by Walter Scott
CHAPTER III
Then (sad relief!) from the bleak coast that hears The German Ocean roar, deep-blooming, strong, And yellow hair'd, the blue-eyed Saxon came. Thomson's Liberty
In a hall, the height of which was greatly disproportioned to itsextreme length and width, a long oaken table, formed of planksrough-hewn from the forest, and which had scarcely received any polish,stood ready prepared for the evening meal of Cedric the Saxon. The roof,composed of beams and rafters, had nothing to divide the apartment fromthe sky excepting the planking and thatch; there was a huge fireplace ateither end of the hall, but as the chimneys were constructed in a veryclumsy manner, at least as much of the smoke found its way into theapartment as escaped by the proper vent. The constant vapour which thisoccasioned, had polished the rafters and beams of the low-browed hall,by encrusting them with a black varnish of soot. On the sides of theapartment hung implements of war and of the chase, and there were ateach corner folding doors, which gave access to other parts of theextensive building.
The other appointments of the mansion partook of the rude simplicityof the Saxon period, which Cedric piqued himself upon maintaining.The floor was composed of earth mixed with lime, trodden into a hardsubstance, such as is often employed in flooring our modern barns. Forabout one quarter of the length of the apartment, the floor was raisedby a step, and this space, which was called the dais, was occupied onlyby the principal members of the family, and visitors of distinction.For this purpose, a table richly covered with scarlet cloth was placedtransversely across the platform, from the middle of which ran thelonger and lower board, at which the domestics and inferior persons fed,down towards the bottom of the hall. The whole resembled the form of theletter T, or some of those ancient dinner-tables, which, arranged on thesame principles, may be still seen in the antique Colleges of Oxford orCambridge. Massive chairs and settles of carved oak were placed upon thedais, and over these seats and the more elevated table was fastened acanopy of cloth, which served in some degree to protect the dignitarieswho occupied that distinguished station from the weather, andespecially from the rain, which in some places found its way through theill-constructed roof.
The walls of this upper end of the hall, as far as the dais extended,were covered with hangings or curtains, and upon the floor there was acarpet, both of which were adorned with some attempts at tapestry, orembroidery, executed with brilliant or rather gaudy colouring. Over thelower range of table, the roof, as we have noticed, had no covering;the rough plastered walls were left bare, and the rude earthen floor wasuncarpeted; the board was uncovered by a cloth, and rude massive benchessupplied the place of chairs.
In the centre of the upper table, were placed two chairs more elevatedthan the rest, for the master and mistress of the family, who presidedover the scene of hospitality, and from doing so derived their Saxontitle of honour, which signifies "the Dividers of Bread."
To each of these chairs was added a footstool, curiously carved andinlaid with ivory, which mark of distinction was peculiar to them. Oneof these seats was at present occupied by Cedric the Saxon, who, thoughbut in rank a thane, or, as the Normans called him, a Franklin, felt, atthe delay of his evening meal, an irritable impatience, which might havebecome an alderman, whether of ancient or of modern times.
It appeared, indeed, from the countenance of this proprietor, that hewas of a frank, but hasty and choleric temper. He was not above themiddle stature, but broad-shouldered, long-armed, and powerfully made,like one accustomed to endure the fatigue of war or of the chase; hisface was broad, with large blue eyes, open and frank features, fineteeth, and a well formed head, altogether expressive of that sort ofgood-humour which often lodges with a sudden and hasty temper. Pride andjealousy there was in his eye, for his life had been spent in assertingrights which were constantly liable to invasion; and the prompt, fiery,and resolute disposition of the man, had been kept constantly upon thealert by the circumstances of his situation. His long yellow hair wasequally divided on the top of his head and upon his brow, and combeddown on each side to the length of his shoulders; it had but littletendency to grey, although Cedric was approaching to his sixtieth year.
His dress was a tunic of forest green, furred at the throat and cuffswith what was called minever; a kind of fur inferior in quality toermine, and formed, it is believed, of the skin of the grey squirrel.This doublet hung unbuttoned over a close dress of scarlet which sattight to his body; he had breeches of the same, but they did not reachbelow the lower part of the thigh, leaving the knee exposed. Hisfeet had sandals of the same fashion with the peasants, but of finermaterials, and secured in the front with golden clasps. He had braceletsof gold upon his arms, and a broad collar of the same precious metalaround his neck. About his waist he wore a richly-studded belt, inwhich was stuck a short straight two-edged sword, with a sharp point, sodisposed as to hang almost perpendicularly by his side. Behind his seatwas hung a scarlet cloth cloak lined with fur, and a cap of the samematerials richly embroidered, which completed the dress of the opulentlandholder when he chose to go forth. A short boar-spear, with a broadand bright steel head, also reclined against the back of his chair,which served him, when he walked abroad, for the purposes of a staff orof a weapon, as chance might require.
