burlesques-第92部分

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persons　surrounding　the　King。



As　his　Majesty　said；　there　was　fighting　and　feasting　in　plenty

before　Chalus。　　Day　after　day；　the　besiegers　made　assaults　upon　the

castle；　but　it　was　held　so　stoutly　by　the　Count　of　Chalus　and　his

gallant　garrison；　that　each　afternoon　beheld　the　attacking…parties

returning　disconsolately　to　their　tents；　leaving　behind　them　many

of　their　own　slain；　and　bringing　back　with　them　store　of　broken

heads　and　maimed　limbs；　received　in　the　unsuccessful　onset。　　The

valor　displayed　by　Ivanhoe　in　all　these　contests　was　prodigious；

and　the　way　in　which　he　escaped　death　from　the　discharges　of

mangonels；　catapults；　battering…rams；　twenty…four　pounders；　boiling

oil；　and　other　artillery；　with　which　the　besieged　received　their

enemies；　was　remarkable。　　After　a　day's　fighting；　Gurth　and　Wamba

used　to　pick　the　arrows　out　of　their　intrepid　master's　coat…of…

mail；　as　if　they　had　been　so　many　almonds　in　a　pudding。　　'Twas　well

for　the　good　knight；　that　under　his　first　coat…of　armor　he　wore　a

choice　suit　of　Toledan　steel；　perfectly　impervious　to　arrow…shots；

and　given　to　him　by　a　certain　Jew；　named　Isaac　of　York；　to　whom　he

had　done　some　considerable　services　a　few　years　back。



If　King　Richard　had　not　been　in　such　a　rage　at　the　repeated

failures　of　his　attacks　upon　the　castle；　that　all　sense　of　justice

was　blinded　in　the　lion…hearted　monarch；　he　would　have　been　the

first　to　acknowledge　the　valor　of　Sir　Wilfrid　of　Ivanhoe；　and　would

have　given　him　a　Peerage　and　the　Grand　Cross　of　the　Bath　at　least　a

dozen　times　in　the　course　of　the　siege：　for　Ivanhoe　led　more　than　a

dozen　storming　parties；　and　with　his　own　hand　killed　as　many　men

（viz；　two　thousand　three　hundred　and　fifty…one）　within　six；　as　were

slain　by　the　lion…hearted　monarch　himself。　　But　his　Majesty　was

rather　disgusted　than　pleased　by　his　faithful　servant's　prowess；

and　all　the　courtiers；　who　hated　Ivanhoe　for　his　superior　valor　and

dexterity　（for　he　would　kill　you　off　a　couple　of　hundreds　of　them

of　Chalus；　whilst　the　strongest　champions　of　the　Kings　host　could

not　finish　more　than　their　two　dozen　of　a　day）；　poisoned　the　royal

mind　against　Sir　Wilfrid；　and　made　the　King　look　upon　his　feats　of

arms　with　an　evil　eye。　　Roger　de　Backbite　sneeringly　told　the　King

that　Sir　Wilfrid　had　offered　to　bet　an　equal　bet　that　he　would　kill

more　men　than　Richard　himself　in　the　next　assault：　Peter　de

Toadhole　said　that　Ivanhoe　stated　everywhere　that　his　Majesty　was

not　the　man　he　used　to　be；　that　pleasures　and　drink　had　enervated

him；　that　he　could　neither　ride；　nor　strike　a　blow　with　sword　or

axe；　as　he　had　been　enabled　to　do　in　the　old　times　in　Palestine：

and　finally；　in　the　twenty…fifth　assault；　in　which　they　had　very

nearly　carried　the　place；　and　in　which　onset　Ivanhoe　slew　seven；

and　his　Majesty　six；　of　the　sons　of　the　Count　de　Chalus；　its

defender；　Ivanhoe　almost　did　for　himself；　by　planting　his　banner

before　the　King's　upon　the　wall；　and　only　rescued　himself　from

utter　disgrace　by　saving　his　Majesty's　life　several　times　in　the

course　of　this　most　desperate　onslaught。



Then　the　luckless　knight's　very　virtues　（as；　no　doubt；　my　respected

readers　know；）　made　him　enemies　amongst　the　mennor　was　Ivanhoe

liked　by　the　women　frequenting　the　camp　of　the　gay　King　Richard。

His　young　Queen；　and　a　brilliant　court　of　ladies；　attended　the

pleasure…loving　monarch。　　His　Majesty　would　transact　business　in

the　morning；　then　fight　severely　from　after　breakfast　till　about

three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　from　which　time；　until　after

