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"It is," replied the Prior; "and the blessed relic and rich chain will I
bestow safely in the treasury of our convent, until the decision of this
warlike challenge."

Having thus spoken, he crossed himself again and again, and after
many genuflections and muttered prayers, he delivered the reliquary to
Brother Ambrose, his attendant monk, while he himself swept up with less
ceremony, but perhaps with no less internal satisfaction, the golden
chain, and bestowed it in a pouch lined with perfumed leather, which
opened under his arm. "And now, Sir Cedric," he said, "my ears are
chiming vespers with the strength of your good wine--permit us another
pledge to the welfare of the Lady Rowena, and indulge us with liberty to
pass to our repose."

"By the rood of Bromholme," said the Saxon, "you do but small credit to
your fame, Sir Prior! Report speaks you a bonny monk, that would hear
the matin chime ere he quitted his bowl; and, old as I am, I feared to
have shame in encountering you. But, by my faith, a Saxon boy of twelve,
in my time, would not so soon have relinquished his goblet."

The Prior had his own reasons, however, for persevering in the course
of temperance which he had adopted. He was not only a professional
peacemaker, but from practice a hater of all feuds and brawls. It was
not altogether from a love to his neighbour, or to himself, or from
a mixture of both. On the present occasion, he had an instinctive
apprehension of the fiery temper of the Saxon, and saw the danger that
the reckless and presumptuous spirit, of which his companion had
already given so many proofs, might at length produce some disagreeable
explosion. He therefore gently insinuated the incapacity of the native
of any other country to engage in the genial conflict of the bowl
with the hardy and strong-headed Saxons; something he mentioned, but
slightly, about his own holy character, and ended by pressing his
proposal to depart to repose.

The grace-cup was accordingly served round, and the guests, after making
deep obeisance to their landlord and to the Lady Rowena, arose and
mingled in the hall, while the heads of the family, by separate doors,
retired with their attendants.

"Unbelieving dog," said the Templar to Isaac the Jew, as he passed him
in the throng, "dost thou bend thy course to the tournament?"

"I do so propose," replied Isaac, bowing in all humility, "if it please
your reverend valour."

"Ay," said the Knight, "to gnaw the bowels of our nobles with usury,
and to gull women and boys with gauds and toys--I warrant thee store of
shekels in thy Jewish scrip."

"Not a shekel, not a silver penny, not a halfling--so help me the God
of Abraham!" said the Jew, clasping his hands; "I go but to seek the
assistance of some brethren of my tribe to aid me to pay the fine which
the Exchequer of the Jews have imposed upon me--Father Jacob be my
speed! I am an impoverished wretch--the very gaberdine I wear is
borrowed from Reuben of Tadcaster." [15]

The Templar smiled sourly as he replied, "Beshrew thee for a
false-hearted liar!" and passing onward, as if disdaining farther
conference, he communed with his Moslem slaves in a language unknown to
the bystanders. The poor Israelite seemed so staggered by the address
of the military monk, that the Templar had passed on to the extremity
of the hall ere he raised his head from the humble posture which he had
assumed, so far as to be sensible of his departure. And when he did
look around, it was with the astonished air of one at whose feet a
thunderbolt has just burst, and who hears still the astounding report
ringing in his ears.

The Templar and Prior were shortly after marshalled to their sleeping
apartments by the steward and the cupbearer, each attended by two
torchbearers and two servants carrying refreshments, while servants of
inferior condition indicated to their retinue and to the other guests
their respective places of repose.






To buy his favour I extend this friendship:
If he will take it, so; if not, adieu;
And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not.
--Merchant of Venice

As the Palmer, lighted by a domestic with a torch, passed through the
intricate combination of apartments of this large and irregular mansion,
the cupbearer coming behind him whispered in his ear, that if he had
no objection to a cup of good mead in his apartment, there were many
domestics in that family who would gladly hear the news he had brought
from the Holy Land, and particularly that which concerned the Knight of
Ivanhoe. Wamba presently appeared to urge the same request, observing
that a cup after midnight was worth three after curfew. Without
disputing a maxim urged by such grave authority, the Palmer thanked them
for their courtesy, but observed that he had included in his religious
vow, an obligation never to speak in the kitchen on matters which were
prohibited in the hall. "That vow," said Wamba to the cupbearer, "would
scarce suit a serving-man."

