Henry IV.
Old Sir Guy of Gamwell, and young William Gamwell, and fair Alice Gamwell, and Sir Ralph Montfaucon and his squire2, rode together the next morning to the scene of the feast. They arrived on a village green, surrounded with cottages peeping from among the trees by which the green was completely encircled. The whole circle was hung round with one continuous garland of flowers, depending in irregular festoons from the branches. In the centre of the green was a May-pole hidden in boughs3 and garlands; and a multitude of round-faced bumpkins and cherry-checked lasses were dancing around it, to the quadruple melody of Scrapesqueak, Whistlerap, Trumtwang, and Muggledrone: harmony we must not call it; for, though they had agreed to a partnership4 in point of tune5, each, like a true painstaking6 man, seemed determined7 to have his time to himself: Muggledrone played allegretto, Trumtwang allegro8, Whistlerap presto9, and Scrapesqueak prestissimo. There was a kind of mathematical proportion in their discrepancy10: while Muggledrone played the tune four times, Trumtwang played it five, Whistlerap six, and Scrapesqueak eight; for the latter completely distanced all his competitors, and indeed worked his elbow so nimbly that its outline was scarcely distinguishable through the mistiness11 of its rapid vibration12.
While the knight13 was delighting his eyes and ears with these pleasant sights and sounds, all eyes were turned in one direction; and Sir Ralph, looking round, saw a fair lady in green and gold come riding through the trees, accompanied by a portly friar in grey, and several fair damsels and gallant14 grooms15. On their nearer approach, he recognised the lady Matilda and her ghostly adviser16, brother Michael. A party of foresters arrived from another direction, and then ensued cordial interchanges of greeting, and collisions of hands and lips, among the Gamwells and the new-comers — “How does my fair coz, Mawd?” and “How does my sweet coz, Mawd?” and “How does my wild coz, Mawd?” And “Eh! jolly friar, your hand, old boy:” and “Here, honest friar:” and “To me, merry friar:” and “By your favour, mistress Alice:” and “Hey! cousin Robin18:” and “Hey! cousin Will:” and “Od’s life! merry Sir Guy, you grow younger every year,”— as the old knight shook them all in turn with one hand, and slapped them on the back with the other, in token of his affection. A number of young men and women advanced, some drawing, and others dancing round, a floral car; and having placed a crown of flowers on Matilda’s head, they saluted19 her Queen of the May, and drew her to the place appointed for the rural sports.
A hogshead of ale was abroach under an oak, and a fire was blazing in an open space before the trees to roast the fat deer which the foresters brought. The sports commenced; and, after an agreeable series of bowling21, coiling, pitching, hurling22, racing23, leaping, grinning, wrestling or friendly dislocation of joints24, and cudgel-playing or amicable25 cracking of skulls27, the trial of archery ensued. The conqueror28 was to be rewarded with a golden arrow from the hand of the Queen of the May, who was to be his partner in the dance till the close of the feast. This stimulated29 the knight’s emulation30: young Gamwell supplied him with a bow and arrow, and he took his station among the foresters, but had the mortification31 to be out-shot by them all, and to see one of them lodge32 the point of his arrow in the golden ring of the centre, and receive the prize from the hand of the beautiful Matilda, who smiled on him with particular grace. The jealous knight scrutinised the successful champion with great attention, and surely thought he had seen that face before. In the mean time the forester led the lady to the station. The luckless Sir Ralph drank deep draughts33 of love from the matchless grace of her attitudes, as, taking the bow in her left hand, and adjusting the arrow with her right, advancing her left foot, and gently curving her beautiful figure with a slight motion of her head that waved her black feathers and her ringleted hair, she drew the arrow to its head, and loosed it from her open fingers. The arrow struck within the ring of gold, so close to that of the victorious34 forester that the points were in contact, and the feathers were intermingled. Great acclamations succeeded, and the forester led Matilda to the dance. Sir Ralph gazed on her fascinating motions till the torments35 of baffled love and jealous rage became unendurable; and approaching young Gamwell, he asked him if he knew the name of that forester who was leading the dance with the Queen of the May?
“Robin, I believe,” said young Gamwell carelessly; “I think they call him Robin.”
“Is that all you know of him?” said Sir Ralph.
“What more should I know of him?” said young Gamwell.
“Then I can tell you,” said Sir Ralph, “he is the outlawed36 Earl of Huntingdon, on whose head is set so large a price.”
“Ay, is he?” said young Gamwell, in the same careless manner.
“He were a prize worth the taking,” said Sir Ralph.
“No doubt,” said young Gamwell.
“How think you?” said Sir Ralph: “are the foresters his adherents37?”
“I cannot say,” said young Gamwell.
“Is your peasantry loyal and well-disposed?” said Sir Ralph.
“Passing loyal,” said young Gamwell.
“If I should call on them in the king’s name,” said Sir Ralph, “think you they would aid and assist?”
“Most likely they would,” said young Gamwell, “one side or the other.”
