burlesques-第69节

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lamentably　stale　pun　which　Wamba　palmed　upon　him　at　supper…time；

（it　was　dark；　and　the　torches　being　brought　in；　Wamba　said；　〃Guffo；

they　can't　see　their　way　in　the　argument；　and　are　going　TO　THROW　A

LITTLE　LIGHT　UPON　THE　SUBJECT；〃）　the　Lady　Rowena；　being　disturbed

in　a　theological　controversy　with　Father　Willibald；　（afterwards

canonized　as　St。　Willibald；　of　Bareacres；　hermit　and　confessor；）

called　out　to　know　what　was　the　cause　of　the　unseemly　interruption；

and　Guffo　and　Wamba　being　pointed　out　as　the　culprits；　ordered　them

straightway　into　the　court…yard；　and　three　dozen　to　be　administered

to　each　of　them。



〃I　got　you　out　of　Front…de…Boeufs　castle；〃　said　poor　Wamba；

piteously；　appealing　to　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　〃and　canst　thou　not

save　me　from　the　lash？〃



〃Yes；　from　Front…de…Boeuf's　castle；　WHERE　YOU　WERE　LOCKED　UP　WITH

THE　JEWESS　IN　THE　TOWER！〃　said　Rowena；　haughtily　replying　to　the

timid　appeal　of　her　husband。　　〃Gurth；　give　him　four　dozen！〃



And　this　was　all　poor　Wamba　got　by　applying　for　the　mediation　of

his　master。



In　fact；　Rowena　knew　her　own　dignity　so　well　as　a　princess　of　the

royal　blood　of　England；　that　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　her　consort；

