Ivanhoe - Walter Scott (e ink ebook reader txt) 📗

had luck on my side, and been next

door to a wise man.”

At this moment Gurth appeared on the opposite side of the moat

with the mules. The travellers crossed the ditch upon a

drawbridge of only two planks breadth, the narrowness of which

was matched with the straitness of the postern, and with a little

wicket in the exterior palisade, which gave access to the forest.

No sooner had they reached the mules, than the Jew, with hasty

and trembling hands, secured behind the saddle a small bag of

blue buckram, which he took from under his cloak, containing, as

be muttered, “a change of raiment---only a change of raiment.”

Then getting upon the animal with more alacrity and haste than

could have been anticipated from his years, he lost no time in so

disposing of the skirts of his gabardine as to conceal completely

from observation the burden which he had thus deposited “en

croupe”.

The Pilgrim mounted with more deliberation, reaching, as he

departed, his hand to Gurth, who kissed it with the utmost

possible veneration. The swineherd stood gazing after the

travellers until they were lost under the boughs of the forest

path, when he was disturbed from his reverie by the voice of

Wamba.

“Knowest thou,” said the Jester, “my good friend Gurth, that thou

art strangely courteous and most unwontedly pious on this summer

morning? I would I were a black Prior or a barefoot Palmer, to

avail myself of thy unwonted zeal and courtesy ---certes, I would

make more out of it than a kiss of the hand.”

“Thou art no fool thus far, Wamba,” answered Gurth, “though thou

arguest from appearances, and the wisest of us can do no more

---But it is time to look after my charge.”

So saying, he turned back to the mansion, attended by the Jester.

Meanwhile the travellers continued to press on their journey with

a dispatch which argued the extremity of the Jew’s fears, since

persons at his age are seldom fond of rapid motion. The Palmer,

to whom every path and outlet in the wood appeared to be

familiar, led the way through the most devious paths, and more

than once excited anew the suspicion of the Israelite, that he

intended to betray him into some ambuscade of his enemies.

His doubts might have been indeed pardoned; for, except perhaps

the flying fish, there was no race existing on the earth, in the

air, or the waters, who were the object of such an

unintermitting, general, and relentless persecution as the Jews

of this period. Upon the slightest and most unreasonable

pretences, as well as upon accusations the most absurd and

groundless, their persons and property were exposed to every turn

of popular fury; for Norman, Saxon, Dane, and Briton, however

adverse these races were to each other, contended which should

look with greatest detestation upon a people, whom it was

accounted a point of religion to hate, to revile, to despise, to

plunder, and to persecute. The kings of the Norman race, and the

independent nobles, who followed their example in all acts of

tyranny, maintained against this devoted people a persecution of

a more regular, calculated, and self-interested kind. It is a

well-known story of King John, that he confined a wealthy Jew in

one of the royal castles, and daily caused one of his teeth to be

torn out, until, when the jaw of the unhappy Israelite was half

disfurnished, he consented to pay a large sum, which it was the

tyrant’s object to extort from him. The little ready money which

was in the country was chiefly in possession of this persecuted

people, and the nobility hesitated not to follow the example of

their sovereign, in wringing it from them by every species of

oppression, and even personal torture. Yet the passive courage

inspired by the love of gain, induced the Jews to dare the

various evils to which they were subjected, in consideration of

the immense profits which they were enabled to realize in a

country naturally so wealthy as England. In spite of every kind

of discouragement, and even of the special court of taxations

already mentioned, called the Jews’ Exchequer, erected for the

very purpose of despoiling and distressing them, the Jews

increased, multiplied, and accumulated huge sums, which they

transferred from one hand to another by means of bills of

exchange---an invention for which commerce is said to be indebted

to them, and which enabled them to transfer their wealth from

land to land, that when threatened with oppression in one

country, their treasure might be secured in another.

The obstinacy and avarice of the Jews being thus in a measure

placed in opposition to the fanaticism that tyranny of those

under whom they lived, seemed to increase in proportion to the

persecution with which they were visited; and the immense wealth

they usually acquired in commerce, while it frequently placed

them in danger, was at other times used to extend their

influence, and to secure to them a certain degree of protection.

On these terms they lived; and their character, influenced

accordingly, was watchful, suspicious, and timid---yet obstinate,

uncomplying, and skilful in evading the dangers to which they

were exposed.

When the travellers had pushed on at a rapid rate through many

devious paths, the Palmer at length broke silence.

“That large decayed oak,” he said, “marks the boundaries over

which Front-de-Boeuf claims authority---we are long since far

from those of Malvoisin. There is now no fear of pursuit.”

“May the wheels of their chariots be taken off,” said the Jew,

“like those of the host of Pharaoh, that they may drive heavily!

---But leave me not, good Pilgrim---Think but of that fierce and

savage Templar, with his Saracen slaves---they will regard

neither territory, nor manor, nor lordship.”

“Our road,” said the Palmer, “should here separate; for it

beseems not men of my character and thine to travel together

longer than needs must be. Besides, what succour couldst thou

have from me, a peaceful Pilgrim, against two armed heathens?”

