To Tom Canty, half buried in his silken cushions, these sounds and this spectacle were a wonder unspeakably sublime10 and astonishing. To his little friends at his side, the Princess Elizabeth and the Lady Jane Grey, they were nothing.
Arrived at the Dowgate, the fleet was towed up the limpid11 Walbrook (whose channel has now been for two centuries buried out of sight under acres of buildings) to Bucklersbury, past houses and under bridges populous12 with merry-makers and brilliantly lighted, and at last came to a halt in a basin where now is Barge Yard, in the centre of the ancient city of London. Tom disembarked, and he and his gallant13 procession crossed Cheapside and made a short march through the Old Jewry and Basinghall Street to the Guildhall.
Tom and his little ladies were received with due ceremony by the Lord Mayor and the Fathers of the City, in their gold chains and scarlet14 robes of state, and conducted to a rich canopy15 of state at the head of the great hall, preceded by heralds16 making proclamation, and by the Mace17 and the City Sword. The lords and ladies who were to attend upon Tom and his two small friends took their places behind their chairs.
At a lower table the Court grandees18 and other guests of noble degree were seated, with the magnates of the city; the commoners took places at a multitude of tables on the main floor of the hall. From their lofty vantage-ground the giants Gog and Magog, the ancient guardians19 of the city, contemplated20 the spectacle below them with eyes grown familiar to it in forgotten generations. There was a bugle-blast and a proclamation, and a fat butler appeared in a high perch21 in the leftward wall, followed by his servitors bearing with impressive solemnity a royal baron22 of beef, smoking hot and ready for the knife.
After grace, Tom (being instructed) rose—and the whole house with him—and drank from a portly golden loving-cup with the Princess Elizabeth; from her it passed to the Lady Jane, and then traversed the general assemblage. So the banquet began.
By midnight the revelry was at its height. Now came one of those picturesque24 spectacles so admired in that old day. A description of it is still extant in the quaint25 wording of a chronicler who witnessed it:
‘Space being made, presently entered a baron and an earl appareled after the Turkish fashion in long robes of bawdkin powdered with gold; hats on their heads of crimson26 velvet27, with great rolls of gold, girded with two swords, called scimitars, hanging by great bawdricks of gold. Next came yet another baron and another earl, in two long gowns of yellow satin, traversed with white satin, and in every bend of white was a bend of crimson satin, after the fashion of Russia, with furred hats of gray on their heads; either of them having an hatchet28 in their hands, and boots with pykes’ (points a foot long), ’turned up. And after them came a knight29, then the Lord High Admiral, and with him five nobles, in doublets of crimson velvet, voyded low on the back and before to the cannell-bone, laced on the breasts with chains of silver; and over that, short cloaks of crimson satin, and on their heads hats after the dancers’ fashion, with pheasants’ feathers in them. These were appareled after the fashion of Prussia. The torchbearers, which were about an hundred, were appareled in crimson satin and green, like Moors30, their faces black. Next came in a mommarye. Then the minstrels, which were disguised, danced; and the lords and ladies did wildly dance also, that it was a pleasure to behold31.’
And while Tom, in his high seat, was gazing upon this ‘wild’ dancing, lost in admiration32 of the dazzling commingling33 of kaleidoscopic34 colours which the whirling turmoil35 of gaudy36 figures below him presented, the ragged37 but real little Prince of Wales was proclaiming his rights and his wrongs, denouncing the impostor, and clamouring for admission at the gates of Guildhall! The crowd enjoyed this episode prodigiously39, and pressed forward and craned their necks to see the small rioter. Presently they began to taunt40 him and mock at him, purposely to goad41 him into a higher and still more entertaining fury. Tears of mortification42 sprang to his eyes, but he stood his ground and defied the mob right royally. Other taunts43 followed, added mockings stung him, and he exclaimed—
“I tell ye again, you pack of unmannerly curs, I am the Prince of Wales! And all forlorn and friendless as I be, with none to give me word of grace or help me in my need, yet will not I be driven from my ground, but will maintain it!”
“Though thou be prince or no prince, ’tis all one, thou be’st a gallant lad, and not friendless neither! Here stand I by thy side to prove it; and mind I tell thee thou might’st have a worser friend than Miles Hendon and yet not tire thy legs with seeking. Rest thy small jaw44, my child; I talk the language of these base kennel-rats like to a very native.”
The speaker was a sort of Don Caesar de Bazan in dress, aspect, and bearing. He was tall, trim-built, muscular. His doublet and trunks were of rich material, but faded and threadbare, and their gold-lace adornments were sadly tarnished45; his ruff was rumpled46 and damaged; the plume47 in his slouched hat was broken and had a bedraggled and disreputable look; at his side he wore a long rapier in a rusty48 iron sheath; his swaggering carriage marked him at once as a ruffler of the camp. The speech of this fantastic figure was received with an explosion of jeers49 and laughter. Some cried, “’Tis another prince in disguise!” “’Ware thy tongue, friend: belike he is dangerous!” "Marry, he looketh it—mark his eye!” "Pluck the lad from him—to the horse-pond wi’ the cub50!”
