burlesques-第77节

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feelings；　and　there　are　others　I　wot　of：but　psha！let　us　have

the　next　chapter。





CHAPTER　V。



IVANHOE　TO　THE　RESCUE。





The　rascally　manner　in　which　the　chicken…livered　successor　of

Richard　of　the　Lion…heart　conducted　himself　to　all　parties；　to　his

relatives；　his　nobles；　and　his　people；　is　a　matter　notorious；　and

set　forth　clearly　in　the　Historic　Page：　hence；　although　nothing；

except　perhaps　success；　can；　in　my　opinion；　excuse　disaffection　to

the　sovereign；　or　appearance　in　armed　rebellion　against　him；　the

loyal　reader　will　make　allowance　for　two　of　the　principal

personages　of　this　narrative；　who　will　have　to　appear　in　the

present　chapter　in　the　odious　character　of　rebels　to　their　lord　and

king。　　It　must　be　remembered；　in　partial　exculpation　of　the　fault

of　Athelstane　and　Rowena；　（a　fault　for　which　they　were　bitterly

punished；　as　you　shall　presently　hear；）　that　the　monarch

exasperated　his　subjects　in　a　variety　of　ways；that　before　he

murdered　his　royal　nephew；　Prince　Arthur；　there　was　a　great

question　whether　he　was　the　rightful　king　of　England　at　all；that

his　behavior　as　an　uncle；　and　a　family　man；　was　likely　to　wound　the

feelings　of　any　lady　and　mother；finally；　that　there　were

palliations　for　the　conduct　of　Rowena　and　Ivanhoe；　which　it　now

becomes　our　duty　to　relate。



When　his　Majesty　destroyed　Prince　Arthur；　the　Lady　Rowena；　who　was

one　of　the　ladies　of　honor　to　the　Queen；　gave　up　her　place　at　court

at　once；　and　retired　to　her　castle　of　Rotherwood。　　Expressions　made

use　of　by　her；　and　derogatory　to　the　character　of　the　sovereign；

were　carried　to　the　monarch's　ears；　by　some　of　those　parasites；

doubtless；　by　whom　it　is　the　curse　of　kings　to　be　attended；　and

John　swore；　by　St。　Peter's　teeth；　that　he　would　be　revenged　upon

the　haughty　Saxon　lady；a　kind　of　oath　which；　though　he　did　not

trouble　himself　about　all　other　oaths；　he　was　never　known　to　break。

It　was　not　for　some　years　after　he　had　registered　this　vow；　that　he

was　enabled　to　keep　it。



Had　Ivanhoe　been　present　at　Ronen；　when　the　King　meditated　his

horrid　designs　against　his　nephew；　there　is　little　doubt　that　Sir

Wilfrid　would　have　prevented　them；　and　rescued　the　boy：　for　Ivanhoe

was；　as　we　need　scarcely　say；　a　hero　of　romance；　and　it　is　the

custom　and　duty　of　all　gentlemen　of　that　profession　to　be　present

on　all　occasions　of　historic　interest；　to　be　engaged　in　all

conspiracies；　royal　interviews；　and　remarkable　occurrences：　and

hence　Sir　Wilfrid　would　certainly　have　rescued　the　young　Prince；

had　he　been　anywhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rouen；　where　the　foul

tragedy　occurred。　　But　he　was　a　couple　of　hundred　leagues　off；　at

Chalus；　when　the　circumstance　happened；　tied　down　in　his　bed　as

crazy　as　a　Bedlamite；　and　raving　ceaselessly　in　the　Hebrew　tongue

（which　he　had　caught　up　during　a　previous　illness　in　which　he　was

tended　by　a　maiden　of　that　nation）　about　a　certain　Rebecca　Ben

Isaacs；　of　whom；　being　a　married　man；　he　never　would　have　thought；

had　he　been　in　his　sound　senses。　　During　this　delirium；　what　were

politics　to　him；　or　he　to　politics？　　King　John　or　King　Arthur　was

entirely　indifferent　to　a　man　who　announced　to　his　nurse…tenders；

the　good　hermits　of　Chalus　before　mentioned；　that　he　was　the

Marquis　of　Jericho；　and　about　to　marry　Rebecca　the　Queen　of　Sheba。

In　a　word；　he　only　heard　of　what　had　occurred　when　he　reached

England；　and　his　senses　were　restored　to　him。　　Whether　was　he

happier；　sound　of　brain　and　entirely　miserable；　（as　any　man　would

be　who　found　so　admirable　a　wife　as　Rowena　married　again；）　or

perfectly　crazy；　the　husband　of　the　beautiful　Rebecca？　　I　don't

know　which　he　liked　best。



Howbeit　the　conduct　of　King　John　inspired　Sir　Wilfrid　with　so

thorough　a　detestation　of　that　sovereign；　that　he　never　could　be

brought　to　take　service　under　him；　to　get　himself　presented　at　St。

James's；　or　in　any　way　to　acknowledge；　but　by　stern　acquiescence；

the　authority　of　the　sanguinary　successor　of　his　beloved　King

Richard。　　It　was　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　I　need　scarcely　say；　who

