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Full Title
The New World, Extra First, no. 19½, Whole Number 101½, Monday, May 16, 1842.
Author
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford), 1801?-1860.
Contributor
Benjamin, Park, 1809-1864.
Date Added
9 January 2014
Format
Newspaper
Language
English
Publish Date
1842-05-16
Publisher
New York : J. Winchester
Source
Dime Novels and Popular Literature
Alternate Title
The Jacquerie / by G. P. R. James, Esq.
Topic
Popular literature > United States > 19th century > Periodicals.
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Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement
OCR
2 a
‘THE NEW. WORLD.
May 16, 1842.
yet number nineteen, unless you were accompanied
by some known friend. I have therefore—”
“ T should but have to ride a few miles farther,” re
plied the knight, interrupting him with a gay laugh
* ‘The truce holds me from storing the castle ; and
if they will not have the :
night, they must wait till you carry itto them to-mor-
row morning.”
** Not ao, noble sir,” replied the prior ; ** for al-
thongh, as T told you, the abbot being absent at this
moment, I cannot to-night have the satisfaction of ac-
companying you to Mauvinet myself, yet I have pre
vided means for insuring your reception. Ihave just
sent for 2 youth now atthe abbey. Heis well know
in my brother’s house, and greatly trusted by us
who will both serve to guide you thither, and opea
i He has not yer
come up, L see; but I suppose he was taken by sur-
prise, and has some small preparations to make for
his journey :
The knight thanked the good monk fer his care in
simple terms, and thea remained plunged in silence ;
for he had many another thought to busy his mi
withal, and the things that were now passing round
him formed as yet but a light episode in his existence:
The prior himself resumed the discourse, however,
saying, after a short pause, “ In behalf of the youwh
=
=
who is coming I would bespeak your kind consider-
ation, my lord ; for though I must not say that he is
of noble birth, yet he is in all things far above the
race of mere peasants.” .
« The son of some citizen?” asked the knight, with
an air of indifference. . :
. exactly,” replied the prior. ‘ His father
held lands in Normandy, . but fell uader some false
suspicions during the troubles in that district, and was
» put to death by his lord unjustly. Ifis wife and child
fled hither, where they found a protector in my broth.
» er; and the motherdying, the yeuth has been brought
up partly at the abbey, partly at the castle.”
“There have been so many troubles in Normandy,
good father,” answered the knight, * that I know nut
well which you mean ; but if you speak ef those that
oceurred a few years ago, when your good prince,
. King John, held what we call the bloody feast of Rouen,
- arrested many noble gentlemen at his gon’s own ta-
ble, and after dinner struck off their heads in the field
behind the castle ; if you mean those troubles, all J
- can say is, the unjust Jord of this good youth’s father
huda goodly example of cruelty and tyranny before
his eyes.”
“ Tt was previous to the time you speak of that
these events took place,” replied the prior ; * bat 1}} wide e
fell, shone bright and silver-like in the
* beseech you, noble sir, cast no harsh censure on my
king, while he lies yet a prisoner ina distant land—|| |
So long as he was able, he was ever ready 1o meet in
arms, a3 a monarch and a knight, those who gainsay-
ed his deeds; but now—” .
“I was wrong, I was wrong, good father,” replied
the captal: ‘‘he is as valiant a prince as ever drew a ||
sword, and I should not have blamed him when he |} s
could not answer to the charge ” on
“He may have had good cause for what he did, my
lord,” replied the churchman. There runs a whis-
his father, and that the Lord of Harcourt was privy
thereunto. .
“ Still the king confounded guilt and innocence to-
gether,” replied the other, “and put noble gentlemen ||
to death without a trial. But here comesthe youth of
whom youspoke, Isuppose. fle seemsa likely stripling, |) by station and res
some what painfy’s
+ and more fit to make a man-at arms of thana monk.”
“Ta truth, my lord,” answered the prior, ‘it ie]]t
plain to see that he has no great taste for the gown.
We have done the best we could for
a world of learning, if he would use it wisely ; but to
ay sooth, he has ever shown himself fonder of watch
ing the tiltyard, and secretly practising with the sword
and pear, than reading theology or singing ‘is our
marched for Poictiera; but since then e nol
can bear honorable arms and gain a high renown.”
kind aad ready answer sprang to the lips of hie
companion, but oment’s thonght made hi - than from
i nike aw ct inn de gray ath could prdly tell ; but yet the eold want of
termine to paure a while; and he turned to examine
more purticularly the person of the young’ man who||igerest with \
. d to show hir s M
He was a very different being from him whom we ||erf’s blood : itfas as ifeach man he met marked it
approached.
