The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-02
VOL. VIII.

shoot double game with single arrow. 1t viii
relieve our trusty Kenric from the actual bond
age of corporal lord and master, and liber
ate my right good friend and brother in arms
Philip de Morville, from the more CALLING spir
itual bondage of that foul tyrant and perilous
oppressor, debt. Tush no denial, | say" he
continued, perceiving that Sir Philip was about
/ to make some demur. at is a mere trifle. this
and matter of no moment. / am. as you vel
know, passing rich, what with nv rents il
| estmoreland and nv estates beyond the sea
l have even now well mig twice the sum that
You name. lying idle in my baiiff's hands al
Kendall until | may find lands to purchase Il
was my intent to have bought those border
lands of Cliffords, that march with nv moor
lands on Hawkshead, but, it seems, he will not
sell, and am doubly glad that it gives me the
occasion to serve you. / will direct my bailif
at once to take horse for Tadcaster and redeem
| your mortgage, and you can take your own time
and pleasure to repay it. There is no risk
| Heaven knows, for Waltheofstow is well worth
nineteen thousand zecchins three times told
and in lieu of usance money you shall transfer
! the man Kenric from thee and thine to me and
mine, forever. So shall my gratitude be pre-
served intact, and my pretty Guendolen have
her fond fancy gratifed."
"Be it so, then, in Gods name, and by my
faith l thank you for the loan right heartily;
| for, on mine honor! that same boodsucker OF
Israel hath pumped me like the veriest horse
| leech, these last twelve months, and know not
| but | should have had to sell, after all. We
must have Kcnric's consent, however, that all
may be in form; for he is no common thrall
but serf of the soil, and may not be removed
from it, nor manumitted even, save with his
| own free will
"Who ever heard of a serf refusing to be free,
more than of Jew not loving ducats? Ny
| life on it, he will not be slow to CONSENT"
81 trow mott trow not, de Taillebois but
let us set about it presently; good deed can
not well be none too quickly. You pass the
| wine cup too, notice. Let us take cap and
cloak, and stroll down into the hamlet yonder
| it is a pleasant ramble in the cool afternoon,
and we can see him in his den-he will be scant
of wind trow, and little fit to climb the cas-
tie hill this evensong, after the battering he re-
ceived from that stout forester. But freedom
will be a royal salve, warrant me, for his worst
bruises. Shall we go?"
| Willingly, willingly. / would have it to
tell Guendolen, at her Weakening Twill be a
cure to her Also She is a tender-hearted child
ever, and was so from her cradle. Why, have
known her cry like the lady Niobe, that the
prior of st. Adams told us of-that wept till she
was changed into a dripping fountain, when
blessed St. Michael and ST. George slew all her
tribe of children for that she likened herself in
her vain smile of beauty, to the most holy vir-
| gin mother, St. Mary of Sienna-at the killing
of deer by a stray shaft, that had sucking
| fawn beside her foot and when | caused them
to imprison Wufgitha, that was her nurse S
daughter, for selling of hundred pounds of fax
that was given her to spin, she took sick, and
kept to her bed two DAYS and more all for that
she fancied the wench would pine; though her
1 H. Il
some turet chamber in my house at Kendall,
and she not in gives nor on prison diet.
Faith had no peace with her, till [ gave the
whole guidance of the women into her hands.
They are all ladies since that day at Kendall, or
next akin to it,"
"Over gods forbode!" answered Philip,
laughing. g 1t must have been black day for
your seneschal. How rules he your warders,
since? Ny fellow, Hundibert, swears that the
girls need more watching than the LATEST swine
the whole Saxon herd. But come; let us be OF
moving"
With that they descended the winding stone
stairway into the great hall or gunrdroom, which
occupied the whole of one floor Of the castle-a
noble vaulted room, stone arched and stone
paved, its walls hung with splendid arms and
well-used weapons,
"Oid swords and pixies and bows,
And good old shields and targets, that borne some
| stout old blows"
Thence, through an echoing archway, above
| which in its grooves of stone hung the steel
clnched portcullis, and down a steep and almost
PERCEPTIONS flight of steps, without any rail OF
breastwork they reached the large court yard
where some of the retainers were engaged in
trying feats of strength and skill, throwing the
hammer, wrestling, or shooting with arbalasts
at mark, while others were playing at games
tof Oh 4, l. g, H.
moistening their occupation with occasional
pull at deep black tankard, which stood beside
them on the board.
After tarrying few minutes in the court OBJ.
serving the wresters and crossbowmen, and
| throwing in an occasional word of good-humor
ed encouragement at any good shot or happy
| fall, the lords passed the drawbridge, which was
lowered, giving access to the pleasant country,
| over which the warder was gazing halfwistfll-
ly, and watching group of pretty girls, who
were washing clothes in the brook at about
half miles distance, laughing as merrily and
singing tunefully as though they had been
free madens of gentle Norman lineage, instead
of condemned and outlawed Saxons, the chill
drcn and the wives and mothers Of slaves, and
| bondmen in the to be hereafter.
| "Holal old Stephen" cried the knight OF
.Morville, gaiy, as he passed the stout depend
ant; " | thought thou vert too resolute bach
elor to cast sheepseye on the lasses, and toe
thorough paced a Norman to let the prettiest
Saxon of them all find favor in your sight"
Il don't know, sir; don't know that" an
swered the man, with grim, half bashfully
and between bantering and earnest. "There'.
little Edith down wonderland, bond or free
there's not girl about the castle, or within ten
miles of it, for that matter, that has got an eye
| to come near those blue sparklers of hers; and
Il H..
vile the birds out of heaven, let alone the wits
of poor soldiers brain-pan. Hark to her
now, Sir Philip. Sang ever nightingale SC
sweetly as yon trill, Sir Knight"
"Win her. Stephen. Win her, I'll grant you
my PERMISSION for your paramour; and If you
| do, I'll give her to you for your own. L owe
you boon of some sort, for that service you
| did me when you knocked that WEIGH churl ON
the head, who would have driven his long knife
into my ribs, that time l was dismounted in
| the pass near Dunmailraise. Win her, there
fore, if you may Stephen, and yours she shall
be, as surely and steadfastly az though she
were the captive of your spear"
"Smal chance, Sir Philip" replied the man,
| slowly; "al thanks to you, natheless. But
she's troth phghted to that tall, well-made fel-
low, Kenric, they say, that saved the lady Guen-
dolen from the stag this morning. They'll be
asking your consent to the wedding and the
bedding, one of these days, Beausirc. To-mor-
row. as like as not, seeing this feat of the good
vouth's will furnish forth sort of plea for the
asking of favor"
| "That will not much concern you, warder, y
said Sir Yyo. "Your rival will be out of your
wav shortly. / have asked his freedom, but
now, of Sir. Philip, and shall have him away
with me, the next week, to the North country
| II don't know that will do me much good