got　the　Barons　of　England　to　league　together　and　extort　from　the

king　that　famous　instrument　and　palladium　of　our　liberties　at

present　in　the　British　Museum；　Great　Russell　Street；　Bloomsbury

the　Magna　Charta。　　His　name　does　not　naturally　appear　in　the　list

of　Barons；　because　he　was　only　a　knight；　and　a　knight　in　disguise

too：　nor　does　Athelstane's　signature　figure　on　that　document。

Athelstane；　in　the　first　place；　could　not　write；　nor　did　he　care　a

pennypiece　about　politics；　so　long　as　he　could　drink　his　wine　at

home　undisturbed；　and　have　his　hunting　and　shooting　in　quiet。



It　was　not　until　the　King　wanted　to　interfere　with　the　sport　of

every　gentleman　in　England　（as　we　know　by　reference　to　the　Historic

Page　that　this　odious　monarch　did）；　that　Athelstane　broke　out　into

open　rebellion；　along　with　several　Yorkshire　squires　and　noblemen。

It　is　recorded　of　the　King；　that　he　forbade　every　man　to　hunt　his

own　deer；　and；　in　order　to　secure　an　obedience　to　his　orders；　this

Herod　of　a　monarch　wanted　to　secure　the　eldest　sons　of　all　the

nobility　and　gentry；　as　hostages　for　the　good　behavior　of　their

parents。



Athelstane　was　anxious　about　his　gameRowena　was　anxious　about　her

son。　　The　former　swore　that　he　would　hunt　his　deer　in　spite　of　all

Norman　tyrantsthe　latter　asked；　should　she　give　up　her　boy　to　the

ruffian　who　had　murdered　his　own　nephew？*　　The　speeches　of　both

were　brought　to　the　King　at　York；　and；　furious；　he　ordered　an

instant　attack　upon　Rotherwood；　and　that　the　lord　and　lady　of　that

castle　should　be　brought　before　him　dead　or　alive。





*See　Hume；　Giraldus　Cambrensis；　The　Monk　of　Croyland；　and　Pinnock's

Catechism。





Ah；　where　was　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　the　unconquerable　champion；　to

defend　the　castle　against　the　royal　party？　　A　few　thrusts　from　his

lance　would　have　spitted　the　leading　warriors　of　the　King's　host：　a

few　cuts　from　his　sword　would　have　put　John's　forces　to　rout。　　But

the　lance　and　sword　of　Ivanhoe　were　idle　on　this　occasion。　　〃No；　be

hanged　to　me！〃　said　the　knight；　bitterly；　〃THIS　is　a　quarrel　in

which　I　can't　interfere。　　Common　politeness　forbids。　　Let　yonder

ale…swilling　Athelstane　defend　hisha；　haWIFE；　and　my　Lady

Rowena　guard　herha；　ha；　haSON。〃　　And　he　laughed　wildly　and

madly；　and　the　sarcastic；　way　in　which　he　choked　and　gurgled　out

the　words　〃wife〃　and　〃son〃　would　have　made　you　shudder　to　hear。



When　he　heard；　however；　that；　on　the　fourth　day　of　the　siege；

Athelstane　had　been　slain　by　a　cannon…ball；　（and　this　time　for

good；　and　not　to　come　to　life　again　as　he　had　done　before；）　and

that　the　widow　（if　so　the　innocent　bigamist　may　be　called）　was

conducting　the　defence　of　Rotherwood　herself　with　the　greatest

intrepidity；　showing　herself　upon　the　walls　with　her　little　son；

（who　bellowed　like　a　bull；　and　did　not　like　the　fighting　at　all；）

pointing　the　guns　and　encouraging　the　garrison　in　every　waybetter

feelings　returned　to　the　bosom　of　the　Knight　of　Ivanhoe；　and

summoning　his　men；　he　armed　himself　quickly　and　determined　to　go

forth　to　the　rescue。



He　rode　without　stopping　for　two　days　and　two　nights　in　the

direction　of　Rotherwood；　with　such　swiftness　and　disregard　for

refreshment；　indeed；　that　his　men　dropped　one　by　one　upon　the　road；

and　he　arrived　alone　at　the　lodge…gate　of　the　park。　　The　windows

were　smashed；　the　door　stove　in；　the　lodge；　a　neat　little　Swiss

cottage；　with　a　garden　where　the　pinafores　of　Mrs。　Gurth's　children

might　have　been　seen　hanging　on　the　gooseberry…bushes　in　more

peaceful　times；　was　now　a　ghastly　heap　of　smoking　ruins：　cottage；

bushes；　pinafores；　children　lay　mangled　together；　destroyed　by　the

licentious　soldiery　of　an　infuriate　monarch！　　Far　be　it　from　me　to

excuse　the　disobedience　of　Athelstane　and　Rowena　to　their

sovereign；　but　surely；　surely　this　cruelty　might　have　been　spared。



Gurth；　who　was　lodge…keeper；　was　lying　dreadfully　wounded　and

expiring　at　the　flaming　and　violated　threshold　of　his　lately

picturesque　home。　　A　catapult　and　a　couple　of　mangonels　had　done

his　business。　　The　faithful　fellow；　recognizing　his　master；　who　had

put　up　his　visor　and　forgotten　his　wig　and　spectacles　in　the

agitation　of　the　moment；　exclaimed；　〃Sir　Wilfrid！　my　dear　master

praised　be　St。　Waltheofthere　may　be　yet　timemy　beloved　mistr

master　Athelst　。　。　。〃　　He　sank　back；　and　never　spoke　again。



Ivanhoe　spurred　on　his　horse　Bavieca　madly　up　the　chestnut　avenue。

The　castle　was　before　him；　the　western　tower　was　in　flames；　the

besiegers　were　pressing　at　the　southern　gate；　Athelstane's　banner；

the　bull　rampant；　was　still　on　the　northern　bartizan。　　〃An　Ivanhoe；

an　Ivanhoe！〃　he　bellowed　out；　with　a　shout　that　overcame　all　the

din　of　battle：　〃Nostre　Dame　a　la　rescousse！〃　　And　to　hurl　his　lance

through　the　midriff　of　Reginald　de　Bracy；　who　was　commanding　the

assaultwho　fell　howling　with　anguishto　wave　his　battle…axe　over

his　own　h