maid marian-第5章

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　admiration　and　pleasure。　These　rapid　fluctuations　of　the　baron's　physiognomythe　habitual；　reckless；　resolute　merriment　in　the　jovial　face　of　the　friar；　and　the　cheerful；　elastic　spirits　that　played　on　the　lips　and　sparkled　in　the　eyes　of　Matilda；would　have　presented　a　very　amusing　combination　to　Sir　Ralph；　if　one　of　the　three　images　in　the　group　had　not　absorbed　his　total　attention　with　feelings　of　intense　delight　very　nearly　allied　to　pain。　The　baron's　wrath　was　somewhat　counteracted　by　the　reflection　that　his　daughter's　good　spirits　seemed　to　show　that　they　would　naturally　rise　triumphant　over　all　disappointments；　and　he　had　had　sufficient　experience　of　her　humour　to　know　that　she　might　sometimes　be　led；　but　never　could　be　driven。　Then；　too；　he　was　always　delighted　to　hear　her　sing；　though　he　was　not　at　all　pleased　in　this　instance　with　the　subject　of　her　song。　Still　he　would　have　endured　the　subject　for　the　sake　of　the　melody　of　the　treble；　but　his　mind　was　not　sufficiently　attuned　to　unison　to　relish　the　harmony　of　the　bass。　　The　friar's　accompaniment　put　him　out　of　all　patience；　and〃So；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃this　is　the　way；　you　teach　my　daughter　to　renounce　the　devil；　is　it？　A　hunting　friar；　truly！　　Who　ever　heard　before　of　a　hunting　friar？　A　profane；　roaring；　bawling；　bumper…bibbing；　neck…breaking；　catch…singing　friar？〃

〃Under　favour；　bold　baron；〃　said　the　friar；　but　the　friar　was　warm　with　canary；　and　in　his　singing　vein；　and　he　could　not　go　on　in　plain　unmusical　prose。　　He　therefore　sang　in　a　new　tune；

　Though　I　be　now　a　grey；　grey　friar；　　　　　　Yet　I　was　once　a　hale　young　knight：　　The　cry　of　my　dogs　was　the　only　choir　　　　　　In　which　my　spirit　did　take　delight。　　Little　I　recked　of　matin　bell；　　　　　　But　drowned　its　toll　with　my　clanging　horn：　　And　the　only　beads　I　loved　to　tell　　　　　　Were　the　beads　of　dew　on　the　spangled　thorn。


The　baron　was　going　to　storm；　but　the　friar　paused；　and　Matilda　sang　in　repetition；

　Little　I　reck　of　matin　bell；　　　　　　But　drown　its　toll　with　my　clanging　horn：　　And　the　only　beads　I　love　to　tell　　　　　　Are　the　beads　of　dew　on　the　spangled　thorn。


And　then　she　and　the　friar　sang　the　four　lines　together；　and　rang　the　changes　upon　them　alternately。

Little　I　reck　of　matin　bell；

sang　the　friar。

〃A　precious　friar；〃　said　the　baron。


But　drown　its　toll　with　my　clanging　horn；　sang　Matilda。

〃More　shame　for　you；〃　said　the　baron。

　And　the　only　beads　I　love　to　tell　　　　　　Are　the　beads　of　dew　on　the　spangled　thorn；

sang　Matilda　and　the　friar　together。

〃Penitent　and　confessor；〃　said　the　baron：　　〃a　hopeful　pair　truly。〃

The　friar　went　on；

　An　archer　keen　I　was　withal；　　　　　　As　ever　did　lean　on　greenwood　tree；　　And　could　make　the　fleetest　roebuck　fall；　　　　　　A　good　three　hundred　yards　from　me。　　Though　changeful　time；　with　hand　severe；　　　　　　Has　made　me　now　these　joys　forego；　　Yet　my　heart　bounds　whene'er　I　hear　　　　　　Yoicks！　hark　away！　and　tally　ho！


Matilda　chimed　in　as　before。

〃Are　you　mad？〃　said　the　baron。　　〃Are　you　insane？　　Are　you　possessed？　What　do　you　mean？　　What　in　the　devil's　name　do　you　both　mean？〃

Yoicks！　hark　away！　and　tally　ho！

roared　the　friar。

The　baron's　pent…up　wrath　had　accumulated　like　the　waters　above　the　dam　of　an　overshot　mill。　　The　pond…head　of　his　passion　being　now　filled　to　the　utmost　limit　of　its　capacity；　and　beginning　to　overflow　in　the　quivering　of　his　lips　and　the　flashing　of　his　eyes；　he　pulled　up　all　the　flash…boards　at　once；　and　gave　loose　to　the　full　torrent　of　his　indignation；　by　seizing；　like　furious　Ajax；　not　a　messy　stone　more　than　two　modern　men　could　raise；　but　a　vast　dish　of　beef　more　than　fifty　ancient　yeomen　could　eat；　and　whirled　it　like　a　coit；　in　terrorem；　over　the　head　of　the　friar；　to　the　extremity　of　the　apartment；