- have already described as lingering moodily in the}
80 old as the other, and his countenance bore the ey
Pression of youth, which is a very peculiar one, ard
which, once lost, can never be regained
that his face i
with all its cheerfi
flection, and imagination, and mind
aisle of the church. He was not by four or five "3 nature was @
Tt was.ot
but it wus that there were none of the furrowsa care,|| the knight
. anxiety, and grief uponit, none of the lines that show || look up at
that the heart has been
8
dark; the limbs light and active, though giving a
promise of great strength; and there was in every
motion, a3 in every look, a breathing apirit of young
exuberant life that had something wonderfully prepos-
sessing in it to the eye.
His dress was that of the richest class of peasant-
ry3 but that he had received an education far above
his birth was evident from the grace with which he
moved. he approached the prior and his com-
panion, he uncovered his head, listened with repect-
fal but not servile attention te the directions that he
received, and then, assoon asthe knight had mounted,
Jaid his hand on the saddlebow of a horse that had
been prepared for himself, and without touching the
stirrup bounded into the seat.
_ CHAPTER Til. :
Trene waa a castle upon a slight rising ground ia
ting clear upon the luminous sky behind, /hile the
the keep appeared illuminated by ligt within, and
from the casement o}
above the knight's hall.”
‘ youth,” answere:
per among us that the false King of Navarre had|) however, lest we have yet
seduced the inexperience of the prince to rise against || slumbers.
behind the knight ; fe,
with kindly courtesy’
meanor which he #3 Well entided to assu
ya. || well, and who
him; vaught him || mere ni
all courteous’! eee
fg showin;
choir. He was generally at the castle till my brother|| have dow
it the answt Pion : ss
well known how to dispose of him, for here we can-|!state ofpparent indifference, remained silent for
not do as in England, where persons not of noble birth || severafninutes,
i tally
grieve withou} u
bitterness ; af although he longed to conquer his
fate, it was c
was Without traces of thought ; ior,|| shame the wid for fixing on any class of men the
fourteenth century: barbican.,
the ordinary means of attack; and the tall walls an
vance.
broad, and was,
across, but with a bend or. elbow in the midd
that any inimical troops which
the whole artillery of the castle walls. »
the causeway, approached close to the edge o!
ly wide and high to permit the passage of a horse
tione
which were a part of the daily life of that period.
which we have seen quit the
paused for
quitted the side of his uoble comp
ride, pointed with his hand toward the
saying, * there,noble sir, is the castle !
The moon had risen little more than an hour ab¥
aline of dark wood that skirted the distant hezon
behind the castle ; and her living beams show4 the
whole dark masses of the ancient feudal buil@g cut
anion during th
valley belo“
° fh
of Ae towers.
ylite moon-
in the ower part of
mvat, except where the shadow
ight. A long row of windows
a chamber ipthe story just
bove came forth the rays of a lamp’
“ You see, noble sir,” continue’
hey had paused for a moment, /
til waking. Thatis the cham} ©
‘the youth, after
you see they are
fthe Lady Adela,
“ You have guided us’ Z and quickly, good
‘d his comrfion’s ** let us spur on,
» wake the lady from her
ed rapidly, but still a ste,
The young man follev ough he had been treated
there had not been wanting
superiority in the captal’a de-
il me, bath
wnin arms. The youth felt it
however; even more, perhaps,
done from those whom he knew
x not the habit of treating him asthe
-hom the churl’s blood excluded from
hat tone of conscio’
han he woul
tasideration. Ihave said, indeed, that
so circunstanced. But still, the moment
was gifen, the captal had relapsed into a
ad then speaking of something to-
rent. . .
Te!
ly Abe shoul
pxpect more attention from stran-
ose with whom he was familiar,
with the knight heard his replies seem-
ore sensibly the dark spot of the
, and treated him accordingly. His
aerous nature, however: he might
ger 3 he could feel pain without
pon his forehi
pxzreat and noble deeds, which would
villeins,
fhe «fs! said the captal, speaking to himself
“S
« She sing» So soon do deep griefa pass from the
mind of yh? |
‘o his prise, the young man who rode by his
side, andho had never ventured to address him ex-
cept whdie himsell was spoken to, new replied
somewheharply, saying, “Itisa hymna! Hark!”
