maid marian-第9章

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〃No；　no；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃I　have　had　enough　of　setting　odds　against　you。　I　have　sworn　you　shall　be　hanged；　and　hanged　you　shall　be。〃

〃Then　God　have　mercy　on　me；〃　said　young　Gamwell；　〃and　now；　holy　friar；　shrive　my　sinful　soul。〃

The　friar　approached。

〃Let　me　see　this　friar；〃　said　the　sheriff：　　〃if　he　be　the　friar　of　the　bridge；　I　had　as　lief　have　the　devil　in　Nottingham；　but　he　shall　find　me　too　much　for　him　here。〃

〃The　friar　of　the　bridge；〃　said　Little　John；　〃as　you　very　well　know；　sheriff；　was　father　Michael　of　Rubygill　Abbey；　and　you　may　easily　see　that　this　is　not　the　man。〃

〃I　see　it；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃and　God　be　thanked　for　his　absence。〃

Young　Gamwell　stood　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder。　　The　friar　approached　him；　opened　his　book；　groaned；　turned　up　the　whites　of　his　eyes；　tossed　up　his　arms　in　the　air；　and　said　〃Dominus　vobiscum。〃　He　then　crossed　both　his　hands　on　his　breast　under　the　folds　of　his　holy　robes；　and　stood　a　few　moments　as　if　in　inward　prayer。　A　deep　silence　among　the　attendant　crowd　accompanied　this　action　of　the　friar；　interrupted　only　by　the　hollow　tone　of　the　death…bell；　at　long　and　dreary　intervals。　　Suddenly　the　friar　threw　off　his　holy　robes；　and　appeared　a　forester　clothed　in　green；　with　a　sword　in　his　right　hand　and　a　horn　in　his　left。　With　the　sword　he　cut　the　bonds　of　William　Gamwell；　who　instantly　snatched　a　sword　from　one　of　the　sheriff's　men；　and　with　the　horn　he　blew　a　loud　blast；　which　was　answered　at　once　by　four　bugles　from　the　quarters　of　the　four　winds；　and　from　each　quarter　came　five…and…twenty　bowmen　running　all　on　a　row。

〃Treason！　treason！〃　cried　the　sheriff。　　Old　Sir　Guy　sprang　to　his　son's　side；　and　so　did　Little　John；　and　the　four　setting　back　to　back；　kept　the　sheriff　and　his　men　at　bay　till　the　bowmen　came　within　shot　and　let　fly　their　arrows　among　the　sheriff's　men；　who；　after　a　brief　resistance；　fled　in　all　directions。　　The　forester；　who　had　personated　the　friar；　sent　an　arrow　after　the　flying　sheriff；　calling　with　a　strong　voice；　〃To　the　sheriff's　left　arm；　as　a　keepsake　from　Robin　Hood。〃　　The　arrow　reached　its　destiny；　the　sheriff　redoubled　his　speed；　and；　with　the　one　arrow　in　his　arm；　did　not　stop　to　breathe　till　he　was　out　of　reach　of　another。

The　foresters　did　not　waste　time　in　Nottingham；　but　were　soon　at　a　distance　from　its　walls。　　Sir　Guy　returned　with　Alice　to　Gamwell…Hall；　but　thinking　he　should　not　be　safe　there；　from　the　share　he　had　had　in　his　son's　rescue；　they　only　remained　long　enough　to　supply　themselves　with　clothes　and　money；　and　departed；　under　the　escort　of　Little　John；　to　another　seat　of　the　Gamwells　in　Yorkshire。　　Young　Gamwell；　taking　it　for　granted　that　his　offence　was　past　remission；　determined　on　joining　Robin　Hood；　and　accompanied　him　to　the　forest；　where　it　was　deemed　expedient　that　he　should　change　his　name；　and　he　was　rechristened　without　a　priest；　and　with　wine　instead　of　water；　by　the　immortal　name　of　Scarlet。




CHAPTER　IX

　　　　　Who　set　my　man　i'　the　stocks？　　I　set　him　there；　Sir　but　his　own　disorders　　Deserved　much　less　advancement。Lear。


