Chapter 6 Chapter Six

I extended my hand of friendship to him in order to win his favor, It's good for him to accept it, but it doesn't matter if I don't accept it. Please don't misunderstand my kindness. "The Merchant of Venice" The pilgrim was led by a servant carrying a torch through the intricate chambers of the large sprawling house, when the cupbearer came up behind him and whispered in his ear, if he didn't mind, please Go to his room for a glass of mead, where many servants are gathering to hear his news from the Holy Land, especially about the Knights of Ivanhoe.Wang Ba also appeared suddenly, made the same request, and said that a drink after midnight is worth three drinks after the curfew.The pilgrim, not wanting to deny the validity of the aphorisms uttered by the august man, merely thanked them for their kindness, stating that his religious vows included a clause that he would never speak of things in the hall, nor in the kitchen. speak.

That oath servant was probably not welcome.Wang Ba said to the cupbearer. The cupbearer shrugged his shoulders, a little unhappy, I wanted to arrange him to live in the room facing the sun, he said, since he is so ungrateful, I have to wrong him and let him live in the small room next to the Jew.Then he said to the servant with the torch: "Anwald, take the pilgrim to the cabin to the south."Then he said: Good night, Mr. Pilgrim, you can't take advantage of being rude. Good night, may Our Lady bless us!said the pilgrim calmly.Then his guide left. A small antechamber, with a few open doors, and a small iron lamp burning inside, where the pilgrim was stopped a second time by one of Rowena's maids, who spoke in commanding tones. Said that her lady wanted to speak to the pilgrim, and then took the torch from Anward, told him to wait for her to return, and made a sign for the pilgrim to follow.Obviously, he thought that this invitation was different from the last one and he couldn't refuse it, so although he showed a little surprised look, he followed without saying a word.

Passing through the short corridor and climbing up to seven steps made of whole oak boards on each floor, he came to Miss Rowena's boudoir. Although it was simple, it was luxuriously furnished, reflecting the respect of the manor owner for her.On the walls hung some embroidered curtains, which were colorful and interwoven with silk and gold and silver threads of various colors, reaching the highest level of craftsmanship at that time. The pictures showed the hunting scenes of hounds and falcons.The bed is also decorated with the same brightly colored tapestry, surrounded by curtains dyed purple.All the chairs had canopies and cushions, one of which was higher than the others, and in front of it stood a footstool of finely carved ivory.

There were at least four silver candelabrums, with large candles burning, and the room was brightly lit.But modern beauties need not envy a Saxon princess's magnificent chamber, where the walls are not smooth, and are full of cracks, so that when the wind blows at night, those luxurious curtains will constantly shake; although the room is protected by screens, candles Homura would still tilt sideways like a pennant waving in the wind in an army.Everything here is certainly gorgeous, and some places are decorated as elegantly and beautifully as possible, but comfort is out of the question. People at that time did not understand this and did not have this requirement.

Miss Rowena sat in the upper chair mentioned above, and behind her stood three maids, who were combing her hair for bed.She is graceful and luxurious, and it seems that she should be respected by everyone naturally.The pilgrim acknowledges her right by kneeling before her. Arise, Pilgrim, she said indulgently, for he who can stand behind others is entitled to the courtesies of all who respect truth and respect honor.Then she said to the maids: All stand down except Elgisa, I have something to ask the pilgrim. The maids did not leave the room, but retreated to the far end, and sat on low benches against the wall, as silent as statues, though at such a distance their whispers would not disturb the mistress. conversation.

Pilgrim, the lady said, she paused for a while before she spoke, as if she was thinking about how to word it, you mentioned a name tonight, I mean, she hesitated for a while, the name Ivanhoe, this person is related to the natural relationship Kinship, said, should have received the most cordial reception in these rooms, but by the misfortune of fate, many who must have heard his name must be silent; and now I only want to ask you, you leave Where was the person you mentioned, and what was his condition?We hear that, after the departure of the British troops, he remained in Palestine in feeble health, where he was persecuted by the French, including the Knights Templar.