could　scarcely　call　his　life　his　own；　and　was　made；　in　all　things；

to　feel　the　inferiority　of　his　station。　　And　which　of　us　is　there

acquainted　with　the　sex　that　has　not　remarked　this　propensity　in

lovely　woman；　and　how　often　the　wisest　in　the　council　are　made　to

be　as　fools　at　HER　board；　and　the　boldest　in　the　battle…field　are

craven　when　facing　her　distaff？



〃Where　you　were　locked　up　with　the　Jewess　in　the　tower；〃　was　a

remark；　too；　of　which　Wilfrid　keenly　felt；　and　perhaps　the　reader

will　understand；　the　significancy。　　When　the　daughter　of　Isaac　of

York　brought　her　diamonds　and　rubiesthe　poor　gentle　victim！and；

meekly　laying　them　at　the　feet　of　the　conquering　Rowena；　departed

into　foreign　lands　to　tend　the　sick　of　her　people；　and　to　brood

over　the　bootless　passion　which　consumed　her　own　pure　heart；　one

would　have　thought　that　the　heart　of　the　royal　lady　would　have

melted　before　such　beauty　and　humility；　and　that　she　would　have

been　generous　in　the　moment　of　her　victory。



But　did　you　ever　know　a　right…minded　woman　pardon　another　for　being

handsome　and　more　love…worthy　than　herself？　　The　Lady　Rowena　did

certainly　say　with　mighty　magnanimity　to　the　Jewish　maiden；　〃Come

and　live　with　me　as　a　sister；〃　as　the　former　part　of　this　history

shows；　but　Rebecca　knew　in　her　heart　that　her　ladyship's　proposition

was　what　is　called　BOSH　（in　that　noble　Eastern　language　with　which

Wilfrid　the　Crusader　was　familiar）；　or　fudge；　in　plain　Saxon；　and

retired　with　a　broken；　gentle　spirit；　neither　able　to　bear　the　sight

of　her　rival's　happiness；　nor　willing　to　disturb　it　by　the　contrast

of　her　own　wretchedness。　　Rowena；　like　the　most　high…bred　and

virtuous　of　women；　never　forgave　Isaac's　daughter　her　beauty；　nor

her　flirtation　with　Wilfrid　（as　the　Saxon　lady　chose　to　term　it）；

nor；　above　all；　her　admirable　diamonds　and　jewels；　although　Rowena

was　actually　in　possession　of　them。



In　a　word；　she　was　always　flinging　Rebecca　into　Ivanhoe's　teeth。

There　was　not　a　day　in　his　life　but　that　unhappy　warrior　was　made

to　remember　that　a　Hebrew　damsel　had　been　in　love　with　him；　and

that　a　Christian　lady　of　fashion　could　never　forgive　the　insult。

For　instance；　if　Gurth；　the　swineherd；　who　was　now　promoted　to　be　a

gamekeeper　and　verderer；　brought　the　account　of　a　famous　wild…boar

in　the　wood；　and　proposed　a　hunt；　Rowena　would　say；　〃Do；　Sir

Wilfrid；　persecute　these　poor　pigs：　you　know　your　friends　the　Jews

can't　abide　them！〃　　Or　when；　as　it　oft　would　happen；　our　lion…

hearted　monarch；　Richard；　in　order　to　get　a　loan　or　a　benevolence

from　the　Jews；　would　roast　a　few　of　the　Hebrew　capitalists；　or

extract　some　of　the　principal　rabbis'　teeth；　Rowena　would　exult　and

say；　〃Serve　them　right；　the　misbelieving　wretches！　　England　can

never　be　a　happy　country　until　every　one　of　these　monsters　is

exterminated！〃　or　else；　adopting　a　strain　of　still　more　savage

sarcasm；　would　exclaim；　〃Ivanhoe　my　dear；　more　persecution　for　the

Jews！　　Hadn't　you　better　interfere；　my　love？　　His　Majesty　will　do

anything　for　you；　and；　you　know；　the　Jews　were　ALWAYS　SUCH

FAVORITES　OF　YOURS；〃　or　words　to　that　effect。　　But；　nevertheless；

her　ladyship　never　lost　an　opportunity　of　wearing　Rebecca's　jewels

at　court；　whenever　the　Queen　held　a　drawing…room；　or　at　the　York

assizes　and　ball；　when　she　appeared　there：　not　of　course　because

she　took　any　interest　in　such　things；　but　because　she　considered　it

her　duty　to　attend；　as　one　of　the　chief　ladies　of　the　county。



Thus　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　having　attained　the　height　of　his

