burlesques-第101部分

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baron　auquel　on　vint　demander　son　fils；　repondit；　'Le　roi　pense…t…

il　que　je　confierai　mon　fils　a　un　homme　qui　a　egorge　son　neveu　de

sa　propre　main？'　　Jean　fit　enlever　la　mere　et　l'enfant；　et　la

laissa　MOURIR　DE　FAIM　dans　les　cachots。〃



I　picture　to　myself；　with　a　painful　sympathy；　Rowena　undergoing

this　disagreeable　sentence。　　All　her　virtues；　her　resolution；　her

chaste　energy　and　perseverance；　shine　with　redoubled　lustre；　and；

for　the　first　time　since　the　commencement　of　the　history；　I　feel

that　I　am　partially　reconciled　to　her。　　The　weary　year　passesshe

grows　weaker　and　more　languid；　thinner　and　thinner！　　At　length

Ivanhoe；　in　the　disguise　of　a　barrister　of　the　Northern　Circuit；　is

introduced　to　her　cell；　and　finds　his　lady　in　the　last　stage　of

exhaustion；　on　the　straw　of　her　dungeon；　with　her　little　boy　in　her

arms。　　She　has　preserved　his　life　at　the　expense　of　her　own；　giving

him　the　whole　of　the　pittance　which　her　gaolers　allowed　her；　and

perishing　herself　of　inanition。



There　is　a　scene！　　I　feel　as　if　I　had　made　it　up；　as　it　were；　with

this　lady；　and　that　we　part　in　peace；　in　consequence　of　my　providing

her　with　so　sublime　a　death…bed。　　Fancy　Ivanhoe's　entrancetheir

recognitionthe　faint　blush　upon　her　worn　featuresthe　pathetic

way　in　which　she　gives　little　Cedric　in　charge　to　him；　and　his

promises　of　protection。



〃Wilfrid；　my　early　loved；〃　slowly　gasped　she；　removing　her　gray

hair　from　her　furrowed　temples；　and　gazing　on　her　boy　fondly；　as

he　nestled　on　Ivanhoe's　knee〃promise　me；　by　St。　Waltheof　of

Templestowepromise　me　one　boon！〃



〃I　do；〃　said　Ivanhoe；　clasping　the　boy；　and　thinking　it　was　to　that

little　innocent　the　promise　was　intended　to　apply。



〃By　St。　Waltheof？〃



〃By　St。　Waltheof！〃



〃Promise　me；　then；〃　gasped　Rowena；　staring　wildly　at　him；　〃that　you

never　will　marry　a　Jewess？〃



〃By　St。　Waltheof；〃　cried　Ivanhoe；　〃this　is　too　much；　Rowena！〃But

he　felt　his　hand　grasped　for　a　moment；　the　nerves　then　relaxed；　the

pale　lips　ceased　to　quivershe　was　no　more！





CHAPTER　VI。



IVANHOE　THE　WIDOWER。





Having　placed　young　Cedric　at　school　at　the　hall　of　Dotheboyes；　in

Yorkshire；　and　arranged　his　family　affairs；　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe

quitted　a　country　which　had　no　longer　any　charms　for　him；　and　in

which　his　stay　was　rendered　the　less　agreeable　by　the　notion　that

King　John　would　hang　him；　if　ever　he　could　lay　hands　on　the

faithful　follower　of　King　Richard　and　Prince　Arthur。



But　there　was　always　in　those　days　a　home　and　occupation　for　a

brave　and　pious　knight。　　A　saddle　on　a　gallant　war…horse；　a　pitched

field　against　the　Moors；　a　lance　wherewith　to　spit　a　turbaned

infidel；　or　a　road　to　Paradise　carved　out　by　his　scimitar；these

were　the　height　of　the　ambition　of　good　and　religious　warriors；　and

so　renowned　a　champion　as　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe　was　sure　to　be

