Edward the Confessor was dead; and dying, had bequeathed the crown of merry England to Harold, son of Godwin, destined1, alas2! to be the last prince of the Saxon race who should possess the throne of the fair island. The oath which he had sworn to William, duke of Normandy, engaging to assist him in obtaining that same realm, which had now fallen to himself, alike by testament3 of the late king, and by election of the people, dwelt not in the new monarch4’s bosom5! Selfishness and ambition, aided, perhaps, and strengthened by the suggestions of a sincere patriotism6, that whispered to his soul the baseness of surrendering his countrymen, their lives, their liberties, their fortunes, and his loved native land, into the stern hands of a foreign ruler, determined7 him to brave the worst, rather than keep the oath, which, with its wonted sophistry8, self-interest was ready to represent involuntary and of no avail. Not long, however, was he allowed to flatter himself with hopes that the tempest, excited by his own weak duplicity, might possibly blow over. The storm-clouds were already charged with thunder destined to burst almost at once on his devoted10 head. The cry of warfare11 had gone forth12 through Christendom; the pope had launched the dreadful bolt of interdict13 and excommunication against the perjured14 Saxon, and all23 who should adhere to him in his extremity15; nay16, more, had actually granted to the Norman duke, by virtue17 of his holy office as God’s vicegerent and dispenser of all dignities on earth, the sovereignty of the disputed islands. In token of his perfect approbation18 of the justice of his cause, the Roman pontiff had sent, moreover, to the duke, a ring of gold, containing an inestimable relic19, a lock of hair from the thrice-mitred temples of St. Peter, the first Roman bishop20; a consecrated21 banner blest by himself—the same which had been reared, in token of the greatness and supremacy22 of holy church, by those bold Normans, Raoul and William of Montreuil, above the captured battlements of every tower and castle through the bright kingdom of Campania. Thus doubly armed, once by the justice of his cause, and yet more strongly by the sanction of the church, the bold duke hesitated not to strive by force of arms to gain that rich inheritance, which he had hoped to win by the more easy agency of guile23 and of persuasion24.
A herald25, sent, with a most noble train, bore William’s terms to the new monarch. “William, the duke of Normandy,” he said, boldly, but with all reverence26 due to his birth and present station, “calls to your memory the oath, which you swore to him by your hand and by your mouth, on good and holy relics27!”
“True it is,” answered Harold, “that I did so swear; but under force I did so, not by free will of mine! Moreover, I did promise that which ’twas not mine to grant. My royalty28 belongs not to myself, but to my people, in trust of whom I hold it. I may not yield it but at their demand; let them but second William, and instantly the crown he seeks for shall be his! Farther, without my people’s leave, I may not wed9 a woman of a stranger race. My sister, whom he would have espoused29 unto the noblest of his barons—she hath been dead a year. Will he, that I should send her corpse30?”
24 A little month elapsed, and during that brief interval31, Harold neglected nothing that might preserve the crown he had determined never, except with life, to yield to his fierce rival. A powerful fleet was instantly appointed to cruise upon the Downs, and intercept32 the French invaders33; a mighty34 army was collected on the coast, and each and all the Saxon landholders, nobles, and thanes, and franklins, bound themselves by strong oaths “never to entertain or truce35, or treaty, with the detested36 Normans, but to die freemen, or freemen to conquer.”
A second time the herald came in peace, demanding, in tones fair and moderate, that Harold, if he might not keep all the conditions of his oath, would fulfil part, at least, and wed Alice, his betrothed37 wife already, the daughter of the puissant38 duke, who, thereupon, would yield to him, as being his daughter’s dower, all right and title to the crown, which he now claimed as his by heritage.
Harold again returned a brief and stern refusal; resolved, that as he would not yield the whole, he would not, by conceding part, risk the alienation39 of the love—which he possessed40 in an extraordinary degree—of the whole English people. Then burst the storm at once. From every part of Europe, where the victorious41 banners of the Normans were spread to the wind of heaven, adventurers flocked to the consecrated standard of their kinsman42.
