Ivanhoe, Walter Scott [the lemonade war series txt] 📗
- Author: Walter Scott
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such a quality seemed totally foreign. His course of reflections
upon these singular circumstances was, however, interrupted by
the necessity for taking repose, which the fatigue of the
preceding day, and the propriety of refreshing himself for the
morrow’s encounter, rendered alike indispensable.
The knight, therefore, stretched himself for repose upon a rich
couch with which the tent was provided; and the faithful Gurth,
extending his hardy limbs upon a bear-skin which formed a sort
of carpet to the pavilion, laid himself across the opening of the
tent, so that no one could enter without awakening him.
CHAPTER XII
The heralds left their pricking up and down,
Now ringen trumpets loud and clarion.
There is no more to say, but east and west,
In go the speares sadly in the rest,
In goth the sharp spur into the side,
There see men who can just and who can ride;
There shiver shaftes upon shieldes thick,
He feeleth through the heart-spone the prick;
Up springen speares, twenty feet in height,
Out go the swordes to the silver bright;
The helms they to-hewn and to-shred;
Out burst the blood with stern streames red.
Chaucer.
Morning arose in unclouded splendour, and ere the sun was much
above the horizon, the idlest or the most eager of the spectators
appeared on the common, moving to the lists as to a general
centre, in order to secure a favourable situation for viewing the
continuation of the expected games.
The marshals and their attendants appeared next on the field,
together with the heralds, for the purpose of receiving the names
of the knights who intended to joust, with the side which each
chose to espouse. This was a necessary precaution, in order to
secure equality betwixt the two bodies who should be opposed to
each other.
According to due formality, the Disinherited Knight was to be
considered as leader of the one body, while Brian de
Bois-Guilbert, who had been rated as having done second-best in
the preceding day, was named first champion of the other band.
Those who had concurred in the challenge adhered to his party of
course, excepting only Ralph de Vipont, whom his fall had
rendered unfit so soon to put on his armour. There was no want
of distinguished and noble candidates to fill up the ranks on
either side.
In fact, although the general tournament, in which all knights
fought at once, was more dangerous than single encounters, they
were, nevertheless, more frequented and practised by the chivalry
of the age. Many knights, who had not sufficient confidence in
their own skill to defy a single adversary of high reputation,
were, nevertheless, desirous of displaying their valour in the
general combat, where they might meet others with whom they were
more upon an equality. On the present occasion, about fifty
knights were inscribed as desirous of combating upon each side,
when the marshals declared that no more could be admitted, to the
disappointment of several who were too late in preferring their
claim to be included.
About the hour of ten o’clock, the whole plain was crowded with
horsemen, horsewomen, and foot-passengers, hastening to the
tournament; and shortly after, a grand flourish of trumpets
announced Prince John and his retinue, attended by many of those
knights who meant to take share in the game, as well as others
who had no such intention.
About the same time arrived Cedric the Saxon, with the Lady
Rowena, unattended, however, by Athelstane. This Saxon lord had
arrayed his tall and strong person in armour, in order to take
his place among the combatants; and, considerably to the surprise
of Cedric, had chosen to enlist himself on the part of the Knight
Templar. The Saxon, indeed, had remonstrated strongly with his
friend upon the injudicious choice he had made of his party; but
he had only received that sort of answer usually given by those
who are more obstinate in following their own course, than strong
in justifying it.
His best, if not his only reason, for adhering to the party of
Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Athelstane had the prudence to keep to
himself. Though his apathy of disposition prevented his taking
any means to recommend himself to the Lady Rowena, he was,
nevertheless, by no means insensible to her charms, and
considered his union with her as a matter already fixed beyond
doubt, by the assent of Cedric and her other friends. It had
therefore been with smothered displeasure that the proud though
indolent Lord of Coningsburgh beheld the victor of the preceding
day select Rowena as the object of that honour which it became
his privilege to confer. In order to punish him for a
preference which seemed to interfere with his own suit,
Athelstane, confident of his strength, and to whom his
flatterers, at least, ascribed great skill in arms, had
determined not only to deprive the Disinherited Knight of his
powerful succour, but, if an opportunity should occur, to make
him feel the weight of his battle-axe.
De Bracy, and other knights attached to Prince John, in obedience
to a hint from him, had joined the party of the challengers, John
being desirous to secure, if possible, the victory to that side.
On the other hand, many other knights, both English and Norman,
natives and strangers, took part against the challengers, the
more readily that the opposite band was to be led by so
distinguished a champion as the Disinherited Knight had approved
himself.
As soon as Prince John observed that the destined Queen of the
day had arrived upon the field, assuming that air of courtesy
which sat well upon him when he was pleased to exhibit it, he
rode forward to meet her, doffed his bonnet, and, alighting from
his horse, assisted the Lady Rowena from her saddle, while his
followers uncovered at the same time, and one of the most
distinguished dismounted to hold her palfrey.
