Chapter 7 Chapter VII

The knights were followed by a large company of their respective squires, All brightly dressed and strangely dressed, One fastened his helmet with sash, the other raised his spear, A third marched forward with a shining shield head held high. The horses trample the ground with their hooves, The foam in the mouth was sprayed with golden bridles. Blacksmiths and armorers are on horseback, With files in their hands and hammers in their belts, For the hooves there were nails, and for the shield a strap. The guards stand in roughly lined rows by the street, The rednecks scrambled forward with clubs in hand.

"Paramount and Arcet" [Note: British classicist poet John.Dryden's poem based on "The Knight's Tale", the first story in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. 】 The state of England at this time was rather dire.King Richard was imprisoned, unable to return home, and was held prisoner by the perfidious and cruel Duke of Austria. [Note: In 1193, on his way back from Palestine, King Richard was detained by Duke Leopold of Austria, and Richard's brother John took the opportunity to conspire to usurp the throne. 】No one even knew where he was imprisoned, and the British subjects had only a few pieces of news about his situation, which made them fall into dire straits and became the meat of all kinds of feudal lords.

Prince John used the Lionheart's mortal enemy, King Philip II of France, as Austrian aid, and used various means to contact the Duke of Austria, asking the Duke to prolong the time of imprisoning the prince's brother as much as possible, even though the brother was very kind to him.At the same time, he expanded his power in the country, trying to compete for the throne with the legal heir, Duke Arthur of Brittany, the son of Prince Geoffrey, John's other brother, once the king died.As we all know, he got his wish after usurping the throne. [Note: Arthur was first captured by King Philip II of France. 】.This person was originally shallow, frivolous, untrustworthy, and good at winning people's hearts and recruiting surrenders and rebels. Not only the courtiers who had done all the crimes when Richard was abroad and feared him, but also returned after the Crusades. There are a large number of arrogant soldiers and powerful generals in the country. These people have a lot of crimes in the East, have a lot of money, and are cruel by nature. Now they hope to take advantage of the domestic turmoil to loot and profit.

These are not the only reasons for social turmoil and uneasiness; the oppression of the feudal aristocracy and the cruel measures of the forest law also drove many people homeless to become desperadoes. They gathered in the mountains and wilderness to contend with the government and the law .Those nobles started building and constructing fortifications in their respective castles in an attempt to become kings and hegemons in their own territories. Their troops were comparable to the bandits who openly made a living by plundering.In order to feed their household servants, and to maintain the luxury and pomp required by their arrogance, they were obliged to obtain large loans from the Jews by usury, and these loans infested their property like an incurable ulcer, In this way, their only hope is chaos, and they will be given the opportunity to force their creditors to write off their debts by brutal and unreasonable means.

This precarious situation has brought serious disasters to the people. They are not only worried about the present, but also full of fear for the future.Moreover, an epidemic of a dangerous nature, which was at that time spreading in England, was aggravated by the unclean environment, the poor food and poor living conditions of the lower classes, which really added to the misfortune of the people, and deprived many of them. They lost their lives, but the survivors envied their fate, because the disaster to come had nothing to do with them. But in spite of all these calamities, the rich and the poor, the common people and the aristocrats, still looked forward to the upcoming tournament with great interest, because it was the most important event in that era, just as the citizens of Madrid, even if they were poor and poor, It is the same as paying for family expenses with money, and not wanting to miss the grand event of the bullfighting conference.Neither work nor illness can stop men, women and children from going to see the grand occasion.This so-called battle was scheduled to be held at Ashby, Leicestershire. It was said that all the first-class warriors participated in it, and Prince John was also going to watch it in person, so it attracted the attention of thousands of people. People from all walks of life flocked there like a tide.

