THE WEL L AT THE

W O R L D S EN D
’
A TA L E
B Y W I LL I A M MO R R IS

V O L UM E II

L O NG M A N S , G R E E N, A ND CO .

L O N DO N NEW
, YO R K , A ND B O M B AY

M D C CCC I II
 C O NTE NT8 .

B OOK III . THE R O A D T HE TO WELL AT T HE

WO R LD S END
’
.

P AC E

C HA P T ER I . An A d v en tu r e in th e W ood un de r the M ou n

ta n i s
R a lph r id s e the Wood un d er th e M o un

ta n i s
h h
R a l ph m e e t e t w i t a n o t e r A v e n t u r e i n h d
the W d un er t h e oo d
o u n ai n M t
Th y d
e ri e the W d un er th e oo o u n t ai n s d M .

Th y c
e o me o n t h e S a e o f S w e v e n h a m g .

Th o s e t w o a r e L e ar n e Lor e d
th e S a e of by g
S w e v e n h am
d
An A v e n t u r e t h e Way by .

Th e yc
ome to t h e S e a o f o l t e n Ro s M ck .

Th e yc
o m e fo r t h
fr o m t h e R o S e a ck
Th e yc
ome to t h e G a te o f t h e o un t a i n M s
Th e yc
o m e t o t h e V a l e o f Sw e e C e tn u t s t h s
Wi n t e r ami t o f t h e o u n t a i n s
ds M
Of Ur s u l a a n d t h e e a r B
c
No w o m e t h e e s en er M s g s
of th e I n n o en t c
F ol k
Th y c
e L d
om e t o th e an c k
of th e I n n o e n t F o l

Th y c
e s c ss
o me t o t h e H o u e o f t h e S or er e

Th y c
e h gh
o m e t ro u t h e Wo od l a n
d to th e
Th i s ty D s t r e er

Th e y c me t t h e D y T
o o r ree

Th y c me t f t h Th i s t y D e s e t
e o ou o e r r

Th y c m t t h e O c e S
N w t h ey D i k f t h W ll t t h e W l d s
e o e o an ea
’
o r n o e e a or

En d
XX II . No w t h yhe av e Drun k an d ar e G la d

BOOK IV . T HE R O AD HO M E .

C HA P TE R I . Ra lp h an d Ur s ul a c o me b ck g
a a i
a n t h rou gh
the Great M ti oun a n s
II . Th y h e e ar n e w T i di g s n of U t t e rb o l .

V
 P AG E

C HA P TE R III . Th e y Wi t e w i t h t h e S a g e ; an d t h e r e aft e r
n r

c m g
o e a a i n t o V a l e T u rri s

A F e a s t i n t h e R e d P a v i l i on
B u l l t e ll e th o f h i s Wi n n i n g o f t h e Lo r d s h i p
of U tte r b o l
Th e y d r i e fr o m V a l e T ut t is . R d h e d t el ls
e a

A ga t h a
of

d
.

Of th e i r r i d i n g th e Wa s t e ,
an of a B a t tl e

t h ereon 12
9
Of G ol db u r g a g i
a n , an d t h e (Lu e e n t e r e o f h . 1 33

Th ey c ome to C he p ga i n K n o w e on e mo r e ”J c J

Of t h e K i n er eo g th f 1 37
An A d v e n t ur e o n t h e Way to the M ou n ta n i s 1 43

Th e y c o me h
t rou gh th e M o u nt a i n s i n to th e

X II s d
un er a g a in
Wh i
. .

X III to i t w al l a g a n

W
. .

X IV r i d e a w a y fr o m h i t w a ll
A s t r an g e Me e t i n g I n t h e Wi l d e r n e s s
.

XV
e

X VI . Th e y c o m e t o t h e C as tl e o f A b u n d an c e ocn e

mo r e
X VI I . T h e y ~fa11 1 n i th t hat H
w er mi t
X V III ch n g e
. A a th F
o f D a y s i n th e B ur g o f e o ur

F i th s r

X I X R alp h s e s H mp t n d t h e S c au
. e a on a r

XX Th e y c me t t h e G t e of Hi gh m by t he
o o a a

Wy
.

XXL T al k b e t w e e n t h o s e t w B e t h en o r r

XX II A O ld A c q i t c c m e s f o m t h D w
. n u a n an e o r e o n

C t y t e R lph oun r o se a .

XX III Th y i de t B e C s t l e r o ar a e

XX I V Th F l k m t f t he S h p he ds
.

. e o o e o e r .

X XV Th y c m t Wu l t d
. e o e o s ea .

XX V I R l p h s h i s F t h
. a d M th
see gi a er a n o er a a n

XX V I I R l p h h olds c
. . a s e wi t h K t h e i e h i s on v e r a r n

G ss i p o .

XX V III D am e K t h i t l l s f t h e P i f B ds
. a er n e e o a r o ea ,

d wh c h h d th man en e s e a e

X X I X T hey g d w t B tt l
. Upm e d
o o nr o a e In a s

XXX R l p h b i g s h i s F t h e d M ot h er t Up
. a r n a r an o

m ds ea

XXX I R alp h b i g s U s l h m t t h H i gh
. r n r u a o e o e

H s ou e .

XX XII Ye t f w w ds c c e i g R l p h f U p
. a e or on rn n a o

m ds ea

Vl
BOOK III T H E ROAD TO T H E WELL AT
.

T H E WORLD S EN D
’
.
THE WE L L A T TH E WO R L D S ’
E ND .

BOOK III THE ROAD TO THE WELL AT

.

THE WORLD S EN D ’
.

C HAPTER I AN A D VENT U RE IN THE

.

WOOD U N D ER THE MOU NTA I N S .

O W was the night worn to the time appointe d

N
,

for it w as two hours after midnight s o h e ,

stepped o u t of his tent clad in all his war gear ,

and went straight to the doddered oak and found Red ,

head there with but one horse whereby Ralph knew ,

that he held to his purpo se o f going his ways to

U t t er bo l : so he took h i m by the shoulders and em
braced him rough carle as he was and Redhead
, ,

kneeled to him o n e moment of time and then arose and

went o ff into the night But Ralph got a horseback
.
-

without delay and rode his ways warily across the high
wa y and into the wood and there was none to hinder
,

him Though it w a s dark but fo r the starlight there

.
,

w a s a path which the horse and not Ralph foun d s o

, , , ,

that he made some wa y even before the first glimmer o f

dawn all the more as the wood was not very thick aft er
,

the first mile and there were clearings here and there
, .

So rode Ralph till the s u n was at point to rise and ,

he was about the midst o f o ne of those clearings o r

wood lawns on the further side whereofthere was more
-
,

thicket as he deemed than he had yet come to ; so

, ,

he drew rein and looked about him fo r a minute .

Even therewith he deemed he heard a sound less harsh

than the cry o f the jay in the beech trees and shriller -
,
than the moaning o f t h e morning bree z e in t he wood .

S o he fall s t o listening with both ears and this tim e ,

deems that he hears the voice o f a wo m a n : and there

with came into his mind that o ld and dear adventure
o f the Wood Perilous ; for he was dreamy with the

p ast eagerness o f his deeds and the long

,
and lonely
night But yet h e doubted somewhat o f the voice
.

when it had passed his ears s o he shook h i s rein fo r

, ,

he thought it n o t good to tarry .

Scarc e then had his horse stepped o u t ere there ,

came a woman running o u t o f the thicke t before him

and made toward him over the lawn So h e gat .

o fi his horse at onc e and went t o meet her leading his

"
,

horse ; and as h e drew nigh h e could s e e that she was

in a sorry plight ; s h e had gathered up her skirts to
ru n the better and her le g s and feet were naked
,
the
coif was gone from her head and her black hair stre amed
o u t behind her h e r gown was rent about the shoul ders
and bosom so that o n e sleeve hung tattered as if by
, ,

the handling o f some o n e .

S o s he ran up t o him cryin g o u t : H elp knight , ,

help u s ! and sank down therewith at h is feet panting

and sobbing H e stooped down to her and raised
.
,
“
her up a nd said in a kind voice : What is amiss
, ,

fair damsel that thou art in such a plight ; and what

,

may I for thine avail ? Doth any pursue the e that ,

thou fleest thus ?

She stood sobbing awhile and then took hold o f his
,

two hands and said : 0 fair lord come now and help ,
”
my lady for as for me since I am with thee I am safe
, , .

“
Yea said he Shall I get t o horse at once ?
, ,

And therewith he made as if he would move away from

her ; but s h e still held his hands and seemed t o think ,

it good so to do and she spake not for a while but

,

gazed earnestly into his face She was a fair woman .

,

dark and sleek and lithe for in good sooth she

was none other than Agatha who is afore told o f , .

4
.
 Now Ralph is somewhat abashed by h e r eage rness ,

and lets his eyes fall before hers ; and he cannot but
note that des pite the brambles and briars o f the wood
that she had run through there were no scratches o n ,

her bare legs and that her arm was unbruised where
,

the sleeve had been rent o ff .

At last she s pake b u t somewhat slowly as if s he

, .

were thinking o f what sh e had to say O knight ,

by thy knightl y oath I charge thee come to my lady

and help and rescue her s h e and I have been taken
by evil men and I fear that they will put her to shame
, ,

and torment her ere they carry her o ff fo r they were

,

about t yin g her to a tree when I escaped : for they

heeded n o t m e who am but the maid when they had
the mistress in their hands Yea said he and .
, ,

wh o is thy mistress P Said the damsel : She is the

La dy o f the Burnt Rock ; and I fear me that these
men are of the Riders o f U t t e rb o l ; and then will it
go hard with her ; for there is naught but hatred
b e twixt my lord her husband and the tyrant o f Utte r
” “ ”
bol. Said Ralph And how many were they ?
”
0 but three fair sir but t h ree s h e said ;
, , and thou ,
”
s o fair and strong like the war god himself
,
-
.

Ralph laughed Three t o o n e is long odds ,

quoth he b u t I will come with thee when thou hast

,

let go my hands s o that I may mount my horse But .

wilt thou not ride behind me fair damsel ; s o wearied ,

”
and spent as thou wilt be by thy flight .

She looked o n him curiously and laid a hand o n his ,

breast and the hauberk rings tinkled beneath the

,

broidered surcoat ; then she said Nay I had best ,

o afoot before thee so disarrayed as I am

g , .

Then s h e let him go but followed him still with

,

her eyes as he gat him into the saddle She walked .

on beside his horse s head ; and R alph marvelled o f

’

her that for all her haste she had been in she went ,

somewhat leisurely picking her w ay daintily s o a s

,

5
to tread t he s moo th and keep her fe et from the
,

rough .

Thus they went o n into t he thicket and through it

, ,

and t he damsel put t h e thorns an d briars aside daintily

as she stepped and went slower still till they came to
,

a pleasant place o f o a k trees wi t h greensward beneath

-

them and then s he stopped and turning faced , ,

Ralph and spoke with another voice than heretofore

, ,

whereas there w as naught rueful o r whining therein ,

but somewhat both of glee and of mocking as it seemed .

”
Sir knight s he said I have a word o r two for thy
, ,

ears and this i s a pleasant place and g ood for us to ,

talk together whereas it is neither too near t o her nor

, ,

t o o far from her s o that I can easily find my way back

,

to her Now lo r d I pray thee light down and listen

.
, ,

t o me. And therewith she sat down o n the grass

by the bole o f a great oak .

”
But thy lady said Ralph thy lady
,
O sir, ,

she said ; My lady shal l do well enough she is

n ot tied so fast but s he might loose herself if the
,

n eed were pressing Li g ht down dear lord light

.
, ,

down
But Ralph s at still o n his horse and knit his brows , ,

and said What is this damsel ? hast thou been

,

playing a play with me ? Where is thy lady W hom

thou wouldst have me deliver If this be but game
and play let me go my ways ; for time presses and I
, ,
”
have a weighty errand on hand .

She rose up and came close to him and laid a hand ,

o n his knee and looked wis t fully into his face as she

said : Nay then I can tell thee all the tale as thou
,

sittest in thy saddle ; for meseems short will be thy

”
farewell when I have told it And s h e sighed withal . .

Then Ralph was ashamed to gainsay her and she ,

now become gentle and sweet and enticing and s ad ,

withal ; so he got o ff his horse and tied him to a tree ,

a n d went and stood by the damsel as s h e lay upon

6
 “
the grass and said : I prithee tell thy tale an d let me
,

depart if there be naught for me to do .

Then she said This is the first word that as to ,

t h e R ed Rock I lied ; and my lady is the (b een o f

,

U t t e r b o l and I am her thrall and it is I who have

, ,
”
d rawn thee hither from the camp .

’
The blood mounted to Ralph s brow for anger ;
when he called t o m ind how he had been led hither
and thither on other folk s errands ever since he left
’

U pme a d s But he said naught and Agatha looked on

.
,
“
him timidly and sai d : I say I am her thrall and I
did it to serve her and because she bade me Said .

Ralph roughly And Redhead him whom I saved ,

from torments and death ; dost thou know hi m ?

didst thou know him ?

” “
Yea she said I had from him what he had
, ,

learned concerning thee from the serge ants and others ,

” “ ”
and then I put words into his mouth Yea then .
,
“ ”
quoth Ralph then he also is a traitor !
,
Nay ,

na s h e said he is a true man and loveth thee

y
, , ,

and whatever he hath said to thee he t row e t h himsel f .

Moreover I tell thee here and n o w that all that he told

,

thee o f the a ffairs of U t t e rb o l and thine outlook there

, ,

is true and overtrue .

She sprang to her feet therewith and stood before ,

him and clasped her hands before him and said : I

’
know that thou seekest the Well at the World s End
and the deliverance of the d am sel whom the Lord
ravished from the wild man : now I swear it by thy
mouth that if thou go to U t t e rb o l thou art undone
,

and shalt come to the foulest pass there and moreover ,

that s o going thou shalt bring the uttermost shame

”
and torments o n the damsel .

Said Ralph Y e a but what is her case as n o w ?

,

tell me .

(b oth Agatha She is in no such evil case ; for

my lady hateth her not as yet o r but little ; and , ,
which I s far more my l ord loveth her after his fashion ;
,

and withal as I deem feareth her for though s he hath

u t t er l a i n s a i d his desire he hath scarce s o muc h
'

y g ,

as threatened her A thin g unheard o f H ad it been

‘

. .

another wo m an s h e had b y t his time kno wn all the

”
bitterness that leadeth unto death at U tt e r b o l .

Ralph paled and he scowled o n her then h e said ,

-

And how knowest thou all the privity o f the Lo rd

”
of U t t e r b o l w o telleth thee o f all this
? h P She
smil e d and spake dainti l y : Many folk t e ll m e that .

w hi ch I would know ; and that i s becaus e whiles I

conquer the tidings with my w its and whiles buy it ,

w ith my body Anyhow what I tell thee is the very

.

soot h conc erning this damsel and this it is : that ,

-

w hereas s h e is b u t in peril s he shall be in d eadly ,

eril yea and that ins ant if thou go o U t t e r bo l

p
“
t t
‘

, , ,
“
th ou w ho art her lover
, Nay said Ralph ,
“
angrily , I am n o t her lover I am but her well ,
'

” “ ”
wille r . Well quoth Agatha looking down and
,
“
knitting her brows w hen thy good will towards ,

her has become known then shall s h e be thrown ,

at once into t he pit o f my lord s cruelty Yea to

'
’
.
,

speak sooth even as it i s for thy sake (for her I heed

, ,

naught) I would th at the lord might find her gon e

when he cometh back t o U t t e rb o l .

”
Yea said Ralph reddening and is there any
, , ,
”
hope for her getting clear o ff ? So I deem said ,

Agatha She w as silent awhile and then spake in a

.

“
low voice : It is said that each man that seeth her
loveth her ; yea and will befriend her e ven though
, ,

s h e consent n o t t o his desire Maybe s h e hath fled .

from U t t e r bo l .

R alph stood silent awhil e with a troubled face ; and

then he said Yet thou hast not told me the why
and wherefore o f this play o f thine and the beguiling ,

me into fleeing from t he camp T e ll it me that I .

”
may pardon thee a n d pass o n .

8
 She said By thine eyes I swear t hat this is sooth ’

and that there is naught else in it than this My lady

se t her love when first s he s e t her e yes upon thee
,
as —

forsooth all women must : as for me I had not see n ,

t hee though I told my lady that I had) till withi n

(
this hour that we met i n the wood .

She sighe d therewith and with her right hand

,

played with t he re nt raiment about her bosom Then .

s h e said : She deemed that if thou c amest a mere

thrall to U tt e r bo l though s he might command thy
,

body yet sh e would no t gain thy love ; but that if

,

perchance thou mightest see her I n hard need and ,

e v illy mishandled and mightest deliver her there

, ,

might at least grow up pity in thee for her and that ,

love might come thereof as o ft hath happed afore

,

time ; for my lady is a fair woman Therefore I wh o .

,

am my lady s servant and thrall and who I bid thee

’

, ,

remember h ad not see n thee took upon me to make

, ,

this adventure like t o a minstrel s tale done in the

,
’

flesh Al so I spake to my lord and told him thereof ;

.

and though he jeered at my lady t o me he was con ,

tent because he would have her s e t her heart on thee

,

u t terly since he feared her jealousy and would fain ,

be delivered o f it lest s h e should play some turn t o

,

his newly beloved damsel and do her a mischie f .

Therefore did he s e t thee free (in words ) meaning ,

whe n he had thee safe at U t t e r b o l again as he nowise

doubted to have thee ) to do as he wo d with thee ,

according as occasion might serve For at heart he .

hateth thee as I could see well So a little before thou

,
.

d idst leave the camp we the Ql ee n and I went privily

, , ,

into a place o f the woods but a little way hence .

There I disarrayed both my lady and myself so far as

was n eedful fo r the playing o u t the p l ay which was
to have seemed to thee a real adventure Then came .

I to thee as if by chance hap that I might bring thee

,

to her ; and if thou hadst come we had a story ,

9
 for thee whereby thou mightest not for very knight
,

hood forbear to succour her and bring her whither

s he would which in the long run had been U tt e r b o l
, ,

but for the present time was to have been a certain

strong house appertaining to U t t e rb o l and nigh unto
-
,

it This is all the tale and now if thou wilt thou

.
, ,

mayst pardon me o r if thou wilt thou mayst draw ,

o u t thy sword and smite o ff my head And forsooth .

”
I de em that were the better deed .

She knelt down before him and put her palms t oge
ther and looked up at him beseechingly H is face
,
’

d arkened as he beheld her thus but it cleared at last , ,

and he said D amsel thou wouldst turn out but a

,

sorry maker and thy play is naught For seest thou

, .

not that I should have found o u t all the guile at U t

t e r b o l and owed thy lady hatred rather than love
,

thereafter .

“ ”
Yea s h e said but my lady might have had
, ,

enough o f thy love by then and would belike have ,

let thee alone to fall into the hands o f the Lord Lo .

now ! I have delivered thee from this so that t hou art ,

quit both o f the Lord and the lady and me : and again
I say that thou couldst scarce have missed both tho u ,
”
and thy damsel of a miserable endi n g at U t t e r bo l
, .

”
Yea said Ralph softly and as if speaking to
, , ,
”
himself ,
yet am I lonely and unholpen Then he .

turned to Agatha and said The end o f all this is

that I pardon thee and must depart forthwith ; for
,

when y e two come back to the camp then presently ,

”
will the hunt be up .

She rose from her knees and stood before him ,

humbly and said Nay I shall requite thee thy ,

pardon thus far that I will fashio n some tale for my

,

lady which will keep us in the woods tw o days or three ;

for we have provided vic tual for our adventure .

Said Ralph : I may at least thank thee for that

(m
,

and will trust in thee to do s o much oth she : .

I O
 Then might I ask a reward o f thee sinc e forsooth
other reward awai t e t h me at U t t er b o l .

”
Thou shalt have it said Ralph She said ,
.

”
The reward is that thou kiss me ere we part .

“
It must needs be accordin g t o my word said ,
“
Ralph yet I must tell thee that my kiss will bear
,
”
but little love with it .

She answered naught but laid her hands o n his

bre ast and put up her face to him and he kissed her ,
“
lips Th en she said : Knight thou hast kissed a
.
,

thrall and a guileful woman yet one th at shall smart ,

for thee ; therefore grudge not the k iss nor repent

”
thee o f thy kindness .

”
Ho w shal t thou su ffer ? said he She looked .

o n h i m steadfastly a moment and sa i d Farewell ! ,

”
may all good go with thee Therewith she turned
.

away and walked o ff slowly through the wo od and ,

somewhat he pitied her and sighed as he got into his

,

saddle ; but he said to himself H o w might I help

“

her ? Yet true it is that she may well be in an evil

case : I may not help everyone Then he s hook his .

rein and rode his ways .

C H APTER II RALP H R I D ES T H E WOOD

.

U N D ER THE MOU NTAI NS .

LO NG way now rode Ralph and naught befell ,

him but the fashion o f the wood And as he .

rode the heart within him was lightened that

,

he had escaped from all the confusion and the lying of

those aliens wh o knew him not nor his kindred and
, , ,

yet would a ll use him each for his own ends : and
withal he was glad that h e was riding all alone upon
his quest but free unwounded and well weaponed
, , , .

The wood w as not very thick whereas he rode so ,

that he could see the whereabouts of the sun and rode ,

east as far as he could judge it Some little victual .

I I
h e h ad with him and h e fo u nd woodl and fruit ripen
,

ing here and there and eked o u t his bread therewi t h ;

,

neither did water fail him for he rode a good way up ,

al ong a woodland stream that cleft the thicket coming ,

down as he deemed from the mountains and thereby ,

h e made the more w ay : but at last he deemed that he

must needs leave it a s it turned overmuch t o the
,

north Th e light was fail in g when he came into a

.

wo o dlawn amidst o f w hich was a pool o f water and ,

al l that day he had had no adventur e with beast o r

man since he had su ndered from Agatha So he lay

, .

down and slept there with his naked sword by his side ,

and awoke not till the s un w as high in the heavens

‘

next morning Then he arose at once and went on

.

his way after he had washed him and eaten a morsel , .

After a lit tle the thick o f the wood gave o u t and ,

t he l and was no longer flat a s it had been but was o f , ,

dales and of hil l s n o t blinded by trees In this land

, .

he s aw much deer as hart and wil d swine ; and he

,

happened also on a bear who was about a honey tree , ,

and had t aken much comb from the wild bees O n .

him Ralph drew his sword and drave him exc e e di n

loth from his purchase s o that the knight dined o
,

the bear s thieving Another time he came across a

’
.

b ent where o n the south side grew vines well fruited ,

and the grapes a ripening ; and he at e well thereof

-

before he went o n his way .

Before nightfall he came o n that same stream again ,

and it was now running straight from the east ; so he

slept that night o n the bank thereof On the morrow .

he rode up along it a great way till again it seemed to ,

b e coming overmuch from the north ; and then he

left it and made o n east as near as he could guess it
,

by the s u n .

No w he passed throu g h thickets at whiles not very

great and betwixt them rode hilly land grassed mostly
,

with long coarse grass and with whin and thorn trees
,
-

12
 “
i n w ar dly , a n d said t o himself :
'
If the c h acer we re to
pass b u t three feet from my nose h e should be none t he
”
wiser but if h e hear me or my horse And therewith h e .

c ast a lap o f his cloak over the the horse s head , l est ’

he should whinny if he became aware o f the other

beast ; and so there he stood abiding , and t h e noise
grew greater till he could hear clearly the horse hoofs -

d rawing nigh till they came very nigh and then

, ,

s topped .

“
Then came a man s voic e t hat s aid : Is there a
’

”
man anigh I n the wood ?
Ralph held his peace till he should know more ;
“
and the voice spak e again in a little while : If there
be a man anigh let him be sure that I will do him no
hurt nay I may do him good for I have meat with
:

, ,

me . Clear was the voice and as sweet as the April ,

blackbird sings It spake again . Naught answereth ,

yet meseemeth I know surely that a man is anigh

and I a m aweary o f the waste and l ong for fell owship , .

Ralph hearkened and called to mind tales o f way

,

farers entrapped by wood wives and ev il things but -

he thought : At least this I S no sending o f the Lord

of U t t erb o l and St Nicholas to aid I have li t tl e
, , .
,

fear o f wood wights Withal I shall be but a dastard

-
.

if I answer not one man for fear of I know not what ,

.

S o he spake in a loud and cheerful voice : Yea there ,

is a man ani gh and I desire thy fellowship if w e

, ,

might but meet But how shall we s e e each other in

.

”
the blackness of the wildwood night ?

The other laughed and the laugh sounded merry ,

and sweet and the voice said

,
Hast thou no flint
”
and fir e steel
- N said Ralph But I have ,
“
said the voice and I am fain to see thee for thy
, ,

voice soundeth pleasant t o me Abide till I grope .

about for a stick or two .

Ralph laughed I n turn as he heard the new comer ,

-

movin g about ; then he heard the click of the steel on

1 4
the flint and saw the sparks showering down so that
, ,

a little piece of the wood grew green again to his eyes .

Then a little clear flame sprang up and therewith he ,

saw the tree stems clearly an d some twenty yards

-
,

from him a horse and a man stooping down over t he

,

fire who sprang up now and cried out : It I s a

,

knight a t arms ! Come hither fellow of the waste ;

- -
,

it is five days since I have spo ken to a Chl ld of

Adam ; s o come nigh and speak to me and as a reward ,
”
o f th speech thou shalt have both meat and fi r e li h t
y ”
g .

That will be well paid said Ralph laughing ; an d ,

he stepped forward leading his horse for now the ,

wood was light all about as the fire waxed and burned ,

clear ; so that Ralph could see t hat the new comer -

was clad in quaintly fashioned armour after the fashion

-

of that land with a bright steel sallet on the head and

, ,

a long green surcoat over the body armour Slender .

of make was the new comer not big nor tall of stature
-
, .

Ralph went up to him hastily and merrily put his ,

hand on his shoul der and kissed him saying : The

, ,
”
kiss of peace in the wilderness to thee ! And he
found him smooth faced and sweet breathed
- -
.

But the new comer took his hand and led him to
where the fir eli gh t was bright est and looked o n him ’

silently a while ; and Ralph gave back the look The .

strange wrought sallet hid but little of t h e new comer s

-
’

face and as Ralph looked thereon a sudden joy came

,

into his heart and he cried out : 0 but I have kissed

, ,

thy face before ! O my friend my friend ! , ,

Then spake the new comer and said Y e a I am a

-
,

woman and I was thy friend for a little while at

,

Bourton Abbas and at the want ways o f the Wood

,
-

Perilous .

Then Ralph cast his arms about her and kissed her
again ; but she withdrew her from him and said ,

Help me my friend that we ma y gather sticks to

, ,

feed our fire lest it die and the dark come again so
,

I
S
 ’
that we s e e not each other s face s and think that we ,
”
have but met in a dream .

Then s h e busied hersel f with gathering the kindling ;

but p resently she looked u p at him and said : Let ,

u s mak e the wood shine wide about for this is a feas t ,

ful night .

S o they gathered a heap o f wood and made the fire

great and then Ralph did o ff h i s helm and hauberk
and the damse l did the like so that he could s e e t he
,

shapeliness of her uncovered head Then they s a t .

down before the fire and the damse l drew meat and
,

drink from her saddle bags and gave thereof to Ra l ph

-
, ,

who took it o f her and her hand w it ha l a n d smiled , _

o n her and said Shall we be friends together a s w e

were at Bourton Abb as and the want ways o f t h e -

“
Wood Perilous Sh e shook her head and said : If
it might be ! but it may not be No t many d ays .

have worn since then ; but they have brought about

”
changed days . He looked o n her wistfu lly and said
”
But thou wert dear to me then .

”
Yea s he said and thou to me ; b u t other thin gs
, ,
”
have befallen and there is change be t wixt
, .

Nay what change

, said Ralph .

Even by the fire li gh t he s aw that she reddened as

“
s h e answered : I w as a free woman then ; now am
”
I but a runaway thrall Then Ralph l aughed merrily
.
,

and said Then are we brought the nigher together

, ,
”
for I also am a runaway thrall .

She smiled and looked down then she said Wilt

thou tell me how that befell
”
Ye a said he
, ,
but I will ask thee first a question
”
o r two. She nodded a y eas ay and looked o n him ,

soberly as a child waiting to say its task

,
.

Said Ralph When we parted at the want ways -

,

of the Wood Perilous tho u saids t that thou wert

’
minded for the Well at the World s End and to try ,

it for life o r death But thou hadst not then the

.

1 6
necklace which now I s e e thee bear and whi c h se est
, , ,

thou ! is li ke to that about my neck Wilt tho u tell .

m e whence thou ha dst it

She said : Yea ; it was given unto me by a la dy ,

mighty as I deem and certainly most lovely wh o

, ,

de livered me from an e v il plight and a peril past ,

words but whereof I will tell thee afterwards And

,
.

s h e it was wh o told me o f the way to the Well at t h e

World s End and many matters concerning them that

’

,
”
seek it whereof thou shal t wot soon
, .

Said Ralph : A s to how thou wert made a thral l

thou nee dest not to tell me ; fo r I have learned that o f
those that had to do with taking thee to U tt e rb o l .

But tell me ; here are met we two in the pathless

wilds as if it were o n the deep s e a and we two seeking
, ,

the same thing Didst thou deem that we should

.

meet o r that I should seek thee ?

,

No w was the fire burning somewhat low but h e ,

s aw th at s h e looked o n him steadily ; yet withal her

sweet voice trembled a little a s s h e answered : Kind

fr i e n d I had a hope that thou wert seeking me and
,

wouldst find me : for indeed that fairest o f women

wh o gave me the beads spake to me of thee and said ,

that thou also wouldst turn thee t o the quest o f t he

Well at the World s End ; and already had I deemed
’

thine eyes lucky as wel l as lovely But tell me my .

,

friend what h as befallen that lady that s he is not with

,

thee ? For in such wise s he spake o f thee t h a t I ,

”
deemed that naught would sunder yo u save d eath .

“ ”
It is death that hath sundered us said Ralph , .

Then she hung her head and s a t silent a while

, ,

neither d i d he speak till she had risen u and cast

more wood upon the fire ; and she stood b e fbre it with
her back towards him Then he spake to her in a
.

“
cheerful voice and said : Belike w e shall be lon
together : tell me thy name ; is i t not Dorothy ? ’

S he turned about t o him wi t h a smiling fac e and said ,

11. 17 c
 Nay lord nay did I n o t tell thee my name before ?
,

They that held me at the font bid the priest call me

Ursula after the Friend of Maidens But what is
, .

th y name
I am Ralph o f U pm e a ds quoth h e ; and sat ,

a while silent pondering his dream and how it had

,

betrayed him a s to her name when it had told him ,

much that he yet deemed true .

She came and sat down by him again and said to ,

hi m : Thy questions I have answered ; but thou

”
hast not yet told me the tale of thy captivity Her .

voice sounded exceeding sweet to him and he looked ,

o n her face and spake as kindly as he knew how and ,

said A short tale it is to night at least : I came from

—

Whitwall with a Company o f Chapmen and it was ,

thee I was seeking and the Well at the World s End ’

All went well with me till I came to Goldburg and

, ,

there I w as betrayed by a felon who had promised to ,

lead me safe to Utterness and tell me concerning t he

,

way unto the Well But he sold me to the Lord of

.

U t t e r b o l wh o would lead me to his house ; which

,

irked me not at first because I looked to find thee

, ,

there Thereafter if for shame I may tell the tale

.
, ,

h is lady and wife cast her love upon me and I was ,

entangled in the nets of gui l e : yet since I was told ,

and believed that it would be ill both for thee and for
me if I met thee at U t t e r b o l I took occasion to flee
,

away I will tell thee how another while

,
.

She had turned pale as she heard him and now she ,
’
said It is indeed God s mercy that thou camest n o t
to U t t e r b o l nor foundest me there for then had both ,

we been undone amidst the lusts of th ose two o r that

thou camest not there to find me fled else hadst thou ,

been undone My heart is sick to think of it even

.
,

as I sit by thy side .

Said Ralph : Thy last word maketh me afraid and

ashamed to ask thee a thing But tell me first is that
.
,

1 8
Lord of U t t e rb o l as evil as men s fear would make ’

him ? for no man is feared so much unless he is deemed

evil .

She was silent a while and then she said He is so

,

evil that it might be deemed that he has been brought

o u t o f hell
u
p .

Then Ralph looked sore trouble d and he said ,

Dear friend this is the thing hard for me to say

, .

In what wise did they use thee at U t t e rbo l ? Did

they deal with thee shameful ly ? She ans wered
”
him quietly : Nay she said fear not ! no shame
, ,

befell me sa v e that I was a thrall and n o t free t o

,
” “
d epart F o rs o o th s he said smiling I fled away
.
, , ,

timely before the tormentors should be ready Fo r .

sooth it is an evil house and a mere piece of hell .

But now we are o u t of it and free in the wildwood ,

s o let us forget it ; fo r indeed it is a grief to remem

b er it . And now once more let us mend the fire for ,

thy face is growing dim t o me and that m i s li ke th me , .

Afterwards before we lie down to sleep w e will talk

a little o f the way whitherward we shall turn o u r faces
,
”
to morrow
-
.

S o they cast on more wood and pineapples and , ,

sweet it w as to Ralph to see her face come clear again

from o u t the mirk o f the wood Then they sat down .

“
again together and she said : We two are seeking
the Well at the World s End ; now which of us knows
’

more of the way ? wh o is to lead and who to follow ,

“
Said Ralph If thou know no more tha n I it is little ,

that thou knowest Sooth it is that for many days

.

”
past I have sought thee that thou mightest lead me .

She laughed s weetly and said Yea knight and

, , ,

was it for that cause that thou s o u gh t e s t me and not ,

for my deliverance ? He said soberly Yet in very

”
deed I s e t myself to deliver thee Yea s h e said .
, ,
“
then since I a m delivered I must needs deem of it ,

as if it were through thy deed And as I suppose .

I
9
thou l ookest for a reward therefor s o thy reward ,

shall be that I will lead thee to the Well at the

,
-

”
World s E nd Is it enough
’

.
? Nay said Ralph ,
.

They held their peace a minute then she said ,

Maybe when we have drunk of that Water and are

coming back it will be for thee to lead For true it
, .

is that I shall scarce know whither to wend ; since

amidst of my dreaming o f the Well and of ,

other matters my home that was is gone like a dream

,
.

He looked at her but scarce as if he were heeding

,
“
all her words Then he spoke : Yea thou shalt lead
.
,

me I have been led by one or another ever since I

.

”
h av e l e ft U pm e a d s Now she looked o n him some
'

what ruefu lly and said : Thou wert not hearkening

,
’
e en now ; so I say it a gain that the time shall come ,
”
when thou shalt lead me .

In Ralph s mind had sprung up again that journey

’

from the Water of the Oak tree ; so he strove with -

himself to put the thought from him and sighed and ,

“
said : Dost thou verily kno w much of the w a y ?

She nodded y e a s ay K nowest thou of the R o ck o f

.

”
the Fighting Man ? Yea s he sai d And of ,
.

the Sage that dwel leth in this same wood Most

” “
surely s he said
, and to morrow evening o r the
,
-

morrow after we shall find him ; fo r I have been taught

the way to h i s dwelling ; and I wo t that he is n o w
called the Sage of S we v e n h a m Yet I must tell thee .

that there is some peril in seeking to him ; whereas

his dwelling is known of the U t t e r bo l riders w h o may ,

follow us thither And yet again I deem that he will

.

”
find some remedy thereto .

Said Ralph : Whence didst thou learn all this my ,

friend ? And his face grew troubled a gain ; but she

said simply : She taught it to me who spake to me in
the wood by Ham pton u nder Scaur .

S h e made as if s h e noted not the trouble in his face ,

but said : Put thy trust in this that here and with ,

20
an dmade as if he would put his arm s about her but ,

s h e held a littl e aloof from him blushing yet more ,

.

Then she said in her sweet cl e ar voice Hail fellow

’
farer ! n o w begins the day s work I have been do wn .

yonder and have found a bright woodland pool to

, ,

Wash the night o ff me and if thou wilt do in likewise

,

and come back to me I wil l dight o u r breakfast,

meantime and will we speedily to the road He did

,
.

as she bade him thinking o f her all the while till he

,

came back to her fres h and gay Then he looked to .

their horses and gave them fodder gathered from t he

pool side and s o turned to Ursula and found her with
-
,

the meat ready dight s o they ate and were glad .

When they had broken their fast Ralph went to

saddle the horses and coming back found Ursula bind
,

ing up her long hair and she smiled on h i m and said

,

Now we are for the r o a d I must be an armed knight

again forsooth I unbound my hair e en now and let ’

my surcoat hang loose about me in token that thou

wottest my secret Soothly my friend it irks me that
.
, ,

now we have met after a long while I must n eeds ,

be clad thus graceless But n eed drave me to it .

,

and withal the occasion that was given to me t o

steal thi s gay armour from a lad at U t t e r b o l t h e ,

nephew of the lord who like his eme was half my

lover half my tyrant Of all whi c h I will tell thee here
, .

after and what wise I m u s t needs steer betwixt stripes

,

and kisses these l a st days B ut now let us arm and to .

horse Yet first 10 you here are some tools that in

.
,

thine hands sh all keep us from sheer famine : as fo r me

I am no archer ; and forsooth no man a t arms save in - —

”
seeming .

Therewith s h e showed hi m a short Turk bow and

a quiver o f arrows which he took well pleased So
, .

then they armed each the other and as s h e handled ,

’
Ral ph s wa rge a r s h e said : How well wro u ght and -

trusty is this hauberk o f thine my friend ; my coat ,

22
is but a toy to it with its gold and silver rings an d i t s
,

gemmed collar and thy plates be thick and wide and

well wrought whereas mine are little more than adorn
-
,
”
ments to my arms and legs .

He looked on her lovingly and loved her shapely

hands ami d st the dark grey mail and said That is ,

well dear friend for since my breast is a sh i eld for

, ,
”
thee it behoves it to be well covered She looked at .

him and her lips trembled and she put o u t her hand
, ,

as if to touch his cheek but dre w it back again and ,

“
said : Come now let us to horse dear fellow in arms
, , .

So they mounted and went their ways through a

close pine wood where the ground was covered with
-
,

the pine tree needles and all was still and windless
-
, .

“
So as they rode said Ursul a I seek tokens of the
way to the Sage of S we v e n h a m Hast thou seen a .

” ”
water y esterday ? Yea said Ralph I rode far , ,

along it but left it because I deemed that it turned

,
” ”
north overmuch Thou wert right she said
.
, ,

besides that thy turning from it hath brought us

together ; for it would have brought thee to U t t e r bo l at
last But now have we to hit upon another that runneth
.

s traight do w n from the hills : not the Great Moun

’
tains but the high ground w hereon is the Sage s
,

dwelling I know not whether the ride b e long o r

.

”
short ; but the stream is to lead us .