I don't know much about the situation of the Ivanhoe knight, the pilgrim replied, his voice trembling, if only I knew more about his fate, the lady is so concerned about it.I believe, however, that he has escaped the persecution of his enemies in Palestine, and is about to return to England.As for whether he will be happy in England, the lady should know better than me. Miss Rowena sighed deeply, and then inquired carefully when Knight Ivanhoe was expected to return to his motherland, and whether he would encounter serious danger on the way.On the first point, the pilgrim said he did not know; on the second point, he said that the voyage to Venice and Genoa should be safe, and then he could cross France and return to England. Ivanhoe was familiar with the French language and language. Fengxi, he added, would not run into any danger during this journey.

God bless, said Miss Rowena, that he get here safely for the coming tournament, in which the knights here seem to be trying to show their valor.If Athelstan at Fort Coning had won, Ivanhoe would probably have heard the bad news as soon as he arrived in England.Stranger, when you last saw him, did he look all right?Did the disease impair his physical strength and affect his spirit? He was darker and thinner than when he came to the East from Cyprus with the Lionheart, and his brows were worried; but I have no contact with him personally, because he does not know me. In his own country, said the Mademoiselle, I fear he will not find much to please him.Good pilgrim, thank you for the news of my childhood companion.Maids, she added, come here, give this saint a glass of wine, and wish him good night, I don't want to delay his rest any longer.

A glass of rum and spiced wine was brought before them in a silver cup by a maid, and Rowena merely touched the glass with her lips before handing it to the pilgrim; he bowed deeply and took a sip. Accept this alms, my friend, went on the lady, handing him a gold coin, which pays my respects for your labors and the temple you adore. The pilgrim bowed deeply again, accepted the gold coins, and followed Elgisa out of the room. In the antechamber he found Anward, the servant, who took the torch from the maid, and hurried him off without ceremony, and led him into some shabby little rooms outside the whole house, where the servants Waiting for servants and poor guests to stay.

In which room do the Jews sleep?asked the pilgrim. Unbelieving dogs live in the cottage next door to you, replied Ann Ward, and by St. Dunstan it's dirty and smelly like a kennel, not a place for Christians at all! Where does Ge Si, the pig herder, sleep?the stranger asked again. Ge Si sleeps in a room on your right, and the Jew on your left, the servant replied, and you are in the middle, just separating the circumcised fellow from the taboos of his race.You could have lived in a more comfortable house, but you refused to accept Oswald's invitation. It's not bad here, said the pilgrim, even if my neighbor is a Jew, and there is a wall of oak between us, I will not be defiled by him.

