ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Jairam of Lombardy; give him this scroll--he hath on sale six Milan
harnesses, the worst would suit a crowned head--ten goodly steeds, the
worst might mount a king, were he to do battle for his throne. Of these
he will give thee thy choice, with every thing else that can furnish
thee forth for the tournament: when it is over, thou wilt return them
safely--unless thou shouldst have wherewith to pay their value to the
owner."

"But, Isaac," said the Pilgrim, smiling, "dost thou know that in these
sports, the arms and steed of the knight who is unhorsed are forfeit to
his victor? Now I may be unfortunate, and so lose what I cannot replace
or repay."

The Jew looked somewhat astounded at this possibility; but collecting
his courage, he replied hastily. "No--no--no--It is impossible--I will
not think so. The blessing of Our Father will be upon thee. Thy lance
will be powerful as the rod of Moses."

So saying, he was turning his mule's head away, when the Palmer, in his
turn, took hold of his gaberdine. "Nay, but Isaac, thou knowest not all
the risk. The steed may be slain, the armour injured--for I will spare
neither horse nor man. Besides, those of thy tribe give nothing for
nothing; something there must be paid for their use."

The Jew twisted himself in the saddle, like a man in a fit of the colic;
but his better feelings predominated over those which were most familiar
to him. "I care not," he said, "I care not--let me go. If there is
damage, it will cost you nothing--if there is usage money, Kirjath
Jairam will forgive it for the sake of his kinsman Isaac. Fare thee
well!--Yet hark thee, good youth," said he, turning about, "thrust
thyself not too forward into this vain hurly-burly--I speak not for
endangering the steed, and coat of armour, but for the sake of thine own
life and limbs."

"Gramercy for thy caution," said the Palmer, again smiling; "I will use
thy courtesy frankly, and it will go hard with me but I will requite
it."

They parted, and took different roads for the town of Sheffield.






Knights, with a long retinue of their squires,
In gaudy liveries march and quaint attires;
One laced the helm, another held the lance,
A third the shining buckler did advance.
The courser paw'd the ground with restless feet,
And snorting foam'd and champ'd the golden bit.
The smiths and armourers on palfreys ride,
Files in their hands, and hammers at their side;
And nails for loosen'd spears, and thongs for shields provide.
The yeomen guard the streets in seemly bands;
And clowns come crowding on, with cudgels in their hands.
--Palamon and Arcite

The condition of the English nation was at this time sufficiently
miserable. King Richard was absent a prisoner, and in the power of
the perfidious and cruel Duke of Austria. Even the very place of his
captivity was uncertain, and his fate but very imperfectly known to the
generality of his subjects, who were, in the meantime, a prey to every
species of subaltern oppression.

Prince John, in league with Philip of France, Coeur-de-Lion's mortal
enemy, was using every species of influence with the Duke of Austria, to
prolong the captivity of his brother Richard, to whom he stood indebted
for so many favours. In the meantime, he was strengthening his own
faction in the kingdom, of which he proposed to dispute the succession,
in case of the King's death, with the legitimate heir, Arthur Duke of
Brittany, son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, the elder brother of John. This
usurpation, it is well known, he afterwards effected. His own character
being light, profligate, and perfidious, John easily attached to his
person and faction, not only all who had reason to dread the resentment
of Richard for criminal proceedings during his absence, but also the
numerous class of "lawless resolutes," whom the crusades had turned back
on their country, accomplished in the vices of the East, impoverished
in substance, and hardened in character, and who placed their hopes
of harvest in civil commotion. To these causes of public distress and
apprehension, must be added, the multitude of outlaws, who, driven
to despair by the oppression of the feudal nobility, and the severe
exercise of the forest laws, banded together in large gangs, and,
keeping possession of the forests and the wastes, set at defiance the
justice and magistracy of the country. The nobles themselves, each
fortified within his own castle, and playing the petty sovereign over
his own dominions, were the leaders of bands scarce less lawless and
oppressive than those of the avowed depredators. To maintain these
retainers, and to support the extravagance and magnificence which their
pride induced them to affect, the nobility borrowed sums of money from
the Jews at the most usurious interest, which gnawed into their estates
like consuming cankers, scarce to be cured unless when circumstances
gave them an opportunity of getting free, by exercising upon their
creditors some act of unprincipled violence.