On they ro d e through the wood wherein was little ,

change for hours ; and as they rested Ursula gave

forth a deep breath as one who has cast o fl a load o f
,
’

care And Ralph said : Why sighest thou fellow

.
,
“
farer ? she said it is for pleasure and a , ,

thought that I had : for a while ago I was a thrall ,

living amongst fears that sickened the heart ; and

then a little while I was a lonely wanderer and now ,

Therefore I was thinking that if ever I come

back to mine own land a nd my home the scent o f a ,
”
pine wood shall make me happy
-
.

2 3
 Ralph looked o n her eagerly but said naught fo r ,
”
a whil e ; but at last he spoke Tell me friend , ,

said he if we be met by stron g thieves o n the way

,
-
,

what shall we do then

“
It is no t like t o befall s h e said for men fear
, ,

the wood therefore is there little prey fo r thieves

,

therein : but if we chance on them the token o f ,

U t t e r b o l o n mine armour shall make them m eek

”
enough . Then s he fell silent a while and spoke ,

again : True it i s that w e may be followed by the

U t t e r b o l riders ; for though they also fear the woo d ,

they fear it n o t s o much as they fear their Lord .

H owbeit we be well ahead and it is little like that

, ,

w e shal l be overtaken before we have met the Sa g e ;

and then belike he shall provide .

Yea said Ralph

,
but what if th e chase come
,

with us : shall we su ff er us to be t a ken alive ?

u
p
She looked o n him solemnly laid her hand on t he ,

beads about her neck and answered ,

By this token
we must live as long as we may whats oever may ,

befall ; for at the worst may some road o f escape be

opened t o u s Ye t 0 how far easier it were to die
.
,

than to be l ed back to U t t e r bo l
A while they rode in silence both o f them but at ,

last S pake Ralph but slowly and in a dull and stern

,

voice Maybe it were good that thou told me

somewhat o f the horrors a n d evil days o f U t t e r bo l
Maybe s h e said but I will n o t tell thee of them
, , .

Fo r s o o t h there are some things which a man may n o t

easily tell to a man be he never s o much h is friend as
,

thou art to me But bethink thee (and she smiled

.

somewhat ) that this gear be lie t h me and that I am ,

but a woman ; and some things t here be which a

woman may not tell to a man nay not even when , ,
”
he hath held her long in his arms And therewith .

she flushed exceedingly But he said in a kind voice :

.

‘
I am sorry that I asked thee and will as k thee no more
,

24
thereof She smiled o n him friendly and they spake
.
,

o f other matters as they rode o n .

But after a while Ralph said If it were no mis

ea s e to thee to tell me how thou d idst fall into t h e
hands o f the me n o f U t te rbo l I were fain to hear ,
”
the tale .

She laughed o u tright and said Why wilt thou

,

be fo r ever harping on the time o f my captivity ,

friend ? And thou who knowest the story somewhat

a lready ? Howbeit I may tell thee thereof without
,
”
heart burning though it be a felon tale
-
, .

He said somewhat shame fa ce dly

,
Take it not -

ill t h a t I am fain to hear o f thee and thy life days -

,
”
since we are become fellow farers -
.

”
Well s he said this befell outside U tte r bo l so
, , ,

I will tell thee .

A ft e r I had stood in the thrall market at Cheaping -

Knowe and not been sold the wild man led me away
, ,

toward the mountains that are above Goldburg ; and

as we dre w near to them o n a day he said to me that ,

he wa s glad to the heart root that none had cheapened -

m e at the said market ; and when I asked him where

fore he fell a weeping as he ro de beside me and said
, ,
’
‘
Yet would God that I had never taken thee I .

asked what ailed him thou gh indeed I deemed that I ,

kne w He said
. This aileth me that though thou ,

art not o f the blood wherein I am bound to wed I ,

love thee sorely and would have thee to wife ; and

,
’
n o w I deem that thou wilt not love me again I .

said that he guessed aright but that if he would do ,

friendly with me I would be no less than a friend to

,

him . That availeth l ittle quoth he ; I would have ,

’

thee be mine o f thine own will I said that m i ght .

’

not be that I could love but o n e man alone I s he .

‘

alive ? said he Go o ds o o t h I hope s o said I but

.
, ,
’

,
’
if he be dead then is desire of men dead within me
,
.

So we spake and he was do wnc ast and heavy of

,

25
moo d ; but thenceforward w as h e no wors e to me
than a brother And he pro ff ered it to lead me
.

back if I wou l d and put me safely o n the way to

, ,

Whitwall ; but as thou wottest I had need t o go

, ,

forward and no need to go back

,
.

Thus we entered into the mountains o f Goldburg ;

but o n e morning when he arose he was heavier o f
, ,

mood than his wont and was restless withal and could
, ,

be steadfast neither in staying nor go i n g n o r aught ,

.

else So I asked what ailed him and he said My

.
,

end draweth nigh ; I have seen my fetch and am fey , .

’
My grave abideth me in these mountains Thou .

hast been dreaming ugly dreams said I such things ,

’

are o f no import And I spoke lightly and strove

.
’

to comfort him He changed not his mood for all

.

that ; but said : This is ill for thee also ; for thou
wilt be worser without me than with me in these lands .
’

Even so I deemed and withal I was so rry for him

, ,

for though he were uncouth and ungainly he was no ,

ill man So against my will I tumbled into the same

.

like mood as his and we both fared along drearily

, .

But about sunset as w e came round a corner o f the

,

cli ffs of those mountains or ever we were ware we ,

happed u po n a half score of weaponed men w ho were

-
,

d ighting a camp under a big rock thereby : but four

there were with them who were still a horseback so -

that when Bull Nosy (for that was his name) strove
to flee away with me it w a s of no avail ; for the said,

horsemen took us and brought us before an evil ,

looking man wh o to speak shortly was he whom

, , ,

thou hast seen to wit the Lord o f U t t e r bo l he took

, ,

n o heed o f Bull N osy but looked o n me closely and , ,

handled me as a m a n cloth with a horse at a cheapin g ,

so that I went nigh to smiting him whereas I had a ,

knife in my bosom but the C haplet refrained me , .

To make a short tale o f it he bade Bull sell me to ,

him which Bul l utterly naysaid standin g sti ff and

, ,

26
stark before the Lord and scowling o n him But th e ,
.

Lord laughed in his face and said So be it for I ,

will take her without a price and thank thee for ,

sparing my gold Then said Bull .

’
If thou take ‘

her as a thrall thou wert best take me also ; else shall

,

I follow thee as a free man and slay thee when I may .

Many are the days o f the year and on some o n e o f ,

them will betide the occasion for the knife .

’

Thereat the Lord waxed V ery pale and spake not , ,

but looked at that man of his who stood by Bull with

a great sword in his fist and lifted up his hand twice , ,

and le t it fall twice whereat t hat man stepped back

,

o n e pace and swung his sword and smote Bull and

, , ,

clave his skull .

“
Th e n t h e colour came into th e Lord s face again and
’

he said : Now vassals let us dine and be merry for

, , ,

at least w e have found something in the mountains .

’

S o they fell to and ate and drank and victual wa s given ,

to me also but I had no will to eat for my soul was

, ,

sick and my heart was heavy foreboding the utter ,

most evil Withal I was sorry for Bull Nosy for he

.
,

was no ill man and had become my friend .

So they abode there that night leaving Bull lying ,

like a dog unburied in the wilderness ; and on the

morrow they took the road to U t t e r bo l and went ,

swiftly having no baggage and staying but for victual

, , ,

and for rest every night The Lord had me brought .

to him on that first evening o f our journey and ,

he saw me privily and spake to me bidding me do ,

shameful things and I would n ot ; wherefore he

,

threatened me grievously ; a nd I being alone with ,

him bade him beware lest I should slay him or myself

, .

Thereat he turned pal e as he had done before Bull ,

Nosy yet sent for none to slay me but only bade me

, ,

back to my keepers And 3 0 1 came to U t te r b o l u n

.

”
scathed .

“
And at U t t e r bo l said Ralph what befel l the e
, ,

27
there ? Ursula smiled o n him and held up her ,

finger ; yet s he answered U t t e r b o l is a very gre at

house in a fair land and there are sundry roofs and
,

many fair chambers There w as I brought to a .

goodly chamber ami dst a garden ; a n d women servants

were given me who led me t o the bath and clad me
in dainty raiment and gave me to eat and to drink
, ,

and all t hat I needed That i s all my tale for this

.

time .

C HA PTER V T H EY C OM E O N T H E SA GE
.

O F S WE V E NH A M .

I G H T w as at hand before they came to the

stream that they sought They found i t .

cleavin g the pine wood which held o n till the -

,

very bank o f it and was t hick again o n the further

,

side in a few yards space The stream was high ’

.

banked and ran deep and strong Said Ursula as they .

came up to it : We may n o t cross i t but it matters ,

not ; and it is t o morrow t hat we must ride up along

-

”
1t .

So they abode there, and made a fire by the water

si d e, and watched there, turn and turn about, t ill it
was broad day Naught befell to tell o f, save that
.

twice in the night Ralph deemed that he heard a lion

roar .

They got to horse speedily when they were both

awake and rode up the stream and began t o go up
, ,

hill and by noon were come into a rough and shaggy

,

u pland whence from time to time they could s e e the

,

huge wall ofthe mountains which yet seemed to Ralp h ,

scarce nigher if at al l than when he had beheld it

, ,

ere he had come t o Vale Tu rr i s The way was rough .

day l ong and n o w and again they found it hard t o

-
,

keep t he stream in si g ht as especially when it cleft a ,

28
went toward the man and the sun gleamed from the
,

bl ade j ust as the hoary one turned to him ; he lifted

-

u
p his sta f
f as if in greeting to Ralph and came to ,

w ard him and even therewith U rsula awoke and

,

arose and saw the greybeard at once ; and she cried

,

out : Take heed to thy sword fellow farer for ,

-

, ,

praised be the saints this is the Sage o f S wev e n h a m

,

So they stood there together till the Sage came u p t o

them and kissed them both and said “ I am glad ,

that ye are come at last ; fo r I looked for you no later

than this S o now mount your horses and come with
.

me straightway ; because life is short t o them who

have n o t yet drunk of the Well at the World s End ’
.

Moreover if ye chance to come on the riders of Utter

”
b o l it shal l go hard with you unless I be at hand
, .

Ralph s aw of him that though he was an o ld hoar

m a n to look on yet he w a s strong and sturdy tall
, , ,

and o f goodly presence with ruddy cheeks and red

, ,

lips and bright eyes and that the skin o f his face and
,

hands was nowise wrinkled but about his neck w as

a pair o f beads like unto his own gossip s gift ’
.

So n o w they mounted at once and with no more ,

words he led them about the bent and they came in a ,

little while into the wood again but this time it was o f ,

beech with here and there an open place sprinkled

,

about with hollies and thorns ; and they rode down the
wi de slope o f a long hill and up again on the other
,

side .

Thus they went for an hour and the elder spake ,

n o t again though it might have been deemed by his

,

eyes that he wa s eager and fain They also held .

their peace ; for the hope and fear o f their hearts kept
them from words .

They came to the hill top and found a plain land

-
, ,

though the close wood still held o n a while ; but soon

they rode into a clearing o f some twelve acres w here ,

were fenced crofts with goats therein and three gar ths ,

3 0
o f tillage wherein the wheat shocks were yet standing
,
-
,

a n d there were coleworts an d other pot herbs also -

.

But at the further end whereas the wood closed in ,

again was a little house builded of timber strong and

, ,

goodly and thatched with wheat straw ; and beside I t

,
-

was a bubbling spring which ran in a brook athwart

the said clearing over the house door was a carven -

rood and a bow and short spear w ere leaned against

,

the wall of the porch . .

Ralph looked at all closely and wondered whether ,

this were perchance the cot wherein the Lady of

Abundance had dwe lt with the evil witch But the .

“
elder looked on him and said : I know thy thought , ,

and it is not so ; that house is far away hence ; yet

shalt thou come thereto Now children welcome to .
, ,

the house of him who hath found what ye seek but ,

hath put aside the gifts which ye shall gain ; and

”
who belike shal l remember what ye shall forget .

Therewith he brought them into the house and ,

into a chamber the plenishing whereof w a s both

,

scan t y and rude There he bade them sit and .

,

brought the m victu al to wit cheese and goats milk , ,

’

and bread and they fell to speech concerning the

,

woodland ways and the seasons and other unweighty

, ,

matters But as for the old man he spoke but few

.

words and as one unused to speech albeit he was

, ,

courteous and debonair But when they had eaten .

and drunk he spake to them and said

Ye have sou ght to me because ye would find the
Well at the World s End and would have lore of me ’

concerning the road thereto ; but before I tell you what

”
ye would let me know what ye kno w thereof already
, .

Q i o t h Ralph : For me little enough I know save , ,

that I must come to the Rock of the Fighting Man ,

”
and that tho u knowest the way thither .

And thou damsel qu oth the long hoary what

, ,
-
,

knowest thou Must I tell thee of the way through

?

3 1
the mountains and the Wall o f the World and the ,

Winter Valley and the Folk Innocent and the Co t o n

, ,

the Way and the Forest o f Strange Things and the

,
”
Dry Tree ?
”
Nay s he said of all this I wo t somewhat but
, , ,
”
it may be not enough .

Said the Sage Even so it was with me when a ,

many years ago I dwelt nigh t o S we v e n h am and folk ,

soug ht t o me fo r lore and I told them what I knew ;

,

but maybe it was not enough fo r they never came ,

back ; but died belike o r ever they had seen the Well .

And then I myself when I wa s gotten ve r y o ld fared

, ,

thither a seeking it and I found it ; for I w a s o n e o f

-
,

those who bore the chaplet o f the seekers And now .

I know all and can teach all But tell me damsel

, .
, ,

whence hadst thou this lore ?

“
Said Ursula I had it o f a very fair woman who ,

as it seemeth was Lady and Q

,
ueen o f the Champions
of Hampton under the Scaur n o t far from mine o w n ,
’
la n d f
Yea quoth the Sage and what hath befallen
, ,

her ? Nay nay said he I need not ask ; for

, , ,

l oa n see by your faces that she is dead Therefore hath .

s he been slain o r otherwise she had not been dead

, .

S o I ask you if ye were her friends ?

(b oth Ursula ; Surely she was my friend since ,

s h e befriended me ; and this man I deem w as a l t o e

”
g
ther her friend .

Ralph hung his head and the Sage gazed o n him, ,

but said naught Then he took a hand o f each o f

.

them in his hands and held them a while silently

, ,

and Ralph w a s still downcas t and s a d but Ursula ,

looked o n him fondly .

Then spake the Sage S o it i s Knight that n o w , ,

I seem to understand wha t manner o f man thou art ,

and I know what is between you tw o ; whereof I will

say nau ght but will let the tree grow according to its
,

3 2
 seed Moreover I wot now that my friend o f past
.
,

years would have me make you both wise in the lore

o f the Well a t t h e World s End ; and when I have
’
’

done this I ca n do no more but let your good hap

, ,

prevail if so it may Abide a li t tle therefore .

, .

Then he went u nto an ark and took thence a book

‘

wrapped in a piece o f precious web of silk and gold ,

and bound in cuir bo uilly wrought in strange devices

-
.

Then said he 5 This book was mine heritage at ‘

S wev e n h a m o r ever I became wise a n d it came from ,

,

my father s grandsire : and my father bade me

’

look on it as the dearest of possessions ; but I heeded

it naught till my youth had waned and my manhood ,

w a s full o f weariness and grie f Then I turned to it .

,

and read in it and became wise and the folk so u ght

, ,

to me and afterwards that be fell Which w a s fore

,

d oomed No w herein amongst other matters is w rit

.

ten o f that which ye desire to know and I will read ,

the same t o you and expo und it Yet were it not well .

t o read in this book under a roof nay though it be , ,

as humble and innocent as this . Moreover it is not ,

meet that ye should hearken to this wisdom of old

times clad as ye are ; thou knight in the raiment o f , ,

the manslayer with the rod of wrath hanging at thy

,

side ; and thou maiden attired in the garments of the

, ,

tyrant which were wo n of him by lying and guile

,
.

Then he went to another ark and took from it t wo ,

bundles which he gave the one to Ralph the other

, , ,
“
t o Ursula and said ,
Thou maiden go thou into , ,

the inner chamber here and doff thy worldly raiment ,

and don that which thou wilt find wrapped i n this

cloth ; and thou knight take this other and get thee
, ,

into the thicket which i s b e hi n d the house and there

‘

do the like and abi d e there till we come to thee

,
.

S o R a lph took the bundle and came out into the ,

thicket and unarmed him and did on the raiment ,

which he found in the cloth which was but a long ,

D
11 .
33
gown o f whi te l in e n much like to an al b br o ide r e d abou t
, ,

the wrists and t h e hems and collar with apparels o f gold

and silk girt with a re d silk girdle There he abode
,
.

a little wondering at all these thi n gs and all that had

,

befallen him since he had left U pmea ds .

Anon the two others came to him and Ursula was ,

clad in the same like raiment and the el der had t h e

-

book in his hand H e smiled o n Ralph and nodde d

.

friendly t o him A s t o Ursula sh e flu shed as red a s

.
,
’

a rose when s he set eyes on him fo r she said to her ,

self that he w as as one o f the angels which s he had seen

painted 1n the choir o f St Mary s at H i gham
.
’
.

C HA PTER VI T HOS E TWO ARE LEAR NE D

.

LO RE B Y TH E S AGE O F S WEVE NH A M .

OW the Sage led them through the wo o d t ill

they came to a grassy lawn amidst of which
was a table o f stone which I t seemed to Ralph
,

must be like to that where on the witch wife h ad

o ffered up the goat to her devils as the Lady of Abun
dance had told him ; and he changed countenance as
the thought came into his mind But t he Sage lo oked .

on him and shook his head and spake softly In

these was t es and w il ds are many such like places -
,

whe re of old time t h e ancient folks did worship to t h e

God s ofthe Earth as they imagined them : and whereas
the lore in this book come t h o f such folk t h is is n o ,

ill place for the reading thereof But if ye fear t he .

book and its writers who are dead long ago there is
, ,

yet time to go back and seek the Well without my

helping ; and I say not but that ye may find it even
thus But if y e fear not, then s i t ye down o n t h e
.

grass and I will lay t he boo k o n this most ancient

,
a

table and read in it and do ye hearken heedfully

, ,
.

S o they sat down side by side and Ralph would ,

have taken Urs ula s hand t o caress it but s he drew it

’

34
away from him ; howbeit s he found it hard to keep
her eyes from o ff him The Elder looked o n them .

s oberly but nowise in anger and presently began read

, ,

ing in the book What he read shall be seen here

.

after in the process of this tale ; for th e more part

t hereof had but to do with the way to the Well at
the World s End all things concerning which were
’

tol d out fully bo t h great and small Long was this

, .

a reading and when the Sage had done he bade n o w

-
, ,

o ne ,
n o w the other answer him questions as to what

he had re ad ; and if they answered amiss he read that

part again and yet again as children are taught in the
, ,

s chool Until at last when he asked any question

.

Ralph or the maiden answered it rightly at once and

by this ti me the s u n was about t o s e t S o he bade .

them home to his house that they might eat and sleep
there .

“
But to morrow said he I shall give y o u your
-
, ,

last lesson from this book and thereafter ye shal l go ,

w to the Rock f the Fighting Man d I

’

y o u r a
y s o a n ,

look not for it that y e shall come to any harm on the

way ; but where as I seem to day to have seen the foes
”
o f U t t e rb o l seeking you I wil l lead you forth a little
, .

S o they went home t o the house and he made them ,

the most cheer that he might and spake to them in ,

friendly and pleasant mood so that they were merry , .

When it was morning they went again to the ancient

altar and again they learned lore from the Elder till
, ,

they were waxen wi se in the matters o f the Well at

’
the World s End and long they sat and hearkened
,

him till I t was evenin g ag ain an d once more they slept ,

in the house o f t he Sag e o f S wev en ham .

C H A P TER v n . AN A DVEN T U RE B Y TH E

HEN morrow dawne d th e y arose betimes

and did o n t heir worldl y raiment ; and when
they had eaten a morsel they made them
ready fo r the road and t he elder ga ve them victual
,

fo r the way in their s addle bags saying -

This shall ,

suffice for the passing days and when it is gone ye ,

”
have learned what t o do .

T he r e wi t h all they gat t o horse ; but Ralph would

have the Elder ride his na g while he went afoot by ,

the side o f Ursula S o the Sage took his bidding

.
,
’
but smiled therewith and said ,
Thou art a King s
son and a friendly young man else had I said nay to ,

this ; for i t needeth not whereas I am stronger than

,

thou so hath my draught o f the Well dealt with

,

me .

Thus then they went their ways ; but Ralph noted

o f Ursula that s h e was silent and shy with him ,

it irked him so much that at last he said to her : My

,

frien d doth aught ail me with thee ? W lt thou n o t

,

tell me s o that I may amend it

, For thou art grown
o f few words w ith me and turnest thee from me and ,

s e e m e s t as if thou h e e de s t me little Thou art as a .

fair s pring morning gone cold an d overcast in the

afternoon What is i t t h e n ? we are go ing a lo n gj our ney
.

together and belike shall find little help o r comfort

,

save in each other ; and ill will it be if we fall asunder

in heart though we be nigh in body
, .

She laughed and reddened therewithal ; and then

her countenance fell and she looked piteously on him
and said If I seemed to thee as thou sayest I am ,

sorry ; for I meant not to be thus with thee as thou

de e me s t But so it is that I was thinking o f this long
.

journey and of thee and me together in it and how

, ,

3 6
an d the loss o f the b e asts were sore t o y o u as no w ;
But the second thing is the ch a se from U t te r b o l As .

to the lions if ye build u p a big fire and keep somewhat

, ,

a l oof from the stream and i t s bushe s and tether your ,

”
horses anigh the fire ye will have no harm o f them
, .

”
Yea said Ralph
,
but if the riders of U t t e r b o l
,

a re anigh us shall w e light a candle for them to sho w

,

them the w ay Said the Sage : Were ye by your

selves I would bid y o u journey night long and run
,
-
,

all risk rather than the risk of falling into their hands .

But where as I am your guide I bid y o u kindle your ,

fire under yonder big tree and leave me t o deal with ,

the men of U t t e r bo l ; only whatso I bid you that do .

,

ye straightway .

”
S o be it said Ralph , I have been bewrayed s o
,

o ft o f late that I must needs trust thee o r all help

, ,
”
shall fail me Let u s t o work
. So they fell to and .

built up a big bale and kindled it and their horses ,

they tethered to the tree ; and by then they had done

this dark night had fal len upon them S o they
, .

cooked their victual at the fire (for Ralph had shot a

hare by the way ) and the Sage went down t o t h e stream
”
and fetched them water in a leathern budget : For ,

said he I know the beast s o f the wood and they me

, ,

and there is peace betwixt u s There then they s a t.

t o meat unarm e d fo r the Sage h a d said to t h em

,

D o fl your armour ; ye shall n o t come t o handy

f

”
strokes with the U t t e r b o l Riders .

S o they ate their m eat in the wil derness and were ,

nowise ungleeful for to those twain the world seemed

,

fair and they hoped for great t hings But though

, .

they were glad they were weary enough fo r the way

, ,

had been both rugged and long ; so they lay them

down t o sleep while the night was yet young But or .
'

ever Ralph closed his eyes he saw the Sage standing up

with his cloak wrapped about h i s head and making ,

stran ge si gns wi th his right han d so that he deem e d

3 8
that he would ward them by wizardry So therewith .

he turned about on the grass and was asleep at once .

'
After a while he started and s a t up half awake at ,

first ; for he felt some o n e touch h i m ; and his half

dreams went back to past days and he cried o u t : ,

Hah Roger ! is it thou ? What is toward But

therewith he woke u p fully and knew that it was ,

the Sage that had touched him and withal he s aw hard ,

by Ursula sitting up also

, .

There was still a flickering flam e playing about the

‘

red embers of their fire; for they had made it very

big ; and the moon had arisen and was shini n g bright
in a cloudless sky .

The Sage spake softly but quickly Lie down

together ye two and I shall cast my cloak over you
, , ,

and look to it that ye sti r not from o u t o f it nor speak ,

o ne word till I bid you whate er may befal l : for the

’

riders o f U t te r bo l are upon us .

They did as he bade them but Ralph got somewhat ,

o f an eye shot o u t of a corner o f the cloak and he

-
,

could see that the Sage went and stood up against the
tree trunk holding a horse by the bri dle one on each
-
,

side o f him Even therewith Ralph heard the clatter

.

o f ho rse hoofs over the stones about t h e stream and

—
,

a man s voice cried out

’
They will hav e heard us
p
s o s ur over the grass to the fire and the big tree
”
fo r then t hey cannot escape us Then came the .

thump of horse hoofs on the turf and in half a minute

-
,

they were amidst of a route of men a horseback more -

,

t han a score whose armour and weapons gleamed in

,

t he moonlight : yet when these riders were gotten

there they were silent til l one said in a quavering
, ,

voice as if afeared : Otter Otter ! what is this A ?

,

minute ago and we could all s e e the fire and the tree ,

and men and horses about them : and now lo you ! ,

there i s naught save t wo great grey stones lying on

’
t he grass and a man s bare bones leanin g up against
,

39
t he tre e and a ruckl e o f old horse bones o n eithe r side
,
-

o f him Where are we then

.

Then s pa ke an o t h e r ; a nd Ralph knew the v oice for

'

“
Ot ter s : I wot not lord ; naught else is changed
’

save the fire and the horses a nd the m en z y onder a r e

the hills yonder overhead is the moon with the littl e
, ,

light cloud do gg in gher ; eve n that is scarce cha n ged .

the fire wa s an earth fir e and for the re st we —

,

saw wrong in the moonlight

'
.

Spake the fi rst man again and his v 0 1ce quavered ,

yet more Nay nay Otter it is not so Lo you t he

, ,
.

skeleton and the bones and the grey stones ! And th e

fire here this minute there the next 0 O tter this
, ,
.
,

is an ev il place of an evil deed Let us go seek else

”
where ; let u s depart lest a worse thi n g befall us
,
.

And so with no more ado he turned his horse and

smote his spurs into him a n d g a l loped o ff by the way
he had come and t h e others follo wed n ot hing loth ;
, ,

only Otter tarried a little and looked arou nd him and ,

laughed and said There goes my Lord s nephew ’

like my Lo rd he is n o t over b old save in d ealing w ith ,

a shackled man Well for my part if those others

.
,

have s u nk into the earth o r gone up into the ai r they

, ,

are welcome to their wizardry and I am gl ad o f it , .

F o r I kno w not how I should have done t o have seen

my mate that ou t tilted me made a gelded wretch of ;
-

and it would have i rked me t o see that fair woman in

'

the h ands o f the to rmentors though forsooth I have ,

o ft s e e n such sights W e ll it is good ; but better were

.
,

it to ride with my m ate than serve the Devil and his

”
Nephew .

Therewith he turn e d rein and ga lloped o ff after

the others and in a little while the s ound of them had
'
,

died o fl utterly into the n ight and they heard but the ,
'

vo ices of the wild things and the wimbrel laughin g ,

from the hill sides Then came the Sage and drew the
-
.

c l oak fio m those two and lau ghed o n them and said :

,

4 0
 Now may ye sleep soundly when I have mended ,

o u r fire ; for ye will see no more of U t t e r b o l for this

time and it yet lacks three ho urs of dawn : sleep ye

,
”
then and dream of each other Then they arose and .

thanked the Sage wi th whole hearts and praised his

wis dom But while the old man mended the fire Ral ph
.

went up to Ursula and took her hand and said : ,

”
Welcome to life fellow farer ! and he gazed e arnestly
,
-

into her eyes a s t hough he would have her fall I nto his
arms b u t wh e r e as she rather shrank fro mhim though
,

.
,

she looked on him lo v ihgly if somewhat shyly he but, ,

kissed he r li a n d and laid him do w n agai n when he

, ,

had seen her lying I n her place And therewith they .

fell as leep and slept sweetly .

C H AP T ER V III T H EY C OM E TO THE SEA

.

OF MO LTEN ROCKS .

HEN they woke again the sun was high

above their heads and they saw t he Sage
’
,

dighting their breakfast S o they arose and .

washed the night o ff them I n the stream and ate hastily ,

and got to horse on a fair forenoon ; then they rode the

mountain neck east from that valley and I t was a long
slope of stony and barren mounta i n nigh waterless
And on the way Ursula told Ralph how the man
who was sc ared by the wizardry l a st night w a s verily
the nephew o f the Lord from whom she had stolen
her armour by wheedling and a s eem i ng prom i se .

” “
But said s he his love lay not s o deep b u t that
, ,

he would have aven ged him for my guile on my very

body had he taken us Ralph reddened and scowled
.

at her word and the Sage led them into oth er talk
,
.

S o long was that fell that they were nigh benighted

,

ere they gained the topmost o r came to ,

When the y had come to a place where t

little pool i n a hollow o f th e rocks they m ade stay
4 1
 there and sl ept safe but il l lo dge d and o n the morro w
, , ,

were o n their wa y betimes and went toiling up t he ,

neck another four hours and came t o a lo ng rocky

,

ridge o r crest that ran athwart it ; and w hen th ey had

come to the brow thereof then were they face to face
,

with the Great Mountains which now looked so huge ,

that they seemed t o fill all the world save the ground
whereon they stood Cloudless was the day and the
.
,

air clean and sweet and every nook and cranny w as

,

clear to behold from where they stood : there were grea t

u tti n
jE g nesses wit h straight walled burgs at their
-
t o
p
most and pyramids and pinnacles that no hand of man
ia
,

h ad fashioned and awful clefts like long streets in the

,

ic it y o f the giants who wrought the worl d and high ,

above all the undying snow that looked as if the sky

ihad come down o n to the mountains and they were
upholdi ng it as a roof .

B u t clear a s w as the fashion o f the mountains ,

they were yet a long way o ff for betwixt them and

the ri dge whereon those fellows stood stretched a vast ,

plain houseless and treeless and as they beheld it

, , ,

thence grey and ungra ssed (though indeed it wa s n o t

wholly s o ) like a huge river o r firth of the sea it
seemed and such indeed it had been once to wit a
, ,

flood o f molten rock in the o ld days when the ear t h

wa s a burning
-
.

No w as they stood and beheld it the Sage spake ,

Lo ye my children the cast le and its outwork and

, , ,

its dyke that w ar de t h the land o f the Well at the

World s End No w from to morrow when we enter
’
.
-
,

into the great s e a of the rock molten 1 n the ancient

earth fires there I s n o least peril o f pursuit for y o u
,
.

Yet ami dst that sea should ye perish belike were it not ,

fo r the wisdom gathered by a few ; and t hey are dead

n o w save for the Book and for me who read it unto
, ,

y ou
. Now y e would not turn back were I to bid y o u ,

and I wi ll n o t bid you Yet sin c e the j ourney sh all

.

4 2
be yet with grievous toil and m u ch peril and shall try ,

the very hearts w ithin you were ye as wise as Solomon ,

and as mighty as Alexander I will say this much unto ,

you ; that if ye lo ne not the earth a n d the world wi th

all y our souls and w ill not strive all ye may to be frank
,

and happy therein your toil and peril aforesaid shall

,

win yo u n o blessing but a curse Therefore I bid you .

be no tyrants or builders of cities for merchants and

usurers and warriors and thralls like the fool who ,

builded Goldberg to be for a tomb to him : or like

the thrall masters o f the Burg of the Four Fr i t h s who
-
,

even n o w it may be are pierced by their o w n st a fl or

, ,
"

overwhelmed by their own wall But rather I bid .

you to live in peace and patience without fear or

hatred and to succour the oppressed and love the
,

lovely and to be the friends o f men so that when ye

, ,

are dead at last men may s ay of you they brought

, ,

down Heaven to the Earth for a little while What .

sa
y ye children
,
?
Then said Ralph Father I will say the sooth ,

about mine intent tho u gh ye may deem it little ,

minded When I have accomplished this quest I

.
,

would get me ho m e again to the little land of U p

meads to s e e my father and my mother and to guard
, ,

its meadows from waste and its houses from fir e

raising : to hold w a r aloof and walk in the free fields ,

and see my children growing up about me and lie at ,

last beside my fathers in the choir o f St Laurence . .

T h e dead would I love and remember ; the living

would I love and cherish ; a n d Earth shall be the wel l
beloved house o f m y Fathers and Heaven the highest ,
”
hal l thereof .

It is well said the Sage all this shalt thou do

, ,

and be no little heart though thou do no more And

-
,
.

thou m aiden
,
“
She looked o n Ralph and said : I lost and then I ,

found and then I lost again Maybe I shall find the

, .

43
los t once more And fo r the rest in al l that this man
.
,

will do I will he lp liv in g o r dead for I know naught

, , ,
”
better to do .

“
Again it is well said the Sag e and the lost ,

which was verily th i rie shalt thou find again a n d good

,

days and their ending shall be tide thee Y e shall .

have n o sham e i n your lives and no fear in your

”
deaths Wherefore n o w lieth the r oad free before yo u
. .

Then w as he silent a while neither spake the others ,

au ght but stood gaz ing o n the dark grey plain and
, ,

the blue wall that rose beyond it till at l ast the Sage ,

lifted up his hand and said Look yonder chil ,

dren to where I point and ye shall see how there

, ,

thrusteth o u t a ness from the mountain wall and the -

,

end o f it stands like a bastion above the lava s e a and -

,

o n i t s sides and its h ead ar e streaks ruddy and tawny ,

where the earth fire s have burnt n o t s o lon g ago se e

- -

ye
Ralph looked and said : Yea fa ther I see it and , , ,

its rifts and its ridges and its crannies ,

.
’

Q uoth the Sage Behi n d that ness shall ye com e

.

to the Rock of the Fighti n g Man which 18 the very ,

Gate of the Mountain s ; and I will n o t turn again

n o r bid o u farewell til l I have brought you thither
y .

And now t i me presses ; for I would have you come

timely to tha t cavern whereof I have taught y o u , ,

before ye fall o n the first days o f winter o r ye shall ,

be hard bestead S o now w e will eat a morsel and ,

then use diligence that we may reac h the beginning o f

the rock s e a before nightfall
-
.

So did they and the Sage led them down by a slant

,

wa y from o ff the ridge which w as toilsome but nowise ,

peri l ous So about sun s et they cam e down into the

.

plain and found a bel t o f greensward and waters

, ,

therein betwixt the foot o f the ridge and the ed ge o f

the ro ck s e a And as for the said s e a though from
-
.
,

afar it looked plain and unbroken n ow that they were ,

44
 No w when they cam e t o the narrow e n d o f t he
plain they found still a wide way between the rock
walls that whiles widened o u t and whiles drew in
, ,

again Whiles with a l were screes across t he path

.
,

and little waters that ran o u t o f the lava and into it

a gain and great blocks o f fall en stone sometimes as
, ,
’
big as a husbandman s c o t that wind and weather had ,

rent from the rocks ; and all these things stayed them
somewhat But they went o n merrily albeit their
.
,

road winded so much that the Sage told them when, ,

evening wa s that for all their dili gence they had but
,

come a fe w short miles as the crow flies .

Many wild things there were both beast and fowl , ,

in these islands and bridges o f the rock s e a hares and -

,

conies to wit a many and heathfowl and here and

, , ,

there a r e d fox l urking about the crannies of the rock ,

wall Ralph shot a brace o f conie s with his Turk

.

b o w and whereas there were bushes growing in the

,

chinks and no lack of whin and ling they had firing

, ,

enough and supped o ff this venison of the rocks

,
.

So passed that day and two days more and nau ght ,

befell save that on the midnight of the first day o f

,

their wending the rock sea R alph awoke and saw the —
,

sky all ablaze with other light tha n that o f the moon ;
so he arose and went hastily to the Sage and took him ,

by the shoulder and bid him awake ; For meseems

,
”
the sk y is a fire and perchance the foe is upon u s
, .

The Sage awoke and opened his eyes and rose o n ,

hi s elbow and looked around sleepily ; then he said

laughing It 18 naught fair lord thou mayst lie down
, ,

a n d sleep out the remnant o f the night and thou also , ,

maiden : this is but an earth fir e breaking o u t on t he -

flank of the mountains ; it may be far away hence .

No w ye see that w e may n o t scale the rocks about us

here without toil but to morrow night we may climb -

”
up somewhere and look on what is toward .

So R a lph lay down and Ursul a also but R alph lay ,

4 6
long awake watching the light above him which grew ,

fi e r c e r and redder in t he hours betwixt moonset and

d aybreak when he fell asleep and woke n ot ag ain
, ,

till the s u n was high .

But o n the next day a s they went the aspect of the ,

rock sea about them changed for the rocks were not
-

s o smooth and shi n ing and orderly but rose up in ,

confused heaps all clotted together by the burnin g ,

like to clinkers o u t of some monstrous forge of the

earth giants so that their way w a s n a u gh t so clear a s
-
,

it had been but w a s rather a m aze o t jagged stone

, .

But the Sage led through it all unfumbling and more ,

over now and again they came o n that carven token

o f the sword and the bough Night fell and as it .
,

grew dark they saw the glaring of the earth fire s -

again ; and when they were reste d and had done their ,

meat the Sa ge said : Come now with me for hard

, ,

by is there a place a s it were a stair that goeth to the

top o f a great rock let us climb it and look about
,

us.

So did they and the head of the rock was higher

,

than the main face of the rock sea so that they could -
,

s e e afar .Thence they looked north and beheld afar

o ff a very pillar of fire rising u from a ness of the
p
mountain wall and seeming a s if it bore up a black
,

roo f of smoke ; and the hu g e wall gleamed grey b e ,

cause o f i ts light and it cast a ray o f light across the

,

rock sea as t h e moon doth over the waters o f the

-

deep withal there w as the noise as of th u nder in the

air but afar o ff : which thunder indeed they had heard
,

o ft a s they rode through the afternoon and evening

, .

Spake the Sage : It is far away : yet if the wind

were not blowing from us w e had smel t the smoke ‘

, ,

and the sky had been darkened by it Now it is .

naught s o far from U t t e r bo l and it will be for a token

,

t o them there For that ness is called the Candle of

.

the Giants and men deem that the kindling the reof
,

47
fo r e b o dé t h ill to the lord wh o sitteth on the t hrone in
the red hall of U tt er bo l .

Ralph laid his hand on Ursula s shoulder and said ’

May the Sage 3 saw be sooth !

’

She put her hand upon the hand and said Three
months ago I lay on my bed at Bourton Abbas and ,

all the while here w as this huge manless waste lying

under th e bare heavens and threatened by the store
house o f the fires o f the e arth : and I h ad n o t seen
it nor thee either 0 friend ; and n o w it hath become
, ,
”
a part o f me fo r ever .

Then wa s Ralph exceeding glad o f her word s and ,

the Sage lau ghed inwardly when he beheld them thus .

