Waldemar, whose curiosity had led him towards the place where Ivanhoe

had fallen to the ground, now returned. "The gallant," said he,

"is likely to give your Highness little disturbance, and to leave

Front-de-Boeuf in the quiet possession of his gains--he is severely

wounded."

"Whatever becomes of him," said Prince John, "he is victor of the day;

and were he tenfold our enemy, or the devoted friend of our brother,

which is perhaps the same, his wounds must be looked to--our own

physician shall attend him."

A stern smile curled the Prince's lip as he spoke. Waldemar Fitzurse

hastened to reply, that Ivanhoe was already removed from the lists, and

in the custody of his friends.

"I was somewhat afflicted," he said, "to see the grief of the Queen of

Love and Beauty, whose sovereignty of a day this event has changed into

mourning. I am not a man to be moved by a woman's lament for her lover,

but this same Lady Rowena suppressed her sorrow with such dignity of

manner, that it could only be discovered by her folded hands, and her

tearless eye, which trembled as it remained fixed on the lifeless form

before her."

"Who is this Lady Rowena," said Prince John, "of whom we have heard so

much?"

"A Saxon heiress of large possessions," replied the Prior Aymer; "a rose

of loveliness, and a jewel of wealth; the fairest among a thousand, a

bundle of myrrh, and a cluster of camphire."

"We shall cheer her sorrows," said Prince John, "and amend her blood, by

wedding her to a Norman. She seems a minor, and must therefore be at our

royal disposal in marriage.--How sayst thou, De Bracy? What thinkst thou

of gaining fair lands and livings, by wedding a Saxon, after the fashion

of the followers of the Conqueror?"

"If the lands are to my liking, my lord," answered De Bracy, "it will be

hard to displease me with a bride; and deeply will I hold myself bound

to your highness for a good deed, which will fulfil all promises made in

favour of your servant and vassal."

"We will not forget it," said Prince John; "and that we may instantly go

to work, command our seneschal presently to order the attendance of the

Lady Rowena and her company--that is, the rude churl her guardian, and

the Saxon ox whom the Black Knight struck down in the tournament, upon

this evening's banquet.--De Bigot," he added to his seneschal, "thou

wilt word this our second summons so courteously, as to gratify the

pride of these Saxons, and make it impossible for them again to refuse;

although, by the bones of Becket, courtesy to them is casting pearls

before swine."




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024