burlesques-第89章

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English　knight　of　the　Order；　was　about　to　extort　from　the　elderly

Israelite；）　with　a　hundred　crowns　and　a　gimmal　ring；　which　were　all

the　property　he　possessed。　　Whenever　he　so　ransomed　or　benefited

one　of　this　religion；　he　would　moreover　give　them　a　little　token　or

a　message　（were　the　good　knight　out　of　money）；　saying；　〃Take　this

token；　and　remember　this　deed　was　done　by　Wilfrid　the　Disinherited；

for　the　services　whilome　rendered　to　him　by　Rebecca；　the　daughter

of　Isaac　of　York！〃　　So　among　themselves；　and　in　their　meetings　and

synagogues；　and　in　their　restless　travels　from　land　to　land；　when

they　of　Jewry　cursed　and　reviled　all　Christians；　as　such　abominable

heathens　will；　they　nevertheless　excepted　the　name　of　the　Desdichado；

or　the　doubly…disinherited　as　he　now　was；　the　Desdichado…Doblado。



The　account　of　all　the　battles；　storms；　and　scaladoes　in　which　Sir

Wilfrid　took　part；　would　only　weary　the　reader；　for　the　chopping

off　one　heathen's　head　with　an　axe　must　be　very　like　the

decapitation　of　any　other　unbeliever。　　Suffice　it　to　say；　that

wherever　this　kind　of　work　was　to　be　done；　and　Sir　Wilfrid　was　in

the　way；　he　was　the　man　to　perform　it。　　It　would　astonish　you　were

you　to　see　the　account　that　Wamba　kept　of　his　master's　achievements；

and　of　the　Bulgarians；　Bohemians；　Croatians；　slain　or　maimed　by　his

hand。　　And　as；　in　those　days；　a　reputation　for　valor　had　an　immense

effect　upon　the　soft　hearts　of　women；　and　even　the　ugliest　man；　were

he　a　stout　warrior；　was　looked　upon　with　favor　by　Beauty：　so

Ivanhoe；　who　was　by　no　means　ill…favored；　though　now　becoming　rather

elderly；　made　conquests　over　female　breasts　as　well　as　over

Saracens；　and　had　more　than　one　direct　offer　of　marriage　made　to　him

by　princesses；　countesses；　and　noble　ladies　possessing　both　charms

and　money；　which　they　were　anxious　to　place　at　the　disposal　of　a

champion　so　renowned。　　It　is　related　that　the　Duchess　Regent　of

Kartoffelberg　offered　him　her　hand；　and　the　ducal　crown　of

Kartoffelberg；　which　he　had　rescued　from　the　unbelieving　Prussians；

but　Ivanhoe　evaded　the　Duchess's　offer；　by　riding　away　from　her

capital　secretly　at　midnight　and　hiding　himself　in　a　convent　of

Knights　Hospitallers　on　the　borders　of　Poland。　　And　it　is　a　fact

that　the　Princess　Rosalia　Seraphina　of　Pumpernickel；　the　most　lovely

woman　of　her　time；　became　so　frantically　attached　to　him；　that　she

followed　him　on　a　campaign；　and　was　discovered　with　his　baggage

disguised　as　a　horse…boy。　　But　no　princess；　no　beauty；　no　female

blandishments　had　any　charms　for　Ivanhoe：　no　hermit　practised　a　more

austere　celibacy。　　The　severity　of　his　morals　contrasted　so

remarkably　with　the　lax　and　dissolute　manner　of　the　young　lords　and

nobles　in　the　courts　which　he　frequented；　that　these　young

springalds　would　sometimes　sneer　and　call　him　Monk　and　Milksop；　but

his　courage　in　the　day　of　battle　was　so　terrible　and　admirable；　that

I　promise　you　the　youthful　libertines　did　not　sneer　THEN；　and　the

most　reckless　of　them　often　turned　pale　when　they　couched　their

lances　to　follow　Ivanhoe。　　Holy　Waltheof！　it　was　an　awful　sight　to

see　him　with　his　pale　calm　face；　his　shield　upon　his　breast；　his

heavy　lance　before　him；　charging　a　squadron　of　heathen　Bohemians；　or

a　regiment　of　Cossacks！　　Wherever　he　saw　the　enemy；　Ivanhoe

assaulted　him：　and　when　people　remonstrated　with　him；　and　said　if　he

attacked　such　and　such　a　post；　breach；　castle；　or　army；　he　would　be

slain；　〃And　suppose　I　be？〃　he　answered；　giving　them　to　understand

that　he　would　as　lief　the　Battle　of　Life　were　over　altogether。





While　he　was　thus　making　war　against　the　Northern　infidels　news　was

carried　all　over　Christendom　of　a　catastrophe　which　had　befallen

the　good　cause　in　the　South　of　Europe；　where　the　Spanish　Christians

had　met　with　such　a　defeat　and　massacre　at　the　hands　of　the　Moors

as　had　never　been　known　in　the　proudest　day　of　Saladin。



Thursday；　the　9th　of　Shaban；　in　the　605th　year　of　the　Hejira；　is

