They talked at that time
When the herds wandered home from the fields,
When, having eaten, but not calmed down,
The pigs reluctantly walked squealing into their barn.
Pop, "Odyssey"
In that picturesque region of merry England, which is watered by the river Don, in ancient times there were vast forests covering most of the most beautiful hills and valleys lying between Sheffield and Doncaster. Remnants of these vast forests are still visible around the noble castles of Wentworth, Wharncliffe Park and near Rotherham. According to legend, the fabulous Wontley dragon once lived here; Fierce battles took place here during the internecine wars of the White and Scarlet Roses; and here in the old days the bands of those brave robbers gathered, whose exploits and deeds were glorified in folk songs.
This is the main setting of our story; in terms of time, the events described in it relate to the end of the reign of Richard I, when the return of the king from long captivity seemed a desirable, but already impossible event to desperate subjects who were subjected to endless oppression by the nobility. The feudal lords, who had received exorbitant power during the reign of Stephen, but were forced to submit to the royal authority of the prudent Henry II, now again committed outrages, as in former times; neglecting the weak attempts of the English Council of State to limit their arbitrariness, they strengthened their castles, increased the number of vassals, and forced the entire district into obedience and vassalage; each feudal lord sought to gather and lead such an army that would give him the opportunity to become an influential person in the approaching state upheavals.
At that time, the position of the small landed nobles, or, as they were then called, Franklins, who, according to the letter and spirit of English laws, should have maintained their independence from the tyranny of large feudal lords, became extremely precarious at that time. The Franklins could ensure a quiet existence for themselves for some time if they, as most of the time happened, resorted to the patronage of one of the influential nobles of their district, or were included in his retinue, or undertook, under agreements of mutual assistance and protection, to support the feudal lord in his military enterprises; but in this case they had to sacrifice their freedom, which is so dear to the heart of every true Englishman, and were in danger of being drawn into any rash undertaking of their ambitious patron. On the other hand, the noble barons, who had at their disposal powerful and varied means of oppression and oppression, always found a pretext to persecute, persecute and bring to complete ruin any of their less powerful neighbors who tried not to recognize their power and live independently, thinking that his safety is ensured by loyalty and strict obedience to the laws of the land.
The conquest of England by the Norman Duke William greatly increased the tyranny of the feudal lords and deepened the suffering of the lower classes. Four generations could not mix together the hostile blood of the Normans and Anglo-Saxons, or reconcile by common language and mutual interests the hated nations, one of which was still reveling in victory, and the other suffering the consequences of its defeat. After the Battle of Hastings, power passed completely into the hands of the Norman nobles, who were by no means distinguished by moderation. Almost without exception, the Saxon princes and Saxon nobility were either exterminated or deprived of their possessions; The number of small Saxon owners who retained the lands of their fathers was also small. The kings constantly sought, through legal and illegal measures, to weaken that part of the population that experienced an innate hatred of the conquerors. All monarchs of Norman origin showed a clear preference for their fellow tribesmen; hunting laws and other regulations, absent in the softer and more liberal Saxon code, fell on the shoulders of the vanquished, further increasing the severity of the already unbearable feudal oppression.
At court and in the castles of the noblest nobles, who tried to introduce the splendor of court life, they spoke exclusively Norman French; legal proceedings were conducted in the same language in all places where justice was administered. In a word, the French language was the language of the nobility, chivalry and even justice, while the incomparably more courageous and expressive Anglo-Saxon speech was left to peasants and courtyard people who did not know another language.
However, the need for communication between landowners and the enslaved people who worked their land served as the basis for the gradual formation of a dialect from a mixture of French and Anglo-Saxon, speaking which they could understand each other. So little by little it arose English language of the present time, containing a happy mixture of the language of the victors with the dialect of the vanquished, and since then so enriched by borrowings from classical and so-called southern European languages.
I have thought it necessary to give the reader this information in order to remind him that although the history of the Anglo-Saxon people after the reign of William II was not marked by any significant events such as wars or rebellions, yet the wounds inflicted by the conquest did not heal until the reign of Edward III. There are great national differences between the Anglo-Saxons and their conquerors; memories of the past and thoughts of the present reopened these wounds and contributed to the preservation of the border separating the descendants of the victorious Normans and the defeated Saxons.
The sun was setting behind one of the clearings in the forest covered with thick grass, which was already mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Hundreds of spreading oaks, with low trunks and widely spread branches, which, perhaps, had witnessed the majestic march of the ancient Roman army, extended their gnarled hands over the soft carpet of magnificent green turf. In places the oaks were mixed with beech, holly, and an undergrowth of various shrubs, growing so densely that they did not let in the low rays of the setting sun; in some places the trees parted, forming long alleys running into the distance, in the depths of which an admiring glance is lost, and the imagination creates even wilder pictures of the centuries-old forest. The purple rays of the setting sun, breaking through the foliage, cast either a scattered and trembling light on broken branches and mossy trunks, or lay down in bright and sparkling spots on the turf. A large clearing in the middle of this clearing was probably the place where the Druids performed their rites. Here rose a hill of such regular shape that it seemed to have been heaped by human hands; At the top there is an incomplete circle of huge uncut stones. Seven of them stood upright, the rest were knocked down by the hands of some zealous adherent of Christianity and lay partly near the original place, partly along the hillside. Only one huge stone rolled down to the very bottom of the hill, blocking the flow of a small stream that made its way at the foot of the hill - it made its peaceful and quiet streams rumble barely audibly.
Two people brought this picture to life; they belonged, judging by their clothing and appearance, to the number of common people who inhabited the forest region of West Yorkshire in those distant times. The eldest of them was a gloomy and fierce-looking man. His clothes consisted of one leather jacket, made from the tanned skin of some animal, fur side up; over time, the fur had become so worn out that from the few remaining scraps it was impossible to determine which animal it belonged to. This primitive robe covered its owner from neck to knees and replaced all parts of ordinary clothing. The collar was so wide that the jacket was worn over the head, like our shirts or ancient chain mail. To make the jacket fit more closely to the body, it was tied with a wide leather belt with a copper clasp. A bag was hung from the belt on one side, and a ram's horn with a pipe on the other. Sticking out of his belt was a long, wide knife with a horn handle; Such knives were made right there in the neighborhood, and were already known then as Sheffield knives. On his feet this man wore sandal-like shoes with straps made of bearskin, and thinner and narrower straps went around his calves, leaving his knees bare, as is customary among the Scots. His head was not protected by anything except for thick, tangled hair, faded from the sun and taking on a dark red, rusty hue and sharply different from his light brown, most likely even amber, large beard. We can only note one very curious feature in his appearance, but it is so remarkable that it cannot be ignored: it was a copper ring, like a dog’s collar, tightly sealed around his neck. It was wide enough so as not to interfere with breathing, but at the same time so narrow that it was impossible to remove it except by sawing it in half. On this peculiar collar was inscribed in Saxon letters:
"Gurth, son of Beowulf, born slave of Cedric of Rotherwood."
Near the swineherd (for such was Gurth's occupation) on one of the fallen stones of the Druids sat a man who looked ten years younger than the first. His attire resembled that of a swineherd, but was somewhat fanciful and made of the best material. His jacket was painted a bright purple color, and some colorful and ugly patterns were painted on it. Over the jacket was thrown an excessively wide and very short cloak of crimson cloth, fairly soiled, trimmed with a bright yellow border. It could be freely thrown from one shoulder to the other or completely wrapped in it, and then it fell in fancy folds, draping his figure. The man had silver bracelets on his arms, and around his neck a silver collar with the inscription: "Wamba, son of the Brainless, slave of Cedric of Rotherwood." He wore the same shoes as his comrade, but the braided belt was replaced by something like gaiters, one of which was red and the other yellow. Attached to his cap were bells no larger in size than those tied to hunting falcons; every time he turned his head they rang, and since he hardly remained quiet for a single minute, they rang almost continuously. The hard leather band of this cap was cut along the upper edge with teeth and a through pattern, which gave it a resemblance to the crown of a peer; from the inside, a long bag was sewn to the band, the tip of which hung over one shoulder, like an old-fashioned nightcap, a triangular sieve, or the headdress of a modern hussar. From the cap with bells, and its very shape, as well as from the silly and at the same time cunning expression on Wamba’s face, one could guess that he was one of those household clowns or jesters whom rich people kept for fun in their homes, so that “Something to pass the time”, which is necessarily spent within four walls.
Like his comrade, he carried a bag on his belt, but he had neither a horn nor a knife, since it was probably assumed that he belonged to that category of human beings for whom it is dangerous to put piercing or cutting weapons in their hands. Instead of all this, he had a wooden sword like the one with which the harlequin on the modern stage performs his tricks.
The facial expressions and behavior of these people were no less different than their clothes. The face of a slave or serf was gloomy and sad; judging by his sad appearance, one might think that his gloominess made him indifferent to everything, but the fire that sometimes lit up in his eyes spoke of the consciousness of his oppression hidden in him and of the desire for resistance. Wamba’s appearance, on the contrary, revealed the absent-minded curiosity inherent in people of this kind, extreme restlessness and mobility, as well as complete contentment with their position and their appearance. They conducted a conversation in the Anglo-Saxon dialect, which, as mentioned earlier, was spoken by all the lower classes in England at that time, with the exception of Norman warriors and the closest retinue of feudal lords. However, citing their conversation in the original would be useless for a reader unfamiliar with this dialect, and therefore we will allow ourselves to give it in a literal translation.
Saint Witold, curse these damn pigs! - the swineherd grumbled after futile attempts to gather the scattered herd with the shrill sounds of the horn. The pigs responded to his call with no less melodic grunts, but were in no hurry to part with the luxurious treat of beech nuts and acorns or to leave the muddy banks of the stream, where part of the herd, buried in the mud, lay stretched out, not paying attention to the cries of their shepherd.
Smite them, Saint Witold! I’ll be damned if by nightfall the two-legged wolf hasn’t killed two or three pigs.” Here, Fange! Hey Fange! - he shouted at the top of his voice to a shaggy dog, either a Great Dane, or a greyhound, or a cross between a greyhound and a Scottish shepherd. The dog, limping, ran around and seemed to want to help its owner gather the unruly herd.
But either not understanding the signs given by the swineherd, or forgetting about his duties, or out of malicious intent, the dog scattered the pigs in different directions, thereby increasing the misfortune that he seemed to intend to correct.
May the devil knock your teeth out! - Gurth grumbled. - This forester should fail. He trims our dogs' nails, and then they are no good. Be a friend, Wamba, help. Go on the other side of the hill and scare them away from there. Following the wind, they will go home on their own, like lambs.
Listen,” said Wamba, without moving from his place. “I have already consulted with my legs about this: they decided that dragging my beautiful outfit through the quagmire would be a hostile act on their part against my royal person and royal attire. And therefore, Gurt, I’ll tell you what: call Fangs, and leave the herd to his fate. Does it matter whether your pigs meet a detachment of soldiers, or a gang of robbers, or wandering pilgrims! After all, by morning the pigs will still turn into Normans, and, moreover, to your own pleasure and relief.
How is it possible that the pigs, to my pleasure and relief, will turn into Normans? - asked Gurth. - Come on, explain. My head is dull, and all I have on my mind is frustration and anger. I have no time for riddles.
Well, what are these grunting creatures on four legs called? - asked Wamba.
Pigs, fool, pigs,” answered the shepherd. - Every fool knows this.
That's right, "swain" is a Saxon word. But what do you call a pig when it is slaughtered, skinned, and cut into pieces, and hanged by its feet like a traitor?
“Pork,” answered the swineherd.
I’m very glad that every fool knows this too,” Wamba remarked. - And “pork” seems to be a Norman-French word. This means that while the pig is alive and a Saxon slave is looking after it, then it is called in Saxon; but she becomes a Norman and is called “pork” as soon as she gets to the master’s castle and appears at the feast of noble persons. What do you think about this, my friend Gurt?