“It is thus,” said Prince John, “that we set the dutiful example
of loyalty to the Queen of Love and Beauty, and are ourselves her
guide to the throne which she must this day occupy.---Ladies,” he
said, “attend your Queen, as you wish in your turn to be
distinguished by like honours.”
So saying, the Prince marshalled Rowena to the seat of honour
opposite his own, while the fairest and most distinguished ladies
present crowded after her to obtain places as near as possible to
their temporary sovereign.
No sooner was Rowena seated, than a burst of music, half-drowned
by the shouts of the multitude, greeted her new dignity.
Meantime, the sun shone fierce and bright upon the polished arms
of the knights of either side, who crowded the opposite
extremities of the lists, and held eager conference together
concerning the best mode of arranging their line of battle, and
supporting the conflict.
The heralds then proclaimed silence until the laws of the tourney
should be rehearsed. These were calculated in some degree to
abate the dangers of the day; a precaution the more necessary, as
the conflict was to be maintained with sharp swords and pointed
lances.
The champions were therefore prohibited to thrust with the sword,
and were confined to striking. A knight, it was announced, might
use a mace or battle-axe at pleasure, but the dagger was a
prohibited weapon. A knight unhorsed might renew the fight on
foot with any other on the opposite side in the same predicament;
but mounted horsemen were in that case forbidden to assail him.
When any knight could force his antagonist to the extremity of
the lists, so as to touch the palisade with his person or arms,
such opponent was obliged to yield himself vanquished, and his
armour and horse were placed at the disposal of the conqueror.
A knight thus overcome was not permitted to take farther share in
the combat. If any combatant was struck down, and unable to
recover his feet, his squire or page might enter the lists, and
drag his master out of the press; but in that case the knight was
adjudged vanquished, and his arms and horse declared forfeited.
The combat was to cease as soon as Prince John should throw down
his leading staff, or truncheon; another precaution usually taken
to prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood by the too long
endurance of a sport so desperate. Any knight breaking the rules
of the tournament, or otherwise transgressing the rules of
honourable chivalry, was liable to be stript of his arms, and,
having his shield reversed to be placed in that posture astride
upon the bars of the palisade, and exposed to public derision, in
punishment of his unknightly conduct. Having announced these
precautions, the heralds concluded with an exhortation to each
good knight to do his duty, and to merit favour from the Queen of
Beauty and of Love.
This proclamation having been made, the heralds withdrew to their
stations. The knights, entering at either end of the lists in
long procession, arranged themselves in a double file, precisely
opposite to each other, the leader of each party being in the
centre of the foremost rank, a post which he did not occupy until
each had carefully marshalled the ranks of his party, and
stationed every one in his place.
It was a goodly, and at the same time an anxious, sight, to
behold so many gallant champions, mounted bravely, and armed
richly, stand ready prepared for an encounter so formidable,
seated on their war-saddles like so many pillars of iron, and
awaiting the signal of encounter with the same ardour as their
generous steeds, which, by neighing and pawing the ground, gave
signal of their impatience.
As yet the knights held their long lances upright, their bright
points glancing to the sun, and the streamers with which they
were decorated fluttering over the plumage of the helmets. Thus
they remained while the marshals of the field surveyed their
ranks with the utmost exactness, lest either party had more or
fewer than the appointed number. The tale was found exactly
complete. The marshals then withdrew from the lists, and William
de Wyvil, with a voice of thunder, pronounced the signal words
—“Laissez aller!” The trumpets sounded as he spoke---the spears
of the champions were at once lowered and placed in the rests
---the spurs were dashed into the flanks of the horses, and the
two foremost ranks of either party rushed upon each other in full
gallop, and met in the middle of the lists with a shock, the
sound of which was heard at a mile’s distance. The rear rank of
each party advanced at a slower pace to sustain the defeated, and
follow up the success of the victors of their party.
The consequences of the encounter were not instantly seen, for
the dust raised by the trampling of so many steeds darkened the
air, and it was a minute ere the anxious spectator could see the
fate of the encounter. When the fight became visible, half the
knights on each side were dismounted, some by the dexterity of
their adversary’s lance,---some by the superior weight and
strength of opponents, which had borne down both horse and man,
---some lay stretched on earth as if never more to rise,---some
had already gained their feet, and were closing hand to hand with
those of their antagonists who were in the same predicament,
---and several on both sides, who had received wounds by which
they were disabled, were stopping their blood by their scarfs,
and endeavouring to extricate themselves from the tumult. The
mounted knights, whose lances had been almost all broken by the
fury of the encounter, were now closely engaged with their
swords, shouting their war-cries, and exchanging buffets, as if
honour and life depended on the issue of the combat.
The tumult was presently increased by the advance of the second
rank on either side, which, acting as
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