S o they came adown fr om the ro ck and lay d own ,

presently under the fie ry heavens : and their souls

were comforted by the sound of the horses cropping
the gr ass s o close to their ears that it broke the voice
_ ,

of the earth fir e s thunder that ever and anon rolled

-
’

over the grey s ea amids t w hich they lay .

On the morrow they still rode the lava like to

clinkers and it rose higher about them till suddenly
, ,

nigh sunset it ended at a turn of their winding road ,

and n aught lay betwixt them and t hat might y ness o f

the mountains save a wi d e grassy plain here and there
, ,

swelling into low w ide risings not to be called hills ,

and besprinkled with copses o f bushes and with trees ,

neither great nor high Then spake the Sage : Here

.

now will we rest and by my wil l to morrow also tha t

, ,

your beasts may graze t heir fill o f the sweet grass o f

these unwarded meadows which feedeth many a herd
,

unowned o f man albeit they pay a quit rent to wild

,
-

things that be mightier than they An d n o w children .

, ,

we have passed over the mighty river that once ran

molten betwixt these mountains and the hills yon der
to the west which we trod the other day ; yet onc e
,

more if your hearts fail you there I S yet time to turn

, ,

back ; and no harm shall befal l you but I will be y our ,

4 8
fellow all the wa y home to S we v e n h a m if ye will .

But if ye still crave the water o f the Well at the

’
World s End I will lead yo u over this green plain
, ,

and then go back home to mine hermitage a n d abide ,

”
there till ye come to me or I die , .

“
Ralph smiled and said : Master n o such sorry ,

story shall I bear back to U pm e a ds that after many ,

so rrows borne and perils overcome I came to the

, ,

Gates o f the Mountains and turned back fo r fear o f

,
”
that which I had not proved .

S o spake he ; but Ursula laughed and said Yea

'

then should I deem thy friendship light if thou leftest

me alone and unholpen in the uttermost wilderness ;
and thy manhood light t o turn back from that which
”
did not make a woman a fraid .

Then the Sage looked kindly o n them and said ‘

Yea then is the last word spoken and the worl d

, ,

may yet grow merrier to me Lo o k yo u some there .

f

be who may abuse the gifts o f the Well fo r evi l

errands and some who may u s e it fo r good deeds ;
,

but I am o ne who hath n o t dared to use it lest I s ho u ld

abuse it I being alone amongst weakli n gs and fools :
,

but now if ye come back wh o knows but that I may ,

fear no longer but use my life and grow to be a, ,

mighty man Come now let us dight our supper and

.
, ,

kindle as big a fire as we lightly may ; since there is

many a prowling beast about as bear and lynx and ,

lion ; for they haunt this edge o f the rock sea whereto -

the harts and the wild bull s and the goats resort fo r
the sweet grass and the water that floweth forth from
,

the lava .

S o they cut good store of firing whereas there was ,

a plen ty of bushes growing in the clefts o f the rocks ,

and they made a big fire and tethered their horses

anigh it when they lay down to rest ; and in the night
they heard the roaring o f wild things round about
th em and more than once o r twice awakening b e fore
, ,

11 .
49
 '

day they saw the shape o f some terrible creature by

,

the light o f the moon mingled with t he glare o f t h e

e ar th fir e s but none o f these m eddl ed with them and
-
, ,

n au g ht befel l them sav e t h e coming o f t he new day .

C HA P T ER X T H EY C OM E TO THE GATE
.

O F TH E MOU NTAI N S .

HAT day they herded their horses thereabout ,

and from ti me to time the Sage tri ed those

t w o if they were perfect in the lore o f the
road ; and he found that they had missed nothing .

They lay down in the self same place again that -

ni ght and arose betimes on the morrow and went their

,

ways over the plain as the Sage led till it w a s as if the ,

mountains and their terror hung over their ve r y heads ,

and the hugeness and blackness of them were worse

than a wall of fire had been It was stil l a lon g w ay
.

t o them so that it was not till noon of the third day

,

from the rock sea th at t h e v came to the very feet of

-

that fire scorched ness and wonderful indeed it seemed

-
,

t o them that an y thing save the eagles could have aught

to tell o f what lay beyond it .

There were no foothills or downs betwixt the plain

and the mountains naught save a tumble o f rocks
,

that had fallen from the cli ff s piled up strangely and , ,

making a ma z e through which the Sage led them

surely ; and at last they were clear even of this and ,

were underneath the flank o f that ness which w as so ,

huge that t he ms e e me d that there could scarce be any

more mountain than that Little of its huge height
.

could they s e e now they were close to it fo r i t went

, ,

up sheer at first and then beetled over them till they

could see no more o f its side ; as they wound about
its flank and they w ere long about it the Sage cried
, ,

o u t t o those t wo and stretched out his hand and behold ! ,

the side o f the black cli ff plain and smooth and shining
5 0
 '

as if it had been done by the hand o f men o r giants ,

and o n this smooth space w as carven in the living

rock the image ofa warrior in mail and helm o f ancient
fashion and holding a sword in his right hand From
,
.

head to heel he seemed some sixty feet high and t h e ,

rock wa s so hard that he was all clean and clear to

,

s e e ; an d they deemed o f him that h i s fac e w as keen

and stern o f aspect .

S o there they stood in an awful bight o f the moun

tain made by that ness and the main wall from which
, ,

it thrust o u t But a fter they had gazed awhile and

.

their he arts were in their mo n t h s the Sage turned o n ,

those twain and said Here then is the end o f my

journey with yo u ; and ye wo t all that I can tell you ,

and I can s ay n o word more save to bid you cast all

’
fear aside and thrive Ye have yet for this day s jou r
.
‘

ne
y certain hours o f such daylight as the mo u ntain
pass will give you which at the best is little better
,
”
than twilight ; therefore red eem y e the time .

But Ralph got o ff his horse and Ursula did in ,

likewise and they both kissed and embraced the old

,

man for their hearts were full and fain But he drew
, .

himself away from them and turned about with no ,

word more and went his ways and presently was

, ,

hidden from their eyes by the rocky ma z e which lay

’
about the mountain s foot Then the twain mounted .

their horses again and s e t forth silently o n the road as ,

they had been hi dde n .

In a little while the rocks o f the pass closed about

them leaving but a w a y s o narrow that they could s e e
,

a glimmer o f the stars above them as they rod e the

twilight no sight they had of the measureless stony
desert yet in their hearts they saw it They seemed
, .

to be wending a straight walled prison without an end-

,

s o that they were glad when the dark night c ame o n

them .

Ralph found some shelter in the cleft of a rock

5 1
a a mound where was littl e grass fo r the ho rses
Bo v e .

He drew Ursula into it and they s a t down there o n

,

the stones together So l ong they s a t silen t that a

.

great gloom settled u po n R a lph and he scarce kne w

'

whether he were asleep o r waking alive or dea d But

t
, .

amidst o f it fell a sweet voice o n his ears and familiar ,

words asking him o f what like were the fields o f U p

meads a n d the flowers ; and o f the fish o f its water and
, ,

o f the fashion o f the bui l d ing o f his father s house ; and

’

o f his brethren and the mother that bore him

,
Then .

w as it to him at first a s if a sweet dream had come

across the void o f his gloom and then at last the ,

gloom and the dread and the deadness left him and ,

he kne w that his friend and fellow was talking t o him ,

and that he s a t by her knee to knee and the sweet ,

ness o f her savo ured in his nostrils as she leaned her

face toward him and he knew himself for what he
,

w a s ; a n d yet for memory of that past horror and the ,

sweetness o f his friend and what not else he fel l ,

a weeping
- But Ursula bestirred herself and brought
.

o u t food from her wallet and sat down beside h i m

,

a a i n an d he wiped the tears from his eyes and laughed

g , ,

and chid himself fo r being as a child in the d ark and ,

then they ate and drank together in that dusk nook

o f the wilde rness And now was he happy and his
.

tongue was loosed and he fell t o telling her many

,

things o f U pm e a d s and of the tale o f his forefathers

, ,

and o f his o ld loves and his friends till life and death ,

seemed to him as they had seemed o f time past in the

merry lan d o f his birth So there anon they fell.

asleep for weariness and n o dre ams o f terror beset

,

the ir sl umbers .

5 2
wooe d her and j es t ed concerning them yet kindl y and
, ,

without malice and talked so sweetly and plainly that

, ,

t h e wilderness w a s become a familiar place to Ral ph ,

and h e took her hand in the d usk and said But ,

my friend h o w was it with the man for whom thou

,

wert weepin g when I first fell in with thee at Bou r to n

Abbas '
“
She said : I will tell thee plainly as a friend may ,

t o a friend Three hours had n o t worn from thy

.

departure ere tidings came t o me concerning him ,

that neither death nor wounding had befallen him ;

and that his m a sterless horse and bloods tained saddl e
were but a d evice t o throw dust into o u r eyes so ,

that there might be n o chase after him by the men

o f the Abbot s baili ff and that he might lightly do as
’

he would to w i t swear himself into the riders of the

, ,

Burg o f the F our Friths ; for in sooth he was weary , ,

o f me and mine Yet further I must needs tell thee

.
,

that I know now that when I wept before the e it was

,

part l y in despite because I had found o u t in my

,

heart (though I bade it not tell me s o much ) that I

”
loved him but l ittle .

”
Yea sai d Ralph and when didst thou com e t o
, ,

that knowled g e o f thine heart ?

”
Dear friend she said mayhappen I may tell
, ,
”
thee hereafter but as now I will forbear He l aughed
, .

for j oy o f her and in a little that talk fell d own

,

between them .

Despite the terror o f the desert a nd th e lonely ways ,

when Ralph laid him down o n his stony bed happi ,

n ess wrapped his heart abou t Albeit all this while .

h e durst n o t kiss o r caress her save very measurely , ,

for he deemed that s he would n o t su ff er it ; n o r as

yet would he a s k her wherefore thou gh he had i t in ,

h is mind that he would n o t always forbear t o as k

her.

M any days they rode that pass o f t he m o untains ,

54
thou gh it was n o t always so e vil and d readful as at
the first beginning ; for n o w again the pass opened
o u t into little valleys wherein w a s foison o f grass and
,

sweet waters withal and a few trees In such places

,
.

must they needs rest them to refresh their horses as

,

well as themselves and t o gather food o f venison

, , ,

and wild fruit and nuts But abiding I n such val e s

—
.

w as very pleasant to them .

At last these said valleys came often and oftener ,

till it was s o that all was pretty much o n e val ley ,

whiles broken by a mountain neck whiles straitened by ,

a ness of the mountains that j utted into it but never ,

quite blind : yet was the said v alley very high up and ,

as it were a trench of the great mountain S o they .

were glad that they had escaped from that strait p rison
betwi xt the rock walls and were well at ease : and
-
,

they failed never to find the tokens that led them on

the way even as they had learned o f the Sage s o that
, ,

they were not beguiled into any straying .

And now they had worn a way thirty days sinc e

they had parted from the Sage and the days bega n ,

to shorten and the nights to lengthen apace ; when o n

the forenoon o f a day after they had ridden a very
,

rugged mountain neck they came down and down

-
,

into a much wider val ley i nto which a great reef of

rocks thrust out from the high mountain so that the ,

northern half o f the said vale was nigh cleft atwain

by it ; well grassed was the vale an d a fair river ran ,

through it and there were o n either side the water

,

great groves o f tall and great sweet chestnuts and -

w alnut trees whereon the nuts were now ripe

,
They .

rejoiced a s they rode into it ; for they remembered

how the Sage had told them thereof that their travel ,

a n d toil should be stayed there awhile and that the r e ,

they should winter because of the bread which they

,

could make them o f the chestnuts and the plenty of ,

walnuts a nd that withal there was foison o f venison

,
.

55
 So t hey found a ford o f t he river and crossed it ,

and went straight to the head o f the rocky ness being ,

shown thither by the lore o f the Sage and they found in ,

the face o f the rock the mouth of a cavern and beside ,

it the token of the sword and the branch There .

fore they knew that they had c om e t o their winter

house a n d they rej oiced thereat and wi t hout more
, ,

ado they go t o fl their horses and went into t h e cavern

’
.

The entry thereof was low s o that they must needs ,

cre ep into it but wi t hin it was a rock hall high c le an

,
-
, ,

and sweet smelling -

.

There then they dight their dwelling doing all they ,

m i ght t o be done with their work before t h e wi n ter

w a s upon them The day after th ey had come there
.

they fell to on the in gathering o f their chestnut harve st ,

and they dried them and made them into mea l ; and
,

the walnuts they ga thered al so Withal they hunted .

the deer both great and small ; amon gst which Ralph
, ,

not without some peril slew two g reat be ars o f which

, ,

beasts indeed there w as somewhat more than enough

, , ,

as they came into the dale to feed upon the nuts and
the berry trees So they soon had good store o f
-
.

peltries for their beds and their winter raiment which ,

Ursula fell t o work o n deftly for she kne w all the ,

craft o f needlework and shortly to tell it they had , ,

enough and t o sp a re o f victual and raiment .

C HA PTER X I I WI N T ER AMI D ST O F T H E
.

MOU NTA I N S .

N all this they had enou g h t o be busy with so ,

that time hung not heavy o n their hands and the ,

shadow o f the Quest was nowise burdensome to

t h em since they wotted that they had to abide the
,

wearing o f the days till spring was come with fresh

t iding s Their labo ur w as nowise irksome t o them
.
,

5 6
since R alph was de ft In all manner o f sports and c rafts ,

such as u p country folk follow and though h e were

—
,

a king 3 son he had made a dou ghty yeoman : and as

’

for Ursula s he also w a s country bred o f a lineage o f

,
-
,

fi e ld folk and knew all the manners of the fields

-
, .

Wi t hal I n whatsoever way it were they loved each ,

other dearly and all kind o f speech flo wed freely

,

be tw ixt them Sooth to say Ralph taking heed o f

.
, ,

Ursula deemed that s he were fain to love him bodily

, ,

ahd he wotted well by no w that whatever had b e , ,

fallen he loved her bod y and soul Ye t still was

, , .

that fear o f her naysay lurking in his heart if he ,

should kiss her or caress her as a man with a maid

, , .

Therefore he forbore though desir e o f her tormented ,

him grievously at whiles .

They wore their armour but little now save when ,

they were about some journey wherein was peril o f

’
wild b e asts Ursul a had dight her some due woman s
.

raiment betwixt her knight s surcoat and do e skins ’

which they had gotten s o that it was not unseemly o f ,

fashion As for their horses they but seldom backed

.
,

them but used them to draw stuff to their rock house

,
-

o n sledges which the made of tree boughs s o that

,
y ;
the beasts grew fat feeding on the grass o f the valley ,

and the wild oats withal which grew at the upper

-
,

end o f the bight of the valley toward the northern ,

mountains where the ground was sandy No man

,
.

they saw n o r any signs of man no r had they seen

, ,

the Sage since those riders of U tt e r bo l had

,

vanished before them into the night .

So wore autumn into winter and the frost came , ,

and the snow with prodigi ous winds from o u t the

,

mountains : yet was not the weather s o hard but that

they mig ht go forth most days and come to no hurt ,

if they were wary o f the drifts ; and forsooth needs

must they go abroad to take venison fo r their livelihood .

S o the winter wore also amidst sweet speech and

57
friendl i nes s betwi x t th e t wo and th ey lived sti l l as dear
,

friends and not as lovers

, .

Seldom they spo ke o f t h e (b es t fo r it seemed ,

to them no w a matter over great fo r speech But .

now they were grown s o familiar each t o each that

Ursula took hear t t o tell Ralph more o f the tidings o f
U t t e r b o l for now the shame an d grief o f her bondag e
,

there was but as a story told o f another so far away ,

seemed that time from this Hut so grievous was her

'

“
tale that Ralph g rew grim thereover and he s a id By ,

St Nicholas ! it were a g ood deed once we are past the

.
,

mountains again to ride to U t te r bo l and drag that swine

,

and wittol from his hal l and slay him and give h i s folk ,
-

a good day But then there is thou my friend and

.
, ,

how shall I draw thee into deadly strife ?

Nay s h e said whereso thou r i de s t thither will
, ,

I and o n e fate shall lie o n us both We will think

, .

thereof and ask the Sag e of it when we return Who .

knows what shall have befallen then ? Remember t h e

lighting o f the candle o f U t te r bo l that w e s aw from
”
the Rock sea and t h e boding thereof So Ralph was
-
, .

appeased for that time .

Oft also they spake o f t he littl e la nds when c e they

came and o n a time amidst o f such talk Ursula said
,

But alas friend why do I speak o f all this when n o w

, , ,

save fo r my brother who loveth me but after a fashion

, ,

to wit that I must in all wise do hi s bidding lad as he is I , ,

have no longer kith nor kin there save again as all the ,

folk o f one stead are somewhat akin I think my de a r .

, ,
”
t ha t I have n o country nor any house t o welcome me
,
.

S a id Ralph : All lands any land that t hou mayst,

come t o shall welcome t hee and I shall l ook to it

, ,
”
that s o it shall be And in his heart he thought
.

o f the welcome o f U m e a d s and o f Ursula sitting o n

p ,

the dais of the hall o f the High House -

.

So wore the days ti ll Candl em a ss when t h e frost ,

broke and the snows began t o melt and t he waters ,

5 8
came down from the m ountains so that t he river rose ,

over i t s banks and i ts waters covered the plain parts

o f the valley and those two could go dryshod but a
,

little way o u t o f their cavern ; no further than the

green mound or toft which lay at the mouth thereof
but the w a ters were thronged with fowl as mallard and ,

teal a n d coots and of these they took what they would

, .

Whiles also they waded t h e shal lows of the flood and ,

whiles poled a raft about it and s o had pleasure o f the

,

waters as before they had had o f the sno w But when at .

last the very spring was come and the grass began to
,

gro w after the showers had washed the plain of the

waterborne mud and the snowdrop had thrust up and
,

blossomed and the celandine had come and then when

, ,

the blackthorn bloomed and the Lent lilies hid the -

grass betwixt the great chestnut boles when the s u n -

,

shone betwi xt the s ho w ers and the west wind ble w and ,

the throstles and blackbird s ceased not their song b e

twixt dawn and dusk then began Ralp h to s ay to him
,

self that even i f the Well at the World s End were not
,
’

and all that the Sage had told them was but a tale o f
S we v e nh a m y e t were all better than well if Ursula were
,

b u t t o him a woman beloved rather than a friend And .

whiles he was pensive and silent even when she was ,

by him and she noted it and forbore somewhat the

,

sweetness of her glances and the c a r e s s mg o f h e r soft

,

speech : though o ft when he looked o n her fondly the ,

blood would rise to her cheeks and her bosom would,

heave with the thought of his desire which quickened ,

hers s o sorely that it became a pain and grief t o her

,
.

C HA P .XI I I O F U RSULA AND T H E B EAR

. .

T befell o n a fair sunny morning o f spring that ,

Ralph s a t al one o n the toft by the rock house for -

,

Ursula had gone down the meadow to disport her

and t o bathe in the river Ralph was fitting the blade
.

59
’
of a da gge r t o a lon g ashen shaft t o make him a strong ,

spear ; f with the waxing spring the bears were

often I n t h e meadows again ; and the day before they
had come across a family o f the be asts I n the sandy
bight under the mountains ; t o wi t a carle and a quean ,

with her cubs ; the beasts had se en them but afar o ff ,

and w hereas the men were t wo and the s u n shone back

from their weapons they had forborne them ; although
,

they were fierc e and proud in those wastes and could ,

n o t away with creatures that were not o f their kind .

So because of this Ralph had bidden Ursula not t o fare

abroad without her sword which was sharp and str on g
, ,

and she n o weakling withal H e bethought him o f .

this just as he had made an end o f his spear shaping -

,

so therewith he looked aside and saw the said sword

hanging t o a bough o f a little quicken tree which gre w -

,

hard by the door Fear came into his heart therewith

.
,

s o he arose and strod e down over t h e meadow hastily

be aring his new spear and girt with his sword Now
,
.

there was a grove o f chestnuts betwixt him and the

river but o n the other side o f them naught but t he
,
’
green grass down to the water s edge .

Sure enough as he came under the trees he heard a

shrill cry and knew that I t coul d be naught save Ursula ;
,

s o he ran thitherward whence came the cry shouting as ,

he ran and w a s scarce come o u t of the trees ere he saw

,

Ursula indeed mother naked held in c hase by a hug e

,
-
,

bear as big as a bullock : he shouted again and ran the

faste r ; but even there with whether s he heard and saw
,

him and hoped fo r timely help o r whethe r s he felt her

, ,

l egs failing her s h e turn ed o n the bear and Ralph s a w

, ,

that s he had a l ittl e ax e in her hand wherewith s he

smote hardily at the be ast ; but he after the fashion o f ,

h is kind having risen t o his hind legs fenced with h i s

, ,

great paws like a boxer and smote the axe o u t o f her

,

hand and she cried o ut bitterl y and swerved from him

,

and fe ll a running again ; but t he bear tarri ed no t an d ,

60
 The so n g o f bir ds was all around them and t he ,

scent o f many blossoms went past o n the wings of the

west wind and Ralph was silen t a little as he looked
,

at the loveliness o f his friend ; then he said This

is the question o f what kind are t h y kisses this
m orning are they the kisses o f a friend o r a lover ?
,

Wilt thou not call me beloved and n o t friend Shall ?

not we two lie o n the bridal bed this same night ?

She looked o n him steadily smiling but fo r love , ,

and s weetness n o t fo r shame and folly ; then s h e said

,

O dear friend and dearest lover three questions a r e

, ,

these and n o t o ne ; but I will answer all three as my heart

biddeth me And first I will tel l thee that my kisses
.
,

are as thine ; and if thine are aught but the kiss es o f

love then am I befooled And n e xt I say that if thou
, .
,

wilt be my friend indeed I will not spare to call thee ,

beloved o r to be all thy friend But as t o thy t hird

, .

q u es t ion tell me is there not time enough for that

,

She fal tered as s he spake but he said : Look b e , ,

loved and s e e how fair the earth is t o day ! What

,
-

place and what season can be goodl ier than this ? And
were it not well that we w ho love each other should
have o u r full j oy o u t o f this sweet seas on which as ,

n o w is somewhat marred by o u r d esire ?

“ ”
Ah beloved ! she said looking shyly at him
, , ,

is it s o marred by that which m a rr e t h n o t u s ?

“ ” “
H earken ! he said ; how much longer shall
this fairness and peace and o u r leisure and safe t y
,

endure Here and now the earth rejoiceth about us

?
,

and there is none t o say us nay ; but to morrow it may -

al l be otherwise Bethink thee dear if but an hour

.
, ,

a o the monster had slain thee and rent thee ere w e

g ,

had lain in e ach other s ar ms ’

” “
Alas ! she said and had I lain in thine arms an
,

hundred times o r an hundred times an hundred

, ,

should not the world be barren to me wert thou gone ,

from it and that could never more be

,
? B ut thou
62
friend thou well beloved fain were I t o do thy will
,
-
,

that thou mightest be the happier and I withal .

And if thou command it be it so ! Yet n o w should

,

I tell thee all my thought and it is o n my m ind that

, ,

fo r a many hundreds o f years yea w hi le our pe o ple

, ,

were yet heathen when a man should wed a maid al l

,

the folk knew o f it and were witnesses of the day and

,

the hour thereof : now thou knowest that the time

draws nigh when we may look for those messengers o f
the Innocent Folk who come ever y spring t o this
,

cave to s e e if there be any whom they may s peed o n

the way to the Well at the World s End Therefore ’
.

if thou wilt (and not otherwise) I would abide their

coming if it be not over long delayed ; so that there
may be others to witn ess our wedding besides God ,

and those his creatures who dwell in the wilderness .

Yet shall all be as thou wilt .

“ ”
How shall I not do after thy bidding ? said
“
Ralph . I will abide their coming : yet would that
they were here to day ! And one t hing I will pray o f
-

thee that because of them thou wilt not forbear or

, ,

cause me to forbear such kissing and caressing as is

,

meet betwixt troth plight lovers

-
.

“
She laughed and said : Nay why should I tor ,
”
ment thee o r me ? We will not tarry for this .

And therewit h she took her arm about his neck and
kissed him o ft .

Then they said naught awhile but sat listening ,

happily to the song o f the pairing birds A t last .

“
Ralph said : What was it beloved that thou wert
, ,

perchance to tell me concerning the thing that caused

thine heart to s e e that thy betrothed for who m t hou ,

w e ps t o r s e e m e dst to weep at the ale house at Bourton -

”
Abbas w a s of no avail to thee ?
,

She said : It was the sight of thee ; and I thought

also ho w I might never be thine For that I have .

sorrowed many a time since .

63
 “
Said Ralph : I am y oung a n d unmighty yet 10 ! ,

I heal thy sorrow a s if I were an exceeding mighty

m an . And n o w I tell thee that I am minded to go
back with thee to U pm e a ds straightway ; for love will
”
prevail .

Nay s h e said that word is but from the teeth

, ,
.

outwards ; for t hou knowest as I do that the pe rils , ,

o f the homeward road shall overcome us despite o f ,

love if we have n o t drunk o f the Well at the World s

,
’

”
End .

Again they were silent awhile but anon s he arose ,

t o her feet and said : Now must I needs dight v ic

tual fo r u s twain ; but first (and she smi l ed o n him
withal ) h o w is it that thou hast n o t asked me if the
,

b e as t did me a n y hurt ? Art thou grown careless o f

”
me n o w the wedding is so n igh ?
,

H e said Nay but could I not s ee thee that

,

thou wert n o t hurt ? There w as n o mark o f blood

”
upon thee n o r any stain at a ll Then s h e reddened
,
.
,
”
and said : A h I forgot how keen eyed thou art
,
-
.

And s h e stood si lent a littl e while as he looked on her ,

and l oved her sweetness Then he said : I am ex.

c ee d i n full o f j oy but my body is uneasy ; s o I will

g ,

n o w go and skin that troll who went so nigh to slay

thee and break u p the carcase if thou wilt promise to

, ,

abide abo ut the door o f the house and have thy sword ,

and the spear ready to hand and to do n thine helm ,

and hauberk to boot .

S h e laughed and said That were b u t stra n ge

attire for a cook maid Ralph my friend ; yet shall I
-
, ,

do thy wi l l my l ord and my love

, .

Then went Ralph into the cave and brought forth ,

the armour and did it o n her and kissed her and s o , ,

went his ways to the c arcase o f the bear which lay ,

some t wo furlon gs from their dwe lling ; and when he

c ame t o the quarry he fell t o work and wa s some time ,

about it so huge a s the beast was Then he hung the

, .

64
skin and the carcase o n a tree of the grove and went ,

down to the river and washed him and then we nt ,

lightly homewar ds .

C H A PTE R x 1v NO W C OM E T H E M ES .

S E NGE R S O F T H E I NN O CEN T FO LK .

UT when he had come forth from the chestnut

grove and could s e e the face of t heir house
,
'

rock clearly he beheld n ew tidings ; for there

,

were folk before the door o f t he d welling and Ursu l a ,

was standing amidst o f them for he could s e e the ,

gleam o f her armour ; and with the men he could s ee

al so certain beasts o f burden and anon that these ,

were o xen So he hastened o n to find what this might

.

mean and drew his sword as he went But when he

, .

came up to the rock he found there two young men,

a n d an elder and they had with them five oxen three

, ,

fo r riding and two sumpter beasts laden and Ursula

, ,

and these men were talking together friendly ; so that

Ralph deemed that the new comers must be the mes -

s e n ers o f the Innocent Folk They were goodly

g .

men all three so mewhat brown o f skin but well

, ,

fashioned and of smiling cheerful countenance well

, ,

knit and tall The elder had a long white beard

,
.
,

but h is eye was bright and his hand firm and smooth , .

They were all clad in white woollen raiment and bore ,

n o armour but each had an axe with a green ston e

,

blade curiously tied to the heft and each o f the

, ,

young men carried a strong bow and a quiver o f

arro ws .

Ralph greeted the me n and bade them s i t do wn ,

o n the toft and eat a morse l ; they took h is g reeting

kindly and s a t down while U rsula went into the

, ,

cave t o fetch them matters for their vi c tual and there ,

w as al ready venison roastin g at the fire o n the toft ,

in the place where they were wont to cook their meat .

11. 65 F
So then c ame Ursula forth from the cave and served ,

the new comers and Ralph o f such things as she had

-
,

and they ate and drank together ; and none said

au ght o f their errand till they had done their meat ,

but they talked together pleasantly about the spring ,

and the blossoms o f the plain and the mountain and ,

the wild things that dwelt thereabout .

But when the meal w as over the new comers ro s e ,

-

t o their feet and bowed before Ralph and Ursula

, ,

and the e lder took up the word and said : Ye fair

people have ye any errand in the wilderness or are
, ,

ye chance comers w ho have strayed thus far and

-
,

know not how t o return ?

Father said Ralph we have com e a long way
, ,

o n an errand o f life or death ; for we seek the WELL

at the WO RLD S EN D A nd s e e ye the token

’

thereof the pair o f beads which we bear either o f us

, , ,
”
and the fashi on whereof ye kno w .

Then the elder bowed t o them again and said ,

It is well ; then is this o u r errand with you t o be ,

your way l eaders as far as the House o f the So rceress

-
,

wher e ye shall have other help Will ye s e t o u t o n .

”
the j ourney to day In one hour sha ll we be ready
-
.

”
Nay said Ralph we wi ll not depart till to
, ,

m orrow morn if it may be so Therewith I bid y o u

, .

s i t down and rest you while ye hearken a word which ,

”
I have t o say t o y o u .

S o they sat down again and Ralph arose and took ,

Ursula by t he hand and stood with her before the,

elder and said

, This maiden wh o is my fellow ,

farer in the Quest I desire t o w e d this same night

, ,

and she also des ireth me therefore I wo u ld have y o u

as witnesses hereto But first ye shall tell u s if o u r
.

wedding and the knowing each other carnal ly shall be

t o o u r hurt in the Q uest ; fo r if that be s o then shall ,

w e bridle o u r de si re s and perform o u r ( est i n their

” b
d esp ite .

66
 The o ld
man smiled upo n them kindly and said ,

Nay so n we hear n o t that it sh all be the worse for

, ,

you in any wise that ye shal l become one flesh ; and

right j oyful it is to us not only that we have found ,

folk wh o seek t o the Well at the World s En d but ’

also that there is such love as I perceive there is

betwixt such goodly and holy folk as ye be For .

hither we come year by year according t o the behest

that we m ade to the fairest woman o f the world ,

when she came back t o us from the Well at t he

World s End and it is many and many a year ago
’

since we found any seekers after the Well dwelling

here Therefore have we the more joy in y o u
. .

And we have brought hither matters g ood fo r you ,

as raiment and m eal and wine o n o u r sumpte r

, , ,

beasts ; therefore as y e have feasted u s this morning ,

so shall we feast o u this even And if ye will

y .
,

we shall build fo r y o u in the grove yonder such a

bo wer as we build fo r o ur o wn folk o n the night o f
the wedding .

Ralph y e as aid this and thanked them So the n , .

the elder cried : Up my sons and show yo ur deft , ,

”
ness to these dear friends ! Then the young men
arose naught loth and when they h ad hoppled their
, ,

o xen and taken the burdens from o ff them they all ,

went down the meadow together into the chestnu t

grove and they fell t o and cut willow boughs and
, ,

such like wood and drav e stakes and wove the twigs
-
,

together ; and Ralph and U rsula worked with them

as they bade and they were all very merry toget her :
,

be c ause for those two wanderers i t was a great delight

to s e e the faces of the c hildren o f men once more
after s o many months and t o hold converse with ,

them ; while fo r their par t the y oung men marvelled

at Ursul a s b eauty and the pith and goodliness o f
’

R alph .

By then i t was nigh eve ning they had made a ve ry

67
goodly wattl ed bower and roofed it with the skins ,

that we re in the cave and hu n g it abo ut with gar , '

lands and str ewn flowers o n the floor thereof And

, .

when all was done they went back to the toft before
the rock chamber where the elder h ad opened the
-
,

loads a nd h ad taken meal thence and w a s making

, ,

cakes a t t he fire A n d there was wine there in well

'

hooped ke s and wooden c ups fairly car ven and

, ,

r a i me n t o f ne whit e wool fo r those twain broidered ,

in strange but beau teo us fashion with t he feathers o f .

bright hued birds

-
.

So then were those twa i n arraye d for t he bridal

»

and the meat was dight and the cups fill ed and they
‘

sa t down o n the grassy toft a litt le before sunset and ,

fe a st ed n t ill the night was come a n d was grown all ,

li g ht with the moon ; and then Ral ph rose up a n d ,

took Ursul a s h and and they stoo d before the elder

'
’

, ,

and b ade h i m and the you ng men bear witness tha t

,

they we r e we dded : then those twain kissed the new

comers and departed t o their bridal bower hand in
hand throu g h t he freshness o f t h e night .

C H APTER XV T H EY C OM E TO T H E .

LA N D OF TH E I NN O CENT FOLK .

H EN it w a s morning they speedily gat

them ready for the road whereas they had ,

little to take with them ; so they departed

joyously howbeit both Ralph and Ursula felt rather
,

love than loathing for their winter a bode The da y .

wa s yet y oung whe n t hey went th e ir ways Their .

horses and all th e ir gear were a great wonder to the

young m e n for they h a d seen n o z s u c h beasts before
,

b u t the el d e r said that once in his young days he had

led a man to the Well w ho was ri ding a horse and .

was clad in knightly array .

5 0 they went by ways which were nowis e dre adful .

68
Temple o r Mote hOu se o r Guest house for it was all
,
-
,
-
,

these a house great and as fair a s they knew ho w t o

, ,

m ake it .Before the door thereof wer e standing the

elders of the Folk ; and when they drew rein the ,

eldest and most reverend o f these came forth and

spake in a cheerful voice yet solemnly : Welcom e
,

and thrice wel come to the Seekers after length o f day s

and happy times and the l o vin g kindness o f the
,
-

”
Folks o f the E arth !
Then all the elder s g athered a bout them and bade ,

them light d own and be at rest amon gst them and ,

they made much o f them and brought them into t he

Mote house wherein were both women and me n fair
-
,

and stately and t h e men took Ralph by the hand and

,

the women U rsula and brought them into chambers

,

where they bathed them and did O ff their wayfarin g

raiment and clad them in white woo llen gowns o f
'

web excee ding fine and fra grant withal Then they
, .

crown ed them with flowers and led them back into ,

the hall whereas now w as much folk gathered and

, ,

they s e t them down on a dais as though they had bee n

kings o r rather gods ; and when they beheld them
,

there s o fair and lovely they cried o u t fo r joy o f

,

them and bade them hail oft and oft

, .

There then were th ey feasted by that kind folk ,

and when meat w as done certain youths and maidens

fell t o singing songs very sweetly ; and the words O f
the songs were simple and harmless and concernin g ,

the fairness o f the earth and the happy l oves o f t he

creatures that dwell therein .

Thereafter as the night aged they were shown t o a ,

sleeping chamber which , al beit n o t richly decked or

, ,

plenished with precious thi n gs was most dainty clean , ,

and sweet smelling and strewn with flowers s o that t he

, ,

ni g ht wa s swe et to them in a chamber o f love .

7 0
C HA PTER XV I T H EY C OM E TO THE .

HOUS E O F TH E SO RCERE SS .

N the morrow the kind people delayed them

little though they sorrowed for their depar
,

ture and before noon were their O ld way

,

leaders ready for them and the old man and h is two '

grandsons (for such they were ) were much honoured

o f the simple pe op l e for their way leading of the Hea - .

v e nl Folk for so they called Ralph and Ursula

y ; .

So they gat them to the way in suchlike guise as before ,

only they had with them five sumpter oxen instead o f

two ; for the old man told them that n o t only was
their way longer but also they must needs pass through
,

a terrible waste wherein was naught fo r their avail

, ,

neither man nor beast nor herb Even so they found

, , .

’
it as he said ; for after the first day s ride from the
town they came to the edge of this same waste and ,

o n the fourth day were deep in the heart O f it : a

desert it was rather rocky and stony and sandy than

,

mountainous though they had hills t o cross also :

,

withal there was but little water there and that foul and ,

stinking Long lasted this waste and Ralph thought

.
,

indeed that it had been hard t o cross had n o t their ,

way leaders been ; therefore he made marks and signs

-

by the wayside a n d took note O f the bearings O f rocks

,

and mounds against the day o f return .

Twelve days they rode this waste and o n the ,

thi r teenth it began t o m end somewhat and there was ,

a little grass and sweet waters and they s aw ahead the

, ,

swelling hills o f a great woodland albeit they h ad ,

t o struggle through marshl a nd and low scrubby thicke t

for a day longer o r ever they got to the aforesaid
,

trees which at first were naught bu t pines ; but these

,

failed in a whi l e and they rode a grass waste nearly

,

treeless but somewhat well watered where they gat

, ,

7 1
them good store o f ve nison The rea fte r th e y c am e
.

o n woods o f o a k and sweet chestnut with he re and

-
,
”
there a be e c h wood -
.

Lon g and long th ey r o de the wo odland b u t it was ,

‘

h ar d o n May when they entered i t and i t was pleasant ,

therein and what with o n e thing what with another

, , ,

they h ad a b u n dan t livelihood there Yet w as J un e a t .

i t s fu ll when at last they cam e within s ight o f t h e

H ouse o f t he Sorc eress o n t h e hot te st o f a fa i r a fter
'

n O On . And i t w as even as Ralph h ad seen it picture d

in the arras o f the hall o f the Castl e o f Abundance ; a
little house bui lt after the fashion o f houses in his o wn
land o f the west the thatch was trim an d the w i n ,

d o ws and doors were unbroken and the garth wa s

'
,

w ho le an d the g oats feedi n g therein and the wheat

, ,

was sta ll and blossoming in the little closes whereas he ,

had looked to s e e all broken down and wi ld a nd as t o ,

~

the house a mere grass grown heap o r a t the most a

'

—
, ,

broken gabl e fast crumbling away .

Then waxed his heart sore with the memory o f that

passed time and the sweetness o f his short lived l ove
,
-
,

though he refrained him all he might : yet forsooth

Ursula loo ked o n him an xiously s o much h is fa ce was,

changed by the thoughts o f his heart .

.
But the elder o f the w a y leaders s aw that h e w a s
-

moved a n d de emed t hat he w a s w o n deri n g a t t hat

,
‘

house s o trim and ord erly amidst the wildw o o d s o ,

he said : Here al so do we after o ur behest t o that

marvellous and l ovely Lady th at w e su ff er n o t this
,

house t o go t o ruin : ever are some o f o u r folk here ,

and every year about this season we send two o r more

to take the places O f those w ho have dwelt i n th e
House year lo n g : so e ver is there someone t o keep
-

all things trim But as to strangers I have neve r in

.
,

my life seen a ny Seeker o f the We l l herein save once , ,

and that was an O ld hoar man l ike t o t h e s ave t hat h e ,

was feeb le r i n all wis e than I b e .