This place is uniquely legendary.It is less than a mile from the town of Ashby, and there is a wood, and beside the wood is a large meadow, which is very beautiful and green, surrounded by woods on one side, and a few oak trees here and there on the other, Some of them are still quite tall.The terrain here seemed prepared for tournaments, for the ground sloped gently on all sides to the level ground, enclosed by strong wooden palisades, forming a tourney-field a quarter of a mile long and about half as wide.It is rectangular in shape, but the four corners have been rounded for the convenience of onlookers.The entrances and exits of the contestants are located at the north and south ends of the field, where there are strong wooden doors, which can allow two knights to enter side by side.Two ceremonial officers with six trumpeters and six entourages were stationed at each door, and a troop of heavily armed soldiers was responsible for maintaining order and checking the identities of the knights participating in the tournament.

There was a natural high ground outside the southern entrance, which formed a platform on which five luxurious tents were erected, with brown and black pennants flying in front of them, which were the colors chosen by the five knights acting as challengers.The rope used for the tent is also the same color.In front of each tent hung the shield of the knight who occupied it, and beside it stood his squire, who was strangely dressed like a savage or a caveman, or any inconceivable attire which suited his master's taste, or The role he wants to play in this game.The tent in the center, as the seat of honor, belongs to Brienne.Owned by Bois-Ghibert, he has always enjoyed a high reputation in the knightly competition, and he is closely related to other knights participating in this competition. Therefore, although he arrived late, he was warmly welcomed when he arrived, and he was hailed as the head and leader of the challengers. .On one side of his tent were the bull-faced generals Reginald and Philip.Malvorsin's tent, on the other side was Hugh.Grand Mesnil, this is a nobleman in this area, his ancestors were William the Conqueror and his son William the Conqueror [Note: The son of William the Conqueror, called William II. ] Served as the palace minister in the two dynasties.The fifth tent belonged to Ralph.Viponte, a knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, had some ancient holdings in a place called Heather near the town of Ashbey.From the entrance into the arena there was a gentle road, ten yards wide, leading at the other end to the platform where the tent stood.It was flanked by strong palisades, forming a large square in front of the tents, and the whole site was guarded by soldiers.

The northern approach was similar, about thirty feet wide, and terminated in a large paddock reserved for knights who wished to enter the arena to meet challengers.Behind it, too, were several tents, in which were provided all kinds of food for them, and armor men, horseshoe men, and other servants, who were always ready to help if need be. A temporary stand was set up in a part of the periphery of the arena, on which curtains were hung, carpets were laid, and seat cushions were prepared for the nobles and their relatives, because this was for them to watch the competition.The narrow strip between the stands and the arena was for freemen. 】, and those used by audiences who are slightly higher than ordinary people, can be compared to the pool seats in the theater.A large number of low-class people can only be crowded on the large grass-grown ridge, which is reserved for them, but because of the high ground, it can be seen clearly from the top of the stand when looking at the match.In addition, many people climbed on the tops of the surrounding trees; even the church spires in the distance were crowded with spectators.

What needs to be added to the whole scene is that there is a stand on the east side of the competition field, which is located in the middle, so it faces the place where the two sides confront each other during the competition. It is higher than other stands and more luxuriously decorated. There are embroidered The glorious throne and canopy of royal arms.It was for Prince John and his entourage, squires, squires and bodyguards, in splendid livery, who waited around the venerable place.Opposite the royal stand was another stand, at the same height, which stood on the west side of the tourney; it was not as splendid as the Prince's stand, but perhaps more colorful.A group of very beautiful and selected boys and girls, dressed in red, green and green, bright and fancy clothes, stood around a chair of the same bright colors.Flags of various shapes, some depicting wounded, burning or bleeding hearts, some with bows and arrows, or general symbols of Cupid's victory, are listed there with an embroidered banner in the middle , which tells the audience that this is a seat of honor specially set for the queen of beauty and love.As for who the queen of beauty and love is, it is still impossible to guess.