What is true is true, friend Wamba. I just don’t know how this truth got into your stupid head.
“Listen to what else I’ll tell you,” Wamba continued in the same spirit. - Here, for example, is our old alderman's bull: while he is grazed by slaves like you, he bears his Saxon nickname "Oke", but when he finds himself before a noble gentleman so that he can taste him, the bull becomes the ardent and amiable French knight Beef. In the same way, the calf - “kaf” - is made Monsieur de Vaux: while he needs to be looked after - he is a Saxon, but when he is needed for pleasure - he is given a Norman name.
“I swear by Saint Dunstan,” answered Gurth, “you speak the truth, although it is bitter.” All we had left was air to breathe, and even that was not taken away only because otherwise we would not have completed the work placed on our shoulders. Whatever is tastier and fattier goes to their table; more beautiful women - on their bed; The best and bravest of us must serve in the armies under the command of foreigners and cover distant lands with their bones, but here few remain, and even those have neither the strength nor the desire to protect the unfortunate Saxons. God bless our master Cedric for standing up for us, as befits a courageous warrior; only one of these days Reginald Front de Boeuf will arrive in our direction, then we’ll see what all Cedric’s troubles are worth... Here, here! - he suddenly shouted, raising his voice again. - That's it, give them a good go. Fange! Well done, he brought everyone together.
Gurth,” said the jester, “it’s clear from everything that you consider me a fool, otherwise you wouldn’t stick your head down my throat.” After all, as soon as I hint to Reginald Front de Boeuf or Philippe de Malvoisin that you are cursing the Normans, they will instantly hang you up on one of these trees. So you will be swinging for the sake of ridicule to everyone who decides to vilify noble gentlemen.
Dog! Are you really capable of giving me away? You yourself challenged me to say such words! - exclaimed Gurth.
Give you away? No,” said the jester, “that’s what smart people do, why should I, a fool... But be quiet... Who is coming to us? - he interrupted himself, listening to the horse's stomping, which was already heard quite clearly.
Do you care who goes there? - asked Gurth, who had meanwhile managed to gather his entire herd and was driving it along one of the gloomy clearings.
“No, I must see these horsemen,” answered Wamba. - Maybe they are coming from the magical kingdom with an order from King Obsron...
Shut up! - the swineherd interrupted him. - I want to talk to you about this when there is a terrible thunderstorm with thunder and lightning nearby. Listen to the sounds. And the rain! I have never seen such large and sheer drops in summer in my life. Look, there is no wind, but the oak trees are cracking and groaning as if in a storm. Better shut up and let's hurry home before the storm hits! The night will be terrible.
Wamba, apparently, comprehended the full force of these arguments and followed his comrade, who took a long staff that lay near him on the grass and set off. This newest Eumaeus hurriedly walked to the edge of the forest, urging on the shrill grunting herd with the help of Fangs.
About 130 years have passed since the time when, near Hastings in 1066, the Norman Duke William the Conqueror took possession of England, defeating the Anglo-Saxon troops. Hard times have come for the English people. King Richard the Lionheart was captured by the Duke of Austria and did not return from his last crusade and it is unknown where he is being held prisoner. Meanwhile, Prince John (the king's brother) gathers supporters to seize power, removing the rightful heir if Richard dies. Prince John - through clever intrigues throughout the country, sows confusion and incites the long-standing enmity of the Saxons and Normans.
The proud Scottish nobleman Cedric Rotherwood does not lose hope of throwing off the yoke of the Normans, reviving the former Saxon power. He wants to put Athelstan of Coningsburg, a descendant of the royal family, at the head of the liberation movement. But many people don’t like the stupid Sir Athelstan, they don’t trust him. To give his figure more weight, Cedric wants to marry Athelstan to Lady Rowena, his pupil (who is the last representative of the royal family). But these plans are hampered by Rowena's love for his own son, Wilfred Ivanhoe. The unyielding nobleman, not in vain nicknamed Sax for his dedication to his cause, expels his son from his home and deprives him of his inheritance.
And so, Ivanhoe secretly, disguised as a pilgrim, returns home from the crusade. When there is very little left to his father’s estate, a detachment led by the commander of the Order of the Templars, Briand de Boisguillebert, who is heading to Ashby de la Zouch for a knightly tournament, catches up with him. Caught on the way by bad weather, he wants to ask Cedric for an overnight stay. The house of the noble Cedric is hospitably open to everyone, even to the Jew Isaac from York, who already joins the guests during the meal. Boisguillebert, who also visited Palestine, boasts of his exploits performed in the name of the Holy Sepulcher at the table. The pilgrim, in turn, defends the honor of King Richard and his brave warriors. A serious dispute breaks out between them, and the pilgrim accepts the commander’s challenge to fight on behalf of Ivanhoe, who has already defeated the templar once in a duel. The guests go to their rooms for the night, the pilgrim stops Isaac and asks him to quietly leave Cedric’s house, since he heard Boisguillebert’s order to his servants to seize the Jew as soon as he moves away from the estate. Isaac managed to see the spurs under the wanderer’s clothes, and in gratitude for the warning he gives the young man a note to his merchant relative. In the note, he asks a relative to lend the pilgrim a horse and battle armor.
The entire flower of English knighthood gathered for the tournament in Ashby, and Prince John himself, attracting everyone's attention, honored him with his presence.
The knights who organized the tournament, which includes the arrogant Briand de Boisguillebert, confidently win victory after victory. It seems that no one else takes upon himself the courage to engage in a duel with the instigators of the tournament, it would seem that the outcome of the tournament is decided, when suddenly a fighter enters the arena with the motto “Disinherited” on his shield. He challenges the templar himself to battle. The opponents clash several times, and each time their spears are shattered into splinters up to the hilts. The audience sympathizes with the brave stranger - and luck smiles on him - Boisguillebert is defeated, the duel with him is considered over. After this victory, the mysterious knight in turn wins a decisive victory over each of the instigators. He, as the winner, will have to choose the queen of love and beauty of the tournament. The stranger has already chosen her and places the crown at Lady Rowena's feet.
The next day a general tournament is planned: the party of the mysterious knight fights the party of Briand de Boisguillebert, who is supported by almost all the instigators of the tournament. The forces are not equal, the young stranger would never have seen victory if the mysterious Black Knight had not come to the rescue. Now the queen of love and beauty, Rowena, must place an honorary crown on the head of the winner. When the marshals remove the stranger's helmet, she sees Ivanhoe, pale as death, bleeding from his wounds and falling at her feet.
At the same time, a messenger brings a note to Prince John asking him to be careful, since his brother Richard has been released. The prince is seized with panic, and the same panic seizes his supporters. John promises supporters rewards and honors to secure their loyalty. For example, he offers the knight Maurice de Bracy (Norman) a rich, beautiful and noble bride - Lady Rowena - as his wife. De Bracy is very pleased, he decides to kidnap Lady Rowena by attacking Cedric’s squad returning home along the road from Ashby.
Cedric is proud of his son’s victory, but still does not want to forgive him, and so, with a heavy heart, he goes to his estate. The news that his wounded son was carried away on a stretcher belonging to some very rich lady only fuels his resentment even more. On the way, Athelstan of Coningsburgh and Cedric's cavalcade are joined by Isaac of York and his daughter Rebekah. They were also present at the tournament and now, in order to save a sick friend, whom they undertook to accompany, they ask to be taken under protection. As soon as the travelers went deeper into the forest, they were attacked by a large band of robbers, who took them all prisoner.
Cedric and his companions are taken to the fortified castle of Front de Boeuf. The leaders of the “robbers,” as Cedric guessed from the battlements of the castle, turn out to be Boisguillebert and de Bracy. Cedric Sax is ready to die for England, since he fails to save it, he is ready to challenge his captors.
De Bracy, meanwhile, comes to Rowena, confessing everything to her, trying to win her favor. But the proud beauty is adamant; she finds out that Wilfred Ivanhoe is also in the castle (it is he who is accompanied by Isaac and his daughter), so she asks the knight to save Ivanhoe from death.
But no matter how difficult it is for Rowena, Rebekah finds herself in an even worse situation. Captivated by the intelligence and beauty of the Jewish woman, Briand de Boisguillebert was inflamed with passion for her, he tries to persuade the girl to run away with him. Rebekah refuses him, preferring death to shame. Her fearless rebuke, full of indignation, only further fills Boisguillebert’s soul with the confidence that he has met a kindred spirit - the woman of his destiny.
Meanwhile, detachments of free soldiers are gathering around the castle, brought by Cedric’s servants who escaped captivity. The Black Knight is in charge of the siege. Under his powerful blows, the castle gates crack and fall apart, and stones and logs flying at him from the walls annoy him no more than drops of rain. Rebekah, in the turmoil of the battle, sneaks into Ivanhoe’s room and tells the young man, bedridden, about everything that is happening around him. Reproaching herself for her tender feelings for a non-Christian, she cannot leave him at such a dangerous moment. The Black Knight inflicts a mortal wound on Front de Boeuf and captures de Bracy. What’s strange is that a few words, and the proud Norman comes to terms with his fate. Suddenly the castle is engulfed in fire. The Black Knight manages to take Ivanhoe out of it at the last moment. At the same time, Boisguillebert grabs the resisting Rebekah and, placing her on a horse belonging to one of the slaves, tries to escape from captivity. But Athelstan rushes after him, who decided that Boisguillebert had kidnapped Rowena. Boisguillebert's sharp sword falls with crushing force on the head of the ill-fated Saxon and kills him.
Having thanked the free shooters for their help and leaving the dilapidated castle, Cedric goes to Athelstan's estate, accompanying the stretcher with his body, to pay his last respects to his friend. The black knight also says goodbye to his faithful assistants - he has not yet finished his wanderings. Loxley, the leader of the free shooters, gives him a hunting horn as a farewell, asking him to blow it in case of danger. De Bracy is released and gallops at full speed to Prince John to be the first to bring him the terrible news - Richard has returned to England. The vile and cowardly prince sends his main henchman Voldemar Fitz-Urs to capture, and best of all, kill the rightful king.
Boisguillebert hides with Rebekah in the monastery of the Knights of Templestowe. At the same time, Grandmaster Beaumanoir arrives at the monastery to conduct an inspection. He reveals a large number of shortcomings, the main thing, the most outrageous - the licentiousness of the templars. The news that a captive Jewish woman is hiding within the walls of the Temple, probably having an affair with one of the brothers, leads him to the decision to try the girl for witchcraft. (How, if not witchcraft, can explain her power over the commander?). Beaumanoir, a stern ascetic, thinks that the execution of a Jewish woman will cleanse the love sins of the Knights of the Temple. He makes a brilliant speech, the influence of which even those who are against execution succumb to. Rebekah rejects all of Beaumanoir's accusations and demands that a duel be scheduled so that the one who wants to protect her will prove her right with a sword.
At the same time, the Black Knight, making his way through the forests to a goal known only to him, stumbles upon an ambush by Fitz-Urs, who is carrying out Prince John’s vile plan. The king could have fallen from his treacherous hand, but at the sound of the horn, free shooters with Loxley at their head appear. The knight reveals his secret - he is Richard Plantagenet, nicknamed the Lionheart, the rightful King of England. Loxley also reveals his secret: he is Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest. Wilfred Ivanhoe joins the company, traveling from St. Botolph Abbey, where he was nursing his many wounds. While Richard's supporters gather enough strength, the king decides to go with Ivanhoe. At Athelstan's castle, Richard persuades Cedric to forgive his disobedient son and give him Lady Rowena as his wife. Suddenly, the resurrected (or rather, not dying, but only stunned) Sir Athelstan joins Richard’s request. Recent events have discouraged him from his last ambitions. In the midst of the conversation, Ivanhoe suddenly disappears - the summoned servants report that some Jew urgently called him. In Templestowe everything is ready for the fight. There is only no knight who agrees to fight with Boisguillebert for the honor of Rebekah. Rebekah will be burned if an intercessor does not appear before sunset. And the intercessor appears. His horse is tired and can barely stand, and he himself can barely stay in the saddle from fatigue. This is Ivanhoe. The opponents converge - and Ivanhoe falls under a well-aimed blow from the templar. But Boisguillebert also falls and does not get up again, although Ivanhoe’s spear barely touched him. God's judgment has been completed! The Grandmaster is forced to declare Rebekah free and innocent.
