Chapter 10 chapter Ten

circling the sky like a heralding crow, To bring news of death to the dying, Under the shadow of the silent night, Sprinkle the plague on the world from the black wings; Barabas, Tormented and Endless A vicious curse was issued to Christians. "The Jews of Malta" [Note: British playwright Christopher.Marlowe's script. 】 As soon as the disinherited knight came to his tent, his squires and servants rushed forward to help him unarmor, change his clothes, or attend to his grooming.Their enthusiasm may also be motivated by curiosity, because everyone wants to know who this knight is, who not only has won many battles, but also refused to take off his mask and publish his name in defiance of Prince John's orders.But their gracious inquiries yielded nothing.The disinherited knight declined all help except his own squire, who was really just a farmer, a rustic country bumpkin in a dark brown felt coat and a Norman black leather hat, He covered half of his face, as if, like his master, he wanted to hide his true face from others.When all had left the tent, the servant removed the bulky parts of his armor, and brought him food and wine, to satisfy him after the day's toil.

The knight had just finished eating hungrily, when his servant came to report that there were five people, each of whom had a horse in saddle armor, and wanted to meet him and report everything.The disinherited knight had taken off his armor for a robe, which such men used to wear, with a hood attached to cover the face when need be, almost in the same way as a visor; The night was getting darker, and unless there was a meeting with a very familiar person, generally speaking, there was no need to pretend. So the disinherited knight boldly stepped out of the tent, and found waiting for him were the squires of the challengers, as evidenced by their brown and black clothes, each leading the master's steed, which carried him to the day's tourney. Armor worn from time to time.

I am the famous knight Brienne.Bois Guibert's squire Baldwin.Oyle, said one of the foremost, has now come here specially to present to you, as you call it, a disinherited knight, the above-mentioned Brienne.The horses and armor that Bois-Guilbert used in today's joust; whether you keep them, or take a ransom of equal value, is at your discretion, for such are the rules of jousting. The rest of the squires almost repeated the same set of words, and then stood there, waiting for the disinherited knight to make a decision. To the four of you, gentlemen, the knight replied to the four behind you, and your upright and brave masters, I can answer together.Give my regards to your lords, noble knights, and convey my words: I would not do what I should not do, take their horses and armor, and deprive these brave knights of them.My reply to them might have ended here, but I am a disinherited man, as I faithfully and sincerely call myself, and I am obliged to ask the pardon of your masters to pay a certain sum for their horses and armor. Ransom, because these things I use now can be said to not belong to me.

Our master has told us, replied Reginald's squire, the bull-faced general, that each of us can give a hundred gold pieces as a ransom for these horses and armor. That is enough, said the disinherited knight; my present need compels me to accept half of it; and the other half may be divided in two, one for your reward, gentlemen, and the other. It was divided between the ceremonial officers and their assistants, as well as the troubadours and servants. The followers took off their hats and bowed deeply, expressing their respect for such rare, at least not so generous rewards and gifts.The disinherited knight then asked Brian.Bois-Ghibert's squire Baldwin continued his conversation, I cannot accept your master's combat equipment, nor can I collect his ransom, he said, please tell him in my name, our battle is not over yet Yes, We have not yet fought with the sword as with the spear, nor on foot with the joust.This life-and-death struggle was posed to me by him himself, and I should not forget his challenge.At the same time, please tell him that I can't treat him with courtesy as I treat his friend, I can only treat him as a sworn enemy.

My master knows how to answer politeness with politeness, answered Baldwin, but also how to answer contempt with contempt, and blow with blow.Since you disdain to accept his ransom as other knights pay, I must leave here his steed and armor, for I am sure he will never again ride his horse or his armor. You speak well, said the valiant squire, the disinherited knight, well and bravely, as one ought to speak for a man in his absence.You cannot leave your horse and armor here, however.Return them to your master, and if he disdains to take them back, keep them for yourself, my friend.Since they are mine, I have the right to transfer them to you.

Baldwin bowed deeply and walked away with his companions.The disinherited knight returned to the tent. In this way, Ge Si, he said to his squire, I have not yet done harm to the honor of English knights. As a Saxon pig-herder, said Ge Si, I played the part of the Norman squire not badly. Yes, replied the disinherited knight, but you are a country bumpkin, and I have always been afraid of being seen. Hush!Ge Si said, I am not afraid of others, but I am afraid that my little brother, the clown Wang Ba, will find out this secret; I still don't know whether he is a scoundrel or a fool.But once my old master was so near and still didn't see me, I almost laughed out of joy, thinking that Geoff was still a few miles away, tending his pigs in the woods and swamps of Rotherwood .if i find out

Enough, said the disinherited knight, my word to you shall stand. No, on that point, Ge Si said, I will never feel sorry for my friends for fear of flesh and blood suffering.I have a tough skin as thick as that of any boar I have raised and is not afraid of knives and whips. Believe me, you took the risk to protect me, and I will repay you, Ge Si, the knight said, now please accept these ten gold coins. Then I am richer than any pig herder, any slave.Ge Si said, putting the gold coin into his pocket. Send this bag of gold to Ashby, continued the master, and find Isaac the Jew of York, and give him the money to pay for the horses and armour, which I have borrowed on his surety.