The　baron　was　inflexible　in　his　resolution　not　to　let　Matilda　leave　the　castle。　　The　letter；　which　announced　to　her　the　approaching　fate　of　young　Gamwell；　filled　her　with　grief；　and　increased　the　irksomeness　of　a　privation　which　already　preyed　sufficiently　on　her　spirits；　and　began　to　undermine　her　health。　　She　had　no　longer　the　consolation　of　the　society　of　her　old　friend　father　Michael：　the　little　fat　friar　of　Rubygill　was　substituted　as　the　castle　confessor；　not　without　some　misgivings　in　his　ghostly　bosom；　but　he　was　more　allured　by　the　sweet　savour　of　the　good　things　of　this　world　at　Arlingford　Castle；　than　deterred　by　his　awe　of　the　lady　Matilda；　which　nevertheless　was　so　excessive；　from　his　recollection　of　the　twang　of　the　bow…string；　that　he　never　ventured　to　find　her　in　the　wrong；　much　less　to　enjoin　any　thing　in　the　shape　of　penance；　as　was　the　occasional　practice　of　holy　confessors；　with　or　without　cause；　for　the　sake　of　pious　discipline；　and　what　was　in　those　days　called　social　order；　namely；　the　preservation　of　the　privileges　of　the　few　who　happened　to　have　any；　at　the　expense　of　the　swinish　multitude　who　happened　to　have　none；　except　that　of　working　and　being　shot　at　for　the　benefit　of　their　betters；　which　is　obviously　not　the　meaning　of　social　order　in　our　more　enlightened　times：　let　us　therefore　be　grateful　to　Providence；　and　sing　Te　Deum　laudamus　in　chorus　with　the　Holy　Alliance。

The　little　friar；　however；　though　he　found　the　lady　spotless；　found　the　butler　a　great　sinner：　　at　least　so　it　was　conjectured；　from　the　length　of　time　he　always　took　to　confess　him　in　the　buttery。

Matilda　became　every　day　more　pale　and　dejected：　　her　spirit；　which　could　have　contended　against　any　strenuous　affliction；　pined　in　the　monotonous　inaction　to　which　she　was　condemned。　While　she　could　freely　range　the　forest　with　her　lover　in　the　morning；　she　had　been　content　to　return　to　her　father's　castle　in　the　evening；　thus　preserving　underanged　the　balance　of　her　duties；　habits；　and　affections；　not　without　a　hope　that　the　repeal　of　her　lover's　outlawry　might　be　eventually　obtained；　by　a　judicious　distribution　of　some　of　his　forest　spoils　among　the　holy　fathers　and　saints　that…were…to…be；pious　proficients　in　the　ecclesiastic　art　equestrian；　who　rode　the　conscience　of　King　Henry　with　double…curb　bridles；　and　kept　it　well　in　hand　when　it　showed　mettle　and　seemed　inclined　to　rear　and　plunge。　But　the　affair　at　Gamwell　feast　threw　many　additional　difficulties　in　the　way　of　the　accomplishment　of　this　hope；　and　very　shortly　afterwards　King　Henry　the　Second　went　to　make　up　in　the　next　world　his　quarrel　with　Thomas…a…Becket；　and　Richard　Coeur　de　Lion　made　all　England　resound　with　preparations　for　the　crusade；　to　the　great　delight　of　many　zealous　adventurers；　who　eagerly　flocked　under　his　banner　in　the　hope　of　enriching　themselves　with　Saracen　spoil；　which　they　called　fighting　the　battles　of　God。　　Richard；　who　was　not　remarkably　scrupulous　in　his　financial　operations；　was　not　likely　to　overlook　the　lands　and　castle　of　Locksley；　which　he　appropriated　immediately　to　his　own　purposes；　and　sold　to　the　highest　bidder。　　Now；　as　the　repeal　of　the　outlawry　would　involve　the　restitution　of　the　estates　to　the　rightful　owner；　it　was　obvious　that　it　could　never　be　expected　from　that　most　legitimate　and　most　Christian　king；　Richard　the　First　of　England；　the　arch…crusader　and　anti…jacobin　by　excellence；　the　very　type；　flower；　cream；　pink；　symbol；　and　mirror　of　all　the　Holy　Alliances　that　have　ever　existed　on　earth；　excepting　that　he　seasoned　his　superstition　and　love　of　conquest　with　a　certain　condiment　of　romantic　generosity　and　chivalrous　self…devotion；　with　which　his　imitators　in　all　other　points　have　found　it　convenient　to　dispense。　To　give　freely　to　one　man　what　he　had　taken　forcibly　from　another；　was　generosity　of　which　he　was　very　capable；　but　to　restore　what　he　had　taken　to　the　man　from　whom　he　had　taken　it；　was　something　that　wore　too　much　of　the　cool　physiognomy　of　justice　to　be　easily　reconcileable　to　his　kingly　feelings。　He　had；　besides；　not　only　sent　all　King　Henry's　saints　about　their　business；　or　rather　about　their　no…business　their　faineantisebut　he　had　laid　them　under　rigorous　contribution　for　the　purposes　of　his　holy　war；　and　having　made　them　refund　to　the　piety　of　the　successor　what　they　had　extracted　from　the　piety　of　the　precursor；　he　compelled　them；　in　addition；　to　give　him　their　blessing　for　nothing。　Matilda；　therefore；　from　all　these　circumstances；　felt　little　hope　that　her　lover　would　be　any　thing　but　an　outlaw　for　life。