Richard, having taken his place on the throne, forgives his brother. Cedric finally agrees to the wedding of his son and Lady Rowena. And Rebekah and her father leave England forever.
Please note that this is only summary literary work "Ivanhoe". This summary omits many important points and quotes.
The work "Ivanhoe", a brief summary of which can be described by the rivalry between the descendants of the Norman conquerors of England and the Saxons, is recognized as the pinnacle of Walter Scott's work.
Even a quick retelling of the plot testifies to the genuine valor of the heroes depicted in the novel. This is a masterpiece of classic literature that has thrilled readers around the world for many years.
Walter Scott "Ivanhoe" - history of creation
“Ivanhoe” is a work belonging to the genre of historical novel, written by the Scottish writer Walter Scott. The text of the novel was published in 1819.
Walter Scott (1771-1832)
This is the first historical novel in the writer's biography. He wanted the story to be set in South Yorkshire in the north of England during the reign of Richard l.
The main characters and their characteristics
List of main characters:
- Ivanhoe is a brave English hero who honors the code of the knight and fights for King Richard. Is the embodiment of knightly valor and honor;
- Rowena is Cedric's pupil, honest and faithful to her lover;
- Cedric is Ivanhoe's father, a noble but capricious and hot-tempered lord;
- Rebecca is the daughter of the Jew Isaac, in love with Ivanhoe, a strong-willed and brave girl;
- Richard the Lionheart is a brave and fair ruler, but prone to adventure.
Minor characters
The following heroes are also found:
- Isaac - Jewish moneylender, loving father;
- Athelstan - a royal descendant from the Saxon dynasty;
- Reginald Front de Boeuf is a cruel lord who inherited the Ivanhoe estate; main negative character;
- Prince John is the vile, greedy and dishonest brother of King Richard.
The descriptions of the chapters are given in abbreviation. The main thoughts can be taken for a reader's diary.
Chapters 1 - 4
On his way home, King Richard I is captured. Prince John intends to take the throne. The swineherd Gurth and the jester Wamba, slaves of Lord Cedric Sax, meet a detachment of horsemen, including the Abbot Aymer and the knight Briand de Boisguillebert.
They ask how to get to Cedric's castle. Wamba shows the wrong road and the riders ride away.
Along the way, the riders meet a man named Palmer, who accompanies them to the estate. This is Wilfred Ivanhoe, disguised as a pilgrim.
Ivanhoe is Cedric's son, exiled by his father and disinherited because he was in love with Lady Rowena, Cedric's ward. He intended to give her in marriage to a wealthy royal descendant of Athelstan and with this help throw off Norman oppression.
Guests arrive at the castle. Everyone is having dinner when the servant announces that the wanderer is a Jew named Isaac and asks to be let in for the night.
Chapters 5 - 8
After everyone goes to bed, Palmer overhears de Boisguillebert talking; he intends to rob Isaac. Palmer helps Isaac escape a robbery; in exchange, Isaac helps Palmer obtain armor and a horse so he can compete in the great tournament at Ashby.
On the first day of the battle, Palmer, fighting under the coat of arms with the motto "desdecado", that is, disinherited, defeats all rivals, including de Boisguilbert. Palmer is allowed to choose the Queen of Love and Beauty.
Chapters 9 - 12
The knight chooses Rowena as his queen. The knights who oppose Palmer attack him together. With the help of an unknown Black Knight, he wins the tournament. When Rowena takes off his helmet, she recognizes Ivanhoe. He is badly wounded and loses consciousness, falling to the ground at Rowena's feet.
Chapters 13 - 17
In the turmoil, Prince John and his advisers hastily discuss the consequences of his appearance and their plan of action. A messenger brings John a warning, meaning Richard has been released.
Chapters 18 - 22
Cedric is worried about his son's injury. On his way from Ashby, he meets Isaac and Rebecca, who are accompanying a very sick man. Rebecca asks for protection, Cedric agrees. Suddenly de Bracy attacks and takes them prisoner. De Bracy's men take the prisoners to the castle. Isaac is thrown into prison and asked to pay a ransom. The sound of a bugle at the gate interrupts this scene.
Chapters 23 - 27
Maurice de Bracy demands marriage from Rowena, saying that if she does not agree, he will kill Cedric and Ivanhoe. The bugle foreshadows the appearance of a letter written by the Black Knight, announcing his intention to free the prisoners by siege.
Chapters 28 – 31
After being injured in the tournament, Ivanhoe was looked after by Isaac and Rebecca. When the Saxons met the Jews before their capture, Rebecca and Isaac said that there was a sick old man on the mat. It was Ivanhoe himself.
In battle, Front-de-Boeuf leads the castle's defenders against the Black Knight. He receives a mortal wound. The flames begin to spread throughout the castle.
The Black Knight managed to capture de Bracy; he rushes into the castle to save Ivanhoe. The remaining prisoners manage to escape on their own; however, Rebecca is captured by de Boisguilbert.
Chapters 32 – 36
The Black Knight frees de Bracy. Eimear writes a letter to de Boisguillebert, urging him to release Rebecca. As Isaac travels to the stronghold of the Knights Templar, the others prepare to return the body of the slain Athelstan to his castle. Rebecca is declared a witch and faces execution.
Chapters 37 – 40
Rebecca's trial begins. She is considered guilty and de Boisguilbert encourages her to ask one of the knights to fight in battle for her. She does this, and the Templars send an envoy to Isaac. Ivanhoe goes to the castle. The Black Knight is attacked. Loxley's people help him. In battle it is discovered that the knight is the king himself.
Chapters 41 – 44
Richard is waiting for his allies to raise a formidable force. It turns out that Athelstan was only stunned by de Boisguillebert's blow. A large crowd gathered for the tournament for Rebecca's life. De Boisguillebert became the champion of the Templars against his will.
At the very last moment, Ivanhoe comes to Rebecca's defense. He attacks Boisguillebert, but he is so exhausted that he falls off his horse. But de Boisguilbert falls dead. Ivanhoe wins and Rebecca is saved.
Ivanhoe and Rowena got married. Rebecca and her father left England forever. For many years, Ivanhoe served King Richard.
Analysis of the work
"Ivanhoe" is an adventure novel. It has 466 pages of text, but in short, its main purpose is to tell a story of heroism. This describes the moment when King Richard returned to England after fighting in the Crusades and languishing in prison.
The main historical focus of the novel focuses on the tension between the Saxons and the Normans who inhabited England.
Conclusion
In his novel, the author painted images of brave people who were ready to stand up for the honor of their friends. Walter Scott's novel is a masterpiece of literary art for many centuries. The image of a brave, valiant knight created in the work remains the favorite type of hero in an adventure novel.
Almost 130 years have passed since the time when, in 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, the Norman Duke William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon troops and captured England. The people of England are going through difficult times. The last crusade for King Richard the Lionheart became fatal - he was captured by the treacherous Duke of Austria, and the location of his imprisonment is unknown. At the same time, Richard's brother, Prince John, has his own plans for the English throne. He recruits supporters so that in the event of the king’s death, he can excommunicate the rightful heir from power and seize the crown for himself. Being a cunning intriguer, Prince John is causing turmoil throughout England, pushing the warring Saxons and Normans even further against each other.
The ambitious thane Cedric of Rotherwood is haunted by the desire to get rid of the Norman yoke and restore the former power of the Saxons.
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To do this, the command of the liberation movement, according to his plan, must be taken over by a descendant of the royal family, Athelstan of Koningburg. However, there is one problem - many people treat the stupid and unenterprising Sir Athelstan with distrust. To make his figure more significant, Cedric wants to marry Athelstan to the last of the representatives of King Alfred's family - Lady Rowena, who is his ward. When Cedric realized that his plans could be hindered by Lady Rowena’s ardent feelings for his own son Wilfred Ivanhoe, the indomitable thane, who received his nickname Sax for his dedication to his cause for good reason, kicked his son out of his home and left him without an inheritance.
And so, dressed in pilgrim’s clothes, Ivanhoe secretly returns home. Near his father's estate, he is overtaken by a detachment of Briand de Boisguillebert, commander of the Order of the Templars, heading to a knightly competition in Ashby de la Euche. Finding himself in bad weather, he decided to ask Cedric to spend the night. The doors of the noble thane's house are always open for guests, even for the Jew Isaac, who arrived from York, and joined the guests when they were already eating. Boisguillebert, who also happened to visit Palestine, began to boast during the meal about his exploits performed in the name of the Holy Sepulcher. The pilgrim defends the honor of King Richard and his brave warriors and, like Ivanhoe, who once already defeated the templar in single combat, accepts the pompous commander’s challenge to battle. After the guests have dispersed to their rooms, the pilgrim advises the Jew to quietly disappear from Cedric's house, since he heard the commander ordering his servants to seize Isaac as soon as he was a little further from the estate.
Updated: 2013-08-19
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The picturesque countryside of old England, where the River Don flows, and in ancient times there grew a large forest that covered most of the mountains and valleys between Sheffield and the town of Doncaster, is the setting for the tale of the knight of Ivanhoe.
The situation in the country was difficult. Conquered by the Normans, the Anglo-Saxons suffered from the oppression of foreign feudal lords and the troops subordinate to them. After the victory at Hastings, power passed to the Norman nobility, the Anglo-Saxons lost their privileges and even their language. The glorious king Richard the Lionheart, having gone to fight the Saracens in the Holy Land, was captured, from where he returned only for the time when the events described in this story took place.
King William the Conqueror, a passionate hunter, exterminated entire villages to spread forests and introduced new tyrant "forest laws". All these circumstances once again aggravated the wounds that the conquest of the country led to, and supported the fire of enmity and hatred between the victorious Normans and the defeated Saxons.
One day, in a forest clearing, the figures of two poorly dressed people with strange rings around their necks appeared, the inscriptions on which indicated that these people were the slaves of Cedric Roderwood Gurd the swineherd and Wamba, the beloved jester. They herded pigs, speaking to each other in the Anglo-Saxon language and repenting that there were no more knights left who could protect the poor Saxon, except their master Sir Cedric, who alone goes against the foreign invaders.
Suddenly men appeared in the clearing, one of them was in a monastic robe, and it was easy to recognize him as the abbot of Zhorvos Abbey, Prior Eimer, who loved feasts and other pleasures of life. His dark-skinned companion had a strange blackish, almost ovarian appearance, a deep scar on his forehead, which also damaged his eye and gave even greater sternness and savagery to his face. The outfit and weapons of his eastern companions were also unusual.
The prior asked the way to the castle of Cedric-Sax - Roderwood, and Wamba deliberately showed him the wrong way, because he did not want his master, Cedric, to quarrel with the uninvited guests, and they, in turn, saw the Sax's pupil - the beautiful Lady Rowena.
Leaving along the indicated path, the travelers discussed the hot-tempered character of the rich Cedric the Saxon and the beauty of Lady Rowena, and even made a bet: the prior should give his companion Brian de Bois-Guilbert, a knight-templar who had recently returned from Palestine, a golden chain if he recognizes the beauty of the Saxon.
Win it fairly,” said the prior, “and then wear it to good health.” Unfortunately, Cedric-Sax kicked his only son out of the house because he dared to look with loving eyes at this beauty.