Four hundred vessels43 of the largest class, and more than twice that number of the transports of the day, were speedily assembled in the frith of Dives, a stream which falls into the sea between the Seine and Orne. There, for a month or better, by contrary winds and furious storms, they were detained inactive. At length, a southern breeze rose suddenly, and by its aid they made the harbor of Saint Valery; but there, again, they were detained by times more stormy than before; and, superstitious44 as all men of that period were, the soldiers soon began to tremble and to murmur45; strange tales of dreams, and25 prodigies46 were circulated, and the spirit of that vast host, of late so confident and proud, sank hourly. At length, whether at the instigation of their own fanatical belief, or as a last resource, or hoping to distract the minds of men from gloomier considerations, the Norman chiefs appointed a procession round the harbor of Saint Valery; bearing the holiest relics, and among them, the bones of the good saint himself, the patron and nomenclator of the town; and ere the prayers were ended, lo! the wind shifted once again, and now blew steadily47 and fair, swelling48 the canvass49 with propitious50 breath, and driving out each vane and streamer at full length, toward their destined port.
The same storm, which had held William on his Norman coast, windbound and motionless, which he had cursed as unpropitious and disastrous51, fifty times every day, for the last month, had been, in truth—so little is the foresight52, and so ignorant the wisdom even of the most sagacious among mortals—had been, in truth, the agent by which his future conquest was to be effected. Those gales53 which pent the Norman galleys54 in their harbors, had forced the English fleet, shattered and storm-tossed, to put in for victuals56 and repairs, leaving the seas unguarded to the approach of the invaders. Nor was this all! Those self-same gales had wafted57 from the northward58 another fleet of foemen, the Norwegian host of the bold sea-king, Harold Hardrada, and the treacherous60 Tosti, the rebel brother of the Saxon monarch. Debarking in the Humber, they had laid waste the fertile borders of Northumberland and Yorkshire; had vanquished61, in a pitched battle, Morcar and Edwin, and the youthful Waltheof—who had made head against them with their sudden levies62, raised from the neighboring countries—had driven them into the walls of York, and there were now besieging63 them with little hope of rescue or relief. Meanwhile, the king, who had, for months, been lying in the southern portion26 of the realm, in Essex, Kent, or Sussex, awaiting, at the head of the best warriors64 of his kingdom, the arrival of his most inveterate66 foeman—summoned by news of this irruption, unexpected, yet, as it seemed most formidable, into his northern provinces, lulled67 into temporary carelessness by the long tarrying of his Norman enemy; and hoping, as it indeed seemed probable, that the prevailing68 wind would not change so abruptly69, but that he might, by using some extraordinary diligence and speed, attack and overpower the besieging force at York, and yet return to Dover in time to oppose, with the united force of his whole nation, the disembarkation of the duke—had left his post and travelled with all speed toward York, leading the bravest and best-disciplined of his army against the fierce Norwegians, while the shores of Sussex remained comparatively naked and defenceless. A bloody70 and decisive battle fought at the bridge of Staneford, over the river Derwent, rewarded his activity and valor71—a battle in which he displayed no less his generalship and valor, than the kind generosity72 and mercy of his nature. Riding, himself, in person, up to the hostile lines, before the first encounter, sheathed73 in the complete armor of the Norman chivalry74—which, since his visit to the continent, he had adopted—“Where,” he cried, in his loudest tones, “is Tosti, son of Godwin?”
“Here stands he,” answered the rebel, from the centre of the Norwegian phalanx, which, with lowered spears, awaited the attack.
“Thy brother,” replied Harold, concealed75 by the frontlet of his barred helmet from all recognition, “sends thee his greeting—offers thee peace, and friendship, and all thine ancient honors.”
“Good words!” cried Tosti, “mighty good, and widely different from the insults he bestowed76 on me last year! But if I should accept the offer, what will he grant to Harold,27 son of Sigurd?”
“Seven feet of English earth,” replied the king; “or, since he be gigantic in his stature77, he shall have somewhat more!”
“Let Harold, then address himself to battle,” answered Tosti. “None but a liar78 ever shall declare that Tosti, son of Godwin, has played a traitor’s part to Harold, son of Sigurd!”
There was no more of parley79. With a shock, that was heard for leagues, the hosts encountered; and in the very first encounter, pierced by an arrow in the throat, Hardrada fell, and to his place succeeded that false brother and rebellious80 subject, Tosti, the Saxon. Again the generous Harold offered him peace and liberal conditions! again his offers were insultingly rejected! and once again, with a more deadly fury than before, the armies met, and, this time, fought it out, till not a leader or a chief of the Norwegian host was left alive, save Olaf, Harold’s son, and the prince bishop of the Orkneys—Tosti, himself, having at length obtained the fate he merited so richly. A third time peace and amity81 were offered, and now they were accepted; and swearing friendship to the English king for ever, the Norsemen left the fatal land, whereon yet weltered in their gore82 their king, the noblest of their chiefs, and twice five thousand of the bravest men of their brave nation. But glorious as that day was justly deemed—and widely as it was sung and celebrated83 by the Saxon bards—perfect as was the safety which it wrought84 to all the northern counties—and freely as it suffered Harold to turn his undivided forces against whatever foe59 might dare set hostile foot on English soil inviolate—still was that day decisive of his fate!—decisive of the victory of William, whose banners were already floating over the narrow seas in proud anticipation85 of their coming triumph!