7 2
 No w Ralph h ea rd him talki n g yet noted hi s wo rds ,

but littl e for it was w ith him as i f all the grief o f

r

heart which h e ha d penned ba ck for s o long a while

swelled up within him and burst i t s bounds ; and he
turned toward s Ursula and their eyes met and s he ‘

looked shy and a nxious o n him a n d he mi gh t no

longer refr ain himself but pu t hi s hands t o h is fac e ,

for they had n o w dra wn re i n at t he garth gate ) and

( -

brake o u t a weeping and wept long fo r the friend ,

whose feet had worn t hat path so O ften and whose

»
,

heart though s he were dead h ad brought them thither

, ,

for their thriving ; and f o r love a n d sorrow o f him c

1

Ursula wept also .

But the o ld ma n a nd h is grandsons turned t he ir

heads away from his weeping and got o ff their horses , ,

and went u p to the ho use door whereby were n o w

- - -
,

standing a carle and a quean o f their people B u t ,

.

Ralph slowly gat Oh h i s horse and s t o o d b y U rsula

" : ~

w ho was o n the ground already but wo u ld n o t touch ,

her for he was as ham ed B ut s h e looked o n him kindly

,
.

'

and said : Dear frie nd t h er e is no need fo r shame ; ,

.

fo r t ho ii gh I be y o ung I know h o w grievous i t is ,

-

when the dead that we h ave l oved come across o u r

ways and we may n o t spea k to them no r they to u s
, , .

S o I will but bid thee be comfort ed and abide i n thy

”
love for t he living and the dead His tears brake o u t .

again at that word fo r he w a s b ut young and for a

‘

wh il e t he r e w as a hill in the strife t h a t h a d beset his

,
~ v

days i But afte r a little he loo ke d u p and d a shed the

.
. v
,

t e a rs fr o m his eyes and smiled o n Ursu l a and said

‘
,

The tale s h e told me o f this place the sweetn e ss Of ,

it came back upon me a n d I migh t n o t forbear She ”

,
. . - .

said . 0 friend thou art kind and I love thee

,

S o then they joined hands ahd went through th e

, .

garth together and up t o the door wher e stood the

, ,

wa rdens wh o when they s a w them turning thither

, , ,

came speedily down t he path t o t hem and would "

73
h av e kn e lt in worship them ; but th ey woul d no t
to
su ffer it, but e mbraced and kisse d t hem and thanked ,

them many times fo r their we lcom e Th e said .

wardens both carle and que an were goodly folk o f

, ,

middl e age stalwart and kind o f face

, , .

So then they went into the house togethe r and ,

entered into the sel f same chamber where o f Old t he

-
,

Lady o f Abundance had sickened fo r fe ar o f th e

Sorceress s itting naked at her spell work
'
-
.

Great o y they made together and the warde ns s e t ,

meat an drink before t h e guests and they at e and ,

drank and were o f go od cheer But the elder wh o had .

brought them from Chestnut dale said : Dear friends -

,

I hav e told you that these t wo young men a re my

grand children and they a re the sons o f this man and
-
,

woman whom here ye s e e ; fo r the man is my s o n .

And s o it is that amongst us the care o f the Quest o f

,

the Well at the World s End hath for long been t h e

’

heritag e o f o u r bloo d going with us from father t o

,

son . Therefore is it naught wonderful thou g h I have ,

bee n sundry times at this house and have learned ,

about the place all that may be learned F o r my .

fat her brou g ht me hither when I was yet a bo y ; that

time it w as that I s a w the last man O f whom we kno w
for sure that he drank of the Water o f the Well and ,

he w a s that O ld hoar man like unto me but as I s a id , , ,

far weaker in all wise ; but when he came back t o us

from the Well he was strong and stal wart and a ,

better man than I am n o w ; and I heard him tel l his

name to my father that he w as cal l ed the Sage o f
,
”
S we v e n ha m .

Ralph looked o n U rsul a and said : Yea fathe r , ,

and it was throu g h him that we had o u r l ore concern

ing t h e way hither ; and it was he that bade us abid e
your coming in the rock house o f the Vale o f Sweet-

”
chestnuts .

The n he i s al ive still said the elder Said Ralph

, .

74
“
Yea, an d as fair and strong an old man as ye may
said the elder and yet ,
”
emed run .

1 me father have none o f, ,

’
your o wn folk sought to the Well at the World s
End ? Nay none said the elder Said Ralph
, ,
.

That is strange whereas ye are s o nigh thereto and

, ,
”
have such abundant l o re concerning the way .

So n ,
said the elder true it is that the water o f
,

that Well shall cause a man to thrive in all ways and ,

t o live through many generations o f men maybe in , ,

honour and go od liking ; but it may n o t keep any

-

man alive for ever ; fo r so have the Gods given u s t h e

gift of death lest we weary o f life No w o u r folk live .

well an d hale and without the sickness a n d pestilence

, ,

such as I have heard o ft befall folk in other lan ds

even as I heard the Sage o f S we v e n h a m say and I ,

wondered at h is words Of strife and o f war also we

.

know naught : nor do we desire aught which w e may

not easily attain to Therefore w e live long and we
.
,

fear the Gods if we should str ive to live lon ger lest ,

they should bring upon us wa r and sickness and over ,

weening desire and weariness O f life Moreover it

, .

is little like that all o f us should seek to the Well at

’
the World s End ; and those few that sought and
drank should be stronger and wiser than the others ,

and shoul d make themselves earthly gods and , ,

m aybe should torm ent the others o f us and make

,

their lives a very burden to be borne Of such .

matt ers are there tales current amongst us that so it

hath been o f yore and in other lands ; and ill it were
”
if such times came back upon us .

Ralph hung his head and was silent ; fo r the joy o f

the Quest se emed dying o u t as the Old man s words ’

dropped slowly from his mouth But he smiled upon .

Ralph and went o n But fo r y o u guests it is other , ,

wise fo r ye o f t h e World beyond t he Mountains ar e

,

75
S tro n ge r an d mo re god like th an we as all tal es tell
'

,
. .

and ye wear away your li ve s desirin g that whi ch y e

° 1

m ay scarce get ; and ye s e t your hearts o n hi gh thin gs ~

d esirin g t o b e masters O f the very Gods Therefore .

e know sickness a nd so rrow and oft di be fore

y y e e
t

you r time s o that y e must depa rt and leave u ndone

,

thin gs which ye deem ye were born to do ; w hich t o °

-

all men i s grievous And b ecause o f a ll t h i s y e de s ir e . i r .

healing and thriving whe t her good come o f it o r ill , ,

.

Therefo r e ye d o ab u t r igh t ; t o seek t o t he Well at t h e ~

Wo rl d S E n d t hat y e m a y the be tter accomp l ish t hat

’
'

,
~

which be ho v e t h y o u and that ye m a y serve your fellows , ,

a n d d eliver them fro m the thral l dom o f those that b e

stron g and unwise and unkind o f who m we have he ard ,

°

”
strange tal e s .

R a lph r e dd e n ed as he spake and U rsula looked o n ,

h i m a nx io u s ly but that t a l k dr o ppe d fo r the prese nt

‘
‘

'
, ,

and they fell t o talkin g o f lighter and more familiar

‘

There aft er the y w a nd e red ab o u t t h e wo o ds with th e /

warde ns a nd t he way le ade r s a n d t he elder brou g ht -“

,

them to t h e anci e n t: altar in t he wood w her eo n the '

i

Sor c eress had Offered up t he goat and the howe o f

~
, .

the woman dight with the ne cklace of the (b est who m .

the La dy f o u nd dea d i n the snow and t he pla ce nigh

‘

. .

the hou se w her e t h e Sorceres s used t o torme nt her thrall

that was aft erwards the Lad y t o f Abundan ce ; yea an d .
,

th e y we n t f u rt her a fie ld t ill the y cam e t o t h e Va le O f . i

Lo re and t h e H e at h abov e it where they met the

,
r
i .
,

King s S o n a n d t h e L ady All these and other places

’
.
!

we re n o w becom e as rh a llo we d i gr o u n d t o the In nocent

'
: i .

People and to Ralp h no less In t h e h o u s e m oreover

,
.
, ,

was a fair a r k wherein t h e y ke p t matters w hich h a d

,
: i .

be longed t o t h e L ady as h e r 18 11 0 6 8 a nd her smoc k ,

.
,

wrapp e d in go o dly c lo t h a mids t well smel l ing herbs ;

'

an d t hes e thin s t he y worsh ip ed as fo l k d

p
-
g
u
g

re l i cs o f t he s a i n ts I n anoth e r ark a lso t he y s howe d

. 1 - .

7 6
 and n o w I have bethou g ht me that if we g ai n
tha t which we seek fo r and bear back o u r lives t o our
,

o wn ople the day may come when we are grown

,

O ld o r as young a s w e may see m that we shall be as

, ,

lonely then as we are this hour and that the folk round ,

a bout u s shal l be t o us as much and n o more than these

”
tre e s and the wild things that dwell amongst them .

She looked o n him and l aughed as o ne over ha ppy -

,

and said : Thou runnest forward s wiftly t o mee t

trouble beloved ! But I s ay that well will it be in
,

those days if I love the folk then a s well as n o w I lovc

”
these trees and the wild things whose house they are .

A n d s he rose up therewith and threw her arms about

t h e o ak bol e and kissed its ruggedness while Ralph as
-
,

h e lay kissed the sleekness O f her feet A n d there .

c ame a robin hoppin over the leaves ani gh them for ,

in that woo d most O the creatures knowing not man , ,

were tame t o him and feared the horses o f those

,

twain more than their riders And n o w as U rsula . .

kn elt to embrac e Ralph with o n e hand s he held out ,

t h e other to t h e said robin wh o perched on her wrist ,

and s at there as a hooded fal c on had done and fell to ,

whistl ing his sweet n otes as if he were a tal king to

,
-

t hose new comers : then Ursula gave him a song

-

re ward o f their broken meat and he flew up and ,

perched o n her shoulder and nestled up a gainst her

,

cheek and s h e laughed happily and said

,
LO y o u ,

sweet ha ve not the wild t hings understood my words

, ,

an d sent this fair messen g er to foretell u s all good

”
It is good said Ralph laughing yet the o ak tree
, ,
-

hath n o t spoken yet despite o f all thy kissing : and

,

lo there go e s thy friend the robin no w thou hast n o ,

more m e at to g ive him .

“ ’
H e i s flying towards the Well at t he World s
”
End s he said
,
and biddeth us onward : let us to
,

horse and h asten : fo r if thou wilt h ave the who le

truth conc ernin g my heart it is this that some c hanc e
, ,

7 8
hap may yet take thee from me ere thou hast drunk
of the waters O f the Well ”
.

”
Yea said Ralph and in the innermost O fmy heart
, ,

lieth the fear that mayhappen there is no Well and ,

no healing in it if we find it and that death and the , ,

backward way may yet sunder u s This is the worst .

”
O f my heart and evil is my coward fear
, .

But s he cast her arms about him and kissed and

“
caress e d him and cried o u t : Yea then fair have
, ,

been the days O f o u r journeying and fair this hour O f ,

the green o a k ! And bold and true thine heart that

hath led thee thus far and won the e thy desire o f my
,

love.

S o then they armed them and mounted their horses ,

and set forward They lived well while they were in

.

t h e wood but o n the third day they came to where it

,

thinned and at last died o u t into a stony waste like

unto that which they had passed through before they
came to the House o f the Sor ceress save that this lay ,

in ridges as the waves O f a great s e a ; and these sam e

ridges they were bidden to cross over at their highest ,

l est they shou l d be bewildered i n a ma z e o f little hills

and dales leading no whither .

S o they entered o n this desert having filled their ,

water skins at a C lear brook whereat they rejoiced

-
,

when they found that the face o f the wilderness was

covered with a salt scurf and that naught grew there
,

save a sprinkl ing of small sage bushes .

N ow o n the second day of their ridi n g this ugly

waste as they came up over the brow o f o n e of th ese
,

s tony ridges Ralph the far sighted cried out suddenly

,
- °

”
H old for I see a man weaponed .

Where is he quoth Ursula and what is he ,

”
about ? Said Ralph He is up yonder o n the
swell o f the next ridge and by seeming is asleep lean
,
”
ing against a rock .

Then he bent the Turk bo w an d set an arrow o n

79
t he strin g and they went on warily When they were .

down at the foot O f the ridge Ralph hail ed the man

with a l u sty cry but g at no ans wer of him ; s o they
,

went o n u p the bent till Ralph said : No w I can

“
,

s e e his face under h i s h e lm an d it is dark and the eyes ,

are hollow : I will O ff horse and go u p to him afoot ,

”
but do thou bel oved s i t still in thy saddle
, , .

B ut when he had come nigher he turned and cried

‘

,
”
o u t t o her The man is dead come ani h So s he , .

went up t o him and dismounted an th e y bo th ,

.

together stood over the man wh o w as lying u p a gai n s t ,

~

a big stone like o n e at rest Ho w long he ha d l ain .

there none knows but God ; for in the saltness O f t h e

,

dr y desert the flesh had dried o n his b o n e s w it ho u t

°

corrupting and wa s as har dened leather He wa s in

, .

full armour o f a strange a h d ancient fashion and his ,

sword was girt to his side neither wa s there any si g n ,

o f a wound abou t him Under a crag anigh him they

.

found his horse dead and dry like t o himself ; and a

,

little way over the brow o f t he ridge another horse in

lik e c ase an d c lose by him a woman whose raiment ,

had no t utterly perished nor her hair : there were gold

,

rings o n her arms and her shoes were done with gold :
,

s he had a knife stuck in her breast with her hand still ,

c lutching the handle ther eof ; so t hat it seemed that

s h e had herse l f given herself death .

Ral P h and Ursul a bur i ed these two with the heap

ing o f stones and went their ways ; but some t wo
miles then c e they came upo n anoth er dead man at -

arms and near him an o l d man unweaponed and they

, ,

heaped stones o n them .

Thereabout night overtook them and it w a s dark , ,

s o they lay down in the waste and comforted each ,

other and slept t wo o r three hours but arose with t he

, '
,

first glimmer o f d a wn a n d mounted and rod e for th

,

onward that they might the sooner be o ut o f that

,

de adly d esert fo r fear clung t o the ir he arts

,
.

80
 This day forsooth they found so many dead folk
, , ,

that they might no t stay t o bury them lest they them ,

selves should come to lie t here lacking burial S O .

they ma d e all the w a y they might and rode o n some

,

hours by starlight after the night was come for it was ,

clear and cold S O that at last they were so utterly

.

wearied that they lay down amongst those dead folk ,

and slept soundly .

On the morrow morn Ralph awoke and s aw Urs u l a

sleeping peaceful ly as he de emed and he looked about
,

o n the dreary desert and its dead men and s a w no end

to it though they lay o n the top o f o ne o f those stony

,

bents ; and he said softl y to himself : Will it end

at all then ? Surely all this people of the days gone
by were Seekers o f the Wel l as we be ; and have they
belike turned back from somewhere further o n and ,

might not escape the dese rt despite o f all ? Shall we

turn now : shall we turn ? surely we might get into
”
the kindly wood from here .

S O he spake ; but Ursula s at up (for s he was not

“
a sleep and said The perils of the waste being
)
abundant a n d exceeding hard t O fa ce would not the
'

,
”
Sage or his books have told u s of the most deadly ?

Said Ralph : Yet here are all these dead and we ,

w ere n o t told of them ; nevertheless we have seen the

token o n the rocks oft times yesterday s o we are yet
-
,

in the roa d unless all this hath been but a snare and
a betrayal .

She shook her head and was silent a little ; t hen

,

she said : Ralph my lad didst tho u s e e this token

, ,

and she set han o the beads about her neck) o n any
( d t
”
of those dead folk yesterday ? Nay said Ralph , ,

though sooth to say I looked for it And I in .

’

”
likewi se s he said ; for indeed I had misgivings as
,

the day grew Old ; b u t n o w I say let us on in the ,

faith o f that token and the kindness O f the Sage and ,

the love o f the Innocent People ; yea and thy luck , ,

1 1. 81 o
O lad o f t h e gree n fields far away that hath brought ,
”
thee unscathed so far from U pme ads .

S o they mounted and rode forth and sa w more and ,

more o f the de ad folk ; and ever an d anon they looked

t o them t o note if they wore the beads like to them ,
“
but s aw none so dight Then Ursula said : Yea.
,

wh y should the Sage and the books have told us aught

o f thes e dead bod ies that are but as the plenishing
,

O f the waste ; lik e to the flowers that are cast down

before the bi e r o f a saint o n a holy day t o be tro dde n -

under foot by the churls and the vicars o f t he close .

Fo rs oo t h had they been alive now with swords t o smite ,

withal and hands t o d r ag us into captivi t y it had been

, ,
”
another matter : but against these I feel bold .

“
Ralph sighed and said : Y ea but even if we die
, ,

n o t in the waste yet this is piteous ; s o many lives

,
”
passed away so many hopes slain
, .

”
Yea s he said ; but do not fo l k die there in the
,

world behind us ? I have seen sights far worser than

this at U tt e rb ol little while as I was there Moreover
, .

I can note that this army o f dead men h a s not come

all in o n e day o r o n e e a r b u t in a long long while
y
°

, , ,

by one and two and three ; for hast thou not noted
that their raiment and war ge a r both is o f many fashions , ,

a n d some much more perished than other long as ,

things last in this Dry Waste ? I s ay that men die as

in the world beyond but here we see them as they lie
,
”
dead and have lain for so long
, .

“
He said I fear neither the Waste nor the dead
men if thou fearest n o t belov ed but I lament fo r
, ,
”
these poor souls .

“ ” “
And I also said she ; there fore let u s o n that
, ,

we may come t o those whose g rief we may heal .

82
C H APTER X V III . T H EY C OM E TO T H E
D RY T REE .

R ES E NTLY th ey rode they had before them

as

o n e of the greatest ofthose land waves and they -

,

climbed it slowly going afoot and leading their

,

horses ; but when they were but a little way from the
brow they s aw over a gap thereof something as it
, , ,

were huge horns rising up into the air beyond the

crest o f the ridge SO they marvelled and d rew t heir
.
,

swords and held them still awhile misdoubting if this

, ,

were perchance some terrible monster of the waste ;

but whereas the thing moved not at all they plucked ,

up heart and fared o n .

S o came they to the brow and looked over it into a

valley about which on all sides went the ridge save
, ,

where it wa s broken down into a narrow pass o n the

further side s o that the said valley was like to o n e of
,

those theatres of the ancient Roman Folk whereof are ,

some to be seen in certain lands Neither did those .

desert benches lack their sitters ; for all down the

sides o f the valley sat or lay children of men ; some
women but most men folk of whom the more part
,
-
,

were weapo ned and some with their drawn s words i n

,

their hands Whatever semblance of moving was in

.

them was when the eddying wind of the valley stirred

the rags of their raiment o r the long hair of the ,

women But a very midmost o f this dreary theat re

.

rose up a huge and monstrous tree whose topmost ,

branches were even the horns which they had seen

from below the b il l s brow L e a fle ss was that tree
’
.

and lacking of twigs and its bole upheld but some

,

fifty O f great limbs and as they looked on it they

, ,

doubted whether it were not made by men s hands ’

rather than grown u p out of the earth All round .

about the roots of i t was a pool of clear water that ,

cast back the i mage of the valley side and the bright -

83
sk
yo fthe desert as though it had been a mirror O f
,

burnishe d steel Th e limbs o f that tree were all

.

behung with blazoned shields and knight s helms and ’

swords and spears and axes and hauberks ; and it

, , ,

rose up into the air some hundred feet above the fl a t

o f the valley .

F o r a while they looked down silently o n t o this

marvel then from both their lips at once came the c r y
, ,

T H E D RY TREE Then R al ph thrust his sword .

bac k into his sheath and said Meseems I must

needs g o down amongst them ; there is naught to do
us harm here ; for all thes e ar e dead like the others
that we sa w .

Ursula turned t o him with burning C heeks and

sparkling eyes and said ea gerly ,
Yea yea let us go , ,

down else might w e chance to miss something that

,
”
we ought to wot of .

Therewith she also sheathed her sword and they ,

went both O f them down together and that easily ; ,

for as aforesaid the slope was as if it had been cut

into steps for their feet A ri d as they passed by t h e .

dead folk for whom they had often to turn aside they
, ,

noted that each o f the dead leathery faces wa s drawn

up in a grin as though they had died in pain and yet
, ,

beguiled so that all those visages looked somewhat

,

alike as though they had all come from the workshop

,

o f o n e craftsman .

At last Ralph and Ursula stood on the level ground

underneath the Tree and they looked up at the ,

branches and down to the water at their feet ; and

,

now it seemed to them as thou g h the Tree had verily

growth in it for they beheld its roots that they went
, ,

o u t from the mound o r islet o f earth into the water ,

and spread abroad therein and seemed to waver about ,

.

S O they walked around the Tree and looked up at ,

the shields that hung o n its branches but saw no blazo n ,

that they knew though they were many and diverse ;

,

84
 '

look there glitters a sp ear and stirreth ! and lo a "

helm underneath t h e spear : tarry not let u s s ave o u r ,

horses !
Then Ralph let a c r y o u t from his mouth and set o ff ,

to the side o f the slope and fell t o climbing ,

it with great strides n o t heeding Ursula but she

,

followed close after and scrambled up w ith foot and

,

hand and knee till she stood b eside him o n the to p

, ,

and he looked around wildly an d cried o u t : Where !

where are they ?
“
Nowhere s he said it was nau ght but my word
, ,

t o draw thee from death ; but praise b e t o th e saints

”
that thou art come alive out of the ac c ursed valley .

He seemed n o t t o hearken but turned about onc e , ,

and beat the air with his hands and then fell down o n ,

his back ; and with a great wail s he cast herself upo n

him for s he deemed at first that he w as de ad But
, .

s h e took a little water from one o f their skins and

,

cast it into his face and took a flask o f cordial fr o m

,

her pouch and set it to his lips and made him drink
, ,

somewhat thereof S O in a while he came to himself

.

and opened his eyes and smiled upon her and s h e ,

took his head in her hands an d kissed h i s che ek and ,

he sat up and said feebly Shall we no t go down

”
into the valley ? there i s naught there t o harm us .

”
We have been down there already she said , ,
”
and well it is that we are not both lying there n o w .

Then he got t o his feet and stretched him s elf and

, ,

yawned like o n e j ust awakened from long slee p But .

s h e said : Let us to horse and begone ; it is early hours

t o s lumber for those that are seekin g the Well at th e
,
’ ”
World s End .

He smiled o n her ag ain and took her hand and s h e ,

led him to his horse and helped him till he was in the
,

saddle and lightly s he gat a horseback and they rode

,
-
,

away swiftly from that evil place and after a while

Ralph was himself again and remembered all t hat had
,

86
h appe ned till he fell down o n the brow o f t he ridge .

Then he prai s ed Ursula s wisdom and valiancy till she

’

bade him forbear lest he weary her Al be it s he drew .

up clos e to him and kissed his face sweetly .

C H APTER XIX T H EY C OM E OUT OF THE

.

T HI R S TY D E S ERT .

the Valley of the Dr y Tree they s aw but

dead men lying about and soon they saw ,

r another : and though t he land was still

,

utterly barren and all cast up into ridges as before

, ,

yet the salt slime gre w less and less and before night ,

fall O f that day they had done with it : and the next
day those stony waves were lower ; and the next
again the waste was but a swelling plain and here and ,

there they came o n patches of dwarf willow and other ,

harsh and scanty herbage whereof the horses might

,

have a bait which they sore needed for n o w was their

, ,

fodder -done : but both men and horses were sore

athirst ; for as carefully as they had hoarded their water
, ,

there was n o w b ut little left which t hey durst not

,

drink till they were driven perforc e lest they should ,

yet die o f drought .

They j ourneyed long that day and whereas t he ,

moon was up at night tide they l ay not down till she

-

was s e t ; and their resting place w a s by some low

bushes whereabout wa s rough grass mingled with
,

willow herb whereby Ralph judged that they drew

-
,

nigh to water so o r ever they slept they and the

, ,

horses all but emptied the water skins They heard -

.

some sort of beasts roaring in the night but they ,

were t o o weary to w atch and might no t make a fire

,
.

When Ralph a woke in the morning he cried o u t

that he could s e e the woodland and Ursula arose at
his cry and looked where he pointed and sure enough ,

there were the trees o n a rising ground some two miles

87
 ah e ad and bey o nd th e m n o t ve ry far by seeming they
, , ,

beheld t he t ops o f great dark mountains On ei t her .

hand moreover ni gh o n their right hand far O H o n

,
’
,

their left ran a re e f o f rocks so that their way seemed

, ,

to be as between t wo walls And these said reefs were .

nowise like those that they had seen of late but black ,

and as to their matter like t o the great mounta ins by

, ,

the rock o f the Fi ghting Man : but as t h e reefs ran

eastward they seemed t o grow higher .

No w they moun t ed their horses a t on ce and rod e

o n ; and the b e asts were a s eager as th ey wer e and b e ,

like sme l t the w ater S o when they had ridden but

.

three mil e s they saw a fair little river before them

,

winding about exceedingly but flowing eastward o n ,

the whole S O they spurred o n with light hearts and

.

presently were o n the banks o f the said river and its ,

waters were crystal clear though its sands were black

-
,

and the pink blossomed willow herb was growing

- -

abun dantly on the sandy shores Close to t h e water .

w a s a black rock as big as a man whereon was gr a v e n

‘

, ,

the sign o f t he w a y ; s o they kne w that there was n o

evil in the water wherefore they drank their fill and
,

watered their horses abundantly and o n t h e further ,

bank w a s there abundance of good grass S O when .

they had drunk their fill for the pleasu r e o f the cool ,

water they waded the ford barefoot a n d it was scarc e ,

above Ursula s knee Then they had great joy to l i e

’
.

o n the soft grass and eat their meat while the horses ,

tore eagerly at the herbag e close to them S O when .

they had eaten they r ested awhile but before they wen t
, ,

further they despoiled them o n e after other and bathed , ,

in a pool O f the river to wash the foul wil derness O ff

them Then again they rested and let the horses yet
.

bite the grass and departed not from that pleasant plac e
,

till it was two hours after noon As they were l ying .

there Ralph said he could hear a great roar like t he

sound o f many waters but very far o ff but to Ursula ,

88
it seemed naught but the wind wa x in g in the bou ghs
o f the woodland anigh them .

C H APTER XX T H EY C OM E TO THE .

O CEAN S EA .

EI NG come to the wood they went not very far

into it that day for they were minded to rest
,

them after the weariness of the wilderness : they

feasted on a b ar e which Ralph shot and made a big ,

fire to keep o ff evil be asts but none came nigh them , ,

though they heard the voices of certain beasts a s the

night grew still To be short they slept far into the
.
,

morrow s morn and then being refreshed and t heir

’

, , ,

horses also they rode strongly all day and found the
, ,

wood to be not very great ; for before sunset they

were come to i ts outskirts and the m o u n t a i n s l ay ,

before them These were but little like to t hat huge

.

wall they had passed through on their way to Chest

nut dale b eing rather great hills than mountains grass
-
, ,

grow n and at their feet somewhat woo ded and by

, ,

se eming not over hard to pass over .

The next day they entered them by a pass marked

with the token w hich led them about by a winding
,

w a y till they were on the side O f the biggest fell of

all ; so there they rested that night in a fair li t tle
hollow or dell in the mountain side There in the -
.

stillness of the night both Ursula as well as Ralph , ,

heard that roaring of a great water and they said to ,

each other that it must be the voice O f the Sea and ,

they rejoiced thereat for they had learned by the Sage

,

and his books that they must needs come to the verge
o f the Ocean Sea which girdles the earth about
-
,
So .

th ey arose betimes on the morrow and set t o work to ,

climb the mountain going mostly a foot ; and the way

,
-

was long but not craggy o r exceeding steep so that

, ,

in five hours time they were at the mountain top and

’
-
,

89
coming o ver the brow beheld ben e ath them fair gre en
slopes besprinkled with trees and beyond them some , ,

three or four miles away the blue landless s e a and o n

, ,

either hand o f them was the se a also s o that they we re ,

nigh hand at the ending of a great ness and there w as

-
,

naught beyond it ; and naught to do if they missed

the Well but t o turn back by the way th e y had come
, .

No w when they saw this they were e xceedingly

moved and they looked o n o n e another and each s aw
, ,

that the other wa s pale with glistening eyes sinc e

, ,

they were come to the very point o f their d oom and ,

that it should be s e en whether there were n o such thing

as the Well in all the earth but that th e y had bee n ,

chasing a fair hued cloud ; o r else their Qi e st should

-

be achieved and they should have the world before

them and they happy and mighty and o f gre at worship
, ,

amidst all men .

Little they tarried but gat them down the ste ep o f

,

the mountain and so lower and lower till they were

,

come to g round nigh level ; and then a t last it was

but thus that without any great rock wall o r girdle o f
,
-

marvellous and strange land there was an end o f earth , ,

with its grass and trees and streams and a beginning ,

O f the ocean which stretched away changeless and it

, ,

might be for ever Where the lan d ended there was

.

but a d i ff o f less than an hundred feet above the

e ddying o f the sea ; and o n the very po int o f the ness

w as a l o w green toft with a square ston e s e t atop o f

it whereon a s they drew ni g h they s aw t he toke n
,

g raven ,
yea o n each face thereof .

Then they went along the edg e o f the cli ff a mile

o n each side o f the said toft a n d then finding naught ,

else to note naught save the grass and t he s e a they

, ,

came back to that place o f the token and sat down o n ,

the grass o f the toft .

It was n o w evening and t h e s u n was settin g b e hind

,

th e m but they coul d behold a kind o f stair cut i n the

,

0
9
side o f the cli ff and o n the first step whereof was t h e
,

token done wherefore they knew that they were bidden

to go down by the said stair ; but it seemed to lead no
whither save straight into the sea And whiles it
, .

came into Ralph s mind that this was naught but a

’

mock as if to bid the hapl ess seekers cast themselve s

,

d own from the earth and be done with i t for ever

, .

But in any case they might not try the adventure of

that stair by the failing light and w ith the night l On g ,

before them S O when they had hoppled their horses

.
,

a n d left them to graze at their will on the sweet grass

o f the meadow they laid them down be hind the green

,

toft and being for wearied it wa s no long time ere

, , ,

they twain slept fas t at that uttermost end o f the

world .

C H APTE R XXI NOW T H EY D R I NK OF

.

THE WELL AT TH E WORLD S END ’

.

ALP H awoke from some foolish morning

dream of U pme a ds wondering where he was , ,

or what familiar voice had cried out his name

then he raised himself o n his elbow and s a w Ursula ,

standing before him with flushed face and sparkling

eyes and she was looking out seaward while s h e called
, ,

o n his name SO he sprang up and strove with the

.

slumber that still hung about him and as his eyes ,

cleared he looked down and s aw th at the s e a which

, ,

l ast night had washed the face of the c l i fl had no w

’
,

ebbed far o u t and left bare betwixt the billows and

,

the cli ff some half mile o f black sand with rocks o f the ,

like hue rising out o f it here and there But j ust below .

the place where they stood right up against the cli ff , ,

w a s builded by man s hand o f huge stones a garth o r

’

pound the wall whereof was some seven feet high and
, ,

the pound within the wall o f forty feet space endlong

and overthwart ; and the said pound was filled with
1
9
 the waters of a spring th at came fort h from th e face
o f t h e cli ff a s they deemed t h o ugh fro m above they
,

might n o t s ee the issu e thereof ; but the water r a n

seaward from the pound by some w a y unseen and ,

m ade a wide stream through the black sand o f the

foresho re : but ever t he great basin filled somewhat
faster than it voided so that it ran over the lip o n all
,

sides making a thin vei l over the huge ashlar stones

,
-

o f t h e gar t h The day was bright and fair with no

.

wind save l ight airs playing abo ut from t h e westward

,

o r t and all things gleamed and glittered in the sun

, .

Ralph stood still a moment and then stretched ,

abro ad his arms and with a great sob cast th em

,

round about the body O f his beloved and strained her ,

to his bosom as he murmured about her THE WELL ,

AT T H E WORLD S EN D B u t: she wept for ’

.

j oy as she fawned upon him and l et her hands beat ,

.

u pon his body .

But when they were somew h at calmed o f their

ecstasy o f j o y they made ready to go down by that
,

rocky stair And first they did O ff their armour and

.

other g ear and when they were nak ed t hey did on t h e

,

hallowed raiment which they had out of the ark in the

House of the Sorceress ; and so clad gat them down
the rock hewn stair Ralph goi n g first lest there should
-
, ,

be any broken place ; but naught was amiss with

those hard b l ack stones and they came safely t o a ,

level place of the rock whence they could see the face ,

o f t h e cli ff and how the waters o f t h e Well came

,

gushing fo r th from a hollow therein in a great swelling

wave as clear as glass and the sun glistene d in it and
made a foam bow about its edges But above the
-
.

issue o f the waters the b l ack rock had been smoothed -

’
by man s art and thereon was graven the Sword and
,

the Bough and above it these words t o Wi t

, ,

YE WHO H AVE C OM E A L O NG WAY TO

LOO K U P O N ME D R I NK O F ME IF YE , ,

2
9
 Yea and fo r thee s he said
, , .

No w that level place o r bench table went up to t he

,
-

very gushing and green bo w o f the water s o Ralp h ,

took U rsula s hand and led her along s he going a

’

little after him till he was close to the Well and stood
, ,

amidst the spray bow thereof s o that he looked verily

-
,

like o n e o f the painted angels o n the choir wall o f

St Laurence o f U pm e ads Then he reached forth
. .

his hand and thrust the cup into the water holding it ,

stoutly because the gush o f the stream w a s st rong so ,

that the water o f the Well splashed all over him ,

’
wettin g Ursula s face and breast withal : and he felt
that the water was sweet without any saltness o f the
sea But he turned to Ursula and reached out t h e
.

full c u p to h er an d sa id : Sweetl ing cal l a heal th

“
, ,

over the cup

She took i t and said : To thy life beloved ! and ,

drank withal and her eye s looked o u t o f the cup the

,

while like a child s when he drinketh Then she

,
’
.

gave him the cup again and said : Drink and tarry ,

n o t les t thou die and I live

, .

Then Ralph plunged the cup into the waters again ,

and he held the cup aloft and cried out To the Earth , ,

and the World o f M an fo lk and therewith he drank .

F o r a minute then they clung together within the

spray bow o f the Well and then s h e took his hand
-
,

a n d led him back to the midst of the bench table and -

,

he put the cup into the a m br ye and shut it up ,

again and the n they s at them down o n the widest of

,

the platform under the shadow of a j utting rock ; for

the sun was hot ; and therewithal a sweet weariness
began t o steal over them though there was speech ,

betwi xt t hem for a littl e and Ralph said : Ho w is ,

it with thee beloved ?

,

0 well indeed s h e said ,

.

(b oth he : And how tasteth to thee the water o f

the Well P

94
 “
Slowly she spake and sleepily : It tasted good and ,

as if thy love were blended with it .

“
And s he smiled in his face ; b u t he said : One
thing I wonder over : how shall we wot if we have
drunk aright ? For whereas if w e were sick or old
and failing or ill liking and were now presently healed
,
-
,

o f all this and become strong and fair to look on then

, ,

should we kno w it for sure but n o w though a s I —

, ,

look o n thee I behold thee the fairest of all women

, ,

and o n thy face is no token of toil and travail and ,

the weariness of the way ; and though the heart ache of -

loneliness and captivi t y and the shame of U tt e r bo l

,

has left no m ark upon thee yet hast thou not always —

been sweet to my eyes a nd as sweet as might be ?,

And how then ? But he broke o ff and looked

o n her and she smiled upon th e love in his eyes and ,

h i s head fell back and he slept with a calm and smiling

face And s he leaned over him to kiss his face but
.
,

even therewith her own eyes closed and s he laid her

head upon h i s breast and slept as peacefully a s he
,
.

C H APTER XXII NOW T H EY H AVE D R U NK

.

AND ARE GLAD .

O NG they slept till the shadows were falling

from the west and the s e a w a s flowing fast
,

again over the sands beneath them though ,

there w as still a great space bare betwixt the cli ff and

the sea Then spake Ursula as if Ralph had but just
.

left speaking ; and s he said Yea dear lord and I , ,

also say that l o v e ly as thou art no w n e v e r h as t thou been

, , ,

aught else but lovely to me But tell me hast thou had.

,

any scar o f a hurt upon thy body ? For if now that

were gone surely it should be a token o f the renewal
,

o f thy life But if it be not gone then there may yet be

.
,
”
another token .

Then he stood upon his feet and she cried out ,

95
 0 but thou art fair and mighty who now shal l dare ,

gainsay thee ? Who shall n o t long for thee ?

Said Ralph : Look love ! how the s e a comes over
,

the sand like the creeping o f a sly wood snak e ! Shal l -

w e go henc e and tur n from the ocean sea without -

wetting o u r bodies in its waters ?

Let us go she said
,
.

S o they went down o n to t h e level sands and along ,

the edges o f the swee t water stream that flowed from

-

the Well and Ralph said : Belove d I will tell thee ,

o f that which thou hast asked me : when I was but a

l ad o f sixteen w inters there rode men a lifting into -

U pm e a ds and Nicholas Lon gshanks who is a wise

, ,

man o f war gathered force and went against them

, ,

and I must n e eds ride beside him Now we came t o .

o u r above and put the thieves to the road ; but in the

,

h u r l y I got a claw fro m the war beast for the strok e

-
,

o f a sword sheared me o f? somewhat from my shoulder :

”
b elike thou hast seen the scar and loathed it .

“ ”
It is naught loathsom e s he said for a lad t o b e
, ,

a bold warrior nor for a grown man to think lightl y

,

o f t he memory o f death d rawn near for the first time .

Yea I have noted it ; but let me s e e now what has

,
”
befallen with it .

As s he spoke they were come to a salt pool in a

rocky bight o n their right hand which the tide was ,

fill i n g speedily ; and Ralph spake See now this is ,

”
the bath o f the water o f the ocean sea 80 they .

were speedily naked a n d playi n g in the water : and

Ursula took Ral ph by the arm a n d looked to his
“
shoulder and said : O my lad of the pale edges ,

where is gon e thy glory There is no mark of the

” ”
sword s pilgrimage o n thy shoulder
’
Nay none ? .
,

quoth he .

”
None none 1 s he said Didst th ou s a y the very
, ,
”
sooth of thy hurt in the battle O poor lad o f mine ?
,

Yea the sooth said he Then she laughed sweetly

, ,
.