The prior and the knight almost got lost, but an oncoming traveler, who introduced himself as a pilgrim from the Holy Land, led them to Roderwood, Cedric's home.
Roderwood Castle was a fortress, as required by those troubled times when the monastery could be plundered and burned every day. The castle was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water.
Before entering, the knight blew his horn loudly.
When the owner of the estate of Cedric-Sax was informed that the Prior of Zhvorsky and the knight of the Order of the Templars of Bois-Pilbert were asking for shelter in the midst of bad weather, he was not happy about this visit. The Templar became famous as a brave knight of his order, but at the same time he was known for his pride, arrogance and cruelty. Few of those who were lucky enough to return from Palestine said that he was a man with a merciless heart.
However, Cedric, although not satisfied with the visit of the uninvited guests, invited them to dinner. In the room, military and hunting weapons were hung on the walls, the entire interior bore the imprint of that rough simplicity of the Saxon era, which Cedric loved and was so proud of. It was clear from the face of the ruler of the castle that he had sincere, but incendiary and quick luck. He was a man of average height, broad-shouldered, with long arms and strong, like a man accustomed to the difficulties of a hunting life or to war.
The owner warned the later visitors that he would speak to them in the Saxon language, because he considered it his duty to communicate in the language of his ancestors. The appearance of Lady Rowena in the hall made a great impression on the knight Bois-Guilbert. Despite the warning of her guardian, Briand de Bois-Guilbert did not take his eyes off the charming Saxon.
Rowena was tall and extremely slender, had clear blue eyes under thick dark eyebrows and luxurious chestnut-blond hair that was intricately curled into numerous curls. As soon as Rowena noticed how passionately the knight was looking at her, she immediately covered her face with a haze.
The prior invited the beautiful girl and her guardian to a tournament that was to take place soon.
It hasn’t been decided yet,” Cedric answered, “whether we’ll go there at all.” I don't like these vain holidays, which were unknown to my ancestors during the times when England was free.
At least let me hope,” said the prior, “that together with us it will be easier for you to decide to go there; when the roads are now so dangerous, one should not refuse the company of Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert.
Priore,” answered the Saxon, “while traveling through our country so far, I have not resorted to outside help, relying only on my good sword and faithful servants.
The conversation was interrupted by the goalkeeper, who appeared to announce that some unfamiliar goal circle was begging to be let in and accepted.
This stranger was a Jew named Isaac from York; and although the abbot and the king-templar were outraged that they could find themselves in the same company with an infidel Jew, Cedric ordered the traveler to be admitted, as the custom of hospitality dictates.
Isaac turned out to be a tall, thin old man with regular facial features; an aquiline nose, sharp black eyes, a high, wrinkled forehead, long gray hair and beard made a good impression. However, none of the guests wanted to give up their seat for a long time, until one pilgrim offered to sit next to him.
The conversation gradually turned to the question of the military prowess of the Saxons, which they had discovered in the Holy Land, and the pilgrim remarked that the English knights were inferior to none of those who fought for the Holy Land. He himself saw how King Richard himself and five of his knights at the tournament after the conquest of Saint-Jean d'Acre challenged their opponents to battle and how that day each of those knights came out to duel three times and threw three opponents to the ground.
Sir Briand de Bois-Guilbert objected that only one knight threw him to the ground from his horse, and even then this supposedly happened through a simple accident and the rashness of his horse: it was the knight Ivanhoe. Of all the six knights, according to his age, he received the most glory in the tournament.
Defending the honor of Ivanhoe, the pilgrim offered a piece of the holy cross from the monastery of Mount Carmel as a pledge that when the knight of Ivanhoe returned from across the four seas to Britain, he would be obliged to accept the challenge of Brian de Bois-Guilbert. Everyone took off their hats in front of the relic. And the templar did not pay any attention to her. He took the gold chain from his neck and, throwing it on the table, said:
Let Prior Yeimer keep my pledge along with the pledge of this unknown passerby...
When dinner was over, the pilgrim was stopped in the hallway by Lady Rowena's maid, saying in an authoritative tone that her mistress wanted to speak to him. The pilgrim agreed silently, without objection, and soon he was telling the noble maiden everything he knew about the fate of her beloved knight Ivanhoe, who allegedly escaped the persecution of his enemies in Palestine and was returning to England. “God grant,” said Lady Rowena, “that he reaches us alive and well and can take up arms in the upcoming tournament, where all the knights of the country must show their military power and dexterity. If Adelstan Koniņzburzkiy receives the award, then Ivanhoe, returning to England, will hear unpleasant news.” Lady Rowena spoke of the man to whom she was betrothed by the will of her guardian and whom she did not love because her heart belonged to Ivanhoe.
The happily saved Jew Isaac wanted to thank the mysterious Prochaninov. He guessed that this was why a horse and weapons were needed, because under the appearance of the poor traveler there was hidden a knight’s chain and golden spurs that sparkled when he bent over the bed in the morning. Isaac told the prochaninov to turn to the rich Jew Kirjaf Jairem from Lombardy, who lived in the city of Leicester, and received weapons and a horse from him.
The situation of the English people during the times about which the story is being told was difficult. King Richard was captured by the treacherous and cruel Duke of Austria. Even Richard's place of imprisonment was not known; most of his subjects knew nothing about their king.
King Richard's brother Prince John, in alliance with Philip of France, Richard's mortal enemy, used all his influence with the Duke of Austria to continue this captivity, because he hoped to win the royal crown himself and become the rightful heir. Frivolous, depraved and treacherous, John managed to win over not only those who feared Richard's wrath for crimes committed during his absence, but also numerous adventurers who, having returned from the Crusades to their homeland, hoped to enrich themselves due to the disorder in state.
In addition, many robbers from the poorest strata of the population united in huge detachments and reigned in the forests and wastelands, punishing their exploiters with weapons for the insults they had caused. The barons themselves, having made each of their castles something like a fortress, became the heads of detachments that were no less lawless and just as dangerous as packs of the most inveterate robbers. And besides, a dangerous disease had spread in the country, which was gaining momentum due to the terrible living conditions of the poor.
Despite all this, almost the entire population took part in the tournament, which took place at Ashby, in the county of Leicester. The most glorious knights were supposed to come there; they thought that Prince John himself would be there. Huge crowds of people of various ranks hurried to the place of the knightly competition on the appointed morning. Here the name of the most favored woman, the queen of love and beauty, should be determined. But no one could yet guess the name of the one who was destined to be the queen.
Old Isaac and his daughter Rebecca also appeared at the tournament, and again no one wanted to give them their place. The dispute was noticed by Prince John, who, in a luxurious red robe embroidered with gold, with a falcon on his arm, led his merry company, riding around the arena on a dashing gray horse. He immediately recognized the Jew, and Rebecchina’s beauty aroused even greater interest in him.
Who's sitting up there? - said the prince, looking at the gallery. - Saxon men? Down with them! Let them make room and give room to the Jew and his good daughter!
Those who were sitting in the gallery and to whom this offensive, rude speech was addressed were the family of Cedric-Sax and his friend and relative Adelstan of Koninzburz, who was of noble birth, but had an indecisive and sluggish character, and therefore did not immediately draw his weapon when de Bracy pointed his spear at him. But Mr. Cedric, as decisive as his comrade was sluggish, pulled out his short sword with lightning speed and with one blow cut off the tip of the spear. Prince John's face filled with anger, but he was forced to retreat. He leaned down from his horse, tore the bag from Isaac's belt, threw Wamby a few ducats and rode further around the arena to thunderous applause from the audience, who greeted him as if he had done an honest, noble deed.
The tournament has begun. According to the rules, the five knights who were called were obliged to fight all opponents. Each knight who wanted to fight was given the right to choose his opponent from among those summoned by touching his shield. In addition, when the assembled knights had fulfilled their duties, that is, each of them had broken five spears, the prince had the right to proclaim the winner of the first day of the tournament. Finally, it was announced that a general tournament would take place on the second day and all the assembled knights could take part in it. Then the knight, whom the prince will proclaim as the winner of this second day, will be crowned by the queen of beauty and love with a wreath of gold plates on the model of a laurel crown. On the second day, the knightly competition will end, then there will be a performance of archers, a bullfight and other folk entertainment.
The knights who were summoned came out of their tents, mounted their horses and, led by Brian de Bois-Guilbert and Malvoisin Front de Boeuf, rode towards them. They remained victorious in numerous fights. Cedric-Sax was especially outraged by this: in every victory of the Norman knights that were called, he saw an enemy triumph over the glory of England. Cedric wanted Adelstan to defend the Saxon honor, but he had too little luck and was so unambitious that he did not dare to make the attempt that Cedric expected of him.
No one broke pauses during the tournament; Only occasionally were the exclamations of the heralds heard:
Love to women! Write off death! Come out, brave knights! The eyes of beauties look at your exploits.
For quite a long time, no one dared to continue the fight, and the people had already begun to grumble about the spoiled holiday, suddenly from the north side the sound of a lonely trumpet was heard, which called for a fight. The new fighter, as could be judged by his fully armored figure, was slightly above average height and not very strong in build. He had steel armor heavily carved with gold, and for the motto on his shield was a young oak tree, torn out by its roots, with the inscription: “Disinherited.”
The knight hit Brian de Bois-Guilbert's shield with the tip of his spear. The blow sounded loudly. Everyone was surprised by this self-confidence, and most of all by the formidable knight himself, who was thus challenged to a mortal duel.
Have you atoned for your sins, my brother? - asked the templar, - and listened to mass this morning before so desperately risking your life?
“I am better prepared for death than you,” answered the knight.
As soon as the trumpets gave the signal, the knights met each other, their spears were split right up to the shafts, and the templar’s saddle girth burst, and he flew off his horse to the ground. The enraged Bois-Guilbert pulled out his sword and rushed at the winner, but the tournament marshals separated the opponents.
“I hope,” said the templar, looking furiously at his opponent, that we will meet again where no one can stop us.
If we don’t meet,” replied the Disinherited One, “it won’t be my fault.” On foot or on horseback, with spears, axes or swords, I am always ready to fight with you.
Without getting off his horse, the winner asked for a glass of wine and, throwing back his visor, announced that he was drinking to the health of all true Englishmen, to the death of foreign tyrants.”
In the following fights, Disinherited defeated the giant Front de Boeuf, Sir Philip Malvoisin, Grand Mechiel and Ralph de Vipont.
William de Uyville and Stephen Matival, marshals of the tournament, were the first to greet the winner, asking him to remove his helmet, or at least raise his visor, before approaching Prince John, who was to crown him with the reward of victory. The Disinherited refused their request, saying that he could not show his face for the reason he had told the heralds before entering the arena. The answer fully satisfied the marshals, for among the bizarre vows of knighthood, the most common was the promise to remain unknown for some time or until a certain feat was accomplished.
John was quite interested in the mystery of the stranger; in addition, he was dissatisfied with the outcome of the tournament, where his beloved knights suffered defeats one after another from the same opponent.
“Our will is this,” John answered, “that the Disinherited One should wait until someone guesses his name and title, even if he has to sit until nightfall, then even then he won’t catch a cold after such labor.”
Many of those present whispered the opinion that perhaps this was the king, Richard the Lionheart himself.
“God forbid,” said the prince and turned pale like a dead man. He was terribly excited and frightened, but the Disinherited Knight did not utter a word in response to the prince’s greeting and limited himself to only a respectful bow.
Finally, slowly and deftly tilting the tip of the spear, he lowered the crown to the feet of the beautiful Rowena. Immediately the trumpets sounded, and the heralds proclaimed Lady Rowena the queen of beauty and love. However, both the winner of the tournament and his chosen beauty queen refused to attend Prince John’s feast, which also irritated him quite a lot.
After the end of the tournament, the Disinherited Knight took only half of the sum of money assigned to him for the weapons and horses of the vanquished, giving away the rest. He asked Jourou Brian de Bois-Guilbert to tell his master that their fight was not over yet and would not end until they fought in mortal combat.