It was a bright and beauteous morning in September, when the great fleet of William put to sea, the galley55 of the grand28 duke leading. She was a tall ship, of the largest tonnage then in use, well manned, and gallantly86 equipped; from the main-topmast streamed the consecrated banner of the pope, and from her peak, a broad flag with a blood-red cross. Her sails were, not as now, of plain white canvass, but gorgeously adorned88 with various colors, and blazoned89 with the rude incipient90 heraldry, which, though not then a science, was growing gradually into esteem91 and use. In several places might be seen depicted92 the three Lions, which were even then the arms of Normandy; and on her prow93 was carved, with the best skill of the French artist, a young child with a bended bow, and a shaft94 quivering on the string. Fair blew the breeze, and free the gallant87 ship careered before it—before the self-same wind which at the self-same moment was tossing on its joyous95 pinions96 the victorious banners of the Saxon king. Fair blew the breeze, and fast the ship of William sped through the curling billows—so fast that, ere the sun set in the sea, the fleet was hull97 down in the offing, though staggering along under all press of sail. Night sank upon the sea; and faster flew the duke; and as the morning broke, the chalky cliffs of Albion were in full view, at two or three leagues distance. William, who had slept all that night as soundly and as calmly as a child, stood on the deck ere it was light enough to see the largest object on the sea, one mile away. His first glance was toward the promised land, he was so swiftly nearing; his second, toward the offing, where he hoped to see his gallant followers98. Brighter and brighter grew the morning, but not a speck99 was visible upon the clear horizon. “Up to the topmast, mariners,” cried the bold duke; “up to the topmast-head! And now what see ye?” he continued, as they sprang up in rapid emulation101 to that giddy height.
“Naught,” cried the first—“naught but the sea and sky!”
29 “Anchor, then—anchor, presently; we will await their coming, and in the meanwhile, Sir Seneschal, serve us a breakfast of your best, and see there be no lack of wines, the strongest and the noblest!” and, on the instant, the heavy plunge102 was heard of the huge anchor in the deep; the sails were furled; and like a living creature endowed with intellect, and moving by volition103, the gallant ship swung round, awaiting the arrival of her consorts104.
The feast was spread, and, from the high duke on the poop to the most humble105 mariner100 on the forecastle, the red wine flowed for all in generous profusion106. Again a lookout107 was sent up, and now he cried, “I see far, far, to seaward, the topsails of four vessels.” A little pause consumed in revelry and feasting, and once again the ship-boy climbed the mast. “I see,” he said, the third time, “a forest on the deep, of masts and sails!”
“God aid! God aid!” replied the armed crew—“God aid!” and, with the word, again they weighed the anchor, and, ere three hours had passed, the whole of that huge armament rode at their moorings off the beach at Pevensey.
There was no sign of opposition108 or resistance; and on the third day after Harold’s victory at Staneford, the Norman host set foot on English soil. The archers109 were the first to disembark—armed with the six-foot bows, and cloth-yard shafts110, then, for the first time, seen in England, soon destined to become the national weapon of its stout111 yeomanry. Their faces closely shorn, and short-cut hair, their light and succinct112 garments, were seen by the affrighted peasantry, who looked upon their landing from a distance, with equal terror and astonishment113. Next came the men-at-arms, sheathed in their glittering hauberks and bright hose-of-mail, with conical steel helmets on their heads, long lances in their hands, and huge two-handed swords transversely girt across their persons. After them landed the pioneers, the laborers114, and carpenters, who30 made the complement115 of that immense army, bearing with them, piece after piece, three fortresses116 of timber, arranged beforehand, and prepared to be erected117 on the instant, wherever they should come to land. Last of the mighty host, Duke William left his galley, and the long lines fell into orderly and beautiful array, as he was rowed to land. In leaping to that wished-for shore, the Norman’s right foot struck the gunwale of the shallop, and he fell headlong on the sand, face downward. Instantly, through the whole array, a deep and shuddering118 murmur rose—“God guard us—’tis a sign of evil!”