9 6
thee swee tl in g that I am grown eager fo r t he road ;
, ,

though tru e it is that while s I was down yonder

amidst t he ripple o f the s e a I lo n ged fo r naught but
thee though thou wert beside me and thy j oyou s
, ,

words were as fire t o t he heart o f my love But n o w .

that I a m o n t he green grass o f t he e arth I c alled t o

mind a drea m that came t o m e when we slept after the
precious draught o f th e Wel l : fo r methought that I
was s t andin g before th e po rc h of the F east hall o f -

U pme a ds and holding t hine hand and the ancient ,

House sp ake t o m e with t he voic e o f a man greeting ,

both t hee and me and praisin g thy good liness and

,

valiancy Surely th e n it i s calling me t o deeds and if

.
,

it were but morning as it is n o w drawing towards

,
”
sunset we would mount and be gon e straightway
, .

”
Surely she said t hou hast drunk of the Well
, , ,

and the fear o f thee ha s already entered into the hearts

o f thy fo e men far away e ven as the love o f thee c o n
,

s t ra i n e t h me as I lie by thy side but since it is even

ing and sunset let it be evening and let the mornin g
, ,

s e e t o its o wn matters S o n o w let us be pilgrims

.

again and eat t he meal o f pil g rims and see to our

, ,

horses a n d then wander about this lovely wil derness

,

and its green meads where no so n o f man h e e d e t h the

,

wild things till the night come bringing to us t h e

, ,

rest and the sleep o f them that have prevailed over

”
m any troubles .

Even so they did and broke bread above the se a

, ,

and looked t o their horses and then went hand in hand

,

about the goo dly green bents betwixt the s e a and the
rough o f the mountain ; and it was the fairest and
softest o f summer evenings ; and the deer of that
place both little and great had no fear o f man but
, , ,

the hart and hind came to Ursula s hand ; and the ’

thrushes perched u pon her shoulder and the hares ,

gambolled together close t o the feet of the twain ; so

that it seemed t o them that they had com e into t he
9 8
very Garden o f Go d ; and they forgat all t he many
miles o f the waste and t he mountain that lay before
them and they had no thought fo r the strife o f foeme n
,

and t h e thwarting o f kindre d that belike awaited them

,

in their o wn land but they thought o f the love and

,

h appiness o f the hour that was passin g . S o sweetly

they wore through t he last minutes o f th e day and ,

when it was as dark as it would be in that fair seas on ,

they lay down by the green knoll a t the e nding o f th e

land and were lulle d to sl eep by t he bubb l in g o f th e
,
’
Wel l at t he World s End .

99
B OO K IV . TH E R OAD HOM E .

C H APTER I RALP H AND U R SU LA C OM E

.

B ACK AGA I N T H R OU G H TH E GREA T

MOU NT AI N S .

N the morrow morning they armed th em and

took t o their horses and departed from that
pleasant place and climbed the mountain with
o u t weariness and made provision of meat and drink
,

for the Dry Desert and so entered it and j ourneyed

, ,

happily with naught evil befalling them till they cam e

back to the H ouse of the Sorceress ; and of the Desert
they made little an d the wood was pleasant t o t he m
,

after the drought o f the Desert .

But at t h e said House they saw those kind people ,

and they s a w in their eager eyes as in a glass how they

had been bettered by t heir drinking o f the Well and ,

the Elder said to them Dear friends there is n o ,

need to as k you whether ye have achieved your quest ;

for ye who before were lovely are now become a s the
, ,

v ery Gods who rule the world And now methinks .

we have to pray yo u but o n e thing to wit that ye will ,

not be overmuch o f God s but will be kind and lowly

,
”
with them that needs must worship you .

They laughed on him for kindness sake and kissed ’

and embraced the o ld man and they thanked them a l l ,

for their helping and they abode with them fo r a

,

whole day in good will and love and thereafter the

-
,

carle wh o was the s o n o f the Elder with his wi fe

, , ,

bade farewell to his kinsmen and led Ralph and ,

Urs u la back through the wood and over the desert

to the town o f the Innocent Folk The said Folk .

10
. 3
received the m in all j o y and triumph and wou l d hav e ,

them abide there the winter over But they prayed .

leave to depart because their hearts were sore fo r

,

their o wn land and their kindred So they abode .

there but t wo d ay s and o n the third day were led

,

away by a h al f sc ore o f men g aily apparelled after

_
“

their ma n ner and havin g with them many s u m te r

,

beasts With provision fo r t he road With this f low

”

,
.

sh i p the y came s afely and with litt le p ain u nto Che stnu t
’

Vale where they abode but o n e n i g ht thou gh t o

, ,

R alph a n d Ursula the place w as s wee t fo r the memor y

o f their lo v ing sojour n the re .

The y would have taken l eave o f t he Inno c ent Folk

in the said vale but those others must ne e ds go wi t h
,

the m a l ittl e further and would no t leave the m til l

,

the j aws o f the pass which led to

the Rock of t he Fighting Man F urther than that .

indeed they would n ot o r d u rs t no t go ; and thos e

,

huge mountains they c alled t h e Wall o f S trife e v e n ,

as they on the other s ide calle d them t he Wall o f the

World .

So t he twain took le ave o f t heir friends there an d ,

howbeit that they had drunk o f the Well at t h e

World s En d yet were their hearts grieved a t t h e
’

pa rting The kind folk left with them abundant

.

provision for the remnant of the road and a sumpter ,

o x to b ear it ; s o t hey were in no doubt o f their liveli

hoo d Moreover though t h e turn o f autumn wa s

.
,

come again and winter was at hand yet the weather ,

w a s fair and calm and their journey through the

,

dreary p ass was as light as it mi ght be t o any men .

1 04
me I would go bac k to S we v e nham to e nd my days
,

there whether they be long o r short

, .

But Ralph said : A s for that thou mayst go ,

further than S w e v e n h a m and as far as U pme ad s , ,

where there will be as many to love and cherish thee

”
as at S we v e nh am .

The o ld man laug hed a little and reddened withal , ,

but answered no t hin g .

Then they untrussed their sumpter beast and took -

,

meat and drink from hi s burden and the y a te an d ,

drank to gether sitting o n the g reen grass there ; and

,

the twain made great o y o f the Sage and told him the
°

who l e tal e ; and he told them that he had b e en abiding

,

there since the spring tide lest they might have turned
-
,

back without ac c omplishing their quest and then may ,

happen he should have been at hand to comfort them ,

”
o r the o n e o f them left if so it had befallen But , .
,

quoth he sinc e ye have verily drunk o f the Well at

,

t h e World s End y e have com e back no later than I

’

,
”
l ooked fo r yo u .

That ni g ht they slept in the bower there and o n ,

t h e morrow betimes the Sage drove together thr e e or

,

fo ur milch goats that he pastured there and went t heir ,

ways over the plain and so in due time entered into

,

the lava s e a But the first night that they lay there
—
.
,

though it was moonless and so mewhat cloudy they ,

s aw no lare o f the distant earth fir e s which they had -

looked or and when o n the morrow they questioned

“
the Sage the r eof he sa id The Earth fir es ceased
,
-

about the end o f last year as I have heard tell But ,

.

sooth it is that the foreboding o f the Giant s Candle ’

w as n o t fo r naught F o r there hath v eri l y been a

.

”
change o f masters at U t te r bo l .

Ye a ,
said Ralph for better o r worse ? ,

Sa id the Sage It could scarce have been fo r

worse ; but i f rumour runneth right it is much for
-

the better Hear ken h o w I learned thereof O ne

. .

1 06
fair even o f late Mar ch a l ittle before I s et o ff hither
, ,

a s I was sitting before the door o f my house I sa w ,

t he glint o f steel through the wood and presently ,

rod e up a sort of knights a nd men a t arms about a - -

,

score ; and at the head o f them a man o n a big red

roan horse with his surcoat blazoned with a white
,

bul l o n a green field : he was a man black haired -

,

but blue eyed ; n o t very big but well knit and strong
-
, ,

and looked both doughty and knightly ; and he wore

a gold coronet about his basnet : so not knowing his
bla z onry I wondered w h o it was that durst be so bold
,

as to ride in the lands o f the Lord of U t t e rb o l No w .

he rode up to me and craved a drink of milk fo r he ,

had seen my goats ; so I milked two goats for him ,

and brought whey fo r the others whereas I h ad no ,

more goats in milk at that season So the bull knight .

-

spake to me about the woodland and wherefore I ,

dwelt there apart from o t hers ; somewhat rough in

his speech he was yet rather j olly than fierce ; and he
,

thanked me for the bever ki ndly enough and said ,

I deem that it will n o t avail t o give thee money ; but

I shall give t hee what may be o f avail to thee Ho .
,

Gervaise give me one of those scrolls ! So a squire

hands him a parchment and he gave it me and it was ,

a safe conduct to the bearer from the Lord o f Utter

-

b o l ; but whereas I s aw that the se al bore n o t the

Bear o n the Castle wal l but the Bull and that the
-
, ,

sup erscripti on was unknown to me I held the said ,

scroll in my hand and wondered ; and the knight said

“
to me Yea look long at it ; but s o it is though
, ,

thou trow it not that I am verily Lord of U t te r bo l

, ,

and that by conquest ; s o that b e li ke I am mightier

t han he was fo r that mighty runagate h a v e I slain
, .

And many there be who deem that no mishap heathen ,

though I be Come tho u to U t te r bo l and s ee for t hy

.

s elf if the days h e not changed there and thou s h alt

,
;
have a belly full o f meat and drink and honour after
'

-
,

1 11 0 7
thy deservi n g . S o they re sted a whil e and t hen w e n t ,

their ways To U t t e r bo l I we nt n o t but ere I de

.
'

,
’

parted t o come h ither t wo o r thre e carl es stra yed my

way as whiles they wil l who told m e that t his which
, ,

t he knight had said was naught but the soo th a n d that ,

g re at was t h e chang e o f da ys at U t te r bo l wh ere as a ll ,

men the re both bo nd an d free were as mer r y a s the y

, ,
”
deserved to be o r bel ike me rri er
, .

R alph pondered this tal e a n d was n o t so s ure but ,

that t h is n e w lor d was no t B u ll Sho ckhe ad h i s war ,

taken thr a ll ; nathe l ess h e h e ld his pe ace ; bu t Ursu la

“
s aid I marve l n ot much at t h e t a l e for s ure I a m, ,

tha t h ad G andol f o f th e B e ar be e n sla i n wh en I was a t

U t t er b o l n e ither man n o r woman had sti rre d a fin ge r
,

to avenge him But al l fear e d hi m I s c arc e k n ow

. .
,

wh y ; and moreo v e r the re was n o n e t o be m ast e r i f

, ,
”
he were gone
. .

Thereafter s he t old more ta l e s of th e mise ries o f

U t t e rbo l t h a n R al h ha d ye t hea rd a s t ho u g h t hi s ,
.

tal e o f t h e en d 0 tha t e vil rul e had s e t h e r free t o

u tt e r t he m ; an d th e y fel l t o t alk in g o f o t he r ma t t er s .

CHAPTE R 111 T H EY WI NT ER WI T H T
.
H E
SAG E ; A ND T H EREA F TER C OM E A G AI N
TO VALE T U R R I S .

HU S wi t h n o p er il an d l i tt le p a i n t hey c ame
t o t he Sa ge s h e rmitag e ; a n d wh e re as the
’
.

autumn was n ow we aring an d it was no t t o ,

be lo oked for that th ey should cross e ve n the

tains west o f Goldb u rg let al one those t o th e we st o f
,

Cheapi ng Knowe whe n winte r had onc e se t in Ra lph

, ,

a n d Ursul a t ook t h e Sage s bidd ing t o abide t h e W i nter

’
,

through with him and s et forth on thei r j ourne y

,

again whe n spring s hould b e fair l y come an d t he

m ou n t ai n way s be clear o f s no w .

1 08
an d the l an e s booths down t o the side o f the
o f th e
river where o n a green knoll with some dozen o f
, ,

men at arms and c aptains about him s a t the n e w

- -
,

Lord o f U t t e r bo l .

No w as the oth e rs dre w away from him t o ri g ht

and left t he Lord s at before Ralph with naught t o
,

hide him and when their e yes met Ralph ga v e a cr y

,

as o n e astonished ; and t h e Lo rd o f U tt e r bo l rose up

t o hi s feet and shouted and then fell a laughing

,

joyousl y and then cried o u t : Welcome King s S on

, ,
’

and look o n me ! fo r thou gh t he feathers be fine t is ’

t he same bird I am Lord o f U t t e r bo l and there

.

withal Bull Shockhead whose might wa s less tha n ,

”
thine o n t h e bent o f t he mountai n valley .

Therewi t h he caught hold o f Ralph s hand and ’

s a t himse l f d own and drew Ralph do wn a n d ma d e ,

him s i t beside him .

”
Thou seest I am be com e g re at ? s aid h e Ye a .
,
“ ”
said Ral ph I give th e e j oy thereof !
,
Said t he n ew
Lord P e rchanc e thou wilt be deeming that since
I was once thy war taken thrall I shou l d g ive myself
-

t o t h ee : but I t e ll thee I wil l n o t : fo r I have much

u
p
t o do h e re Moreover I did n o t run away fro m th ee
.
,
”
but thou r a n ne s t from me lad , .

Thereat in his turn Ralph fell a laughing and when ,

he might s peak he said : What needeth the lord o f al l

i b es e spears t o beg o fl his se rvice t o the poor wander
’

i n g knight ?
“
Th en B u l l put h i s arms about him and said :
'
I ,

am fain at t he sight o f thee time was thou wert a ,

kind lad and a good master ; yet naught s o merry as

thou shoul dest have been ; but n o w I s e e that gladness
plays all about thy face and sparkles in thine eyes ; ,

and that is good But t hese thy fellows ? I have

.

seen the o ld carle before : he was dwe ll ing in th e

wildwo od because he was overwise t o l ive with other
fo l k But this young man who may he be ? Or
.
,

1 IO
else yea verily it is a youn woman Yea and n ow
—
, ,
.
,

I deem that it is the thrall 0 my brother Bull Nosy

”
Therefore by heritage she is now mine .

Ralph heard the words but saw n o t the smiling face ,

so wr oth he was ; therefore the bare sword was in hi s

fist in a twinkling But ere he could smite Bull .

caught hold o f his wrist and said Master master , , ,

tho u art but a sorry lawyer o r thou wouldst have ,

said : Thou art my thrall and how shall a thrall

‘
,

heritage ? Dost thou not s e e that I cannot o w n

’

her till I be free and that thou wilt not give me my

,

freedom save fo r hers ? There no w is all the matter ,

o f the service d u ly settled and I am free and a Lord , .

And this damsel is free al so and— yea i s s h e n o t thy , ,

” ’
well beloved King s So n ?
-
,
“
Ralph was somewhat abashed and said : I crave ,

thy pardon Lord for misdoubting thee : but think

, ,

how feeble are we two lovers amongst the hosts o f the

”
aliens .

“ “
It i s well it is well said Bull and in very
, , ,

sooth I deem thee my friend ; and this damsel was my

brother s friend Sit down dear maiden I hid thee ;
’
.
, ,

and thou also 0 man overwise and let u s drink a

,

and then w e will talk about what we may d o fo r

cu
p,
”
e ach othe r .

S o they sat down all o n the grass and the Lord o f ,

U t t er b o l called for wine and they drank together in ,

the merry season o f May ; and the new Lord said

Here be we friends come together and it were pity ,

o f our lives if w e must needs sunder speedily ho w

beit it is thou must rule herein King s S o n ; for in
, ,
’

my eyes thou art stil l greater than I O my master , .

For I can see in thine eyes and thy ait and in thine
also maiden that ye have drunk ogt he Well at the
,

, ,

World s End Therefore I pray you gently and

’
.

”
heartily that ye come home with me to U tt e r bo l .

Ralph shook his head a nd answered : Lord of ,

I I I
U t te rbo l, I bid th ee all thanks fo r thy frie ndl i n e ss , b u t
”
i t may n o t be .

B u t take note , said Bu l l , that al l is changed

there , and it hath be com e a merry dwelling o f men .

We have c as t down th e R e d Pillar , and the White

a nd t h e Blac k a l so ; and it i s n o longer a place o f

torment and fear, and coz ening and murder ; but the
v e ry thral l s ar e h appy an d free spoken No w come -
.

e , i f i t we r e but fo r a m oon s wearin g : I shall be

’

y
t h e re in e ight days time Yea Lord Ralph thou ’
.
, ,

w ould st s e e o ld a c quainta n ce there with al fo r when

’

I s l ew t he tyrant who for sooth owed me n o less than

,

hi s l i fe fo r t h e murder o f my brother I made atone ,

m e nt to his w idow and wedded her : a fair woman ,

a s thou wottest lord and o f good kindre d and o f n o

, , ,

i l l c o nditions as is well seen n o w that she lives happy

,

days . Though I have h eard sa y that while s h e was

u nd e r t h e tyrant s he was somewhat rough with her
women when s h e was s ad Eh fair s i r ! but is it not .
,

so t hat s he c a st sheep s e yes o n thee tim e was in this

’

, ,
”
s ame da l e ?
Ral ph redden e d and answered naught ; and B ull
“
s p a ke again laughi ng ,
Y ea s o it i s : s h e told m e ,

that mu c h herse l f and afterwards I hea rd more fro m

,

her damsel Agatha who told me the merry tale o f that,

dev ic e they made t o catch thee and h o w thou brakest ,

t hrough t he net F orso oth though this s h e told me

.
,

n o t I d e e m that s he woul d hav e h ad the sam e gift o f

,

the e as her mistres s would Wel l l ad lucky are they .

, ,

with whom all women a r e in l ove So no w I prithee .

tru s t s o much in thy l u ck as t o come with m e t o

Utt er bo l .

Q uoth Ra l ph : O nc e a gai n Lo rd o f U t t e rb o l , ,

we tha n k thee ; but whereas tho u hast said that thou

hast much t o d o in this l and ; even so I have a land
.

where dee ds await me Fo r I stole myself away fro m .

my fathe r and mother an d wh o k nows what help ,

I 12
lau ghter and h eart who le gib es and mockin g his
-
,

aspe ct and be ar i n g was nob le and kni g htly .

C HA P T ER IV A F EA S T IN THE RED
.

PAV I LIO N .

O in a while th e y Went with him t o t he Tower ,

and there w as woman s raiment o f the best ’

gotten fo r Ursula and afterwards at nightfall

,

they went t o the feast in the R e d Pavilion o f U t t e r bo l ,

which awhile ago the now slain Lord o f U t t e rb o l

-
,

had let make ; and it was exceedin g rich with broidery

o f pearl and gems : since forsooth gems and fair
women were what t h e late lo r d h ad lusted for t h e ‘

most and have them he would at the price o f how

,

soever many tears and g roans But that pav ilion .

w as y e t in all wise as it was wont t o be sa v ing t ha t ,

the Bull had supplanted the Bear upon the Castle wall -
.

.Now the wayfarers were treated with al l honour

and were s e t upon the high seat Ralph upon t he -
,

right hand o f the Lord and Ursula u pon his left an d

-
, ,

the Sage o f S we v e nh a m o u t fr om her But o n Ralph s .

’

right hand w as at first a void p l ace whereto after a ,

while came Otter the o ld Captain of the Guard H e

,
.

came in hastily and as though he had but j ust taken

,

his armour o fl fo r his raiment was but such as t he

"

men at arms o f that country were wont t o wear under

- -

their wa r ear and was somewhat stained and worn ;

,

whereas t e other knights and lords were arrayed

grandl y i n silks and fine cloth embroidered and be
gemmed .

Otter was fain when he saw Ralph an d kissed and ,

“
embraced him and said : Forsooth I s a w by thy
, ,

face lad that the world would be soft before thee ;

, ,

and n o w that I beho ld thee I know already that thou

hast w o n thy quest ; and t h e Gods only k now t o
”
what honour thou shalt at tain .

1 14 .
 R alph laughed for joy o f him and yet said soberl y ,

A s to honour meseems I covet little world s goods

’

, ,

save that it may be we ll with my folk at home Never .

t h e le ss as the words were o u t of his mouth his thought

went back to the tall man whom he had first met at
the churchyard gate o f Netherton and it seemed t o ,

him that he wished h i s thriving yea and in a lesser , ,

w a y h e wished the same t o Roger o f the Rope walk

,
-
,

where as he deemed that both o f these each in h is ,

o wn way h ad been true to the lady whom he had lost

, .

Then Otter fell a talking to him o f the change o f

-

ays at U t t e r b o l and how that it was t h e Lord s

d
’

i ntent that a C hea ping town shoul d gro w up in the

Dale o f the Tower and that the wilderness beyond 1t
,
“ ” “
should be tilled and builded And said he if .
, ,

this be done and the n e w lord live to see it as he

, ,

may being but young of years he may become

, ,

exceedingly mighty and if he hold o n in the wa y

,
”
W hereas he now is he shall be well beloved also
,
-
.

S o they spake o f many things and there w as ,

minstrelsy and diverse j oyance till at last the Lord of ,

U t t e rb o l stood up and said Now bring in the

Bull that we may speak some words over him ; for
,
”
this is a great feast Ralph wondered what bull
.

this might be whereof he spake but the harps and

fi ddle r s and all instruments o f music struck up a gay
and gallant tune and presently there came into the
,

hall four men richly attired w ho held up o n spears a ,

canopy o f ba wde ki n under which went a man a t arms

,
— -

h elmed and clad i n bright armour wh o held m his

, ,

hands a great golden cup fashioned like to a bull and ,

he bore i t for t h unto the d ais and gave it into the ,

hands o f the Lord Then straightway all the noise

.

ceased and the glee and clatter o f the hall and

, ,

there was dead silence Then the Lord held the c u p .

aloft and said in a loud voice

Hail a ll ye folk ! I swear by the Bul l and they
, ,

I 15
that m a d e him that m thr e e years t ime o r l ess I w i l l
,
’

have purged all t he l ands o f U tt e r bo l o f all s trong

thieves and cruel tyrants be they big o r l i t tle till all
, ,

be peac e betwixt the mountains an d t he mark o f

Go ldburg ; and the wilderness shall b losso m like the
ro se Or else sha ll I die l n the pain
. .

Therewith he drank o f the cu p and al l men shouted , .

Then he sa t him down and b ade hand the cup t o

Otter ; and Otte r took t he cup and looked into t he
bow l and sa w the wave o f wine and la ughed a n d cried ,

out : As fo r me what sh a ll I swear but that I will

,

follow the Bull th rough thick and thin throu gh pe ace ,

and unpeace through g rief and j o y This is my

, .

oath swearin g
-
.

And he dran k mightily and s a t down .

Then turned t he Lord t o Ralph and said : And

thou wh o art my master wilt thou not tell thy friends
,

and the Gods w hat thou wilt do .

No g reat matter belike said Ralph ; but if

, ,

e will i t I will speak o u t my mind thereon

y ,
”
.

We will it sa id the Lord , .

Then Ralph a rose and took the cup and lifted it

and spake : This I swear that I will go home to my ,

kindred yet o n the road will I not gainsay h e lp t o

,
:

any that craveth it So may all Hallows help me !

.

Therewith he drank : and Bull said Thi s is

well s aid O happ y man ! But now t h a t m e n have
,
'
.

drunk well do ye three and Otter c hme with me into

,

the Tower whereas t h e chambers are dight for y o u

, ,

that I may make the most o f this good day wherein

’
l hav e met th e e again
So they went with him and when they had s a t ,

down in the goodl iest chamber o f the Tower and ,

they had been served with wine and spices the n e w ,

“
Lord said t o Ralph : And n o w my master wilt , ,

thou not as k somewhat concerning me ? ”

Yea ,
“
said Ralph I will as k thee t o te ll the tal e o f ho w
,

1 1 6
said he a nd there wi t h in t h e e x tremity o f his t e rro r
,

tore him s elf away from me a n d fle d By this time t h e ‘

others also had go t some distance away from me and I ,

w a s left prett y much alone So I went forth o n a .

little looking about me and sure enough un d er o ne

, ,

o f the pill ars o f t h e c lo i s t er beneath the market hous e

’
-

( t h e great green pillar if thou mindest it ) lay

,
c r ouched ,

a huge yellow lion o n the carcase o f a goat which , ,

h e h a d knocked down but would n o t fall to eating o f ,

ami d st all that cry and hubbub .

No w belike o n e thin g o f me thou wottest n o t t o ,

w i t that I have a gift that wild things love and will do

,

my bidding The house mice will run over me as I

.
-

l ie awake looking o n the m; the small birds will perch

o n my shoulders without fear ; the squirrels and hares

will gambol about quite close to m e as if I were but a

'

tree ; and withal the fiercest hound o r m as t ifi is tam e

’

, ,

before me Therefore I feared no t this l ion a n d

.
, ,

moreover I looked to it that if I might tame h i m

,

thoroughly he would both help me to live as a

,

jongleur and would be a sure ward to me

,
.

S o I walked up towards him quietly till he s a w m e ,

a n d ha l f rose up growlin g ; but I went o n still an d ,

said to him in a p e aceable voice : H o w n o w yellow ‘

,

mane ! what aileth thee ? down with thee and eat thy ,
’
meat S o he s a t d own t o his quarry again but
.
,

growled still and I went up close to him and said t o

, ,

him : Eat in peace and safety am I n o t here ? And ,

’

therewith I held o u t my bare hand unclenched t o him ,

and he smelt to it and straightway began to be peace

,

able and fell to tearing the goat and devouring it

, , ,

whi l e I stood by speakin g to him friendly .

“
B u t presently I saw weapons glitter o n the other
side o f the square place a n d men with bended bows ,
.

The yellow king saw them al so an d rose up again and ,

stood growlin g ; then I s t r o v e t o quiet him and said

'

, ,

Th e se shall n o t harm thee .

’

1 1 8
 Therewith the men cried o u t to me to come away ,

for they would shoot But I called out ; Shoot no t

yet ! b u t tell me does any man o wn this beast
,
Yea ,
’

said one I own him and happy am I that he doth

, ,

not own me Said I Wilt thou sell him ?

.
’
Ye a ,

said he if thou livest another hour t o tell d own the

‘

money Said I I a m a tamer o f wild beasts and if

.
,
‘
,

thou wilt sell this o n e at such a price I will rid ,

thee o f him The man y e as a i d this but kept well

.
’

aloof with hi s fellows wh o looked o n handl ing their , ,

W eapons .

Then I turned to my n e w bought thrall and bade -

him come with me and he followed me like a dog to ,

his cage which was hard by ; and I shut him in there

, ,

and laid down the money to his owner ; and fo l k came

round abou t and wondered and praised me B u t I
, , .

said : My masters have ye naught o f gifts for the ,

tamer o f beasts and the deliverer o f men ? Thereat

,

they laughed ; but they brought me money and other

goods till I had gotten far more than I had given for
,

the lion .

Howbeit the next day the o ffi cers o f the Porte

came and bade me avoid the town o f Goldburg but ,

gave me more money withal I was not loth thereto .

,

but departed riding a little horse that I had and

, ,

leading my lion by a chain though when I w as by he ,

needed little chaining .

So that without more ado I took the road t o

U t t e r b o l and wheresoever I came I had what w a s t o
, ,

be had that I would ; neither did any man fall o n me ,

o r on my lion For thoug h they might have shot

.

him o r slain him with many spear thrusts yet besides -

,

that they feared him sorely they feared me still more ,

deeming me some mighty sending from their Gods .

Thus came I to Utterness and found it poor and ,

wretched (as forsooth it yet is but shall not be so

, , ,

for long) But th e H ouse of U t te rb o l is exceeding

.

1 1
9
fair and state ly (as thou migh tes t have learned from
others my master ) and i ts gardens and orchards and
, , , ,

acres and meadows as goodly as may be Yea a very

, .
,

paradise ; y e t the dwellers therein a s if it Were he l l as ,

I s aw openly with mine o wn eyes .

To be sho r t t h e fame o f me and my beast had

,

somehow gone before me and when I came t o the ,

H ouse I was dealt with fairly an d had good enter

, ,

t a i n m e n t ; and this all the more as the Lord w a s away ,

for a whi l e and the life o f folk n o t so hard by a g r eat

’

way as it had been if he had been there b u t the Lady

was there in t he house and o n the morrow o f my ,

coming by her command I brought my lion before

, ,

her win dow and made h i m come and go and fetch ,

and carry at my bidding and when I had done my ,

play she bade me up into her bower and bade me s i t ,

and had me se rved with wine while s he asked me ,

many questions as t o my country and friends and ,

whence and whither I was ; a n d I answered her with

the very sooth s o far as the sooth was handy ; and
,

there wa s with her but o n e o f her women e ve n thy ,

friend Agatha fair s i r , .

Methou g ht both that th is Qi ee n was a fair woman ,

a n d that she looked kin d ly upon me ; and at l a st s he

said sighing that s h e were well at ease if her baron

, ,

were even such a man as I whereas the said Lord w as ,

fierce and cruel and yet a dastard withal But the

, .

said Agatha turned o n her a nd chided her a s o n e , ,

migh t with a child and said H old thy peace o f thy

,

loves a nd t hy hates before a very stranger ! Or must

'

I leave y e t more of my bloo d o n the pavement of the

White Pi ll ar fo r the pleasure o f thy loose tongue
,
?

Come out n o w mountain carle ,

-

A n d s h e took me by the hand a n d l ed m e o u t ,

and when we had p a ssed the door and it was shut she ,

turned t o me and said : Thou if I hear any word ‘

,

abroad o f what my Lady h as j ust spo ke n l shal l know ,

1 20
c om eth hom e and fin de th thee here ; l es t he le t poison
thy lio n a hd sl ay thee miserably afterward .
’

Well in three days from that word home cometh

,

t h e Lo rd with a rout o f his spearmen and some dozen ,

o f captives whom he had taken

,
And the morrow .

o f his coming he having heard o f me sent and bade

, , ,

m e showing the wonder o f the Man and the Lion ;

there fore in the bright morning I played with the lion
under his windo w as I had done by t h e (b een And .

after I had played some whil e and he looking o u t o f ,

the window he called t o me and said : Canst thou

,

lull thy lion to sleep s o that thou mayst leave him fo r ,

a little ? F o r I would fain have thee up here

’
.

“
I y e as a id that and chid the beast and then sang
, ,

t o him till he lay do w n and slept like a hound weary

w i t h hunting
’
And then I went up into the Lord s
.

chamber ; and as it happed all the while o f my pl ay ,

ing I had had my short sword naked in my hand and -

,

thus I deem without noting it yet as weird would I

, , ,

cam e before the tyrant where he s a t with none anigh ,

him save this Otter and another man a t arms But - -

.

wh e n I s aw him a l l the blood within me that was come

,

o f o ne m o t her with my brother s blood stirred within

’

me a n d I s e t my foot o n the foot pace o f this mur

,
-

d e r e r s chair and hove up my short sword and clave

’
-
, ,

h i s skull in front and with min e o wn hand : not as h e

,

wrought n o t as he wrought with my brother

, .

“
Then I turned about t o Otter (who had his sword
in h is fist when it w as too late ) till h e should speak .

Hah Otter what didst thou say ?

,

Otter lau g hed : Quoth he I said : thus endeth the ,

worst man in the W orld Well done l ion tamer ! tho u .

,
-

art n o ill guest and hast paid o n t h e nail for meat

, ,

drink and lodging But what shall we do n o w Then .

thou saidst ; Well I suppose thou wilt be for slaying ,

’
me .
’
Nay said I We will no t slay thee at least
, ,

n o t fo r th i s, n o r n o w, n o r wi t hout terms
’
Thou saidst : .

1 22
‘
Perchance then thou wi l t let me go free sinc e this ,
’
man w as ill beloved : yea and he owed me a life
-
,
.

’
‘
Nay nay said I not s o fast good beast lord Why
, ,
’

, ,
-
.

not saidst thou I can see o f thee that thou art a valiant
,
‘

man and whereas thou hast been captain o f the host

, ,

and the men a t arms will lightly do thy bidding w hy

- -
,

shou ldest thou n o t s it in the place o f this man and be ,

Lord o f U tt e r b o l
Nay nay said -I it will not do hearken tho u
,
’

,
‘
,

rather : F o r here I give thee the choice o f t wo things ,

either that thou be Lord of U t t e r bo l o r that we slay ,

’
thee here and now For we be two men all armed .
-
.

“
Thou didst seem to ponder it a while and then ,

said st at last Well I set not out on t his j o ur n e y with ,

any such like intent yet w ill I not wrestle with weird
-
.

Only I forewarn thee that I sh al l change the days o f

U t t er bo l
’
.

It will n o t be for the worst then quoth I So n o w

‘
,
’
.

o wake up thy lion and lead him away t o his den ;

g ,

and we will presently send him this carrion for a

reward o f his j onglery Gramercy butcher saidst .
’

, ,
’

thou I a m n o t for thy flesh meat to day I was fore

,
‘
- -
.

warned that the po or beast should be poisoned at this

’
m an s home coming and s o will he be if he eat of this
-
,
’
dastard ; he will not outlive such a dinner Thereat .

w e all laughed heartily .

”
Yea said Bull So I went t o lead away the lion
, ,

when tho u hadst bidden me return in an hours wear ’

ing when all should be ready for my Lordship And

, .

thou wert not worse than thy word for when I came ,

into that court again there were all the men a t arms ,
- -

assembled and the free carles and the thralls ; and

, ,

the men a t arms raised me o n a shield set a crowned

- -
,

helm o n my head and th rust a great sword into my ,

hand and hai l ed me by the name of the Bull of U t t e r b o l

, ,

Lord o f the Waste and the Wildwood and the ,

Mountain side and then thou Otter wert s o simple

-
, ,

1 23
as tok nee l before me and nam e thyse lf my man and ,
‘

take the girding o n o f sword at my hand Then even .

as I wa s I went in to my La dy and told her the end o f

my tal e and in three minutes s he lay in my arms and

, ,

in three days in my bed a s my wedded wife A s to .

A atha when I had a little j eered her I gave her rich

gi fts and good l ands and fre edom t o boot her for her
, ,

, ,

many stripes And lo there K i n g s So n and Sweet

.
,
’

”
Lady the end o f all m y tal e
,
.

”
Yea quoth Otter saving t his that even a lready
, , ,

thou hast raised up U t t e rbo l from Hell to Earth a n d ,

yet meseemeth thou h ast good will to raise it higher -

.

Bull reddened at h is word and said Tush man ! , ,

”
praise the day when the sun has set Then he turn e d .

t o Ralp h and said : Y e t couldst t hou at whiles put

,

i n a go o d word for me here and there amon gst t h e

folks that thou shalt pass through o n thy w ays home ,

I were fain t o know t hat I had a W ell speaking friend -

”
abroad We shall do no less said Ralph ; and ,

Ursula spak e in like wise .

So they talked toge t her merri l y a while l o n ger till ,

ni g ht began t o grow o ld and t hen went t o their ,

chambers in all content and good l iking -

.

C H A P TER v 1 T H E Y RID E F R O VA LE . M
T U R R IS REDH EAD T E LLS O F AG AT H A
. .

N the morrow when they arose Ralph heard ,

the sound o f horse s and the clashing o f arm s :

he went t o the window and looked o u t and , ,

s aw h o w the spears stood up thick to g et her at t h e

Tower s foot and k new that these were the men who
’

were t o be his fe ll ows by the way Their captain he .

s a w a big man al l armed in steel but h i m see m e d that

,
-
,

he knew his face under his sal l et and pr e s e n t ly s aw ,

'

that it was Redhead H e was glad thereof and c l ad .

,

himself hasti ly and went o u t a doors and went up to

,
-
,

1 2 4r .
tel l the e that thou hast chan ge d my c o n ditions ; h o w
, ,
”
I wo t n o t .

” “
Thy word is good said Ralph , yet I meant ,

not t hat ; never should I come t o U t t e r b o l if I

looked n o t t o find thee living there Bull s miled o n .

him as though he lov ed him and said Th is i s well ,

”
spoken ; I shall loo k t o s e e thee before I die .

Then said Ursula Lord o f U tt e r b o l this al so ,

thou mayst think o n that it i s n o further from ,

U t t e r b o l to U pm e a ds than from U pm e a ds to Utter

bo l . The Lo rd laughed and said Sooth I s that .

and were but my B u l l here as I behold y o u I should ,

be of mind to swear by h im to come an d s e e y o u at

”
U pm ea ds e re ten y e ars have worn .

Then s he put forth her hand and said Swear by

”
this ! So h e took it and swore the oath ; but the
Sage o f S wev e n h a m said This oa th thou shalt keep
t o t h e gain and not the loss both o f thee and o f thy
friends o f U pme ads .

Thus were they fain of each other and Ralph s a w ,

how B ull s heart was grow n big and he rejoiced

’

thereat But anon he arose and said

. No w Lord , ,

we ask leave t o depart fo r the w ay is long and may , ,

’
happen my kindred n o w lack a man s helping Then .

Bull s tood u p and call ed for his horse and Otte r also , ,

and they all went forth and gat a horseback and rode -

away from Vale Tu r r is and Redhead rode behind ,

r

them humbly till it was noon and they made stay for
,

meat Then after they had broken bread together

. .

and drunk a c u p B u ll and Otter kissed the way

, .

fare rs and bade t hem farewell , and so r o de b ac k t o

,

Vale Tu r ri s and Ralph and Ursula and the Sage tar

,

ried n o t but rode o n t heir ways .

, But anon Ralph called to Redhead an d bade h im ,

ride beside them that they might talk together and 1

,

he came up with them and Ursula greeted him kindly , ,

and they were merry o n e w i th another And Ralph l

.

1 26
said to Redhead Friend captain thou art e xc eed ,

ing in humility not to ride with the Lord o r Captain

Otter ; save for chance hap I se e not that thou art
-
,
”
worser than they .

Redhead grinned and said

,
Well as t o Otter , ,

t hat i s all true ; but as for Lord Bull it is another

matter ; I wo t no t but his kindred may be as good
o r better than any in these east parts In any c a se he .
,

hath his kin and long descent full often in his mouth ,

while I am but a gangrel body Howbeit it is all o n e .

,

W hereas whatso he o r Otter bid any man to do he ,

doeth it but my bidding may be questioned at whiles

, .

And look you lord times are not ill so wherefore

, , ,

should I risk a change o f day s ? Sooth to say both ,

”
these great lords have done well by me .

Ralph laughed : And better will they do as thou ,

d e e me s t ; give thee Agatha to w i t ? Y e a fair , ,

”
s ir
, quoth Redh ead No great gift t hat seemeth
.
,

to me for thy valiancy said Ralph ; she is guileful

, ,
”
e nough and loose enough for a worse man than thee .

”
Lord said Redhead even of her thou shalt s ay
, ,

what pleaseth thee ; but no other man shall say of her

what pleaseth me not For all that is come a nd gone
.

s he is true and valiant and none may say that she is

,

not fair and sweet enough for a better m an than me ;

and my great good luck it is that as I hope s h e , ,
”
looketh n o further fo r a better .

“
Ursula said : Is it so perchance that now s he is free
, ,

and hath naught t o fear s he hath no n e ed for guile

,
”
Hail to thee fo r thy word,lady quoth Redhead ; ,

and then he was silent glooming somewhat o n Ralph

,
.