Several domestics, whose dress held various proportions betwixt therichness of their master's, and the coarse and simple attire of Gurththe swine-herd, watched the looks and waited the commands of the Saxondignitary. Two or three servants of a superior order stood behind theirmaster upon the dais; the rest occupied the lower part of the hall.Other attendants there were of a different description; two or threelarge and shaggy greyhounds, such as were then employed in hunting thestag and wolf; as many slow-hounds of a large bony breed, with thicknecks, large heads, and long ears; and one or two of the smaller dogs,now called terriers, which waited with impatience the arrival of thesupper; but, with the sagacious knowledge of physiognomy peculiar totheir race, forbore to intrude upon the moody silence of their master,apprehensive probably of a small white truncheon which lay by Cedric'strencher, for the purpose of repelling the advances of his four-leggeddependants. One grisly old wolf-dog alone, with the liberty of anindulged favourite, had planted himself close by the chair of state, andoccasionally ventured to solicit notice by putting his large hairy headupon his master's knee, or pushing his nose into his hand. Even he wasrepelled by the stern command, "Down, Balder, down! I am not in thehumour for foolery."
In fact, Cedric, as we have observed, was in no very placid state ofmind. The Lady Rowena, who had been absent to attend an evening mass ata distant church, had but just returned, and was changing her garments,which had been wetted by the storm. There were as yet no tidings ofGurth and his charge, which should long since have been driven home fromthe forest and such was the insecurity of the period, as to render itprobable that the delay might be explained by some depreciation of theoutlaws, with whom the adjacent forest abounded, or by the violenceof some neighbouring baron, whose consciousness of strength madehim equally negligent of the laws of property. The matter was ofconsequence, for great part of the domestic wealth of the Saxonproprietors consisted in numerous herds of swine, especially inforest-land, where those animals easily found their food.
Besides these subjects of anxiety, the Saxon thane was impatient for thepresence of his favourite clown Wamba, whose jests, such as they were,served for a sort of seasoning to his evening meal, and to the deepdraughts of ale and wine with which he was in the habit of accompanyingit. Add to all this, Cedric had fasted since noon, and his usual supperhour was long past, a cause of irritation common to country squires,both in ancient and modern times. His displeasure was expressed inbroken sentences, partly muttered to himself, partly addressed to thedomestics who stood around; and particularly to his cupbearer, whooffered him from time to time, as a sedative, a silver goblet filledwith wine--"Why tarries the Lady Rowena?"
"She is but changing her head-gear," replied a female attendant, with asmuc
h confidence as the favourite lady's-maid usually answers the masterof a modern family; "you would not wish her to sit down to the banquetin her hood and kirtle? and no lady within the shire can be quicker inarraying herself than my mistress."
This undeniable argument produced a sort of acquiescent umph! on thepart of the Saxon, with the addition, "I wish her devotion may choosefair weather for the next visit to St John's Kirk;--but what, in thename of ten devils," continued he, turning to the cupbearer, and raisinghis voice as if happy to have found a channel into which he might diverthis indignation without fear or control--"what, in the name of tendevils, keeps Gurth so long afield? I suppose we shall have an evilaccount of the herd; he was wont to be a faithful and cautious drudge,and I had destined him for something better; perchance I might even havemade him one of my warders." [11]
Oswald the cupbearer modestly suggested, "that it was scarce an hoursince the tolling of the curfew;" an ill-chosen apology, since it turnedupon a topic so harsh to Saxon ears.
"The foul fiend," exclaimed Cedric, "take the curfew-bell, and thetyrannical bastard by whom it was devised, and the heartless slave whonames it with a Saxon tongue to a Saxon ear! The curfew!" he added,pausing, "ay, the curfew; which compels true men to extinguish theirlights, that thieves and robbers may work their deeds in darkness!--Ay,the curfew;--Reginald Front-de-Boeuf and Philip de Malvoisin know theuse of the curfew as well as William the Bastard himself, or e'er aNorman adventurer that fought at Hastings. I shall hear, I guess,that my property has been swept off to save from starving the hungrybanditti, whom they cannot support but by theft and robbery. My faithfulslave is murdered, and my goods are taken for a prey--and Wamba--whereis Wamba? Said not some one he had gone forth with Gurth?"
Oswald replied in the affirmative.
"Ay? why this is better and better! he is carried off too, the Saxonfool, to serve the Norman lord. Fools are we all indeed that serve them,and fitter subjects for their scorn and laughter, than if we were bornwith but half our wits. But I will be avenged," he added, starting fromhis chair in impatience at the supposed injury, and catching hold of hisboar-spear; "I will go with my complaint to the great council; I havefriends, I have followers--man to man will I appeal the Norman to thelists; let him come in his plate and his mail, and all that can rendercowardice bold; I have sent such a javelin as this through a strongerfence than three of their war shields!--Haply they think me old; butthey shall find, alone and childless as I am, the blood of Hereward isin the veins of Cedric.--Ah, Wilfred, Wilfred!" he exclaimed in a lowertone, "couldst thou have ruled thine unreasonable passion, thy fatherhad not been left in his age like the solitary oak that throws outits shattered and unprotected branches against the full sweep of thetempest!" The reflection seemed to conjure into sadness his irritatedfeelings. Replacing his javelin, he resumed his seat, bent his looksdownward, and appeared to be absorbed in melancholy reflection.