No, by St. Dunstan, replied Ge Si, I can't do it. Why, you boy, said the master, you will not obey my orders? As long as the order is correct, reasonable, and in line with the spirit of Christ, I will obey, Ge Si replied, but this order is not like this.It's not right to give money to a Jew to pay the bill, because he will surely cheat my master; it's not reasonable, because only a fool would do it; and it's not Christian, because it's giving Christian money to a Heretics. In any case, you have to settle the bill with him, and you must do what I tell you, not your own.said the disinherited knight.

Well then, I'll go, Ge Si said, hiding the purse in his coat, and walked out of the tent, it's not easy, he muttered, but since I'm asked to settle the bill with him, I can pay the price he offered Only pay him half.As he said this, he set off.The disinherited knight was left alone to think, but this was of a peculiarly vexed and painful quality, which cannot be explained at the moment, and must be left to the reader to comprehend. We must now turn the scene to the town of Ashbey, or rather to a country house on its outskirts, the house of a wealthy merchant in Israel, where Isaac, his daughter, and his entourage are now known to reside, The Jews have always been generous and kind to their own people, although they are very mean and stingy to what they call the Gentiles, thinking that since these people have been unkind to them, there is no need for them to be too polite to them.

At this time, the room where the father and daughter lived was not very spacious, but it was magnificently furnished with oriental flavors; there was a circle of platforms slightly higher than the ground around the room, and piles of embroidered cushions were piled up on it, like the Spaniards. living room, use them instead of chairs and stools.Sitting on a pile of cushions, Rebecca watched her father with worried and dutiful eyes; the latter paced up and down the room with a dejected look and staggering steps, sometimes clenching his hands and sometimes raising his eyes. Looking at the roof, as if preoccupied, not knowing what to do, alas, Jacob!He shouted, Twelve ancestors of our clan Ancestors of the clan. 】!What a loss to a man who had never violated the law of Moses and had always followed the rules!This tyrant, he stretched out his claws, and snatched fifty gold coins from me in one fell swoop!

