Hereward, The Last of the English

ay have looked, wondering, for the first time in his life, upon the bones of the old world, where they rise at Dunkeld out

"on the day of the Seven Sleepers," and heard Siward, when his son Asbiorn's corpse was carried into camp, [Footnote: Shakespeare makes young Siward his son. He, too, was slain in the battle: but he was Siward's nephew.] ask only, "Has he all his wounds in front?" He may have seen old Siward, after

dered: the chroniclers, however, are silent. They only say that Her

ng" especially-the ancestors of the finest aristocracy, both physically and intellectually, in the world. They had their connections, moreover, with the Norman court of Rouen, through the Duchess Matilda, daughter of their old Seigneur, Baldwin, Marquis of Flanders; their connections, too, with the English Court, through Countess Judith, wife of Earl Tosti Godwinsson, another daughter of Baldwin's. Their friendship was sought, the

he kept, and the milites tyrones, or squires in training for the honor of knighthood, who fed at his table. Where he liv

rs on path

ts for want

century (not having been to Aberdeen or Elgin), leaves all the country north of the Tay

n in with no adventure worthy of a man, and looked curiously and longingly at the menagerie of wild beasts enclosed in strong wooden cages, which Gilbert kept in one corner of the great court-yard, not for any scientific purposes, but to try with them, at Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, the mettle of the young gentlemen who were candidates for the honor of knighthood. But after looking over the bulls and stags, wolves and bears, Hereward settled it in his mind that there was none worthy of his steel, save one huge white bear, whom no man had yet dared to f

and called him "the old man in the fur cloak," afraid to use his right name, even inside the tent, for fear of his overhearing and avenging the insult. "He has twe

the greatest wonder, perhaps, among all the wealth of Crowland, was the twelve white bear-skins which lay before the altars, the gift of the great Canute. How Gilbert had obtained his white bear, and why he kept him there in durance vile, was a mystery over which men shook their heads. Again and again Hereward asked his host to let him try his strength against the

the highest and most fantastic; and an Emir's daughter, or a Princess of Constantinople, were the very lowest game at which he meant to fly. Alftruda was beautiful, too, exceedingly, and precocious, and, it may be, vain enough to repay his attentions in good earnest. Moreover she was English as he was, and royal likewise; a relation of Elfgiva, daughter of Ethe

the court-yard stood the Fairy Bear; his white mane bristled up till he seemed twice as big as any of the sober brown bears which Hereward yet had seen: his long snake neck and cruel visage wreathed about in search of prey. A dead horse, its back broken by a single blow of the paw, and two or three writhing dogs, showed that the beast had turned (like too many of his human kindred) "Berserker." The court-yard was u

rawing his sword, rushed forward with

d: and, making up his mind to take the largest morsel first,

and lifted the iron talons high in air. Hereward knew that there was but one spot at which to strik

his sword had turned aside, or melted like water in his hand, and the next moment would find him crushed to earth, blinded and stunned. Something tugged at his sword

is deed. What was there after this which he might not do? And he stood there in the fulness of his pride, defiant of earth and heaven, while in his heart arose the thought of that old Viking who cried, in the pride of his godlessness: "I never on earth met him whom I feared, and why should I fear Him in heaven? If I met Odi

hat there is a fair lady trying to thank you, while you are s

He took the child up in his arms and kissed her with pure kisses, which for a

done it,

pied you. What will the old

t ca

hook his head, and

at for?" sa

can but skin it. We may sleep warm under th

to astonish the brave knights inside." And stooping down, he attempted to lift the huge carcass; but in vain. At last, with Martin's help, he got it fairl

so few and far between that the folks inside had

helter in the bower with the ladies. Whatever they were going to say the ladies forestalled, for, rushing out across the prostrate

cried they. "You have knighted

the others, "that he had not given that a

her, "of taking down this boy's conceit,

aid a third, "and look for ad

all other vices in those rough-hewn times, were apt to take very startlin

ighted, as soon as Sir Gilbert comes

humility of a self-conceited boy, "that I had done anything worthy o

from the knights and

antam crows after his

? Eat a dragon? Fly to the moon? M

hought of doing; and his blood, heated enough already, beat quicke

ot earned knighthood, what must we be, who have not killed h

s head, wrenched out of it the sword which he had left

y from his bosom the little magic axe, keeping

ts away with haughty words and gestures, which, because th

ed Hereward to s

you remained outside, and been eaten by the bear, what must have befallen them, had he burst open the door? As for this little lass, whom you left outside, she is too young to requite k

the green. Gilbert's lady would need give him the seat, and all the honors, of a belted knight, though knight he was none. And daily and weekly the v

s promised a chance of fighting for glory, as soon as a Highland chief should declare war against Gilbert,

be equally content with him, and he was much disconcerted when Martin drew him aside one day, an

ha

hrough a deer's bladebon

ould ha

dozen who eat at

ad my laugh at them, they had the

rd, which you have forgotten,

E

t them to forgive you that, till t

is

Brunhild? And more, what right have you to come here, and so win the hearts of the ladies, that the lady of all the ladies should say, 'If aught happen to my poor boy,-and he cannot live long,-I would adopt Hereward for my own son, and show his mother what a fool some folks think her?' So, my lord, put o

take ingratitude and treachery for granted. He was to learn the lesson then, as a wholesome chastener to the pride of success. He was to learn it again in later years, as an additional bitterness i

tman and his dogs, in search of boar and deer; and each had

lled it in right and left for twenty feet above. The track, what with pack-horses' feet, and what with the wear and tear of five hundred years' rain-fall, was a rut three fee

is same treason, unless you have be

was nowhere

artin's face was peering through the heather overhead, his finger o

n the sheath, and then gripped his lance

nd him; looked back; and saw a knight charging desperately

almost the last time in his life, he struck spurs into his horse, and ran away. As he went, an arrow struck him sharply in the back, piercing the corslet, but hardly entering the flesh. As he neared the mouth

and he hurled aside the left-hand lance, with his right he hurled his own with all his force at the right-hand foe, a

knight behind? Would not his sword

th them Martin Lightfoot. He had already pinned the felon knight's head against the steep bank, and, with up

. "Let us see who he is; and reme

to-day. I finished his horse's g

leg with a blow of the axe, and they had t

ed his priso

d. "And I saved your

t answere

. Let that be punishment en

a woodman's cart, if he h

rd knight, after trying vainly to walk a mile or two, fell and lay, and was fain to fulfil Martin's prophecy, and b

try to commit, murder on each other's bodies, was far too common a mishap in the ages of faith to stir up more than an extra gossiping and cackling among the women,

stess, "I must thank you for all your hospita

nly to stay till her lord cam

l not dwell. I have killed two of them, and shall have to kill two of their kinsmen next, and then two more, till you have no knights left; and pity that

e weeping in the bower, and great the chuckling in the hall