From his musing, Cedric was suddenly awakened by the blast of a horn,which was replied to by the clamorous yells and barking of all the dogsin the hall, and some twenty or thirty which were quartered in otherparts of the building. It cost some exercise of the white truncheon,well seconded by the exertions of the domestics, to silence this canineclamour.
"To the gate, knaves!" said the Saxon, hastily, as soon as the tumultwas so much appeased that the dependants could hear his voice. "See whattidings that horn tells us of--to announce, I ween, some hership [12]and robbery which has been done upon my lands."
Returning in less than three minutes, a warder announced "that the PriorAymer of Jorvaulx, and the good knight Brian de Bois-Guilbert, commanderof the valiant and venerable order of Knights Templars, with a smallretinue, requested hospitality and lodging for the night, being ontheir way to a tournament which was to be held not far fromAshby-de-la-Zouche, on the second day from the present."
"Aymer, the Prior Aymer? Brian de Bois-Guilbert?"--muttered Cedric;"Normans both;--but Norman or Saxon, the hospitality of Rotherwood mustnot be impeached; they are welcome, since they have chosen to halt--morewelcome would they have been to have ridden further on their way--But itwere unworthy to murmur for a night's lodging and a night's food; inthe quality of guests, at least, even Normans must suppress theirinsolence.--Go, Hundebert," he added, to a sort of major-domo who stoodbehind him with a white wand; "take six of the attendants, and introducethe strangers to the guests' lodging. Look after their horses and mules,and see their train lack nothing. Let them have change of vestments ifthey require it, and fire, and water to wash, and wine and ale; and bidthe cooks add what they hastily can to our evening meal; and let itbe put on the board when those strangers are ready to share it. Say tothem, Hundebert, that Cedric would himself bid them welcome, but he isunder a vow never to step more than three steps from the dais of his ownhall to meet any who shares not the blood of Saxon royalty. Begone! seethem carefully tended; let them not say in their pride, the Saxon churlhas shown at once his poverty and his avarice."
The major-domo departed with several attendants, to execute his master'scommands.
"The Prior Aymer!" repeated Cedric, looking to Oswald, "the brother, ifI mistake not, of Giles de Mauleverer, now lord of Middleham?"
Oswald made a respectful sign of assent. "His brother sits in theseat, and usurps the patrimony, of a better race, the race of Ulfgar ofMiddleham; but what Norman lord doth not the same? This Prior is, theysay, a free and jovial priest, who loves the wine-cup and the bugle-hornbetter than bell and book: Good; let him come, he shall be welcome. Hownamed ye the Templar?"
"Brian de Bois-Guilbert."
"Bois-Guilbert," said Cedric, still in the musing, half-arguing tone,which the habit of living among dependants had accustomed him to employ,and which resembled a man who talks to himself rather than to thosearound him--"Bois-Guilbert? that name has been spread wide both forgood and evil. They say he is valiant as the bravest of his order;but stained with their usual vices, pride, arrogance, cruelty, andvoluptuousness; a hard-hearted man, who knows neither fear of earth,nor awe of heaven. So say the few warriors who have returned fromPalestine.--Well; it is but for one night; he shall be welcometoo.--Oswald, broach the oldest wine-cask; place the best mead, themightiest ale, the richest morat, the most sparkling cider, the mostodoriferous pigments, upon the board; fill the largest horns [13]--Templars and Abbots love good wines and good measure.--Elgitha, letthy Lady Rowena, know we shall not this night expect her in the hall,unless such be her especial pleasure."
"But it will be her especial pleasure," answered Elgitha, with greatreadiness, "for she is ever desirous to hear the latest news fromPalestine."
Cedric darted at the forward damsel a glance of hasty resentment; butRowena, and whatever belonged to her, were privileged and secure fromhis anger. He only replied, "Silence, maiden; thy tongue outruns thydiscretion. Say my message to thy mistress, and let her do her pleasure.Here, at least, the descendant of Alfred still reigns a princess."Elgitha left the apartment.
"Palestine!" repeated the Saxon; "Palestine! how many ears are turnedto the tales which dissolute crusaders, or hypocritical pilgrims, bringfrom that fatal land! I too might ask--I too might enquire--I too mightlisten with a beating heart to fables which the wily strollers deviseto cheat us into hospitality--but no--The son who has disobeyed me is nolonger mine; nor will I concern myself more for his fate than for thatof the most worthless among the millions that ever shaped the cross ontheir shoulder, rushed into excess and blood-guiltiness, and called itan accomplishment of the will of God."
He knit his brows, and fixed his eyes for an instant on the ground; ashe raised them, the folding doors at the bottom of the hall were castwide, and, preceded by the major-domo with his wand, and four domesticsbearing blazing torches, the guests of the evening entered theapartment.