“
But Ralph said : Nay my friend I meant no , ,

harm but I w as wondering what had befallen to bring

,

you two so close together .

It was fear and pain and the helping o f each other

,
”
that wrought it said Redhead Said Ursula
, Good .

Captain how was it that s he escaped the uttermost o f

,

1 2 7
 the
’
evi l tyrant s hands since f rom al l that I have
at ?

h eard; it must needs be that he laid the blame o n her

”
f e
'

( working o r h r m i s t r e s s f
) q” my flight from U t t e r b o l , .

Even so it w as lady said R edhead ; but as “

, , ,

t h o u iWo t t e s t belike s he had o t it spr ead abroad that

'
‘
g ,

s he w a s c i t n nin in sorcery , and that her spell would

g
not en d w he n her life ended ; nay tha t he t o who m
’

h er g host shoul d be ar ill will and more esp e cially such

z
-
,
'

a n o n e as might compass her d e ath shou l d have but

'

an ill time o f it while he lived which s hdu ld no t be

.

'
,

long This tale whi ch sooth to say I myself helped

.
, , ,

t o s pread t he Lord o f U t t er bo l trowed in wholly

, ,

s o cunningl w as it told ; s o that t o make a long sto r y

y ,

short he fe ared her and feared her more dead than

, ,

living S o that when he came home and found thee

.
,

gone l ady he did indeed deem that thy flight was o f

, ,
’
Agatha s contrivance And this the more because his .

thou didst begui l e ; I partl y guess

h o w ) told him a made up tal e h o w al l was done by -

the spells o f Ag atha F or this youth was o f all men .

,

n o t even saving h i s u nc le most fu ll o f malice ; and he

’

,
'

hated Agatha and would have had her su fl e r t ,

most o f torments and he t o be standing by the whi l e ;

howbeit his malice overshot itself since his tale made ,

her even more o f a wi t ch t han the lord deemed before

:

“ ”
Yea said Ursula ,
and what hath befallen that ,
“
evil young man Capt a in ? Sa id Redhead : It is
,

n o t known t o many lady ; but two days before the ,

slayi ng o f his u ncle I met him in a wood a littl e ,

way from U t te r b ol and , the mood being o n m e I , ,

tied him neck and heels and cast him with a stone ,

round his neck into a deep woodl and pool hight , ,

t he Ram s Bane which i s in that same wood’

,
.

Well as t o my tal e o f Agatha When the lord

,
.

came home first he sent for her an d his rage h ad

'

, ,

s o mastered hi s fear fo r a while that his best word

wa s scourge and rack and fag got ; b u t s he w as o u t ,

1 28
men arms goin g by and m ade obei sa n ce to t he
-
a t -
, ,

token o f U t te r bo l .

But o n a time the fifth day o f their journey t h e y

, ,

s a w in the morning spears not a few standin g up

, ,

against a thicket side in the o ffi ng Redhead looked

-
.

u nd e r the sharp o f hi s hand and laughed as though ,

“
h e we re glad and said : I know not clearly what
,

these may be but it loo keth like war Now knight

,
.
, ,

this is best to do : hold with t hee three o f o u r best

men s o that ye may safeguard the Lady an d I wi t h
, ,
”
the others will prick o n and look into this .

”
Nay said Ralph
,
thou mayst yet be apaid o f ,

a man s aid ; and i f there be strokes o n sale in the

’

C heaping stead yonder I will deal al ong with the e

-
,
.

Le ave thy three men with the Lady an d let u s o n ; ,

”
we shall soon be back .

Nay once more dear l ord quoth U rsula I fear , , ,

to be l eft alone o f thee and it i s meet that thou free ,

me from fear I will ride with you but three horse

.
,

l ength s behind so as n o t to hinder y o u I have be en

, .

worse bestead than this shall be .

“ ”
It is good quoth Redh e ad let her ride with
, ,

us for why should she su ffer the pain o f fear in the

lonely waste ? But let her do o n a hauberk o v e r h e r
coats and a steel coif over h e r head fo r shaft and bolt
, ,
”
will ofttimes go astray .

Even so they did and rode forward and presently , ,

t hey sa w the spearmen that they were somewhat more

than their company and that they were well mounted ,

o n black horses and clad in black armour Then they .

drew rein for awhile and Redhead scanned them again

and said : Yea these are the men o f the brother of
,

thy h o t w o o e r L ady Ursul a whom I cooled in t h e

,
.

Ram s Bane but a man well nigh as o ld as his uncle

’

, ,

though he hath not made men tremble s o sore albeit ,

h e be far the better man a good warrior a wise leader , , ,

a reiver and lifter well wrought at all points Well .

,

1 3 0
’
unlike that we sha ll have to speak t o his men
t i s no t
again either o u t going o r home coming : s o we had
,
- -

best kill a s many o f thes e as we may now Do o n .

thy sa llet my lord and thou Michael a green shake ,

- -
,

o u t the B ii ll ; and thou our Noise blow a point o f war

,

, , ,

that they may be warned Go d t o aid ! but t hey be .

re ady and speedy

In so oth even as the pennon o f the Bull ran down
the wind and the U t t e r bo l horn was winded the
, ,

Black men at arms came o n at a trot and presentl y

-
,

with a great screeching yell cast their spears into the

rest and spurred o n all they m gh t while a half score
,

o f bowmen wh o had come o u t 0 f he thicket bent their

bows and fell a shoo ting But n o w t he men o f Utter

—
.

b o l spurred t o meet the fo e and as Redhead cas t his ,

spear into the rest he said t o Ralph : Glad am I

,

that thy La dy 18 anear to s e e me for now I worship ,

”
her .

Therewith the two bands met and whereas o n ,

nei ther side w a s the armour very stout some men o f ,

either band were hurt o r slain at once with spear

thrust ; though save fo r Ralph they did no t run
, ,

straight o n each other ; but fenced and foined with

their spears deftly enough A s fo r Ral ph he smote .
,

a tall man full on the breast and pierc ed him through

and through and then pulled o u t the U pm e a ds blade
,

and smote on the right hand and the left so that none ,

came anigh him willingly .

Shortly to say it in five m i nutes time t h e Black

,
’

Riders were fleeing al l over the field W ith them o f U t

t e r b o l at their heels and the bowmen ran back again
,

into the wood But o ne o f the foemen as he fled cast

.

at a venture and who should be before it save

,

s o that she reeled in her saddle and would ,

have fallen downright but for o n e of the U t t er bo l

fellows who stayed her and got her gently o ff her ,

horse This Ralph s aw n o t for he had followed far

.
,

13 1
in t he c h as e and was comin g back som ewhat slowly
,

along with Redhead who was hurt but n o t sorely , , .

S o when he came up and s aw Ursul a sitting o n the ,

grass wi t h four o r five men about her he sickened fo r ,

fear ; but s h e rose up an d came slowly and pale faced -

t o meet him and said

.

,
Fe ar n o t beloved for steel , ,

kept o u t steel I have n o s c rat c h o f point o r edge o n '

me . S o therewith h e kiss e d h er and e mbrac ed her , ,

and was glad .

Th e U t t e r bo l Riders had sl ain si x tee n o f their fo e

men fo r they took none t o mercy and four o f their ,

band were slain outright and s ix hurt but n o t grie , ,

v o u s ly . S o they tarried awhile o n the field o f deed

t o rest them and tend their wounde d m e n and s o rode ,

o n again heedfully .

But Redhead spake It i s good t o s e e thee tilt

in g King s Son I doubt me I shall never learn thy
,
’
.

downright thrust D ost thou remember how so rry a

.

job I m ade o f it when we met in the list s at Val e

,

Tu r r i s that other day ?

Yea yea said Ralph

, , Thou were best let that .

flea stick o n t he wall F o r to day at least I have .

-
, ,

seen thee play at sharps deftly e nough .

Q l o t h
’
Redhea d Lord it is naught a five , ,

minutes scramble That which trieth a man is to .

,

fight and overcome and straight have t o fight with ,

fresh foemen and yet again till ye long for dark night
, ,

to cover y o u yea o r even death

—
, .

“
Warrior like and wisely tho u speakest said Ralph ;
-
,

and whoever tho u servest thou shalt serve well .

And no w onc e more I would it were me .

“
Redhead shook his head at that word and said : I ,

would it might be so but it will not be so as now .

Forth o n they rode and slept in a wood that night , ,

keeping good watch ; but s a w no more o f the Black

Riders for that time .

On a day thereafter when it was nigh evening Ralph ,

1 3 2
their p e nnon and rod e into t h e str e et whe re fo l k
, ,

pre ssed abou t t hem in friend l y wi s e ; fo r t h e n e w Lord

o f U t t e r bo l had ma de firm and fast p e ac e with Gold

bur g So they rode t o the hostel and gat them v i c tu al

.
, ,

and rested in p e ac e that night But Ralph wondered .

whe ther t h e Ql e e n would send fo r him when s he

heard o f h is comin g back again and he hoped that ,

s h e wou l d let him be ; fo r he was a shamed when h e

her l ove fo r him and h o w that he had ,

-

tt e n her ti ll h e was c los e t o Goldb u r g

again .

B u t when mornin g was c om e Ralph spake t o Red

head and asked him h o w he should do to wage men
for the homeward j ourney o n thence ; and Redhead
said I have already seen the Clerk o f the Porte and ,

he will be here i n an hour with the license for thee t o

wage men to go w ith the e t o Cheaping Knowe As .

fo r me I must needs go s e e t h e Kin g and give him

, ,
’
a letter sealed by my lord s hand ; and when I com e
ba c k from h im I will go round to the alehou se s which
,
'

be haunted o f the men a t arms to s e e after stro ng - -

carles for thine avail But t o t h e K i n g hast t hou n o

.

n eed t o o sav e he se nd fo r thee W her e as thou art n o t

g ,
'
,

com e hither t o ch afl e r and h e need e th n o t me n o f

,
”
wa r .

Ralph star ed at him and said Th e King says t ,

thou is there no (b een o f Goldburg Said Red

head : There i s t he King s wedded wife but her they ’
,

call not Ql ee n; but But t h e (b een that

”
was said Ralph where i s s h e the n
,
?
,
Yea truly ,

said Redhead a (l u e e n s at alone as ruler here a whil e

,

ago ; but whether s he died o r wha t befell her I kn ow , ,

nothing I had l i t tle t o do with Gol d burg till o u r

.

l ord conquered U tt e rbo l Lo here th e host ! h e may .

tell thee the tale thereof .

Therewith he departed and l e ft Ralph with t he ,

host whom Ralph questioned o f t he sto ry for his

, ,

1 34
heart was wrung lest such a fair woman and so fi ie ndly '

should have come t o harm .

S o the host s a t down by Ralph and said My

m aster this i s a tale which is gri evous t o us : fo r
,

though the sai nts forbid I should s ay a word against

my l ord that i s n o w n o r is there any need t o yet we
, ,

deemed u s happy t o be under s o d e ar a lady an d s o

good and fair as s h e w a s Well s he i s gone s o that .
,

we w o t not whether s he b e liv ing o r dead F o r s o it .

is that m the early spring somewhat more than a year ,

ago that is o n e morning when folk arose the

, ,

Q i e e n 3 place was empty Riding and running there

’
.

was about and about but non e the more was s h e ,

found Fo r s o o th as time wore tales were told o f what

.
,

wise s he left us and w hy : but she w a s gone We ll

,
.
,

fair sir many deemed that though her lineage was

,

known by seeming yet s he wa s o f the fairy and

, ,

needed neither steed nor chariot to go where she would .

But her women and those that knew her best deemed ,

that whatso s h e were s he had slain herself as they , ,

thought for some unhappines s o f love F o r in deed

, .

s h e had long gone about s a d and distraught though ,

s he neither wept nor would s ay o n e Word o f her

,

sorrow whatsoever it might be

, .

But fair s ir sinc e thou art a stranger an d ar t

presently de pa rt iii g from o u r city I will te l l thee
, , ,

a thing To wit ; o n e month o r s o after s he had

.

vanished away I held talk with a certain o ld fish erman

,

o f o u r water and he told me that o n that s ame night

,

o f her vanishing a s he stood o n the water side handing

,
-

t h e hawser o f h i s barque and the sail w as all ready to

,

t o be sheeted home there came along t h e shore a,

woman going very swiftly who glancing about h , ,

as if t o s ee that there wa s n one looking o n o r prying ,

came up to him and prayed him m a sweet voice fo r

,

instant passage down t h e water Wrapped s he wa s in .

a dark clo a k and a cowl ove r her head but as s h e put ,

1 35
forth he r hand t o g ive him go l d h e saw e ven by t he ,

lig ht o f his lante rn that it was exc ee ding fair and that ,

grea t ge ms flashed from the fin ge r rings and that there -

,

was a great gold ring mos t prec i ous o n h e r arm .

H e y e as a id her asking partly be caus e o f her gold

, ,

p a rtly (as he told me) that he feared her deeming her ,

t o be o f the fairy Then s h e stepped ove r his gang

.

way o f o n e board o n t o his boat and as he held t h e ,

lante rn lo w d o wn t o light h er lest s h e should make a

.
,

false step and fall into the water he noted (quoth he) ,

that a golden sho e all begemmed c ame o u t from under

her gown hem and that t he said h e m was broider ed
-

thi c kly with pearl and j ewels .

Small was hi s bark and h e a lone with t h e woman

, ,

and there wa s a wind in th e March night and t h e ,

stream is swift betwixt the quays o f o u r c i ty so tha t

by night and cloud they made much way down t h e
water and at sunrise were sailing through the gre a t
,

wood which lieth henc e a twenty leag u es se award S o .

when the sun w as risen she stood up in t he fore part

o f t h e boat and bade him turn the barque toward t h e
,

sho r e and even as the bows ran upon the sand s he

, ,

leapt o u t and let t h e thicket cover her ; n o r have any

o f Goldburg seen h er since o r the ( een But f
k , or .

my p art I deem the woman t o have been non e other

than the (k e e n Seest thou then ! s he is gone : b u t
.

the K ing Rainald her cousin reigns in her stead a ,

wise man and a mi g hty and n o tyrant o r skinne r o f

, ,
”
the people .

Ral ph heard and pondered and was e xc ee ding s orry , ,

and more had he been b u t fo r the j oyousness which

came o f t he Water o f the Well H owbe it h e might .

n o t amend it : for ev e n were h e to seek fo r the Qi e e n .

and find her it might well be worse than lettin g 1t be

, .

F o r he knew (when he thou ht o f her) that s h e love d

him and h o w would it be i ?s h e might n o t outwear
,

h e r love o r e ndur e t h e days o f Goldburg and he far

, ,

1 3 6
where they h ad e rs t fo u n d B ull N osy sl a in : there th e y
s a w his how e heaped up e xce e di ng high
,
covered i n ,

with e arth where on the grass was n o w beginning t o

,

grow and with a great standing stone o n t h e t o p

,

thereof whereon was graven the 1 ma e o f a bull wi t h

a sword thereunder ; whereby t he way far e rs wo tte d that
, ,

this had been don e in h is memory by h i s brothe r t h e ,

n e w Lord o f U t t er b o l .

S they came down o u t o f the mountains t o White

o
ness wh ere they h ad good e n te rtainment but tarried
, ,

not save fo r o n e night ridin g their ways betimes t o ,

Cheaping Knowe : and they came before the gate

thereof safe and sound o n the third day and slept 1n
the hostel ry o f the chapmen On the morrow Ralph .

went up t o t he King s Castle with but three men u n

’

weapo ned bearing the gift which he had go t for t he

Kin r Albeit he sent not away his men a t arms till -

he should kno w h o w t he Kin g was min ded towards

-
.
1

him h “
.
1

As he went he s aw in the streets s ad toke ns o f th e

’
lord s cruel j ustice as handless men fettered dragging
, , ,
’

themselves about and folk hung up before chapmen s

,

booths and whipping cheer and the pillar and such

,
-
, ,

like But whereas h e might n o t help he would n o t

.

heed b u t came right t o t he Castle g

,
-

e as il
l wh e n he had told his errand fo r gift b earing
y
-
,

m e n are n o t oftenest withstoo d .

He was brought straightway into t he great hall ,

where s a t the K ing o n his throne amidst the chiefs o f

the Porte and h i s captains and sergeants who we re
, , ,

so to sa h i s barons though they were n o t b a r o h s o f

y , ,

lineage but masterful men who were wise to do h is

,

bidding .

A s he went up t he hall he saw a sort o f po or

'

c a t i fls women well men led away from t h

y , as a s e ,

high place 1n chains by baili ffs and tipstaves ; a n d he

-

doubted n o t that th ese we re fo r torments o r m aiming

1 3 8
a nd death ; and t hou g ht it were well might he .do
t hem some g o od .

Being c ome t o t h e King he made h is obeisance t o ,

him and craved h is good will and l eave t o wage men

,

a t arms t o bring him th rough the mountains

-
.

The King w a s a tall man a proper man o f wa r ; ,

long legge d black bearded and fier ce eyed Some

-
, ,
-
.

word he had heard o f Ralph s gift therefore he was ’

gracious t o him ; he spake a nd said Thou hast .

come across t h e mountains a long w a y fair Sir ; ,

”
prithee o n what errand ? Answered Ralph F or .

”
no errand lord save to fare home to mine o w n land
, , .

Where is thine o wn land said the King stretch ,

ing o u t his legs and lying back in h i s chair West .

“
away lord many a mile said Ralph
, ,
Yea quoth
, .
,

the King ,
and how far didst thou go beyond the
m ountains ? A s far a s U t t e r b o l Said Ralph
’

Yet fu rther but n o t t o U t t e r b o l

,
Hah ! said .

t h e King ,
who goeth beyond U t te r bo l must have a
great errand ; what was thine ?
Ralph t hought for a moment and deemed it be st ,

t o sa y as li t tle as he might concerning Ursula so h e

“
a nswered and his voice r e w fl o u d and bold I w as
, g
minded t o drink a draught o f the WELL at th e
.
.

’
WORLD S END and even s o I did . As he spake , ,

he drew himself up and his brows were knit a li t tle

, ,

but his e ye s spar kle d from under them and his cheeks ,

were bright an d rosy He half drew the sword from .

'

the scabbard and sent it back again rattling s o t h at

, ,

t h e sound o f it went about the hal l ; he upre a red his

head and looked around him o n this and that o n e o f
the warriors o f the aliens and he sni ffed the a i r i n t o ,
‘

h i s nostrils as he stood al one amon st them and s e t

foot d own hard o n the floor 0 gthe K i ng s h all
,
'
’

a n d h i s armour rattled upon him .

But the King s a t bolt upright 1 n his chair and

sta red in R alph s face ; and the warriors an d lords
’

1 39
an m
d er c h ants fe l l ba c k from Ral ph a nd
o rde re d rank o n e ither side o f him and b e nt their
h eads be fore him None spok e ti ll t he . King said
in a hoarse voice , but lowly an d wh e e dl ing : Te l l u s ,
”
fair Sir what 13 it that we can do to pleasure the e ?
,
” “
Kin g said Ralph I am n o t here t o take gifts
, ,

b u t t o g i ve them rather : y e t since thou b i dde s t me I

will crave somewhat o f thee that thou mayst be t h e ,

more co nte n t : and moreov er t he g iving shal l cos t

'
1

thee no thing I crave o f thee t o give m e life an d limb

.

and freed o m for the poor folk whom I saw le d down

the hall by thy tipstaves even now Give me tha t , .

o r nothing The King scowled but he spake

.
,

This 18 indeed a littl e gift o f thee t o take ; y e t t o

”
none else save thee had I given it .

Therewith he spake to a man besi de h i m and said :

. Go tho u s e t themfree and if any hurt hath be fallen
, ,

theui thy life sh all a nswer fo r it Is 1 t enough fair .

,

Sir a n d h ave we thy goodwill ?

,
Ral ph laughed fo r
o f his life and his might and he answe red :
j y
o King , ,

thi s I S the token o f my goo dwill ; fear nau ght o f me .

And he turn e d t o his men a nd bade them bring forth ,

t h e gift o f G ol dburg and open it before t h e King a n d

t h e y did s o But when t h e King cast eyes o h t he
.

wares hi s face was glad den e d fo r h e w as a greedy ,

wolf and whoso had b een close t o his m outh would

,

have heard him mutter : So mi gh t y l yet so weal t hy !

B ut h e t h an ke d Ralph aloud an d in smooth words
n .

A ri d Ralp h made o b e i s a n ce t o him again and then 1

,

t u r n e d an d went his w a ys down the hall; an d w a s glad

'

at heart that he h ad become s o mighty a man fo r all

‘

fell back before him and looked o n him with worship ;

Howbeit he had looke d o n the King closely and
wis ely a nd deemed that he was both c ruel and guilefu l
, ,

so that he ej oiced that he had spoken naught of

r
Ursula an d he w ,
a s minde d t o keep her within g ate s

a ll t h e lw hil e th e y ab ode at Cheapin g Knowe - .

1 40
litt l e hope I hav e thereof save I go privi l y 1n som e
such band a s thine whereas the tyrant holdeth me
,
”
here o n pain as wel l I know o f an evil death
, , .

“ ”
I grant thine asking frien d said Ralph ; and “
, ,

n o w thou wert best go to thine house and truss what

s tu fl thou mayst have with the e a n d come back hither

"

in the grey o f the morn ing .

The man shook his he ad and said Nay ; here

must I bide ni g ht long and go o u t o f gates amongst
-
,

thy men a t arms and clad like o ne of them with i ron

- -
,

enough about m e t o hide the fashion o f me it were

n ow i s e safe for me t o o back i nto the town ; for this
g
tyrant wages many a s py : yea forsooth I fear me by , ,

certain tokens that 1 t i s not al l so certain that I have

n o t be e n spi e d upon already and that it i s known ,

that I have come t o thee And I will t e ll thee that

.

by hook o r by crook the King already knoweth

some what o f the e and o f t h e woman w h o i s in thy
”
company .

Ralph flushed red at that word and felt his heart ,

bound but even therewith came i nto them the Sag e

.

and straightway Ralph took him apart and told him

o n wha t errand the man w a s come and asked him if ,

he deemed him trusty Then the Sage went up t o

.

Michael and looked him hard in the face awhil e and ,

“
then said : Yea honest he is u n less the kindred of
,

Michael o f the Hatch o f S w e v e n h a m have tu r ned

”
thieves in the third generation .

” “
Yea said Mi c hael and dost thou know t h e
, ,

H atc h ?
“
As I know mine o wn finge rs said the Sage ;
and even so I knew it years and years before thou
”
wert born . Therewith he told the new comer what -

he w as and the two men of S wev e nh am made j oy o f

,

each other A nd Ralph was fain o f them an d went

. ,

into the chamber wherein sat U rsula and told her ,

how all thin gs were goin g and she said that s h e would
,

142
be naught but glad to leave that town which se e me d ,

to her like t o U t t er bo l over a gain .

C H APTER X AN ADVENTU RE ON THE

.
:

WAY TO THE MOUNTAINS .

N the morrow Ralph go t hi s me n toge t her

betimes and rode o u t a gates and was little -
,

afraid that any should meddl e with him

within the town o r anigh it and even s o it turned ,

o ut . But Michael rode in the company n e w clad and ,

‘

with his head and face all hidden in a wide sallet ‘

A s for Ralph and Ursula they were exceeding glad , ,

and now that their heads were turned to the last great
mountains it s eemed to them that they were verily
,

going home and they longed fo r the night that they

, ,

might be alone together and talk o f all these matters

,

in each o thers arms ’

.

When they were o u t a gates they rode for two -

,

miles along the highway heedl essly enough by seem ,

ing and then as Michael bade turned suddenly into

, , ,

a deep and narrow l ane and forth on as it led betwixt

, ,

h a z e lle d banks and coppices o f small wood skirting ,

the side of the hills s o that it was late in the afternoo n

,

before they came into the Highway again which was ,

the only road leading into the passes of the mountains .

Then said Michael that now by all likelihood they had

beguiled the waylayers for that time ; s o they went o n
merrily till half the night was worn when they shifted
for lo dgi n g in a little o a k wood by th e wayside There
-
.

they lay n o t long but were afoot betimes in the morn

,

ing and rod e swiftly daylong and lay down at night

, ,

o n the wayside with the less dread be c ause they were

come s o far without hurt .

But o n the third day somewhat after noon when , ,

they were come up above the tilled upland and the

land wa s rough and the ways steep there lay before ,

1 43
them a dark wood swallowin g up th e road There .

about Ralph de e med that he saw weapons glittering

ahead but was n o t sure for as cle ar sighte d as he was
, ,
-
.

So h e staye d h is band and had Ursula ih t o the rear

,

wa rd and bade al l men look t o their weapons and

, ,

the n they went forward heedfully and in go od order ,

a n d pres e ntly n o t only Ralph but al l o f them could see

,

men standing in the j aws o f the pass with the wood o n

either side o f t hem and thou g h a t first they doubted
, .

if these we re aught but mere strong thieves such -

,

as any wayfare rs might come o n they had gone b u t a ,

little further when Micha el knew them fo r the riders

”
o f Cheaping Knowe Yea . said the Sage o f Swe ,
“
v enham ,i t is clear h o w it h as been : when they found
that we came no t that first morning they had an ink ,

ling o f w hat had befallen and went forward toward ,

the mountains and n o t back to Cheapi n g Knowe and

, ,

thus outwent us while we were fetching that com pa ss

to give them t he go b y wherefore I deem that s ome
-

great man is with them e lse had they gone back to

,
”
town fo r new orders .

”
We l l said Ral ph then w ill th ey be to o many
, ,

for us ; s o n o w will I ride ahead and s e e if w e may

”
have peace Said the Sage Yea but be war y for
.
, , ,

t hou hast to do with the gu ile f

Then Ralph rode o n alone t ill he was come within
hail o f those waylayers Then he thrust his sword .

into the sheath and cried o u t : Will any o f t h e

,

warriors in the wood speak with me ; fo r I am t h e

captain o f t he wayfare r s
Then rode o u t from those men a very tall man and ,

t wo with him o n e o n either side and he thre w back

, ,

the sallet from his face and said ,

Wayfarer all we ,

have weapons in o u r hands and we s o many that thou ,

and thine will be in regard o f us as the pips to the

apple Wherefore yield y e ! (b oth Ralph : Unto
.
,

whom then shall I yield me ? Said the other To

1 44
 Ho for t he Friend
,
the Well ! o f
And amongst
the foeme n wh o were indeed very many was huge
, ,

dismay so that they m ade but a sorry d efence before

,

the band o f the wayfarers who knew not what to ,

make o f it till they noted that arrows and casti n g

,

spears were coming o u t o f the wood o n either side ,

which smote none o f them but many o f the foemen , .

Short was the tale fo r in a few minutes there were no

,

men o f the foe toge t her save those that were fleeing
do w n the road t o Cheaping Knowe .

Ralph would no t su ff er his men to fo l low the chase ,

for he wotted no t with whom h e might have t o deal

besides the Kin g s men H e drew his men togethe r
’
.

and looked round for Ursula and s aw that the Sag e ,

had brought her up anigh him and there she sat ,

a horseback pale and panting with the fear o f death

-
,

and the joy o f deliverance .

Now Ralph cried o u t from his saddle in a loud

voice and said
, Ho ye of the arrows o f the wood !
ye have saved me from my foemen ; whe r e be ye and ,

what be ye ? Came a loud voice from o u t o f t h e

wood o n the right hand Children tell the warrior ,

whose sons ye be ! S t raightway brake o u t a huge

bellowing o n either side o f the road a s though t h e ,

wood were all full o f great neat .

“
Then c r ied o u t Ralph : If ye be o f the kindred
o f the Bull ye will belike be my friends rather than my
,

. f
foes Or have ye heard tell o Ralph of p U m e a d s ?

No w let your captain come forth and speak with me .

Scarce were the words out o f his mouth ere a man

came leapin g fo rth from out t he wood and stood ,

before Ralph in the twilight o f the boughs and Ralph ,

noted of him that he was clad pretty much like to

Bull Shockhead of the past time save that he had a ,

great bull s head for a helm (which afterwards Ralph

’

found o u t w as of iron and leath e r) and a great gold

ring o n his arm .

1 4 6
 '

The n Ralph thrust his sword bac k into the sheath ,

and his folk handled their weapons peaceably while ,

R alph hailed the new comer as Lo rd o r Duke of t h e

-

Bulls .

Belike quoth the said C hieftain

,
thou wouldst ,

wish t o show me some token whereby w e may wo t ,

that thou art that Friend o f the Well and o f o u r kins

”
man concerning whom he sent u s a message .

Then Ralph bethought him o f the pouch with the

knot o f grass t herein which Bull Shockhead had given
him at Goldburg ; so he drew it o u t and gave it into ,

the hand o f the C hieftain who no sooner caught a ,

’
glimpse thereof than he said : Verily our brother s
hand hath met thine when he gave thee this Yet .

forsooth now that I look o n thee I may s a y that scarce

, ,

did I need token to tell me that thou wert the

very man For I can s e e thee that thou art of great
.
,

honour and worship and thou didst ride boldly against

,

the foemen when thou knewest n o t th at we had w ay

laid thy waylayers Now I wot that there is no need
.

t o as k thee whether thou wouldst get thee out o f

o u r mou n tains by the shortest road yet wilt thou ,

m ake it little longer and somewhat safer if ye will

, ,
”
suff er us t o lead thee by way o f our dwelling So .

Ralph y e as aid his bidding without more words .

A s they spake thus together the road bo th abov e

and below was become black with weaponed men and ,

some o f Ralph s band looked on o n e another as

’

though they doubted their new friends somewhat .

But the Sage of S we v e n h a m spoke to them and bade

“ ” “
them fe ar nought F or said he s o far as we go
.
, , ,

who are now the i r friends there 18 no g u ile 1n these,

”
men . The Bull captain heard him and said : Thou
sayest sooth old man ; and I shall tell thee that scarce
,

had a band like thine come safe through the moun

tains save by great good luck without the leave o f
, ,

; for the fool with the crown that lieth there dead
1 47
had f late da ys s o stirre d
o up the F olks o f the Fells
throu g h his gr 1m n e s s and cruel t y that we have been ,

minded t o stop everything bigger than a c ur dog that -

might seek to pass by us for at le ast s o long as yonder ,

rascal should live But ye b e welcome ; so n o w let

.

u s t o t he road fo r the da , y
S o t he tribesmen gat them into o r de r and t heir ,

D uke went o n t he l eft side o f Ralph while Ursula rode ,

on h is right hand Th e D uke and al l h i s men were

.

afoot but they went eas ily and swiftly a s wolves trot
, , .

A s fo r t h e slain o f the way l ayers o f whom there were ,

some thr eescore the Bull captain would do nought

'

,
”
but let t hem lie o n t he ro ad For said he there .
, ,

b e wolves a nd Iynxes enough in the wood and t h e ,

r a v en s o f t h e uplands and the kites shal l soon scent

'
,

t h e carr ion They shall have burial soon enough

. .

Ne ither will we meddle with it nay n o t s o much as ,

to han g t he fe lon King s he ad at thy saddle b o w

.
’
-
,
”
l o rd .

B y sunset they w ere o u t o f the wood and o n the

side o f a r ough fell s o the y went no further but
-
, ,

lighted fir es at t h e edge o f t h e thicket and made

,
'
, ,

merry round about them singing their songs concern ,

ing the deeds o f their folk and jesting with al but not , ,

foul ly ; and they r o a s ted v e n i s o n o f hart and hind at

'

the fires and they had with them wine the more p art
, ,
’

w hereof they had found in the slain King s carriages ,

an d th e y made great feast t o the wayfarers and were ,

e x ceedin g fain o f them ; after their fashion whereas ,

if a man we re their friend he could scarce be enough

their fri e nd and if he were the ir fo e the y c ould never
, ,

b e fi e rc e e n o u g h with him .
bulls also At first Ralph so me what loathed al l this
.

( though he kept a pleasant countenance toward hi s

host ) fo r sorely he d esired the fields of U pme ads and

,
’
his father s house But at last when the hunt was up .

in the mountains and especially o f the wild bulls t h e

, ,

heart and the might in him s o arose that h e enforced

himself to do well and t he wild men wondered at h i s ,

prowess whereas he was untried in their manne r o f

,

sports and they deemed him o n e o f the Gods and

, ,

s a i d t h a t their kinsman had done well to get him so

»

good a friend Both Ursula and the Sag e wi thheld

.

them from this huntin g and Ursula abode with th e ,

women who told her much o f their ways o f life an d

, ,

stories o f o ld time ; frank and free they were and loved ,

her much and s he wa s fain o f such manly minded

,
-

women after th e slei ght and lies o f the poor thralls of

U t t e r bo l .

On the fourth day the wayfarers made them r eady

an d departed ; an d the chief o f the Folk went with
them with a chosen band of weaponed men partly for ,

the love o f his g uests and partly that he might s e e t h e ,

Goldburg men a t arms safe back to the road unto t he

- -

plain and the M idho u se o f the Mountains for they ,

went no w by other ways which missed the said H ouse , .

On this j ourney naught befell to tell o f and they all ,

came down safe into the plain .

There the Goldburg men took t heir wage an d bid ,

ding farewell turned back with the wild men praising

, ,

Ralph much for his fi an k n e s s and open h and As for '

.

the wild men they exceeded in their sorrow fo r the

,

parting and many o f them wept and howled as though

,

they had seen him die before their faces But all that .

came to an end and presently their cheer was amended

, ,

and their merry speech and laughter came down from

’
the pass unto t h e wayfar ers e ars as e ac h ban d rod e its

1 5 0
CHAPTER XII THE R O AD S SUNDER .

AGAIN .

ALPH and Ursula with the Sage and Michael ,

a dale went their ways

—
and all w as smooth ,

with them and t hey s aw but few folk an d

, ,

those mild and lowly At last o f an afternoon they

.
, ,

saw before t hem afar o ff the towers an d pinnacles o f

’
Whi t wall and Ralph s heart rose within him s o that
, ,

he scarce knew ho w t o contain himself ; but Ursula

w as shy and silent and her colour came and went as
, ,

though some fear had hold o f her Now they t wo .

were riding on s omewhat ahead o f the others so Ralph ,

turned to Ursula and asked what ailed her S h e

, .

smiled o n him and said A simpl e sickness I a m .

drawing nigh to thy home and I am ashamed B e , .

yond the mountains who knew what and whence I

,

was ? I was fair and for a woman not unvaliant and

, ,

th at was enough But now w he n I am coming amongst

.

the baronages and the lineages what shall I do to hold ,

up my head before the fools and the dastards of these

high kindreds ? And that all the more my knight , ,

because thou art changed since yester year and sinc e -

,

w e met o n the want way o f the Wood Perilous when

-
,

I bade thee remember that thou wert a King s son and ’

I a yeoman s daughter ; fo r then thou wert but a lad

’

high born and beautiful but simple maybe and n u

-
, ,

tried ; whereas now thou art meet t o s i t in the Kaiser s ’

”
throne and rule the world from the H oly City .

He laughed gaily and said : What ! is it all so

soon forgotten our deeds beyond the Mountains ?
,

Belike because we had no minstrel to rhyme it for us .

Or is it all but a dre am ? and h as the last pass o f the

mountains c hanged all that fo r us ? What then !
hast thou never become my beloved nor lain in o ne ,

bed with me ? Thou whom I looked to deliver from

the shame and the torment o f U t te r bo l never didst ,

1
5 1
thou fr ee thyse l f without my helping and m ee t me in ,

the dark wood and lead me t o the Sage who rideth

,

yonder be hind u s ! No n o r didst t hou ride fearless ,

with me leaving t he world behi n d ; nor didst tho u

,

comfort m e when my heart went nigh to breaking in

the wil de r ness ! Nor the e di d I deliver as I sa w thee
ru nni ng nake d from t he ja ws o f death Nor were we .

we dded in t he wilderness far from o ur o wn folk No r .

dids t thou delive r m e from th e ve nom o f t he D ry

Tree Yea v e ri l y n o r did we dri nk to gether o f t h e
.
,

Water o f t he We ll ! It i s all but t al es o f Sweve n

ham a blu e v apo u r han gi n g o n t he mountains y o n
,

der ! S o be it t he n ! And here we ride tog ether ,

deedl e ss a man and a maid o f whom n o t al e may be

,
”
told ; What nex t then and who shall sunde r u s ? ,

Therewith he drew his sword from t he sheath and ,

tossed it into t h e air and caught it by the hilts as it

,

came down and he cried o u t , H earken Ursul a ! ,

By my sword I swear it that whe n I com e home t o ,

the little land if my father and my mother and all my

,

kindred fall not down before the e and worship thee ,

then wil l I be a man w ithout kindred and I will turn ,

my back o n t h e land I love and the H ouse whe re in ,

I was born and will wi n fo r the e and me a ne w kin

,

dred that all t he wor ld shall tell o f S o h elp m e Saint . ,

”
Nicholas and all Hallows and th e Mother o f God !
, ,

S h e loo k e d o n him with exceeding love and said ,

Ah beloved ho w fair t ho u ar t ! Is it n o t as I said

, , ,
,

yea and more that n o w lieth t h e world at thy fee t

, , ,

if t hou wilt stoop t o pick it up ? Believe me sweet

‘

, ,

all folk shall see this as I s e e it and shall j udg e

‘

betwix t thee and me and deem me naught , .

”
Beloved h e said thou dost n o t wholl y kno w
, ,

thyself ; and I deem that t he mirrors o f stee l se rve thee

but ill ; and now must thou have som ewhat else for a
mirror t o wi t t he upris i n and increase o f troub l e
concerning the e and thy g
, ,

air n e s s and the strife o f ,

1
5 2
 Sooth i s t hat said Ralph thou shal t go with
, ,

my g oodwil l ; and as I de e m thou shal t n o t l ack

, ,

company be twi xt here and S wev e nh a m whereas o u r ,

dear friend here the friend o f thy father s fa t her is

,
’

going the same road .

Then the Sage o f S wev e n ham leaned across the

board and said : What word hath come o u t o f thy
,
“
mouth my so n ?
, Said Ralph smilin g o n him It ,

is the last word which we have heard from t hee o f this

mat ter thou gh verily it was spoken a while ago
,
.

” ”
What wi lt thou add t o it as no w ? This quoth the ,
“
Sa ge that I will leave thee n o more till thou b i dde st
,

me go from thee Was t his word needful

.

“
Ralph reache d his hand to him and said It is
we l l and more ; but the road hence t o U pm ea ds may
”
yet be a rough o n e Yea said the Sag e
. yet , ,

shal l we come thither al l living unless my si g ht no w ,

”
faileth .

Then Ursula rose up and came t o the o ld ma n ,

and cast her arms about him and said Yea father , ,

come with us and let thy wisdom bless o u r roof tre e

,
- .

