The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
For the National Era.
SHERWOOD FOREST
WAGER BY BATTLE.
rrzoF SAXON SLAVERY IN THE TWELFTH
CENTURY
EY HENRY WILLIAM HERBERT

-,rT OF SAXON SLAVERY IN THE TWELFTE
CENTURY.
RI HENRY WILLIAM HERBERT.
CHAP. II.
The Good Service.
RI. o,,-v. 't:s merry, in good green wood,
w., 3evis and merle are singing;
81. he deer sweeps by, and the hounds are In CRY
a. tsc hunters horn is ringing.
Al 49, Lady Of The Lake. Z
There is something exceedingly singular in
a, depth of almost palpable silence which
',r,ss TO fal upon a tract of woodland country
: tse sudden cessation of full cry of stag
binds: which cry has in itself, apart from its
Inc harmony Of discords, something Of
l.crf1lpess and seoislity, conveyed by its
crrd eyen 10 tie lonely wayfsrer.
Although. during that hush of the woods, the
.,,oI of tho birds tho hum of insects, the
i..e1v voice of the treetops, the cooling of the
,:,gdove the nnurmur Of falling waters, and
Il he nndistingushed harmonics of nature,
49, before. and drowned in that loud brat.
,er, s5und forth and fill the listeners ear.
=. thew disturb it no., DOR seem to dissipate,
Int rather % augment the Influence of the Ell
rec.
bicb lead the most highly civilized of men to
.,nre,A.zs most deeply with the beautiful
nals spd sights of nature. Yet still, as is
saly the case with dwcliers in the forest or
tao e!.d Ieountain tops, he had certain
-u.orca cyo 20 take in and note effecte-an
l,srYo9 car With which to receive pleasant
.Dds. SID acquire fuller pleasure from
"a than he could perfectly comprehend or
-ia;n 10 his own sensrs. And now, when The
.u,t Of the chase had fallen asleep, he leaned
1;nl. .be gnsrled and messy trunk, with his
ar scar resting istlessly against his thigh,
ID qqaies mc4itative expression replacing on
& graye, stern features the earnest and excl
4! rsz3 With which he had watched the CD.
5,saeA ii the bunt
Tee check, however, lasted not long the
lear, ,hriIl challenge Of O favorite hound s,on
70 rem the woodlands, accompanied by loud
ae.-s Ta.0 faro, fanfare! I" and followed
/ ;te .c.l crash Of the rcassembled pack, as
10y rallied to their leader, and struck again
L. tie bot and stesning scent.
Nes:c; and nearer came the Cry, and ever
ri ar5n u?cose, distinct and mellow, tho ca
.7.ed A.urishes eff the clear French horns,
gl7g ncw lie to the crackers Of the deer, and
tig :hs hearts Of the riders with almost
III excitement. Ere long, several cushats
Z It be seen wheeling above the tree tops,
t.UTbed from their procreant cradles by the
s-ess of the fierce din below them. A mo-
a1, afterwards, dislodged from their feeding
,iS.cs along the bOggy margin of the Idle,
. d.zen woocoock tapped up from the alder
cles near the brink, and came drifting
.ag before the soft wind, on their feebly
'hi.fling .ioicns, and, futtcring ever the head
itao watcher, dropped into the shelter of tho
.ngle in lis rear, with its thick shade of var
SGD hOllios. The next instant, a superb red
Il, With high branching antlers, leaped with
a'Ghty bound ocer and partly through the
nshDg branches Of the thicket, and swept
4 long, graceful bounds across the clear ga
laa. A single shout, "Tayho!' announced
appearance Of the quarry in the open, and
Eikcncd responsive clangor of the horns,
-!ca, Gil at once, sounded their gay tantivy,
Lie the sharp, redoubied clang Of the whips,
ID the cries of "arrierel arriere!D which
cceedec, tod Kenric that the varlets and at
adfnts Of tho chase wero busy stopping the
oN hounda, whose duty was accomplished go
cE as tie stag was forced into the field; and
Itch wero Tow TO be replaced by the feet
ID fiery alans, used TO course and pull down
= quarry by dint of downright strength and
red.
Tie stretch Of green savanna, of which
ave spoken as running along the northern
argin Ct tho Idle, below the wooded ridges of
lower hills, could not have been less than
II Elles 10 length, and was traversed By two
ldypaths, uDguarded by any fence or hedge
y, which intersected each other within few
ai7cd ards Of the belt of underwood, whence
'o hunted deer had broken covert. At this
INT Of intersection, known az the four lane
ndS general term in Yorkshire for such
Ios'-r' eds stood gigantic oak, short boughed,
Vt Of vas: diameter, with gnaried and tortuous
a1ches weeping down almost to the rank
H1sSsrd which surrounded it. and conceal
any perscn who stood within their circum-
.cocs as completely as if he were within an
-tifcial pavilion.
mat way, winged by terror, bounded the
oan;iini HIATT royal; for no less did his ten.
7cd antle!s with their huge cupped tops, dc.
ts nm ard, though it presented DO real OBJ
ace tn bis passage, when he saw the yellow
20, ndipg ike rivulet through the deep
'e-S, Ae gathered all his feet together, made
- OF i've quick, short ck-leaps, and then,
l"-1I INTO the air, like a bird taking wing,
,sei' over it, and alighted ten feet on the
"rr Etc, apparently without an effort-a
'n~o;e oi mingled grace, activity, and beauty
az &c Shghted, be paused moment, turned
= ong, swsn-like neck, and gszed backward
u ie@ seconds with bis largo, lustrous, mel
ieecly eye, until seeing no pursue.s, nor
''in z apy lcnSer the crssh which had aroused
y rom his harbor, he tossed his anslers
~ioiy, and sailed easily and leisurely across
y gentle green.
AZ as this moment, Eadwulf the Red, who
Stationed beneath that very oak treo with
l'ot relay Of grsyhounds, uttered long
az Thoop, end, casting loose the loashes
lifca the two saow-white alans on the quarry
- Hiocp Was answered Immediately, and, q!
.ol' half q miles distance from the spot
usie tho deer bad Issued, two princely-looklne
'.'ian mobiles, clearly distipguishable as such
S-s'r Elchly -furred short bunting coats, tight
'S'i aud golden spurs of knightho0d, came
I" SIGHT, squirting their noble AndalWian
'ufseis--at that period tho fleetest strain il
ie World, which combined high blood with the
'pacity to endure the weight of man-at-armi
, Nis igll panoply-to their fullest speed and
''y"ed by long train Of observation-disclosures
some on foot, huntsmcn and yerdurers
~ ye0men prickers, with faloonsrs, and run
ng iootmsn, some leading alans IN the leash
~ some with nets and spears for the chase O.
70 Wild boar, which stili roamed not unfre
ient In the woody swsmps that interseetei
y, - loweF grounds and lined many of the river
~ was q gcy and stirring scene. The mead
y, is'e 20 quiet in It's uniform green gsrniture
as now alive with futtelipe plumes, an(
4tscring with many colored scarfs and cas-
'ckS, noble steeds of all hucs, blood bav and
'ldeen chestnut, dsppled and roam aud eieam,
ks and one, on which rode the foremost g
sPbls Normans. white as DEFENDERS snow
ID the middle of the picture aroused h,
shouts IN his rear, and aware of the pres
e OF his fTesh pursuers, the noble stag. with
reck far stretched ont, and his noble ant
) pressed close along bis back, strainin,
y nerve, and literally seeming to fly owe