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第21节

maid marian-第21节

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f his men had; as usual; a patron saint according to his name or taste。 The friar chose a saint for himself; and fixed on Saint Botolph; whom he euphonised into Saint Bottle; and maintained that he was that very Panomphic Pantagruelian saint; well known in ancient France as a female divinity; by the name of La Dive Bouteille; whose oracular monosyllable 〃Trincq;'; is celebrated and under…stood by all nations; and is expounded by the learned doctor Alcofribas;'6' who has treated at large on the subject; to signify 〃drink。〃 Saint Bottle; then; was the saint of Friar Tuck; who did not yield even to Robin and Marian in the assiduity of his devotions to his chosen patron。  Such was their summer life; and in their winter caves they had sufficient furniture; ample provender; store of old wine; and assuredly no lack of fuel; with joyous music and pleasant discourse to charm away the season of darkness and storms。


'6' Alcofribas Nasier:  an anagram of Francois Rabelais; and his assumed appellation。

The reader who desires to know more about this oracular divinity; may consult the said doctor Alcofribas Nasier; who will usher him into the adytum through the medium of the high priestess Bacbuc。



Many moons had waxed and waned; when on the afternoon of a lovely summer day a lusty broad…boned knight was riding through the forest of Sherwood。  The sun shone brilliantly on the full green foliage; and afforded the knight a fine opportunity of observing picturesque effects; of which it is to be feared he did not avail himself。 But he had not proceeded far; before he had an opportunity of observing something much more interesting; namely; a fine young outlaw leaning; in the true Sherwood fashion; with his back against a tree。 The knight was preparing to ask the stranger a question; the answer to which; if correctly given; would have relieved him from a doubt that pressed heavily on his mind; as to whether he was in the right road or the wrong; when the youth prevented the inquiry by saying: 〃In God's name; sir knight; you are late to your meals。 My master has tarried dinner for you these three hours。〃

〃I doubt;〃 said the knight; 〃I am not he you wot of。 I am no where bidden to day and I know none in this vicinage。〃

〃We feared;〃 said the youth; 〃your memory would be treacherous: therefore am I stationed here to refresh it。〃

〃Who is your master?〃 said the knight; 〃and where does he abide?〃

〃My master;〃 said the youth; 〃is called Robin Hood; and he abides hard by。〃

〃And what knows he of me?〃 said the knight。

〃He knows you;〃 answered the youth 〃as he does every way…faring knight and friar; by instinct。〃

〃Gramercy;〃 said the knight; 〃then I understand his bidding: but how if I say I will not come?〃

〃I am enjoined to bring you;〃 said the youth。  〃If persuasion avail not; I must use other argument。〃

〃Say'st thou so?〃 said the knight; 〃I doubt if thy stripling rhetoric would convince me。〃

〃That;〃 said the young forester; 〃we will see。〃

〃We are not equally matched; boy;〃 said the knight。 〃I should get less honour by thy conquest; than grief by thy injury。〃

〃Perhaps;〃 said the youth; 〃my strength is more than my seeming; and my cunning more than my strength。  Therefore let it please your knighthood to dismount。〃

〃It shall please my knighthood to chastise thy presumption;〃 said the knight; springing from his saddle。

Hereupon; which in those days was usually the result of a meeting between any two persons anywhere; they proceeded to fight。

The knight had in an uncommon degree both strength and skill: the forester had less strength; but not less skill than the knight; and showed such a mastery of his weapon as reduced the latter to great admiration。

They had not fought many minutes by the forest clock; the sun; and had as yet done each other no worse injury than that the knight had wounded the forester's jerkin; and the forester had disabled the knight's plume; when they were interrupted by a voice from a thicket; exclaiming; 〃Well fought; girl: well fought。  Mass; that had nigh been a shrewd hit。 Thou owest him for that; lass。  Marry; stand by; I'll pay him for thee。〃

The knight turning to the voice; beheld a tall friar issuing from the thicket; brandishing a ponderous cudgel。

〃Who art thou?〃 said the knight。

〃I am the church militant of Sherwood;〃 answered the friar。 〃Why art thou in arms against our lady queen?〃

〃What meanest thou?〃 said the knight。

〃Truly; this;〃 said the friar; 〃is our liege lady of the forest; against whom I do apprehend thee in overt act of treason。 What sayest thou for thyself?〃

