The Caged Lion

Ebba's monastery, before the low-browed gate of Coldingham

elieving Sir David to be mending since last night, he had rent himself away, and was riding in the frosty morning air beside the kinsman who had so

s or perplexity; then a sudden gleam would light up his face, as if a brilliant project had occurred to him, his lips would part, his eyes flash, he would impel his horse forward as though leading a charge, or lift up his head with kindling looks, like one rehearsing a speech; but ever a check would come on him in th

lashed up to their ears, and therewith sounds of music. ''Tis the toon of Christ's Kirk on the Green,' said the squire, as

James. 'These good folk have come a-motherin

t not more prudent of you to tarry w

our best friend! Besides

to his rank as a king's grandson; and the cousins, from whom he had suffered, were of the same rank with himself. Did this wandering landless knight, now he had him in his power, mean to disregard all that

e honour Lenten requirements were relaxed. Monks and priests were there in plenty, and so were jugglers and maskers, Robin Hood and Marion, glee-men and harpers, merchants and hucksters, masterful beggars and sorners, shepherds in gray mauds with wise collies at their feet, shre

at the long wooden table under the great garland of fir-boughs, willow catkins, and primroses, hung over the boughs of the tree, crossed himself, murmured his Benedictus benedicat, drew his dagger, carved a slice of the haunch of ox on the table, offered it to the reluctant Malcolm, then helping himself, entered into conversation with the lean friar on one side of him, and the stalwart man-at-arms opposite, apparently as indifferent as the res

test in archery at the butts, where arrow after arrow flew wide of the clout, for the strength of Scotland did not lie in the lo

and drew their bow, sometimes to find the arrow on the grass at their feet, sometimes to see it producing consternation among the bystanders; but when he saw Brewster standing silently

ative ballad began to sound to the accompaniment of a harp, and he stood motionless

sun ne'er

n and Ro

old man's hand, saying, with a sigh, 'I heard that last at my father's knee! It rung in my ears for many a year! Here, lad!' and dropping a gold coin into the woode

bout the L

men win t

y Earl of

nd to catc

s he followed the spirit-stirring ballad; and then, as Douglas falls, and is laid beneath

e brac

upon the

lad ended than he sprang forward to the harper, cryin

l, 'remember how much

, trying to shake him off. 'It moves the hear

impatience, half in contempt. 'I could si

ist the fascination, Sir James held out his hand to the first comely lass he saw disengaged, and in spite of the steel-guarded boots that he wore, answered foot for foot, spring for spring, to the deft manoeuvres of her shoeless feet, with equal agility an

s length

d that they ken not yourself, that lad is only too ken-speckle. Moreover, you ye ma

at jades like theirs. Nay, friend, I come, since you grudge me for once the sight of a little

ce as could be maintained by the whole party with out d

g that it was his duty to present himself to the governor; and, being detained to sup with him, was seen no more till they started the next mo

or flat cap with a short curtain to it, and his sword was the only weapon he retained. Nigel was also nearly unarmed, and Sir James advised Malcolm himself to lay aside the light haw

was new and surprising. Malcolm would have asked much concerning the King, to whom he was bound, but these questions were the only ones Sir

hedral institution. There it stood, with the Weir encircling it, on its own fair though mighty hill, with all the glory of it

back at the grand mass of buildings. 'These are the only spots where the holy and tender can

l world did lilies only

ll world,'

th's time,' replied the knight, li

oodland scenery of Yorkshire, when suddenly there leaped from beh

emost grasped Sir James's bridle; but the latter merely

embraced him and his companion with a cordiality that made Malcolm not a little uneasy. Could

to see his hunting at Tanfield, we came on thinking to meet you. Marmion here has a nooning spread in the forest; ere we go on to Thi

-purse days did you fall on suc

ames's, who turned for a moment to say, 'Take car

smounted, and, as John said, 'This is the way to our noon meat,' he let himself be conducted through the trees to a glade, sheltered from the wind, where a Lenten though not unsavoury meal of bread, dried fish, and eggs was laid out on the grass, in a bright warm sunshine; and

