惊婚记 英文版 Quentin Durward
瓦尔特.司各特 Sir Walter Scott
CHAPTER V: THE MAN AT ARMS Page 2
"I understand you, my fair nephew," said the royal man at arms, "Iunderstand you passing well; but you are unripe in these matters.The Duke of Burgundy is a hot brained, impetuous, pudding headed,iron ribbed dare all. He charges at the head of his nobles andnative knights, his liegemen of Artois and Hainault; think you, ifyou were there, or if I were there myself, that we could be muchfarther forward than the Duke and all his brave nobles of his ownland? If we were not up with them, we had a chance to be turned onthe Provost Marshal's hands for being slow in making to; if we wereabreast of them, all would be called well and we might be thoughtto have deserved our pay; and grant that I was a spear's lengthor so in the front, which is both difficult and dangerous in sucha melee where all do their best, why, my lord Duke says in hisFlemish tongue, when he sees a good blow struck, 'Ha! gut getroffen(well struck)! a good lance -- a brave Scot -- give him a florinto drink our health;' but neither rank, nor lands, nor treasurescome to the stranger in such a service -- all goes to the childrenof the soil."
"And where should it go, in Heaven's name, fair uncle?" demandedyoung Durward.
"To him that protects the children of the soil," said Balafre,drawing up his gigantic height. "Thus says King Louis 'My goodFrench peasant -- mine honest Jacques Bonhomme, get you to yourtools, your plough and your harrow, your pruning knife and your hoe-- here is my gallant Scot that will fight for you, and you shallonly have the trouble to pay him. And you, my most serene duke, myillustrious count, and my most mighty marquis, e'en rein up yourfiery courage till it is wanted, for it is apt to start out of thecourse, and to hurt its master; here are my companies of ordnance-- here are my French Guards -- here are, above all, my ScottishArchers, and mine honest Ludovic with the Scar, who will fight,as well or better than you, will fight with all that undisciplinedvalour which, in your father's time, lost Cressy and Azincour (twofamous victories in the Hundred Years' War gained over the Frenchby the English, near the towns of Crecy and Agincourt, in 1346 and1415. See Shakespeare's Henry V for a description of the latter.).Now, see you not in which of these states a cavalier of fortuneholds the highest rank, and must come to the highest honour?"
"I think I understand you, fair uncle," answered the nephew; "but,in my mind, honour cannot be won where there is no risk. Sure,this is -- I pray pardon me -- an easy and almost slothful life,to mount guard round an elderly man whom no one thinks of harming,to spend summer day and winter night up in yonder battlements, andshut up all the while in iron cages, for fear you should desertyour posts -- uncle, uncle, it is but a hawk upon his perch, whois never carried out to the fields!"
"Now, by Saint Martin of Tours, the boy has some spirit! a righttouch of the Lesly in him; much like myself, though always with alittle more folly in it. Hark ye, youth -- Long live the King ofFrance! -- scarce a day but there is some commission in hand, bywhich some of his followers may win both coin and credit. Think notthat the bravest and most dangerous deeds are done by daylight. Icould tell you of some, as scaling castles, making prisoners, andthe like, where one who shall be nameless hath run higher risk andgained greater favour than any desperado in the train of desperateCharles of Burgundy. And if it please his Majesty to remain behind,and in the background, while such things are doing, he hath themore leisure of spirit to admire, and the more liberality of handto reward the adventurers, whose dangers, perhaps, and whose featsof arms, he can better judge of than if he had personally sharedthem. Oh, 't is a sagacious and most politic monarch!"
His nephew paused, and then said, in a low but impressive tone ofvoice, "the good Father Peter used often to teach me there mightbe much danger in deeds by which little glory was acquired. I neednot say to you, fair uncle, that I do in course suppose that thesesecret commissions must needs be honourable."
"For whom or for what take you me, fair nephew," said Balafre,somewhat sternly; "I have not been trained, indeed, in the cloister,neither can I write or read. But I am your mother's brother; I ama loyal Lesly. Think you that I am like to recommend to you anythingunworthy? The best knight in France, Du Guesclin himself, if he werealive again, might be proud to number my deeds among his achievements."
"I cannot doubt your warranty, fair uncle," said the youth; "youare the only adviser my mishap has left me. But is it true, asfame says, that this King keeps a meagre Court here at his Castleof Plessis? No repair of nobles or courtiers, none of his grandfeudatories in attendance, none of the high officers of the crown;half solitary sports, shared only with the menials of his household;secret councils, to which only low and obscure men are invited;rank and nobility depressed, and men raised from the lowest originto the kingly favour -- all this seems unregulated, resembles notthe manners of his father, the noble Charles, who tore from thefangs of the English lion this more than half conquered kingdom ofFrance."
"You speak like a giddy child," said Le Balafre, "and even as achild, you harp over the same notes on a new string. Look you: ifthe King employs Oliver Dain, his barber, to do what Oliver can dobetter than any peer of them all, is not the kingdom the gainer?If he bids his stout Provost Marshal, Tristan, arrest such or sucha seditious burgher, take off such or such a turbulent noble, thedeed is done, and no more of it; when, were the commission givento a duke or peer of France, he might perchance send the King backa defiance in exchange. If, again, the King pleases to give to plainLudovic le Balafre a commission which he will execute, instead ofemploying the High Constable, who would perhaps betray it, doth itnot show wisdom? Above all, doth not a monarch of such conditionsbest suit cavaliers of fortune, who must go where their servicesare most highly prized, and most frequently in demand? -- No, no,child, I tell thee Louis knows how to choose his confidants, andwhat to charge them with; suiting, as they say, the burden to eachman's back. He is not like the King of Castile, who choked withthirst, because the great butler was not beside to hand his cup.-- But hark to the bell of St. Martin's! I must hasten, back to theCastle -- Farewell -- make much of yourself, and at eight tomorrowmorning present yourself before the drawbridge, and ask the sentinelfor me. Take heed you step not off the straight and beaten path inapproaching the portal! There are such traps and snap haunches asmay cost you a limb, which you will sorely miss. You shall see theKing, and learn to judge him for yourself -- farewell."
So saying, Balafre hastily departed, forgetting, in his hurry, topay for the wine he had called for, a shortness of memory incidental topersons of his description, and which his host, overawed perhaps bythe nodding bonnet and ponderous two handed sword, did not presumeto use any efforts for correcting. It might have been expectedthat, when left alone, Durward would have again betaken himself tohis turret, in order to watch for the repetition of those delicioussounds which had soothed his morning reverie. But that was a chapterof romance, and his uncle's conversation had opened to him a pageof the real history of life. It was no pleasing one, and for thepresent the recollections and reflections which it excited werequalified to overpower other thoughts, and especially all of alight and soothing nature.
Quentin resorted to a solitary walk along the banks of the rapidCher, having previously inquired of his landlord for one which hemight traverse without fear of disagreeable interruption from snaresand pitfalls, and there endeavoured to compose his turmoiled andscattered thoughts, and consider his future motions, upon whichhis meeting with his uncle had thrown some dubiety.