第5章

类别:其他 作者:Scott, Walter字数:5376更新时间:18/12/26 16:46:50
Nazarene,’’saidtheMoslem,inthistheGreeksandSyrianshavemuchbeliedus,seeingwedobutafterthewordofAbu-BekrEl-sideek,thesuccessoroftheProphet,and,afterhim,thefirstcommanderoftruebelievers。`Goforth,’hesaid,`YezedBenAbiSophyan,’whenhesentthatrenownedgeneraltotakeSyriafromtheinfidels,`quityourselveslikemeninbattle,butslayneithertheaged,theinfirm,thewomen,northechildren。Wastenottheland,neitherdestroycornandfruit-trees,theyarethegiftsofAllah。Keepfaithwhenyouhavemadeanycovenant,evenifitbetoyourownharm。Ifyefindholymenlabouringwiththeirhands,andservingGodinthedesert,hurtthemnot,neitherdestroytheirdwellings。Butwhenyoufindthemwithshavencrowns,theyareofthesynagogueofSatan!smitewiththesabre,slay,ceasenottilltheybecomebelieversortributaries。’AstheCaliph,companionoftheProphet,hathtoldus,sohavewedone,andthosewhomourjusticehassmittenarebutthepriestsofSatan。Butuntothegoodmenwho,withoutstirringupnationagainstnation,worshipsincerelyinthefaithofIssaBenMiriam,<*>weareashadowand*[_Arabic_-Jesus,sonofMary。] ashield;andsuchbeinghewhomyouseek,eventhoughthelightoftheProphethathnotreachedhim,frommehewillonlyhavelove,favour,andregard。’’ Theanchorite,whomIwouldnowvisit,’’saidthewarlikepilgrim,is,Ihaveheard,nopriest;butwereheofthatanointedandsacredorder,Iwouldprovewithmygoodlance,againstpaynimandinfidel’’- Letusnotdefyeachother,brother,’’interruptedtheSaracen;weshallfind,eitherofus,enoughofFranksorofMoslemahonwhomtoexercisebothswordandlance。ThisTheodorickisprotectedbothbyTurkandArab;andthoughoneofstrangeconditionsatintervals,yet,onthewhole,hebearshimselfsowellasthefollowerofhisownprophet,thathemeritstheprotectionofhimwhowassent’’- Now,byOurLady,Saracen,’’exclaimedtheChristian,ifthoudarestnameinthesamebreath,thecamel-driverofMeccawith’’- AnelectricalshockofpassionthrilledthroughtheformoftheEmir;butitwasonlymomentary,andthecalmnessofhisreplyhadbothdignityandreasoninit,whenhesaid,Slandernothimwhomthouknowestnot;theratherthatweveneratethefounderofthyreligion,whilewecondemnthedoctrinewhichpriestshavespunfromit。Iwillmyselfguidetheetothecavernofthehermit,which,methinks,withoutmyhelp,thouwouldstfinditahardmattertoreach。And,ontheway,letusleavetomollahsandtomonks,todisputeaboutthedivinityofourfaith,andspeakonthemeswhichbelongtoyouthfulwarriors,-uponbattles,uponbeautifulwomen,uponsharpswords,anduponbrightarmour。’’ Thewarriorsarosefromtheirplaceofbriefrestandsimplerefreshment,andcourteouslyaidedeachotherwhiletheycarefullyreplacedandadjustedtheharness,fromwhichtheyhadrelievedforthetimetheirtrustysteeds。Eachseemedfamiliarwithanemployment,which,atthattime,wasapartofnecessary,and,indeed,ofindispensableduty。Eachalsoseemedtopossess,asfarasthedifferencebetweentheanimalandrationalspeciesadmitted,theconfidenceandaffectionofthehorse,whichwastheconstantcompanionofhistravelsandhiswarfare。 WiththeSaracen,thisfamiliarintimacywasapartofhisearlyhabits;for,inthetentsoftheEasternmilitarytribes,thehorseofthesoldierranksnextto,andalmostequalinimportancewith,hiswifeandhisfamily;and,withtheEuropeanwarrior,circumstances,andindeednecessity,renderedhiswar-horsescarcelylessthanhisbrother-in-arms。Thesteeds,therefore,sufferedthemselvesquietlytobetakenfromtheirfoodandliberty,andneighedandsnuffledfondlyaroundtheirmasters,whiletheywereadjustingtheiraccoutrementsforfarthertravelandadditionaltoil。Andeachwarrior,asheprosecutedhisowntask,orassistedwithcourtesyhiscompanion,lookedwithobservantcuriosityattheequipmentsofhisfellow-traveller,andnotedparticularlywhatstruckhimaspeculiarinthefashioninwhichhearrangedhisridingaccoutrements。 