burlesques-第87章

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Richard。　　It　was　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　I　need　scarcely　say；　who

got　the　Barons　of　England　to　league　together　and　extort　from　the

king　that　famous　instrument　and　palladium　of　our　liberties　at

present　in　the　British　Museum；　Great　Russell　Street；　Bloomsbury

the　Magna　Charta。　　His　name　does　not　naturally　appear　in　the　list

of　Barons；　because　he　was　only　a　knight；　and　a　knight　in　disguise

too：　nor　does　Athelstane's　signature　figure　on　that　document。

Athelstane；　in　the　first　place；　could　not　write；　nor　did　he　care　a

pennypiece　about　politics；　so　long　as　he　could　drink　his　wine　at

home　undisturbed；　and　have　his　hunting　and　shooting　in　quiet。



It　was　not　until　the　King　wanted　to　interfere　with　the　sport　of

every　gentleman　in　England　（as　we　know　by　reference　to　the　Historic

Page　that　this　odious　monarch　did）；　that　Athelstane　broke　out　into

open　rebellion；　along　with　several　Yorkshire　squires　and　noblemen。

It　is　recorded　of　the　King；　that　he　forbade　every　man　to　hunt　his

own　deer；　and；　in　order　to　secure　an　obedience　to　his　orders；　this

Herod　of　a　monarch　wanted　to　secure　the　eldest　sons　of　all　the

nobility　and　gentry；　as　hostages　for　the　good　behavior　of　their

parents。



Athelstane　was　anxious　about　his　gameRowena　was　anxious　about　her

son。　　The　former　swore　that　he　would　hunt　his　deer　in　spite　of　all

Norman　tyrantsthe　latter　asked；　should　she　give　up　her　boy　to　the

ruffian　who　had　murdered　his　own　nephew？*　　The　speeches　of　both

were　brought　to　the　King　at　York；　and；　furious；　he　ordered　an

instant　attack　upon　Rotherwood；　and　that　the　lord　and　lady　of　that

castle　should　be　brought　before　him　dead　or　alive。





*See　Hume；　Giraldus　Cambrensis；　The　Monk　of　Croyland；　and　Pinnock's

Catechism。





Ah；　where　was　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　the　unconquerable　champion；　to