But, father, said Rebecca, it seems to me that you gave the gold to Prince John voluntarily. Volunteer!Let the plague of Egypt come upon him!You say I am voluntary?Yes, as I used to throw my cargo into the Bay of Lyons, and voluntarily, because my merchant ship was caught in a storm, and in order to lighten the ship, I had to throw them into the water, and send my best silks to the tumbling and feed my aloe and myrrh to its foam, and throw my gold and silver vessels into its bottomless pit!Although this is a sacrifice I made with my own hands, don't I grieve? But it was a sacrifice that God asked us to make to save our lives, replied Rebecca, and the God of our ancestors has kept you ever since.Let your business prosper and make a fortune. Yes, answered Isaac, but what if this tyrant takes them away as he does today, and plunders me while forcing me to smile?Alas, daughter, we are deprived of our homes and wandering, but our greatest disaster is when we are insulted and robbed, and the whole world around us laughs at us, when we should stand up and take revenge. Sometimes, we have to restrain the feeling of being hurt, put on a smile and endure everything. Don't think so, Papa, said Rebecca, we have our advantages too.Though they may oppress us, these cruel Gentiles depend in part on us wandering Jews whom they despise and persecute.They can neither maintain their great armies in war, nor enjoy victory in peace, without the support of our money; the money we lend to them increases our wealth.We are not afraid of being stepped on like weeds, and the more we step on it, the more lush we will grow.Take today's tournament, which would not have been possible without the patronage of despised Jews. Daughter, said Isaac, you have struck another sad chord.That strong horse and that expensive suit of armor are equivalent to Giljos of Leicester and I.The whole profit of the sale that Jaram made.Alas, it was another losing business, and its losses devoured my whole week's earnings from Sabbath to Sabbath.But the result may be better than I imagined now, because he was a good young man. I am sure, said Rebecca, that you will not repent of repaying the good done to you by the strange knight. I believe so, daughter, said Isaac, and I also believe in the rebuilding of Zion. Therefore, the revival of the Jewish nation calls for the rebuilding of Zion. ], but just as I hope to see with my own eyes the walls and battlements of the new temple is only a dream, so I cannot expect a Christian, yes, even the best Christian, to pay the Jewish debt, except under the threat of law and prison . At this point he began to walk up and down the room again with discontented steps; and Rebecca, seeing that her attempts to comfort him had aroused fresh complaints, wisely abandoned this futile effort. This attitude of moderation is worth recommending to everyone who tries to act as a comforter and counselor, and can refer to it when encountering similar situations. Now that the twilight was growing, a Jewish servant entered the room and placed on the table two silver lamps filled with perfumed oil; The most precious wines, and some delicate foodstuffs; for the Jews were very rich in their own homes, and never refused any luxuries.Meanwhile the servant reported to Isaac that a Nazarene (as they called Christians among their own people) wanted to see him.Anyone who does business must be ready to meet everyone who wants to do business with him at any time.Isaac was raising a glass of Greek wine to his lips, and before he had tasted it, he put it back on the table, hurriedly ordered his daughter to put on the veil, and then ordered the stranger to enter the house. Rebecca had just put down a piece of silver tulle that fell to her feet, so that it could hide her beautiful face, when the door opened, and Ge Si came in, with a large Norman cloak folded over him, It was an uncomfortable look, and almost suspicious, especially when, on entering the room, instead of taking off his hat, he pulled the brim of it over his shaggy eyebrows. Are you a Jewish Isaac of York?Ge Si spoke in Saxon. Exactly, Isaac replied in the same language, for his business made it necessary for him to know the languages ​​spoken in Britain, who are you? It doesn't matter.Ge Si replied. But it is as important as you to know my name, Isaac replied, how can I talk to you without knowing your name? It's very simple, Ge Si replied, I'm here to pay, I must know that the money has been handed over to me; you are the one who received the money, I think, you don't have to care who sent the money. Oh, said the Jew, are you here to pay?My father Abraham!This changed our relationship.So who sent you to send the money? The winner of today's tourney, the disinherited knight sent me, Ge Si said, this is guaranteed by you, Giljos of Leicester.Money for the suit of armor Jaram lent him.That horse has been returned to your barn.I need to know now how much I have to pay for that armor. I said he was a fine young man!Isaac shouted happily, you have a drink, it won't do you any harm, he said, poured a full glass of wine and handed it to the pig keeper, Ge Si has never drank such a good wine in his life, then you How much did you bring? Holy Mary!Ge Si said, put down the wine glass, these unbelievers drink pure nectar, but the beer drunk by true Christians is as cloudy as the slop of feeding pigs!How much money do I have with me?After the Saxon expressed his unkind thoughts, he continued, "Not much, just this at hand."But, Isaac, you've got to put your conscience in the middle, even if it's only a Jew's heart. Don't say that, said Isaac, your master has won some fine horses and some expensive armor with his gun and his right arm. Of course, he is a good young man, and I can take these for him. Change it all into cash, deduct what he pays, and return all the excess to him. My master has sold them all.Ge Si said. ah!That's not right, said the Jew, that's what fools do.No Christian here can afford so many horses and armour, and no Jew will pay half what I pay.But there are a hundred gold coins hidden in that bag of yours, Isaac said again, touching it under Ge Si's coat, it was strangely heavy. There are bullets for crossbows.Ge Si had already prepared to say it. Well, then, said Isaac, gasping, hesitating between insatiable habits and the new generosity that this present incident has aroused, if I'd charge eighty for the hire of that horse and that suit of armor Gold coins, you didn't earn any of this money, can you pay it? It's okay, Ge Si said, although the price is much more reasonable than