burlesques-第77章

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rights；　it　ever　seemed　to　me　that　Rebecca　would　have　had　the

husband；　and　Rowena　would　have　gone　off　to　a　convent　and　shut

herself　up；　where　I；　for　one；　would　never　have　taken　the　trouble

of　inquiring　for　her。



But　after　all　she　married　Ivanhoe。　　What　is　to　be　done？　　There　is

no　help　for　it。　　There　it　is　in　black　and　white　at　the　end　of　the

third　volume　of　Sir　Walter　Scott's　chronicle；　that　the　couple　were

joined　together　in　matrimony。　　And　must　the　Disinherited　Knight；

whose　blood　has　been　fired　by　the　suns　of　Palestine；　and　whose

heart　has　been　warmed　in　the　company　of　the　tender　and　beautiful

Rebecca；　sit　down　contented　for　life　by　the　side　of　such　a　frigid

piece　of　propriety　as　that　icy；　faultless；　prim；　niminy…piminy

Rowena？　　Forbid　it　fate；　forbid　it　poetical　justice！　　There　is　a

simple　plan　for　setting　matters　right；　and　giving　all　parties　their

due；　which　is　here　submitted　to　the　novel…reader。　　Ivanhoe's

history　MUST　have　had　a　continuation；　and　it　is　this　which　ensues。

I　may　be　wrong　in　some　particulars　of　the　narrative；as　what

writer　will　not　be？but　of　the　main　incidents　of　the　history；　I

have　in　my　own　mind　no　sort　of　doubt；　and　confidently　submit　them

to　that　generous　public　which　likes　to　see　virtue　righted；　true

love　rewarded；　and　the　brilliant　Fairy　descend　out　of　the　blazing

chariot　at　the　end　of　the　pantomime；　and　make　Harlequin　and

Columbine　happy。　　What；　if　reality　be　not　so；　gentlemen　and　ladies；

and　if；　after　dancing　a　variety　of　jigs　and　antics；　and　jumping　in

and　out　of　endless　trap…doors　and　windows；　through　life's　shifting

scenes；　no　fairy　comes　down　to　make　US　comfortable　at　the　close　of

the　performance？　　Ah！　let　us　give　our　honest　novel…folks　the

benefit　of　their　position；　and　not　be　envious　of　their　good　luck。



No　person　who　has　read　the　preceding　volumes　of　this　history；　as

the　famous　chronicler　of　Abbotsford　has　recorded　them；　can　doubt

for　a　moment　what　was　the　result　of　the　marriage　between　Sir

Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　and　Lady　Rowena。　　Those　who　have　marked　her

conduct　during　her　maidenhood；　her　distinguished　politeness；　her

spotless　modesty　of　demeanor；　her　unalterable　coolness　under　all

circumstances；　and　her　lofty　and　gentlewomanlike　bearing；　must　be

sure　that　her　married　conduct　would　equal　her　spinster　behavior；

and　that　Rowena　the　wife　would　be　a　pattern　of　correctness　for　all

the　matrons　of　England。



Such　was　the　fact。　　For　miles　around　Rotherwood　her　character　for

piety　was　known。　　Her　castle　was　a　rendezvous　for　all　the　clergy

and　monks　of　the　district；　whom　she　fed　with　the　richest　viands；

while　she　pinched　herself　upon　pulse　and　water。　　There　was　not　an

invalid　in　the　three　Ridings；　Saxon　or　Norman；　but　the　palfrey　of

the　Lady　Rowena　might　be　seen　journeying　to　his　door；　in　company

with　Father　Glauber；　her　almoner；　and　Brother　Thomas　of　Epsom；　her

leech。　　She　lighted　up　all　the　churches　in　Yorkshire　with　wax…

candles；　the　offerings　of　her　piety。　　The　bells　of　her　chapel　began

to　ring　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　all　the　domestics　of