At this time, all kinds of spectators have flocked to seize their respective positions. As for who has the right to occupy which position, naturally many quarrels inevitably occur.Some disputes can be resolved with a few words by the sergeants who maintain order; more difficult ones can only be quelled by acting as if they are about to be struck down with a battle ax or a sword.There are also some people who are more arrogant and can't stand each other, so it has to be decided by the ceremony officer or two security inspectors.The inspector of security was William.Wywell and Stephen.Matival, they are fully armed, riding tall horses, constantly patrolling back and forth in the venue, forcing the audience to maintain good order.

The stands gradually filled with knights and nobles, all in frock coats, but these rich and rich gowns were dwarfed by the brighter and richer dresses of the ladies and ladies.In terms of numbers, women are even more than men, and they flock to it even though it is generally believed that it is a bloody and dangerous entertainment that will not bring them much pleasure.The open space under the stands was also quickly filled with well-to-do urban and rural civilians, who were slightly inferior to gentlemen, and did not dare to assume higher seats because of inferiority, poverty, or unknown status.It goes without saying that among these people, unconvinced and stalemate quarrels are most likely to occur. Unbelieving dog, said an old man, whose shabby robes spoke of his poverty, yet the sword, dagger, and gold chain he wore proved his worth, a she-wolf cub!How dare you charge a Christian, a Norman gentleman of the Mondidiers? This harsh reprimand was aimed at none other than our old acquaintance Isaac, who today wore a lace-trimmed leather robe, which was not only rich, but even luxurious.He was with his daughter, the beautiful Rebecca, whom he had met at Ashby, and who was now seeking a place for her in the front row under the stands; Everything pushed forward, causing dissatisfaction among the crowd, and they couldn't help being very scared.But although Isaac was quite timid on other occasions, as we have seen, now I feel that he has nothing to fear. This is not a place of ordinary entertainment, nor is it a place where greedy and vicious nobles gather, and anyone can bully him at will. .In such congregations where the Jews were under the protection of the general law, even if the belief was not reliable, there were usually a few nobles who, for their own sake, would be willing to act as their protectors.As for the present, Isaac felt more confident than usual, for he knew that Prince John was negotiating with the Yorkshire Jews to borrow a large sum of money from them, pledging jewels and land.Isaac, who had a large share in the deal, knew full well that Prince John was anxious to make a deal, and that he was sure to have his protection in case of trouble. Inspired by these considerations, the Jew pushed forward boldly, not afraid to run up against the Norman Christians, who were not at his word in birth, position, or religion.However, the old man's complaints aroused the anger of bystanders.Among them was a strong-bodied yeoman, dressed in light green clothes, with twelve arrows stuck in his belt, shoulder straps and silver badges on his body, and a six-foot-long bow in his hand. His face, which had been weathered for a long time, was as dark as a hazelnut, but now it was dark and terrible because of anger, teaching the Jews not to forget that all his wealth was obtained by exploiting the poor and sucking their blood. A potbellied spider would be fine if it hid in a corner, but if it wanted to make trouble in daylight it would have to be strangled.The words were delivered in Norman English, in a forceful tone and a stern manner, which made the Jew shrink back.Perhaps he had planned to leave this place of trouble and go elsewhere, but at this moment, everyone's attention was attracted by the sudden arrival of Prince John; everyone found that the prince had arrived at the tournament field, followed by a large group of costumes. A splendid nobleman, part official, part clergyman, but the latter were as brightly dressed and as frivolous in manner as their companions.One of them was the abbot of the Abbey of Jurvaux, who was dressed with the utmost luxury that the Church would allow.His clothes were richly adorned with furs and gold and silver, and the toes of his boots, far exceeding the absurdity of the time, turned up high not only to his knees, but even to his belt, and the result was his The feet could not reach into the stirrups.But this little inconvenience was nothing to the flamboyant friar, and perhaps he took advantage of it; to show off his riding skills in front of a large audience, especially