The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-09
VOL. VIH.

slavery, lnurmlnSled everywhere IN the then
world, anything to the contrary of which they
had never seen nor even heard of, in which the
two Norman lords took their way down the vii
lage street, if it could so be called, being q
mere sandy tract, passable only to horsemen, or
carts and vehicles of the very rudest construc-
ton, unarmed except with their heavy swords,
and wholly unattended, on an GRAND, as they
intended, of iberality and mercy.
The quarter Of the serfs of Sir Philip de Nor
vile was, for tho most part very superior to the
miserable collection of huts, liker to dog houses
than to any human habitation, which generally
constituted the dwellings, of this foriorn and
miserable race; for the knight was, as it has
been stated, an eventempered and good-na-
tured, though commonplace man; and being
endowed with rather an uncommon regard for
order and taste for the picturesque, he conse-
quently looked more than usual to the comfort
of his serfs, both in allotting them small plots
of gasden-ground and orchards, and in bestow-
ing on them building materials of superior
quality and appearances.
All the huts, therefore, rudely framed of oak
beams, having the interstices filled in with
cement of clay and ruddle, with matched roofs
and wooden lattices isstead Of windows, were
whole, and for the most part weather-proof.
Many Of the inhabitants had made porches, COW
cred with natural wild runners, as the woodbine
and sweet brier ; all had made gardens in front,
which they might cultivate in their hours of
leisure, when the days task-work should be
done, and which displayed evidently enough, by
their orderly or slovenly culture, the character
and disposition of their occupants.
The few men whom the lords met on their
way, mostly driving up beasts laden with fire
wood or forage to the cattle, for the day was
not yet far spent, nor the hours devoted to toll
well nigh passed, were hale, strong, sturdy var
lets, in good physical condition, strengthened,
and giving plentiful evidences in their appear
ance of ample coarse subsistence they were
| well dressed, moreover, although in the plainest
and coarsest habiliments, made, for the most
part, of the tanned hides of beasts with the hair
outward, or in some cases Of cheap buff leather,
| their feet protected by clumsy homemade san
| dals, and their heads uncovered, save by the
| thick and matted elflocks Of their unkempt and
dingy hair.
They louted low as their lord passed them
| BIZ but no CLEAN of recognition, much less any
smile of respectful greeting, such as passes be-
| tween the honored superior and the valued SER
want, played over their stolid and heavy counte-
nances, begrimed for the most part with filth,
and halfcovered with dsordcred boards and
| unshorn moustachcs.
| Neither in form, motion, nor attire, did they
Show any symptom of misusage; there were
no scars, as of the stripes, the stocks, or the
letters, on their bare arms and legs; they were
in good physical condition, well fed, warmly
lodged, sufficiently clad-perhaps in the best
possible condition for tho endurance of con-
| tinuous labor, and the performance of works
requiring strength and patience, rather than
| agility energetic exertion.
But so also were the mules, oxen, or horses
which they were employed in driving, and
| which in all these respects were fully equal to
| tb... IL tbo1, hoA apifa nd
vantage over them, that they were rubbed down
and currycombed, and cleaned, and showed then
hides glossy and sleek, and their names free from
scurf and burrs, which is far more than could
be stated of their human companions, who look
ed for the most part as If their tanned anc
swart compilations were as innocent of water
as were their boards and elf-locks of brush Oh
| currycomb.
: sli addition, iu.s-ror IN .ha;r grim and sor
did aspect, and their evident ignorance care
lessness of their base appearance, there was &
dull, sullen, logged expression on all thei
faces-a look not despairing, nor even sorrow
full, but perfectly impassive, as if they had moth
ing to hope for, or regret, or fear the look of
Gagged bear, wearied and fattened out of his
ferceness, not tanned, civilized, or controlled by
any human teaching.
The stature and bearing, even of the free
born and noble Saxon, in the day when his fail
4
its proud proprietor, had never been renarka
BILE for its beauty, grace, or dignity. He was
for the most part, short, thick-set, sturdy-limb
ed, bull-necked. bullet-headed a man framed
more for hardihood, endurance, obstinate re
| solve, indomitable patience to resist, than fol
vivid energy, brilliant impulsve vigor or ardor
whether intellectual or physical but these men
though they neither loungcd nor Jagged behind
plodded along with heavy, listless gait, then
trowning brows turned earthward, their dyl
gray eyes rolling beneath their light lashes
meaningless and spiritless, and the same scow
on every gloomy face.
The younger women. a few of whom were
seen about the doors or gardens, busted II
churning butter, making cheese, or performing
other duties of the farm and dairy, were some
| what more neatly, and, in some few cases, ever
tastefuy attired. Some were of rare beauty
| with profuson of auburn, light brown. oil
fiaxen hair, bright rosy complexions, large blue
eyes, and voluptuous figures and these bore
certainly more cheerful aspect, as the nature
OF woman is more hopeful than that of man.
and more gentle mood than their fellows yet
there were no songs enlivening their moments
of rest or alternating their hours of toil-no
jests, no romping, we are wont to see among
young girls of tender years, occupied in the
lighter and more feminine occupations of agri
cultural life.
Some one or two of these, indeed, smiled a.
they curtsied to their lord, but the smile was
wan and somewhat sickly, nor seemed to come
from the heart; it gave no pleasure, one would
say, to her who gave-no pleasure to him who
received it.
The little children, however, who tumblec
| about in the dust. or built mudhouses by the
puddles in the road, were the saddest sight o.
all. Half:naked sturdy -limbed, filthy little saw
ages, utterly untaught and untamed, scarcely
capable of making themselves understood, ever
in their own rude dialect; wild-eyed, and fierce
or sullen looking as it might, subject to no con
troll or correction, receiving no education, nc
culture whatsoever-not so much even rs the
colt, which is broken at least to the manage, OIL
the hound-puppy, which is entered at the quar-
ry which he is to chase ignorant OF every NOR
al or divine truth-ignorant even that each one
of them was the possessor of mortal BODY, nc
more than an immortal soul!
But not a thought of these things ever cross
ed the mind of the stately and puissant Nor
MANS No impression such as these, which
must needs now strike home to the soul OF eve
nv chance bcholder, had ever been made on
their imaginations, by the sight of things which
seeing every day. they had come to consider
only az things which were customary, and were
therefore right and proper-not the exception
even to the rule, but the rule without exception
So differently, indeed, did the circumstances
above related strike Sir Yvo de Taillehos, that
he even complimented his friend on the general
comfort of his villenage, and the admirable CON
dition of his people, the air of capacity of his
men, and the beauty of his women; nay! he
commented even u y6n the plump forms and
brawny muscles of the young savages, who fled
diverse from before their footsteps, shrieking
Al orl1 ><,rf and unAr n