Saying this, he entered the hut allotted to him, took the torch from the servant, thanked him, and let him go.He closed the door, put the torch in the wooden candlestick, looked around the bedroom, and found that the furniture here was very simple, only a rough wooden stool, an even rougher bed, or rather hay. A bed frame is piled up, and two or three sheepskins are spread on it, which can be regarded as bedding. The pilgrim put out his torches, and without taking off a single garment, he fell asleep on the rough bed, and remained so at least until the first light of dawn came through the little grilled window. , the small window was the only channel of air and light to his humble bedroom.Immediately he jumped up, said his prayers and arranged his clothes, and then went out of the house to the residence of the Jew Isaac, opening the door as quietly as possible. The bed here was not unlike the one on which the pilgrims slept the night, and the Jew lay there, having bad dreams.The clothes he had taken off last night were placed in an orderly manner around his body, as if to prevent others from stealing them while he was fast asleep.He frowned, as if struggling with pain.His hands and arms were twitching, as if he were wrestling with a nightmare; and apart from a few shouts in Hebrew, the following words, in Norman English or some other mixture, were quite audible: For God's sake Abraham, don't embarrass an unfortunate old man!I am too poor and penniless; even if you use chains to cut off my hands and feet, I will not be able to satisfy your demands! The pilgrim, who did not wait for the Jew to finish his dream, pushed him with his cane, and this, perhaps, as usual, was combined with the terrible vision of his dream, for the old man jumped up suddenly, his gray hair frightened. It was also almost vertical, and quickly hugged a part of the clothes around him, and grabbed some scattered items like an eagle.He fixed his keen black eyes on the pilgrim, showing extreme panic and terror. Fear not me, Isaac, said the pilgrim, I have come to help you. God of Israel bless you, said the Jew, much easier, I dreamed but thank our patriarch Abraham, it was only a dream!Then he calmed down, and said in a normal tone: "It's still so early, and why are you waking up the poor Jew?" I have come to tell you, said the pilgrim, that if you do not leave this house at once and hurry, your journey will be in danger. Holy Lord!What good will it do him, said the Jew, to kill a poor old man like me? Good guess for yourself, said the pilgrim, all I know is that the Templar passed a few words in Saracen to his Moslem slave last night as he passed the hall; I understand the language, he is Ask them to monitor your whereabouts this morning, find an appropriate opportunity to start after you leave the manor, and take you to Philip.Malworthy or Reginald's castle. When the Jews heard the news, they were indescribably terrified, as if they had collapsed all at once.His arms hung at his sides.His head was bowed to his chest, his legs could barely stand, and all the nerves and muscles in his body seemed to have collapsed and lost their function; he was lying at the feet of the pilgrim, but that posture was not meant to kneel to him, kowtow, or prostrate himself. Instead of trying to win his sympathy on the ground, it was like a person who is overwhelmed by some invisible force and can no longer resist, so he has to lie on the ground and resign himself to fate. Holy Lord of Abraham!With his first cry he clasped his wrinkled hands and raised them into the air, but did not raise his pale head from the ground, O holy Moses!Ah, merciful Aaron. 】!The dreams I had were not fake, and the hallucinations I saw were not without reason!I feel those chains bound my hands and feet!I felt that the instruments of torture were tormenting my body, just like the people in the cities of Ammon and the people of Rabbah groaning under the iron saws, iron rakes and iron axes! [Note: Amon was an ancient kingdom, and Rabbah was its capital. Later, the Amons were conquered by King David of Israel and were brutally suppressed. 】 Stand up, Isaac, listen to me, said the pilgrim, the look of the Jews in anguish arouses his sympathy, but there is a great deal of contempt in it, and there is a reason for your fear, I know the princes and nobles here for Extorting money from your fellow men, what has been done to you; but stand up now, and I can show you a way out of your present calamity.You have to leave this manor immediately while the people here are still sleeping with their heads covered after eating and drinking last night.I know the paths in the woods here as well as any woodsman, and I can take you out by secret paths, and then you ask a magistrate or baron to help take you safely to the tourney, I I think you still have the means of winning his kindness. These words made Isaac see hope, and he began to lift his body slowly, as it were, inch by inch, until he finally straightened up and knelt on the ground; He fixes his piercing eyes on the pilgrim's face, and there is hope and fear in his eyes, and some doubts at the same time.But when he heard the last part of these words, the old panic returned and took over his whole face; once more he threw himself on the ground and cried: I have the means of winning kindness!Why, there's only one way to get good Christian help, and I've been blackmailed out of my fortune and landed in Lazarus. ] How could the poor Jew, who was in such a miserable situation, have this ability?Then, as if doubt overwhelmed his other emotions, he suddenly exclaimed: For God's sake, young man, don't betray me; for the sake of the Almighty, don't frame me, Jew or Gentile. Gentiles generally refer to Christians. ], no matter the Israelites or the Ishmaelites [Note: The descendants of Ishmael are said to be the ancestors of the Arabs, here they refer to the Arabs. 