The　departure　of　King　Richard　from　England　was　succeeded　by　the　episcopal　regency　of　the　bishops　of　Ely　and　Durham。　　Longchamp；　bishop　of　Ely；　proceeded　to　show　his　sense　of　Christian　fellowship　by　arresting　his　brother　bishop；　and　despoiling　him　of　his　share　in　the　government；　and　to　set　forth　his　humility　and　loving…kindness　in　a　retinue　of　nobles　and　knights　who　consumed　in　one　night's　entertainment　some　five　years'　revenue　of　their　entertainer；　and　in　a　guard　of　fifteen　hundred　foreign　soldiers；　whom　he　considered　indispensable　to　the　exercise　of　a　vigour　beyond　the　law　in　maintaining　wholesome　discipline　over　the　refractory　English。　　The　ignorant　impatience　of　the　swinish　multitude　with　these　fruits　of　good　living；　brought　forth　by　one　of　the　meek　who　had　inherited　the　earth；　displayed　itself　in　a　general　ferment；　of　which　Prince　John　took　advantage　to　make　the　experiment　of　getting　possession　of　his　brother's　crown　in　his　absence。　　He　began　by　calling　at　Reading　a　council　of　barons；　whose　aspect　induced　the　holy　bishop　to　disguise　himself　（some　say　as　an　old　woman；　which；　in　the　twelfth　century；　perhaps　might　have　been　a　disguise　for　a　bishop）；　and　make　his　escape　beyond　sea。　Prince　John　followed　up　his　advantage　by　obtaining　possession　of　several　strong　posts；　and　among　others　of　the　castle　of　Nottingham。

While　John　was　conducting　his　operations　at　Nottingham；　he　rode　at　times　past　the　castle　of　Arlingford。　　He　stopped　on　one　occasion　to　claim　Lord　Fitzwater's　hospitality；　and　made　most　princely　havoc　among　his　venison　and　brawn。　　Now　it　is　a　matter　of　record　among　divers　great　historians　and　learned　clerks；　that　he　was　then　and　there　grievously　smitten　by　the　charms　of　the　lovely　Matilda；　and　that　a　few　days　after　he　despatched　his　travelling　minstrel；　or　laureate；　Harpiton；＇3＇　（whom　he　retained　at　moderate　wages；　to　keep　a　journal　of　his　proceedings；　and　prove　them　all　just　and　legitimate）；　to　the　castle　of　Arlingford；　to　make　proposals　to　the　lady。　This　Harpiton　was　a　very　useful　person。　　He　was　always　ready；　not　only　to　maintain　the　cause　of　his　master　with　his　pen；　and　to　sing　his　eulogies　to　his　harp；　but　to　undertake　at　a　moment's　notice

any　kind　of　courtly　employment；　called　dirty　work　by　the　profane；　which　the　blessings　of　civil　government；　namely；　his　master's　pleasure；　and　the　interests　of　social　order；　namely；　his　own　emolument；　might　require。　　In　short；

　Il　eut　l'emploi　qui　certes　n'est　pas　mince；　　Et　qu'a　la　cour；　ou　tout　se　peint　en　beau；　　On　appelloit　etre　l'ami　du　prince；　　Mais　qu'a　la　ville；　et　surtout　en　province；　　Les　gens　grossiers　ont　nomme　maquereau。


＇3＇　Harp…it…on：　or；　a　corruption　of