Rotherwood　were　called　upon　to　attend　at　matins；　at　complins；　at

nones；　at　vespers；　and　at　sermon。　　I　need　not　say　that　fasting　was

observed　with　all　the　rigors　of　the　Church；　and　that　those　of　the

servants　of　the　Lady　Rowena　were　looked　upon　with　most　favor　whose

hair…shirts　were　the　roughest；　and　who　flagellated　themselves　with

the　most　becoming　perseverance。



Whether　it　was　that　this　discipline　cleared　poor　Wamba's　wits　or

cooled　his　humor；　it　is　certain　that　he　became　the　most　melancholy

fool　in　England；　and　if　ever　he　ventured　upon　a　pun　to　the

shuddering　poor　servitors；　who　were　mumbling　their　dry　crusts　below

the　salt；　it　was　such　a　faint　and　stale　joke　that　noboby　dared　to

laugh　at　the　innuendoes　of　the　unfortunate　wag；　and　a　sickly　smile

was　the　best　applause　he　could　muster。　　Once；　indeed；　when　Guffo；

the　goose…boy　（a　half…witted　poor　wretch）；　laughed　outright　at　a

lamentably　stale　pun　which　Wamba　palmed　upon　him　at　supper…time；

（it　was　dark；　and　the　torches　being　brought　in；　Wamba　said；　〃Guffo；

they　can't　see　their　way　in　the　argument；　and　are　going　TO　THROW　A

LITTLE　LIGHT　UPON　THE　SUBJECT；〃）　the　Lady　Rowena；　being　disturbed

in　a　theological　controversy　with　Father　Willibald；　（afterwards

canonized　as　St。　Willibald；　of　Bareacres；　hermit　and　confessor；）

called　out　to　know　what　was　the　cause　of　the　unseemly　interruption；

and　Guffo　and　Wamba　being　pointed　out　as　the　culprits；　ordered　them

straightway　into　the　court…yard；　and　three　dozen　to　be　administered

to　each　of　them。



〃I　got　you　out　of　Front…de…Boeufs　castle；〃　said　poor　Wamba；

piteously；　appealing　to　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　〃and　canst　thou　not

save　me　from　the　lash？〃



〃Yes；　from　Front…de…Boeuf's　castle；　WHERE　YOU　WERE　LOCKED　UP　WITH

THE　JEWESS　IN　THE　TOWER！〃　said　Rowena；　haughtily　replying　to　the

timid　appeal　of　her　husband。　　〃Gurth；　give　him　four　dozen！〃



And　this　was　all　poor　Wamba　got　by　applying　for　the　mediation　of

his　master。



In　fact；　Rowena　knew　her　own　dignity　so　well　as　a　princess　of　the

royal　blood　of　England；　that　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　her　consort；

could　scarcely　call　his　life　his　own；　and　was　made；　in　all　things；

to　feel　the　inferiority　of　his　station。　　And　which　of　us　is　there

acquainted　with　the　sex　that　has　not　remarked　this　propensity　in

lovely　woman；　and　how　often　the　wisest　in　the　council　are　made　to

be　as　fools　at　HER　board；　and　the　boldest　in　the　battle…field　are

craven　when　facing　her　distaff？



〃Where　you　were　locked　up　with　the　Jewess　in　the　tower；〃　was　a

remark；　too；　of　which　Wilfrid　keenly　felt；　and　perhaps　the　reader

will　understand；　the　significancy。　　When　the　daughter　of　Isaac　of

York　brought　her　diamonds　and　rubiesthe　poor　gentle　victim！and；

meekly　laying　them　at　the　feet　of　the　conquering　Rowena；　departed

into　foreign　lands　to　tend　the　sick　of　her　people；　and　to　brood

over　the　bootless　passion　which　consumed　her　own　pure　heart；　one

would　have　thought　that　the　heart　of　the　royal　lady　would　have

melted　before　such　beauty　and　humility；　and　that　she　would　have

been　generous　in　the　moment　of　her　victory。



But　did　you　ever　know　a　right…minded　woman　pardon　another　for　being

handsome　and　more　love…worthy　than　herself？　　The　Lady　Rowena　did

certainly　say　with　mighty　magnanimity　to　the　Jewish　maiden；　〃Come

and　live　with　me　as　a　sister；〃　as　the　former　part　of　this　history

shows；　but　Rebecca　knew　in　her　heart　that　her　ladyship's　proposition

was　what　is　called　BOSH　（in　that　noble　Eastern　language　with　which

Wilfrid　the　Crusader　was　familiar）；　or　fudge；　in　plain　Saxon；　and

retired　with　a　broken；　gentle　spirit；　neither　able　to　bear　the　sight

of　her　rival's　happiness；　nor　willing　to　disturb　it　by　the　contrast

of　her　own　wretchedness。　　Rowena；　like　the　most　high…bred　and

virtuous　of　women；　never　forgave　Isaac's　daughter　her　beauty；　nor

her　flirtation　with　Wilfrid　（as　the　Saxon　lady　chose　to　term　it）；

nor；　above　all；　her　admirable　diamonds　and　jewels；　although　Rowena

was　actually　in　possession　of　them。



In　a　word；　she　was　always　flinging　Rebecca　into　Ivanhoe's　teeth。

There　was　not　a　day　in　his　life　but　that　unhappy　warrior　was　made

to　remember　that　a　Hebrew　damsel　had　been　in　love　with　him；　and

that　a　Christian　lady　of　fashion　could　never　forgive　the　insult。

For　instance；　if　Gurth；　the　swineherd；　who　was　now　promoted　to　be　a

gamekeeper　and　verderer；　brought　the　account　of　a　famous　wild…boar

in　the　wood；　and　proposed　a　hunt；　Rowena　would　say；　〃Do；　Sir

Wilfrid；　persecute　these　poor　pigs：　you　know　your　friends　the　Jews

can't　abide　them！〃　　Or　when；　as　it　oft　would　happen；　our　lion…

hearted　monarch；　Richard；　in　order　to　get　a　loan　or　a　benevolence

from　the　Jews；　would　roast　a　few　of　the　Hebrew　capitalists；　or

extract　some　of　the　principal　rabbis'　teeth；　Rowena　would　exult　and

say；　〃Serve　them　right；　the　misbelieving　wretches！　　England　can

never　be　a　happy　country　until　every　one　of　these　mon