Айвенго

Chapter 8

           Atlengththebarrierswereopened,andfiveknights,chosenbylot,advancedslowlyintothearea;asinglechampionridinginfront,andtheotherfourfollowinginpairs.Allweresplendidlyarmed,andmySaxonauthority(intheWardourManuscript)recordsatgreatlengththeirdevices,theircolours,andtheembroideryoftheirhorsetrappings.Itisunnecessarytobeparticularonthesesubjects.Toborrowlinesfromacontemporarypoet,whohaswrittenbuttoolittle:

           "Theknightsaredust,

           Andtheirgoodswordsarerust,

           Theirsoulsarewiththesaints,wetrust."

           Theirescutcheonshavelongmoulderedfromthewallsoftheircastles.Theircastlesthemselvesarebutgreenmoundsandshatteredruinstheplacethatonceknewthem,knowsthemnomorenay,manyaracesincetheirshasdiedoutandbeenforgottenintheverylandwhichtheyoccupied,withalltheauthorityoffeudalproprietorsandfeudallords.What,then,woulditavailthereadertoknowtheirnames,ortheevanescentsymbolsoftheirmartialrank!

           Now,however,nowhitanticipatingtheoblivionwhichawaitedtheirnamesandfeats,thechampionsadvancedthroughthelists,restrainingtheirfierysteeds,andcompellingthemtomoveslowly,while,atthesametime,theyexhibitedtheirpaces,togetherwiththegraceanddexterityoftheriders.Astheprocessionenteredthelists,thesoundofawildBarbaricmusicwasheardfrombehindthetentsofthechallengers,wheretheperformerswereconcealed.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 122 из 723