ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 1.91k
The sick man's passport in her hollow beak,
And in the shadow of the silent night
Doth shake contagion from her sable wings;
Vex'd and tormented, runs poor Barrabas,
With fatal curses towards these Christians.
--Jew of Malta

The Disinherited Knight had no sooner reached his pavilion, than squires
and pages in abundance tendered their services to disarm him, to bring
fresh attire, and to offer him the refreshment of the bath. Their zeal
on this occasion was perhaps sharpened by curiosity, since every one
desired to know who the knight was that had gained so many laurels, yet
had refused, even at the command of Prince John, to lift his visor or
to name his name. But their officious inquisitiveness was not gratified.
The Disinherited Knight refused all other assistance save that of his
own squire, or rather yeoman--a clownish-looking man, who, wrapt in a
cloak of dark-coloured felt, and having his head and face half-buried
in a Norman bonnet made of black fur, seemed to affect the incognito
as much as his master. All others being excluded from the tent, this
attendant relieved his master from the more burdensome parts of his
armour, and placed food and wine before him, which the exertions of the
day rendered very acceptable.

The Knight had scarcely finished a hasty meal, ere his menial announced
to him that five men, each leading a barbed steed, desired to speak with
him. The Disinherited Knight had exchanged his armour for the long robe
usually worn by those of his condition, which, being furnished with a
hood, concealed the features, when such was the pleasure of the
wearer, almost as completely as the visor of the helmet itself, but the
twilight, which was now fast darkening, would of itself have rendered
a disguise unnecessary, unless to persons to whom the face of an
individual chanced to be particularly well known.

The Disinherited Knight, therefore, stept boldly forth to the front of
his tent, and found in attendance the squires of the challengers, whom
he easily knew by their russet and black dresses, each of whom led
his master's charger, loaded with the armour in which he had that day
fought.

"According to the laws of chivalry," said the foremost of these men, "I,
Baldwin de Oyley, squire to the redoubted Knight Brian de Bois-Guilbert,
make offer to you, styling yourself, for the present, the Disinherited
Knight, of the horse and armour used by the said Brian de Bois-Guilbert
in this day's Passage of Arms, leaving it with your nobleness to retain
or to ransom the same, according to your pleasure; for such is the law
of arms."

The other squires repeated nearly the same formula, and then stood to
await the decision of the Disinherited Knight.

"To you four, sirs," replied the Knight, addressing those who had last
spoken, "and to your honourable and valiant masters, I have one common
reply. Commend me to the noble knights, your masters, and say, I should
do ill to deprive them of steeds and arms which can never be used by
braver cavaliers.--I would I could here end my message to these
gallant knights; but being, as I term myself, in truth and earnest, the
Disinherited, I must be thus far bound to your masters, that they will,
of their courtesy, be pleased to ransom their steeds and armour, since
that which I wear I can hardly term mine own."

"We stand commissioned, each of us," answered the squire of Reginald
Front-de-Boeuf, "to offer a hundred zecchins in ransom of these horses
and suits of armour."

"It is sufficient," said the Disinherited Knight. "Half the sum
my present necessities compel me to accept; of the remaining half,
distribute one moiety among yourselves, sir squires, and divide the
other half betwixt the heralds and the pursuivants, and minstrels, and
attendants."

The squires, with cap in hand, and low reverences, expressed their deep
sense of a courtesy and generosity not often practised, at least upon a
scale so extensive. The Disinherited Knight then addressed his discourse
to Baldwin, the squire of Brian de Bois-Guilbert. "From your master,"
said he, "I will accept neither arms nor ransom. Say to him in my name,
that our strife is not ended--no, not till we have fought as well with
swords as with lances--as well on foot as on horseback. To this
mortal quarrel he has himself defied me, and I shall not forget the
challenge.--Meantime, let him be assured, that I hold him not as one of
his companions, with whom I can with pleasure exchange courtesies; but
rather as one with whom I stand upon terms of mortal defiance."

"My master," answered Baldwin, "knows how to requite scorn with scorn,
and blows with blows, as well as courtesy with courtesy. Since you
disdain to accept from him any share of the ransom at which you have
rated the arms of the other knights, I must leave his armour and his
horse here, being well assured that he will never deign to mount the one
nor wear the other."

"You have spoken well, good squire," said the Disinherited Knight,
"well and boldly, as it beseemeth him to speak who answers for an absent
master. Leave not, however, the horse and armour here. Restore them to
thy master; or, if he scorns to accept them, retain them, good friend,
for thine own use. So far as they are mine, I bestow them upon you
freely."

Baldwin made a deep obeisance, and retired with his companions; and the
Disinherited Knight entered the pavilion.