But ere the sounds had passed away, he had sprung to his feet. “What is it that you fear?” he shouted, in clear and joyous tones, “or what dismays you? Lo! I have seized this earth in both mine hands, and, by the splendor119 of our God, ’tis yours!”
Loud was the cheer of gratulation which peeled seaward far, and far into the bosom of the invaded land, at that most brilliant and successful repartee—and with alacrity120 and glee—confident of success, and high in daring courage—the Norman host marched, unopposed, in regular and terrible array, toward Hastings. Here on the well-known heights, to this day known by the commemorative name of Battle, the wooden fortresses were speedily erected; trenches121 were dug; and William’s army sat down for the night upon the land, which was thenceforth to be their heritage—thenceforth for evermore.
The news reached Harold as he lay at York, wounded and resting from his labors122, and on the instant, with his victorious army, he set forth, publishing, as he marched along, his proclamation to all the chief of provinces and shires, to arm their followers, and meet him with all speed at London. The western levies came without delay; those from the north, owing to distance, were some time behind; and yet, could Harold have been brought by any means to moderate his fierce and desperate31 impatience123, he would, ere four days had elapsed, have found himself, at least, in the command of twice two hundred men. But irritated to the utmost by the sufferings of his countrymen, whose lands were pitilessly ravaged124, whose tenements125 were burned for miles around the Norman camp, whose wives and daughters were subjected to every species of insult and indignity126, the Saxon king pressed onward127. And though his forces did not amount to one-fourth part of the great duke’s array, still, he was resolved to encounter them, precipitate128 and furious as a madman.
On the eighteenth day after the defeat of Tosti and Hardrada, the Saxon army was encamped over against the fortified129 position of the invaders. On that same day, a monk130, Sir Hugues Maigrot, came to find Harold, with proposals from the foe, offering him peace on one of three conditions—either that he should yield the kingdom presently—or leave it to the arbitration131 of the pope—or, finally, decide the matter by appeal to God in single combat.
To each and all of these proposals, the Saxon answered bluntly in the negative. “I will not yield my kingdom! I will not leave it to the pope! I will not meet the duke in single combat!”
Again the monk returned. “I come again,” he said, “from William. ‘Tell Harold,’ said the duke, ‘if he will hold him to his ancient compact, I yield him all the lands beyond the Humber; I give his brother Gurth all the demesnes his father, Godwin, held. If he refuse these my last proffers132, tell him before his people, he is a perjured liar, accursed of the pope, and excommunicated—he, and all those that hold to him!’”
But no effect had the bold words of William on the stern spirits of the English. “Battle,” they cried—“no peace with the Normans. Battle—immediate battle!” and with that answer did the priest return to his employer; and either host prepared32 for the appeal to that great arbiter133, the sword.
Fairly the morning broke which was to look upon the slaughter134 of so many thousands; broad and bright rose the sun before whose setting one of those two magnificent and gallant armies must necessarily be involved in utter ruin. As the first rays were visible upon the eastern sky, Odo, the bishop of Bayeux, William’s maternal135 brother, performed high mass before the marshalled troops, wearing his cope and rochet over his iron harness. The holy rites136 performed, he leaped upon his snow-white charger, and, with his truncheon in his hand, arrayed the cavalry137, which he commanded.
It was a glorious spectacle, that mighty host, arrayed in three long columns of attack, marching with slow and orderly precision against the palisaded trenches of the Saxons. The men-at-arms of the great counts of Boulogne and Ponthieu composed the first; the second being formed by the auxiliar bands of Brittany, Poitou, and Maine; and in the third, commanded by the duke in person—mounted on a superb Andalusian charger, wearing about his neck the reliquary on which his rival had sworn falsely, and accompanied by a young noble, Tunstan the White, bearing the banner of the pope—were marshalled all the flower and strength of Normandy. Scattered138 along the front of the advance were multitudes of archers, lightly equipped in quilted jerkins, with long yew139 bows, and arrows of an ell in length, mingled140 with crossbow-men with arbalasts of steel, and square, steel-headed quarrels.
Steadily they advanced, and in good order; while, in their entrenched141 camp, guarded by palisades of oak morticed together in a long line of ponderous142 trellis-work, the Englishmen awaited their approach, drawn143 up around their standard, which—blazoned with the white dragon, long both the ensign and the war-cry of their race—was planted firmly in the earth, surrounded by the dense144 ranks of heavy infantry145 which formed the strength33 of their array.