midnight；　there　was　nothing　but　jigging　and　singing；　feasting　and

revelry；　in　the　royal　tents。　　Ivanhoe；　who　was　asked　as　a　matter　of

ceremony；　and　forced　to　attend　these　entertainments；　not　caring

about　the　blandishments　of　any　of　the　ladies　present；　looked　on　at

their　ogling　and　dancing　with　a　countenance　as　glum　as　an

undertaker's；　and　was　a　perfect　wet…blanket　in　the　midst　of　the

festivities。　　His　favorite　resort　and　conversation　were　with　a

remarkably　austere　hermit；　who　lived　in　the　neighborhood　of　Chalus；

and　with　whom　Ivanhoe　loved　to　talk　about　Palestine；　and　the　Jews；

and　other　grave　matters　of　import；　better　than　to　mingle　in　the

gayest　amusements　of　the　court　of　King　Richard。　　Many　a　night；　when

the　Queen　and　the　ladies　were　dancing　quadrilles　and　polkas　（in

which　his　Majesty；　who　was　enormously　stout　as　well　as　tall；

insisted　upon　figuring；　and　in　which　he　was　about　as　graceful　as　an

elephant　dancing　a　hornpipe）；　Ivanhoe　would　steal　away　from　the

ball；　and　come　and　have　a　night's　chat　under　the　moon　with　his

reverend　friend。　　It　pained　him　to　see　a　man　of　the　King's　age　and

size　dancing　about　with　the　young　folks。　　They　laughed　at　his

Majesty　whilst　they　flattered　him：　the　pages　and　maids　of　honor

mimicked　the　royal　mountebank　almost　to　his　face；　and；　if　Ivanhoe

ever　could　have　laughed；　he　certainly　would　one　night　when　the

King；　in　light…blue　satin　inexpressibles；　with　his　hair　in　powder；

chose　to　dance　the　minuet　de　la　cour　with　the　little　Queen

Berangeria。



Then；　after　dancing；　his　Majesty　must　needs　order　a　guitar；　and

begin　to　sing。　　He　was　said　to　compose　his　own　songswords　and

musicbut　those　who　have　read　Lord　Campobello's　〃Lives　of　the　Lord

Chancellors〃　are　aware　that　there　was　a　person　by　the　name　of

Blondel；　who；　in　fact；　did　all　the　musical　part　of　the　King's

performances；　and　as　for　the　words；　when　a　king　writes　verses；　we

may　be　sure　there　will　be　plenty　of　people　to　admire　his　poetry。

His　Majesty　would　sing　you　a　ballad；　of　which　he　had　stolen　every

idea；　to　an　air　that　was　ringing　on　all　the　barrel…organs　of

Christendom；　and；　turning　round　to　his　courtiers；　would　say；　〃How

do　you　like　that？　　I　dashed　it　off　this　morning。〃　　Or；　〃Blondel；

what　do　you　think　of　this　movement　in　B　flat？〃　or　what　not；　and　the

courtiers　and　Blondel；　you　may　be　sure；　would　applaud　with　all

their　might；　like　hypocrites　as　they　were。



One　eveningit　was　the　evening　of　the　27th　March；　1199；　indeed

his　Majesty；　who　was　in　the　musical　mood；　treated　the　court　with　a

quantity　of　his　so…called　composition；　until　the　people　were　fairly

tired　of　clapping　with　their　hands　and　laughing　in　their　sleeves。

First　he　sang　an　ORIGINAL　air　and　poem；　beginning





　　　　　〃Cherries　nice；　cherries　nice；　nice；　come　choose；

　　　　　　Fresh　and　fair　ones；　who'll　refuse？〃　&c。





The　which　he　was　ready　to　take　his　affidavit　he　had　composed　the

day　before　yesterday。　　Then　he　sang　an　equally　ORIGINAL　heroic

melody；　of　which　the　chorus　was





　　　　　〃Rule　Britannia；　Britannia　rules　the　sea；

　　　　　　For　Britons　never；　never；　never　slaves　shall　be；〃　&c。





The　courtiers　applauded　this　song　as　they　did　the　other；　all　except

Ivanhoe；　who　sat　without　changing　a　muscle　of　his　features；　until

the　King　questioned　him；　when　the　knight；　with　a　bow　said　〃he

thought　he　had　heard　something　very　like　the　air　and　the　words

elsewhere。〃　　His　Majesty　scowled　at　him　a　savag