Eretheyremountedtoresumetheirjourney,theChristianknightagainmoistenedhislips,anddipthishandsinthelivingfountain,andsaidtohisPaganassociateofthejourney-I wouldIknewthenameofthisdeliciousfountain,thatImightholditinmygratefulremembrance;forneverdidwaterslakemoredeliciouslyamoreoppressivethirstthanIhavethisdayexperienced。’’ ItiscalledintheArabiclanguage,’’answeredtheSaracen,byanamewhichsignifiestheDiamondoftheDesert。’’ Andwellisitsonamed,’’repliedtheChristian。Mynativevalleyhathathousandsprings,butnottooneofthemshallI attachhereaftersuchpreciousrecollectionastothissolitaryfount,whichbestowsitsliquidtreasureswheretheyarenotonlydelightful,butnearlyindispensable。’’ Yousaytruth,’’saidtheSaracen;forthecurseisstillonyonderseaofdeath,andneithermannorbeastdrinksofitswaves,noroftheriverwhichfeedswithoutfillingit,untilthisinhospitabledesertbepassed。’’ Theymounted,andpursuedtheirjourneyacrossthesandywaste。Theardourofnoonwasnowpast,andalightbreezesomewhatalleviatedtheterrorsofthedesert,thoughnotwithoutbearingonitswingsanimpalpabledust,whichtheSaracenlittleheeded,thoughhisheavily-armedcompanionfeltitassuchanannoyance,thathehunghisironcasqueathissaddle-bow,andsubstitutedthelightriding-cap,termedinthelanguageofthetimea_mortier,_fromitsresemblanceinshapetoanordinarymortar。Theyrodetogetherforsometimeinsilence,theSaracenperformingthepartofdirectorandguideofthejourney,whichhedidbyobservingminutemarksandbearingsofthedistantrocks,toaridgeofwhichtheyweregraduallyapproaching。Foralittletimeheseemedabsorbedinthetask,asapilotwhennavigatingavesselthroughadifficultchannel; buttheyhadnotproceededhalf-a-league,whenheseemedsecureofhisroute,anddisposed,withmorefranknessthanwasusualtohisnation,toenterintoconversation。 Youhaveaskedthename,’’hesaid,ofamutefountain,whichhaththesemblance,butnotthereality,ofalivingthing。 LetmebepardonedtoaskthenameofthecompanionwithwhomIhavethisdayencountered,bothindangerandinrepose,andwhichIcannotfancyunknown,evenhereamongthedesertsofPalestine?’’ Itisnotyetworthpublishing,’’saidtheChristian。Know,however,thatamongthesoldiersoftheCrossIamcalledKenneth-KennethoftheCouchingLeopard;athomeIhaveothertitles,buttheywouldsoundharshinanEasternear。BraveSaracen,letmeaskwhichofthetribesofArabiaclaimsyourdescent,andbywhatnameyouareknown?’’ SirKenneth,’’saidtheMoslem,Ijoythatyournameissuchasmylipscaneasilyutter。Forme,IamnoArab,yetderivemydescentfromalineneitherlesswildnorlesswarlike。 Know,SirKnightoftheLeopard,thatIamSheerkohf,theLionoftheMountain,andthatKurdistan,fromwhichI derivemydescent,holdsnofamilymorenoblethanthatofSeljook。’’ Ihaveheard,’’answeredtheChristian,thatyourgreatSoldanclaimshisbloodfromthesamesource?’’ ThankstotheProphetthathathsofarhonouredourmountains,astosendfromtheirbosomhimwhosewordisvictory,’’answeredthePaynim。IambutasawormbeforetheKingofEgyptandSyria,andyetinmyownlandsomethingmynamemayavail-Stranger,withhowmanymendidstthoucomeonthiswarfare?’’ Bymyfaith,’’saidSirKenneth,withaidoffriendsandkinsmen,Iwashardlypinchedtofurnishforthtenwell-appointedlances,withmaybesomefiftymoremen,archersandvarletsincluded。Somehavedesertedmyunluckypennon- somehavefalleninbattle-severalhavediedofdisease- andonetrustyarmour-bearer,forwhoselifeIamnowdoingmypilgrimage,liesonthebedofsickness。’’ Christian,’’saidSheerkohf,hereIhavefivearrowsinmyquiver,eachfeatheredfromthewingofaneagle。