Next, he ordered Gurdov, who played the role of his squire, to take a bag of gold and take it to Ashby to pay the Jew Isaac from York for the horse and weapons borrowed. So, it became clear that the mysterious knight, deprived of his inheritance, and the pilgrim who asked for refuge in the house of Cedric-Saxe were one person.
Isaac, his daughter and servants lived with a wealthy friend in a house outside the city, near the village of Ashby. The old Jew took eighty zechin for the horse and weapons, and his daughter Rebecca, secretly calling Gourdo to her chambers, gave him another hundred zechin. However, the swineherd's joy over such unexpected luck was short-lived...
Gurd had just left the city when suddenly four men, two from each end of the road, pounced on him and grabbed him tightly.
Come on, what are you talking about! - exclaimed one of them. “We are benefactors, we free everyone from weight.”
The swineherd invited them to take his personal thirty sequins, leaving his master's money. When the robbers learned that he was serving the Disinherited Knight, who had covered himself with glory at the tournament in Ashby, they decided not to take his money. Taking advantage of the fact that the attackers were counting money, Gurd snatched a stick from one of them, knocked down the leader, who did not suspect his intention, and almost snatched the bag and his treasures. But the robbers, it turned out, were too clever - they again grabbed the bag and Gourdo. The leader ordered Gurdova to fight with one of the robbers to prove his dexterity.
Both fighters, equally armed with sticks, walked out into the middle of the clearing. For several minutes they showed the utmost strength, courage and dexterity, until Gurd hit his opponent on the head with all his might, so that he was stretched out in full height on the grass...
“Well, now go where you want, guy,” said the leader, turning to Gurdo with everyone’s consent. “I’ll give you two comrades, they will lead you to your master’s tent and protect you from night wanderers, but don’t try to find out who we are.” , otherwise you will not escape trouble.
The next day the next fights were to take place. According to the charter, the knight Disinherited was to become the head of one party, and Briand de Bois-Guilbert, recognized on the eve of the second warrior after the winner, was to be at the other head.
Prince John arrived with his retinue, and at the same time Cedric-Saxe arrived with Lady Rowena, but without Adelstan, who decided to participate in the competition and, to Cedric’s amazement, joined the templar’s party.
Adelstan hid the main reason that forced him to join the party of Brian de Bois-Guilbert. He had too little luck to woo Lady Rowena himself, and yet he felt the charms of her beauty and considered their marriage a settled matter, just as Cedric and his friends would have been glad if it had happened. Therefore, he was hostile to the winner that the day before he had honored Lady Rowena by choosing her as queen.
According to the tournament rules of this day, the battle must take place with sharp, sharp swords and spears. Despite this, knights were forbidden to stab with swords; they only had the right to strike. It was allowed to use maces or an ax at will, but the dagger was prohibited. The opponents fought equally fiercely, and happiness passed first to one side and then to the other. The leaders fought surprisingly fearlessly. Neither Briand de Bois-Guilbert nor the Disinherited Knight could find among their opponents a warrior equal in strength to each of them. Inflamed by mutual enmity, they constantly tried to collide with each other, well aware that when one of them was overcome, it would mean victory.
In the end, the detachment of the Knight of the Disinherited began to lose the case. The huge Front-where-Befov's hand on one side and Adelstanov's heavy blows on the second destroyed and swept away all the obstacles that appeared in front of them. Instantly turning their horses, they rushed towards the Knight of the Disinherited - the Norman on one side, the Saxon on the second. The Disinherited Knight was saved by the unanimous warning cry of the spectators:
Beware, beware, Disinherited Knight! - was heard from everywhere.
But at this time an unexpected event happened - a knight in black armor, on a huge black horse, strong and powerful in appearance, who until now had almost not taken part in the battle, for which he received the nickname “Black Lazy” from the audience, suddenly intervened in the battle .
Having fixed his spurs on his still very fresh horse, he rushed to the aid of the leader, crying out in a thunderous voice: “Deprived of the Inheritance, I am coming to the rescue!” He made it just in time - another minute, and it would have been too late, because while the Disinherited Knight was fighting with the Templar, Front de Boeuf was rushing at him with his sword raised. But Black Lazy Guy got ahead of him, hitting his opponent on the head, and Front de Boeuf fell to the ground. Then the Black Knight turned his horse towards Adelstan Koninzburzky, and since his sword had been chipped in the fight with Front de Boeuf, he tore the ax out of his velvet hands. He, as a man well acquainted with this weapon, outstripped Adelstan on the helmet so much that he fell unconscious into the arena.
Briand de Bois-Guilbert fell into the arena and became entangled in the stirrups, from which he could not free his legs. His opponent jumped from his horse to the ground, raised his formidable sword above his head and ordered him to surrender - but at that moment Prince John threw the staff and thus stopped the battle in order to save Brian de Bois-Guilbert from the shame of admitting himself defeated.
Prince John now had to name the knight who distinguished himself from everyone else, and he decided that the glory of this day belonged to the Black Lady. But, to the surprise of everyone present, this knight could not be found anywhere, as if he had fallen through the ground. Prince John, no longer having any reason to refuse the Disinherited Knight, declared him the hero of the day.
However, even during the award ceremony, the knight did not want to show his face. However, in a heavy battle he was wounded, and therefore could not resist when the marshals, despite his words, removed the helmet, cutting the straps and unfastening the armored collar. As soon as the helmet was removed, everyone saw the beautiful, although sun-tanned, features of a twenty-five-year-old youth with thick blond curls. His face was as pale as death, and stained with blood somewhere.
As soon as Lady Rowena glanced at him, she cried out quietly, but immediately regained control of herself and through her strength fulfilled her duty, although she was trembling all over, for she had suddenly become very agitated. She placed a sparkling crown on the winner’s bowed head and said loudly and clearly:
I crown you, knight, with this crown for courage, I give you this award awarded to the winner today.
Never has a knight's crown crowned a noble one!
The knight bowed his head and kissed the hand of the beautiful queen, who rewarded his courage, and then, bending forward, fell unconscious at his feet.
Everyone was confused by what had happened, Cedric, amazed at how unexpectedly his exiled son appeared before him, rushed to him, wanting to stand between him and Lady Rowena. But the tournament marshals have already done this. Having guessed why Ivanhoe fell unconscious, they hastened to remove his armor and saw that the tip of the spear, having pierced the breastplate, wounded him to the side.
No sooner had Ivanhoe's name been heard than it quickly passed from mouth to mouth. Soon it reached the prince, and his face darkened when he heard it.
Yes,” replied Waldemar Fitsurz, “it seems that this brave knight is ready to claim back the castle and estates that Richard gave him, and through the generosity of your Highness they came to Front-where-Befove.”
Front de Boeuf is a man,” said the prince, “who would rather seize three castles like Ivangive than agree to return at least one of them.”
The prince's entourage started talking about Lady Rowena's sums, which she tried to hide when she saw Avengo's motionless body at her feet.
“We will try to console her sadness,” said Prince John, “and provide her with the nobility of her family by marrying a Norman.” She seems to be underage, and therefore her marriage depends on our royal will. What do you say, de Bracy? Or is it not to your taste to obtain estates with all the income by marrying a Saxon, following the example of the Conqueror’s comrades?
If I like estates with income, my lord,” replied de Bracy, “then, really, why wouldn’t I like a bride?”
At the end of the day, a shooting competition took place, which was won by a peasant named Locksley. He did not agree to Prince John's offer to go into his service, because he swore never to enter into the service of anyone other than King Richard.
To mark the end of the tournament, Prince John ordered a sumptuous feast to be prepared at Ashby Castle. The castle and town of Ashby then belonged to Roger de Quincey, Earl of Winchester, who was in Palestine at that time. Prince John took possession of his castle and, without hesitation, ruled his possessions. The prince's servants, who acted in such cases on behalf of the king, completely ransacked the whole country around and took away everything that, in their opinion, was worthy of their master's table.
Cedric and Adelstan came to visit the prince, and he received them extremely politely, not at all, it seemed, annoyed when Cedric said that Rowena was not feeling well and therefore was not able to take advantage of the prince's affectionate invitation.
There was a lively conversation going on around the table filled with food. The guests talked about the details of the past tournament, about the unknown winner in crossbow shooting, about the Black Knight, who so selflessly avoided a well-deserved reward, and about the brave Ivanhoe, who bought himself victory at such a high price. Prince John looked gloomy - he seemed to be very worried about something. Suddenly he said:
We drink this glass to the health of Wilfried Ivanhoe, the winner of today's competition. We regret that his injury prevented him from being at our table. Drink, guests, especially you, Cedric Roderwood, the respected father of this outstanding knight.
“No, my lord,” Cedric answered, getting up and putting the undrinkable glass on the table. “I cannot call a naughty boy a son, he went against my will and forgot the customs of his ancestors.” He left my house against my will and my order - our ancestors called this disobedience, and they punished such actions as a grave crime.
It seems,” the prince said after a short silence, “his brother should transfer a rich mansion to his favorite.”
“He gave this estate to Ivanhoe,” Cedric answered, “this is precisely the main reason for my quarrel with my son.” He agreed to accept, as a feudal vassal, the very land that once belonged to his ancestors, as free and independent rulers.
So, you, dear Cedric, would you be willing to agree that this estate should go to a person whose dignity is not harmed by the fact that she takes this fief from the British crown? Reginald Front-where-Beufay,” the prince added further, addressing this baron. “I hope you will protect the beautiful barony of Ivangove, that Sir Wilfrid will not anger his father by receiving this fief a second time.”
After these contemptuous words of the prince, each courtier, in turn following his example, with a sly smile, tried to make some joke at Cedric’s address.
However, the proud Saxon took full revenge on his offenders, making a toast to the health of King Richard the Lionheart. After that, he left the hall with Adelstan. The rest of the guests began to leave, leaving Prince John irritated and frightened.
Waldemar Fitzurz tried to bring Prince John's conspirators back together, arguing that if Richard returned, he would be alone, without companions, without friends. The bones of his brave army whiten in the sands of Palestine. Few of his supporters who returned home, like Wilfrid Ivanhoe, wander the world as tattered beggars. Fitsurz argued that a king like Prince John would be more profitable for the nobility. This evidence did its job. Most of the nobility agreed to appear at the muster in York, where arrangements were to be made for the crown to be placed on John's head.
Late at night, Fitsurz returned to Ashby Castle - and met here with de Bracy, who concealed him in his plans to attack the Saxons and kidnap the beautiful Rowena from them.
“Well, okay, if you’re really impatient to find out,” said de Bracy, “templar Briand de Bois-Guilbert has conceived a plan to steal.” He will help me attack, and he, along with his companions, will play the role of a robber, and then I, in disguise, will free the beauty from the imaginary thieves.
The knight decided the fate of the tournament, Black Lazy, left the arena immediately after the victory was finally determined. When he was called to present the award, he could not be found anywhere. Bypassing wide roads, he made his way through forest paths and soon reached the western Yorkshire district.
Soon he entered a small clearing. Under the rock, leaning against it, stood a simple hut, built here in the forest. The cracks were lined with moss and clay in order to somehow protect the home from bad weather.
There the knight met a hermit, who was called the Copeman-Herst cleric. The monk offered him a modest dinner, and then a barrel of wine. When the “holy” father showed the guest a weapon hidden in the closet, he became convinced that its owner was not exactly who he said he was.
So the Black Lazy Man and the hermit were hanging out, playing the harp and singing not entirely pious songs, becoming more and more cheerful and unsatisfied, when suddenly someone interrupted their feast by knocking hard on the door of the house...