】, We are all created by God!Now even if I want to get the kindness of a Christian beggar, I can't do it, I can't even give him a penny.At the end of his speech, he raised his body, showed a pleading look, and pulled the pilgrim's cloak.The pilgrim threw off his clothes as if it were an evil hand that would bring him disaster. Even if you owned all the property of your clan, he said, what good would it do me to frame you?I put on this garment, that I am willing to be poor; I will not take it off except to ride a horse and wear a battle robe.And don't think that I'm not interested in making friends with you, or that I want to get some benefits from it. If you don't want to go with me, you can stay. Cedric the Saxon may protect you. well!The Jew said he wouldn't let me travel with him.Neither Saxon nor Norman would want the company of an Israelite;Malvorthin or Reginald's land, good young man, I'd better go with you, let's get dressed quickly and get away!Here's your cane, why are you procrastinating? I don't want to delay, said the pilgrim, accepting the urging of his companion, but I must somehow get out of here; come with me. He led the way and walked into the next hut. As readers already know, it was the residence of the pig herder Ge Si. Get up, Ge Si, the pilgrim said, get up quickly.Open the back door and let the Jew out with me. Ge Si’s position may seem humble now, but in Saxon England, it was like Omaius in Ithaca. pig people.While at Ithaca, Eumaeus played an important role in enabling Odysseus to carry out his plans. 】, has a pivotal role, so he was a little annoyed when he heard the informal order of the pilgrims.He did not leave the straw mat, but bent his arms to prop up half of his body, looked at the latter with haughty eyes and said: The Jews left Rotherwood, and they were with the pilgrims. When I heard it, it was almost like dreaming that he stole a bacon leg and escaped.Wang Ba said that he just walked into this room. However, Ge Si said, resting his head on a log he used as a pillow again, no matter Jew or Gentile, he must wait patiently for the door to open.We will not allow any guest to sneak out of the estate at such an inappropriate moment. But I think you won't refuse me some care.Pilgrim said, still commandingly. As he said this, he bent down and whispered a few words into the ear of the pig-herder lying on the bed.Ge Si jumped to the ground like an electric shock.The pilgrim raised a finger, as if signaling him to be cautious, and said: Ge Si, be careful; you are always careful in doing things.Now you open the back door first, and the rest will be discussed later. Ge Si accepted the order and immediately followed, Wang Ba and the Jewish people followed, both of them were surprised by the sudden change of the pig herder. My mule, my mule!The Jew said as soon as he went out the back door. Lead him his mule, said the pilgrim, and listen, I want one too, so I can accompany him out of this area.I will return it intact to Cedric's servant at Ashby.As for you, he leaned into Ge Si's ear and finished the rest of the conversation. Everything will be done according to your orders.Ge Si said that he went to carry out the task immediately. I really want to know, Wang Ba waited for his companion to turn his back, and said, what spells you pilgrims have learned. Fool, what spells are nothing more than saying prayers, confessing your sins, fasting and suffering, watching nights, and praying all day long.replied the pilgrim. There must be more than these, said the clown, for when did confession and prayer make Geoffs polite, and when did fasting and vigil make him obediently lend you a mule?It seems to me that if your vigils and penances had been applied to his favorite black boar, he would be well behaved at your disposal. Forget it, said the pilgrim, you are but a Saxon fool. You're right, said the joker, if I'd been born a Norman, as far as I can tell, you'd be a Norman and my life wouldn't be so miserable, and I'd be almost the most intelligent man. At this time Ge Si had already led two mules and appeared on the opposite side of the ditch.The two guests walked across the ditch on the drawbridge, which was only two planks wide and as narrow as the back door, and there was a small gate in the fence outside the ditch leading directly into the forest.As soon as they were at the mule, the Jew drew from the inside of his robe a little blue linen sack, and hastily fastened it behind the saddle with trembling hands; Just a change of clothes.Immediately he mounted the mule's back with a speed and agility unimaginable for his age; and in a blink of an eye he opened the lower flap of his coarse coat, completely covering the bag, so that No one will notice what is hidden behind the saddle. The pilgrim mounted the mule with deliberate deliberation, and as he left he extended his hand to Ge Si, who kissed it with the utmost reverence, and then stood there with wide-eyed eyes