Ivanhoe

Under the various burdens imposed by this unhappy state of affairs,

the people of England suffered deeply for the present, and had yet

more dreadful cause to fear for the future. To augment their misery, a

contagious disorder of a dangerous nature spread through the land; and,

rendered more virulent by the uncleanness, the indifferent food, and

the wretched lodging of the lower classes, swept off many whose fate the

survivors were tempted to envy, as exempting them from the evils which

were to come.

Yet amid these accumulated distresses, the poor as well as the rich, the

vulgar as well as the noble, in the event of a tournament, which was the

grand spectacle of that age, felt as much interested as the half-starved

citizen of Madrid, who has not a real left to buy provisions for his

family, feels in the issue of a bull-feast. Neither duty nor infirmity

could keep youth or age from such exhibitions. The Passage of Arms,

as it was called, which was to take place at Ashby, in the county of

Leicester, as champions of the first renown were to take the field

in the presence of Prince John himself, who was expected to grace the

lists, had attracted universal attention, and an immense confluence of

persons of all ranks hastened upon the appointed morning to the place of

combat.

The scene was singularly romantic. On the verge of a wood, which

approached to within a mile of the town of Ashby, was an extensive

meadow, of the finest and most beautiful green turf, surrounded on one

side by the forest, and fringed on the other by straggling oak-trees,

some of which had grown to an immense size. The ground, as if fashioned

on purpose for the martial display which was intended, sloped gradually

down on all sides to a level bottom, which was enclosed for the lists

with strong palisades, forming a space of a quarter of a mile in length,

and about half as broad. The form of the enclosure was an oblong square,

save that the corners were considerably rounded off, in order to afford

more convenience for the spectators. The openings for the entry of the

combatants were at the northern and southern extremities of the lists,

accessible by strong wooden gates, each wide enough to admit two

horsemen riding abreast. At each of these portals were stationed two

heralds, attended by six trumpets, as many pursuivants, and a strong

body of men-at-arms for maintaining order, and ascertaining the quality

of the knights who proposed to engage in this martial game.

On a platform beyond the southern entrance, formed by a natural

elevation of the ground, were pitched five magnificent pavilions,

adorned with pennons of russet and black, the chosen colours of the five

knights challengers. The cords of the tents were of the same colour.

Before each pavilion was suspended the shield of the knight by whom it

was occupied, and beside it stood his squire, quaintly disguised as a

salvage or silvan man, or in some other fantastic dress, according to

the taste of his master, and the character he was pleased to assume

during the game. [16]