S
servation, bwever, but only cressed him-
self, cag, * God her her orisons! wwe must
adssion quick. Over this causeway seems
I
“It the only wey’ replied the young man: “but
take ow you trit till I have blown my horn,
for yopight have a ight of arrows on you, such as
‘ell atbictiers,” .
“Nt Heaven fort] !” replied the captal: “ wind
your lin, good youth?
Thepung man reed his horn to his lips, and
blew tong and cheful blast. A moment after,
on the barbaa answered inthe same tone,
nd sited out a weome in reply to the well-known |
fortified, according to the military architecture of the It
ican, portcullis, moat, and
drawbridze defended it sufficiently on all sides against
towers, with their crenelles and loopholes, shreacened
ching enemy with sad annoyance In his ad- .
Fae reacecping down the lower slopes of the|| What, the noble Captal de Buch !” exclaimed
ighboring uplands, indeed, were various scattered 1
woads, leaving wide open fields between them; but||led the English horse against the battle of the consta-
they came at no point so near to the castle as to give -
3 coming foe the means of concealing his proceedings.
moat, or piece of water which surrounded the
fortress itself, was somewhat more than fifty yards
indeed, one of ita best defences; for
only one means of traversing its deep water existed,
which was by a narrow causeway, not carried iraight
i le, 80
might attempt to
force their way over, before they reached the. draw-
bridge and barbican, must necessarily expose their
flank, first on the one side and then on the other, to
* Those walls themselves, at the point opposite to
the
water, and in some places the gray foundations dip
ped themselves therein; but on the three other sides
ncrescent-shaped slip of meadow stretched out be-
tween the chateau itselfand the greater moat, together || ing on
with a small piece of ground cultivated as a gar-
fie!
and between it and the walls was a narrow moat, Cut
from the other, and crossed by two or “three draw-
bridges, which led to posterns in the towers sufficient-
for, in truth, the green meadow that we have men-
was used, in times when. it might be danger-
ous to cross to the other side of the great moat, for
the purpose of practising those’ chivalrous sports
It was about half past eight o’clock when the party
i i Abbey of Montvoye
a moment on the slepe of one of the
aeighboring hills, and the young guide, who had no’
«| know not your name, noble sir,” said the guide
tohis companion. * All. I know is, that you are a
friend of my good lord the prior.”
“Say it is the Captal de Buch,” answered the
knight, “ who comes with good tidings to the house
of Mauvinet.”
the youth, gazing up in his companion’s face, “ who
bles at Poictiers.” .
“ The same,” replied the captal, “* the same, young
man ; but be sure you say he brings good tidings ; for
my name is not too well loved in France, and ma:
not gain me admission without something added.”
“Your name is honored throughout the world!”
replied the young man ; “but I will do your bidding
if you -will wait for but a moment here ;” and, riding
on alone, he approached the barbican, and after a
few words was admitted by the warder. ::~
The Captal de Buch remained in a musing mood,
sometimes gazing down into the glistening waters of
the moat, sometimes looking up to the moonlight
sky, sometimes scanning the dark towers, and, while
his spirit was in truth busy with other things, taking
in vague impressions of their military strength ; for,
in despite. of all that has been said against it, the
mind is not only capable to a certain degree of carry-
i two operations at once, but generally does so ;
and we continual’y find that, while we are revolving
one definite tra‘n-of ideas with all the intensity of
deep reflection, the casual sights that pass before the
eye, and the sounds that fall upon the ear, are
With graceful courtesy and kindness, though with
some timidity of manner, the lady caused refresh-
ments to be set before her guest, and pressed him to
his food, while several of the old officers of her fa-
ther’s household stood around the table, and others
went to prepare lodgings in the castle for the knight
and his followers. .
Adela de Mauvinet was soon joined in her task of
entertaining her unexpected guest by her young bro-
ther, a boy of six or seven years old, whese gladness
to hear of his father’s safety seemed even beyond his
years, and increased the recompense which Adela’s
joy had already bestowed upon the captal for the glad
tidings which he had brought. »
It was not till after he had told the story twice, and
added many a little anecdote to. gratify the children
of his prisoner, that the great leader retired to rest ;
but if we must say truth, the thought of Adela de
Mauvinet, of her beauty, and of the varying changes
whic! come over her countenance while he told
her of her: father’s safety, somewhat disturbed his
repose; and made his slumbers more dreamy and dis-
turbed than they were wont to be.
