``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*