Wilt thou not teach o u r chil dren wisdom ; yea mayb e ,

o u r children s children since thou art a friend o f t h e

’

,
”
Well ?
“
I know n o t o f the teaching o f wisdom said t he ,
“
Sage ; but as t o my going with thee it shall be as I ,
’
said e en now ; and forsooth I looked for this bidding
-

o f thee t o make naught o f the word which I spoke

”
e re yet I h a d l e arned wisdom o f thee .

Therewith were they merry and fain o f each other , ,

and the evening wore amidst great c ontent .

But when morning was com e they gat to horse and ,

“
Ralph spake t o Michael and said : Well friend , ,

n o w must thou ride alone t o thy kindred and may ,

fair days befall thee in S we v e n h am But if thou .

deem at any time that matters go not s o well with

th ee as thou woulds t then turn thin e head t o U p,

1 54
meads , and tr y i t there , an d we shall furthe r thee al l
”
we may .

Then came t he Sage t o Michael as he s a t upon h i s

horse a s t al wa rt h man o f som e forty winters and
, ,
”
said : Michael a dale reach me thine han d So did
- -
,
.

he and the Sage looked into the p alm thereof and

, ,

said This man shall make o ld bones and it i s more ,

’
like than not King s s o n that he shal l seek to thee a t
, ,
” “
U pm e a ds e r e he die Said Ralph : H is coming .

shall be a joy to us how pleasant soever our life may b e

,

otherwise Farewell Michael ! all good go with thee

.
,
”
fo r thine wholesome redes .

So then Michael gave them farewell and rode his ,

ways to S wev e nh a m going hastily a s o n e who should

, ,

hurry away from a grie f .

But the three held on their way t o Whitwall and ,

it w as barely noon when they came to the gate thereof

o n a Sa t u rday o f latter May It was a market day .
-
,

and the streets were thro nged and they looked on ,

the folk and were fain o f them since they seemed to ,

them to be something more than ali ens The folk .

also looked on them curiously and deemed them ,

goodly both the old man and the two knights fo r they
, ,

thought n o otherwise o f Ursula than that s he was a

carle .

But now as they rode slowly because o f the crowd , ,

u P e t e r a t e they heard a cry o f o ne beside them as

p g , ,

o f a man astonish e d but joyful ; s o Ralph drew rein ,

and turned thither whence the c ry came and Ursula ,

s aw a man wide shouldered grey haired blue eyed

-
,
-
,
-
,

aud ruddy o f countenance— a man warrior like to -

look o n and girt with a long sword Ralph lighted

,
.

down from his horse and met the man who was , ,

coming toward him cast his arms about his neck and
, ,

kissed hi m and lo it was Richard the Red The

, ,
.

people round about when they sa w it clapped their , ,

“
hands and crowded about th e two cryi n g o u t : H ai l
,

I SS
 ”
to t he fr ie nds l o ng parte d and n o w u nited !
t
But ,
'
z

Richard whom most kne w cried o u t : Make way

, , ,

my masters ! will ye su nder us again ? Then h e .

said to Ral ph Get into thy saddl e lad ; fo r surely ,

”
tho u hast a tal e t o tell overl on g f or t h e open s tr ee t .

Ralph did as he was bidden an d wi tho u t more a do

' '

the y went o n a ll toward that hoste lry w here Ra lph

h ad erst born e t he burden o f grie f Ric hard walke d by .

Ralph s side and as h e went h e said

’

,
Moreo ve r lad , ,

I can s e e that thy tal e is n o ill one ; therefore my heart

is no t wrung fo r thee o r m e thou gh I wai t for i t a .

,
”
while .Then again he said : Thou do e st wel l t o
hide her love liness in war wee d eve n in this town o f -

”
peace .

Ursula re ddened and Ri c hard l au g he d and said ,

Well it is a fair rose which thou hast brou ght from

,

e ast away
-
There will h e never another coup le in t hese
.

parts like t o yo u No w I see t he words o n thy lips ;

.

s o I tell t he e that Bla i se thy brother i s alive and we l l

a n d happy ; which last word means that his c o fl er is

’
i

bot h deep and full Fo r s o o t h he woul d make a poor

.
,

bargain in buying any kingshi that I wo t o f s o ri c h

he is yea and mi ghty wi t hal p ’
,

, , .

Said Ralph : And h o w we nt th e war with W alter

the Black ?
Even as h e spake his face chan g ed fo r h e be thou ght ,

him over closely o f t h e past days and hi s dream o f ,

the Lady o f Abun danc e and o f Dorothea who rod e by ,

him now a s Ursula But Richard s pake Short i s

.

the tale t o tell I slew him in shock o f battle and his

.
,

men craved peac e o f t h e good town Many we re glad .

of his death and few sorrowed fo r it ; for fair as his

, ,
”
young body was h e wa s a crue l tyrant , .

Therewi t h were they come t o t he hoste l o f t he

Lamb which was the very same house wherein Ralph
,

had abided aforetime ; and as h e entere d it it i s n o t ,

to be said but that inwardly his heart bled fo r t he

I
5 6
 “
i

Ral ph kn i t his brows : I wo t n o t quoth he , ,

“ ”
since s he is gone that other o n e , .

“ ”
Yea said Richard but this I s a y that she is
, , ,

without a blemish Did y e drink o f the Well toge

.

ther
Yea surely said Ralph Said Richard : And
, , .

15 this woman o f a good heart ? I s she v aliant ?

:

”
Yea yea said Ralph flushing red
, , , .

”
A s valiant as was that other ? said Richard .

Said R al ph : Ho w may I tell unless t hey were tried ,

“ ”
in o ne way ? Yet Richard spak e : Are ye wedded ?
Even s o said Ralph ,
.

D ost thou deem her true ? said Richard .

”
Truer than myself said Ralph in a voice which , ,

was somewhat angry .

(b oth Richard Then i s it better than well ,

and better than we ll for now hast thou wedded into

the World o f living men and not to a dream o f t he ,
”
Lan d o f Fairy .

Ralph s a t silent a little and a s if he were swallow ,

in g somewhat ; at last he said : Old friend I were ,

we ll content if thou wert to speak such words no

”
more ; for it irks me and woundeth my h e art , .

Said Richard We ll I will say n o more thereof ; ,

be content therefore fo r now I have said it and thou

, ,

needest not fear me what I have to s a y thereon any

,

more and thou mayst w e ll wot that I must nee ds

”
have said somewhat of this .

Ralph nodded to him friendly and even therewith ,

came in the banquet which was richly served as for a

, ,

King s s o n and wine w as poured forth of the best

’

, ,

and they feasted and were merry And then Ralph .

told all the tale o f his wanderings how it had betid ,

bringing in all that Ursula had told him o f U t t e r bo l ;

while as for her s h e put in n o word o f it S o that at .

l ast Ralph being wishful t o hear her tell somewhat

, ,

made more o f some thi ngs than was really in them s o ,

1 5 8
that s he might set him right ; but no word mo re s he
said for all that but only smiled o n him no w and
,

again and sat blushing like a rose over her golden

,

fl o we r e d gown while Richard looked o n h e r and

,

praised her I n his heart exceedingly

But w hen R alph had done the story (which was
lonn g s o that by then it was over it had been dark
,

night some whil e) Richard said ,

Well fosterling , ,

thou hast seen much and done much and many , ,

would s ay that thou art a lucky man arid that more ,

and much more lieth ready t o thine hand Whither .

n o w wilt thou wend o r what wilt thou do

?
,

Ralph s face reddened as its wont had been when

’

it w as t wo years younger at contention drawi ng nigh

, ,
“
and he answer ed Where then should I go save to
the House of my Fathers and the fields that fed them ?,

What should I do but live amongst my people ward ,

ing them from evil and loving them and giving them
,

good counsel ? F o r wherefore should I love them less

than heretofore ? H ave they become dastards and ,
”
the fools of mankind ?

Q uoth Richard : They are no more fools than

they were belike n o r less valiant But thou art
, .

gro wn wiser and mightier by far ; so that thou art

another manner man than thou wert and the Master ,

o f Masters maybe To U pm e a d s wilt thou go ; but

.

wilt thou abide there ? U pm e a ds is a fair land b u t a ,

narro w ; o ne day is like another there save when ,

sorrow and harm is blent with it The worl d is wide .

,

and now I deem that thou holdest the glory thereof

in the hollow o f thine hand .

Then spake the Sage and said Yea Richard of

, ,

S we v e n h a m and h o w knowest thou but that this

,

sorrow and trouble hav e not now fallen upon U p

meads ? And if that be so upon whom should they ,

call to their helping rather than him who can help

”
them most and 18 their very lord
,
? Said Richard
I
S9
 It may be s o wise man, though as yet we have
,
.

h ea r d n o tidings th e reof B u t i f my lo rd goeth t o .

their help yet when the trouble shall be over will h e

.
, , ,

n o t betake him thither where fre sh de e ds await him

”
Nay Richard said the Sag e ar t thou so little a
, , ,

friend o f thy fosterling as n o t to know that when he

hath brou ght back peace t o t h e lan d it will be s o that ,

both he shall ne e d the people and they him s o t hat if

‘

, ,

he go away fo r awhile yet shall he soon come b ack ?

'

, ,

Yea; and s o shall the littl e lan d it m ay ; be grow ,

'

,
”
g reat .

Now had Ral ph sat quiet while this talk was going
o n and as if he hee ded not and his eyes were set a s if
, ,

he were beholding something far away Then Richard .

spoke a g ain afte r there had been silence awhile Wise

man thou sayest sooth ; yea an d s o it is that though
, , ,

we here have heard no tale concerning war in U p

meads y e t as it were we have been feelin g som e
, , ,

stirring o f the air about u s ; even a s though matters

were changi n g great might undone and w eakness
, ,

grown t o strength Wh o c an s ay but o u r lord may

.
i

find de eds to hand o r ever he come t o U pm e a ds

Ralph turned his head as o n e awaking from a
dre am and he said : When shall to morrow be that
,
-
,

we may get us gone from Whitwall we three and , ,

turn o u r faces to ward U pme ads ?

Said Richard : Wilt thou not tarry a day o r t wo ,

and talk with thine o wn mother s s o n and tell him o f ’

“ ”
thine haps Yea said Ralph and so would I , , ,
’ ’
were it n o t that my father s troubl e and my mother s
grief draw me away .

”
O tarry n o t said Ursul a ; nay not for t h e pass
, ,

ing o f t h e night ; but make this hour the sunrise and ,

begone by the clear o f the moon F o r 10 ! ho w h e .

”
shineth through the window !
Then s h e turned t o Richard and said : O fosterer ,

o f my love k nowest thou n o t that as n o w he speaketh

,

1 60
 Sai d Ral ph : All good go with thy words Richard ,

e t gather n o t forc e : there may stout men be culled

y
o n t h e road ; and if thou runnest or r i de s t about t he

town we may yet be S tayed by Blaise and his men

, .

Wher efore now send fo r thine horse and arms and ,

bid the host he re ope n his gate s with l ittle noi s e when
w e be r e ady ; and w e will presently ride o u t by t h e
clear o f th e moon But thou beloved shalt don t hin e
.
, ,

armour n o more but shalt ride henceforth in thy

,

woman s raime nt fo r the wild and the waste is wel l

’

nigh over and th e way is but short after all these

,

months o f wandering ; and I s a y that n o w shall all

friends drift toward us and they that shall rejoice to
,

strike a stroke for my father s son and t h e peaceful ’

,
”
years o f the Friend o f the Well .

To those others and chiefly to Urs ul a it seemed

, ,

that n o w h e spoke strongly and joyously like to a ,

king and a captain o f men Richard did his bidding .

,

and was swift in dealing with the messengers But .

t h e Sa g e sa id Ralph my s o n since ye have lost o n e

, ,

man at arms and have gotten but this golden angel in

- -
,

h is stead I may better that

, I pri t hee bid thy man .

Richard find me armour and weapons that I may

amend the shard in thy company Thou shalt find .

”
me no feeble man when we come to push of staves .

Ralph laughed and bade Richard see to it ; so he

,

de alt with the host and boug ht good war gear o f him
,
-
,

a n d a trenchant sword and an axe withal ; and when

,

the Sage was armed he looked as doughty a warrior

’
a s need be By this time wa s Richard s horse and
.

war gear come and he armed him speedily and gave

-
,

m oney t o the host and they rode therewith al l four

,

o u t o f the hostel and found the street empty and still

, ,

fo r the night was wearing S o rode they without .

tarr ying into Westgate and came t o the Bar and ,

speedily was the gate opened to them ; and anon were

they o n the moonlit road outside o f Whi twall .

1 62
CHA PTER XIV T H EY RI D E AWAY F RO M.

WHITWALL .

UT when they were well o n the way and riding ,

a good pace by the clear o f the moon Richard ,

spake t o R alph and said : Whither ride we ,

”
no w ? said Ralph Whither save t o U pmeads ,
“Y a ” “
e
y
,
ea said
, Richard but by what road ? sha,ll
we ride down t o the ford o f t h e Swelling Flood and ,

ride the beaten way o r take to the downland and the

,

forest and so again b y the forest and the downland and

,

the forest once more till we c ome to the Burg o f th e

,
”
Four Friths ?
”
Which way is t he shorter ? said Ralph Fo r .

”
sooth said Richard by the wildwood ye may ride
(m
, ,

shorter if ye know it as I do
,
oth the Sage
Yea or as I do Hear a wonder ! that two men o f
, .

S we v e n ha m know the wilds more than t wenty miles

from their o wn thorp .

Said Ralph : Well wend we the shorter road ; wh y ,

make more words over i t ? Or what lion lieth o n

the path ? Is it that we may find it hard to give t h e
o b t o the Burg o f the Four Friths ?
g y
-

Said Richard : Though the Burg be not very far

from Whitwall we hear but little tidings thence ; o ur
,

chapmen but seldom go there and none cometh to ,

us thence save such of o u r men as have strayed thither .

Ye t as I said e en no w in the hostel there is an air o f

’

, ,

tidings abro ad a nd o ne rumour s ay e t h a nd none

, ,

denieth it that the o ld fie r ce n e ss and stout head

,

strong mood o f the Burg is broken down and that ,

”
men dwell there in peace and quiet .

Said the Sage In any case w e have amongst u s

lore enough t o hoodwink them if they be foes ; so that
”
we shall pass easily Naught of this need we fear
. .

But Richard put his mouth close to Ralph s ear and ’

spake t o him softly

,
Shall we indeed go by that
1 63
sho rter road whatever in days gone by may have
,

befallen I n places thereon to which we m ust go a nigh ,

-

”
tomorrow ? Ralph answered softly i n turn : Yea ,

forsooth : for I were fain to try my heart ho w str ong ,

i t may be
’
.

S o they rode o n and turned o fl from the road that

"
,

led down to the ford o f the Swelling Flood anigh ,

which Ralph had fallen In with Blaise and Richard o n

t h e day after the woeful slayin g which had m ade an ,

end o f h i s j o y for that time But when they we re .

amidst o f t h e bushes and ridin g a deep ghyll p f the

“
waste Richard said : It is well that we are here
,

fo r now if Blaise send riders to bring u s back cour

t e o u s ly they shall n o t follow us at once but shall ride
‘ , ,

straight down to the ford and even cross it in search of ,

us ”
“ ”
.
Ye a said Ralph it 18 well in all wise
, ,
.

So then they rode thence awhile till t h e mo o n grew

'

, ,

l o w a n d great and red and sank down away from

,
.

, ,

them ; and by then were they come to a shepherd s ’

cot e m t o f men with naught therein sa v e an o ld

, py .
,

d og and some victual as bread and white cheese and

, ,
.

a well fo r drinkin g So there they abod e and rested

.

that ni ght .

CHAPTER x v A STRANG E MEETING IN .

T H E WILDERNESS .

N the morrow betimes they got to the road

again ; the country at first though it w as ,

scanty of tillage was not unfurnished of S heep , ,

being for the most part o f swelling hills and downs

well grassed with here and there a deep cleft in them
, .

They saw b u t few houses and those small and poor ,

.

A few S hepherds they fell I n with who were short o f ,

speech after the manner o f such men but deemed a

, ,

greeting not wholly thrown away o n such goodly folk

as those wayfarers .

1 64
 t Th u sthe n they bided so me minute s o f ti me an d ,

U
’
a t t o horse aga in and rsula s face was
g ,

cleare d o f t h e grief o f fear an d th e colour had come

,
’
back t o her cheeks and lips But Ralph s fac e was .

stern and sorrowful t o beho l d ; howbeit as t hey rode ,

away h e spake in a loud and see ming cheerful voice

Sti ll ever S ho r te n e t h more and more t he way unto
my F athers House : and w ithal I am wishful t o se e
’

if it be inde ed true that t he men o f t he Burg have

become mi l d and peacefu l ; and t o know wha t hath
befal len those doughty champions of t h e Dr y Tree
and if perchance th e y have an y will to hol d u s a
tilting I n courteo us fashion .

Richard smiled o n him and sai d ,

Thou holdest
more then by th e Dry Tree than by the Burg ;
though while agon e we deemed t he Champions worse
”
men to meet in the wood than the B urgers .

“
So it is said Ralph
, but men ar e o ft mi s said -

by them that kno w them n o t thoroughl y and n o w ,

if it were a good wish O Sage o f S we v e n ham I we re

, ,

fain to fal l in with the best o f all those champion s a ,

tall man and a proper who me seems h ad goo d will

, , ,
-

”
toward me I know n o t why
, .

Q uoth the Sage : If thou canst n o t s ee the end of

this wish fulfilled no more can I And yet meseems

, .
,

something may follo w it which I s akin t o grief : b e

’
content with things so done my so n , .

No w Ralph holds h i s peace and they spe e d o n ,

their way Ursul a riding close by Ralph s side and

,
’

g him wi t h looks and by touch also when s he

,

might ; and after a while he fell to tal king again and ,

ever in t he same l oud cheerful voice Ti ll at last I n

, .
,

about another hour they came i n sight o f the stre a m

,

which ran down toward the Swelli ng Flood from that

p ool wherein erst the Lady o f Abundance had bathed
her be fore the m u rd er Hard looked Ral ph o n the
.

stream but how soever his hear t mi ght ache with t he

,

1 66
'
memo ry o f e t h at
p assed grief like as th e b ody ache s ,

with t he bruise o f yesterday s blo w yet he chan ged ’

countenance but little and in hi s voice was the same

,

cheery sound But Ursula noted him and h o w h i s

.
,

eye s wandered and ho w little he heeded the words o f

,

the others and s he knew what ailed him fo r long a go

, ,

he had told her all that tale and s o n o w her he art ,

w a s troubled and S he looked o n him and wa s silent

,
.

T hus then a little before sunse t they cam e o n

, , ,

that steep cli ff with t he cave t herein and t he little ,

green plain thereunder and the rocky bank going ,

down shee r into the water o f the stream Fo r soo t h .

they came o n it somewhat sudd enly from o u t o f t h e

.

bushes o f the valley ; and the re indee d n o t only t he

Sage and Richard but U rsula also were stayed by
, ,

the s ight as folk compelled for all three knew what

h ad befallen there But Ralph though he looked
.
,

over his Shoulder at it all yet rode o n steadily an d , ,

when he s a w that the others lingered he waved his ,

hand and c ried o u t a s he rode : On friends o n ! fo r ,

”
the road shortens towards my Fathers House Then .

were they asham ed and shook their reins t o hasten

,

But in that very nick o f time there c ame forth o ne :

from amids t the bushes that edged the pool o f t he

stream and strode d ripping o n to the shal low ; a man
brown and hairy and naked save for a green wreath
, ,

about his middl e Tall he was above the stature of

.

most men ; awful o f aspect and his eyes glittered from ,

h is dark brown face amidst o f h i s S ho c k head o f the -

colour o f rain spoilt hay H e stoo d and looked

-
.

while one might count five and then without a word ,

o r cry rushed up from the water straight o n Ursula ,

,

who wa s riding first o f the three lingerers and in t h e ,

twinkling o f an eye tore her from o ff her horse and

s h e wa s i n h is grasp as the cushat in t h e claws o f t h e

kite Then he cast her t o earth a nd stood over her

.
, ,

1 67
S haking a great club but o r eve r he brought it down
,

he turne d h is he ad over his S houlder toward the cli ff

and t h e cave therein and 111 that same moment first
,

o n e blade and then anoth e r flash e d about him a n d ,

h e fell c ra shing down upon hi s back smitten in t he ,

breast a nd th e side by Richard and Ralph ; an d th e ‘

wounds we re deep and dea dly .

,
R al ph hee ded him no more but dre w Ursula away ,

fr om him an d raise d her up and laid her head upo n

,

his kn ee ; and sh e had not quite swooned away an d ,

forsooth h ad ta ken but l ittle h u rt ; onl y s he was di zz y

with terror an d t he h e aving u a ii d casti ng down
p
Ral ph s face and smiled o n ,
“
hi m and said : What hath been don e t o me and ,
”
wh y did he d o it ?
H is eye s were sti ll wild wi t h fear and wrath a s he ,

answered “
0 Beloved D eath and the fo e rria n o f
,

old came forth from the cavern o f t h e c lifl What ’ '

d i d they there Lord God ,

? and he caught thee t o .

slay thee ; but him have I slain Nevert hele s s it is a .

,
”
terrible a n d evil p l ace : let us go hence .

” “
Yea s he said let u s go speedily !
, ,
Then s he
stood up weak and tottering still and Ralph arose
, ,

and put his left arm about her to stay her ; and l o ,

there before them w a s Richard kneeling over t he

wild man and the Sage was coming back from t he
-
,

river with his headpie ce full o f water ; so Ralph cri e d

out To horse Richard to horse ! H ast thou n o t
, ,
”
done slaying t h e woo dman ?
But therewith came a weak and hoarse voi ce fro m
“
the e arth and t he wil d man spake
,
-Child of U p .

meads drive no t o n s o hard : it will not be long

,

For thou and Rich ard the Red are naught Iight
.

”
handed .

Ralph marvelled that t h e wi l d man kne w him and -

Richard but th e wi l d man spak e ag ain : H e arke n

,
-
,
”
thou love r tho u young man !
,

1 68
p i on whom he h ad met first at the churchyard gate o f
“
Nether ton ; so he said : I know thee n o w a nd I
"

wil l promise t o do thy wil l he re in I am sorry t hat I .

” '

have slain thee ; forgive it me ;

A mocking smile came into the dyin g man s e yes ’

and h e spake whisp e rin g Richard it was ; n o t

thou .

Th e smil e spre ad o v e r his fa c e h e strove to turn ,

m o r e toward Ral ph and said in a v e ry faint whisper :

,

Th e last tim e !
No more he said but g ave u p t h e ghost presentl y
, .

Th e Sage rose up from his side and said : Y e may

now bury this man as he craved o f thee for he is ,

dead Thus hath thy wish be en accomplished ; fo r

.

this was the great champion and duke o f the men o f th e

Dry Tree Indeed it is a pity o f him that he is de ad
.

for a s ter rible as he was to h i s foes he was no ill man , .

Spake Richard No w is the riddle a re d e d o f the

wild man and t h e mighty giant that haunted these
-

passes We have played together or n o w in days long

.
,

past he and I ; and ever he came t o h is above H e

,
.

wa s a wise man and a prudent that he should h a v e

”
become a wild man It is great pity o f him
-
. .

But Ralph took his knight s cloak o f red scarlet ’

and they lapped the wild man therein wh o had once

-
,

been a champion b e wo rs hippe d But fir st Ursula .

sheared his hair and h is beard till the face of him ,

came back aga in grave and somewhat mocking as

, , ,

Ralph remembered it tim e w as Then t hey bore him

, .

in the four corners across the stream and up o n to the

'

lawn before t h e cli ff and Richard and the S age bore

him into the cave and laid him down there beside
,

the howe which Ral ph had erewhi l e heaped over t h e

Lady ; and now over him also they heaped stones .

Meanwhile Ursula knelt at the mouth o f the cave

and wept ; but Ralph turned him about and sto od o n
t he edg e o f t h e bank and looked o ve r t h e ripple o f
,

1 7 0
t he stre am o n to t he val ley where t h e moon was n o w
, .

beginning to cast shadows t i ll t ho s e two came o u t o f

,
'

the cave for the last time Then Ralph t u rned t o

.

Ursula and rai sed her up and kiss ed her and they ,

went down al l o f them from that plac e o f death and

ill hap and gat t o horse o n the other S ide of th e
-
,

s tream and rode t hree miles further o n by the glimmer

,

o f the moo n and lay down t o rest amongst the bushes

,

o f t he w aste with fe w wo r ds spo k e n b e tween them

,
.

C H A P TER XV I T H EY C O M E To TH E
.

CASTLE O F ABUNDANC E ONC E MORE .

next morning Ralph was

few spoken and seemed to heed li t tle s o
-
,

long as they made good S peed o n the way

most o f the talk w as betwixt Richard and the Sage ,

Ralph but putting in a word when it would have

seemed churlish to forbear .

So they went their ways through the wood till by

then t h e s u n wa s well westering they came o ut at t he
Water o f the Oak and Richard drew rein there and
, ,
“
spake : H ere is a fair place fo r a summer night s ’

lodging and I would warrant both good knight and

,

fair lady have lain here aforetime and wished t he ,

dark longer : shall we not rest here ?

Ralph stared at him astonished and then anger ,

grew in his face fo r a little because forsooth as , , ,

Richard and the Sage both wotted o f the place of t he

slaying of t he Lady a n d he himse lf had every yard o f
,

the way in hi s mind as they went it seemed but due ,

that they should have known o f this place also what ,

betid there : but it was not S o and the place was t o ,

R ichard like any oth er lawn o f the woodland .

But thought came back t o Ralph in a mo me n t and ,

he smiled at hi s o wn folly howbeit he c ould not do to

,

lie another night o n that lawn with ot h er folk than

1 7 1
e rst S o he s aid q uie tl y : N ay friend, were we n o t
.
,

better t o m ake th e mest Of thi s daylight ? Se est thou

”
it wants yet an hour Of s u nse t ?
Richard n o dded a yeasay and theSage said he ,
.

word more but Urs ula cast her anx i ous look o n
Ralph a s though s he understood what was mo v i n g in ~

him ; and therewith those others rede away lightly ,

but Ral ph turn ed slowly from t he Oak tree and might ,

not forb e ar lookin g o n t o t h e short sward round

about as if he hoped t o see some token left behind
,
.

Then he li fted up his face as o n e awa k ing shook his ,

rein and rode after the others down the l on g water

, .

So they turned from the water anon and rode t he ,

woodland ways an d lay t hat ni ght by a stream that

,

ran west .

They arose betimes o n t h e morrow and whereas ‘

the Sage knew the Wood l and ways well they made ,

but a S hort j ourn ey o f I t t o the Castle o f Abundance ,

and came I nto the little plain but two hours after
noon where saving that the scythe had no t yet wen d ed
,

the t all tm ow i ng grass in the crofts which the beasts

and sheep were n o t pastu r ing all wa s as o n that other ,

tide The folk were at work in their ga rde ns o r

.
,

herding their cattl e I n the meads and as aforetime ,

they were merry o f countenanc e and we ll clad fair ,

and gentle to look o n .

There Were their pleasa nt cots a n d i t h e littl e white ,

church and th e fair wal ls o f the castle o n its lo w

,

mound and the day bright and sunny all as aforeti me

, , ,

and R alph loo k e d o n it al l and m ade ri o countenanc e

,

o f being moved beyond hi s wont .

S o they came o ut Of the wood and rode t o the ford

z
,

o f t h e rive r a n d the carles and queans c a m e str e

a ming
‘

from their garths and meads to meet them and stood

.
,

round wonderi ng at t hem ; but a n old carle came from

’

o u t the throng and went u

p o Ralph and hailed '

t ,
“
him and said : Ah Knight ! and hast thou com e
, ,

1 7 2
t he you n ger men cast the mse lve s down o n t o the earth , i

and wallowed weeping and wailing z and there was no

,

man there that seemed as if he knew whic h way to

turn o r what t o do ; and their fac e s were foolish with
,

sorrow Ye t forsooth it was rather t h e carles than

.

the queans who made al l this l amentation .

At last the o ld man spake : Fair s i r ye have ,

brou ght u s heavy tidings and we know not how t o ,

as k o u t o tell us more o f t h e tale Yet if thou

y ’
.

might st but tell us ho w t he Lady die d ? Woe s me ’

”
for t h e word !
Said Ralph She was S lain wi t h the sword .

The o ld man drew himself up sti ff and stark t h e ,

e yes o f him g littered under his white hair and wrath ,

changed his face and the other men folk thron g ed

,
-

them to hearken what more should be said .

“
But the elder spake ag ain : Tell me who it was
that slew her fo r surely Shall I slay him o r die in the
, ,

pain else .

Said Ralph : Be content thou mayst not slay him ; ,

he was a great and mighty man a baron who bore a ,

”
golden s u n o n a blue field Thou mayst not S lay him
. .

” ”
Yea said the o ld man but I will o r he ru e
, , , .

L ive in peace said Ralph fo r I slew him then

, ,

and there .

The o ld man held h i s p eace a while and then he ,

said : I know the man for he hath been here afore

,

time and not s o long a go But if he be dead he

,
.
,

hath a brother yet an exceeding mighty man he will

,
”
be coming here t o vex us and minish us .

Said Ralph H e will not stir from where he lies

till Earth s bon e s be broken fo r my sword lay in his
’

body yesterday .

The old man stood S ilent again and the other ,

carles thronged him ; but the women stood aloof

staring on Ralph Then the elder came up to Ralph
.

and knel t before him and kissed h i s feet ; then h e .

I 74
turned and c al led to him three o f the others who were
of the stoutest and most s t al war th and he spake with ,

them awhile and then he came to Ralph again and

, ,

again knelt before him and said Lord ye have come ,

to us and found us void o f comfort S ince w e have lost

, ,

o u r Lady But we s e e in thee that s he hath loved

.
,

thee and blessed thee and thou hast Slain her Slayer,

and his kindred And we se e o f thee al s o that tho u

.

art a good lord O the comfort to us therefore if

. ,
, ,

thou wouldest b e o u r Lord ! We will serve t hee

truly s o far as we may : yea even if thou be beset by ,

foes we will take bow and bill from the wall and
, ,

stand round abo ut thee and fight for thee Only thou .

must not ask us t o go hence from this place : for we

know naught b u t the Plain of Ab u ndance and the ,

edges O f the wood and the Brethren o f the House of

,

t he Thorn who are not far hence,

Now we pray .

thee by thy fathers not to naysay u s so sore as thou ,

hast made our hearts Also we see about thy neck .

the same like pair of beads which our Lady w a s

-

wont to b e ar and we deem that ye were in o n e tal e

,
”
together .

Then was Ralph silent awhile but the Sage spake ,

to the elder : Old man ho w great is the loss of t h e ,

”
Lady to yo u H eavy loss wi s e old man said , ,

the carle as thou thyself mayst know having known

, ,
”
her .

”
And what did she for you ? said the Sage Said .

the elder : We know that she was gracious to us ;

never did s h e lay tax o r tale o n us and whiles S h e ,

would give us o f her store and that often and abun , ,

d an tl y We deem also that every time when she

.

came to u s our increase became more plenteous which ,

is well seen by this that S ince she hath ceased to

,
”
come the seasons have been niggard unto us
, .

The Sage smiled somewhat and the old man went ,

But chiefly t he blessi n g was to s e e her whe n

I 7S
 c ame to us : fo r verily it seemed that where s h e
'

s he -

se t her feet the grass grew greener and that t h e ,

flowers blossomed fairer where t h e shadow o f her

”
body fell And therewi t h t h e o ld man fell a weeping
.
-

a
g
aI n .

Th e
Sage held h is pe ace and Ral ph still kept ,

S ilence ; and now o f those men a ll t h e younger ones

h ad their eyes upon Ursula .

A fter a while Ral ph spake and said : O elder

'
,

and ye folk o f the People o f Abundance tr u e it i s ,

that your Lady wh o i s dead loved me and it is ,

through her that I am become a F riend o f the Well .

No w meseemeth though ye have lost your Lady ,

whom ye s o loved and worshipped Go d wot n o t ,

without cause yet I wo t not why ye now cry o u t for

,

a master S ince ye dwell here in peace and quiet and

,

a ll wealth and the Fathers o f the Thorn are here to

,

do good t o y o u Yet if ye will it in sooth I will be

.
, ,

called your Lo rd in memory of your Lady whom ye

,

shall not s ee again And as time wears I will come

.

and look o n you and hearken to y our needs : and if

ye come t o fear that any S hould fall upon yo u with
the strong hand then send ye a message to me, ,

Ralph o f U pme ad s down by the water and I will , ,

come to you with such following as need be And .

as for service this only I lay upon you that ye look

, ,

t o the Castle and keep it in good order and ward it ,

against thieves and runagates and give guesting ,

therein to any wandering knight or pilgrim o r honest ,

g oodman wh o S hall come to you

,
Now is all said .
,

my masters a n d I pray y o u let u s depart in peace ;

'

,
”
for time presses .

Then all they (and this time women as well as

men ) cried out j oyfully Hail to our lord ! and long
”
life t o o u r helper And the women withal dre w
.

nearer to him and some came close up to him as if

, ,

they would touch him o r kiss his hand but by seeming ,

1 7 6
 talk and taught him what he might o f t he way t o the
,

B urg o f t he Four Friths so that they might verily

,

send a mess enger to U pm ea ds if need were But the .

coun try youth said there w as no n ee d to think thereof ,

as n o man o f theirs would dare the journey through

the wood and t hat if t hey had need o f a messenger

, ,

o n e o f the F athers o f the Thorn would do their

e r rand where as they were holy me n and kne w the

, ,

face o f t he worl d full well .

No w i n this while the folk seem e d t o have g ot te n

their courage again and t o be cheery and t o have
, ,

l ost their grief for the Lady and o f the maidens left
abo u t th e o a k were more than t wo o r thre e very fair ,

w h o stood ga z in g at Ral ph as if the y were e x ce e ding

fain o f him .

B ut amidst th e se things c ame back t he women with

the victual ; to w it bread in baskets and cheeses both ,

fresh and o l d and honey and woo d strawberries and

, ,
-
,

e g gs cooked diversely and skewers o f white wood

,

with gobbets o f roasted lamb s flesh and salad good ’

pl e nty All these they bore first t o Ralph and Ursula

.
,

and their t wo fellows and then dealt them to their

,

o wn folk and they feasted and were merr y in despite

o f that tale o f evil tidings They brought al so bowls
.

and pitchers o f wine that was good and strong and ,

cider o f their orchards and called many a health t o

,

th e n e w Lord and his kindred .

Thus then t hey abode a feasting till the s u n was

-

westerin g and the shadows waxed about them and ,

the n at last Ralph rose up and called to horse and the ,

other wayfarers arose al s o a n d the horses were led up

,

t o them . Then the maidens mad e bold by the j o y ,

o f the feast and being stirred t o the heart by much

,

beholding o f t his beloved Lord cast o ff their S hame ,

face dness and crowded about him and kissed his ,

raiment and his hands some even though trembling , ,

an d mo re fo r l ov e than fear prayed him fo r ki sses , ,

1 7 8
and he nothing l oath l aughed merrily a nd l aid his
, ,

hands o n their S houlders o r took them by the chin s ,

and s e t his lips to the sweetness of their cheeks and

t heir lips o f those that asked and those that refrained ;
,

so that t heir hearts failed them for love o f him and ,

when he was gone they knew n o t ho w t o go back t o

,

their houses o r the places that were familiar to them

, .

The rewith he and his got into their saddles and rode
awa
y slowly because o f the
, throngin g about them of

t hat folk w ho followed them to the edge o f the

,

wood and even entered a little thereinto ; and then

,

gazing o n Ralph and his fellows after they had

spurre d o n and were ridin g down a glade o f the
woodl and .

C HAPTER XVII T H EY FA LL I N WITH .

T HAT HERMIT .

0 much had they tarried over this greeting and

feasting that though they had hoped to have
,

come to the hermit s house that night he o f ’

whom that folk had told them it fell not so whereas , ,

the day ha d aged so much ere they left the Plain o f

Abundance that it began to dusk before they had gone
far and th ey must needs stay and await the dawn
,

there ; so they digh t their lodgin g as well as they

might and lay down and slept under the thick boughs
, .

Ralph woke about sunrise and looking up saw a ,

man standing over him and deemed at first that it ,

would be Richard o r the Sage ; but as his vision

cleared he saw that it was neither o f them but a new
, ,
'

comer ; a stout carle clad in russet with a great s t a fl ,

in his hand and a short sword girt to his S ide Ralph -

.

sprang up still not utterly awake a nd cried o u t

, , ,
“ ”
Who art thou carle ? The man laughed and
, ,

said : Yea thou art still the same brisk lad only
, ,

filled o u t to something more warrior like than o f o ld -

.

I 79
But it i s unmeet t o forge t o ld fri e nds Why dost .

thou no t hail me
Because I know th e e n o t oo d fellow said
Ralph But even as he spoke ; he looked into th e
, ,

“
man s face again and cried o u t : By St Nicholas !
’

, .

but it is Roger o f t h e Rope wal k But l ook y o u .

,

fel low if I have some what filled o u t thou who wast

, , ,

a lways black mu zz led art n o w becom e as hairy as a

-
,
”
wodeho u se What dost tho u in t he wi l ds ?
. Said
Roger : D id they no t te l l thee o f a h e rmit new c ome
“
t o these S haws Yea said Ralph I am that
, .

”
holy man quo t h Roge r grinnin g ; n o t that I am
, ,

so m uch o f that either ,I have no t c ome hither to

.

pray o r fas t overmuch but t o rest my soul and be ,

o u t o f the way o f men For all t hings have chan ged

.

”
s in ce my Lady passed away .

He l oo ked about and saw U rsu l a just rising up

,

from the ground and the Sage st irring whi l e Richard ,

e t hugged h i s bracken bed snorin g S he said

y O : ,
.

And w ho be thes e and wh y hast thou taken to the

, ‘
:

wildwood ? Yea l a d I see o f thee that thou hast

, ,

gotten another Lady ; and if m ine ey e s do not fail m e

s h e is fair enough But ther e b e others as fair ; while
.

the like to o ur Lady that was there i s none such ,

.

He fell S ilent a while and Ralph turn ed about to ,

the others fo r by this time Richard also was awake

, ,

and said This m a n i s t he h e rmit o f whom we wer e

told .

Ro g er said Yea I am t he hermit and the holy

,

man ; and with al I have a thing t o hear a nd a thing

to tell Ye we re best to come with me all o f you
.
, ,

t o my house in t h e woods ; a poor o n e forsooth but , ,

there i s somewhat o f victual here and we c a n tell and ,

hearken therein well s he l tered and at peac e 80 to .

”
horse fair folk
, .

