Givenfromthisdenofthieves,aboutthehourofmatins,``AymerPr。S。M。Jorvolciencis。
``_Postscriptum_。Trulyyourgoldenchainhathnotlongabiddenwithme,andwillnowsustain,aroundtheneckofanoutlawdeer-stealer,thewhistlewherewithhecallethonhishounds。’’
``Whatsayestthoutothis,Conrade?’’saidtheGrandMaster——``Denofthieves!andafitresidenceisadenofthievesforsuchaPrior。NowonderthatthehandofGodisuponus,andthatintheHolyLandweloseplacebyplace,footbyfoot,beforetheinfidels,whenwehavesuchchurchmenasthisAymer——Andwhatmeanethhe,Itrow,bythissecondWitchofEndor?’’saidhetohisconfident,somethingapart。
Conradewasbetteracquaintedperhapsbypractice
withthejargonofgallantry,thanwashisSuperior;
andheexpoundedthepassagewhichembarrassedtheGrandMaster,tobeasortoflanguageusedbyworldlymentowardsthosewhomtheyloved_paramours_;buttheexplanationdidnotsatisfythebigotedBeaumanoir。
``Thereismoreinitthanthoudostguess,Conrade;thysimplicityisnomatchforthisdeepabyssofwickedness。ThisRebeccaofYorkwasapupilofthatMiriamofwhomthouhastheard。
ThoushaltheartheJewownitevennow。’’ThenturningtoIsaac,hesaidaloud,``Thydaughter,then,isprisonerwithBriandeBois-Guilbert?’’
``Ay,reverendvaloroussir,’’stammeredpoorIsaac,``andwhatsoeverransomapoormanmaypayforherdeliverance——’’
``Peace!’’saidtheGrandMaster。``Thisthydaughterhathpractisedtheartofhealing,hathshenot?’’
``Ay,gracioussir,’’answeredtheJew,withmoreconfidence;``andknightandyeoman,squireandvassal,mayblessthegoodlygiftwhichHeavenhathassignedtoher。Manyaonecantestifythatshehathrecoveredthembyherart,wheneveryotherhumanaidhathprovedvain;buttheblessingoftheGodofJacobwasuponher。’’
BeaumanoirturnedtoMont-Fitchetwithagrimsmile。``See,brother,’’hesaid,``thedeceptionsofthedevouringEnemy!Beholdthebaitswithwhichhefishesforsouls,givingapoorspaceofearthlylifeinexchangeforeternalhappinesshereafter。
Wellsaidourblessedrule,__Semperpercutiaturleovorans_——
Uponthelion!Downwiththedestroyer!’’saidhe,shakingalofthismysticabacus,asifindefianceofthepowersofdarkness——
``Thydaughterworkeththecures,Idoubtnot,’’
thushewentontoaddresstheJew,``bywordsandsighs,andperiapts,andothercabalisticalmysteries。’’
``Nay,reverendandbraveKnight,’’answeredIsaac,``butinchiefmeasurebyabalsamofmarvellousvirtue。’’
``Wherehadshethatsecret?’’saidBeaumanoir。
``Itwasdeliveredtoher,’’answeredIsaac,reluctantly,``byMiriam,asagematronofourtribe。’’
``Ah,falseJew!’’saidtheGrandMaster;``wasitnotfromthatsamewitchMiriam,theabominationofwhoseenchantmentshavebeenheardofthroughouteveryChristianland?’’exclaimedtheGrandMaster,crossinghimself。``Herbodywasburntatastake,andherasheswerescatteredtothefourwinds;andsobeitwithmeandmineOrder,ifIdonotasmuchtoherpupil,andmorealso!IwillteachhertothrowspellandincantationoverthesoldiersoftheblessedTemple——
There,Damian,spurnthisJewfromthegate——
shoothimdeadifheopposeorturnagain。WithhisdaughterwewilldealastheChristianlawandourownhighofficewarrant。’’
PoorIsaacwashurriedoffaccordingly,andexpelledfromthepreceptory;allhisentreaties,andevenhisoffers,unheardanddisregarded。HecoulddonotbetterthanreturntothehouseoftheRabbi,andendeavour,throughhismeans,tolearnhowhisdaughterwastobedisposedof。Hehadhithertofearedforherhonour,hewasnowtotrembleforherlife。Meanwhile,theGrandMasterorderedtohispresencethePreceptorofTemplestowe。
