tle!" cried several, amid a
burst of laughter.
"i come to it, my young war-pups. well, then, the king of france
had followed us with fifty thousand men, and he made great haste
to catch us, but when he had us he scarce knew what to do with
us, for we were so drawn up among hedges and vineyards that they
could not come nigh us, save by one lane. on both sides were
archers, men-at-arms and knights behind, and in the centre the
baggage, with my feather-bed upon a sutler's mule. three hundred
chosen knights came straight for it, and, indeed, they were very
brave men, but such a drift of arrows met them that few came
back. then came the germans, and they also fought very bravely,
so that one or two broke through the archers and came as far as
the feather-bed, but all to no purpose. then out rides our own
little hothead with the patch over his eye, and my lord audley
with his four cheshire squires, and a few others of like kidney,
and after them went the prince and chandos, and then the whole
throng of us, with axe and sword, for we had shot away our
arrows. ma foi! it was a foolish thing, for we came forth from
the hedges, and there was naught to guard the baggage had they
ridden round behind us. but all went well with us, and the king
was taken, and little robby withstaff and i fell in with a wain
with twelve, firkins of wine for the king's own table, and, by my
hilt! if you ask me what happened after that, i cannot answer
you, nor can little robby withstaff either."
"and next day?"
"by my faith! we did not tarry long, but we hied back to
bordeaux, where we came in safety with the king of france and
also the feather-bed. i sold my spoil, mes garcons, for as many
gold-pieces as i could hold in my hufken, and for seven days i
lit twelve wax candles upon the altar of st. andrew; for if you
forget the blessed when things are well with you, they are very
likely to forget you when you have need of them. i have a score
of one hundred and nineteen pounds of wax against the holy
andrew, and, as he was a very just man, i doubt not that i shall
have full weigh and measure when i have most need of it."
"tell me, master aylward," cried a young fresh-faced archer at
the further end of the room, "what was this great battle about?"
"why, you jack-fool, what would it be about save who should wear
the crown of france?"
"i thought that mayhap it might be as to who should have this
feather-bed of thine."
"if i come down to you, silas, i may lay my belt across your
shoulders," aylward answered, amid a general shout of laughter.
"but it is time young chickens went to roost when they dare
cackle against their elders. it is late, simon."
"nay, let us have another song."
"here is arnold of sowley will troll as good a stave as any man
in the company."
"nay, we have one here who is second to none," said hawtayne,
laying his hand upon big john's shoulder. "i have heard him on
the cog with a voice like the wave upon the shore. i pray you,
friend, to give us 'the bells of milton,' or, if you will, 'the
franklin's maid.' "
hordle john drew the back of his hand across his mouth, fixed his
eyes upon the corner of the ceiling, and bellowed forth, in a
voice which made the torches flicker, the southland ballad for
which he had been asked:--
the franklin he hath gone to roam, the franklin's maid she bides
at home, but she is cold and coy and staid, and who may win the
franklin's maid?
there came a knight of high renown in bassinet and ciclatoun; on
bended knee full long he prayed, he might not win the franklin's
maid.
there came a squire so debonair his dress was rich, his words
were fair, he sweetly sang, he deftly played: he could not win
the franklin's maid.
there came a mercer wonder-fine with velvet cap and gaberdine;
for all his ships, for all his trade he could not buy the
franklin's maid.
there came an archer bold and true, with bracer guard and stave
of yew; his purse was light, his jerkin frayed; haro, alas! the
franklin's maid!
oh, some have laughed and some have cried and some have scoured
the country-side! but off they ride through wood and glade, the
bowman and the franklin's maid.
a roar of delight from his audience, with stamping of feet and
beating of blackjacks against the ground, showed how thoroughly
the song was to their taste, while john modestly retired into a
quart pot, which he drained in four giant gulps. "i sang that
ditty in hordle ale-house ere i ever thought to be an archer
myself," quoth he.
"fill up your stoups!" cried black simon, thrusting his own
goblet into the open hogshead in front of him. "here is a last
cup to the white company, and every brave boy who walks behind
the roses of loring!"
"to the wood, the flax, and the gander's wing!" said an old gray-
head
本文链接:
http://m.picdg.com/38_38017/5748653.html