Instantly a hand was laid upon the Prince, under the impulse of this happy thought; as instantly the stranger’s long sword was out and the meddler51 went to the earth under a sounding thump52 with the flat of it. The next moment a score of voices shouted, “Kill the dog! Kill him! Kill him!” and the mob closed in on the warrior53, who backed himself against a wall and began to lay about him with his long weapon like a madman. His victims sprawled54 this way and that, but the mob-tide poured over their prostrate55 forms and dashed itself against the champion with undiminished fury.
His moments seemed numbered, his destruction certain, when suddenly a trumpet-blast sounded, a voice shouted, “Way for the King’s messenger!” and a troop of horsemen came charging down upon the mob, who fled out of harm’s reach as fast as their legs could carry them. The bold stranger caught up the Prince in his arms, and was soon far away from danger and the multitude.
Return we within the Guildhall. Suddenly, high above the jubilant roar and thunder of the revel23, broke the clear peal56 of a bugle-note. There was instant silence—a deep hush57; then a single voice rose—that of the messenger from the palace—and began to pipe forth58 a proclamation, the whole multitude standing59 listening.
The closing words, solemnly pronounced, were—
“The King is dead!”
The great assemblage bent60 their heads upon their breasts with one accord; remained so, in profound silence, a few moments; then all sank upon their knees in a body, stretched out their hands toward Tom, and a mighty61 shout burst forth that seemed to shake the building—
“Long live the King!”
Poor Tom’s dazed eyes wandered abroad over this stupefying spectacle, and finally rested dreamily upon the kneeling princesses beside him, a moment, then upon the Earl of Hertford. A sudden purpose dawned in his face. He said, in a low tone, at Lord Hertford’s ear—
“Answer me truly, on thy faith and honour! Uttered I here a command, the which none but a king might hold privilege and prerogative62 to utter, would such commandment be obeyed, and none rise up to say me nay63?”
“None, my liege, in all these realms. In thy person bides64 the majesty65 of England. Thou art the king—thy word is law.”
Tom responded, in a strong, earnest voice, and with great animation—
“Then shall the king’s law be law of mercy, from this day, and never more be law of blood! Up from thy knees and away! To the Tower, and say the King decrees the Duke of Norfolk shall not die!”
The words were caught up and carried eagerly from lip to lip far and wide over the hall, and as Hertford hurried from the presence, another prodigious38 shout burst forth—
点击收听单词发音
1 barge | |
n.平底载货船,驳船 | |
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2 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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3 illuminated | |
adj.被照明的;受启迪的 | |
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4 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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5 luminous | |
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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6 countless | |
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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7 spire | |
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点 | |
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8 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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9 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
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10 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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11 limpid | |
adj.清澈的,透明的 | |
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12 populous | |
adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的 | |
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13 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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14 scarlet | |
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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15 canopy | |
n.天篷,遮篷 | |
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16 heralds | |
n.使者( herald的名词复数 );预报者;预兆;传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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17 mace | |
n.狼牙棒,豆蔻干皮 | |
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18 grandees | |
n.贵族,大公,显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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19 guardians | |
监护人( guardian的名词复数 ); 保护者,维护者 | |
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20 contemplated | |
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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21 perch | |
n.栖木,高位,杆;v.栖息,就位,位于 | |
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22 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
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23 revel | |
vi.狂欢作乐,陶醉;n.作乐,狂欢 | |
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24 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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25 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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26 crimson | |
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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27 velvet | |
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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28 hatchet | |
n.短柄小斧;v.扼杀 | |
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29 knight | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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30 moors | |
v.停泊,系泊(船只)( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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32 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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33 commingling | |
v.混合,掺和,合并( commingle的现在分词 ) | |
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34 kaleidoscopic | |
adj.千变万化的 | |
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35 turmoil | |
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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36 gaudy | |
adj.华而不实的;俗丽的 | |
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37 ragged | |
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 | |
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38 prodigious | |
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
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39 prodigiously | |
adv.异常地,惊人地,巨大地 | |
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40 taunt | |
n.辱骂,嘲弄;v.嘲弄 | |
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41 goad | |
n.刺棒,刺痛物;激励;vt.激励,刺激 | |
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42 mortification | |
n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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43 taunts | |
嘲弄的言语,嘲笑,奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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44 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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45 tarnished | |
(通常指金属)(使)失去光泽,(使)变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 ); 玷污,败坏 | |
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46 rumpled | |
v.弄皱,使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 plume | |
n.羽毛;v.整理羽毛,骚首弄姿,用羽毛装饰 | |
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48 rusty | |
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的 | |
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49 jeers | |
n.操纵帆桁下部(使其上下的)索具;嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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50 cub | |
n.幼兽,年轻无经验的人 | |
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51 meddler | |
n.爱管闲事的人,干涉者 | |
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52 thump | |
v.重击,砰然地响;n.重击,重击声 | |
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53 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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54 sprawled | |
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着) | |
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55 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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56 peal | |
n.钟声;v.鸣响 | |
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57 hush | |
int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 | |
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58 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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59 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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60 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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61 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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62 prerogative | |
n.特权 | |
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63 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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64 bides | |
v.等待,停留( bide的第三人称单数 );居住;(过去式用bided)等待;面临 | |
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65 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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66 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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