〃I say;〃 answered the knight; 〃that if this be indeed a lady; man never yet held me so long。〃

〃Spoken;〃 said the friar; 〃like one who hath done execution。 Hast thou thy stomach full of steel?  Wilt thou diversify thy repast with a taste of my oak…graff? Or wilt thou incline thine heart to our venison which truly is cooling?  Wilt thou fight? or wilt thou dine? or wilt thou fight and dine? or wilt thou dine and fight? I am for thee; choose as thou mayest。〃

〃I will dine;〃 said the knight; 〃for with lady I never fought before; and with friar I never fought yet; and with neither will I ever fight knowingly:  and if this be the queen of the forest; I will not; being in her own dominions; be backward to do her homage。〃

So saying; he kissed the hand of Marian; who was pleased most graciously to express her approbation。

〃Gramercy; sir knight;〃 said the friar; 〃I laud thee for thy courtesy; which I deem to be no less than thy valour。 Now do thou follow me; while I follow my nose; which scents the pleasant odour of roast from the depth of the forest recesses。 I will lead thy horse; and do thou lead my lady。〃

The knight took Marian's hand; and followed the friar; who walked before them; singing:

 When the wind blows; when the wind blows  From where under buck the dry log glows;      What guide can you follow;      O'er brake and o'er hollow;  So true as a ghostly; ghostly nose?




CHAPTER XVIII

Robin and Richard were two pretty men。  Mother Goose's Melody。


They proceeded; following their infallible guide; first along a light elastic greensward under the shade of lofty and wide…spreading trees that skirted a sunny opening of the forest; then along labyrinthine paths; which the deer; the outlaw; or the woodman had made; through the close shoots of the young coppices; through the thick undergrowth of the ancient woods; through beds of gigantic fern that filled the narrow glades and waved their green feathery heads above the plume of the knight。  Along these sylvan alleys they walked in single file; the friar singing and pioneering in the van; the horse plunging and floundering behind the friar; the lady following 〃in maiden meditation fancy free;〃 and the knight bringing up the rear; much marvelling at the strange company into which his stars had thrown him。 Their path had expanded sufficiently to allow the knight to take Marian's hand again; when they arrived in the august presence of Robin Hood and his court。

Robin's table was spread under a high overarching canopy of living boughs; on the edge of a natural lawn of verdure starred with flowers; through which a swift transparent rivulet ran sparkling in the sun。 The board was covered with abundance of choice food and excellent liquor; not without the comeliness of snow…white linen and the splendour of costly plate; which the sheriff of Nottingham had unwillingly contributed to supply; at the same time with an excellent cook; whom Little John's art had spirited away to the forest with the contents of his master's silver scullery。

An hundred foresters were here assembled over…ready for their dinner; some seated at the table and some lying in groups under the trees。

Robin bade courteous welcome to the knight; who took his seat between Robin and Marian at the festal board; at which was already placed one strange guest in the person of a portly monk; sitting between Little John and Scarlet; with; his rotund physiognomy elongated into an unnatural oval by the conjoint influence of sorrow and fear: sorrow for the departed contents of his travelling treasury; a good…looking valise which was hanging empty on a bough; and fear for his personal safety; of which all the flasks and pasties before him could not give him assurance。 The appearance of the knight; however; cheered him up with a semblance of protection; and gave him just sufficient courage to demolish a cygnet and a rumble…pie; which he diluted with the contents of two flasks of canary sack。

But wine; which sometimes creates and often increases joy; doth also; upon occasion; heighten sorrow:  and so it fared now with our portly monk; who had no sooner explained away his portion of provender; than he began to weep and bewail himself bitterly。

〃Why dost thou weep; man?〃 said Robin Hood。  〃Thou hast done thine embassy justly; and shalt have thy Lady's grace。〃

〃Alack! alack!〃 said the monk:  〃no embassy had I; luckless sinner; as well thou wottest; but to take to my abbey in safety the treasure whereof thou hast despoiled me。〃

〃Propound me his case;〃 said Friar Tuck; 〃and I will give him ghostly counsel。〃

〃You well remember;〃 said Robin Hood; 〃the sorrowfu

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