sir nigel-第2章

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could　keep　out　that　black　commoner　who　struck　them　down。

Oppressive　laws　slackened　for　want　of　those　who　could　enforce
them；　and　once　slackened　could　never　be　enforced　again。　　The
laborer　would　be　a　slave　no　longer。　　The　bondsman　snapped　his
shackles。　　There　was　much　to　do　and　few　left　to　do　it。　　Therefore
the　few　should　be　freemen；　name　their　own　price；　and　work　where
and　for　whom　they　would。　　It　was　the　black　death　which　cleared　the
way　for　that　great　rising　thirty　years　later　which　left　the
English　peasant　the　freest　of　his　class　in　Europe。

But　there　were　few　so　far…sighted　that　they　could　see　that　here；
as　ever；　good　was　coming　out　of　evil。　　At　the　moment　misery　and
ruin　were　brought　into　every　family。　　The　dead　cattle；　the
ungarnered　crops；　the　untilled　lands　…　every　spring　of　wealth　had
dried　up　at　the　same　moment。　　Those　who　were　rich　became　poor；　but
those　who　were　poor　already；　and　especially　those　who　were　poor
with　the　burden　of　gentility　upon　their　shoulders；　found
themselves　in　a　perilous　state。　　All　through　England　the　smaller
gentry　were　ruined；　for　they　had　no　trade　save　war；　and　they　drew
their　living　from　the　work　of　others。　　On　many　a　manor…house　there
came　evil　times；　and　on　none　more　than　on　the　Manor　of　Tilford；
where　for　many　generations　the　noble　family　of　the　Lorings　had
held　their　home。

There　was　a　time　when　the　Lorings　had　held　the　country　from　the
North　Downs　to　the　Lakes　of　Frensham；　and　when　their　grim
castle…keep　rising　above　the　green　meadows　which　border　the　River
Wey　had　been　the　strongest　fortalice　betwixt　Guildford　Castle　in
the　east　and　Winchester　in　the　west。　　But　there　came　that　Barons'
War；　in　which　the　King　used　his　Saxon　subjects　as　a　whip　with
which　to　scourge　his　Norman　barons；　and　Castle　Loring；　like　so
many　other　great　strongholds；　was　swept　from　the　face　of　the　land。
》From　that　time　the　Lorings；　with　estates　sadly　curtailed；　lived　in
what　had　been　the　dower…house；　with　enough　for　splendor。

And　then　came　their　lawsuit　with　Waverley　Abbey；　and　the
Cistercians　laid　claim　to　their　richest　land；　with　peccary；
turbary　and　feudal　rights　over　the　remainder。　　It　lingered　on　for
years；　this　great　lawsuit；　and　when　it　was　finished　the　men　of　the
Church　and　the　men　of　the　Law　had　divided　all　that　was　richest　of
the　estate　between　them。　　There　was　still　left　the　old　manor…house
from　which　with　each　generation　there　came　a　soldier　to　uphold　the
credit　of　the　name　and　to　show　the　five　scarlet　roses　on　the
silver　shield　where　it　had　always　been　shown　…　in　the　van。　　There
were　twelve　bronzes　in　the　little　chapel　where　Matthew　the　priest
said　mass　every　morning；　all　of　men　of　the　house　of　Loring。　　Two
lay　with　their　legs　crossed；　as　being　from　the　Crusades。　　Six
others　rested　their　feet　upon　lions；　as　having　died　in　war。　　Four
only　lay　with　the　effigy　of　their　hounds　to　show　that　they　had
passed　in　peace。

Of　this　famous　but　impoverished　family；　doubly　impoverished　by　law
and　by　pestilence；　two　members　were　living　in　the　year　of　grace
1349　…　Lady　Ermyntrude　Loring　and　her　grandson　Nigel。　　Lady
Ermyntrude's　husband　had　fallen　before　the　Scottish　spearsmen　at
Stirling；　and　her　son　Eustace；　Nigel's　father；　had　found　a
glorious　death　nine　years　before　this　chronicle　opens　upon　the
poop　of　a　Norman　galley　at　the　sea…fight　of　Sluys。　　The　lonely　old
woman；　fierce　and　brooding　like　the　falcon　mewed　in　her　chamber；
was　soft　only　toward　the　lad　whom　she　had　brought　up。　　All　the
tenderness　and　love　of　her　nature；　so　hidden　from　others　that　they
could　not　imagine　their　existence；　were　lavished　upon　him。　　She
could　not　bear　him　away　from　her；　and　he；　with　that　respect　for
authority　which　the　age　demanded；　would　not　go　without　her
blessing　and　consent。

So　it　came　about　that　Nigel；　with　his　lion　heart　and　with　the
blood　of　a　hundred　soldiers　thrilling　in　his　veins；　still　at　the
age　of　two　and　twenty；　wasted　the　weary　days　reclaiming　his　hawks
with　leash　and　lure　or　training　the　alans　and　spaniels　who　shared
with　the　family　the　big　earthen…floored　hall　of　the　manor…house。