the ladies, and prove that he had no need for the faint of heart. Those pedals a rider needs.Prince John's retinue included some favored officers of his mercenaries, some of the outlaw nobles and dissolute bodyguards of his court, and besides a few knights of the Knights Templar and the Knights of St. John. It may be noted here that these two knights were openly enemies of King Richard; during their stay in Palestine, Philip II of France and the Lionheart of England had many quarrels, but they always sided with the King of France.As you know, the result of such friction was that Richard's repeated victories were in vain, his ambition to besiege Jerusalem could not be realized, and all the brilliant achievements he had achieved were wiped out. A credible truce.In England and Normandy, these two orders also pursued the policy they had established in the Holy Land, and supported Prince John's party; they did not want Richard to return from their own interests, and if he died, they would not support his legal successor, A. se.Out of this antagonism, Prince John hated and despised the few remaining important Saxon families in England, and took every opportunity to strike and weaken them; The common people in England did not support him either. They were worried that if John, who was so rampant and tyrannical, came to the throne, his rights would be further violated and their freedom would be damaged. Surrounded by this group of dignitaries, Prince John rode proudly on a gray steed. He was richly dressed, and his body was either red or gold. A fur hat with a ring of jewels around it, and long curly hair falling from the brim to the shoulders.With these elated courtiers, he was patrolling the arena, talking and laughing loudly with them, while looking at the many beauties in the towering stands with the majesty of the emperor. Those who saw in the prince's countenance lewdness, arrogance, and indifference to other people's feelings, etc., could not deny that his face possessed the natural charm of a cheerful countenance, even under the influence of human power. Under the restraints of the world, it can adapt itself to the usual demands of civility, yet it appears so frank and honest, as if it declared openly that it did not bother to conceal the true workings of the soul.This expression, which is often mistaken for open-minded courage, is really only the expression of a carefree and indifferent mood, because the person realizes that in respect of birth, wealth, and other acquired advantages, he is superior to others. , though all this has nothing to do with personal qualities.However, only one person in a hundred thinks so deeply, and for most people, Prince John's luxurious appearance, his fur cape, his expensive sable robe, those Moroccan boots, and his golden spurs , that leisurely demeanor on horseback is enough to win people's loud applause and cheers. While the prince was proudly patrolling the arena, the turmoil caused by Isaac's ambitious attempt to compete for a higher seat had not subsided, and even the prince was alarmed.The latter's keen eyes recognized the Jew at once, but what really attracted him and interested him was the beautiful daughter of the Jew, who leaned against the old father's arm as if she was frightened in the commotion. Rebecca's beauty, to be judged by such an astute connoisseur as Prince John, was indeed to rival the proudest beauty of England.Her figure was graceful and well-proportioned, and she was adorned by the oriental dress, worn after the manner of women of her own race.Her yellow silk turban matched her slightly tanned skin.Her pair of bright eyes, those two curved crescent eyebrows, that high bridge of the nose, those pearly white teeth, and that black oily curly hair, they are like a string of spiral braids of different shapes, stretching from the top of her head. Rolling down over the lovely head and neck, over the exposed bosom of the richly colored Persian silk coat, and over the flowers that were as bright as real flowers on the purple coat, all these make up a picture. The pleasing picture made her look so lovely that even the most beautiful maidens around her could not compare with her.Indeed, the effect we have just mentioned was amplified by the fact that she undid the top three of the row of pearl-encrusted gold buttons from the neckline to the waist of the waistcoat that covered her waistcoat due to the heat.The string of diamond necklaces and those very precious pendants on the necklace became more conspicuous because of this.An ostrich feather fastened to her kerchief by a jeweled buckle, was another distinguishing feature of the beautiful Jewish girl, which was ridiculed and ridiculed by the haughty ladies who sat there, but They pretended to look down on these decorations, but they were envious in their hearts. I could swear on Abraham's bald head, said Prince John, that little Jew was born to be beautiful, she must have killed the wisest king that ever lived. 