defend　the　castle　against　the　royal　party？　　A　few　thrusts　from　his

lance　would　have　spitted　the　leading　warriors　of　the　King's　host：　a

few　cuts　from　his　sword　would　have　put　John's　forces　to　rout。　　But

the　lance　and　sword　of　Ivanhoe　were　idle　on　this　occasion。　　〃No；　be

hanged　to　me！〃　said　the　knight；　bitterly；　〃THIS　is　a　quarrel　in

which　I　can't　interfere。　　Common　politeness　forbids。　　Let　yonder

ale…swilling　Athelstane　defend　hisha；　haWIFE；　and　my　Lady

Rowena　guard　herha；　ha；　haSON。〃　　And　he　laughed　wildly　and

madly；　and　the　sarcastic；　way　in　which　he　choked　and　gurgled　out

the　words　〃wife〃　and　〃son〃　would　have　made　you　shudder　to　hear。



When　he　heard；　however；　that；　on　the　fourth　day　of　the　siege；

Athelstane　had　been　slain　by　a　cannon…ball；　（and　this　time　for

good；　and　not　to　come　to　life　again　as　he　had　done　before；）　and

that　the　widow　（if　so　the　innocent　bigamist　may　be　called）　was

conducting　the　defence　of　Rotherwood　herself　with　the　greatest

intrepidity；　showing　herself　upon　the　walls　with　her　little　son；

（who　bellowed　like　a　bull；　and　did　not　like　the　fighting　at　all；）

pointing　the　guns　and　encouraging　the　garrison　in　every　waybetter

feelings　returned　to　the　bosom　of　the　Knight　of　Ivanhoe；　and

summoning　his　men；　he　armed　himself　quickly　and　determined　to　go

forth　to　the　rescue。



He　rode　without　stopping　for　two　days　and　two　nights　in　the

direction　of　Rotherwood；　with　such　swiftness　and　disregard　for

refreshment；　indeed；　that　his　men　dropped　one　by　one　upon　the　road；

and　he　arrived　alone　at　the　lodge…gate　of　the　park。　　The　windows

were　smashed；　the　door　stove　in；　the　lodge；　a　neat　little　Swiss

cottage；　with　a　garden　where　the　pinafores　of　Mrs。　Gurth's　children

might　have　been　seen　hanging　on　the　gooseberry…bushes　in　more

peaceful　times；　was　now　a　ghastly　heap　of　smoking　ruins：　cottage；

bushes；　pinafores；　children　lay　mangled　together；　destroyed　by　the

licentious　soldiery　of　an　infuriate　monarch！　　Far　be　it　from　me　to

excuse　the　disobedience　of　Athelstane　and　Rowena　to　their

sovereign；　but　surely；　surely　this　cruelty　might　have　been　spared。



Gurth；　who　was　lodge…keeper；　was　lying　dreadfully　wounded　and

expiring　at　the　flaming　and　violated　threshold　of　his　lately

picturesque　home。　　A　catapult　and　a　couple　of　mangonels　had　done

his　business。　　The　faithful　fellow；　recognizing　his　master；　who　had

put　up　his　visor　and　forgotten　his　wig　and　spectacles　in　the

agitation　of　the　moment；　exclaimed；　〃Sir　Wilfrid！　my　dear　master

praised　be　St。　Waltheofthere　may　be　yet　timemy　beloved　mistr

master　Athelst　。　。　。〃　　He　sank　back；　and　never　spoke　again。



Ivanhoe　spurred　on　his　horse　Bavieca　madly　up　the　chestnut　avenue。

The　castle　was　before　him；　the　western　tower　was　in　flames；　the

besiegers　were　pressing　at　the　southern　gate；　Athelstane's　banner；

the　bull　rampant；　was　still　on　the　northern　bartizan。　　〃An　Ivanhoe；

an　Ivanhoe！〃　he　bellowed　out；　with　a　shout　that　overcame　all　the

din　of　battle：　〃Nostre　Dame　a　la　rescousse！〃　　And　to　hurl　his　lance

through　the　midriff　of　Reginald　de　Bracy；　who　was　commanding　the

assaultwho　fell　howling　with　anguishto　wave　his　battle…axe　over

his　own　head；　and　cut　off　those　of　thirteen　men…at…arms；　was　the

work　of　an　instant。　　〃An　Ivanhoe；　an　Ivanhoe！〃　he　still　shouted；

and　down　went　a　man　as　sure　as　he　said　〃hoe！〃



〃Ivanhoe！　Ivanhoe！〃　a　shrill　voice　cried　from　the　top　of　the

northern　bartizan。　　Ivanhoe　knew　it。



〃Rowena　my　love；　I　come！〃　he　roared　on　his　part。　　〃Villains！　touch

but　a　hair　of　her　head；　and　I　。　。　。〃



Here；　with　a　sudden　plunge　and　a　squeal　of　agony；　Bavieca　sprang

forward　wildly；　and　fell　as　wildly　on　her　back；　rolling　over　and

over　upon　the　knight。　　All　was　dark　before　him；　his　brain　reeled；

it　whizzed；　something　came　crashing　down　on　his　forehead。　　St。

Waltheof　and　all　the　saints　of　the　Saxon　calendar　protect　the

knight！　。　。　。



When　he　came　to　himself；　Wamba　and　the　lieutenant　of　his　lances

were　leaning　over　him　with　a　bottle　of　the　hermit's　elixir。　　〃We

arrived　here　the　day　after　the　battle；〃　said　the　fool；　〃marry；　I

have　a　knack　of　that。〃



〃Your　worship　rode　so　deucedly　quick；　there　was　no　keeping　up　with

your　worship；〃　said　the　lieutenant。



〃The　dayafterthe　bat〃　groaned　Ivanhoe。　　〃Where　is　the　Lady

Rowena？〃



〃The　castle　has　been　taken　and　sacked；〃　the　lieutenant　said；　and

pointed　to　what　once　WAS　Rotherwood；　but　was　now　only　a　heap　of

smoking　ruins。　　Not　a　tower　was　left；　not　a　roof；　not　a　floor；　not

a　single　human　being！　　Everything　was　flame　and　ruin；　smash　and

murther！



Of　course　Ivanhoe　fell　back　fainting　again　among　the　ninety…seven

men…at…arms　whom　he　had　slain；　and　it　was　not　until　Wamba　had

applied　a　second；　and　uncommonly　strong　dose　of　the　elixir　that　he

came　to　life　again。　　The　good　knight　was；　however；　from　long

practice；　so　accustomed　to　the　severest　wounds；　that　he　bore　them

far　more　easily　than　common　folk；　and　thus　was　enabled　to　reach

York　upon　a　litter；　which　his　men　constructed　for　him；　with

tolerable　ease。



Rumor　had　as　usual　advanced　before　him；　and　he　heard　at　the　hotel

where　he　stopped；　what　had　been　the　issue　of　the　affair　at

Rotherwood。　　A　minute　or　two　after　his　horse　was　stabbed；　and

Ivanhoe　knocked　down；　the　western　bartizan　was　taken　by　the

storming…party　which　invested　it；　and　every　soul　slain；　except

Rowena　and　her　boy；　who　were　tied　upon　horses　and　carried　away；

under　a　secure　guard；　to　one　of　the　King's　castlesnobody　knew

whither：　and　Ivanhoe　was　recommended　by　the　hotel…keeper　（whose

house　he　had　used　in　former　times）　to　reassume　his　wig　and

spectacles；　and　not　call　himself　by　his　own　name　any　more；　lest

some　of　the　King's　people　should　lay　hands　on　him。　　However；　as　he

had　killed　everybody　round　about　him；　there　was　but　little　danger

of　his　discovery；　and　the　Knight　of　the　Spectacles；　as　he　was

called；　went　about　York　quite　unmolested；　and　at　liberty　to　attend

to　his　own　affairs。



We　wish　to　be　brief　in　narrating　this　part　of　the　gallant　hero's

existence；　for　his　life　was　one　of　feeling　rather　than　affection；

and　the　description　of　mere　sentiment　is　considered　by　many　well…

informed