WhenI sendoneofthemtomytents,athousandwarriorsmountonhorseback-whenIsendanother,anequalforcewillarise-forthefiveIcancommandfivethousandmen;andifIsendmybow,tenthousandmountedriderswillshakethedesert。AndwiththyfiftyfollowersthouhastcometoinvadealandinwhichIamoneofthemeanest!’’ Now,bytherood,Saracen,’’retortedthewesternwarrior,thoushouldstknow,erethouvauntestthyself,thatonesteelglovecancrushawholehandfulofhornets。’’ Ay,butitmustfirstenclosethemwithinitsgrasp,’’saidtheSaracen,withasmilewhichmighthaveendangeredtheirnewalliance,hadhenotchangedthesubjectbyadding,AndisbraverysomuchesteemedamongsttheChristianprinces,thatthou,thusvoidofmeansandofmen,canstoffer,asthoudidstoflate,tobemyprotectorandsecurityinthecampofthybrethren?’’ Know,Saracen,’’saidtheChristian,sincesuchisthystyle,thatthenameofaknight,andthebloodofagentleman,entitlehimtoplacehimselfonthesamerankwithsovereignsevenofthefirstdegree,insofarasregardsallbutregalauthorityanddominion。WereRichardofEnglandhimselftowoundthehonourofaknightaspoorasIam,hecouldnot,bythelawofchivalry,denyhimthecombat。’’ MethinksIshouldliketolookuponsostrangeascene,’’ saidtheEmir,inwhichaleathernbeltandapairofspursputthepoorestonalevelwiththemostpowerful。’’ Youmustaddfreebloodandafearlessheart,’’saidtheChristian;then,perhaps,youwillnothavespokenuntrulyofthedignityofknighthood。’’ Andmixyouasboldlyamongstthefemalesofyourchiefsandleaders?’’askedtheSaracen。 Godforbid,’’saidtheKnightoftheLeopard,thatthepoorestKnightinChristendomshouldnotbefree,inallhonourableservice,todevotehishandandsword,thefameofhisactions,andthefixeddevotionofhisheart,tothefairestprincesswhoeverworecoronetonherbrow!’’ Butalittlewhilesince,’’saidtheSaracen,andyoudescribedloveasthehighesttreasureoftheheart-thinehathundoubtedlybeenhighlyandnoblybestowed?’’ Stranger,’’answeredtheChristian,blushingdeeplyashespoke,wetellnotrashlywhereitiswehavebestowedourchoicesttreasures-itisenoughfortheetoknow,that,asthousayest,myloveishighlyandnoblybestowed-mosthighly- mostnobly;butifthouwouldsthearofloveandbrokenlances,venturethyself,asthousayest,totheCampoftheCrusaders,andthouwiltfindexerciseforthineears,and,ifthouwilt,forthyhandstoo。’’ TheEasternwarrior,raisinghimselfinhisstirrups,andshakingalofthislance,replied,Hardly,Ifear,shallIfindonewithacrossedshoulder,whowillexchangewithmethecastofthejerrid。’’ Iwillnotpromiseforthat,’’repliedtheKnight,thoughtherebeinthecampcertainSpaniards,whohaverightgoodskillinyourEasterngameofhurlingthejavelin。’’ Dogsandsonsofdogs!’’ejaculatedtheSaracen;whathavetheseSpaniardstodotocomehithertocombatthetruebelievers,who,intheirownland,aretheirlordsandtask-masters? withthemIwouldmixinnowarlikepastime。’’ LetnottheknightsofLeonorAsturiashearyouspeakthusofthem,’’saidtheKnightoftheLeopard;but,’’addedhe,smilingattherecollectionofthemorning’scombat,if,insteadofareed,youwereinclinedtostandthecutofabattle-axe,thereareenoughofwesternwarriorswhowouldgratifyyourlonging。’’ Bythebeardofmyfather,sir,’’saidtheSaracen,withanapproachtolaughter,thegameistooroughformeresport- Iwillnevershuntheminbattle,butmyhead’’(pressinghishandtohisbrow)willnot,forawhile,permitmetoseektheminsport。’’ IwouldyousawtheaxeofKingRichard,’’answeredthewesternwarrior,towhichthatwhichhangsatmysaddlebowweighsbutasafeather。’’ Wehearmuchofthatislandsovereign,’’saidtheSaracen,artthouoneofhissubjects?’’ OneofhisfollowersIam,forthisexpedition,’’answeredtheKnight,andhonouredintheservice;butnotbornhissubject,althoughanativeoftheislandinwhichhereigns。’’ Howmeanyou?’’saidtheEasternsoldier;haveyouthentwokingsinonepoorisland?’’