As soon as Cedric Sax saw that his son had fallen unconscious in the arena in Ashby, his first desire was to order his servants to help Ivanhoe and keep an eye on him, but the words did not come out of his mouth: after all, he had disowned his disobedient son and deprived him of his inheritance , Cedric did not dare to publicly fulfill his first impulse. He only ordered Oswald to look after his son, and then, accompanied by two servants, to deliver Ivanhoe, when the crowd had dispersed, to Ashby. However, Oswald was ahead of them: the crowd, however, dispersed, and the knight disappeared with it.
While searching for Ivanhoe, Oswald only learned from those he met that the knight was picked up by well-dressed servants, placed on a stretcher by one of the ladies present, and immediately carried out of the cramped space.
Let him go wherever he wants! - said Cedric. - Let those through whom he was wounded heal his wounds!
Later, after an impolite reception at Prince John's, the Saxon gentlemen went to dinner with Abbot Wilthof, who, himself from an old Saxon family, received the guests very kindly, and they sat at the table until late, or rather until the morning, - and the next In the morning we left the house of our hospitable host only after a good breakfast.
When the horsemen were riding out of the monastery courtyard, a minor incident occurred, and she greatly embarrassed the Saxons, who are very superstitious and superstitious: a thin black dog, sitting on its hind legs, howled pitifully when the front horsemen rode out of the fence, and then, wildly barking and jumping in all directions, he ran after the travelers.
Cedric recognized Gourdo's dog, Fangs, and threw a dart at him. This outraged the swineherd, who was already out of favor with his master for running away from the castle to help Knight Ivanhoe in the tournament. Gurd even told Vambi that he refused to serve Sedrikova from now on.
“Let him throw it at me,” Gurd was indignant, “I don’t care!” Yesterday he left Wilfried, my young master, lying in blood, and today he wanted to kill the only living creature before my eyes, when he fawned on me. I swear I will never forgive him for this.
The offended swineherd fell gloomily silent again, and no matter how hard the jester tried to speak to him, all his attempts were in vain.
Having reached the forest, the travelers entered its thicket, which was very dangerous for those times, through numerous detachments of freemen, consisting of people of the lower class. Driving through the forest, the travelers suddenly heard cries for help. Having arrived at the place from which they could hear, they were surprised to see a film stretcher thrown down; a young girl was sitting next to them, dressed much like a Jew, and some old Jew was running back and forth, begging for help.
Having recovered from his horror, Isaac from York (it was he) told Adelstanov and Sedrikov that he had hired six people in Ashby for guards and donkeys to transport his sick friend. The guides agreed to accompany him to Doncaster. They reached this place safe and sound, but being frightened by the freemen, the guides not only ran away, but also took the donkeys, leaving the Jew and his daughter to the mercy of fate, under the threat of being robbed and killed by the robber gang. Adelstan wanted to refuse help to those they met, but Rebecca convinced Lady Rowena to help not so much themselves, but the wounded man they were taking with them, without, however, indicating who the wounded man was.
When they all moved on together and found themselves in the gorge, they were unexpectedly attacked and captured. Only Gurdov, who had earlier fled into the thicket of the forest, and Vambi, who tore the sword from the hands of one of the attackers, managed to avoid this. Having met in the forest, the two of them decided to move together to save Sedrikova and the others, when suddenly a third person ordered them to stop. Wamba recognized the stranger as Locksley, a peasant who, under unfavorable conditions, received the winner's award in crossbow shooting. Locksley promised to assemble a detachment to visit Mr. Cedric and the rest of the prisoners.
Arriving at the forest brethren, Loxley ordered to begin surveillance of the attackers, who were leading the prisoners to Torquilston, the castle of Front de Boeuf, and he, together with Gurd and Wamba, went further to the Coppengherst chapel. Merry songs came from the hermit's cell. Locksley and the servants of Thane Cedric told the clerics and the knight about the unfortunate incident, and they assured that they would help save the prisoners
It is unlikely that you will find anyone,” said the knight, “to whom England and the life of every Englishman would be as dear as to me.”
While measures were being taken to save Cedric and his companions, the armed men who had captured them hastened to carry off the prisoners to a safe place and keep them there as prisoners. The Templar agreed with de Bracy that he should play the role of Lady Rowena's liberator, and admitted that he liked the beautiful Jewish Rebecca much more.
During this conversation, Cedric made attempts to find out from his guards who took them captive and for what purpose, but these attempts were in vain. They drove on hastily, until at the end of the alley, from the tall trees, Torquilston appeared before them, the ancient castle of Reginald Front de Boeuf, covered with gray moss. It was a small fortress, consisting of a huge high tower surrounded by buildings below it, with a round courtyard inside.
Lady Rowena was separated from her retinue and escorted politely, without asking, she agreed, to a distant part of the castle. They did the same with Rebecca, despite all the pleas of her father, who even offered money just to leave them together.
The butler didn't say a word, he just shook his head.
“Tell Sir Reginald’s Front-where-Befov,” added Adelstan, “that I challenge him to a duel to the death and invite him to fight me.”
“I will convey your challenge to the knight,” answered the butler. Everyone's attention was attracted by the sound of a horn heard at the castle gates.
In addition to the Saxon gentlemen, Isaac from York was also in the castle. Serdeshny was immediately thrown into one of the underground prisons. He sat like that for a good three hours when he suddenly heard someone walking down the stairs to the dungeon. The bolts rattled, the curtains creaked, and Reginald Front de Boeuf entered the prison, accompanied by two Saracens, prisoners of the templar. The baron began to threaten the Jew with death if he did not lend him a thousand pounds in silver.
Isaac had almost agreed to this when Front de Boeuf, with a feigned look of surprise, said that he had given his daughter Rebecca as a maid to Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert.
Robber, murderer! - Isaac exclaimed, returning the images to his oppressor with a ferocity that he could no longer calm down. “I won’t pay you anything, I won’t pay even a single silver penny, until you give me my daughter whole and untouched!”
Isaac was saved from immediate torture only by the sound of a horn, which came from the courtyard and forced his tormentor to leave the dungeon.
Around noon, de Bracy came to Lady Rowena's room to fulfill his intention - to ask for her hand, and at the same time to receive the estates of Mr. Cedric. However, the proud girl reacted disdainfully to the advances, reproaching him for behavior unworthy of a knight. Out of frustration, de Bracy had to resort to blackmail: telling Lady Roveni that the unknown wounded man whom Isaac and Rebecca were carrying with them was Ivanhoe, he invited her to agree to his proposal, saving the life of her beloved.
In response to this, Rowena burst into tears so hard that she even touched the cruel heart of de Bracy. Excited by these thoughts, he could only ask the kind-hearted Rowena to calm down and assured that she had no reason to kill herself like that, but his words were interrupted by the sharp sound of a horn, which worried the other inhabitants of the castle along with him.
While the described scenes were taking place in other parts of the castle, Isaac's daughter Rebecca waited in a distant lonely tower to see how her fate would be decided. There she saw some old woman muttering a Saxon song to herself.
The old woman, who called herself Urfrida, told the girl her sad story. She was young and beautiful when Front de Boeuf, Reginald's father, besieged this castle, which belonged to her father. A father and his seven sons defended their legacy floor by floor, room by room. There was not a single place on the floor, not a single step on the stairs that they did not sprinkle with their blood. Every last one of them died, and the girl became the prey of the winner. The Rebbezzi also predicted the same fate for Urfrida.
How Rebecca prepared herself to calmly face danger, however, she trembled all over when the Knight Templar Briand de Bois-Guilbert entered the room. Swearing by the cross, he began to confess his love to the girl, saying that once betrayed by a woman, he gave his life to serving in the order. However, Rebecca's beauty and luck struck him so much that he saw in her a close soul for his ambitious plans. The knight’s words greatly outraged Rebecca: although she was of a different religion, she considered such an attitude towards the shrine and sacred vows disgusting.
“I will proclaim your crime, templar, to all of Europe,” said the proud girl. “I will take advantage of your brothers’ concern if they refuse me their condolences.” All the people of your order will know that you have sinned with a Jewish woman.
Saying this, she opened the lattice window wide that looked out onto the watchtower, and in an instant stood on the very edge of the rampart: nothing separated her from the terrible abyss. She was determined to carry out her decision to commit suicide, but not to give in to Bois-Guilbert's persuasion.
“I’ll believe you, but only this much,” Rebecca said and walked off the edge of the shaft and pressed herself against one of the loopholes. “Here I’ll stay, and you stay in your place...
Fearing that the girl would commit suicide, Briand de Bois-Guilbert left the room, and Rebecca began to pray for her salvation and the name of the wounded Christian sounded in her prayer.
When the templar Jesus entered the castle hall, de Bracy was already there.
“You, probably, just like me, received a refusal from a Jewish woman,” said de Bracy, “all this for the mess of these calls.”
Soon Front de Boeuf appeared to them, which forced him to stop torturing Isaac. On the way, he hesitated a little because he had to give orders.
Let’s see what the cause of this damned noise is,” he said, “here is a letter and, if I’m not mistaken, written in Saxon.”
The letter, signed by Wamba, Gurd, Locksley and the Black Knight, demanded the immediate release of Mr. Cedric, Adelstan, Lady Rowena and other Saxons captured with them: “If you do not fulfill these demands, we will declare you robbers and traitors and summon you to fight in an open field, in a siege or in some other way, and we will make every effort to ruin and destroy you.”
To this the noble gentlemen replied that they had decided to execute the prisoners, and therefore the only way their friends could serve them was to send a priest to the castle for a final confession.
A huge crowd of people gathered near the castle, which consisted of forest freemen, Saxon residents of the neighboring district and Cedric's vassals and slaves, who agreed to free their master. Only a few of them had real weapons - the majority were armed with rural weapons, which only for lack of something best used in war.
“I would like,” said the Black Knight, “for one of us to sneak into the castle and find out how the besieged are doing there.” And when they demand a confessor, then, in my opinion, our holy hermit could at the same time fulfill his pious duty and get us all the information we need.
However, the hermit refused to take on this role, and therefore Wamba had to disguise himself as the priest, although he knew almost nothing in either Latin or Norman.
When the jester, in a hooded tunic and flowing robe, belted with a knotted rope, approached the gates of the Front-where-Boeuf castle, the guard asked him who he was and what he wanted.
Peace to you! - answered the jester. “I am a beggar brother of the Order of St. Francis and came here to guide the heartfelt prisoners now imprisoned in the castle.”
Once among the prisoners, he invited Sedrikova to change into his clothes and leave the castle. Cedric and Adelstan argue for a long time about who he should give his clothes to in order to escape from prison, but the more decisive Cedric finally agreed to the jester's proposal. After changing clothes, he met Rebecca in the corridor, who tried to persuade him to visit the sick Ivanhoe. However, Cedric, forced to swim by the priest, quickly left the girl when unexpectedly old Urfrida called him to her room.
Urfrida immediately recognized that the imaginary priest was a Saxon. She began to tell him her story, and Cedric was surprised to learn that this old, ugly woman was Ulrika, the daughter of a noble Saxon, a friend and comrade-in-arms of his father, Torquil Wolfganger. Forced to live among the enemies and murderers of her family, she hated them with furious hatred and tried to harm them all her life. She managed to make enemies of old Front de Boeuf and his son, Reginald, and incite this enmity until the tyrant died at the hands of his own son.
Sedrikov, disguised as a priest, managed to leave the castle unrecognized, although he spoke with Front de Boeuf himself, who ordered him to hold off the advance of the “Saxon pigs” who were besieging the castle.
Only after Cedric had happily escaped was the deception exposed. Front de Boeuf began to demand a ransom from the Saxons, and Adelstan promised to pay a ransom of a thousand marks for himself and his comrades. However, the barons and the templar wanted to leave Isaac and his daughter, the jester and Lady Rowena in the castle.
“Lady Rowena,” Adelstan answered firmly, “is my betrothed bride, and wild horses would sooner tear me to pieces than I would agree to leave her.” The same can be said about the slave Wambu.