CHAPTERXXXVI
Saynotmyartisfraud——alllivebyseeming。
Thebeggarbegswithit,andthegaycourtierGainslandandtitle,rankandrule,byseeming;
Theclergyscornitnot,andtheboldsoldierWillekewithithisservice——Alladmitit,Allpractiseit;andhewhoiscontentWithshowingwhatheis,shallhavesmallcreditInchurch,orcamp,orstate——Sowagstheworld。
_OldPlay_。
AlbertMalvoisin,President,or,inthelanguageoftheOrder,PreceptoroftheestablishmentofTemplestowe,wasbrothertothatPhilipMalvoisinwhohasbeenalreadyoccasionallymentionedinthishistory,andwas,likethatbaron,incloseleaguewithBriandeBois-Guilbert。
Amongstdissoluteandunprincipledmen,ofwhomtheTempleOrderincludedbuttoomany,AlbertofTemplestowemightbedistinguished;
butwiththisdifferencefromtheaudaciousBois-Guilbert,thatheknewhowtothrowoverhisvicesandhisambitiontheveilofhypocrisy,andtoassumeinhisexteriorthefanaticismwhichbeinternallydespised。HadnotthearrivaloftheGrandMasterbeensounexpectedlysudden,hewouldhaveseennothingatTemplestowewhichmighthaveappearedtoargueanyrelaxationofdiscipline。
And,evenalthoughsurprised,and,toacertainextent,detected,AlbertMalvoisinlistenedwithsuchrespectandapparentcontritiontotherebukeofhisSuperior,andmadesuchhastetoreformtheparticularshecensured,——succeeded,infine,sowellingivinganairofasceticdevotiontoafamilywhichhadbeenlatelydevotedtolicenseandpleasure,thatLucasBeaumanoirbegantoentertainahigheropinionofthePreceptor’smorals,thanthefirstappearanceoftheestablishmenthadinclinedhimtoadopt。
ButthesefavourablesentimentsonthepartoftheGrandMasterweregreatlyshakenbytheintelligencethatAlberthadreceivedwithinahouseofreligiontheJewishcaptive,and,aswastobefeared,theparamourofabrotheroftheOrder;
andwhenAlbertappearedbeforehim,bewasregardedwithunwontedsternness。
``Thereisinthismansion,dedicatedtothepurposesoftheholyOrderoftheTemple,’’saidtheGrandMaster,inaseveretone,``aJewishwoman,broughthitherbyabrotherofreligion,byyourconnivance,SirPreceptor。’’
AlbertMalvoisinwasoverwhelmedwithconfusion;
fortheunfortunateRebeccahadbeenconfinedinaremoteandsecretpartofthebuilding,andeveryprecautionusedtopreventherresidencetherefrombeingknown。HereadinthelooksofBeaumanoirruintoBois-Guilbertandtohimself,unlessheshouldbeabletoaverttheimpendingstorm。
``Whyareyoumute?’’continuedtheGrandMaster。
``Isitpermittedtometoreply?’’answeredthePreceptor,inatoneofthedeepesthumility,althoughbythequestionheonlymeanttogainaninstant’sspaceforarranginghisideas。
``Speak,youarepermitted,’’saidtheGrandMaster——``speak,andsay,knowestthouthecapitalofourholyrule,——_DecommilitonibusTempliinsanctacivitate,quicunmiserrimismulieribusversantur,propteroblectationemcarnis?’’*
*Theedictwhichhequotes,isagainstcommunionwith*womenoflightcharacter。
``Surely,mostreverendfather,’’answeredthePreceptor,``IhavenotrisentothisofficeintheOrder,beingignorantofoneofitsmostimportantprohibitions。’’
``Howcomesit,then,Idemandoftheeoncemore,thatthouhastsufferedabrothertobringaparamour,andthatparamouraJewishsorceress,intothisholyplace,tothestainandpollutionthereof?’’
