maid marian-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　flask　moving　from　noon　till　night。　　The　peaceful　brethren；　unused　to　the　tumult　of　war；　had　undergone；　from　fear　and　discomposure；　an　exhaustion　of　animal　spirits　that　required　extraordinary　refection。　During　the　repast；　they　interrogated　Sir　Ralph　Montfaucon；　the　leader　of　the　soldiers；　respecting　the　nature　of　the　earl's　offence。

〃A　complication　of　offences；〃　replied　Sir　Ralph；　〃superinduced　on　the　original　basis　of　forest…treason。　He　began　with　hunting　the　king's　deer；　in　despite　of　all　remonstrance；　followed　it　up　by　contempt　of　the　king's　mandates；　and　by　armed　resistance　to　his　power；　in　defiance　of　all　authority；　and　combined　with　it　the　resolute　withholding　of　payment　of　certain　moneys　to　the　abbot　of　Doncaster；　in　denial　of　all　law；　and　has　thus　made　himself　the　declared　enemy　of　church　and　state；　and　all　for　being　too　fond　of　venison。〃　And　the　knight　helped　himself　to　half　a　pasty。

〃A　heinous　offender；〃　said　a　little　round　oily　friar；　appropriating　the　portion　of　pasty　which　Sir　Ralph　had　left。

〃The　earl　is　a　worthy　peer；〃　said　the　tall　friar　whom　we　have　already　mentioned　in　the　chapel　scene；　〃and　the　best　marksman　in　England。〃

〃Why　this　is　flat　treason；　brother　Michael；〃　said　the　little　round　friar；　〃to　call　an　attainted　traitor　a　worthy　peer。〃

〃I　pledge　you；〃　said　brother　Michael。　　The　little　friar　smiled　and　filled　his　cup。　　〃He　will　draw　the　long　bow；〃　pursued　brother　Michael；　〃with　any　bold　yeoman　among　them　all。〃

〃Don't　talk　of　the　long　bow；〃　said　the　abbot；　who　had　the　sound　of　the　arrow　still　whizzing　in　his　ear：　　〃what　have　we　pillars　of　the　faith　to　do　with　the　long　bow？〃

〃Be　that　as　it　may；〃　said　Sir　Ralph；　〃he　is　an　outlaw　from　this　moment。〃

〃So　much　the　worse　for　the　law　then；〃　said　brother　Michael。　　〃The　law　will　have　a　heavier　miss　of　him　than　he　will　have　of　the　law。　He　will　strike　as　much　venison　as　ever；　and　more　of　other　game。　I　know　what　I　say：　　but　basta：　　Let　us　drink。〃

〃What　other　game？〃　said　the　little　friar。　　〃I　hope　he　won't　poach　among　our　partridges。〃

〃Poach！　not　he；〃　said　brother　Michael：　　〃if　he　wants　your　partridges；　he　will　strike　them　under　your　nose　（here's　to　you）；　and　drag　your　trout…stream　for　you　on　a　Thursday　evening。〃

〃Monstrous！　and　starve　us　on　fast…day；〃　said　the　little　friar。

〃But　that　is　not　the　game　I　mean；〃　said　brother　Michael。

〃Surely；　son　Michael；〃　said　the　abbot；　〃you　do　not　mean　to　insinuate　that　the　noble　earl　will　turn　freebooter？〃

〃A　man　must　live；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃earl　or　no。　　If　the　law　takes　his　rents　and　beeves　without　his　consent；　he　must　take　beeves　and　rents　where　he　can　get　them　without　the　consent　of　the　law。　This　is　the　lex　talionis。〃

〃Truly；〃　said　Sir　Ralph；　〃I　am　sorry　for　the　damsel：　she　seems　fond　of　this　wild　runagate。〃

〃A　mad　girl；　a　mad　girl；〃　said　the　little　friar。

〃How　a　mad　girl？〃　said　brother　Michael。　　〃Has　she　not　beauty；　grace；　wit；　sense；　discretion；　dexterity；　learning；　and　valour？〃

〃Learning！〃　exclaimed　the　little　friar；　〃what　has　a　woman　to　do　with　learning？　　And　valour！　who　ever　heard　a　woman　commended　for　valour？　Meekness　and　mildness；　and　softness；　and　gentleness；　and　tenderness；　and　humility；　and　obedience　to　her　husband；　and　faith　in　her　confessor；　and　domesticity；　or；　as　learned　doctors　call　it；　the　faculty　of　stayathomeitiveness；　and　embroidery；　and　music；　and　pickling；　and　preserving；　and　the　whole　complex　and　multiplex　detail　of　the　noble　science　of　dinner；　as　well　in　preparation　for　the　table；　as　in　arrangement　over　it；　and　in　distribution　around　it　to　knights；　and　squires；　and　ghostly　friars；these　are　female　virtues：　but　valourwhy　who　ever　heard？〃

〃She　is　the　all　in　all；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃gentle　as　a　ring…dove；　yet　high…soaring　as　a　falcon：　　humble　below　her　deserving；　yet　deserving　beyond　the　estimate　of　panegyric：　　an　exact　economist　in　all　superfluity；　yet　a　most　bountiful　dispenser　in　all　liberality：　the　chief　regulator　of　her　household；　the　fairest　pillar　of　her　hall；　and　the　sweetest　blossom　of　her　bower：　　having；　in　all　opposite　proposings；　sense　to　understand；　judgment　to　weigh；　discretion　to　choose；　firmness　to　undertake；　diligence　to　conduct；　perseverance　to　accomplish；　and　resolution　to　maintain。　For　obedience　to　her　husband；　that　is　not　to　be　tried　till　she　has　one：　for　faith　in　her　confessor；　she　has　as　much　as　the　law　prescribes：　for　embroidery　an　Arachne：　　for　music　a　Siren：　　and　for　pickling　and　preserving；　did　not　one　of　her　jars　of　sugared　apricots　give　you　your　last　surfeit　at　Arlingford　Castle？〃

