The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-09
WASHINGTON, ID. G..
SHERW WOOD FOREST,
WAGER BY B ATTLE.

r
CENTURY.
ny HENRY WILLIAM HERBERT.
CHAP. V.
The !Sejf's Quarter.
As they sat in Englyshe wood,
Under the greenwood tree,
They thought they hssrd 3 woman wcpe,
Bot her they mOught not see
leaving the warder loungng lstlessly at his
IL, q, in a well-settled district and in Piping
-. a-ueace." with no feudal enemies at hand,
..I D., outlaws III the vicinity, none at least so
numerous AS To render any quarrel necessary,
crt.rt a. a matter of dignity and decorum, the
,r.otnights strolled down the sandy lane toward
,.. .iliare. or quarter of the serfs who were
,,, admitted generally to reside within the
mails. rarity as a precaution. lest, IN case of
..,,,. national affray, they might so far outnum-
I.r The Norman Inen-at-arms as TO become dan
g,r.is. rarity because they were not deemed
ft-i.r associates for the meanest of the feudal
srniturs.
The two gentlemen in question were excel
hat specimens of the Norman baron of the day,
without. however, being heroes or geniuses, or in
ypart:cular-except perhaps for good temper
ard the lack of especial temptation toward evil
rH.rrt
..,, and period. Neither of them was in any
respect a lyrant, Individually cruel, or inten-
,4an, aA opprcSSOr; but both were, as every
a.a Of MS IS at this day, used to look at things
r, fad them. through our own glasses, and
SEEK rather for what is the custom, than for
what, Il, right, and therefore ought to be; for
,ia. i. suits Us, and is permitted to US by law
al3 E, otherS, than for what we should desire
oh-r, - DO unto us.
Reckless of life themselves, brought up from
tier cradles TO regard pain as a thing below
considerations, and death as one to be risked
dails, they were not like to pay much regard
Z, the mere physical Sutferings of others, or to
ST human life. nj q value, such to render 1t
worth the preserving, when great stakes were
L, b, won or lost on its hazard. Accustomed
l., ,at their own lives on the die for the most
fantastic within of honor, or ut the first call OF
their icudal suZerains, accustomed to see their
Norman yassals fall under shield, and deem
such death honorable and joyous, at their own
slightest bidding. how should they have thought
mach of the life, far more of the physical OF
mental suilcrings, of the Saxon serf, whom they
had found, on their arrival in their newly con
oaared England u thing debased below the
,alue in current coin Of an OK, a dog, or a war
h5rse-a thing, the taking of whose life was
compensated by trivial fine, and whom they
naturally came to regard as dull, soulless, IN
animate. stupid, senseless animal, with the pas
sions ONLY. but without the intellect of the man
Ui the tao barons, Sir Ivo de Taillebois was
jae ,lperor both in intellect and culture; h
s.r in easy circumstances also, while his IA
Younger friend, Sir Philip de Morville, was EN-
'trr-ssel by the res augusta DOM, and by tn
imlriunacy OF relentless creditors, which Otter
s,1fa "
trrmes.
disposition, therefore. which led either of thes
noble men. for they were noble, not in brit
oaly but IN sentiment and soul. according Z
SD" notions of their age, which were necessaril
thar notions, and to the lights vouchsafed t
Them, to speak concerning the Saxon serls, an
a,i towards them, rather as if they were beast
q burden. worthy of care, kindness, and som
d"troc az physical consideration, rather thar
Ike men, as themselves, endowed with heart
10 heel and souls to comprehend. Had the
been other than they were, they had been mon
s'rG': as il was, they were excellent men. n
arn went then, and 90 now, fully up to tn
'tHt of their own times, and to the strain o
morality and Justice understood thereby, bu
not one whit above it. Therefore, Sir Yvo d.
Tail, hois. finding himself indebted for hi
10 saxon Serl. whom he regarded much as ho
-"ild have done his charger or his hound, de
,.i,d. $ point of honor. rather than of graft
hi'. 10 secure to the serf an indemnity from
.''. punishment, or want, during the rest of hi
ill., Just as he would have assigned stall, Will
h"' rack and manger TO the superannuateC
'.a:.er which had saved his own life in battle
' enen the run of kitchen. buttery, and hall
y 'Aylpnnd which had run the foremost of hi
l'-rE. The Scusibilitics of the Saxon were a.
."'".nlTchensiblc to him as those of the charge
"r IN. Saghound. and he thought no more o
considering him in his social OF family relations
a.'n u" animals To which, in some sort. HI
i.A,ncd him.
H. would not, it is true, If asked rs philo
fl''ii truth. whether the life of Saxon ser
1'' 81 an Andalusian charger were equivalent
'"'' replied ia the affirmative for he was
i'n- 10 his lights, Christian, and knew
,"a, Saxon had soul to he saved; nor woul,
' ""'e answered, that the colt of the high -bre,
''''r' or The whelp Of the generous brach. stooc
'N"''i! IN the same relation as the child of tn
" us human parent; but use had mucl
"''"Shel his perceptions to the distinction
am ur lmIasSTc and stolii inscnsibility of tn,
'NAoh race ilnbrutcd AMI degraded by aces O
"'Iom' caused HIM 10 overlook the faint an,
lg'tiF seen displays of human sensibilities
"".'n would haze led him less to un4ervaIu,
'"' sense and sentiment of his helpless fellow
''''''! man. As It was, he would as sson bav,
"i"c'cd ms iavorlte charger or best broo,
mare 20 pine hopelessly, and gricve as one VIII
""' not Toe consoed, at being liberated from
ana saddle, and turned out to Craze at lib
'Fe'er IN Tree and fertile pasture. Will
rs colt. should remain in lifelong bondage. a
Ns va GfttaF. j :. L r
'' Sgri 10 De affected beyond consolation by tn
iauilr. '''o '''"''ei' vi III
nor again did he regard liberty or servitud
"a ~hStract sense, apart from ideas of incar
n torture. or extreme privation. as grea
''''. -, Inherent right or wrong.
'"' ''H owed him absolute service; the fire..
- or lileyn, service, in some sort, les
'','' his vassals, man-service, according t
"'sfce, either in the field of daily labor
i'''''h9 held, or the battle-f field: he himsel
a. I-.''''ice 10 his suzerain: his suzerain t
II was all service, and the difference
So ""' IN the degree; and if the service of tn
"' degraded, 1t was a usual Il habitua
'oh' 10 which, it might be presumed, h
vel accustomed that he felt it not, NOR
In ,n' charger his dempique, or the hawl
.rJ -S n.d iesscs; and, for the most part, h.
i, ' zee II more nor regret it, nor know tn
liberty, save as connected with the alb
VI inc letters or the lash.
,e-' anu 'his indeed, is the great real evil of sla
-, - "Deresoeyer and under whatsoever form
-. uial 1t IS not more but less hurtful to tn
81. 'lah to the master, and that its i'll effect
i.,.u ~ much higher and more painful degre
.. 'i''''aa than PHYSICAL that, while it dc
ana lowers the interiors almost to tn
Al Al
~ G'Sradaiion, the absence of all hope to ris
..;1 ,ug scale of manhood, and the lack of ever
l,'--uUS to ambition Of exertion, it hardens tn
III and deadens the sensibilities of the ma.
,r ' anu renders him, through the strange pow
~ circumstance and custom, blind to the e,