well　received　wherever　blows　were　stricken　for　the　cause　of

Christendom。　　Even　among　the　dark　Templars；　he　who　had　twice

overcome　the　most　famous　lance　of　their　Order　was　a　respected

though　not　a　welcome　guest：　but　among　the　opposition　company　of　the

Knights　of　St。　John；　he　was　admired　and　courted　beyond　measure；　and

always　affectioning　that　Order；　which　offered　him；　indeed；　its

first　rank　and　commanderies；　he　did　much　good　service；　fighting　in

their　ranks　for　the　glory　of　heaven　and　St。　Waltheof；　and　slaying

many　thousands　of　the　heathen　in　Prussia；　Poland；　and　those　savage

Northern　countries。　　The　only　fault　that　the　great　and　gallant；

though　severe　and　ascetic　Folko　of　Heydenbraten；　the　chief　of　the

Order　of　St。　John；　found　with　the　melancholy　warrior；　whose　lance

did　such　good　service　to　the　cause；　was；　that　he　did　not　persecute

the　Jews　as　so　religious　a　knight　should。　　He　let　off　sundry

captives　of　that　persuasion　whom　he　had　taken　with　his　sword　and

his　spear；　saved　others　from　torture；　and　actually　ransomed　the　two

last　grinders　of　a　venerable　rabbi　（that　Roger　de　Cartright；　an

English　knight　of　the　Order；　was　about　to　extort　from　the　elderly

Israelite；）　with　a　hundred　crowns　and　a　gimmal　ring；　which　were　all

the　property　he　possessed。　　Whenever　he　so　ransomed　or　benefited

one　of　this　religion；　he　would　moreover　give　them　a　little　token　or

a　message　（were　the　good　knight　out　of　money）；　saying；　〃Take　this

token；　and　remember　this　deed　was　done　by　Wilfrid　the　Disinherited；

for　the　services　whilome　rendered　to　him　by　Rebecca；　the　daughter

of　Isaac　of　York！〃　　So　among　themselves；　and　in　their　meetings　and

synagogues；　and　in　their　restless　travels　from　land　to　land；　when

they　of　Jewry　cursed　and　reviled　all　Christians；　as　such　abominable

heathens　will；　they　nevertheless　excepted　the　name　of　the　Desdichado；

or　the　doubly…disinherited　as　he　now　was；　the　Desdichado…Doblado。



The　account　of　all　the　battles；　storms；　and　scaladoes　in　which　Sir

Wilfrid　took　part；　would　only　weary　the　reader；　for　the　chopping

off　one　heathen's　head　with　an　axe　must　be　very　like　the

decapitation　of　any　other　unbeliever。　　Suffice　it　to　say；　that

wherever　this　kind　of　work　was　to　be　done；　and　Sir　Wilfrid　was　in

the　way；　he　was　the　man　to　perform　it。　　It　would　astonish　you　were

you　to　see　the　account　that　Wamba　kept　of　his　master's　achievements；

and　of　the　Bulgarians；　Bohemians；　Croatians；　slain　or　maimed　by　his

hand。　　And　as；　in　those　days；　a　reputation　for　valor　had　an　immense

effect　upon　the　soft　hearts　of　women；　and　even　the　ugliest　man；　were

he　a　stout　warrior；　was　looked　upon　with　favor　by　Beauty：　so

Ivanhoe；　who　was　by　no　means　ill…favored；　though　now　becoming　rather

elderly；　made　conquests　over　female　breasts　as　well　as　over

Saracens；　and　had　more　than　one　direct　offer　of　marriage　made　to　him

by　princesses；　countesses；　and　noble　ladies　possessing　both　charms

and　money；　which　they　were　anxious　to　place　at　the　disposal　of　a

champion　so　renowned。　　It　is　related　that　the　Duchess　Regent　of

Kartoffelberg　offered　him　her　hand；　and　the　ducal　crown　of

Kartoffelberg；　which　he　had　rescued　from　the　unbelieving　Prussians；

but　Ivanhoe　evaded　the　Duchess's　offer；　by　riding　away　from　her

capital　secretly　at　midnight　and　hiding　himself　in　a　convent　of

Knights　Hospitallers　on　the　borders　of　Poland。　　And　it　is　a　fact

that　the　Princess　Rosalia　Seraphina　of　Pumpernickel；　the　most　lovely

woman　of　her　time；　became　so　frantically　attached　to　him；　that　she

followed　him　on　a　campaign；　and　was　discovered　with　his　baggage

disguised　as　a　horse…boy。　　But　no　princess；　no　beauty；　no　female

blandishments　had　any　charms　for　Ivanhoe：　no　hermit　practised　a　more

austere　celibacy。　　The　severity　of　his　morals　contrasted　so

remarkably　with　the　lax　and　dissolute　manner　of　the　young　lords　and

nobles　in　the　courts　which　he　frequented；　that　these　young

springalds　would　sometimes　sneer　and　call　him　Monk　and　Milksop；　but

his　courage　in　the　day　of　battle　was　so　terrible　and　admirable；　that

I　promise　you　the　youthful　libertines　did　not　sneer　THEN；　and　the

most　reckless　of　t