Day　by　day　the　aged　Lady　Ermyntrude　had　seen　him　wax　in　strength
and　in　manhood；　small　of　stature；　it　is　true；　but　with　muscles　of
steel　…　and　a　soul　of　fire。　　From　all　parts；　from　the　warden　of
Guildford　Castle；　from　the　tilt…yard　of　Farnham；　tales　of　his
prowess　were　brought　back　to　her；　of　his　daring　as　a　rider；　of　his
debonair　courage；　of　his　skill　with　all　weapons；　but　still　she；
who　had　both　husband　and　son　torn　from　her　by　a　bloody　death；
could　not　bear　that　this；　the　last　of　the　Lorings；　the　final　bud
of　so　famous　an　old　tree；　should　share　the　same　fate。　　With　a
weary　heart；　but　with　a　smiling　face；　he　bore　with　his　uneventful
days；　while　she　would　ever　put　off　the　evil　time　until　the　harvest
was　better；　until　the　monks　of　Waverley　should　give　up　what　they
had　taken；　until　his　uncle　should　die　and　leave　money　for　his
outfit；　or　any　other　excuse　with　which　she　could　hold　him　to　her
side。

And　indeed；　there　was　need　for　a　man　at　Tilford；　for　the　strife
betwixt　the　Abbey　and　the　manor…house　had　never　been　appeased；　and
still　on　one　pretext　or　another　the　monks　would　clip　off　yet　one
more　slice　of　their　neighbor's　land。　　Over　the　winding　river；
across　the　green　meadows；　rose　the　short　square　tower　and　the　high
gray　walls　of　the　grim　Abbey；　with　its　bell　tolling　by　day　and
night；　a　voice　of　menace　and　of　dread　to　the　little　household。

It　is　in　the　heart　of　the　great　Cistercian　monastery　that　this
chronicle　of　old　days　must　take　its　start；　as　we　trace　the　feud
betwixt　the　monks　and　the　house　of　Loring；　with　those　events　to
which　it　gave　birth；　ending　with　the　coming　of　Chandos；　the
strange　spear…running　of　Tilford　Bridge　and　the　deeds　with　which
Nigel　won　fame　in　the　wars。　　Elsewhere；　in　the　chronicle　of　the
White　Company；　it　has　been　set　forth　what　manner　of　man　was　Nigel
Loring。　　Those　who　love　him　may　read　herein　those　things　which
went　to　his　making。　　Let　us　go　back　together　and　gaze　upon　this
green　stage　of　England；　the　scenery；　hill；　plain　and　river　even　as
now；　the　actors　in　much　our　very　selves；　in　much　also　so　changed
in　thought　and　act　that　they　might　be　dwellers　in　another　world　to
ours。




II。　　HOW　THE　DEVIL　CAME　TO　WAVERLEY


The　day　was　the　first　of　May；　which　was　the　Festival　of　the
Blessed　Apostles　Philip　and　James。　　The　year　was　the　1；349th　from
man's　salvation。

》From　tierce　to　sext；　and　then　again　from　sext　to　nones；　Abbot　John
of　the　House　of　Waverley　had　been　seated　in　his　study　while　he
conducted　the　many　high　duties　of　his　office。　　All　around　for　many
a　mile　on　every　side　stretched　the　fertile　and　flourishing　estate
of　which　he　was　the　master。　　In　the　center　lay　the　broad　Abbey
buildings；　with　church　and　cloisters；　hospitium；　chapter…house　and
frater…house；　all　buzzing　with　a　busy　life。　　Through　the　open
window　came　the　low　hum　of　the　voices　of　the　brethren　as　they
walked　in　pious　converse　in　the　ambulatory　below。　　From　across　the
cloister　there　rolled　the　distant　rise　and　fall　of　a　Gregorian
chant；　where　the　precentor　was　hard　at　work　upon　the　choir；　while
down　in　the　chapter…house　sounded　the　strident　voice　of　Brother
Peter；　expounding　the　rule　of　Saint　Bernard　to　the　novices。

Abbot　John　rose　to　stretch　his　cramped　limbs。　　He　looked　out　at
the　greensward　of　the　cloister；　and　at　the　graceful　line　of　open
Gothic　arches　which　skirted　a　covered　walk　for　the　brethren
within。　　Two　and　two　in　their　black…and…white　garb　with　slow　step
and　heads　inclined；　they　paced　round　and　round。　　Several　of　the
more　studious　had　brought　their　illuminating　work　from　the
scriptorium；　and　sat　in　the　warm　sunshine　with　their　little
platters　of　pigments　and　packets　of　gold…leaf　before　them；　their
shoulders　rounded　and　their　faces　sunk　low　over　the　white　sheets
of　vellum。　　There　too　was　the　copper…worker　with　his　burin　and
graver。　　Learning　and　art　were　not　traditions　with　the　Cistercians
as　with　the　parent　Order　of　the　Benedictines；　and　yet　the　library
of　Waverley　was　well　filled　both　with　precious　books　and　with
pious　students。

But　the　true　glory　of　the　Cistercian　lay　in　his　outdoor　work；　and
so