"Thus far, Gurth," said he, addressing his attendant, "the reputation of

The sick man's passport in her hollow beak,

And in the shadow of the silent night

Doth shake contagion from her sable wings;

Vex'd and tormented, runs poor Barrabas,

With fatal curses towards these Christians.

--Jew of Malta

The Disinherited Knight had no sooner reached his pavilion, than squires

and pages in abundance tendered their services to disarm him, to bring

fresh attire, and to offer him the refreshment of the bath. Their zeal

on this occasion was perhaps sharpened by curiosity, since every one

desired to know who the knight was that had gained so many laurels, yet

had refused, even at the command of Prince John, to lift his visor or

to name his name. But their officious inquisitiveness was not gratified.

The Disinherited Knight refused all other assistance save that of his

own squire, or rather yeoman--a clownish-looking man, who, wrapt in a

cloak of dark-coloured felt, and having his head and face half-buried

in a Norman bonnet made of black fur, seemed to affect the incognito

as much as his master. All others being excluded from the tent, this

attendant relieved his master from the more burdensome parts of his

armour, and placed food and wine before him, which the exertions of the

day rendered very acceptable.

The Knight had scarcely finished a hasty meal, ere his menial announced

to him that five men, each leading a barbed steed, desired to speak with

him. The Disinherited Knight had exchanged his armour for the long robe

usually worn by those of his condition, which, being furnished with a

hood, concealed the features, when such was the pleasure of the

wearer, almost as completely as the visor of the helmet itself, but the

twilight, which was now fast darkening, would of itself have rendered

a disguise unnecessary, unless to persons to whom the face of an

individual chanced to be particularly well known.

The Disinherited Knight, therefore, stept boldly forth to the front of

his tent, and found in attendance the squires of the challengers, whom

he easily knew by their russet and black dresses, each of whom led

his master's charger, loaded with the armour in which he had that day

fought.

"According to the laws of chivalry," said the foremost of these men, "I,

Baldwin de Oyley, squire to the redoubted Knight Brian de Bois-Guilbert,

make offer to you, styling yourself, for the present, the Disinherited

Knight, of the horse and armour used by the said Brian de Bois-Guilbert

in this day's Passage of Arms, leaving it with your nobleness to retain

or to ransom the same, according to your pleasure; for such is the law

of arms."

The other squires repeated nearly the same formula, and then stood to

await the decision of the Disinherited Knight.

"To you four, sirs," replied the Knight, addressing those who had last

spoken, "and to your honourable and valiant masters, I have one common

reply. Commend me to the noble knights, your masters, and say, I should

do ill to deprive them of steeds and arms which can never be used by

braver cavaliers.--I would I could here end my message to these

gallant knights; but being, as I term myself, in truth and earnest, the

Disinherited, I must be thus far bound to your masters, that they will,

of their courtesy, be pleased to ransom their steeds and armour, since

that which I wear I can hardly term mine own."

"We stand commissioned, each of us," answered the squire of Reginald

Front-de-Boeuf, "to offer a hundred zecchins in ransom of these horses

and suits of armour."

"It is sufficient," said the Disinherited Knight. "Half the sum

my present necessities compel me to accept; of the remaining half,

distribute one moiety among yourselves, sir squires, and divide the

other half betwixt the heralds and the pursuivants, and minstrels, and

attendants."

The squires, with cap in hand, and low reverences, expressed their deep

sense of a courtesy and generosity not often practised, at least upon a

scale so extensive. The Disinherited Knight then addressed his discourse

to Baldwin, the squire of Brian de Bois-Guilbert. "From your master,"

said he, "I will accept neither arms nor ransom. Say to him in my name,

that our strife is not ended--no, not till we have fought as well with

swords as with lances--as well on foot as on horseback. To this

mortal quarrel he has himself defied me, and I shall not forget the

challenge.--Meantime, let him be assured, that I hold him not as one of

his companions, with whom I can with pleasure exchange courtesies; but

rather as one with whom I stand upon terms of mortal defiance."

"My master," answered Baldwin, "knows how to requite scorn with scorn,

and blows with blows, as well as courtesy with courtesy. Since you

disdain to accept from him any share of the ransom at which you have

rated the arms of the other knights, I must leave his armour and his

horse here, being well assured that he will never deign to mount the one

nor wear the other."

"You have spoken well, good squire," said the Disinherited Knight,

"well and boldly, as it beseemeth him to speak who answers for an absent

master. Leave not, however, the horse and armour here. Restore them to

thy master; or, if he scorns to accept them, retain them, good friend,

for thine own use. So far as they are mine, I bestow them upon you

freely."

Baldwin made a deep obeisance, and retired with his companions; and the

Disinherited Knight entered the pavilion.

"Thus far, Gurth," said he, addressing his attendant, "the reputation of