he expected, so my master will not have a penny left.But since this is your lowest price, I don't care about it any more. Have another drink, said the Jew, but eighty gold pieces is too little.I advanced the money and didn't even calculate the interest on the money.Besides, the horse may have been a little wounded in today's engagement.Ah, this game is thrilling and dangerous!Men and horses charged at each other like wild bulls in Bashan!There's no way the horse won't go unscathed. Listen to me, Ge Si replied, it is intact, breathing smoothly, and its limbs are still the same, you might as well go to the stall now to have a look.Besides, I must say, that armor was only worth seventy ducats; and I believe a Christian's speech is as honest as a Jew's.If you still think it's too little, I'll have to take this bag of gold back (he rattles the purse) and give it back to my master. Don't be busy, don't be busy!Isaac said, put down the bag, count it as eighty gold coins, you see, I have been generous enough to you. Ge Si finally agreed, and counted out eighty gold coins and put them on the table, and the Jew gave him a receipt, including the rent of the horse and the money for the armor.He was so happy that his hands were shaking, he wrapped the seventy gold coins first.For the remaining ten pieces, every time he picked up one, he weighed it carefully, paused for a while, and muttered again before putting it into the wallet.His avarice, it seemed, was wrestling with his better nature, which compelled him to pocket coin after coin, and demanded that he keep at least a few, to return to his benefactor, or as a gift to his benefactor. The bounty goes to his agent.His words can be summed up roughly as follows: Seventy-one, seventy-two Your master is a good young man Seventy-three An upright young man Seventy-four The side of this one is cut off Seventy-five This one seems to be less than seventy-six Your master When If you want money, tell him to come and find Isaac of York. Of course, there must be a reliable mortgage.At this point, he paused for a long time, Ge Si was full of joy, thinking that these three coins could avoid the fate of their partners, but the counting continued: Seventy-eight, you are a good person, Seventy-nine should give you something At this moment the Jew paused again, looking at the last gold coin, no doubt intending to give it to Ge Si.He weighed it in his fingers, dropped it on the table, and listened to the sound.If the sound was not clear enough, or if the weight was a little lighter, generosity might have prevailed, but Ge Si deserved to be unlucky, the sound of that gold coin was both loud and crisp, and it looked round, and it was recently minted, and it was heavier than others Some.Isaac couldn't bear to part with it, pretended to be absent-minded, and threw it into the wallet again, saying: "Eighty coins are a lot, I believe your master will reward you well."However, he took a closer look at Ge Si's purse again, and said, "You still have gold coins in your purse, right?" Ge Si grinned, and replied with a half-smile, "It's about the same as the number you counted just now."Then he folded the receipt, put it under his hat, and said: Don't be greedy, Jew, you've been paid enough!He poured another glass of wine himself, and left without thanking him after drinking it. Rebecca, said the Jew, I have tricked that Ishmaelite.But his master is a good young man; yes, I am glad, he has won a lot of gold single-handed; his gun is as good as Goliath the Philistine. The strong man of the people, who defeated the Israelites repeatedly, was later killed by David. 】It was the same as the one I used, and it was so thick that it could be compared to a scroll on a loom. He couldn't hear Rebecca's answer, so he turned his head and found that when he was bargaining with Ge Si, she had already quietly left the house. At this moment, Ge Si came down the stairs, passing through the dark front room or living room, when he saw someone beckoning to him. This person was all in white, holding a small silver lamp in his hand, telling him to go to the next room.Ge Si was a little confused and didn't want to pay attention to that man.Although he is as rude and bold as a wild boar, and afraid of nothing but human violence, he has the characteristics of a Saxon, and he has the characteristics of trolls, ghosts, women in white, and all superstitions brought by his ancestors from the wild mountains and wild forests of Germany. Natural fear.It occurred to him again that he was in the house of the Jews, who, in addition to all the bad qualities they were usually assigned to them, were regarded as mysterious wizards and witches.After a moment's hesitation, however, he obeyed the ghost's call, and followed her into the room she pointed to, and to his great joy he found that leading the way was the handsome Jew whom he had seen at the tourney. Girl, she was in her father's house just now. She inquired about his negotiations with Isaac, and he recounted them carefully. My father was only jesting with you, my friend, said Rebecca, and he owes your master a great debt that cannot be equalized by a horse and a suit of armor, even if their value were increased tenfold.How much are you paying my father now? Eighty gold coins.Ge Si said that he was surprised by her question. There are a hundred gold pieces in this bag, said Rebecca, and you give back to your master what is due to him, and the rest will be given to you.You have to go quickly, don't stand here and say thank you!Be careful as you travel through this crowded town, your wallet and your life could be in danger.Reuben, she cried, clapping her hands, take the light and see the stranger out, and don't forget to close and lock the door when he's gone. Reuben responded, a brown-skinned, black-bearded Israeli with a torch in his hand; he opened the door leading to the outside, and led Gesi across the stone-paved courtyard, letting him pass through a door above the gate. After the small door went out, it was immediately bolted and chained, as if it were a prison. My Saint Dunstan!Ge Si was thinking on the dark street while stumbling, that was not a Jewish girl, she was a fairy from heaven!The brave young master gave me ten gold pieces, and the pretty Jewish fairy gave me twenty more!Ah, good luck today!One more day, Ge Si, you can redeem yourself, you can be a free man dignifiedly, and no one can control you.Then I shall leave the hog-horn and the stick, take up the freeman's sword and shield, and follow the young master to fight, without anonymity or with a hidden face.