Section 183
REBECCA DESCRIBES THE SIEGE OF TORQUILSTONE (App. § 5) TO THE WOUNDED IVANHOE1. I.
“And I must lie here like a bed-ridden2 monk,” exclaimed Ivanhoe, “while the game3 that gives me4 freedom or death is played out by the hands of others! Look from the window5 once again, kind maiden, but beware that you are not marked by the archers6. Look out once more, and tell me if7 they yet advance8 to the storm.”
With patient9 courage, strengthened by the interval which she had employed in mental devotion10, Rebecca again took post11 at the lattice, sheltering herself12, however, by means of a large and ancient shield so as not to be visible from beneath13.
“What dost thou see, Rebecca?” again demanded the wounded knight.
“Nothing but the14 cloud of arrows flying so thick as to dazzle mine eyes15, and to hide the bowmen who shoot them.”
“That cannot endure16,” said Ivanhoe; “if they press not right on17 to carry the castle by pure force of arms (S. 27, N. 8), the archery may18 avail but little against stone walls and bulwarks. Look for19 the Black Knight, fair Rebecca, and see how he bears himself20; for as the leader is, so will his followers be21.”
“I see him not,” said Rebecca.
“Foul craven22!” exclaimed Ivanhoe; “does he blench23 from the helm when the wind blows highest24?”
Notes
1 Ivanhoe, a novel by Sir Walter Scott, is the most brilliant and splendid of romances in the English language. Rebecca, the Jewess, was Scott’s favourite character. The Scene is laid in England in the reign of Richard I., who assumes the name of the ‘Black Knight’ in this story, and we are introduced to Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, banquets in Saxon halls, tournaments, and all the pomp of ancient chivalry. Sir Wilfred Ivanhoe is the favourite of Richard I. and disinherited son of the Saxon Cedric of Rotherwood. Having distinguished himself as a crusader, he returns to England and, disguised as a palmer, goes to Rotherwood, where he meets Rowéna, his father’s ward, with whom he is in love; but, through his separation from his true love, we see him more as the friend of Rebecca and her father, Isaac of York, to both of whom he shows repeated acts of kindness, and completely wins the affections of the beautiful Jewess, who, by her gentle, meek, yet noble and high-toned disposition, quite throws into the shade her more successful rival Rowéna. In the grand tournament at Ashby Ivanhoe appears as the ‘Disinherited Knight’, and overthrows all comers. He is, however, wounded, and carried from the crowded lists by Rebecca’s servants. After having attended to his wounds, Rebecca and her father are about to transport their friend in a litter to Doncaster, when they are surprised by a number of armed men, headed by the Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who take them prisoners and bring them, along with Cedric and Rowéna, who likewise have been made captives, to Torquilstone, the Castle of Front-de-Bœuf, Ivanhoe’s enemy. During their imprisonment the castle is besieged by the Black Knight, who, in his adventurous spirit, having joined a band of yeomen and outlaws, demands the deliverance of the prisoners. The castle falls into the hands of the besiegers, Front-de-Bœuf perishing in the flames of the burning castle; Ring Richard pleads for Ivanhoe to Cedric, reconciles the father to his son, and the young knight marries Rowéna.
2 bettlägerig.
3 = combat.
4 Insert ‘either’ here; gives = brings; played out = is fought out; by, von.
5 to look from the window, zum Fenster hinaus´sehen. Use the 2nd pers. sing. when Ivanhoe addresses Rebecca.
6 that — archers = that (= in order that, damit) the archers may not notice thee.
7 ob.
8 heran´rücken.
9 unverdrossen.
10 und durch die von ihr zur stillen Andacht benutzte Pause gestärkt.
11 took post = placed herself; at, an.
12 sich verbergen, insep. comp. str. v. refl.; say ‘sheltered herself however;’ by means of = behind.
13 as — beneath = that she could not be seen from beneath (unten).
14 = a; flying so thick = which fly in such masses (use the Sing.) through the air; ‘to fly through’, here durchflie´gen, insep. comp. str. v.
15 as — eyes = that they dazzle my eyes; and to hide = and conceal from my eyes (Blick, m.); ‘to shoot’, here ab´schießen.
16 lange so fortdauern.
17 to press right on, schne-ll vor´dringen; to = and; to carry a fortress by pure force of arms, eine Festung durch Waffengewalt ein´nehmen.
18 = will; avail, nützen; but = only; bulwarks, Befestigungen.
19 suchen.
20 ‘to bear oneself’, here sich halten, str. v. refl.
21 so die Geführten.
22 Verruchter Feigling!
23 = to give way, zurückweichen, sep. comp. str. v.; helm = rudder, Steuerruder, n.
24 highest = strongest. The relative superlative of adverbs is formed by placing am before the superlative of the adjective, and giving it the dative termination en, like the predicative form of adjectives. Comp. S. 120, N. 14.