watching the two travelers until they disappeared in the shade of the forest. On the small path, Wang Ba's voice woke me up from the dream. Seriously, my good friend Ge Si, said the clown, you are so polite on this summer morning, it is really surprising, and your respectful appearance is very different from usual, what is the matter?I wish I could also be an elder in black, or a barefoot pilgrim, to enjoy your unusual courtesy and respect; of course, I will not let you go as long as you kiss your hand. From this point of view, you are not stupid, Wang Ba, Ge Si replied, although this is only a matter of appearance, the smartest among us is only so.OK, now I have to do my job. As he said this, he turned and went back into the house, and the clown followed him. At this moment the two travelers were still on their way and did not stop for a moment, which showed that the Jew was very afraid, because people of his age do not like such haste.The pilgrim led the way, and he seemed to know all the paths and exits of the forest so well that he led him through so many twists and turns that more than once aroused suspicion among the Israelites that he was If he wanted to betray him, his enemies would lie in ambush somewhere, waiting for him to fall into his trap. Indeed, his skepticism is justifiable, for, except perhaps the flying fish, no creature, whether on earth, in the air, or in the water, was subjected to such uninterrupted, general, and brutal persecution as the Jews of this period. .Any petty and unreasonable pretext, all ridiculous and unfounded accusations, may arouse public indignation, and become a reason for attacking their persons and property; What animosity there is between them, they all scramble to treat this nation with the utmost hatred; but only from a religious point of view, that this nation is to be loathed, reviled, despised, plundered, and persecuted.The Norman kings, and the independent nobles who followed their example in all tyranny, oppressed this pious people more often, deliberately, and at will.King John [Note: Prince John in this book, he later ascended the throne after the Lionheart King. ] is well known, who shut up a wealthy Jew in the castle of the royal palace, and had a tooth pulled out every day, until the unfortunate Jew, half empty in his gums, agreed to the large sum extorted from him by the tyrant. The ransoms stopped.In this country, the small amount of cash is mainly in the hands of this oppressed nation, and the nobles do not hesitate to act according to their king's methods, using various means, even torture, to plunder them.Yet passive courage, inspired by the desire for profit, made the Jews face up to the dangers they suffered; The special taxation agency we have already mentioned was set up against the Jews, and the exorbitant taxes were imposed on them, and the Jewish property continued to expand and increase; they accumulated a lot of money, and then transferred them from one person to another by bills of exchange. They were said to be credited with this invention of commerce, which enabled them to remit their wealth from one place to another, and to keep their deposits in another safe from oppression in one country. Thus the tenacity and avarice of the Jews, in a sense, not only dared them to stand up to the plunder and tyranny of the country in which they lived, but seemed to grow with the increase of their persecution.The great profits which they generally obtain in commerce, though at times exposing them to danger, at other times extend their power, and secure themselves a measure of security.It is under these conditions that they survive; their personalities are accordingly affected, becoming vigilant, suspicious, timid but at the same time tenacious, uncompromising, good at avoiding the dangers that threaten them. The two travelers walked forward at a fast speed. After passing through many confusing paths, the pilgrim finally broke the silence and spoke. The tall rotting oak tree marked the boundary, he said, beyond which it was no longer the domain of General Buffalo; as for Malvorsin's area, that was long gone.Now you don't have to be afraid of people chasing you. Oh, that they too, like Pharaoh's army, had their wheels come off and it was difficult to walk! [Note: Refers to the "Bible" when the Israelites escaped from Egypt, and Pharaoh sent troops to pursue them. 】The Jews said, but kind pilgrim, please don't leave me.Just think how vile and savage that Templar was, and his Saracen slaves, who don't care about borders, or estates, or spheres of influence. We have to part ways here, said the pilgrim, because it is unnecessary and better not to travel together as two different people like us.Besides, how can I, an unarmed pilgrim, help you in the presence of two armed heretics? Ah, good young man, replied the Jew, you can protect me, I know you can.Though I am a poor man, I will repay you; not in money, for I have none, as our father Abraham can testify, but As I have said, I don't need money or rewards, interrupted the pilgrim, to show you the way. This will, and may protect you to some extent, because to protect a Jew from a Saracens attack, yes. As a Christian it should be.Well, Jew, I will send you off again, and we will break up after you find a suitable person to protect you.We are now not far from the town of Sheffield, where there must be many people of your kind, and you can easily find