ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 1.91k

In fact, Cedric, as we have observed, was in no very placid state of
mind. The Lady Rowena, who had been absent to attend an evening mass at
a distant church, had but just returned, and was changing her garments,
which had been wetted by the storm. There were as yet no tidings of
Gurth and his charge, which should long since have been driven home from
the forest and such was the insecurity of the period, as to render it
probable that the delay might be explained by some depreciation of the
outlaws, with whom the adjacent forest abounded, or by the violence
of some neighbouring baron, whose consciousness of strength made
him equally negligent of the laws of property. The matter was of
consequence, for great part of the domestic wealth of the Saxon
proprietors consisted in numerous herds of swine, especially in
forest-land, where those animals easily found their food.

Besides these subjects of anxiety, the Saxon thane was impatient for the
presence of his favourite clown Wamba, whose jests, such as they were,
served for a sort of seasoning to his evening meal, and to the deep
draughts of ale and wine with which he was in the habit of accompanying
it. Add to all this, Cedric had fasted since noon, and his usual supper
hour was long past, a cause of irritation common to country squires,
both in ancient and modern times. His displeasure was expressed in
broken sentences, partly muttered to himself, partly addressed to the
domestics who stood around; and particularly to his cupbearer, who
offered him from time to time, as a sedative, a silver goblet filled
with wine--"Why tarries the Lady Rowena?"

"She is but changing her head-gear," replied a female attendant, with as
much confidence as the favourite lady's-maid usually answers the master
of a modern family; "you would not wish her to sit down to the banquet
in her hood and kirtle? and no lady within the shire can be quicker in
arraying herself than my mistress."

This undeniable argument produced a sort of acquiescent umph! on the
part of the Saxon, with the addition, "I wish her devotion may choose
fair weather for the next visit to St John's Kirk;--but what, in the
name of ten devils," continued he, turning to the cupbearer, and raising
his voice as if happy to have found a channel into which he might divert
his indignation without fear or control--"what, in the name of ten
devils, keeps Gurth so long afield? I suppose we shall have an evil
account of the herd; he was wont to be a faithful and cautious drudge,
and I had destined him for something better; perchance I might even have
made him one of my warders." [11]

Oswald the cupbearer modestly suggested, "that it was scarce an hour
since the tolling of the curfew;" an ill-chosen apology, since it turned
upon a topic so harsh to Saxon ears.

"The foul fiend," exclaimed Cedric, "take the curfew-bell, and the
tyrannical bastard by whom it was devised, and the heartless slave who
names it with a Saxon tongue to a Saxon ear! The curfew!" he added,
pausing, "ay, the curfew; which compels true men to extinguish their
lights, that thieves and robbers may work their deeds in darkness!--Ay,
the curfew;--Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and Philip de Malvoisin know the
use of the curfew as well as William the Bastard himself, or e'er a
Norman adventurer that fought at Hastings. I shall hear, I guess,
that my property has been swept off to save from starving the hungry
banditti, whom they cannot support but by theft and robbery. My faithful
slave is murdered, and my goods are taken for a prey--and Wamba--where
is Wamba? Said not some one he had gone forth with Gurth?"

Oswald replied in the affirmative.

"Ay? why this is better and better! he is carried off too, the Saxon
fool, to serve the Norman lord. Fools are we all indeed that serve them,
and fitter subjects for their scorn and laughter, than if we were born
with but half our wits. But I will be avenged," he added, starting from
his chair in impatience at the supposed injury, and catching hold of his
boar-spear; "I will go with my complaint to the great council; I have
friends, I have followers--man to man will I appeal the Norman to the
lists; let him come in his plate and his mail, and all that can render
cowardice bold; I have sent such a javelin as this through a stronger
fence than three of their war shields!--Haply they think me old; but
they shall find, alone and childless as I am, the blood of Hereward is
in the veins of Cedric.--Ah, Wilfred, Wilfred!" he exclaimed in a lower
tone, "couldst thou have ruled thine unreasonable passion, thy father
had not been left in his age like the solitary oak that throws out
its shattered and unprotected branches against the full sweep of the
tempest!" The reflection seemed to conjure into sadness his irritated
feelings. Replacing his javelin, he resumed his seat, bent his looks
downward, and appeared to be absorbed in melancholy reflection.

From his musing, Cedric was suddenly awakened by the blast of a horn,
which was replied to by the clamorous yells and barking of all the dogs
in the hall, and some twenty or thirty which were quartered in other
parts of the building. It cost some exercise of the white truncheon,
well seconded by the exertions of the domestics, to silence this canine
clamour.

"To the gate, knaves!" said the Saxon, hastily, as soon as the tumult
was so much appeased that the dependants could hear his voice. "See what
tidings that horn tells us of--to announce, I ween, some hership [12]
and robbery which has been done upon my lands."

Returning in less than three minutes, a warder announced "that the Prior
Aymer of Jorvaulx, and the good knight Brian de Bois-Guilbert, commander
of the valiant and venerable order of Knights Templars, with a small
retinue, requested hospitality and lodging for the night, being on
their way to a tournament which was to be held not far from
Ashby-de-la-Zouche, on the second day from the present."

