The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-16

hberate; but to make thee as free as the birds
OF the widest wing-a freeman-and. if thou
wilt follow me, freeholder, on my lands beyond
the lakes, in the fair shire of Westmorelandr
9 am a serf of the SOIL" Beausire de Nor
vile, and | may not be sold from the soil,
unless legally convict of felony. | know no
felony that have done, Sir Philip"
Felony, man" exclaimed Sir Philip, art
thou mad? We would reward thee for thy good
faith and valor. We would set thee free. Of
course, thou canst not be Sold but within thine
own consent. But thou hast only to consent,
and be free as thy master"
% Sir Philip replied the man, turning even
paler than before, and trembling, as if he had
a ht of palsy, would | could rise to bless
you, on my Bonded knee May the great God
of all things bless you but cannot consent
think me not nngrateful-but / cannot be
free!"
mot free!" exclaimed both mobiles in a
breath and Sir Yvo gazed on him wistfully,
as if he but partially understood; but Philip de
Morville turned on his heel, superciliously.
"Come, Sir Yvo,'' he said, it skills not vast
ing time, or breath, on these AFFECTS. Why, by
the splendor of Gods eyes had | been fettered
IN dungeon, with a ton of iron at my heels,
had leaped head high to know myself once
more freeman; and here this slave, Gods
life cannot brook to speak his name! can
not consent, forsooth cannot consent to be
freel Heavens mercy! Let him rot slave,
then! unless perchance thou woudst crave him
for thy sake, and the Virgin Mothers sake to
take good counsel and be free. Out on it, out
on 1t l am sick to the soul at such baseness 4"
And he left the cottage abruptly, in scorn
and anger. But Sir Yvo de Taillebois stood
still, gazing compassionately and inquiringly
on the man, over whose face there had fallen
a dark, gray, dcathlike shadow, rs he lay with
his teeth and hands clinched like vices.
Can this be? / thought not, that, on earth,
there lived aman, who might be free, and would
not. Dost not love liberty, Kenric ~
7" Ask the wild eagle in his place of pride !!
Ask the wild goat on Pennigant or InSle-
boroughs head; and when they come down to
the cage and chain believe, then, that love it
not. Freedom freedom! To be free, but five
minutes, | would die fifty deaths of direst tor
ture. And yet it cannot bet cannot! Peace,
tempter, peace; you cannot stir my soul. Slave
| was born, slave i must die, and only in the
grave shall be slave no longer. Leave me,
bcausire; but think me not ungratctul. | new
er looked to owe so much to living man, and
least of all to living man of your proud race, az
/ owe you to-day. But leave me, noble sir !;
you cannot aid us. So go your way and leave
us to our sorrow; and may the God of seris
and sci gneurs be about you with his blessing
Passing strange! This is passing strange!"
said de Taillebois as he turned to go likewise.
" never saw beast that would not leave his
cage when the door was opcn.'
Put have" answered Kenric, when the
beasts brood were within, and might not follow
him. But | am not beast, Sir Knight; but
though a serf, a mana Saxon, not Norman,
it is true; but man yet, man! There may
be collar on my neck, and gives on wrist and
ANGLE, but my soul wears no shackles. 1t is NJ
free as thine, and shall stand face to face with
thine, one day, before the judgment scat. /
am a man, say, Sir Yvo de Taillebois there
sits old Algifu, surnamed the Good, a serf her
self, mother of serfs and grandmother; there
lies my serf brothers boy, himself .erf no
longer there sprawl unconscious on the hearth
his baby brethren, serfs from the cradle to the
grave; and here comes" he added, in deeper,
sterner. lower, tone, as the beautiful Saxon
slave girl entered, whom they had seen near the
drawbridgc, washing in the stream =" here
comes-look upon her, noble knight and Nor
man here comes my plighted bride, my Edith
the fairhaired! ! am a man, Norman should
| be man, or beast, if, leaving these in bondage,
] were to fare forth, hence, alone, into dishon-
ored lreedom?"
Entered according of Congress in the year 1854 by
ALICE CAREY. the Clerks Office of the District Court
a.. A~s.rl