　Where　it　on　oaken　floor　did　settle；　　With　mighty　din　of　ponderous　metal。


〃Nay　father；〃　said　Matilda；　taking　the　baron's　hand；　〃do　not　harm　the　friar：　he　means　not　to　offend　you。　　My　gaiety　never　before　displeased　you。　Least　of　all　should　it　do　so　now；　when　I　have　need　of　all　my　spirits　to　outweigh　the　severity　of　my　fortune。〃

As　she　spoke　the　last　words；　tears　started　into　her　eyes；　which；　as　if　ashamed　of　the　involuntary　betraying　of　her　feelings；　she　turned　away　to　conceal。　　The　baron　was　subdued　at　once。　　He　kissed　his　daughter；　held　out　his　hand　to　the　friar；　and　said；　〃Sing　on；　in　God's　name；　and　crack　away　the　flasks　till　your　voice　swims　in　canary。〃　Then　turning　to　Sir　Ralph；　he　said；　〃You　see　how　it　is；　sir　knight。　Matilda　is　my　daughter；　but　she　has　me　in　leading…strings；　that　is　the　truth　of　it。〃




CHAPTER　V

　'T　is　true；　no　lover　has　that　power　　To　enforce　a　desperate　amour　　As　he　that　has　two　strings　to　his　bow　　And　burns　for　love　and　money　too。BUTLER。


The　friar　had　often　had　experience　of　the　baron's　testy　humour；　but　it　had　always　before　confined　itself　to　words；　in　which　the　habit　of　testiness　often　mingled　more　expression　of　displeasure　than　the　internal　feeling　prompted。　He　knew　the　baron　to　be　hot　and　choleric；　but　at　the　same　time　hospitable　and　generous；　passionately　fond　of　his　daughter；　often　thwarting　her　in　seeming；　but　always　yielding　to　her　in　fact。　The　early　attachment　between　Matilda　and　the　Earl　of　Huntingdon　had　given　the　baron　no　serious　reason　to　interfere　with　her　habits　and　pursuits；　which　were　so　congenial　to　those　of　her　lover；　and　not　being　over…burdened　with　orthodoxy；　that　is　to　say；　not　being　seasoned　with　more　of　the　salt　of　the　spirit　than　was　necessary　to　preserve　him　from　excommunication；　confiscation；　and　philotheoparoptesism；＇1＇　he　was　not　sorry　to　encourage　his　daughter's　choice　of　her　confessor　in　brother　Michael；　who　had　more　jollity　and　less　hypocrisy　than　any　of　his　fraternity；　and　was　very　little　anxious　to　disguise　his　love　of　the　good　things　of　this　world　under　the　semblance　of　a　sanctified　exterior。　The　friar　and　Matilda　had　often　sung　duets　together；　and　had　been　accustomed　to　the　baron's　chiming　in　with　a　stormy　capriccio；　which　was　usually　charmed　into　silence　by　some　sudden　turn　in　the　witching　melodies　of　Matilda。　　They　had　therefore　naturally　calculated；　as　far　as　their　wild　spirits　calculated　at　all；　on　the　same　effects　from　the　same　causes。　　But　the　circumstances　of　the　preceding　day　had　made　an　essential　alteration　in　the　case。　The　baron　knew　well；　from　the　intelligence　he　had　received；　that　the　earl's　offence　was　past　remission：　　which　would　have　been　of　less　moment　but　for　the　awful　fact　of　his　castle　being　in　the　possession　of　the　king's　forces；　and　in　those　days　possession　was　considerably　more　than　eleven　points　of　the　law。　The　baron　was　therefore　convinced　that　the　earl's　outlawry　was　infallible；　and　that　Matilda　must　either　renounce　her　lover；　or　become　with　him　an　outlaw　and　a　fugitive。　In　proportion；　therefore；　to　the　baron's　knowledge　of　the　strength　and　duration　of　her　attachment；　was　his　fear　of　the　difficulty　of　its　ever　being　overcome：　　her　love　of　the　forest　and　the　chase；　which　he　had　never　before　discouraged；　now　presented　itself　to　him　as　matter　of　serious　alarm；　and　if　her　cheerfulness　gave　him　hope　on　the　one　hand　by　indicating　a　spirit　superior　to　all　disappointments；　it　was　suspicious　to　him　on　the　other；　as　arising　from　some　latent　certainty　of　being　soon　united　to　the　earl。　　All　these　circumstances　concurred　to　render　their　songs　of　the　vanished　deer　and　greenwood　archery　and　Yoicks　and　Harkaway；　extremely　mal…a…propos；　and　to　make　his　anger　boil　and　bubble　in　the　cauldron　of　his　spirit；　till　its　more　than　ordinary　excitement　burst　forth　with　sudden　impulse　into　active　manifestation。