Let it not be supposed for one moment that the
captal was already in love. Though those were days
in which such a thing was'quite possible—when the
ning from the cloud, in a single moment, often
uced eff:cts as fierce and keen as that of heaven’s
bolt itself, reading the stubborn heart, and épreading
desolation round—yet the captal was of a different
ture, and loved not easily, though long. Still the
marked and 2onsidered in a general manner as if by
separate povers of perception and thought within us
armed attendants of the knight in the mean
while renained at some distance behind, the younger
and mo€ impetuous fretting at the brief pause, and
the old and veteran followers of the great leader
calm) enduring a delay which they were well aware
pro@eded but from necessary caution, gazing up with
cwfous eyes at the battlements, and thinking how
sh a castle might be best attacked
‘here was another person present, however, who
had joined the party at some distance from the abbey,
and who, after speaking a word to their young guide,
had fallen behind. This was the remarkable mai
whom we have described in the first chapter, and
who, after overtaking the troop, had shown no dis-
position to converse or jest with the light-hearted
men-at-arms of the captal’s train during the whole
journey they had made together. His eyes were now
aeither turned to the sky, nor to the moat, nor to the
castle, but were either fixed upon the ground, or bu-
sily engaged in scanning the forms of his temporary
companions. The same scornful bend was still about|,
his lip, and it might curl somewhat more strongly at
some of the words which he caught, but he uttered
not a syllable in reply. ,
At the end of about ten minutes the delay seemed
to be long even to the captal, and from time to time
he turned his eyes toward the barbican, while his
orse pawed the ground impatiently, as if wondering
what stayed his impetuous rider. , .
At length, however, the light of torches appeared
in the gate; the drawbridge was once more let down,
the portcullis was raised, and by the flickering glare
flambeaux mi e seen a number of armed
men arraying themselves on either side of the cause-
way, while the youth who had guided the party thither
came forth and announced to the captal that he was
welcome to the castle of Mauvinet,
Ere he entered, however, one of the old soldiers of
that great officer’s band rode up to his lord’s side,
and begged him to remark the armed throng which
lined the portal of the barbican. The captal, how-
ever, merely replied with an impatient “ Pshaw!”
and touching his horse slightly with the epur, rode
on across the causeway, passed the outer defences,
and bowing with a courteous inclination to the sol-
diery as he proceeded, entered the gates of the castle
upon horseback, and dismounted in the courtyard.
Here he found stationed several old officers to receive
him; but the youth who had guided him thither still
acted the part of his chief conductor, ani
forward up the steps to the great hall of the building,
>
SS
a
Although the room contained many lights, yet the
part where they first entered was comparatively dark ;
but at the farther end was an object which instantly
prise him nota little. It was the form of a girl, ap-
parently of nineteen or twenty years of age, habited
in garments of deep black, and followed by a waiting
woman in the same sombre garb.
not doubt for a moment that the lady before him wae
the person whom he came to see; and the surprise
which he evidently felt must have been excited by
and joy which lighted up her countenance. .
Ife advanced quickly toward her, however, while
claiming, ** Welcome, welcom
Uknow it! I know it! My father J
thousand welcomes for such happy news!” And, in
the eagerness of her joy, according te the simple
custom of the day, without shame or reserve, the lady
that was in her heart, "
as if doubting her own hopes, she repeated twice,
*Jg it not true 7 is it not true, noble knight 2”
* Yes, lady,” replied the captal, “it is true. Your
aoble father does live, is well, and will soon be re-
stored uato you. I have brought you the tidings my.
self, that I might have the satisfaction of witnessing
the joy which I now behold.” peg
«Joy, indeed,” replied the lady, “joy, indeed!
the greatest that haa entered these gates for many a
ut T must end for my poor brother: Though
the dear child sleeps, it is no sin to wake him with
such news as this.”