Under the various burdens imposed by this unhappy state of affairs,
the people of England suffered deeply for the present, and had yet
more dreadful cause to fear for the future. To augment their misery, a
contagious disorder of a dangerous nature spread through the land; and,
rendered more virulent by the uncleanness, the indifferent food, and

Jairam of Lombardy; give him this scroll--he hath on sale six Milan

harnesses, the worst would suit a crowned head--ten goodly steeds, the

worst might mount a king, were he to do battle for his throne. Of these

he will give thee thy choice, with every thing else that can furnish

thee forth for the tournament: when it is over, thou wilt return them

safely--unless thou shouldst have wherewith to pay their value to the

owner."

"But, Isaac," said the Pilgrim, smiling, "dost thou know that in these

sports, the arms and steed of the knight who is unhorsed are forfeit to

his victor? Now I may be unfortunate, and so lose what I cannot replace

or repay."

The Jew looked somewhat astounded at this possibility; but collecting

his courage, he replied hastily. "No--no--no--It is impossible--I will

not think so. The blessing of Our Father will be upon thee. Thy lance

will be powerful as the rod of Moses."

So saying, he was turning his mule's head away, when the Palmer, in his

turn, took hold of his gaberdine. "Nay, but Isaac, thou knowest not all

the risk. The steed may be slain, the armour injured--for I will spare

neither horse nor man. Besides, those of thy tribe give nothing for

nothing; something there must be paid for their use."

The Jew twisted himself in the saddle, like a man in a fit of the colic;

but his better feelings predominated over those which were most familiar

to him. "I care not," he said, "I care not--let me go. If there is

damage, it will cost you nothing--if there is usage money, Kirjath

Jairam will forgive it for the sake of his kinsman Isaac. Fare thee

well!--Yet hark thee, good youth," said he, turning about, "thrust

thyself not too forward into this vain hurly-burly--I speak not for

endangering the steed, and coat of armour, but for the sake of thine own

life and limbs."

"Gramercy for thy caution," said the Palmer, again smiling; "I will use

thy courtesy frankly, and it will go hard with me but I will requite

it."

They parted, and took different roads for the town of Sheffield.

Knights, with a long retinue of their squires,

In gaudy liveries march and quaint attires;

One laced the helm, another held the lance,

A third the shining buckler did advance.

The courser paw'd the ground with restless feet,

And snorting foam'd and champ'd the golden bit.

The smiths and armourers on palfreys ride,

Files in their hands, and hammers at their side;

And nails for loosen'd spears, and thongs for shields provide.

The yeomen guard the streets in seemly bands;

And clowns come crowding on, with cudgels in their hands.

--Palamon and Arcite

The condition of the English nation was at this time sufficiently

miserable. King Richard was absent a prisoner, and in the power of

the perfidious and cruel Duke of Austria. Even the very place of his

captivity was uncertain, and his fate but very imperfectly known to the

generality of his subjects, who were, in the meantime, a prey to every

species of subaltern oppression.

Prince John, in league with Philip of France, Coeur-de-Lion's mortal

enemy, was using every species of influence with the Duke of Austria, to

prolong the captivity of his brother Richard, to whom he stood indebted

for so many favours. In the meantime, he was strengthening his own

faction in the kingdom, of which he proposed to dispute the succession,

in case of the King's death, with the legitimate heir, Arthur Duke of

Brittany, son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, the elder brother of John. This

usurpation, it is well known, he afterwards effected. His own character

being light, profligate, and perfidious, John easily attached to his

person and faction, not only all who had reason to dread the resentment

of Richard for criminal proceedings during his absence, but also the

numerous class of "lawless resolutes," whom the crusades had turned back

on their country, accomplished in the vices of the East, impoverished

in substance, and hardened in character, and who placed their hopes

of harvest in civil commotion. To these causes of public distress and

apprehension, must be added, the multitude of outlaws, who, driven

to despair by the oppression of the feudal nobility, and the severe

exercise of the forest laws, banded together in large gangs, and,

keeping possession of the forests and the wastes, set at defiance the

justice and magistracy of the country. The nobles themselves, each

fortified within his own castle, and playing the petty sovereign over

his own dominions, were the leaders of bands scarce less lawless and

oppressive than those of the avowed depredators. To maintain these

retainers, and to support the extravagance and magnificence which their

pride induced them to affect, the nobility borrowed sums of money from

the Jews at the most usurious interest, which gnawed into their estates

like consuming cankers, scarce to be cured unless when circumstances

gave them an opportunity of getting free, by exercising upon their

creditors some act of unprincipled violence.

Under the various burdens imposed by this unhappy state of affairs,

the people of England suffered deeply for the present, and had yet

more dreadful cause to fear for the future. To augment their misery, a

contagious disorder of a dangerous nature spread through the land; and,

rendered more virulent by the uncleanness, the indifferent food, and