Just as the charge began, William rode out before the lines, and thus addressed his soldiery: “Turn your hearts wholly to the combat! set all upon the die, either to fall or conquer! For if we gain, we shall be rich and glorious. That which I gain, shall be your gain; that which I conquer, yours! If I shall win this land, ye shall possess it! Know, too, and well remember this, that not to claim my right have I come only, but to revenge—ay, to revenge our gentle nation on all the felonies, the perjuries146, the treasons of the English!—the English, who, in profound peace, upon Saint Brice’s eve, ruthlessly slew147 the unarmed and defenceless Danes; who decimated the bold followers of Alfred, my kinsman and your countryman, and slew himself by shameless treachery! On, then, with God’s aid, Normans! on, for revenge and victory!”
Then out dashed from the lines the boldest of his vavasours, the Norman Taillefer, singing aloud the famous song—well known through every province of proud France—the song of Charlemagne and Rollo—tossing aloft the while his long, two-handed war-sword, and catching148 it adroitly149 as it fell; while at each close of that proud, spirit-stirring chant, each warrior65 of that vast array thundered the burden of the song—“God aid! God aid!”
Then, like a storm of hail, close, deadly, and incessant150, went forth the volleyed showers from arbalast and long-bow; while infantry and horse charged in unbroken order against the gates and angles of the fort. But with a cool and stubborn hardihood the Saxon infantry stood firm. Protected by the massive palisades from the appalling151 volleys of the archery, they hurled152 their short and heavy javelins153 with certain aim and deadly execution over their stout defences; while their huge axes, wherever they came hand to hand, shivered the Norman spears like reeds, and cleft154 the heaviest mail, even at a single blow! Long,34 and with all the hot, enthusiastic valor of their race, did the assailants crowd around the ramparts; but it was all in vain—they could not scale them in the face of that indomitable infantry; they could not force one timber from its place; and they at length recoiled155, weary and half-subdued, toward the reserve of William.
After a short cessation, again the archery advanced; but, by the orders of the duke, their volleys were no longer sent point-blank, but shot at a great elevation156, so that they fell in a thick, galling157 shower, striking the heads and wounding the unguarded faces of the bold defenders158. Harold himself, who fought on foot beside his standard, lost his right eye at the first flight; but not for that did he desert his post, or play less valiantly159 the part of a determined soldier and wise leader. Again with that tremendous shout of “N?tre Dame—God aid! God aid!” which had, in every realm of Europe, sounded the harbinger of victory, the horse and foot rushed on to the attack; while from their rear that heavy and incessant sleet161 of bolt, and shaft, and bullet, fell fast and frequent into the dense ranks of the still-undaunted English. At no point did they force their way, however, even when fighting at this desperate advantage. At no point did a single Norman penetrate162 a gate, or overtop a palisade; while at one entrance so complete was the repulse163 of the attacking squadrons, that they recoiled, hard pressed by the defenders, to a ravine at some considerable distance from the trenches, deep, dangerous, and filled with underwood and brambles; these, as they fell back in confusion, their horses stumbling and unable to recover, were overthrown164 and slain165 pell-mell, and half defeated. One charge of cavalry, one shock of barbed horse, would have insured the total rout166 of the invaders; but—wo for England on that day!—cavalry she had none, nor barbed horse, to complete gloriously the work her sturdy footmen had commenced so gallantly. Still, great was35 the disorder167, great was the disarray168 and peril169, of the foreign soldiery. The cry went through the host that the great duke was slain; and, though he flung himself amid the flyers, with his head bare, that they might recognise his features—threatening, cursing, striking at friend and foe with undiscriminating violence—it was well nigh an hour before he could restore the semblance170 of any discipline or order. This, once accomplished171, he advanced again; and yet a third time, though he exerted every nerve, was he repulsed172 at every point in terrible disorder, and with tremendous loss.
Evening was fast approaching; and well did William know that, if the following morning should find the Saxons firm in their unforced entrenchments, his hopes were vain and hopeless! The country, far and near, was rousing to the Saxon war-cry; and to the Normans, not to conquer, was to be conquered utterly173; and to be conquered was to perish, one and all! Valor or open force, it was too evident, could effect nothing against men as valiant160 and as strong, posted with more advantage. Guile was his last resource; and guile, as usual, prevailed!