】The incarnation of the bewitched beauty!Elder Emer, what do you think?I swear by the temple of the wise king, which my wise brother Richard failed to take at last, is the Song of Solomon It was written by King Solomon. "Song of Songs" is a collection of love songs sung by the bride and groom. 】The bride in! That is, the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley, replied the elder, in a somewhat unnatural voice, but His Highness must not forget that she is still only a Jewish girl. ah!Prince John said again, ignoring him, my unjust God of Wealth was also there, this mark 】Marquis, this baron with a golden round is competing for a position with the penniless poor. These people are dressed in rags and have no pennies in their bags. Naturally, the devil is not afraid of them and wants to pester them.Well, for Holy Mark's sake, my Supply Minister and his lovely daughter deserve a place in the stands!Isaac, who is she?Is that oriental nymph that you carry under your arm like your jewel case your wife or your daughter? Tell your lord, she is my daughter Rebecca, answered Isaac, bowing low; and though the prince's question contained as much teasing in its politeness, he was not at all harsh. You're a wiser man, said John, laughing, and the snobbish entourage jumped in and laughed too, but daughter or wife, with her beauty and your money, she deserves special treatment .Who is sitting on it?He continued, looking at the stands, those Saxon country bumpkins are so arrogant, so uncomfortable!fuck them!Tell them to come closer, and make room for our Earl of usury and his lovely daughter.I have to make it clear to these bumpkins that whoever has a right to sit in the synagogue has a right to these honorable seats with them. These haughty and unceremonious words were addressed to those in the stands, where sat the Saxon Cedrics and the Athelstans of Coningsberg, his like-minded relatives, by blood Seemingly, he is also a descendant of the last few generations of Saxon kings in England, and is deeply respected by all Saxons in the north.But all the faults inherent in the old royal family were transmitted to Athelstan along with its blood.He was handsome, tall and strong, in the prime of his life; but his face was dull, his eyes dull, his countenance depressed, his manners and movements were lifeless, languid, hesitant, and one of the epithets of his ancestors was valid. On him [Note: Refers to Athelred II, a king of the Anglo-Saxon dynasty in England. He was weak and weak in the invasion of the Danes, and he was defeated repeatedly, so he was dubbed indecisive. ], so most people call him the indecisive Athelstan.His kinsmen were many, and they all supported him as enthusiastically as Cedric, and believed that his idleness was not due to lack of courage, but only lack of resolution.Others believe that his inherent insensitivity to alcoholism has slowed down his originally insensitive mind, and that the little courage and easy-going nature he has retained are just dross in his character. Maybe it should have been praised, but unfortunately, in the process of long-term binge drinking, all the valuable parts disappeared. It is to the man we describe that Prince John issues his imperious orders to give way to Isaac and Rebecca.Confused by the order, so violent and inopportune, Athelstan, unwilling to comply, hesitating, not knowing how to respond, resorted to the magic of passive resistance to deal with John; and he sat motionless, He neither obeyed nor resisted, but just stared at the prince with a pair of big gray eyes, that look of astonishment made people feel ridiculous.However, the irritable John didn't want to laugh it off. The Saxon pig is either sleeping, or is not paying attention to me, he said, De Blasey, give him a shot with your spear.This was for a knight next to him. This knight was the captain of a so-called free army, that is, a mercenary army that did not belong to any country and would work for whoever paid for it.There was a murmur among Prince John's entourage, but de Blassy's profession did not hesitate, and he raised his lance at once, stabbing into the air between the tournament field and the stands, perhaps, in the indecisive Atre Stan regained his senses, understood what was going on, and before he could pull back, the weapon could have reached him and fulfilled the Prince's orders, but Cedric, unlike his companions who hesitated, drew the weapon with lightning speed. He drew out the dagger worn by his side, and with a sudden blow, cut off the tip of the long spear.Blood welled up in Prince John's face.He uttered a