1 will not pause to detail the further conversation of
the knight and the young lady of Mauvinet, It lasted
nearly an hour, and in the couree ef jt, all that the
captal had to tell brought forth on her fair face a
thousand varying and beautiful expressions, which
caught the eye of one not insensible to beauty, and
made him long to know more of the bright heart
have ju got with ye?
she midat of wide basinin the hills, It was strongly
ai
soundbut at the ean time demanded aloud, “ Who
yo
‘om which such gleams seemed to iseue forth.
stood there and gazed.
upon his lip, and at the
away; “kind! and you are content to take from kind-
ness that which is your own by right ”
a careless air,
aroundsee that there was in his bosom deeper th
The captal could|{than were displayed roa
other followed him across one of the
she, on her part, came forward with a hasty step, ex-
e, my good Lo
Captal. Albert tells me you bring me glad tidings :
i i is alive! A
beauty and the grace of her whom he had that night
seen for the first time touched his imagination, though
not his heart, and he lay and thought for more than
one halfhour of Adela de Mauvinet, and dreamed of
her in sleep. ,
CHAPTER ly,
the morning was bright and clear, and’ some of the
soldiery of the castle had been wrestling and playing
at back-sword and buckler in that open space be-
tween the walls of the castle and the great moat
which we have already mentioned. It was a fine
b|}sight to see -them in the clear fresh air, with their
strong and muscular limbs cast every moment into
some new and graceful attitude; and several of the
followers of the Captal de Buch,’ who came at firat
merely to look on, soon entered so fully into the spirit
of the contest, that, when invited by some of the
wrestlers to take part, they joined in and tried a fall
with the rest.
There were two persons, however, who gazed for
some time on the sports, but took no part therein, re-
maining aloof at some distance, and with crosse
arms ‘and bended heads watching the exercises in
which they were unwilling or unable to mingle.
Those persons were no other than the youth who had
conducted the Crptal de Buch to Mauvinet, and the
man whom we have described as livgering in the
church of Montvoye. Very different, however, was
the expression on the countenance of each as they
played a keen interest in all that he saw going on
before him, while that of his companion was unmoved
and calm, and seemed rather to hold the wrestlers
and their sports in contempt than to derive any
pleasure from the sight of their pastime. ~
«Come, Albert,” he said at length, addressing th
Jet us get away from these brawling
0 To stand here and watch them does no good
either to you or me. . You would fain join them, and
would not be one of them if I could.’ Come, Albert,
come, and let us talk over poor France,” - .
“I might join them this moment if I would,” replied
the other ; ** you know they are all very kind to me.’”
“ Kind !” replied his companion, with a bitter sneer
same time walking slowly
The young man to whom he spoke started, and
looked inquiringly in his companion’s face,“ Mine
,|{by right” he exclaimed ; “how is it mine by right
which was known by the name of “ the knight’s hall.” || more than yours?
What is it that you mean, Wil-
plied Caillet ; ‘but come away where we cannot be
attracted the captal’s attention, and seemed to sur- |i heard, and I will explain to you my meaning.”
3 he spoke he moved away with a slow step and
as if unwilling to let any of those
by the mere surface.
small bridges,
Y 8 postern into the castle. Caillet paused not
et within the building, but crossed the court, and saun-
the beauty and grace of her form and the loveliness! tering through the great gates, approached the barbi-
of her face, or by the expression of wondering hope |! can.
le walked on with an air of listless indifference,
spoke a few words to the warder that let down the
|drawdridge for them, and then, seeing that his com-
panion lingered, as if unwilling id,
| Come, Albert, will you not take a walk this fine
morning ?. See how bright the sun shines: you will
ind matter for some new song.”
The youth whom he called Albert smiled and fol-»
lowed him, merely replying, “I cannot go far, Cail-
let, for I have charge to wait upon the noble Captal
de Buch till the good prior comes.”
“The captal will not waat you for an hour or two,”
said Caillet, ‘and you for
walk. Come, if you be willing ; if not, stop behind.
Good faith, itis the same tome. Iseldem seek bet.
‘ter company tl own ; fo1 8 i
thoughts are one’s best friends ” T now-a-days one °
. The other made no answer, but accompanied him
in silence, and Caillet took his way through the mea- °
dows on the opposite side of the moat a
continued gazing with a meditative look over the fair
scene spread out before him. .
18 companion’s eyes rested long upon the Jand-
scape also with much real enjoyment of all that is
fine | in mature; and, to say truth, attaching’ no
gteat importance to the words of Caillet, he had to- '
tally forgotten all that had previously passed between
uy
Aiea
Romeo and Juliet love, brought forth, like the light-
‘HERE had been a light frost upon the ground, but
The face of the younger dis- *
be such another as themselves: I despise them, and -
toe