“Ay, but which side?” said the knight.
“That remains38 to be tried,” said young Gamwell.
“I have King Henry’s commission,” said the knight, “to apprehend39 this earl that was. How would you advise me to act, being, as you see, without attendant force?”
“I would advise you,” said young Gamwell, “to take yourself off without delay, unless you would relish40 the taste of a volley of arrows, a shower of stones, and a hailstorm of cudgel-blows, which would not be turned aside by a God save King Henry.”
Sir Ralph’s squire no sooner heard this, and saw by the looks of the speaker that he was not likely to prove a false prophet, than he clapped spurs to his horse and galloped41 off with might and main. This gave the knight a good excuse to pursue him, which he did with great celerity, calling, “Stop, you rascal42.” When the squire fancied himself safe out of the reach of pursuit, he checked his speed, and allowed the knight to come up with him. They rode on several miles in silence, till they discovered the towers and spires43 of Nottingham, where the knight introduced himself to the sheriff, and demanded an armed force to assist in the apprehension44 of the outlawed Earl of Huntingdon. The sheriff, who was willing to have his share of the prize, determined to accompany the knight in person, and regaled him and his man with good store of the best; after which, they, with a stout45 retinue46 of fifty men, took the way to Gamwell feast.
“God’s my life,” said the sheriff, as they rode along, “I had as lief you would tell me of a service of plate. I much doubt if this outlawed earl, this forester Robin, be not the man they call Robin Hood47, who has quartered himself in Sherwood Forest, and whom in endeavouring to apprehend I have fallen divers48 times into disasters. He has gotten together a band of disinherited prodigals49, outlawed debtors50, excommunicated heretics, elder sons that have spent all they had, and younger sons that never had any thing to spend; and with these he kills the king’s deer, and plunders51 wealthy travellers of five-sixths of their money; but if they be abbots or bishops52, them he despoils54 utterly55.”
The sheriff then proceeded to relate to his companion the adventure of the abbot of Doubleflask (which some grave historians have related of the abbot of Saint Mary’s, and others of the bishop53 of Hereford): how the abbot, returning to his abbey in company with his high selerer, who carried in his portmanteau the rents of the abbey-lands, and with a numerous train of attendants, came upon four seeming peasants, who were roasting the king’s venison by the king’s highway: how, in just indignation at this flagrant infringement56 of the forest laws, he asked them what they meant, and they answered that they meant to dine: how he ordered them to be seized and bound, and led captive to Nottingham, that they might know wild-flesh to have been destined57 by Providence58 for licensed59 and privileged appetites, and not for the base hunger of unqualified knaves60: how they prayed for mercy, and how the abbot swore by Saint Charity that he would show them none: how one of them thereupon drew a bugle61 horn from under his smock-frock and blew three blasts, on which the abbot and his train were instantly surrounded by sixty bowmen in green: how they tied him to a tree, and made him say mass for their sins: how they unbound him, and sate62 him down with them to dinner, and gave him venison and wild-fowl and wine, and made him pay for his fare all the money in his high selerer’s portmanteau, and enforced him to sleep all night under a tree in his cloak, and to leave the cloak behind him in the morning: how the abbot, light in pocket and heavy in heart, raised the country upon Robin Hood, for so he had heard the chief forester called by his men, and hunted him into an old woman’s cottage: how Robin changed dresses with the old woman, and how the abbot rode in great triumph to Nottingham, having in custody63 an old woman in a green doublet and breeches: how the old woman discovered herself: how the merrymen of Nottingham laughed at the abbot: how the abbot railed at the old woman, and how the old woman out-railed the abbot, telling him that Robin had given her food and fire through the winter, which no abbot would ever do, but would rather take it from her for what he called the good of the church, by which he meant his own laziness and gluttony; and that she knew a true man from a false thief, and a free forester from a greedy abbot.
“Thus you see,” added the sheriff, “how this villain64 perverts65 the deluded66 people by making them believe that those who tithe67 and toll68 upon them for their spiritual and temporal benefit are not their best friends and fatherly guardians69; for he holds that in giving to boors70 and old women what he takes from priests and peers, he does but restore to the former what the latter had taken from them; and this the impudent71 varlet calls distributive justice. Judge now if any loyal subject can be safe in such neighbourhood.”
While the sheriff was thus enlightening his companion concerning the offenders72, and whetting73 his own indignation against them, the sun was fast sinking to the west. They rode on till they came in view of a bridge, which they saw a party approaching from the opposite side, and the knight presently discovered that the party consisted of the lady Matilda and friar Michael, young Gamwell, cousin Robin, and about half-a-dozen foresters. The knight pointed20 out the earl to the sheriff, who exclaimed, “Here, then, we have him an easy prey;” and they rode on manfully towards the bridge, on which the other party made halt.
“Who be these,” said the friar, “that come riding so fast this way? Now, as God shall judge me, it is that false knight Sir Ralph Montfaucon, and the sheriff of Nottingham, with a posse of men. We must make good our post, and let them dislodge us if they may.”
