofhorrorsilencedeachmurmurofthearmedspectators,who,forthespaceofseveralminutes,stirrednotafinger,savetosignthecross。ThevoiceofLocksleywasthenheard,``Shout,yeomen!——thedenoftyrantsisnomore!LeteachbringhisspoiltoourchosenplaceofrendezvousattheTrysting-treeintheHarthill-walk;forthereatbreakofdaywillwemakejustpartitionamongourownbands,togetherwithourworthyalliesinthisgreatdeedofvengeance。’’
CHAPTERXXXII。
Trustmeeachstatemusthaveitspolicies:
Kingdomshaveedicts,citieshavetheircharters;
Eventhewildoutlaw,inhisforest-walk,Keepsyetsometouchofcivildiscipline;
FornotsinceAdamworehisverdantapron,Hathmanwithmaninsocialuniondwelt,Butlawsweremadetodrawthatunioncloser。
_OldPlay。_
Thedaylighthaddawneduponthegladesoftheoakforest。Thegreenboughsglitteredwithalltheirpearlsofdew。Thehindledherfawnfromthecovertofhighferntothemoreopenwalksofthegreenwood,andnohuntsmanwastheretowatchorinterceptthestatelyhart,ashepacedattheheadoftheantler’dherd。
TheoutlawswereallassembledaroundtheTrysting-treeintheHarthill-walk,wheretheyhadspentthenightinrefreshingthemselvesafterthefatiguesofthesiege,somewithwine,somewithslumber,manywithhearingandrecountingtheeventsoftheday,andcomputingtheheapsofplunderwhichtheirsuccesshadplacedatthedisposaloftheirChief。
Thespoilswereindeedverylarge;for,notwithstandingthatmuchwasconsumed,agreatdealofplate,richarmour,andsplendidclothing,hadbeensecuredbytheexertionsofthedauntlessoutlaws,whocouldbeappalledbynodangerwhensuchrewardswereinview。Yetsostrictwerethelawsoftheirsociety,thatnooneventuredtoappropriateanypartofthebooty,whichwasbroughtintoonecommonmass,tobeatthedisposaloftheirleader。
Theplaceofrendezvouswasanagedoak;nothoweverthesametowhichLocksleyhadconductedGurthandWambaintheearlierpartofthestory,butonewhichwasthecentreofasilvanamphitheatre,withinhalfamileofthedemolishedcastleofTorquilstone。HereLocksleyassumedhisseat——athroneofturferectedunderthetwistedbranchesofthehugeoak,andthesilvanfollowersweregatheredaroundhim。HeassignedtotheBlackKnightaseatathisrighthand,andtoCedricaplaceuponhisleft。
``Pardonmyfreedom,noblesirs,’’hesaid,``butinthesegladesIammonarch——theyaremykingdom;
andthesemywildsubjectswouldreckbutlittleofmypower,wereI,withinmyowndominions,toyieldplacetomortalman——Now,sirs,whohathseenourchaplain?whereisourcurtalFriar?AmassamongstChristianmenbestbeginsabusymorning。’’——NoonehadseentheClerkofCopmanhurst。``Overgodsforbode!’’saidtheoutlawchief,``Itrustthejollypriesthathbutabiddenbythewine-potathoughttoolate。Whosawhimsincethecastlewasta’en?’’
``I,’’quoththeMiller,``markedhimbusyaboutthedoorofacellar,swearingbyeachsaintinthecalendarhewouldtastethesmackofFront-de-Buf’sGascoignewine。’’
``Now,thesaints,asmanyastherebeofthem,’’
saidtheCaptain,``forefend,lesthehasdrunktoodeepofthewine-butts,andperishedbythefallofthecastle!——Away,Miller!——takewithyouenowofmen,seektheplacewhereyoulastsawhim——
throwwaterfromthemoatonthescorchingruins——IwillhavethemremovedstonebystoneereI
losemycurtalFriar。’’
Thenumberswhohastenedtoexecutethisduty,consideringthataninterestingdivisionofspoilwasabouttotakeplace,showedhowmuchthetroophadatheartthesafetyoftheirspiritualfather。
``Meanwhile,letusproceed,’’saidLocksley;
``forwhenthisbolddeedshallbesoundedabroad,thebandsofDeBracy,ofMalvoisin,andotheralliesofFront-de-Buf,willbeinmotionagainstus,anditwerewellforoursafetythatweretreatfromthevicinity——NobleCedric,’’hesaid,turningtotheSaxon,``thatspoilisdividedintotwoportions;
dothoumakechoiceofthatwhichbestsuitsthee,torecompensethypeoplewhowerepartakerswithusinthisadventure。’’
``Goodyeoman,’’saidCedric,``myheartisoppressedwithsadness。ThenobleAthelstaneofConingsburghisnomore——thelastsproutofthesaintedConfessor!Hopeshaveperishedwithhimwhichcanneverreturn!——Asparklehathbeenquenchedbyhisblood,whichnohumanbreathcanagainrekindle!Mypeople,savethefewwhoarenowwithme,dobuttarrymypresencetotransporthishonouredremainstotheirlastmansion。
TheLadyRowenaisdesiroustoreturntoRotherwood,andmustbeescortedbyasufficientforce。I
should,therefore,erenow,haveleftthisplace;andIwaited——nottosharethebooty,for,sohelpmeGodandSaintWithold!asneitherInoranyofminewilltouchthevalueofaliard,——Iwaitedbuttorendermythankstotheeandtothyboldyeomen,forthelifeandhonouryehavesaved。’’
``Nay,but,’’saidthechiefOutlaw,``wedidbuthalftheworkatmost——takeofthespoilwhatmayrewardyourownneighboursandfollowers。’’
``Iamrichenoughtorewardthemfrommineownwealth,’’answeredCedric。