burlesques-第80章

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shall　I　put　out　my　eyes　and　live　in　the　dark？　　No！　　I　am　content

with　my　fate；　even　such　as　it　is。　　The　Care　of　which　thou　speakest；

hard　though　it　may　vex　him；　never　yet　rode　down　an　honest　man。　　I

can　bear　him　on　my　shoulders；　and　make　my　way　through　the　world's

press　in　spite　of　him；　for　my　arm　is　strong；　and　my　sword　is　keen；

and　my　shield　has　no　stain　on　it；　and　my　heart；　though　it　is　sad；

knows　no　guile。〃　　And　here；　taking　a　locket　out　of　his　waistcoat

（which　was　made　of　chain…mail）；　the　knight　kissed　the　token；　put　it

back　under　the　waistcoat　again；　heaved　a　profound　sigh；　and　stuck

spurs　into　his　horse。



As　for　Wamba；　he　was　munching　a　black　pudding　whilst　Sir　Wilfrid

was　making　the　above　speech；　（which　implied　some　secret　grief　on

the　knight's　part；　that　must　have　been　perfectly　unintelligible　to

the　fool；）　and　so　did　not　listen　to　a　single　word　of　Ivanhoe's

pompous　remarks。　　They　travelled　on　by　slow　stages　through　the

whole　kingdom；　until　they　came　to　Dover；　whence　they　took　shipping

for　Calais。　　And　in　this　little　voyage；　being　exceedingly　sea…sick；

and　besides　elated　at　the　thought　of　meeting　his　sovereign；　the

good　knight　cast　away　that　profound　melancholy　which　had

accompanied　him　during　the　whole　of　his　land　journey。





CHAPTER　II。



THE　LAST　DAYS　OF　THE　LION。





From　Calais　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　took　the　diligence　across