The cupbearer shrugged up his shoulders in displeasure. "I thought to
have lodged him in the solere chamber," said he; "but since he is so

"It is," replied the Prior; "and the blessed relic and rich chain will I

bestow safely in the treasury of our convent, until the decision of this

warlike challenge."

Having thus spoken, he crossed himself again and again, and after

many genuflections and muttered prayers, he delivered the reliquary to

Brother Ambrose, his attendant monk, while he himself swept up with less

ceremony, but perhaps with no less internal satisfaction, the golden

chain, and bestowed it in a pouch lined with perfumed leather, which

opened under his arm. "And now, Sir Cedric," he said, "my ears are

chiming vespers with the strength of your good wine--permit us another

pledge to the welfare of the Lady Rowena, and indulge us with liberty to

pass to our repose."

"By the rood of Bromholme," said the Saxon, "you do but small credit to

your fame, Sir Prior! Report speaks you a bonny monk, that would hear

the matin chime ere he quitted his bowl; and, old as I am, I feared to

have shame in encountering you. But, by my faith, a Saxon boy of twelve,

in my time, would not so soon have relinquished his goblet."

The Prior had his own reasons, however, for persevering in the course

of temperance which he had adopted. He was not only a professional

peacemaker, but from practice a hater of all feuds and brawls. It was

not altogether from a love to his neighbour, or to himself, or from

a mixture of both. On the present occasion, he had an instinctive

apprehension of the fiery temper of the Saxon, and saw the danger that

the reckless and presumptuous spirit, of which his companion had

already given so many proofs, might at length produce some disagreeable

explosion. He therefore gently insinuated the incapacity of the native

of any other country to engage in the genial conflict of the bowl

with the hardy and strong-headed Saxons; something he mentioned, but

slightly, about his own holy character, and ended by pressing his

proposal to depart to repose.

The grace-cup was accordingly served round, and the guests, after making

deep obeisance to their landlord and to the Lady Rowena, arose and

mingled in the hall, while the heads of the family, by separate doors,

retired with their attendants.

"Unbelieving dog," said the Templar to Isaac the Jew, as he passed him

in the throng, "dost thou bend thy course to the tournament?"

"I do so propose," replied Isaac, bowing in all humility, "if it please

your reverend valour."

"Ay," said the Knight, "to gnaw the bowels of our nobles with usury,

and to gull women and boys with gauds and toys--I warrant thee store of

shekels in thy Jewish scrip."

"Not a shekel, not a silver penny, not a halfling--so help me the God

of Abraham!" said the Jew, clasping his hands; "I go but to seek the

assistance of some brethren of my tribe to aid me to pay the fine which

the Exchequer of the Jews have imposed upon me--Father Jacob be my

speed! I am an impoverished wretch--the very gaberdine I wear is

borrowed from Reuben of Tadcaster." [15]

The Templar smiled sourly as he replied, "Beshrew thee for a

false-hearted liar!" and passing onward, as if disdaining farther

conference, he communed with his Moslem slaves in a language unknown to

the bystanders. The poor Israelite seemed so staggered by the address

of the military monk, that the Templar had passed on to the extremity

of the hall ere he raised his head from the humble posture which he had

assumed, so far as to be sensible of his departure. And when he did

look around, it was with the astonished air of one at whose feet a

thunderbolt has just burst, and who hears still the astounding report

ringing in his ears.

The Templar and Prior were shortly after marshalled to their sleeping

apartments by the steward and the cupbearer, each attended by two

torchbearers and two servants carrying refreshments, while servants of

inferior condition indicated to their retinue and to the other guests

their respective places of repose.

To buy his favour I extend this friendship:

If he will take it, so; if not, adieu;

And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not.

--Merchant of Venice

As the Palmer, lighted by a domestic with a torch, passed through the

intricate combination of apartments of this large and irregular mansion,

the cupbearer coming behind him whispered in his ear, that if he had

no objection to a cup of good mead in his apartment, there were many

domestics in that family who would gladly hear the news he had brought

from the Holy Land, and particularly that which concerned the Knight of

Ivanhoe. Wamba presently appeared to urge the same request, observing

that a cup after midnight was worth three after curfew. Without

disputing a maxim urged by such grave authority, the Palmer thanked them

for their courtesy, but observed that he had included in his religious

vow, an obligation never to speak in the kitchen on matters which were

prohibited in the hall. "That vow," said Wamba to the cupbearer, "would

scarce suit a serving-man."

The cupbearer shrugged up his shoulders in displeasure. "I thought to

have lodged him in the solere chamber," said he; "but since he is so