's perfectly regular features. It would have been hard to define what instantly showed the seniority of his brother, for the clearness of his colouring-bright red and white like a lady's-his short, well-moulded chin, and the fresh earnestness and animation of his countenance, gave an air of perpetual youth in spite of the scar of an arrow on the cheek which told of at least one battle; but there were those manifestations of being used to be the first which are the evident tokens of elder sonship, and the lordly manner more and more impressed Malcolm.

my King,' he said, but he was scarcely heard; for as Hal unbuckled his sword before sitting down on the grass, he t

Now have I some one to speak with. Ever since Harry borrowed my Lady of W

Holy Land! It would tempt him too much to hear how n

nus,"' replied Malcolm, blu

aries to beg the loan when Gilbert de Lannoy set forth for the survey of Palestine

on, and reading and re-reading one of the few books that came into his hands, nearly mastered th

velled a kni

somed priest

ated as aught but matters of scorn among the princes

d clearly called to mind. The stripling will do you

o resentment in him, and felt gratified at the friendly tone of so grand and manly-looking a k

are served there? I have seen the gibbet where the Mayor of Pa

foully slain!' cried Malcolm, his face lighti

Hal, much amused, and shaking his head m

ow at Yuletide the ghosts came to their mother with their

sing it? Or are you weary?-Marmion, prithee tell som

said Sir James; 'he will ma

brought, having been slung in its case to the saddle of Halbert's horse; and as he had used it to beguile the last evening's halt, it did not need much tuning. Surprised as his princely notions were at being commanded rather than requested to sing, the sweet encouraging smile and tone of kind authority banished all hesitation in complying, and he gave the ballad of the Clerks' Twa Sons of O

gnificent voice, patriotic enthusiasm, and cultivation and refinement, could make it. He had lost himself and all around in the passion of the victory, the pathos of the death. But no such bright look of

rs in bounds when the master

obbing orchards in Anjou. He writes to me almost with his foot in the stirrup, about to give Douglas

url of the lip; 'above all, when fair lad

the elder brother. 'John bears not the

rced to loiter till her wimple is pinned,' retorted

cottish Nigel, 'so please you, let us have the horses;' and as the gentleman hastened to give the summons, he said, 'We shall make good way now. We shall come on Watling Street. Ha, Jamie, when shall we prove ourselves better men than a pack of Pagan Romans, by having a set of roads fit for man or beast, of our own making instead of theirs half decayed? Look where I will, in England o

t of young Malcolm, to whom he had evidently taken a fancy, he began to talk to him in so friendly and winning a manner, that he easily drew from the youth the whole history of his ac

' said Har

James, Sir?' asked

with his merry blue eye. 'I know him-yes; that as far

ll he be good

him. I would not be one of y

own countrymen?' asked Malco

ood fellow enough, my young lord, when left to himself;

t he could not fall back on them, nor learn from them who these brothers were. And there was something in the ironical suppressed pity with which Harry had spoken of his prospects with the King of Scots, that terrified him all the more, because he knew that Sir James and Nigel would both ho

ng, flags flying from the steeple, music sounded, a mayor and his corporation in their robes rode slowly

, while the mayor rehearsed a speech about welcome and victories, and the hopeful queen, and, what was still more to t

gloves must be cleared, ere there i

wide among the populace, who shouted their blessings louder than ever, and thus he reached th

have we not wars enough toward w

is deadly earnest. These are two honourable gentlemen of Yorkshire

rry; then, raising his voice, 'Come hith

native shrewdness packed far away behind a bumpkin stolidity an

ouch himself a true man, and prove in yonder fellow's teeth that it was not a broken-kneed beast that I sent up for

ingwold, ready to thrust his lies down his throat, and prove on his

by the beast's body,'

aded the matter these nine years, we are come to demand licence to fight it out, with

prove the soundness of a

given, Sir King?'

k on their big farm-horses, he raised his voice to a thundering sound: 'Solely on this condition, th

lf ventured to observe something about

man's life-in vain, to appeal thereto on every coxcomb's quarrel, risking the life that was given him to serve God's ends, not his own sullen fancy. I will have an end of such things!-And you,

Mineshull; she's been in doubt between the two of us these five

the French, I'll send home to her a knight, and with better sen

who felt as though his brain were turning, partly with amazement, partly with confusion at his own dulness, as he perceived that not only was the free-spoken Hal, Henry of Monm