furious oath and was about to order an equally violent response when not only were the entourage who had gathered around him reminding him to remain calm, but the crowd applauded Cedric's decisive action so loudly that the prince was diverted from the attention.He rolled his eyes furiously, as if looking for a helpless scapegoat to vent his anger on; he happened to catch the determined gaze of the archer we mentioned, who seemed to have no regard for the Prince's frown. He kept his eyes on the ground, and insisted on carrying the applause to the end; and the prince asked him to explain why he was shouting so loudly. I always applaud the good arrows I shoot and the good swordsmanship I use, the yeoman replied. is that so?The prince asked again, so you are also good at shooting arrows? Anything within the range of the hunter that he can shoot, I can also shoot, the farmer replied. Then you are like Walter.Tyrrell [Note: In 1100 a man named WalterTyrrell's men shot Wilhelm II dead with cold arrows. ] same, you can hit the target from a hundred yards away, a voice comes from behind, but it is hard to distinguish who is speaking. The reference to Prince John's ancestor, the red-faced William, took him by surprise and with a sudden outburst of rage.However, he held back, just pointing at the yeoman, and ordered the soldiers around the arena to monitor this big talker. By Saint-Grisel, he added, since he is so fond of applauding other people's martial arts, we must try his own! Try it, I won't run away.The farmer said that his demeanor has always been so peaceful. Well, stand up, you Saxon bumpkins, said the prince, still angry, and, by God, since I said it, this Jew must sit among you! Don't do this, Your Highness, please appease your anger!It is not fitting for people like us to sit with those who rule this land.The Jew said that he had just been aggressive, even quarreling, and wanted to compete with the disgraced and ruined descendants of the Mondidier family for his place, but he had no intention of picking a quarrel with the rich Saxons and infringing on their privileges. Go up, Jew, this is my order, said Prince John, or I'll take off this dark skin of thee, and use it to tan saddles! The Jews had no choice but to climb the steep and narrow ladder to the stands. I want to see who dares to stop him!said the Prince, fixing his eyes on Cedric, who was acting as if he was about to throw the Jew off the stand. Thanks to the interruption of the clown Wang Ba to stop the storm, he jumped between the master and Isaac, as if answering the prince's threat, shouting: Well, I don't care!At the same time, he took out a leg of pickled pork and put it in front of the Jew's beard like a shield; it turned out that he specially hid it in his robe because he was afraid that the tourney would be too long and it would exceed the capacity of his stomach.The Jew was shocked to see this piece of food, which was taboo from his clan, held up to his nose, and saw the clown raising a wooden sword and waving it over his head. The descent from the ladder was such a funny farce for the spectators that there was a burst of laughter, and Prince John and his entourage, converted to joy, joined in the chorus of laughter. Brother Prince, I should be rewarded, Wang Ba said. I defeated my enemies with sword and shield in a fair manner.He raised the pork in one hand, and swung the wooden sword in the other. My samurai, who are you and what do you do?asked Prince John, still laughing. A clown with hereditary rights, replied the funnyman, named Wang Ba, the son of an idiot and the grandson of a fool, but my grandfather's father was an official Well, it has to be in the front row of the audience to make room for the Jews. Prince John said that maybe this farce just helped him out and gave him an excuse to retreat from his original intention. The contestants sit together, which does not comply with the rules of the contest. It's worse to put a villain on top of a fool, replied the Clown, and it's the worst of all to put a Jew on top of a hillbilly. thanks!You're not a bad boy, exclaimed Prince John, and I like you.Now, Isaac, lend me a handful of gold coins. The Jew was stunned at this request, and neither dared to refuse nor obeyed. He fumbled in the leather pouch hanging on his belt, perhaps trying to figure out how many gold coins were worth a handful, but the prince stooped from his horse and took his place. Sarah solved the problem, took the money bag from him, took out two gold coins and threw them to Wang Ba, then took the money bag and walked away, continuing to patrol the arena, allowing the Jews to be laughed at by the people around; However, he was complacent and won the applause of the audience repeatedly, as if he had completed a just and honorable action.