＇1＇　Roasting　by　a　slow　fire　for　the　love　of　God。


　But　as　it　sometimes　happens；　from　the　might　　　　　　Of　rage　in　minds　that　can　no　farther　go；　　As　high　as　they　have　mounted　in　despite　　　　　　In　their　remission　do　they　sink　as　low；　　To　our　bold　baron　did　it　happen　so。＇2＇


＇2＇　Of　these　lines　all　that　is　not　in　italics　belongs　to　Mr。　Wordsworth：　　Resolution　and　Independence。


For　his　discobolic　exploit　proved　the　climax　of　his　rage；　and　was　succeeded　by　an　immediate　sense　that　he　had　passed　the　bounds　of　legitimate　passion；　and　he　sunk　immediately　from　the　very　pinnacle　of　opposition　to　the　level　of　implicit　acquiescence。　The　friar's　spirits　were　not　to　be　marred　by　such　a　little　incident。　He　was　half…inclined；　at　first；　to　return　the　baron's　compliment；　but　his　love　of　Matilda　checked　him；　and　when　the　baron　held　out　his　hand；　the　friar　seized　it　cordially；　and　they　drowned　all　recollection　of　the　affair　by　pledging　each　other　in　a　cup　of　canary。

The　friar；　having　stayed　long　enough　to　see　every　thing　replaced　on　a　friendly　footing；　rose；　and　moved　to　take　his　leave。　Matilda　told　him　he　must　come　again　on　the　morrow；　for　she　had　a　very　long　confession　to　make　to　him。　　This　the　friar　promised　to　do；　and　departed　with　the　knight。

Sir　Ralph；　on　reaching　the　abbey；　drew　his　followers　together；　and　led　them　to　Locksley　Castle；　which　he　found　in　the　possession　of　his　lieutenant；　whom　he　again　left　there　with　a　sufficient　force　to　hold　it　in　safe　keeping　in　the　king's　name；　and　proceeded　to　London　to　report　the　results　of　his　enterprise。

Now　Henry　our　royal　king　was　very　wroth　at　the　earl's　evasion；　and　swore　by　Saint　Thomas…a…Becket　（whom　he　had　himself　translated　into　a　saint　by　having　him　knocked　on　the　head）；　that　he　would　give　the　castle　and　lands　of　Locksley　to　the　man　who　should　bring　in　the　earl。　　Hereupon　ensued　a　process　of　thought　in　the　mind　of　the　knight。　　The　eyes　of　the　fair　huntress　of　Arlingford　had　left　a　wound　in　his　heart　which　only　she　who　gave　could　heal。　He　had　seen　that　the　baron　was　no　longer　very　partial　to　the　outlawed　earl；　but　that　he　still　retained　his　old　affection　for　the　lands　and　castle　of　Locksley。　　Now　the　lands　and　castle　were　very　fair　things　in　themselves；　and　would　be　pretty　appurtenances　to　an　adventurous　knight；　but　they　would　be　doubly　valuable　as　certain　passports　to　the　father's　favour；　which　was　one　step　towards　that　of　the　daughter；　or　at　least　towards　obtaining　possession　of　her　either　quietly　or　perforce；　for　the　knight　was　not　so　nice　in　his　love　as　to　consider　the　lady's　free　grace　a　sine　qua　non：　　and　to　think　of　being；　by　any　means　whatever；　the　lord　of　Locksley　and　Arlingford；　and　the　husband　of　the　bewitching　Matilda；　was　to　cut　in　the　shades　of　futurity　a　vista　very　tempting　to　a　soldier　of　fortune。　He　set　out　in　high　spirits　with　a　chosen　band　of　followers；　and　beat　up　all　the　country　far　and　wide　around　both　the　Ouse　and　the　Trent；　but　fortune　did　not　seem　disposed　to　second　his　diligence；　for　no　vestige　whatever　could　he　trace　of　the　earl。　His　followers；　who　were　only　paid　with　the　wages　of　hope；　began　to　murmur　and　fall　off；　for；　as　those　unenlightened　days　were　ignorant　of　the　happy　invention　of　paper　machinery；　by　which　one　promise　to　pay　is　satisfactorily　paid　with　another　promise　to　pay；　and　that　again　with　another　in　infinite　series；　they　would　not；　as　their　wiser　posterity　has　done；　take　those　tenders　for　true　pay　which　were　not　sterling；　so　that；　one　fine　morning；　the　knight　found　himself　sitting　on　a　pleasant　bank　of　the　Trent；　with　only　a　solitary　squire；　who　still　clung　to　the　shadow　of　preferment；　because　he　did　not　see　at　the　moment　any　better　chance　of