them and take their shelter. May Jacob bless you, good young man!The Jews said that when I arrived in Sheffield, I could go to my relative Zarez and try to find a proper way to continue my journey. That's what we'll do, said the pilgrim, we'll part at Sheffield, and we'll see the town in half an hour. Neither of them spoke, and half an hour passed in silence; the pilgrim, perhaps, would not speak to the Jew unless it was absolutely necessary, and the Jew dared not speak to him, but insisted on him; sacrosanct nature.They came to the river, and stopped on the less steep bank, with the town of Sheffield at their feet, and the pilgrim pointed to it and said: Here we shall part, then. No, first let the poor Jew thank you, said Isaac, for I cannot ask you to send me to the house of my relative Zarez, to help me repay what you have done for me. As I have said, replied the pilgrim, I do not want to repay.If you will, for my sake, be merciful to some unfortunate Christian in the midst of your many debtors, lest he be handcuffed and locked in a cell, I shall consider myself rewarded for what I have done for you this morning . Wait a minute, wait a minute, said the Jew, pulling at his coat, I have to do something for you, for yourself, besides this.God knows the Jews are poor, and yes, Isaac was a beggar in his lineage, but please forgive me, I guess what you need most at this time. If you are right, said the pilgrim, then what I need you cannot provide, even if you are not so poor as you say, but rather rich. Not as poor as I said!The Jews hurried to argue, ah!Believe me, I'm telling the truth; I'm a robbed, exploited, damaged human being.A grim hand has taken my wares, my money, my freighter, and all that I have.But I know what you're missing, and I can help you get it too.All you can hope for right now is a horse and a suit of armor. The pilgrim was taken aback, and suddenly turned to the Jew, you fellow, how did you guess this?he asked hastily. Take it easy, laughed the Jew, then it's true; since I've guessed what you need, I've got a way to meet it. But, says the pilgrim, neither my identity nor my dress nor my vows speak for it. I know what you Christians are, replied the Jew, and even the noblest of men, for religious atonement, take a cane, put on sandals, and walk barefoot to visit the grave of the dead. No blasphemy, Jew!said Pilgrim sternly. Excuse me, said the Jew, but I spoke too hastily.But some of your blurted words last night and this morning, like sparks from flint, showed me the iron in it; in the breast of the pilgrim's robe hid the knight's gold chain and spurs.I found them this morning when you leaned over my bed. The pilgrim couldn't help laughing. If your clothes were searched by curious eyes, Isaac, he said, I'm afraid they might find something too. Don't mention that, said the Jew, changing his countenance; as if to divert the subject, he hastily took out his pen and paper, and without getting off the back of his mule, he spread the paper on the top of his yellow hat, and began to write.After finishing writing, he handed the scroll to the pilgrim, which was written in Hebrew, and he said: In the town of Leicester, everyone knows that the Jewish rich man Giljos of LombardyJalalam: Give him this note.He had six suits of Milanese armor for sale, the worst of which was worthy of a crowned man; and ten horses, the worst of which a king could have ridden to put down a rebellion.All of these can be chosen by you. In addition, he can provide you with all the equipment you need to participate in the tournament.After the contest is over, you can return them as they are. Of course, you can pay the price or return the owner. But, Isaac, laughed the pilgrim, do you know that in such a tournament of knights, if he is dismounted, the things go to the victor?This means that I may be unlucky to lose these things and not be able to compensate for the price. The Jew panicked at the possibility, but then summoned up his courage and answered hastily: No, no, no.It's impossible, and I don't believe it will be.Our forefathers will bless you.Thy spear shall be as mighty as Moses' rod [Note: "Bible.According to Exodus, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he held the rod of God in his hand, and with this rod he repelled the Egyptians' pursuit. 】. As the Jew said so, he turned his mule and was about to go, but now it was the pilgrim's turn to hold him by his clothes, no, Isaac, you don't understand the whole risk.The horse may be killed, and the armor may be broken, because then I will not care about the horse or the person.Besides, those people in your clan don't take nothing, they have to pay rent for borrowing. The Jew squirmed in the saddle, as if in a sudden fit of blood; but better feelings overcame his usual thoughts, I don't care, he said, don't care, let me go.If there is a loss, don't spend a penny.As for the rental fee, Giljos.Jaram will be exempted for the sake of his relative Isaac.I wish you peace!But listen, good young man, he said as he turned around, don't take too much risk, don't risk your life for a little fame.I say this not because I am afraid of the loss of horses and armor, but because of your life and body. Thank you for your concern, said the Pilgrim, and smiled again, I accept your kindness, you are welcome; and in spite of my difficulties, I will repay you. After parting, they traveled to Sheffield by different roads.