The Saxon prisoners were being taken out when the monk Ambrosius was brought in, who reported that the Zhorvosky prior had been taken prisoner. Despite the besiegers who were crowding under the castle walls, de Bracy noticed that at the head of the crowd was the one they called the Black Knight.
When Ivanhoe fell and everyone seemed to have abandoned him, Rebecca, stubbornly pleading with her father, managed to persuade him to carry the brave young man from the arena to a house in the suburb of Ashby, where Jews temporarily settled.
Beautiful Rebecca knew how to heal well. She received her medical knowledge from an old Jewish woman, the daughter of a famous doctor, who fell in love with Rebecca as if she were her own child. The teacher herself was burned alive, but her secret knowledge remained to live in the mind of her skillful student. She nursed the wounded Ivanhoe, although she realized that he loved Rowena. The beautiful Jewess admired the courage of the young knight and his desire to champion the cause of King Richard and the ancestral rights of the Saxons.
It was Ivanhoe who was on a stretcher when Cedric and his servants met Isaac and his daughter, abandoned by the guides. Together with the Saxon Panamas and his saviors, Ivanhoe was captured at the castle of Front de Beuf. His name became known to de Bracy, and his knightly honor did not allow him to expose the presence of Ivanhoe Front-where-Befovi - then, undoubtedly, without any hesitation he would have killed the wounded man, tempted by the opportunity to get rid of the one whose lineage he had encroached on. In case they were asked, de Bracy ordered that they answer that they had used Lady Rowena's empty litter to transport one of their comrades, who had been wounded in the battle. The warriors hurried to the battlefield and thus Urfrida began to court Ivanhoe. But Urfrida, overwhelmed by memories of past grievances and dreaming of revenge, willingly transferred her duty to look after the sick Rebbezzi.
As soon as Rebecca saw Ivanhoe again, she was surprised to feel how warmly her heart rejoiced - while everything around them threatened them with danger, even death. Since the battle had already unfolded under the walls of the castle, the girl, worried that the knight would not be harmed, stood at the window herself to retell everything that was happening outside.
The arrows rained down like heavy hail, but each of them was exactly intended and did not hit. The Black Knight fought as if the strength of as many as twenty people had passed into his hand. He defeated the giant Front-where-Beuf, and Ivanhoe joyfully exclaimed, referring to King Richard:
And I thought that only one hand in England was capable of such feats!
Finally, the captors smashed the castle gates, although they were unable to take the bridge that leads to the castle.
While, after the first success of the besiegers, one side was preparing to use its favorable position, and the other to strengthen its defenses, Bois-Guilbert and de Bracy met for a short meeting in the castle hall.
They realized that Front de Boeuf was dying, and they were left without his support and superhuman strength, and therefore they agreed that de Bracy would take over the defense of the gate, and about twenty people would remain in reserve with the templar, ready to strike where there was great danger.
Meanwhile, the owner of the besieged castle lay dying on his bed. Through his agony, he heard a mysterious voice, and the figure of the one who had spoken to Front de Boeuf appeared at his bedside. It was Ulrika, who sought revenge for her murdered father and brothers and for her mutilated life. She set fire to the castle, leaving the terrible knight, abandoned by everyone, to die a painful death.
Cedric did not really rely on Ulrichina’s promise to help the besiegers, and yet he reported her to the Black Knight and Locksley. They were glad that they had found a friend who, in bad times, could make it easier for them to get into the castle.
The Black Knight agreed to rest - he managed to use it to build a kind of floating bridge or a long raft, with the help of which he hoped to get across the ditch, despite the resistance of his enemies. This had to take some time, and the leaders were not worried, because this gave Ulritsa the opportunity to fulfill her promise of help, no matter what it was.
The guards opened the gate, and Cedric and the Black Knight, under a cloud of stones and arrows, tried to launch the raft. At this moment, the guards noticed on the corner of the tower the red flag that Ulrika had told Sedrikov about. The brave Locksley was the first to see him.
The enemies also noticed that the castle was on fire. The battle continued, and the besiegers managed to advance further and further, despite the stones that flew from the walls. A bloody duel broke out between de Bracy and the Black Knight, and the Norman surrendered to the mercy of the winner. He warned that Wilfrid Ivanhoe was wounded and would die in the burning castle if he was not rescued immediately.
The fire continued to spread, and soon there were signs of a fire in the room where Ivanhoe lay under the close care of the Rebecchi. Everything was darkened by thick, suffocating smoke. The door of the room swung wide open, and a templar appeared in a shiny shell covered in blood. He grabbed Rebecca and carried her out of the room - Ivanhoe could not stop him. Hearing Ivanhoe's loud screams, the Black Knight found his room and saved the young prisoner.
Most of the garrisons resisted with all their might, only a few asked for mercy - and no one got it. The air was filled with screams and the clang of weapons, and the floor was red with the blood of the dead and dying.
In the midst of all this horror, Cedric searched for Rowena, and the faithful Gurd followed him, making every effort to repel the blows aimed at his master. Saksovi was lucky to get to the room of her pupil at that very moment when she, despairing of her salvation, was sitting, awaiting inevitable death in horror. He instructed Gurdova to lead her, safe and sound, to the front tower.
The proud templar fought bravely, not taking his eyes off Rebecca, who was mounted on the horse of one of the Saracen slaves. Adelstan, who, noticing a female figure and thinking that it was Rowena and that the knight was carrying her by force, entered into battle with Bois de Guilbert, but the templar turned out to be stronger and, having overcome his rival, accompanied by his people, left the battlefield. Those who remained, even after the templar disappeared, continued to fight desperately, not because they hoped for salvation, but because they had no hope of the mercy of the victors.
Overcome with the joy of revenge, Ulrika found herself on the mountain of the tower, where she stood, waving her arms in mad delight. Finally the tower collapsed with a terrible crash, and Ulrika died in the flames, which also devoured her enemy and executioner.
The forest freemen gathered near their tree in the Gertgil forest. Here they stayed overnight, strengthening their forces after a difficult siege; some were drinking wine, some were sleeping, others were talking about the events they had experienced and counting the spoils. No one saw the Coppengherst cleric.
Cedric yearned for the noble Adelstan Koniņzburzki. He also released his faithful servant Gurdo, giving him a plot of land in his Valbergem possessions.
Then the tramp of horses in a hurry was heard, and soon Lady Rowena appeared on horseback, tired and pale, but on her face there was, however, a noticeable hope for a better future; she knew that Ivanhoe was in a safe place, and also that Adelstan was dead.
Before setting off, Cedric expressed his special gratitude to the Black Knight and persistently asked him to go with him to Roderwood.
“Cedric has already enriched me,” the knight answered, “he taught me to value Saxon virtue.” I will be in Roderwood, brave Saxon, and I will be quickly, but now urgent matters do not give me the opportunity to go to you.
The knight also released the captive de Bracy, and Loxley assured him that if he did not need help, he could get it under the forest brethren.
The Black Knight was quite surprised to notice the discipline and fairness in the division of the spoils, as well as the fact that the part intended for charitable causes remained untouched.
Later, a hermit joined the group, who freed the Jew Isaac from the burning castle, and even later they brought the captive prior Eimer Zhorvosky.
The community began to demand money from Isaac and the prior for their release, and the Jew was forced to promise to pay a ransom for both of them. The old man was indifferent to everything, because he thought that he had lost his beloved daughter Rebecca forever. But one of the freemen informed that the beautiful Jewish woman was in the hands of Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, and therefore the father must hasten to negotiate with the templar, who loves the shine of chervonets no less than the fire of black eyes. The prior promised to write a letter to the knight-templar asking him to give the girl for a ransom, which old Isaac was ready to pay.
The Black Knight, who had been watching all these scenes with great interest, also said goodbye to the leader. He involuntarily expressed his surprise to him that he had found such a good harmony among the free forest people.
Here’s my hand to you as a sign that I respect you,” he said to Loksleyeva.
There was a great feast at York Castle. Prince John invited to it those barons, prelates and leaders, with the help of whom he hoped to realize his ambitious plans for the brother of the throne. The day after Torquilston was conquered, deaf news sounded in York that de Bracy and Bois-Guilbert, together with their accomplice Front de Boeuf, were captured or killed. Prince John was threatening to take revenge on the Saxons when de Bracy appeared in the hall, stained with the blood of a horse beaten by spurs, and inflamed by a fast ride. He reported that the templar had escaped, and Front de Boeuf had died in the fire, and the worst thing was that Richard in England and de Bracy saw him with his own eyes. He was referring to the Black Knight who revealed his true name to him.
Prince John realized that the only way to save himself was to waylay his brother. Fitsurz took up this matter. In turn, Prince John ordered a vigilant watch over de Bracy, whom he did not trust completely.
Isaac from York moved to Templest Preceptory to free his daughter. And four miles before Templestowe he became completely exhausted and stopped with his friend, a Jewish rabbi, the very famous Dr. Nathan Ben Israel. He informed Isaac that Luca de Beaumanoir himself, the head of the Order of the Templars, who is called the Grand Master, was in Templestowe.
He came to England unexpectedly for the crusaders and appeared among them, ready to correct and punish them with his strong, decisive hand; he is full of indignation against all who have violated the vows of the order. Luca de Beaumanoir was known as a strict and fair monk and at the same time a ruthless destroyer of the Saracens and a cruel tyrant of the Jews.
Go, said Nathan Ben Israel, and may everything you desire in your heart come true. But avoid meeting the Grand Master as much as you can. If you are lucky enough to see Bois-Guilbert alone, you will quickly get him.
Isaac gave Luke de Beaumanoir letters from the Zhorvosky Prior, in which he told the story of Brian de Bois-Guilbert’s abduction of the daughter of an old Jew and asked for help in freeing the girl for a ransom. The Grand Master was outraged that one of the best knights of his order had become a victim of the temptation of love for an unfaithful Jewish woman, and his anger fell on the head of the girl, who was known as a doctor who gained her knowledge from the sorceress Mariam, who was burned at the stake.
The head of the Order of the Temple ordered the old Jew to be pushed out of the gate, threatening him that he would deal with the girl according to Christian laws, which are ordered to punish sorceresses. Old Isaac, beside himself with grief, went to his friend Ben Israel, having no idea from whom to seek help.
Albert Malvoisin, president or preceptor of Templeston, was the brother of Philip Malvoisin; like this baron, he was sincerely friends with Brian de Bois-Guilbert. Meanwhile, he knew how to please the Grand Master and hoped that he would be able to save the life of the Rebbezzi. The preceptor was initially on the girl’s side, because there were several Jewish doctors in the city, whom no one called wizards, although they amazingly healed people.
However, the Grand Master undertook to destroy the Jewess so that her death would be a cleansing sacrifice sufficient to redeem all the love affairs of the knights of the order, and neither the preceptor nor Bois-Guilbert managed to convince him.
Finally, Malvoisin decided that it would be better for this pitiful girl to die than for Briand de Bois-Guilbert to die for the brotherhood.
Before the start of the trial, Rebbezzi, as she entered the courtroom, was thrust into her hand with a piece of paper. She took it almost unconsciously and held it in her hands without reading what was in it. But the confidence that she had a friend in this terrible place gave her courage in a difficult situation.
The court convened to condemn Rebecca was located on the porch at the end of the hall, just opposite the entrance. The gathering was very solemn and frightening.
The Grand Master accused Rebecca of clouding the mind of the best knight of the Templar Order. Turning to those present with the question of what they could say about the life and actions of the accused, he called the peasant whom the girl was treating. However, his testimony was of no help.
So, Guy, Snell’s son,” said the Grand Master, “I tell you, it is better to remain a paralytic than to use medicine from the hands of infidels and through them to get out of bed and walk.”
Other witnesses claimed that Rebecca, while in the castle with Bois-Gulbert, turned to a swan white as milk and in this form flew around Torquilston Castle three times, and then sat down on the tower again, turning to the woman.