〃Call　you　that　preserving？〃　said　the　little　friar；　〃I　call　it　destroying。　Call　you　it　pickling？　　Truly　it　pickled　me。　　My　life　was　saved　by　miracle。〃

〃By　canary；〃　said　brother　Michael。　　〃Canary　is　the　only　life　preserver；　the　true　aurum　potabile；　the　universal　panacea　for　all　diseases；　thirst；　and　short　life。　　Your　life　was　saved　by　canary。〃

〃Indeed；　reverend　father；〃　said　Sir　Ralph；　〃if　the　young　lady　be　half　what　you　describe；　she　must　be　a　paragon：　but　your　commending　her　for　valour　does　somewhat　amaze　me。〃

〃She　can　fence；〃　said　the　little　friar；　〃and　draw　the　long　bow；　and　play　at　singlestick　and　quarter…staff。〃

〃Yet　mark　you；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃not　like　a　virago　or　a　hoyden；　or　one　that　would　crack　a　serving…man's　head　for　spilling　gravy　on　her　ruff；　but　with　such　womanly　grace　and　temperate　self…command　as　if　those　manly　exercises　belonged　to　her　only；　and　were　become　for　her　sake　feminine。〃

〃You　incite　me；〃　said　Sir　Ralph；　〃to　view　her　more　nearly。　That　madcap　earl　found　me　other　employment　than　to　remark　her　in　the　chapel。〃

〃The　earl　is　a　worthy　peer；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃he　is　worth　any　fourteen　earls　on　this　side　Trent；　and　any　seven　on　the　other。〃　（The　reader　will　please　to　remember　that　Rubygill　Abbey　was　north　of　Trent。）

〃His　mettle　will　be　tried；〃　said　Sir　Ralph。　　〃There　is　many　a　courtier　will　swear　to　King　Henry　to　bring　him　in　dead　or　alive。〃

〃They　must　look　to　the　brambles　then；〃　said　brother　Michael。

　〃The　bramble；　the　bramble；　the　bonny　forest　bramble；　　　　　　Doth　make　a　jest　　　　　　Of　silken　vest；　　That　will　through　greenwood　scramble：　　The　bramble；　the　bramble；　the　bonny　forest　bramble。〃


〃Plague　on　your　lungs；　son　Michael；〃　said　the　abbot；　〃this　is　your　old　coil：　always　roaring　in　your　cups。〃

〃I　know　what　I　say；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃there　is　often　more　sense　in　an　old　song　than　in　a　new　homily。

　The　courtly　pad　doth　amble；　　When　his　gay　lord　would　ramble：　　　　　　But　both　may　catch　　　　　　An　awkward　scratch；　　If　they　ride　among　the　bramble：　　The　bramble；　the　bramble；　the　bonny　forest　bramble。〃


〃Tall　friar；〃　said　Sir　Ralph；　〃either　you　shoot　the　shafts　of　your　merriment　at　random；　or　you　know　more　of　the　earl's　designs　than　beseems　your　frock。〃

〃Let　my　frock；〃　said　brother　Michael；　〃answer　for　its　own　sins。　It　is　worn　past　covering　mine。　　It　is　too　weak　for　a　shield；　too　transparent　for　a　screen；　too　thin　for　a　shelter；　too　light　for　gravity；　and　too　threadbare　for　a　jest。　The　wearer　would　be　naught　indeed　who　should　misbeseem　such　a　wedding　garment。

　But　wherefore　does　the　sheep　wear　wool？　　　　　　That　he　in　season　sheared　may　be；　　And　the　shepherd　be　warm　though　his　flock　be　cool：　　　　　　So　I'll　have　a　new　cloak　about　me。〃





CHAPTER　II


Vray　moyne　si　oncques　en　feut　depuis　que　le　monde　moynant　moyna　de　moynerie。RABELAIS。


The　Earl　of　Huntingdon；　living　in　the　vicinity　of　a　royal　forest；　and　passionately　attached　to　the　chase　from　his　infancy；　had　long　made　as　free　with　the　king's　deer　as　Lord　Percy　proposed　to　do　with　those　of　Lord　Douglas　in　the　memorable　hunting　of　Cheviot。　　It　is　sufficiently　well　known　how　severe　were　the　forest…laws　in　those　days；　and　with　what　jealousy　the　kings　of　England　maintained　this　branch　of　their　prerogative；　but　menaces　and　remonstrances　were　thrown　away　on　the　earl；　who　declared　that　he　would　not　thank　Saint　Peter　for　admission　into　Paradise；　if　he　were　obliged　to　leave　his　bow　and　hounds　at　the　gate。　　King　Henry　（the　Second）　swore　by　Saint　Botolph　to　make　him　rue　his　sport；　and；　having　caused　him　to　be　duly　and　formally　accused；　summoned　him　to　London　to　answer　the　charge。　The　earl；　deeming　himself　safer　among　his　own　vassals　than