norwich would lead the stave, and four hundred of the best bowmen
that ever drew string would come roaring in upon the chorus. i
have seen old john hawkwood, the same who has led half the
company into italy, stand laughing in his beard as he heard it,
until his plates rattled again. but to get the full smack of it
ye must yourselves be english bowmen, and be far off upon an
outland soil."
whilst the song had been singing dame eliza and the maid had
placed a board across two trestles, and had laid upon it the
knife the spoon, the salt, the tranchoir of bread, and finally
the smoking dish which held the savory supper. the archer
settled himself to it like one who had known what it was to find
good food scarce; but his tongue still went as merrily as his
teeth.
"it passes me," he cried, "how all you lusty fellows can bide
scratching your backs at home when there are such doings over the
seas. look at me--what have i to do? it is but the eye to the
cord, the cord to the shaft, and the shaft to the mark. there is
the whole song of it. it is but what you do yourselves for
pleasure upon a sunday evening at the parish village butts."
"and the wage?" asked a laborer.
"you see what the wage brings," he answered. "i eat of the best,
and i drink deep. i treat my friend, and i ask no friend to
treat me. i clap a silk gown on my girl's back. never a
knight's lady shall be better betrimmed and betrinketed. how of
all that, mon garcon? and how of the heap of trifles that you
can see for yourselves in yonder corner? they are from the south
french, every one, upon whom i have been making war. by my hilt!
camarades, i think that i may let my plunder speak for itself."
"it seems indeed to be a goodly service," said the tooth-drawer.
"tete bleu! yes, indeed. then there is the chance of a ransom.
why, look you, in the affair at brignais some four years back,
when the companies slew james of bourbon, and put his army to the
sword, there was scarce a man of ours who had not count, baron,
or knight. peter karsdale, who was but a common country lout
newly brought over, with the english fleas still hopping under
his doublet, laid his great hands upon the sieur amaury de
chatonville, who owns half picardy, and had five thousand crowns
out of him, with his horse and harness. 'tis true that a french
wench took it all off peter as quick as the frenchman paid it;
but what then? by the twang of string! it would be a bad thing
if money was not made to be spent; and how better than on woman--
eh, ma belle?"
"it would indeed be a bad thing if we had not our brave archers
to bring wealth and kindly customs into the country," quoth dame
eliza, on whom the soldier's free and open ways had made a deep
impression.
"a toi, ma cherie!" said he, with his hand over his heart.
"hola! there is la petite peeping from behind the door. a toi,
aussi, ma petite! mon dieu! but the lass has a good color!"
"there is one thing, fair sir," said the cambridge student in his
piping voice, "which i would fain that you would make more clear.
as i understand it, there was peace made at the town of bretigny
some six years back between our most gracious monarch and the
king of the french. this being so, it seems most passing strange
that you should talk so loudly of war and of companies when there
is no quarrel between the french and us."
"meaning that i lie," said the archer, laying down his knife.
"may heaven forfend!" cried the student hastily. "magna est
veritas sed rara, which means in the latin tongue that archers
are all honorable men. i come to you seeking knowledge, for it
is my trade to learn."
"i fear that you are yet a 'prentice to that trade," quoth the
soldier; "for there is no child over the water but could answer
what you ask. know then that though there may be peace between
our own provinces and the french, yet within the marches of
france there is always war, for the country is much divided
against itself, and is furthermore harried by bands of flayers,
skinners, brabacons, tardvenus, and the rest of them. when every
man's grip is on his neighbor's throat, and every five-sous-piece
of a baron is marching with tuck of drum to fight whom he will,
it would be a strange thing if five hundred brave english boys
could not pick up a living. now that sir john hawkwood hath gone
with the east anglian lads and the nottingham woodmen into the
service of the marquis of montferrat to fight against the lord of
milan, there are but ten score of us left, yet i trust that i may
be able to bring some back with me to fill the ranks of the white
company. by the tooth of peter! it would be a bad thing if i
could not muster many a hamptonshire man who would be ready to
strike in under the red flag of st. george, and the more so if
sir nigel loring, of
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