“O good youth,” answered the Jew, “thou canst defend me, and I

know thou wouldst. Poor as I am, I will requite it---not with

money, for money, so help me my Father Abraham, I have none---but

------”

“Money and recompense,” said the Palmer, interrupting him, “I

have already said I require not of thee. Guide thee I can; and,

it may be, even in some sort defend thee; since to protect a Jew

against a Saracen, can scarce be accounted unworthy of a

Christian. Therefore, Jew, I will see thee safe under some

fitting escort. We are now not far from the town of Sheffield,

where thou mayest easily find many of thy tribe with whom to take

refuge.”

“The blessing of Jacob be upon thee, good youth!” said the Jew;

“in Sheffield I can harbour with my kinsman Zareth, and find some

means of travelling forth with safety.”

“Be it so,” said the Palmer; “at Sheffield then we part, and

half-an-hour’s riding will bring us in sight of that town.”

The half hour was spent in perfect silence on both parts; the

Pilgrim perhaps disdaining to address the Jew, except in case of

absolute necessity, and the Jew not presuming to force a

conversation with a person whose journey to the Holy Sepulchre

gave a sort of sanctity to his character. They paused on the top

of a gently rising bank, and the Pilgrim, pointing to the town of

Sheffield, which lay beneath them, repeated the words, “Here,

then, we part.”

“Not till you have had the poor Jew’s thanks,” said Isaac; “for

I presume not to ask you to go with me to my kinsman Zareth’s,

who might aid me with some means of repaying your good offices.”

“I have already said,” answered the Pilgrim, “that I desire no

recompense. If among the huge list of thy debtors, thou wilt, for

my sake, spare the gyves and the dungeon to some unhappy

Christian who stands in thy danger, I shall hold this morning’s

service to thee well bestowed.”

“Stay, stay,” said the Jew, laying hold of his garment;

“something would I do more than this, something for thyself.

---God knows the Jew is poor---yes, Isaac is the beggar of his

tribe---but forgive me should I guess what thou most lackest at

this moment.”

“If thou wert to guess truly,” said the Palmer, “it is what thou

canst not supply, wert thou as wealthy as thou sayst thou art

poor.”

“As I say?” echoed the Jew; “O! believe it, I say but the truth;

I am a plundered, indebted, distressed man. Hard hands have

wrung from me my goods, my money, my ships, and all that I

possessed---Yet I can tell thee what thou lackest, and, it may

be, supply it too. Thy wish even now is for a horse and armour.”

The Palmer started, and turned suddenly towards the Jew:---“What

fiend prompted that guess?” said he, hastily.

“No matter,” said the Jew, smiling, “so that it be a true one

---and, as I can guess thy want, so I can supply it.”

“But consider,” said the Palmer, “my character, my dress, my

vow.”

“I know you Christians,” replied the Jew, “and that the noblest

of you will take the staff and sandal in superstitious penance,

and walk afoot to visit the graves of dead men.”

“Blaspheme not, Jew,” said the Pilgrim, sternly.

“Forgive me,” said the Jew; “I spoke rashly. But there dropt

words from you last night and this morning, that, like sparks

from flint, showed the metal within; and in the bosom of that

Palmer’s gown, is hidden a knight’s chain and spurs of gold.

They glanced as you stooped over my bed in the morning.”

The Pilgrim could not forbear smiling. “Were thy garments

searched by as curious an eye, Isaac,” said he, “what discoveries

might not be made?”

“No more of that,” said the Jew, changing colour; and drawing

forth his writing materials in haste, as if to stop the

conversation, he began to write upon a piece of paper which he

supported on the top of his yellow cap, without dismounting from

his mule. When he had finished, he delivered the scroll, which

was in the Hebrew character, to the Pilgrim, saying, “In the town

of Leicester all men know the rich Jew, Kirjath Jairam of

Lombardy; give him this scroll---he hath on sale six Milan

harnesses, the worst would suit a crowned head---ten goodly

steeds, the worst might mount a king, were he to do battle for

his throne. Of these he will give thee thy choice, with every

thing else that can furnish thee forth for the tournament: when

it is over, thou wilt return them safely---unless thou shouldst

have wherewith to pay their value to the owner.”

“But, Isaac,” said the Pilgrim, smiling, “dost thou know that in

these sports, the arms and steed of the knight who is unhorsed

are forfeit to his victor? Now I may be unfortunate, and so lose

what I cannot replace or repay.”

The Jew looked somewhat astounded at this possibility; but

collecting his courage, he replied hastily. “No---no---no---It

is impossible---I will not think so. The blessing of Our Father

will be upon thee. Thy lance will be powerful as the rod of

Moses.”

So saying, he was turning his mule’s head away, when the Palmer,

in his turn, took hold of his gaberdine. “Nay, but Isaac, thou

knowest not all the risk. The steed may be slain, the armour

injured---for I will spare neither horse nor man. Besides, those

of thy tribe give nothing for nothing; something there must be

paid for their use.”

The Jew twisted himself in the saddle, like a man in a fit of the

colic; but his