wishes；　was；　like　many　a　man　when　he　has　reached　that　dangerous

elevation；　disappointed。　　Ah；　dear　friends；　it　is　but　too　often　so

in　life！　　Many　a　garden；　seen　from　a　distance；　looks　fresh　and

green；　which；　when　beheld　closely；　is　dismal　and　weedy；　the　shady

walks　melancholy　and　grass…grown；　the　bowers　you　would　fain　repose

in；　cushioned　with　stinging…nettles。　　I　have　ridden　in　a　caique

upon　the　waters　of　the　Bosphorus；　and　looked　upon　the　capital　of

the　Soldan　of　Turkey。　　As　seen　from　those　blue　waters；　with　palace

and　pinnacle；　with　gilded　dome　and　towering　cypress；　it　seemeth　a

very　Paradise　of　Mahound：　but；　enter　the　city；　and　it　is　but　a

beggarly　labyrinth　of　rickety　huts　and　dirty　alleys；　where　the　ways

are　steep　and　the　smells　are　foul；　tenanted　by　mangy　dogs　and

ragged　beggarsa　dismal　illusion！　　Life　is　such；　ah；　well…a…day！

It　is　only　hope　which　is　real；　and　reality　is　a　bitterness　and　a

deceit。



Perhaps　a　man　with　Ivanhoe's　high　principles　would　never　bring

himself　to　acknowledge　this　fact；　but　others　did　for　him。　　He　grew

thin；　and　pined　away　as　much　as　if　he　had　been　in　a　fever　under　the

scorching　sun　of　Ascalon。　　He　had　no　appetite　for　his　meals；　he

slept　ill；　though　he　was　yawning　all　day。　　The　jangling　of　the

doctors　and　friars　whom　Rowena　brought　together　did　not　in　the

least　enliven　him；　and　he　would　sometimes　give　proofs　of　somnolency

during　their　disputes；　greatly　to　the　consternation　of　his　lady。

He　hunted　a　good　deal；　and；　I　very　much　fear；　as　Rowena　rightly

remarked；　that　he　might　have　an　excuse　for　being　absent　from　home。

He　began　to　like　wine；　too；　who　had　been　as　sober　as　a　hermit；　and

when　he　came　back　from　Athelstane's　（whither　he　would　repair　not

unfrequently）；　the　unsteadiness　of　his　gait　and　the　unnatural

brilliancy　of　his　eye　were　remarked　by　his　lady：　who；　you　may　be

sure；　was　sitting　up　for　him。　　As　for　Athelstane；　he　swore　by　St。

Wullstan　that　he　was　glad　to　have　escaped　a　marriage　with　such　a

pattern　of　propriety；　and　honest　Cedric　the　Saxon　（who　had　been

very　speedily　driven　out　of　his　daughter…in…law's　castle）　vowed　by

St。　Waltheof　that　his　son　had　bought　a　dear　bargain。



So　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　became　almost　as　tired　of　England　as　his

royal　master　Richard　was；　（who　always　quitted　the　country　when　he

had　squeezed　from　his　loyal　nobles；　commons；　clergy；　and　Jews；　all

the　money　which　he　could　get；）　and　when　the　lion…hearted　Prince

began　to　make　war　against　the　French　King；　in　Normandy　and　Guienne；

Sir　Wilfrid　pined　like　a　true　servant　to　be　in　company　of　the　good

champion；　alongside　of　whom　he　had　shivered　so　many　lances；　and

dealt　such　woundy　blows　of　sword　and　battle…axe　on　the　plains　of

Jaffa　or　the　breaches　of　Acre。　　Travellers　were　welcome　at

Rotherwood　that　brought　news　from　the　camp　of　the　good　King：　and　I

warrant　me　that　the　knight　listened　with　all　his　might　when　Father

Drono；　the　chaplain；　read　in　the　St。　James's　Chronykyll　（which　was

the　paper　of　news　he　of　Ivanhoe　took　in）　of　〃another　glorious

triumph〃〃Defeat　of　the　French　near　Blois〃〃Splendid　victory　at

Epte；　and　narrow　escape　of　the　French　King：〃　the　which　deeds　of

arms　the　learned　scribes　had　to　narrate。



However　such　tales　might　excite　him　during　the　reading；　they　left

the　Knight　of　Ivanhoe　only　the　more　melancholy　after　listening：　and

the　more　moody　as　he　sat　in　his　great　hall　silently　draining　his

Gascony　wine。　　Silently　sat　he　and　looked　at　his　coats…of…mail

hanging　vacant　on　the　wall；　his　banner　covered　with　spider…webs；

and　his　sword　and　axe　rusting　there。　　〃Ah；　dear　axe；〃　sighed　he

（into　his　drinking…horn）〃ah；　gentle　steel！　that　was　a　merry　time

when　I　sent　thee　crashing　into　the　pate　of　the　Emir　Abdul　Melik　as

he　rode　on　the　right　of　Saladin。　　Ah；　my　sword；　my　dainty　headsman？

my　sweet　split…rib？　my　razor　of　infidel　beards！　is　the　rust　to　eat

thine　edge　off；　and　am　I　never　more　to　wield　thee　in　battle？　　What

is　the　use　of　a　shield　on　a　wall；　or　a　lance　that　has　a　cobweb　for

a　pennon？　　O　Richard；　my　good　king；　would　I　could　hear　once　more

thy　voice　in　the　front　of　the　onset！　　Bones　of　Brian　the　Templar？

would　ye　could　rise　from　your　grave　at　Templestowe；　and　that　we

might　break　another　spear