Ivanhoe by Walter Scott (world best books to read .TXT) 📖

not profit, than that of the robbers, to whose profession

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