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The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]
- Автор: Gutenberg
- Год: 1910
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Культурология
Электронная книга - «The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]». Краткое содержание книги:
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 02 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 03 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 04 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 05 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 06 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 07 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 08 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 10 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 11 — Ancient and Mediæval History от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 12 — Modern History от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 14 — Philosophy and Economics от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 17 — Poetry and Drama от Неизвестный
The world's greatest books от Mee, Arthur, 1875-1943, joint editor & Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir, 1871-1949, joint editor & McClure, S. S. (Samuel Sidney), 1857-1949, joint editor
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 19 — Travel and Adventure от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 20 — Miscellaneous Literature and Index от Неизвестный
" When flits this cross from man to man, Vich-Alpine's summons to his clan, Burst be the ear that fails to heed! Palsied the foot that shuns to speed! May ravens tear the careless eyes, Wolves make the coward heart their prize! As sinks that blood-stream in the earth, So may his heart's blood drench his hearth! As dies in hissing gore the spark, Quench thou his light, Destruction dark! And be the grace to him denied, Bought by this sign to all beside! " Then Roderick, with impatient look, From Brian's hand the symbol took:
" Speed, Malise, speed! " he said, and gave The crosslet to his henchman brave. 163
" The muster-place be Lanrick mead—
Instant the time—speed, Malise, speed!"
Like heath-bird, when the hawks pursue,
A barge across Loch Katrine flew;
High stood the henchman on the prow;
So rapidly the bargemen row,
The bubbles, where they launched the boat,
Were all unbroken and afloat,
Dancing in foam and ripple still,
When it had neared the mainland hill;
And from the silver beach's side
Still was the prow three fathom wide
When lightly bounded to the land
The messenger of blood and brand.
Speed, Malise, speed! the dun deer's hide
On fleeter foot was never tied.
Speed, Malise, speed! Such cause of haste
Thine active sinews never braced.
Bent 'gainst the steepy hill thy breast,
Burst down like torrent from its crest;
With short and springing footstep pass
The trembling bog and false morass;
Across the brook like roebuck bound,
And thread the brake like questing hound;
The crag is high, the scaur is deep,
Yet shrink not from the desperate leap:
Parched are thy burning lips and brow,
Yet by the fountain pause not now;
Herald of battle, fate, and fear,
Stretch onward in thy fleet career!
The wounded hind thou track'st not now,
Pursuest not maid through greenwood bough,
Nor pliest thou now thy flying pace
With rivals in the mountain race;
But danger, death, and warrior deed
Are in thy course—speed, Malise, speed!
164
Meantime Douglas and his daughter withdrew from the island, and took up their abode in a wild and lonely grot on Mount Benvenue, called the Goblin's Cave.
Canto II
But Douglas did not remain long at the Goblin's Cave. One morning he left this hiding-place, appointing Ellen to meet him at Cambus-kenneth's Abbey if he did not return by evening; and she could not but believe that, conceiving himself to be the cause of the coming strife, he had gone to give himself up to the king as a hostage for Malcolm Graeme and Roderick Dhu. Meantime, during the Douglas's absence, the Knight of Snowdoun, still dressed in Lincoln green, returned, declared his love for Ellen, and having been told that her heart was already bestowed on another, handed her a ring given him by the king, which, he said, would secure for its holder such recompense as he—the holder—might name. On his way back the knight would have been lured by his guide into an ambush prepared for him by Roderick Dhu's clansmen, had not a crazed and captive Lowland maid named Blanche of Devan warned him of it in a song. He saved his own life, but though he could not save that of poor Blanche, who fell mortally wounded by an arrow shot by the treacherous guide, he managed to avenge her by killing her assassin, and having dipped a tress of her hair in her blood, placed it in his helm. At last, as evening came on, he found a mountaineer sitting by a watch fire, and, having asked for rest, food, a fire, and a guide, was promised all four, though he frankly avowed himself no friend to Roderick Dhu. The next day, at dawn, the Gael, according to his promise, proceeded to put his guest safely on the way to Stirling; but as they went along, the knight inveighed so severely against Sir Roderick, and expressed such an ardent desire to confront that rebel chieftain and his clan, that his guide could no longer restrain himself.
" Have, then, thy wish! " He whistled shrill, And he was answered from the hill; Wild as the scream of the curfew, From crag to crag the signal flew. Instant, through copse and heath, arose Bonnets and spears and bended bows; On right, on left, above, below, Sprung up at once the lurking foe; From shingles grey their lances start, The bracken bush sends forth the dart, 165
The rushes and the willow wand Are bristling into axe and brand, And every tuft of bloom gives life To plaided warrior armed for strife. That whistle garrisoned the glen At once with full five hundred men, As if the yawning hill to heaven A subterranean host had given. Watching their leader's beck and will, All silent there they stood, and still. Like the loose crags whose threatening mass Lay tottering o'er the hollow pass, As if an infant's touch could urge Their headlong passage down the verge, With step and weapon forward flung, Upon the mountain-side they hung. The mountaineer cast glance of pride Along Behledi's living side, Then fixed his eye and sable brow Full on Fitz-James—" How say'st thou now ? These are Clan Alpine's warriors true; And, Saxon, I am Roderick Dhu! " Fitz-James was brave—though to his heart The life-blood thrilled with sudden start, He manned himself with dauntless air, Returned the chief his haughty stare, His back against a rock he bore, And firmly placed his foot before: " Come one, come all! This rock shall fly From its firm base as soon as I." Sir Roderick marked—and in his eyes Respect was mingled with surprise, And the stern joy which warriors feel In foeman worthy of their steel. Short space he stood—then waved his hand; Down sunk the disappearing band; Each warrior vanished where he stood, 166
In broom or bracken, heath or wood; Sunk brand and spear and bended bow, In osiers pale and copses low; It seemed as if their mother Earth Had swallowed up her warlike birth. The wind's last breath had tossed in air Pennon, and plaid, and plumage fair, The next but swept a lone hill-side, Where heath and fern were waving wide: The sun's last glance was glinted back From spear and glaive, from targe and jack, The next, all unreflected, shone On bracken green and cold grey stone.
Greatly impressed by this display, the knight followed his guide, who again promised to conduct him safely to Coilantogle Ford. But when they reached this spot Roderick challenged the knight to fight, saying that the hermit priest Brian had prophesied :
" Who spills the foremost foeman's life,
His party conquers in the strife."
The knight, being generously disinclined to engage in mortal combat with one who had saved his life, urged that as he had slain the guide, Red Murdoch, Roderick should yield to fate and go to King James at Stirling, where he—the knight—would guarantee that matters in dispute could be adjusted.