The White Company

elf in front of the forest inn which stood upon the outskirts of Lyndhurst. The building was long and low, standing back a little from the road, with two flambeaux blazing on either s

he roof was poor and thatched; but in strange contrast to it there ran all along under the eaves a line of wooden shields, most gorgeously painted with chevron, bend, and salti

urther to Minstead, where his brother dwelt. On the other hand, he had never seen this brother since childhood, and the rep

ter of his roof. Better to sleep here at this inn, and then travel on to

er. At the end of a year he would be free to return to the cloisters, for such had been his father's bequest. A monkish upbringing, one year in the world after the age of twenty, and then a free selection one way or the other-it was

latter of tongues that he stood irresolute upon the threshold. Summoning courage, however, and reflecting that it was

out into the room, so that the air was thick with it, and a man coming from without could scarce catch his breath. On this fire a great cauldron bubbled and simmered, giving forth a rich and promising smell. Se

ellow in a tattered jerkin. "One more round o

er. "Ho there, Dame Eliza! Here is fresh custom co

hat you drink, then? Beer for the lads of the forest, mead for the gleeman, strong waters for the tinker, and wine for the rest. It is an old custom of the house, you

house, but it is only sooth when I say that my purse is a thin one. As

ce, and a heavy hand fell upon Alleyne's shoulder. Looking up, he saw b

ls-for I have had mine eyes upon thee, youngster, and I know that for all thy baby-face there is the making of a man in thee. Then there is the Ab

men," Alleyne a

w you hogs in this forest who are fit to head the calendar. Think you it was for such a life that this good arm was fixed upon my should

u join the brother

dle in the cold, for that he was a ranting, roving blade who was not to be trusted in wedlock. That was why, being fond and hot-headed, I left the world; and that is why,

spoons, one of which she handed round to each of the travellers. Two of the company, who were dressed in the weather-stained green doublet of foresters, lifted the big pot off the fire, and a third, with a huge pewter ladle, served out a portion of steaming

d by their varying degrees of smokiness and dirt that they had been placed there at different periods. There was no furniture, save a single long dresser covered with coarse crockery, and a number of wooden benches and trestles, the legs of which sank deeply into the soft clay floor, while the only light, save that of the fire, was furnished by three torches stuck in sockets on the wall, which flickered and crackled, giving forth a strong resinous odor. All this was novel an

of his arms, while with the other he scooped greedily at his platter. Next to him sat two other men of about the same age, one with a trimming of fur to his coat, which gave him a dignity which was evidently dearer to him than his comfort, for he still drew it round him in spite of the hot glare of the faggots. The other, clad in a dirty russet suit with a long sweeping doublet, had a cunning, foxy face with keen, twinkling eyes and a peaky beard. Next to him sat Hordle John, and beside him three other rough unkempt fellows with tangled beards and matted hair-free laborers from the adjoining farms, where small pat

an. "That is he who paints the signs and the tokens. Alack and alas that ever I should have been fool enough to trust hi

n. I can well remember that learned brother Bartholomew, who is deep in all the

ard, he would paint for me a noble pied merlin which I might hang along with the blazonry over my door. I, poor simple fool, gave him the ale and all that he craved, leaving him alone too, because he said that a man's mind must be left untroubled when he had great work to do. Wh

d, "like the bird wh

ook his he

t would the gentles Sir Nicholas Boarhunte, or Sir Bernard Brocas, of Roche Court, say if they saw such a thing-or, perhaps, even the King's o

, good dame, to give me those three pigment-pots and the br

, as he made no demand for ale, she finally brought the paints, and watched him

The gleeman is called Floyting Will. He comes from the north country, but for many years he hath gone the round of the forest from Southampton to Christchurch. He

leyne, much interested. "He of the fu

-night for herbergage, as are the others except the foresters. His neighbor is a tooth-drawer. That bag at his girdle is full of the teeth that he drew at Winchester fair. I warrant that there are more sound ones than sorry, for he is quick at his work and a trifle dim in the eye. The lusty man next him with the

He is surely some very great man, for he looks

slept under my roof at one time or another. Yet milder men or easier to please I have never seen: eating my bacon and drinking my wine with a merry face, and paying my score with some courteous word or jest which was dearer to me than my profit. Those are the true gentles. But your chapman or your bearward will swear that there is a lime in the win

he pleasure of the trained craftsman, listening the while to the talk which went on round the fire. The peasant in the sheepskins, who had sat g

ttage over long. For three hundred years my folk have swinked and sweated, day in and day out, to keep the wine on the

ne of the free laborers. "I would that

rds of the dotard bailiff. Never a bullock on the farm was sold more lightly. Ha! he may wake some black night to find the flames licking about his ear

e not all from Adam's loins, all with flesh and blood, and with the same mouth that must needs have food and drin

te of proof. We have as much to fear from the tonsure as from the hauberk. Strike at the noble and the priest sh

" remarked one of the foresters, "seeing that the half of

deer that thou art placed to

ed the woodman, "I'll crop your ears for you before the

hich showed that such bickerings were nightly things among her guests. "No

rd laborer. "We are all freemen, and I trow that a yeoman's cudgel is as good as a forester's knife. By S

an answered. "Who is there, save a false trait

with his inner marshal and his outer marshal, his justiciar, his seneschal, and his four and twenty guardsmen. One noontide I was by Franklin Swinton's gate, when up he rides with a yeoman

s. "It is not a tongue for men of sweet birth and delicate upbringing. It is a foul, snorting, snarling manner of speec

and a saucy face. I know one of his subjects who could match him at that. If he cannot speak like an Englishman I trow that he can

party, and they fell into a sullen silence, which enabled Alleyne to hear something of the talk

hat is what it is ever my use to order for t

ir?" asked the tooth-drawer. "A raw rat

ysician, in high disdain. "Why

e gleeman, taking a lo

a foul-living creature, hath a natural drawing or affinity for all foul th

he black death, ma

would it,

o knew of it. The black death is the best fri

hen?" asked

lf the folk in the country were dead it was then that the other half could pick and choose who they would work

We well know that through it corn-land has been turned into pasture, so that flocks of she

k their living. There is not only the herd, but the shearer and brander, and then the dre

the tough meat of them will wear folks teeth out,

n the midst of which the gleeman placed his battered harp upon

Will!" cried the woodmen.

asses of Lancaste

imeon and

est of Hen

one who calls words to his mind. Then, with a sudden sweep across the strings, he broke out into a song so gross an

e cried. "You, too, an old man wh

in the utmost astonish

nd his tongue," said one of the woodmen. "What is amiss

been heard within these walls," cried another.

lerk?" shouted a third; "or woul

th an inflamed and angry countenance. "Is a hairless infant to raise his tongue against me, when I have sung in every fair from

of your best to Will to clear his throat. Go forward with thy song, and if our

having gone early into the cloisters and seen little of the rough ways and words of the world. Yet there is truth in what he says, for, as you know well

ace," sneered one of the yeomen,

ink that you may both chance to find

be scarce able to crawl

rdle John began to slowly roll up his sleeve, and bare an ar

y may find they have more tow on their distaff than the

between the two parties with soft words and soothing gestures, when the door of the "Pied Merlin" was flung violently open,