In fact, Cedric, as we have observed, was in no very placid state of

mind. The Lady Rowena, who had been absent to attend an evening mass at

a distant church, had but just returned, and was changing her garments,

which had been wetted by the storm. There were as yet no tidings of

Gurth and his charge, which should long since have been driven home from

the forest and such was the insecurity of the period, as to render it

probable that the delay might be explained by some depreciation of the

outlaws, with whom the adjacent forest abounded, or by the violence

of some neighbouring baron, whose consciousness of strength made

him equally negligent of the laws of property. The matter was of

consequence, for great part of the domestic wealth of the Saxon

proprietors consisted in numerous herds of swine, especially in

forest-land, where those animals easily found their food.

Besides these subjects of anxiety, the Saxon thane was impatient for the

presence of his favourite clown Wamba, whose jests, such as they were,

served for a sort of seasoning to his evening meal, and to the deep

draughts of ale and wine with which he was in the habit of accompanying

it. Add to all this, Cedric had fasted since noon, and his usual supper

hour was long past, a cause of irritation common to country squires,

both in ancient and modern times. His displeasure was expressed in

broken sentences, partly muttered to himself, partly addressed to the

domestics who stood around; and particularly to his cupbearer, who

offered him from time to time, as a sedative, a silver goblet filled

with wine--"Why tarries the Lady Rowena?"

"She is but changing her head-gear," replied a female attendant, with as

much confidence as the favourite lady's-maid usually answers the master

of a modern family; "you would not wish her to sit down to the banquet

in her hood and kirtle? and no lady within the shire can be quicker in

arraying herself than my mistress."

This undeniable argument produced a sort of acquiescent umph! on the

part of the Saxon, with the addition, "I wish her devotion may choose

fair weather for the next visit to St John's Kirk;--but what, in the

name of ten devils," continued he, turning to the cupbearer, and raising

his voice as if happy to have found a channel into which he might divert

his indignation without fear or control--"what, in the name of ten

devils, keeps Gurth so long afield? I suppose we shall have an evil

account of the herd; he was wont to be a faithful and cautious drudge,

and I had destined him for something better; perchance I might even have

made him one of my warders." [11]

Oswald the cupbearer modestly suggested, "that it was scarce an hour

since the tolling of the curfew;" an ill-chosen apology, since it turned

upon a topic so harsh to Saxon ears.

"The foul fiend," exclaimed Cedric, "take the curfew-bell, and the

tyrannical bastard by whom it was devised, and the heartless slave who

names it with a Saxon tongue to a Saxon ear! The curfew!" he added,

pausing, "ay, the curfew; which compels true men to extinguish their

lights, that thieves and robbers may work their deeds in darkness!--Ay,

the curfew;--Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and Philip de Malvoisin know the

use of the curfew as well as William the Bastard himself, or e'er a

Norman adventurer that fought at Hastings. I shall hear, I guess,

that my property has been swept off to save from starving the hungry

banditti, whom they cannot support but by theft and robbery. My faithful

slave is murdered, and my goods are taken for a prey--and Wamba--where

is Wamba? Said not some one he had gone forth with Gurth?"

Oswald replied in the affirmative.

"Ay? why this is better and better! he is carried off too, the Saxon

fool, to serve the Norman lord. Fools are we all indeed that serve them,

and fitter subjects for their scorn and laughter, than if we were born

with but half our wits. But I will be avenged," he added, starting from

his chair in impatience at the supposed injury, and catching hold of his

boar-spear; "I will go with my complaint to the great council; I have

friends, I have followers--man to man will I appeal the Norman to the

lists; let him come in his plate and his mail, and all that can render

cowardice bold; I have sent such a javelin as this through a stronger

fence than three of their war shields!--Haply they think me old; but

they shall find, alone and childless as I am, the blood of Hereward is

in the veins of Cedric.--Ah, Wilfred, Wilfred!" he exclaimed in a lower

tone, "couldst thou have ruled thine unreasonable passion, thy father

had not been left in his age like the solitary oak that throws out

its shattered and unprotected branches against the full sweep of the

tempest!" The reflection seemed to conjure into sadness his irritated

feelings. Replacing his javelin, he resumed his seat, bent his looks

downward, and appeared to be absorbed in melancholy reflection.

From his musing, Cedric was suddenly awakened by the blast of a horn,

which was replied to by the clamorous yells and barking of all the dogs

in the hall, and some twenty or thirty which were quartered in other

parts of the building. It cost some exercise of the white truncheon,

well seconded by the exertions of the domestics, to silence this canine

clamour.

"To the gate, knaves!" said the Saxon, hastily, as soon as the tumult

was so much appeased that the dependants could hear his voice. "See what

tidings that horn tells us of--to announce, I ween, some hership [12]

and robbery which has been done upon my lands."

Returning in less than three minutes, a warder announced "that the Prior

Aymer of Jorvaulx, and the good knight Brian de Bois-Guilbert, commander

of the valiant and venerable order of Knights Templars, with a small

retinue, requested hospitality and lodging for the night, being on

their way to a tournament which was to be held not far from

Ashby-de-la-Zouche, on the second day from the present."