``AJewishsorceress!’’echoedAlbertMalvoisin;
``goodangelsguardus!’’
``Ay,brother,aJewishsorceress!’’saidtheGrandMaster,sternly。``Ihavesaidit。DarestthoudenythatthisRebecca,thedaughterofthatwretchedusurerIsaacofYork,andthepupilofthefoulwitchMiriam,isnow——shametobethoughtorspoken!——lodgedwithinthisthyPreceptory?’’
``Yourwisdom,reverendfather,’’answeredthePreceptor,``hathrolledawaythedarknessfrommyunderstanding。MuchdidIwonderthatsogoodaknightasBriandeBois-Guilbertseemedsofondlybesottedonthecharmsofthisfemale,whomIreceivedintothishousemerelytoplaceabarbetwixttheirgrowingintimacy,whichelsemighthavebeencementedattheexpenseofthefallofourvaliantandreligiousbrother。’’
``Hathnothing,then,asyetpassedbetwixttheminbreachofhisvow?’’demandedtheGrandMaster。
``What!underthisroof?’’saidthePreceptor,crossinghimself;``SaintMagdaleneandthetenthousandvirginsforbid!——No!ifIhavesinnedinreceivingherhere,itwasintheerringthoughtthatImightthusbreakoffourbrother’sbesotteddevotiontothisJewess,whichseemedtomesowildandunnatural,thatIcouldnotbutascribeittosometouchofinsanity,moretobecuredbypitythanreproof。ButsinceyourreverendwisdomhathdiscoveredthisJewishqueantobeasorceress,perchanceitmayaccountfullyforhisenamouredfolly。’’
``Itdoth!——itdoth!’’saidBeaumanoir。``See,brotherConrade,theperilofyieldingtothefirstdevicesandblandishmentsofSatan!Welookuponwomanonlytogratifythelustoftheeye,andtotakepleasureinwhatmencallherbeauty;
andtheAncientEnemy,thedevouringLion,obtainspoweroverus,tocomplete,bytalismanandspell,aworkwhichwasbegunbyidlenessandfolly。ItmaybethatourbrotherBois-Guilbertdoesinthismatterdeserveratherpitythanseverechastisement;
ratherthesupportofthestaff,thanthestrokesoftherod;andthatouradmonitionsandprayersmayturnhimfromhisfolly,andrestorehimtohisbrethren。’’
``Itweredeeppity,’’saidConradeMont-Fitchet,tolosetotheOrderoneofitsbestlances,whentheHolyCommunitymostrequirestheaidofitssons。ThreehundredSaracenshaththisBriandeBois-Guilbertslainwithhisownhand。’’
``Thebloodoftheseaccurseddogs,’’saidtheGrandMaster,``shallbeasweetandacceptableofferingtothesaintsandangelswhomtheydespiseandblaspheme;andwiththeiraidwillwecounteractthespellsandcharmswithwhichourbrotherisentwinedasinanet。HeshallburstthebandsofthisDelilah,asSampsonburstthetwonewcordswithwhichthePhilistineshadboundhim,andshallslaughtertheinfidels,evenheapsuponheaps。Butconcerningthisfoulwitch,whohathflungherenchantmentsoverabrotheroftheHolyTemple,assuredlysheshalldiethedeath。’’
``ButthelawsofEngland,’’——saidthePreceptor,who,thoughdelightedthattheGrandMaster’sresentment,thusfortunatelyavertedfromhimselfandBois-Guilbert,hadtakenanotherdirection,begannowtofearhewascarryingittoofar。
``ThelawsofEngland,’’interruptedBeaumanoir,``permitandenjoineachjudgetoexecutejusticewithinhisownjurisdiction。Themostpettybaronmayarrest,try,andcondemnawitchfoundwithinhisowndomain。AndshallthatpowerbedeniedtotheGrandMasteroftheTemplewithinapreceptoryofhisOrder?——No!——wewilljudgeandcondemn。Thewitchshallbetakenoutoftheland,andthewickednessthereofshallbeforgiven。PreparetheCastle-hallforthetrialofthesorceress。’’