known　all　over　the　West　as　the　amun…al…ark；　the　year　of　the　battle

of　Alarcos；　gained　over　the　Christians　by　the　Moslems　of　Andaluz；

on　which　fatal　day　Christendom　suffered　a　defeat　so　signal；　that　it

was　feared　the　Spanish　peninsula　would　be　entirely　wrested　away

from　the　dominion　of　the　Cross。　　On　that　day　the　Franks　lost

150；000　men　and　30；000　prisoners。　　A　man…slave　sold　among　the

unbelievers　for　a　dirhem；　a　donkey　for　the　same；　a　sword；　half　a

dirhem；　a　horse；　five　dirhems。　　Hundreds　of　thousands　of　these

various　sorts　of　booty　were　in　the　possession　of　the　triumphant

followers　of　Yakoobal…Mansoor。　　Curses　on　his　head！　　But　he　was　a

brave　warrior；　and　the　Christians　before　him　seemed　to　forget　that

they　were　the　descendants　of　the　brave　Cid；　the　Kanbitoor；　as　the

Moorish　hounds　（in　their　jargon）　denominated　the　famous　Campeador。



A　general　move　for　the　rescue　of　the　faithful　in　Spaina　crusade

against　the　infidels　triumphing　there；　was　preached　throughout

Europe　by　all　the　most　eloquent　clergy；　and　thousands　and　thousands

of　valorous　knights　and　nobles；　accompanied　by　well…meaning　varlets

and　vassals　of　the　lower　sort；　trooped　from　all　sides　to　the

rescue。　　The　Straits　of　Gibel…al…Tariff；　at　which　spot　the　Moor；

passing　from　Barbary；　first　planted　his　accursed　foot　on　the

Christian　soil；　were　crowded　with　the　galleys　of　the　Templars　and

the　Knights　of　St。　John；　who　flung　succors　into　the　menaced

kingdoms　of　the　peninsula；　the　inland　sea　swarmed　with　their　ships

hasting　from　their　forts　and　islands；　from　Rhodes　and　Byzantium；

from　Jaffa　and　Ascalon。　　The　Pyrenean　peaks　beheld　the　pennons　and

glittered　with　the　armor　of　the　knights　marching　out　of　France　into

Spain；　and；　finally；　in　a　ship　that　set　sail　direct　from　Bohemia；

where　Sir　Wilfrid　happened　to　be　quartered　at　the　time　when　the

news　of　the　defeat　of　Alarcos　came　and　alarmed　all　good　Christians；

Ivanhoe　landed　at　Barcelona；　and　proceeded　to　slaughter　the　Moors

forthwith。



He　brought　letters　of　introduction　from　his　friend　Folko　of

Heydenbraten；　the　Grand　Master　of　the　Knights　of　Saint　John；　to　the

venerable　Baldomero　de　Garbanzos；　Grand　Master　of　the　renowned

order　of　Saint　Jago。　　The　chief　of　Saint　Jago's　knights　paid　the

greatest　respect　to　a　warrior　whose　fame　was　already　so　widely

known　in　Christendom；　and　Ivanhoe　had　the　pleasure　of　being

appointed　to　all　the　posts　of　danger　and　forlorn　hopes　that　could

be　devised　in　his　honor。　　He　would　be　called　up　twice　or　thrice　in

a　night　to　fight　the　Moors：　he　led　ambushes；　scaled　breaches；　was

blown　up　by　mines；　was　wounded　many　hundred　times　（recovering；

thanks　to　the　elixir；　of　which　Wamba　always　carried　a　supply）；　he

was　the　terror　of　the　Saracens；　and　the　admiration　and　wonder　of

the　Christians。



To　describe　his　deeds；　would；　I　say；　be　tedious；　one　day's　battle

was　like　that　of　another。　　I　am　not　writing　in　ten　volumes　like

Monsieur　Alexandre　Dumas；　or　even　in　three　like　other　great

authors。　　We　have　no　room　for　the　recounting　of　Sir　Wilfrid's　deeds

of　valor。　　Whenever　he　took　a　Moorish　town；　it　was　remarked；　that

he　went　anxiously　into　the　Jewish　quarter；　and　inquired　amongst　the

Hebrews；　who　were　in　great　numbers　in　Spain；　for　Rebecca；　the

daughter　of　Isaac。　　Many　Jews；　according　to　his　wont；　he　ransomed；

and　created　so　much　scandal　by　this　proceeding；　and　by　the　manifest

favor　which　he　showed　to　the　people　of　that　nation；　that　the　Master

of　Saint　Jago　remonstrated　with　him；　and　it　is　probable　he　would

have　been　cast　into　the　Inquisition　and　roasted；　but　that　his

prodigious　valor　and　success　against　the　Moors　counterbalanced　his

heretical　partiality　for　the　children　of　Jacob。



It　chanced　that　the　good　knight　was　present　at　the　siege　of　Xixona

in　Andalusia；　entering　the　breach　first；　according　to　his　wont；　and

slaying；　with　his　own　hand；　the　Moorish　lieutenant　of　the　town；　and

several　hundred　more　of　its　unbelieving　defenders。　　He　had　very

nearly　done　for　the　Alfaqui；　or　g