A thousand of his cavaliers advanced, as though about to charge the trenches at full speed, with lances lowered, and with their wonted ensenzie, “God aid!” But as they neared the palisades, by preconcerted stratagem174, as if they had lost heart, they suddenly drew bridle175, all as a single man, and fled, as it appeared, in irretrievable disorder, back, back to the main body! Meanwhile, throughout the lines, the banners were waved to and fro disorderly, and the ranks shifted, and spears rose and fell, and all betokened176 their complete disorganization. The sight was too much even for the cool hardihood of Saxon courage. With one tremendous shout they rushed from their entrenchments—which, had they held to them, not forty-fold the force of William could have successfully assailed—and,36 wielding177 with both hands their bills and axes, plunged178 headlong in pursuit. That instant, all was over! For, at a moment’s notice, at a concerted signal of a single trumpet179, the very men they deemed defeated wheeled into line; and with their spears projecting ten feet, at the least, before their chargers’ poitrels, their long plumes180 floating backward in the current caused by their own quick motion, the chivalry of France bore down on their pursuers, breathless, confused, and struggling. It was a massacre181, but not a rout; for not a man turned on his heel, or even thought to fly: but back to back, in desperate groups, they fought after their ranks were broken, hewing182 with their short weapons at the mail-clad lancers, who securely speared them from the backs of their barbed horses—asking not, nor receiving quarter—true sons of England to the last, annihilated183 but not conquered! Night fell, and Gurth, and Leofwyn, and Harold, lay dead around their standard—pierced with innumerable wounds, gory184, and not to be discerned, so were their features and their forms defaced and mangled185 by friend or foeman. Yet still, when all was lost, without array or order, standards, or chiefs, or hopes, the Englishmen fought on—till total darkness sank down on the field of slaughter, and utter inability to slay186 caused a brief pause in the unsparing havoc187. Such was the vengeance188 of the Norman!
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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sophistry
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| n.诡辩 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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interdict
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| v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令 | |
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perjured
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| adj.伪证的，犯伪证罪的v.发假誓，作伪证( perjure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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supremacy
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guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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24
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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25
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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27
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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28
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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29
espoused
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| v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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31
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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32
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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33
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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34
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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35
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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36
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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38
puissant
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| adj.强有力的 | |
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39
alienation
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| n.疏远；离间；异化 | |
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40
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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41
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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42
kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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43
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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44
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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45
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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46
prodigies
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| n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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47
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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48
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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49
canvass
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| v.招徕顾客，兜售；游说；详细检查，讨论 | |
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50
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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51
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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52
foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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53
gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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54
galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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55
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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56
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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57
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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59
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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60
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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61
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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62
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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63
besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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64
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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65
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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66
inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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67
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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68
prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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69
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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70
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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71
valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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72
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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73
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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74
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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75
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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76
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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78
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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79
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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80
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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81
amity
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| n.友好关系 | |
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82
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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83
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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84
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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85
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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86
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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87
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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88
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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89
blazoned
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| v.广布( blazon的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布；夸示；装饰 | |
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90
incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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91
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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92
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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93
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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94
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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95
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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96
pinions
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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97
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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98
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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99
speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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100
mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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101
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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102
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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103
volition
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| n.意志；决意 | |
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104
consorts
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| n.配偶( consort的名词复数 )；（演奏古典音乐的）一组乐师；一组古典乐器；一起v.结伴( consort的第三人称单数 )；交往；相称；调和 | |
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105
humble
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|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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106
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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107
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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108
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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109
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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110
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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112
succinct
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| adj.简明的，简洁的 | |
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113
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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114
laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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115
complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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116
fortresses
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| 堡垒，要塞( fortress的名词复数 ) | |
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117
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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118
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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119
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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120
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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121
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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122
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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123
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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124
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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125
tenements
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| n.房屋，住户，租房子( tenement的名词复数 ) | |
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126
indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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127
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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128
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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129
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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130
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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131
arbitration
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| n.调停，仲裁 | |
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132
proffers
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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133
arbiter
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| n.仲裁人，公断人 | |
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134
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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135
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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136
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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137
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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138
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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139
yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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140
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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141
entrenched
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| adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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142
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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143
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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144
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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145
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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146
perjuries
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| n.假誓，伪证，伪证罪( perjury的名词复数 ) | |
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147
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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148
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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149
adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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150
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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151
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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152
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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153
javelins
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| n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 ) | |
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154
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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155
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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156
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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157
galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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158
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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159
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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160
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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161
sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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162
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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163
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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164
overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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165
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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166
rout
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| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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167
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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168
disarray
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| n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱 | |
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169
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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170
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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171
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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172
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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173
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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174
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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175
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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176
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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177
wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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178
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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179
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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180
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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181
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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182
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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183
annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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184
gory
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| adj.流血的；残酷的 | |
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185
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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186
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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187
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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188
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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