Although the appearance of the girl and her gentle behavior pleasantly struck everyone present and aroused their sympathy, there was nothing to object to these remarks.
Even Bois-Guilbert could not say anything, he only said, looking at Rebecca:
Bundle... Bundle...
Rebecca, looking down at the strip of parchment that remained in her hand, read what was written on it in Arabic letters: “Demand a duel.” According to ancient laws, one of the knights could stand up for the girl’s honor by accepting a challenge to a duel, and in this way save her life.
It cannot be, said Rebecca, that in cheerful England - hospitable, noble, free, where so many people are ready to risk their lives in the name of honor, there would not be anyone who would come out to fight for justice. But it is enough that I demand a trial by combat: here is my bail.
And the girl, taking off the embroidered glove from her hand, threw it at the master’s feet with such an arrogant expression on her face that it caused everyone’s regret and surprise.
Even Luca Beaumanoir was touched by the sight of Rebecca.
He instructed Bois-Guilbert to bravely go out into battle, and gave Rebbezzi three days to find the fighter. The girl had to find a messenger who would announce her father's difficult situation. Snell's son, Gig, who was being treated by a Jewish woman, volunteered to carry out her instructions. He gave Isaac a letter from his daughter, in which she asked that the knight Ivanhoe defend her life in the duel, and the old Jew, without hesitation, went in search of Cedric’s son.
On the evening of the day when the trial ended, someone knocked lightly on the door of the room where Rebecca was imprisoned.
It was Briand de Bois-Guilbert, who did not lose hope of explaining himself to the girl for the last time. He convinced her that no matter what knight old Isaac managed to find, he would still be defeated by him, Bois-Guilbert, and then Rebecca would die a slow and cruel death in agony. If he himself refuses to fight with the defender of the Jewish woman, he will be declared a dishonored and illustrious knight, convicted of witchcraft and conspiracy with infidels. However, he is ready to lose his glorious name if She agrees to be with him. Then they could flee to Palestine and there fulfill the ambitious plans of the templar. However, the girl rejected all of Bois-Guilbert’s proposals, forcing him to leave, full of the sum and at the same time determined to show up for the duel.
The Black Knight, having parted with the noble Locksley, moved by a simple route to the priory of St. Botolph, a neighboring monastery, with insignificant territory and income. After the castle was taken, Ivanhoe was moved there under the guard of Gourdo and Vambi. The meeting between Ivanhoe and his savior was very touching. But the Black Knight apparently had no opportunity to hesitate.
Suddenly three arrows flew out of the forest thicket, and a battle broke out, in which Locksley and his yeomen took the greatest part. They quickly dealt with the bullies. All of them died on the spot, killed or mortally wounded. The Black Knight thanked his saviors with such greatness, which had never before been noticeable in his behavior: then he behaved like an ordinary brave warrior, and not like a person of the highest rank.
Having removed the helmet from one of the attackers, he was surprised to recognize Waldemar Fitsurz, who was carrying out the shameful assignment of Prince John. However, the Black Knight gave Fitsurzov his life, ordering him to leave England within three days and never remember that the king’s brother had ordered him to be captured by treacherous means. Here the knight revealed his real name to all the brethren, admitting that he was King Richard of England.
In response, Locksley also revealed that he was the king of the forest freemen - Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest.
The appearance of new riders attracted the attention of everyone present.
It was Wilfried Ivanhoe who arrived on the horse of the Botolff prior and Gourd, who was accompanied by him on the war horse of the knight himself. Ivanhoe was immensely surprised to see in the small meadow where the battle had previously continued, his owner, stained with blood, and around him six or seven corpses.
A feast was held in the clearing, which was stopped only when Robin Hood ordered the blowing of a horn, which Richard mistook for the Malvoisins. He did this to put an end to the revelry that was taking away the king's hours; more serious matters were needed.
And although at first Richard was angry, then he admitted that the king of the forest freemen was right and set off on his journey. The king, accompanied by Ivanhoe, Gourdo and Vambi, without any hindrance, reached the Koningzburz castle before the sun hid below the horizon. Everything was going well in the castle until the funeral dinner for the departed Sir Adelstan.
Cedric, seeing Richard (whom he knew only as the brave Black Knight), stood up, maintaining his dignity, and, according to custom, greeted him with the words: “How are you?” raising his glass at the same time. The king was familiar with the customs of his English subjects; in response to the greeting, he said: “I drink to your health” and drank from the glass handed to him by the butler.
Ivanhoe was greeted in the same polite manner; he silently responded to his father’s greeting with a bow, replacing his words on this occasion so that he would not be recognized by his voice.
In another room they saw about twenty Saxon girls, led by Rowena, who were embroidering and weaving wreaths.
Rowena greeted her savior with dignity and affection. The expression on her face was serious and unpretentious, and who would have thought if she didn’t miss Ivanhoe more, not knowing anything about his fate, than Adelstan, whom everyone considered dead.
King Richard turned to Cedric, asking him to make peace with his son Ivanhoe and return his parental love to him. As soon as the words were uttered, the door opened wide, and Adelstan, dressed in a shroud, appeared before them, pale, with a confused look, like a dead man who had emerged from the grave.
When those present came to their senses from his appearance, Adelstan told his amazing story: in a fierce battle, Bois-Guilbert's blade hit him flat and was repelled by the shaft of a good stick. When Adelstan woke up, he saw himself in a coffin - fortunately, open - in front of the altar of the Saintedmund church. The scoundrel monks put him in the prison of that damned monastery, but the knight managed to escape and get to his own funeral at Cedric’s castle.
“And my pupil, Rowena,” asked Cedric, “I hope you do not intend to leave her?”
“Father of Cedric,” answered Adelstan, “be prudent.” Lady Roveni is far from me... her little finger of Wilfrida is more valuable than the whole of my face. Here, brother Wilfried Ivanhoe, for you I refuse and say... Saint Denstane! And brother Wilfried disappeared!!!
Everyone looked around and asked about Ivanhoe, but no one saw him. In the end they learned that some Jew had come to him and that after a short conversation with him he found Gourdo, his weapons and armor and left the castle.
The hour that was to decide Rebecchin's fate was approaching. The condemned woman was pale, and even the most hardened hearts sank with sympathy for her. Malvoisin, as a witness to the fighter, came forward and laid the glove, which was the guarantee of the duel, at the feet of Grand Master Rebecchin.
He said that the good knight Briand de Bois-Guilbert, who had undertaken to fight today to prove that this Jewess named Rebecca deserved the sentence of death for witchcraft. Even at that moment, Bois-Guilbert did not lose hope of gaining Rebecca’s love and invited her to join him on horseback and run away. And at that very moment, a knight appeared on the plain that bordered the arena. He urged his horse forward with all his might. Hundreds of voices shouted: - Defender! Defender!
This knight, who was not steady enough in the saddle given his recent serious wound, was Wilfrid Ivanhoe. He stated his name and purpose of appearance:
I am an honest and noble knight, I came here in order to bring justice and legality to the case of this girl, Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York, with spear and sword, to free her from the sentence proclaimed over her, as false and reckless, and to go out to duel with Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, as a traitor, murderer and liar.
Amazed, Bois-Guilbert wanted to abandon the duel given the wound of the young knight, but he reminded him of how he forced the golden chain against the sacred relic that he would fight with Wilfried Ivanhoe for his lost honor, and in the end, the templar began to fight.
The trumpets sounded and the knights ran with all their might. What everyone was waiting for happened: Ivanhoe’s exhausted horse and equally exhausted rider could not resist the well-aimed spear and the strong horse of the templar. Everyone assumed in advance how the fight would end, but even though Ivanhoe’s spear barely touched Bois-Guilbert’s shield, the templar, to the surprise of everyone present, swayed in the saddle, his legs slipped out of the stirrups, and he fell to the ground.
Ivanhoe, freed from under his horse, immediately jumped to his feet, hastening to correct his failure with his sword. But his opponent did not get up. When Bois-Guilbert's helmet was removed, it became obvious that he was suffering from a broken heart.
This is God's judgment! - said the Grand Master. “Thy will be done!”
At that moment, the Black Knight appeared in the arena, accompanied by a large detachment of warriors and several fully armed knights. He regretted that Bois-Guilbert, whom he had intended for himself, had already fallen on the battlefield, and accused Albert Malvoisin of treason.
The brothers of our order,” said the Grand Master, becoming the head of the detachment, “do not fight because of such vanity, and it is not with you, Richard of England, that the knight of the order will cross his spear for my presence. The Pope and the kings of Europe will decide our dispute, they will judge whether it is proper to do as you did today.
With these words, the master, without waiting for an answer, gave the signal to get underway.
During the confusion that occurred as the trek moved, Rebecca saw or heard nothing. He and his father furtively left the fatal place, while everyone's attention was focused on King Richard - the crowd greeted him with loud cries.
In a conversation, the Earl of Essex told Ivanhoe that the reckless king abandoned all his affairs, like a real adventurer, in order to personally resolve the dispute between a templar and a Jewess with his own hand, while not far from York, Prince John was gathering his supporters. However, when the rebels fled, Prince John himself came to notify King Richard, and he did not order him to be thrown into prison, but received him as he had met him after the hunt! It was precisely this, according to many contemporaries, that the magnanimous king prompted many of his close associates to treason.
According to the evidence of the trials of that time, it turns out that Maurice de Bracy went overseas and went into the service of Philip of France; Philippe de Malvoisin and his brother, Albert, the preceptor of Templest, were executed, although the punishment for the rebel Waldemar where Fitsurza was limited to exile. And Prince John, through whom this whole plot was conceived, did not even receive a reprimand from his good-natured brother. No one felt sorry for the Malvoisins: insidious, cruel oppressors, they fully deserved death.
After some time, Cedric Sax was summoned to the court of Richard, who was staying in York, reconciling the surrounding counties, where it was restless due to the previous intrigues of his brother. This was very unpleasant for Cedric, since Richard, having returned, thereby destroyed Cedric’s last hope for the possibility of restoring the Saxon dynasty in England.
In addition, Sedrikov had to be convinced, albeit against his own will, that his plan for the final unification of all the Saxons through the marriage of Rowena with Adelstan was a complete failure. Soon Cedric agreed to the marriage of his pupil and Ivanhoe. Richard was personally present at the wedding, and the way he treated the Saxons, hitherto humiliated and oppressed, aroused in them hopes of regaining their lost rights in a safer way than the unreliable path of strife.
The day after this happy wedding, El'gіta, Rovenina's maid, notified her in the morning that some girl wanted to see her and asked permission to talk with her face to face.
It was Rebecca who told Rowney that she was leaving England for good. The Jewish woman left her lucky rival a box set in silver with an extremely expensive diamond necklace and matching earrings.
Rebecca said that she wanted to devote her whole life to human causes, healing the sick, feeding the hungry and comforting the unfortunate. When Rowena told her husband about these visits and conversation with Rebecca, Ivanhoe fell into deep thought. Apparently, this made a great impression on him.
He lived long and happily with Rowena, but often remembered Rebecchina and the majestic beauty of her soul, perhaps more often than Rowena wanted.
Ivanhoe distinguished himself in Richard's service, and the king honored him with numerous manifestations of his favour. He would have been exalted much more if the heroic Richard the Lionheart had not died prematurely in France, in front of the Chaluze castle, Limoges circle. Together with the death of the magnanimous, but inflammatory and too romantic king, all his ambitious and noble plans perished. The lines written by the poet Johnson about Charles of Sweden are very suitable for his image, if you change them a little:
He found death in a foreign country -
He died there at the hands of a slave.
The whole world trembled when it heard the name of titan...
Morality for us is also a theme for a novel...
1 In feudal times, fief was the name given to that allotment (land and castles) that was inherited from father to son and provided to the vassal by his owner.