The Lances of Lynwood

The loss in both armies at Navaretta did not amount to six hundred; and on Pedro's s

, at the church of the village of Navaretta, Sir Eustace foll

e him. Eustace expressed his wonder. "What," exclaimed Gaston, "would I see my Knight Banneret, the youngest Knight in the army, with paltry pennon! A banneret are

pennon!" said

on the swallow-tail. But what do I see? You, a belted Knight, in your plain Esquire's helmet, and the blood-stained surcoat! Ay, and not even

of Eustace Lynwo

cour. "Know you not thus much of the laws of chivalry? Come, bestir yourself, that he may b

ht, "but I must now write these heavy tidings to my poor sister,

end you th

Ferrars knows him, and will give them into his charge. So farewe

as soft as a woman's. How he sighed and wept the livelong night, when he thought none could hear him! Well, Sir Reginald was a noble Knight, and is worthily mourned, but where is the youth who would not have been more uplifted at his own honours, than downcast at his loss; and what new-made Knight ever neglected his accoutremen

d'Aubricour," said Guy, "or there will soon be an

e was devouring with double relish, to make up for past privations, "I marvel

Shame on thee! All England should be proud

fect in all exercises, you who fought with this Frenchman too, of whom they make so much, the Prince might as well have knighted you, as Eustace, who would have

uite otherwise; but what would knighthood have availed the wandering landless foreigner, as you courteously term me, save to fit me for

t own a palm's breadth of land, and for gold, all he will

e boy is of age, but this he could not be without knightly rank. Even in this campaign, when I might have taken the

the touch of the Prince's sword should mak

the Prince's sword tha

th! His hand and arm might belong to a girl, I could crush it

to see whether that great paw wo

d, since he was a man of substance, honoured in our country, and m

repeate

he clerk, no older than myself, half a head shorter, and a

the landless upstart might hand your father's son over to the Provost Marshal, for

he prisoners taken by the Lances of Lynwood in the early part of the battle. Two were Squires, the other four, rough-looking men-at-arms who protested that they could not pay one denier towards their ransom. Eustace liberated them, and was greatly inclined to do the same by the Squi

els, Du Guesclin's sword by his side, and his white mantle flung over his shoulder. Leonard was summoned to accompany him, but he growled

"you never mend matters with him in

"I will go myself, I have been longing to see

lie across that hill between us and the Prince's tent. You must not was

uch of a mere scratch," said Gaston, hastily commencin

t move without pain. I learnt some leech-craft among my clerkly accomplishments, and you had better take ca

stace found the Prince entering the church, to hear morning mass. Giving his horse t

nds, and one of them, Sir Richard Ferrars, a fine old man, whose iron-gray locks contr

t to you the youngest brother of our order, trusting you will not envy

ard and shake Eustace by the hand, saying with a laugh, "Nay, my Lord, this is the first time the uglies

of love instead of roses of war. And truly, with his face, and the fame he owes to you, methinks he will n

rifling were the reward of knighthood. His face and his fame forsooth! as if he were not already in sufficient danger of being

st," said the Captal de Buch. "Consider, C

or the other," said Sir John, moving off, and adding, when out of Eustace's hearing, "A likely lad en

tified at the want of welcome which contrasted with the kindness of the rest; and he could hardly recover

surely have some Esquire or man-at-arms w

earned in chivalry, my Lord," said Eustace, "and I

ll trained easily to forget their duty, and I fear not but t

years,

as their fathers. And now," added he, turning from Eustace to the assembled nobles around him, "let us part

slowly, musing, with feelings of considerable disappointment and vexation, on the reception he had met from Sir John Chandos, the man in the whole camp whose good opinion he would have most valued. "This is folly," thought he, however, rousing himself after a minute or two of such meditations. "What said

"At the wine-shop, yonder, in the village, with that ill-favoured, one-eyed Squire that you wot of. I called him a

he whole troop late in starting, and disorderly-yet, to leave him!" Eustace looked at John Ingram's comely and stolid face, and then almost smiled at himse

n balcony overspread with vines, there was a still closer press, and loud vehement voices, as of disputants, were heard, while the various men-at-arms crowded in so closely to see the fray, if such it were, as to be almost regardless of the horse, which Eustace was pressing forward upon them. He looked over their heads to see Leonard, but in vain. He thought of retreat, but found himself completely entangled in the throng. At that moment, a cry

the old Baron. "Sir Eustace Lynwood! By my life, a

ply, "I am no loiterer here; I came but to seek my Squire,

"I see how it will be. Off to your troop instantly, Master Kni

ord," said Eustace; "b

been taken down and packed on the baggage mules, the men were mounted, and drawn up in full array, with his banner floating above thei

sigh of relief, as he took off his heavy helmet, which h

would have thought of going after him? Well did I kn

th a drink of water, when it could be procured, which, however, was but rarely. He would willingly have persuaded his men to do the same, but remonstrance was almost without effect, and his dry lips refused to utter a prohibition, which would have been esteemed at once cruel and unreasonable. In his persuasions to Gaston he was, however, more in earnest, representing to him that he was increasing the fever of his wound; but the Squire was perfectly impracticable. At first, he answered in his usual gay, careless manner, that the scratch was nothing, and that, be what it might, he had as soon die of a wound as of thirst; but as the day wore on, it seemed as if the whole nature of the man were becoming changed. Sometimes he was boisterously loud in his merriment, sometimes sullen and silent; and when Eustace, unwearied, reiterated his arguments, he replied to him, not only with compl

s tents had been assigned, he returned to see them raised. Gaston, who had of late become more silent, was lifted from his mule, and assisted into the tent, where he was laid on his couch, and soon after, Eustace was relieved from his anxiety o