The two parties were now near enough to parley74; and the sheriff and the knight, advancing in the front of the cavalcade75, called on the lady, the friar, young Gamwell, and the foresters, to deliver up that false-traitor, Robert, formerly76 Earl of Huntingdon. Robert himself made answer by letting fly an arrow that struck the ground between the fore17 feet of the sheriff’s horse. The horse reared up from the whizzing, and lodged77 the sheriff in the dust; and, at the same time, the fair Matilda favoured the knight with an arrow in his right arm, that compelled him to withdraw from the affray. His men lifted the sheriff carefully up, and replaced him on his horse, whom he immediately with great rage and zeal78 urged on to the assault with his fifty men at his heels, some of whom were intercepted79 in their advance by the arrows of the foresters and Matilda; while the friar, with an eight-foot staff, dislodged the sheriff a second time, and laid on him with all the vigour80 of the church militant81 on earth, in spite of his ejaculations of “Hey, friar Michael! What means this, honest friar? Hold, ghostly friar! Hold, holy friar!”— till Matilda interposed, and delivered the battered82 sheriff to the care of the foresters. The friar continued flourishing his staff among the sheriff’s men, knocking down one, breaking the ribs83 of another, dislocating the shoulder of a third, flattening84 the nose of a fourth, cracking the skull26 of a fifth, and pitching a sixth into the river, till the few, who were lucky enough to escape with whole bones, clapped spurs to their horses and fled for their lives, under a farewell volley of arrows.
Sir Ralph’s squire, meanwhile, was glad of the excuse of attending his master’s wound to absent himself from the battle; and put the poor knight to a great deal of unnecessary pain by making as long a business as possible of extracting the arrow, which he had not accomplished85 when Matilda, approaching, extracted it with great facility, and bound up the wound with her scarf, saying, “I reclaim86 my arrow, sir knight, which struck where I aimed it, to admonish87 you to desist from your enterprise. I could as easily have lodged it in your heart.”
“It did not need,” said the knight, with rueful gallantry; “you have lodged one there already.”
“If you mean to say that you love me,” said Matilda, “it is more than I ever shall you: but if you will show your love by no further interfering88 with mine, you will at least merit my gratitude89.”
The knight made a wry90 face under the double pain of heart and body caused at the same moment by the material or martial91, and the metaphorical92 or erotic arrow, of which the latter was thus barbed by a declaration more candid93 than flattering; but he did not choose to put in any such claim to the lady’s gratitude as would bar all hopes of her love: he therefore remained silent; and the lady and her escort, leaving him and the sheriff to the care of the squire, rode on till they came in sight of Arlingford Castle, when they parted in several directions. The friar rode off alone; and after the foresters had lost sight of him they heard his voice through the twilight94, singing —
A staff, a staff, of a young oak graff,
That is both stoure and stiff,
Is all a good friar can needs desire
To shrive a proud sheriffe.
And thou, fine fellowe, who hast tasted so
Of the forester’s greenwood game,
Wilt95 be in no haste thy time to waste
In seeking more taste of the same:
Or this can I read thee, and riddle96 thee well,
Thou hadst better by far be the devil in hell,
Than the sheriff of Nottinghame.
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1
incision
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| n．切口，切开 | |
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2
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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3
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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4
partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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5
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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6
painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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allegro
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| adj. 快速而活泼的；n.快板；adv.活泼地 | |
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9
presto
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| adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的 | |
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10
discrepancy
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| n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾 | |
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11
mistiness
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| n.雾，模糊，不清楚 | |
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12
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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13
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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14
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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15
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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16
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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17
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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18
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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19
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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20
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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24
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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25
amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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30
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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31
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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32
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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33
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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34
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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35
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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36
outlawed
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| 宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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38
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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40
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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41
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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42
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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43
spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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44
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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46
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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47
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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48
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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49
prodigals
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| n.浪费的( prodigal的名词复数 )；铺张的；挥霍的；慷慨的 | |
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debtors
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| n.债务人，借方( debtor的名词复数 ) | |
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51
plunders
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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53
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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54
despoils
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的第三人称单数 ) | |
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55
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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56
infringement
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| n.违反；侵权 | |
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57
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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58
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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59
licensed
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| adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词) | |
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60
knaves
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| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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61
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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62
sate
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| v.使充分满足 | |
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63
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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64
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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perverts
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| n.性变态者( pervert的名词复数 )v.滥用( pervert的第三人称单数 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落 | |
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66
deluded
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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68
toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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69
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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70
boors
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| n.农民( boor的名词复数 )；乡下佬；没礼貌的人；粗野的人 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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whetting
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| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的现在分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
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parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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militant
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| adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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reclaim
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| v.要求归还，收回；开垦 | |
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admonish
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| v.训戒；警告；劝告 | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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metaphorical
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| a.隐喻的，比喻的 | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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