country　to　Limoges；　sending　on　Gurth；　his　squire；　with　the　horses

and　the　rest　of　his　attendants：　with　the　exception　of　Wamba；　who

travelled　not　only　as　the　knight's　fool；　but　as　his　valet；　and　who；

perched　on　the　roof　of　the　carriage；　amused　himself　by　blowing

tunes　upon　the　conducteur's　French　horn。　　The　good　King　Richard

was；　as　Ivanhoe　learned；　in　the　Limousin；　encamped　before　a　little

place　called　Chalus；　the　lord　whereof；　though　a　vassal　of　the

King's；　was　holding　the　castle　against　his　sovereign　with　a

resolution　and　valor　which　caused　a　great　fury　and　annoyance　on　the

part　of　the　Monarch　with　the　Lion　Heart。　　For　brave　and　magnanimous

as　he　was；　the　Lion…hearted　one　did　not　love　to　be　balked　any　more

than　another；　and；　like　the　royal　animal　whom　he　was　said　to

resemble；　he　commonly　tore　his　adversary　to　pieces；　and　then；

perchance；　had　leisure　to　think　how　brave　the　latter　had　been。　　The

Count　of　Chalus　had　found；　it　was　said；　a　pot　of　money；　the　royal

Richard　wanted　it。　　As　the　count　denied　that　he　had　it；　why　did　he

not　open　the　gates　of　his　castle　at　once？　　It　was　a　clear　proof

that　he　was　guilty；　and　the　King　was　determined　to　punish　this

rebel；　and　have　his　money　and　his　life　too。



He　had　naturally　brought　no　breaching　guns　with　him；　because　those

instruments　were　not　yet　invented：　and　though　he　had　assaulted　the

place　a　score　of　times　with　the　utmost　fury；　his　Majesty　had　been

beaten　back　on　every　occasion；　until　he　was　so　savage　that　it　was

dangerous　to　approach　the　British　Lion。　　The　Lion's　wife；　the

lovely　Berengaria；　scarcely　ventured　to　come　near　him。　　He　flung

the　joint…stools　in　his　tent　at　the　heads　of　the　officers　of　state；

and　kicked　his　aides…de…camp　round　his　pavilion；　and；　in　fact；　a

maid　of　honor；　who　brought　a　sack…posset　in　to　his　Majesty　from　the

Queen　after　he　came　in　from　the　assault；　came　spinning　like　a

football　out　of　the　royal　tent　just　as　Ivanhoe　entered　it。



〃Send　me　my　drum…major　to　flog　that　woman！〃　roared　out　the

infuriate　King。　　〃By　the　bones　of　St。　Barnabas　she　has　burned　the

sack！　　By　St。　Wittikind；　I　will　have　her　flayed　alive。　　Ha；　St。

George！　ha；　St。　Richard！　whom　have　we　here？〃　　And　he　lifted　up　his

demi…culverin；　or　curtal…axea　weapon　weighing　about　thirteen

hundredweightand　was　about　to　fling　it　at　the　intruder's　head；

when　the　latter；　kneeling　gracefully　on　one　knee；　said　calmly；　〃It

is　I；　my　good　liege；　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe。〃



〃What；　Wilfrid　of　Templestowe；　Wilfrid　the　married　man；　Wilfrid　the

henpecked！〃　cried　the　King　with　a　sudden　burst　of　good…humor；

flinging　away　the　culverin　from　him；　as　though　it　had　been　a　reed

（it　lighted　three　hundred　yards　off；　on　the　foot　of　Hugo　de　Bunyon；

who　was　smoking　a　cigar　at　the　door　of　his　tent；　and　caused　that

redoubted　warrior　to　limp　for　some　days　after）。　　〃What；　Wilfrid　my

gossip？　　Art　come　to　see　the　lion's　den？　　There　are　bones　in　it；

man；　bones　and　carcasses；　and　the　lion　is　angry；〃　said　the　King；

with　a　terrific　glare　of　his　eyes。　　〃But　tush！　we　will　talk　of　that

anon。　　Ho！　bring　two　gallons　of　hypocras　for　the　King　and　the　good

Knight；　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe。　　Thou　art　come　in　time；　Wilfrid；

for；　by　St。　Richard　and　St。　George；　we　will　give　a　grand　assault

to…morrow。　　There　will　be　bones　broken；　ha！〃



〃I　care　not；　my　liege；〃　said　Ivanhoe；　pledging　the　sovereign

respectfully；　and　tossing　off　the　whole　contents　of　the　bowl　of

hypocras　to　his　Highness's　good　health。　　And　he　at　once　appeared　to

be　taken　into　high　favor；　not　a　little　to　the　envy　of　many　of　the

persons　surrounding　the　King。



As　his　Majesty　said；　there　was　fighting　and　feasting　in　plenty

before　Chalus。　　Day　after　day；　the　besiegers　made　assaults　upon　the

castle；　but　it　was　held　so　stoutly　by　the　Count　of　Chalus　and　his

gallant　garrison；　that　each　afternoon　beheld　the　attacking…parties

returning　disconsolately　to　their　tents；　leaving　behind　them　many

of　their　own　slain；　and　bringing　back　with　them　store　of　broken

heads　and　maimed　limbs；　received　in　the　unsuccessful　onset。　　The

valor　displayed　by　Ivanhoe　in　all　these　contests　was　prodigious；

and　the　way　in　which　he　escaped　death　from　the　discharges　of

mangonels；　catapults；　battering…rams；　twenty…four　pounders；　boiling

oil；　and　other　artillery；　with　which　the　besieged　received　their

enemies；　was　remarkable。　　After　a　day's　fighting；　Gurth　and　Wamba

used　to　pick　the　arrows　out　of　their　intrepid　master's　coat…of…

mail；　as　if　they　had　been　so　many　almonds　in　a　pudding。　　'Twas　well

for　the　good　knight；　that　under　his　first　coat…of　armor　he　wore　a

choice　suit　of　Toledan　steel；　perfectly　impervious　to　arrow…shots；

and　given　to　him　by　a　certain　Jew；　named　Isaac　of　York；　to　whom　he

had　done　some　considerable　services　a　few　years　back。



If　King　Richard　had　not　been　in　such　a　rage　at　the　repeated

failures　of　his　attacks　upon　the　castle；　that　all　sense　of　justice

was　blinded　in　the　lion…hearted　monarch；　he　would　have　been　the

first　to　acknowledge　the　valor　of　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　and　would

have　given　him　a　Peerage　and　the　Grand　Cross　of　the　Bath　at　least　a

dozen　times　in　the　course　of　the　siege：　for　Ivanhoe　led　more　than　a

dozen　storming　parties；　and　with　his　own　hand　killed　as　many　men

（viz；　two　thousand　three　hundred　and　fifty…one）　within　six；　as　were

slain　by　the　lion…hearted　monarch　himself。　　But　his　Majesty　was

rather　disgusted　than　pleased　by　his　faithful　servant's　prowess；

and　all　the　courtiers；　who　hated　Ivanhoe　for　his　superior　valor　and

dexterity　（for　he　would　kill　you　off　a　couple　of　hundreds　of　them

of　Chalus；　whilst　the　strongest　champions　of　the　Kings　host　could

not　finish　more　than　their　two　dozen　of　a　day）；　poisoned　the　royal

mind　against　Sir　Wilfrid；　and　made　the　King　look　upon　his　feats　of

arms　with　an　evil　eye。　　Roger　de　Backbite　sneeringly　told　the　King

that　Sir　Wilfrid　had　offered　to　bet　an　equal　bet　that　he　would　kill

more　men　than　Richard　himself　in　the　next　assault：　Peter　de

Toadhole　said　that　Ivanhoe　stated　everywhere　that　his　Majesty　was

not　the　man　he　used　to　be；　that　pleasures　and　drink　had　enervated

him；　that　he　could　neither　ride；　nor　strike　a　blow　with　sword　or

axe；　as　he　had　been　enabled　to　do　in　the　old　times　in　Palestine：

and　finally；　in　the　twenty…fifth　assault；　in　which　they　had　very

nearly　carried　the　place；　and　in　which　onset　Ivanhoe　slew　seven；

and　his　Majesty　six；　of　the　sons　of　the　Count　de　Chalus；　its

defender；　Ivanhoe　almost　did　for　himself；　by　planting　his　banner

before　the　King's　upon　the　wall；　and　only　rescued　himself　from

utter　disgrace　by　saving　his　Majesty's　life