They would no t b e bidden twice but mounted ,

and went along with him who led them by a thicket ,

1 80
 B ut when h e had made an e nd Ro ge r s ai d : There ,

i t is then as I said when s h e first spake t o me o f

, ,

thee and bade m e brin g about that meetin g with her ,

drawing the e first t o the Burg and afte r t o the Castl e

o f Abundance I have forgotten mostly by what lies ;
,

but I said t o her that s h e had s e t her h ea r t o n a m a n

over l ucky a nd t h a t thou wouldst tak e her luck from
,

her and make it thin e B u t now I will let all that pass
.
’
,

and will bid th e e as k what thou wilt ; an d I pr o mi se

thee that I will h e lp thee t o com e thy ways to thy
kindred t hat thou mayst put for t h t hy luck i n their
,

behalf .

Said Ralph First o f a ll tell me what shall I do ,

to pass unhindered through the Burg o f t he Four

Friths Said Roger Tho u shalt go in at on e
”
gate and o u t at the other and none shall h inder thee
,
.

Said Ralph And sh all I have a ny h i ndra nc e

from them o f t h e D ry Tree
Ro ger mad e as if h e were swal l owin g down s ome
”
thing and answered
,
Nay none , .

“
And the folk o f H i gham by t h e Way and t he ,
”
Brethren and thei r Abbot ? said Ralph .

“ ”
I know but l ittle o f them quoth Ro ger but I , ,

deem that they wi ll make a push t o have thee for

captain ; because they have had war o n their hands o f
late But this shal l b e at thine o w n will t o s ay yea o r
.

nay t o them But for the rest o n this side o f t he

.

’
shepherds country ye will pass by peaceful folk .

”
Y ea said Ralph
,
what then h ath become o f th e
,

pride and cruel t y o f the Burg o f the Four F r i ths and

the eagerness and fie r ce n e s s o f the Dry Tree
(b oth Roger : This is t he tal e o f it : A fter the
champions o f the D ry Tree had lost their queen and
beloved the Lady o f Abundance they were both rest
, ,
'
less and fierce fo r the days o f sorrow hung heavy o n
,

their hands So o n a time a great company o f them had

.

ado with t he Burgers somewhat recklessly and came t o

1 82
t he worse wherefore some drew back into their fast
ness o f the Scaur and the others still rode o n and ,

further west than their wont h ad bee n ; but warily

when they had the Wood Perilous be h i rid them fo r ,

they had l e arned w isdom again Thus riding they .

had tidings o f an host o f the Burg o f the Four F rl t h s

w h o were resting in a valley hard by with a great
train o f captives and beasts and other spoil for they .

had been raising t h e fray against t he Wheat weare rs -

,

and had slain many carl es there and were bringing ,

hom e t o the Burg many young women and women

children after t heir custom S o the y o f the Dry
,
.

Tree a dvise d them o f th e se tidings and deemed that ,

it would ease the sorrow o f their hearts fo r their

Lady if they could deal with the s e sons o f whores and
make a mark upon the Burg : so they lay hid while the
daylight lasted and by night and cloud fell upon these
,

fain é ants of the Burg and won them good cheap as

, ,

was like to be though the Burg dwellers were many

,
-

the more Whereof a many were slain but many

.
,

escaped and gat home to the Burg even as will lightly ,

happen even in the worst o f overthrows th a t no t a ll ,

o r even the mor e part be slain .

“
Well there were the champions and their prey
,
”

which was very great and e spec i ally o f women o f whom

, ,

the more part were young and fair fo r the women .

o f the Wheat wearers be good ly and these had been

-
,

picked o u t by the rutters o f t h e Burg fo r their youth

and strength and beauty And whereas t h e men o f
.

the Dry Tree were scant o f women at home and s ore ,

h earted because o f o u r Lady they forbo re no t these,

women but fell to talking with them and loving them ;

,

howbeit in courteous and manly fashion so that the ,

women deemed themselves in heaven and were ready to

do anything to please their lovers S o the end o f it was .

that the Champions sent m e sse ngers to Hampton and

t h e Castle o f the Scaur t o tell what h ad betid and they ,

1 83
themselves took t h e road to t h e land o f the Wheat
wea rers havin g those wo me n wi th t hem no t as cap t ives
,
‘

but as free damsels .

No w the road t o t he Wheat wearing country w as -

lo n g a n d o n t he way the damsels to l d their ne w m e n

'

many thin g s o f their land and their unhappy wars

w ith them o f t h e Burg an d t he griefs and to r ments
which they endured o f them And this amon gst . ,
~

that wherever th e y came they slew all ,

the males even t o the sucking babe but spared t he ,

~

'

wo i n en e ven when they bore them n o t into captivity

, .

Whereof said these poo r damse ls i t comet h

,
’

that o u r land is ill furnished o f carl es so that We

-
,

women high and low go afield and do many things

, , ,

as crafts and t he l ike which in other lands a re don e

,

b y carles
-
In sooth it s eemed o f them that the y were
.
’

both of stouter fashion and defter than wom e n are ,

wont t o be So the champions part in jest part i n

.
, ,

earnest bade them do o n the a rmour o f the slai n

,

Burge rs and take their weapons and fell to teachin g

, ,

them how to handle s t a fl and sword and bo w ; and

"

the women took h e art from t he valiant countenance

o f t heir new lovers and d ee med it all bitt e r e ar n
,
es t
e nough and learned their part 3 ee di l ; and t non
, y y e e

too soon F o r when the fleers o the Burg came h om e

.

the Porte lost no time but sent o u t another host t o ,

follow after the Champions and their spoil fo r th e y

had learned that those men had no t turned about to
Hampton after their vi c tory but had g one o n t o th e ,

Wheat wearers -
.

S o it befell that th e host o f th e Burg came u p

with t he Champions o n the eve o f a summer day when
there were yet three hours o f daylight But where as .

they had looked to have an easy barg ain o f their fo e

rrle n since they knew the Champions t o be but a few
, ,

10 ! there was all the hillside covered with a goodly

o f spears and glaives and shinin g helms Th y
‘

arr a
y e .

1 84
w ard t he m we ll an d abode t he foemen th ere ; who
,

failed n o t t o c om e upon the m stou t and stern and ,

cold and well l e arned in al l feats o f wa r

,
-
.

Lon g and bitter was th e battl e an d t he Burgers ,

were fierce without head strong folly and the Wheat —

,

w earers de emed that if th e y blen c hed n o w t hey h ad ,

something worse than death t o l ook t o B ut in t he .

e n d when both sides were g rown weary and worn o u t

,

and yet nei t her would fle e o n a sudden cam e into t h e

,

field th e help from t he D ry Tr ee a val iant comp a ny ,

o f riders t o whom battle w as but game and p l ay Then .

indeed t he men o f the Burg gave back and drew o u t

o f the batt l e a s b es t they mi g ht yet were they little
chased save by the new comers ofthe D ry Tre e fo r the
,
-
,

others were overweary and moreover t h e leaders h ad n o

,

mi n d t o l e t t h e new made warriors leave their vantage

—

ground lest the o ld and tried men a t ar m s o f t h e Burg - -

should turn upon them and put them t o th e worse .

M e n looked for batt l e again the next day ; b u t

it fell n o t o u t so ; fo r t h e h ost o f the Burg s a w that
there was more t o lose than t o g ain so the y dre w
.
,

back towards their o w n place Neither did they .

waste the land much ; for the riders o f the D ry Tre e

followed hard at heel and cut o ff al l who t arri e d o r
, ,

strayed from the main battl e .

When they were gone then at last did the Wheat ,

wearer s give themselves up t o the j oy o f their deliver

anc e and the pleasure o f their new lives and o ne o f
th eir old men that I have spo ken with told me th i s ;
that before when they were little better than the
thral ls o f the Burg an d durst scarc e raise a hand
,

against the foemen the carles were but slow t o love

, ,

and the queans for all their fairness cold and but litt l e
, ,

kind H owever n o w in the fields of t he wheat

.
,

wearers themselve s all this was ch a n ged and men and

-
,

m aids too k to arraying th e mselves ga il y as occasion

s erve d a n d there was singin g and dancin g o n e ve ry
,

86
‘

1
 green and straying o f coup le s amongst t he gre e ne ry
, ,

o f the summer night ; and in short t he god o f lov e

w as busy in the land and made the eyes seem brig ht

, ,

and the lips sweet and t h e bosom fair and t he arms

, ,

sleek and the feet trim : so that every ho u r was fu ll

,

o f allurement ; and ever the nigher that war and p e ril

was the more del ight had man and maid o f eac h
,
’
other s bodies .

We ll w i thin a while the Wheat wearerswe re grown

,
-

s o fu ll o f hope that they bade the men o f the D ry Tre e

lead them against the Burg o f the Four Friths an d ,

the Ch ampions were ready thereto ; because they wotted

well that Hampton being disgarnished o f me n t he
, , ,

men o f the Burg might fall o n it ; and even if they

took it n o t they wo u ld beset all ways and make ri ding
,

a hard matter fo r their fellowship So they fell to .

,

wisely and deliberately and led an host o f the best o f

,

the carles with them and bade the women ke ep their

,

land surely s o that their host was n o t a great many

,
.

But s o wisely they led them that they came before the
Burg we ll nigh u n awares ; and though it seemed littl e
-

likely t hat they should take so strong a plac e yet ,_

,

nought less befell F o r the Burg dwellers beset with

.
-

cruelty and bitter a nger cried o u t that now at l ast t he y

would make an end o f this cu rsed people and t he ,

Whoreson strong thieves their friends : s o they went o u t

-

a gates a reat multitude but in worser order than their

g ,

wont wa s and there befell that marvel whi ch some

'

times befalleth even t o very valiant men that now at ,

t he i n c h all their valour flowed from them a nd they

'

p ,

fled before the spears had met, an d in such evil order

that the gates could not be sh ut an d their foe men ,

entered wi t h them slaying and sl aying even a s they

would S o th at in an hour s space the pride an d th e
.
’

estate of the Burg o f the Four Fr i t h s was utterly fallen .

Huge was the slau g hter for the Wheat wearers deemed -

they had m any a gri e f whereof to av enge t hem n o r

1 87
We re the me n o f t he D ry Tre e e ithe r sl uggards or saints
t o be careless o f their foemen , o r t o be merciful m t h e
battl e : but at l ast t h e m u rder was stayed : and then
the men o f t he Wheat weare rs went from house -

t o house l n the town t o find the women o f th e ir folk

w h o had been made thralls b the Burgers The
y re .

then wa s many a j oyful m e eti ng betwi xt those

women and the men o f their kindred al l was forgotten .

n o w o f t h e days o f th eir thral l dom thei r t oil and ,

mocking and stri pes an d within cer tain da ys al l t he

sort o f them came before the host clad in g re e n
raiment and g arlanded with flo wers fo r the j o y o f
,

their deliveran c e ; and great feast w as made to them .

“
As for them o f the Burg t he battl e and cha se ,

over 11 0 more we re slain save that certain o f t he

,
'

great ones Were m ade shorter by the head But t he .

Champions and the Wheat wearers bot h said that none -

,

o f that bitter and cruel folk should abide any l onger

in the town s o that after a delay long enoug h fo r

them t o provide stu ff fo r their wa y farin g they were all ,

thrust o u t a gates rich and poor o l d and young man

-
, , , ,

wo man and child Proudly and with a stout cou nts

.

nance they went fo r now was their valou r come ag ain

,

to them And It i s like that we shal l hear o f them o ft

.

again fo r though they had but few weapons amongst

them when they were driven o u t o f the ir o ld hom e ,

and neither hauberk n o r shield n o r helm yet s o learned

'
,

in war be the) and s o marvellous gre at o f pride that

r
,

they wil l somehow ge t them weapons ;

but wi t h headless stave s and cudg e l s o f t h e thicket
, ,

wo e b e tide the peaceful folk whom they shall first

‘

fall o n Y e a fair s ir the day shal l come meseem e th

when folk shall c a ll o n t hee to lead the hunt after t h e se
.
, ,

famished wolves and when thou dost s o call o n m e to

, ,

te ll thee tales o f their doings which shall make thine

heart hard and thine hand heavy against them
, .

”
M e an time s aid Ralph what has be ti d to t he
, ,

1 88
may we ll b e peaceful , sinc e the y have come to their
”
above o f their foemen ?
“Yea , said Roger slowly ,
”
that is sooth ; and
so i s this that there in the Burg they are a strong
,

band with a captain o f their o wn and much w o r

, ,

shipped o f t he peaceful folk ; and moreover though ,

they be n ot cruel to torment helpl ess folk o r hard t o ,

m ake an end o f al l joy t o day l es t the y lose th eir joy-

,

t o morrow they now array al l men in go o d order

-
,

withi n t he B urg s o that i t shall be n o easier for a

,
”
foeman t o w i n than erst it was .

“ “
What man ! said Ralph then be o f bet ter
, ,

che er and come thou with us and may be the o ld

, ,

ste e l o f the champions may look o n the s u n do wn in

U pme a ds Com e thou with me I say and show me
.
, ,

and my luck t o som e o f thy fellows who are dwelling

in t he Burg and it may be when t hou hast told my
,

tale to them that som e o f them shall be content to

,

leav e their beds cold for a while that they may come ,

help a Friend o f the Well in his need .

Roger s at silent as if he wer e pon dering the matte r ,

W hi le Richard and the Sage both of them took up the , ,

word o n e after the other and urged him t o it ,

.

At last he said : Well so be it fo r this adventure ,

.

Only I s a y n o t that I shall g ive up this hermitage and

my holiness for e v er Come thou aside wise man .
,
”
o f S we v e n h a m and I shall tell thee wherefore
,
.

”
Yea said Ralph laughing
,
and when he hath
, ,

told thee tell me not again ; fo r sure I am that he is

,

ri ght to go with us and belike shal l be wrong in his

,
”
re ason therefor .

Ro ger looked a little askance at him and he went ,

without doors with the Sage and when they w ere o u t ,

o f earshot he said t o him

,
Hearken I would have ,

gone wi t h my lord at the first word and have been ,

fain thereof ; but there is this woman that followet h

h im . At e v ery turn s he shall mind me o f o u r Lady
1 0
9
that was ; and I shall l oath he r and her fairness and ,

the allure ments o f her body be cau se I se e o f her , ,

that s h e i t is that hath gotten my Lady s l uck ’

and that but for her my Lady might yet have been
alive.

“
Said the Sage : Wel l quoth my l ord that thou
woul dst give me a fool s reason ! What ! dost not
’

thou know thou that knowest s o much o f the Lady

,

o f Abundance that s he it was wh o ordained this

,

U rsula to be Ralph s be dmate when s he herself

’

should be gone from him were s he dead o r alive and

, ,

that s he al s o should be a Friend o f the Well s o that ,

he might n o t lack a fellow his l ife long ? But this

tho u sayest not knowing the mind o f o u r Lady and
, ,
”
h o w s h e loved him i n her inmos t heart .

R oger hung h i s head and spake not fo r a while ,

and then he said Well wi s e man I have said that

, ,

I will go o n this adventure an d I will smooth my ,

tongue fo r this while at least and for what may come ,

hereafter let it be And n o w we were best get to

, .

horse ; for what with meat and minstrelsy we have ,

worn away the day till it wants but a little o f noon .

Go tell thy lord that I am ready Farewell peace .

,
”
and welcome war and grudging !
S o the Sage went within and came o u t with the ,

others and they mounted their horses anon and

, ,

Roger went ahead on foot and led them thro u gh the

,

thicket ways without fumbling ; and they lay down

-

that night o n t he far ther side o f the Swelling Flood .

C HAP TER XVIII A CHAN GE O F DAYS

.

IN THE B U RG O F THE FOU R FRITHS .

HERE is naught to tell o f their ways till they

came out o f the thicket into the fields about
the Burg o f the Four Friths ; and even there
was a look o f a bettering o f men s l ives ; though
’

1 1
9
fors ooth t he hu s bandme n th er e w e re much t he same
' '

as had abided in t he fie lds a fo r e ti me , whereas they

we re n o t fo r t he most part free men o f t h e Burg, but

aliens who did service in war and otherwise thereto .

But it being e ventide there were men and women

, ,

and children w ho had come o u t o f gates walking

, ,

about and dispo rting themselves in t he l oveliness of

early summer and that in far merrier guise than
,

they had durst do in th e bygo n e days More .

ove r th e re was sc arce a s word o r spear to be seen

,

amongst them whereat Roger g rud ed somewhat

and Richard said : Meseems this F
, ,

o lk trusts the

peace o f t he B ur g overmuch s ince when all i s told , , ,

”
unpe ace i s no t s o far from their borders .

But as they drew a little nigher Ral ph pointed o u t

t o hi s fellows the gle a m o f helms and weapons o n t h e
wa lls and they s aw a watchman o n e ach o f the high
,

towers o f the south gate ; and then quoth Roger

“
Nay the Burg wil l not be wo n s o easily and if a
,

few fools get the msel ves sl ai n outside it i s no g reat

”
matter .

F olk nowise l et th e m come up t o t h e gate u n

hee ded but gathered about them to look at the new
,

comers but n o t so as t o hinder them and they could

, ,

s e e that these s u mm e r e r s were goodly folk enough ,

and demeaned them as though they had but fe w

t roubles weighing o n them But the wayfarers were
.

n o t unchallenged at the gate fo r a stout man a t arms

,
- -

stayed them and said Ye ride somewhat late frien ds , .

”
What ar e ye ? (b oth Ralph : We be peaceful
wayfarers save t o them that would fall o n us and we ,
“ ”
seek toward U pm e ads Yea ? said the man
.
,

belike y e shall find something less than peace betwixt

here and U pm e a ds fo t rumour goes that there are
,

a l ien riders come into the lands o f Higham and for ,

aught I know t he said unpeace may spread further o n .

We ll if y e will go to the Flowe r de Lu ce and abid e

,

1 2
9
 a t es thi s ti ni e o the rwi se th a
to w nd e
go u t- a -
”
n tho u

di des t b e fore .

S o R al ph gave him y ea s a y a n d thank e d t h e ma n

‘

a t arms and rod e his ways with t h e others toward t h e

-

Fl owe r de Luc e and whereas t he s u n was but n e wly

,

se t Ralph noted that t he boo ths were gayer and the

,

house s brighter and more fairly adorned than afore

time As fo r t he folk the y we re such th at the streets
.
,

se em e d fu ll o f hol iday m akers s o j oyous and well ,

digh t we re they ; and t he women l ike to those fair

thr all s whom h e had se e n that other tim e saving that ,

they were n o t clad so wantonl y however g aily They , .

came into t he great square and th e re they s a w t hat ,

t he masons and builders had begun o n the master

church t o make it fairer and bigger ; the people were
sporting there as in the stre ets and amongst them ,

were so me weaponed men but t h e m ost part o f ,

bore the token o f t h e D ry Tre e .

S o they entered the Flower de Lu c e and had g ood ,

welcom e there as if they were come home to their o wn

,

house ; fo r when i t s people s a w such a goodly o ld

man in the Sage and s o stout and trim a knight as wa s
,

Richard and above all when th e y beheld the lovel l

,

n e ss o f Ralph and Urs u l a they praised them open ,

mouthed and could scarc e make enough of them

, .

And when they had had their meat and were rested ,

came t wo o f the maids there and asked them if it were

lawfu l t o talk with them ; and Ralph laughed a n d
bade them s it by them a n d eat a dainty morse l ; and
,

they took that blushing fo r t hey were fair and young

, ,

and Ralph s fa ce and the merry words o f his mouth

’

stirred the hearts within t hem : and forsooth it was

n o t s o much they that spake as Ursu l a and the Sage ;

for Ralph wa s somewhat few spoken whereas he pon ,

dered concerning the coming days and what he half ,

deemed that he saw a doing at U pmea ds But at last

-
.

they found their tongues and said how that alread y ,

1
94
rumour was abro ad that they wer e in t he B ur who had
drunk o f t he Water o f the Well at t he Wo r d s End ; ’

“
and said o n e : It is indeed a fair sight to s e e you folk
coming back in triumph ; and so methinks wil l man y
dee m ifye abide with u s over t o -morrow and yet La dy , , ,

fo r a while we are well nigh as j o y o u s as y e can be

-
,

whereas we have but newly come into ne w life al so :

some o f u s from very thralldom o f the most grievous ,

and I am o f those ; and som e o f u s in daily peril o f it ,

”
like t o my sister here S o mayhappen said s he
.
, ,

smilin g none o f u s shall seek to th e We ll until we

,
“
”
have worn o u r present bliss a littl e thre adbare .

“
Ursu l a smiled o n her but the Sage sa id : May
,

happen i t is o f n o avail speaking o f such things to

a young and fair wo man ; but what would betide y o u
if the o ld Burgers were to come back and wi n thei r
”
walls again ? The maid wh o had been a thrall
changed countenance at his word ; but the other o n e
“
said : If t he Bu r gers come back they will find them ,

upon the walls who have already chaced them Tho u .

mayst deem me slim and tender old wise man ; b u t ,

such as mine arm is it has upheaved the edg es against

,

the foe ; and if it be a murder to slay a B u rger then ,

” “ ”
I worthy o f the gal lows Yea yea quoth .
, ,
“
Richard laughing ye shall be double manned then
, ,
-

in this good town ye may well win unl ess the sigh t ,
”
o f you shall make the foe over fierce for the gain .

Said the Sage : It i s well maiden and if ye hold, ,

to that and keep your carles in the same road ye

, ,

need no t to fear t h e Burgers and to say sooth I have ,

it i n my mind that before long ye shall have both war

,
”
and victory .

Then Ralph seemed to wake up as from a dream ,

and he arose and said : Thou art in the right Sage

, , ,

and to mine eyes it seeme t h that both thou and I shall

”
be sharers in the w a r and the victory And therewi t h .

he fell to striding up and down the hall while the t wo ,

I
9S
maide ns sa t ga z i ng o n him with gle aming e ye s an d
'

flushed c hee ks ;
But in a li ttl e while h e c ame back to h is seat and
s a t him down and fell t o talk with t he women and
, ,

aske d th e m o f t h e t o wn and the bui lding therein an d

.
,

th e mark e ts wh e th e r t h e y throve ; and they and t wo o r

,

thre e o f t he townsm e n o r merchants answer ed all and ,

to l d him ho w fair their e sta te was and how t hriving ,

w a s t h e l o t o f on e and all with them The re with .

was Ralph well pleased and they s a t talkin g the re in,

g ood fel lo vvs hip ti ll th e ni ght was so m ewha t worn and

‘

a ll men fared to bed .

C H APTER XIX R AL PH S E ES H AMPTO N

.

AND TH E SCA U R .

H EN it was morning Ral ph arose and went

into the hall o f the hostelry and even as h e ,

e ntered it t h e outsid e door open e d and in ,

came Roger and Richard with him (for he had b een

,

astir very early ) and Ro g er who w as armed from head ,

t o foot and wore a coat o f the Dry Tree cried o u t ,

No w Lord thou wert best do o n thy war gear for

, ,
-
,
”
thou shalt presently be captain o f an hos t Yea .
,
” “ ”
Roger quoth Ralph and hast thou done well ?
, ,
“
Well enough said Richard ,
thine host shal l n o t
be a great o n e but n o man in it will be a blencher
, ,

fo r they b e all c hampions o f the Dry Tree .

”
Ye a quoth Roger
, so it wa s that Stephen ,

a H urst brought me to a c ompany o f my o ld fellows

-
,

and we went all o f u s toge t her t o t he Captain o f t he

’
Burg (e en he o f the Dry Tree who in these latest ,

days is made captain o f al l) and did him t o w i t that ,

thou hadst a need ; and w hereas he a s all o f us had , ,

heard o f the strokes that thou s t r u c ke s t in the wood

that day when thy happiness first began (wo e worth ,

t he whil e ! he stickled n o t t o g i ve som e o f u s l eave

)
1
9 6
d oo r thre e me n a t arms ridi n g up t o t he house ; s o
- -

Ralph went o u t t o welcome them t h e y were armed

full well i n bright armour an d their coats were o f t he ,

D Tree and were tall men and warrior like They

haile
-
, .

d Ralph as captain and h e gave them t h e se le o f

,

the day and bade come in a nd drink a cup ; so did

they but they were scarce o ff their horses e r e there
,

cam e another three and the n s ix together and s o o n e

, ,

after other till the hall o f t he F lower de Luc e w as fu l l o f

'

t h e g leam o f steel and c lash o f armour and the lads held ,

their horse s without an d were merry w ith th e si ght o f

the stal wart men a t arms No w cometh Ursul a dow n
- -
.

from her chamb e r clad in her bra very ; and when t hey
s a w her th e y s e t up a s hout fo r o y o f h e r so that t h e
j ,

r afters rang a g ain ; but s he laughed fo r pleas ure o f

them and poured them o u t the win e till they we re

, ,

merrier with the sight o f her than with the go od liquor .

N o w Roger com e s to Ra lph and tells hi m that h e

deems his host hath come to the last man Then .

Ralph armed him and those t wo maidens brough t

,

him h i s horse and they mount al l o f them a nd draw

,

up in the S quare ; and Roger and Stephen a H urs t -

array the m fo r they were chosen of them as leaders

,

al ong wi t h Ralph and Richard whom they all kn e w

, , ,

at least by hearsay Then Roger drew from his .

pouch a parchment and read the roll o f names and

, ,

th e re w as no man lacking and they were th re escore ,

save five besides Roger and the way farers and never
,
-
,

wa s a band o f lik e number seen better ; and Richar d

said softly unto Ralph If we had a few m ore o f
these I should care little what foemen we should
,

m ee t in U pm e ad s soothly my lord they had as well , ,

have ridden into red Hell as into o u r green fields .

Fear n o t Richard said Ralph

,
we shall have
, ,

f
’
e no u
gh
So then they rode o u t o f t h e Square and throu g h
th e stre e ts t o t he North Gate and much folk was ,

1
9 8
abroad to look o n them and they b lessed them as th ey
,
,
'

went both carles and queans ; fo r t he ru mou r was

,

toward that there was riding a good and dear Lord

a n d a Friend o f the Well to get his o w n again from

o u t o f the hands o f the al iens .

H erewith they ride a little trot th rough the Freedom

o f the Burg and when they were clear o f it they
, .

turne d aside from th e woodland highway whereon

Ralph h ad erst ri dden with Roger and followed the
ride s a g o od way till it w as past noon when t hey ,

came into a very clos e thicket where t here w as but a

narrow and winding way whereon t wo men might n o t
ride ab r east and Roger said : Now if we were the
, , ,

o ld Burgers and the Dry Tree s t il l holdin g the Scaur

, ,

w e should presentl y know wha t steel point dinne r -

meaneth ; if the dead could rise o u t o f their graves t o

gre et their foe men we should anon be a merry co m
,

pany here But at las t they l e ar n ed t h e trick and

.
,

were wont t o fetc h a compass round about Gre y

”
Goo s e Thicket as it hight amongst u s .

”
Well said Ral ph but h o w if there be any
, ,

waylaying u s ; the Burgers may be wiser still th an

thou d e e m e s t and ye m ay have learned them more
,
”
t han thou art minded t o think .

”
Nay said Roger I bade a ha lf sc ore turn aside
, ,

by the thicket path o n our left hands ; that shall make

all sure ; but indeed I look for no lurkers as yet In .

’
a month s time that may betide but not yet ; no t yet , .

But tell me fair Sir have y e any deeming o f where

, ,

thou mayst get thee more folk who be n o t afraid o f

the hard hand play ? F o r Richard hath been telling
-

”
m e that there be tidings in the air .

Said Ralph If hope play me n o t false I l ook t o ,

”
gather some stout carles o f the Shepherd Cou n try .

“
said Roger but I shall tell thee that they
,

have been at whil es unfriends o f the Dry Tree .

“
Said Ralph : I think they will be friends unto me .

I
99
 ’

The n it s hall do we l l sai d R o ge r , fo r t hey be ,

go o d in a fray ” .

S o ta l ke d t hey as th e y ro de but ever Roger would ,

give n o h ee d t o Ur sul a but made as if he wotted n o t

,

that s h e was there though e ve r a n d anon Ralph woul d

,

b e tu r ni n g b ac k t o s pe ak t o h e r and he l p her throug h

t he p a sse s.

At l ast t he thi ck e t be gan t o dwindl e an d presently ,

o ut o f a li ttl e va ll e y or l ong tre nc h o n

bar e o f tree s t hey s aw bel o w the m a fair gr ee n
,

a n d m the midst o f 1 t a re a t h ea p o f g re y ro ck s

rising o u t o f 1t l ike a reef o u t the s e a and o n th e said ,

reef and climbing up as it we re to the topmost o f it th e

, ,

white walls o f a grea t ca stl e t he crown whereof was ,

a hu ge round tower At th e foot o f t he r idg e w a s a

.

thor p o f white houses thatche d with straw s catte re d

ove r a g oo d piec e o f t he plain Th e co mpa ny dre w .

re in o n t h e ridge t o an d t h e Champions r aise d a

p
-
,

gr ea t shout at t h e sight o f their o ld and

Roger turned t o Ralph a n d said ho w
d ee mes t thou o f the Castle o f the Scaur But Richard
b rok e in F o r my p art friend Ro g er I d e em th at, ,

e d o lik e t o p eo pl e unlearned i n war t o le a v e t h e

y
stron hold ungarnishe d o f men This i s a fool s ’

g
.

“
de ed . Nay nay said Ro g er we need n o t be
, ,
’’

o ve r has t y whil e it i s o u r chie f busin e ss t o o r der t h e

-
,

mi ngled folk o f th e Whea t w e ar e rs and o t hers who -

”
dwe ll in th e Burg as n o w .

“
Then Ye t h o w wi l t thou say bu t
t hat t h e m we go t o mee t i n U pm eads
may be som e o f tho se ve ry B u rgers : hast thou he ar d
whether they have found a n e w dwelling amon g
u n happy folk ,
o r b e sti ll ro vin g : mayb e t hey shal l
”
d ee m U pm e ads fai r .

Spak e Ste ph e n a H urst - By t h y leave fai r S ir , ,

we h a ve had a wo rd o f those same ride rs an d stro n g

th i e ve s th a t th e y h av e fe t che d a far co mpass an d ot
g ,

2 00
 i

fre e o f a S pe c t
But O my heart look thou ho w fear
.
, ,

ful t h e piled rocks ris e f rom the plain an d th e

u
p
-

walls wind up amongst the m ; and that hu ge tower ,

the crown o f al l ! Surely t h ere i s none more fearful

”
i n t h e world .

H e kissed her and l aughed m e rrily an d said ,

Yea sweetheart and there wil l be another change

, ,

in the fo l k o f t he hal l when we come there this time ,

t o wit that thou shoul dst n o t be alone therein e ven

, ,

were all these champions and Richard and t he Sage ,

away from thee Wilt tho u tell m e ho w that shal l

.

be
She t urned him and kissed him and care ssed
to
h im, and then they turned back again toward their
fellows, fo r by now they h ad walked to g eth e r a goo d
way along the ridge .

S o then they g at t o hors e a g ain and rod e i nto th e

thorp where men and women stood about t o be hold
,

them and made them humble reverence as they passed

,

by S o rode they to the bailly o f the Castle ; and if that

.

stronghold loo ked terrible from t he ridge

fold m ore terrible o f aspect it was when the upp e r parts
were hidden by the gre y rocks and they so huge and ,

beetling and though the s u n w as b r igh t a b o u t them

, ,

and they in the midst of t heir friends yet even Ralph ,

felt somewhat o f dread creep over him yet he smiled

cheerfully as Ursula turned an an x ious face o n him .

The y alighted from their horses in the bailly for over ,

steep fo r horse hoofs was t h e walled wa y upward ; and

-

as they began t o mount even t h e merry Champions

‘

hushe d their holiday clamour fo r awe of the hug e

s tronghold and Ralph took Ursula by the hand and
, ,
“
s h e sidled up to him and said softl y : Y e a it wa s
, ,

here they drave me up those women thrustin g , ,

a n d smiting me ; and some wo u ld have stripped o ff

my r aiment but o n e who seemed the wisest said

, , ,

N ay l e ave h er till s he com e before th e an c i e nt La dy

, ,

20 2
fo r h e r gear may be a token f whence s h e is , a nd
'

k
o

whither, if s he be come as a spy So I escaped them fo r .

’

that moment And no w I wo n de r what we shall find

.

in the hall when we come in thi t her It is somewhat .

like t o me a s when o n e gets up from bed in the dead

,

night when all is quiet and the moon is shining and

, ,

goes o u t o f the chamber into the hall and coming ,

’
back almost dreads t o s e e some horror lying in one s
,
”
plac e amid th e familiar bedclothes .

5 And s he grew paler as s he spake Then Ralph .

comforted her and trimmed h is countenance t o a lo ok

o f mirth but inwardly he was ill at ease
,
.

So up they went and up till they came to a level ,

p lace whereon w a s built the chief hal l and i t s cham

be rs : there they stood awhi l e to breathe them before

the door which was rather low than great ; and Ursula
,

clung t o Ralph and trembled but Ralph spake in her ,

ear : Take heart my sweet or these men and , , ,

Roger in especial will think the worse o f thee ; and

,

thou a Friend o f the Well What ! here is naught to .

hurt thee ! this is naught beside the perils o f the

”
desert and the slaves and the evil lord o f U t te r bo l
, .

”
Yea s he said but m es e e me t h I loved thee not s o
, ,

sore as no w I do 0 friend I am become a weak

.
,

woman and unvaliant and there is n aught in me but ,

love o f thee a nd love o f life because o f thee ; n o r dost

,

thou know altogether what befell me in that hall .

But Ralph turned about and cried o ut in a loud ,

“
cheerful voice Let us enter friends ! and lo y o u , ,

I will show the Champions of the Dry Tree the way

”
into their o wn hall and high place Therewith he .

thrust the door open for it was not locked and strode
, ,

into the hall sti ll leading Ursula by the hand and all
, ,

the company followed him the clash of their armour ,

resounding through the huge building Though it .

w a s long it was not s o much that it was l on g as that

,

i t was broad and exceeding hi gh so that in the d u sk

, ,

20 3
o fit th e great va ul t o f t he roo f was dim and misty .

There was n o man th erein no bal ling o n i ts wal ls n o , ,

benches nor boards nau g ht but t he gre at standing

‘

table o f ston e o n t h e dais an d t h e stone high seat ,

”
-

amidst o f i t : and th e place did verily se e m like t he

house and hall o f a p eo pl e that h ad die d o u t in o n e
hour because o f their e vil dee ds .

Th ey stood still a moment wh e n t hey were all

fairly within doors and Roger thrust up t o Ral ph
,

and said but softly , The Woman is blenchin g and ,

al l fo r nau g ht ; were it n o t fo r t h e oath w e had b e s t

“

have left her in the thorp : I fe ar me s h e will b r ing evil

days o n o u r o ld home with her shivering fear H o w .

far otherwise came o u r Lady in hither when first s h e

cam e amongst us when the Duke o f us found her in
,

the wood after s he had been thrust o u t from Sunway

by t h e Baron whom thou sl ewest afterward O u r .

Du ke brought her in hi t her wrapped up in f h is

’
knight s scarlet cloak and went up with her o n t o
,

the dais ; but wh e n s h e came thither s he turned abou t ,

and l et her cloa k fall to ea rth and sto od the re bare ,

'

foot in her smock as s he had been cast out into t he

,

wildwo od and she spre ad abroad her hand s and cried

, ,

o u t in a loud voice as s we e t as the May blackbir d ,

May God bless this H ouse and t he abode o f t he ‘

valiant and the shelter of the hapless

, .
’

Said Ursula (and her voice w as firm and the colour

come back t o h er c heeks n ow while Ralph stood ”

aga z e and won dering) Ro ger tho u lo vest me littl e , ,

meseemeth t hou g h if I d i d less than I do I sho uld

, ,

do agains t the will o f thy L ady th at w as Q1 e e n i n

this h a ll But tell me R o ge r w he r e i s gone that
.
, ,
'

other o ne the fearful s he bear o f this cra g wh o sat i n

,
-
,

yonder stone high seat and ro ared at me and mocked

-
,

me and gave m e over into the hands o f her tormen

,

tors who haled me away to th e prison whe refr om thy

,
x
,

very Lady delivere d me ? ,

20 4
dus k a ri g ht fair c ol oure d pi ctu re s he l ook ed therein
-

fo r s he was c lad in a goodly gr ee n gown broider ed

with flowers and a green cloak with gold orphrey s
,

over i t ; her hair was spre ad abroad over her shoulders ,

and o n her head was a garland o f roses which t h e

women o f th e Flower de Luce had given her ; so there
s he sa t with her fair face whence no w all the wrinkl es
,

o f trouble and fear we re smoothed o u t l ooking like a n ,

imag e o f t he early summer tide itself And the cham -

.

pions looked o n her and marvelled and o ne whispered ,

t o the other that it was their Lady o f aforetime com e

back again ; o nl y Ro ger wh o had n o w gone back to ,

t he rest o f the fellowship cast his e ye s upon t h e

,

ground and mu t tered

, .

No w Ralph draws his sword and lays it n aked o n ,

t he stone tabl e and he stood beside Ursula and said

,

Champions o f t he Dry Tree by the blade o f U p

‘

me ads which lieth here before me and by the head ,

which I love best in the world and is best worthy o f ,

’
love (and herewith he laid hi s hand o n U r sula s head ) ,

I swear that whenso ever the Captain o f the D ry Tre e

cal let h o n me whether I be eating o r drinking abed
, ,

o r standin o n my feet at peace o r at war glad o r

g , ,

sorry I shall do my utmost t o come to his aid straight

,

w ay with wha ts o forc e I may g ather I s this rightly .

”
swor n Champions ?
,
“
Said Stephen a H urst It is s worn well and
-

”
knightly and n o w cometh o u r o ath
, .

” “
Nay said Ralph I had n o mind to drive a
, ,

barg ain with you ; your deeds shall prove you ; and I
”
fear n o t fo r your doughtin e ss .

Said Stephen Yea Lord ; but he bade u s swear

,
”
to thee Reach me thy sword I pray thee
.
, .

Then R al ph reached him his sword across the great

stone table and Stephen took it and kissed the blad e
, ,

and t he hilts ; and then lifted up his voice and said

“ By the hilts and the blade by the point and the
,

20 6
 dge we swe ar t o follow t he Lord Ralph o f U pmeads
'
’

e ,

for a year an d a day and to do his will in all wise So

, .

help u s Go d and Allhallows

A n d the rewith h e gave t h e sw ord t o t h e o th e rs and ,

ea ch man o f them kissed it as he had .

B ut Ralph said Champions for this oath I ,

thank yo u al l heartily B u t it is not my meaning .

tha t I should hold y o u by me fo r a year wher eas I ,

deem I shall do al l that my kindred may need in three

days space from the first hour wherein we s e t foot i n
’

”
U pm e ad s .

Stephen smil e d friendly at him and nodded and ,

said That may well be but now to make a good

end o f this mote I will tell t hee a thing ; to w i t that ,

o u r Ca ptain yea a n d all we are minded to try the e

, , ,

by this fray in U pm e a ds now we know that thou ,

has t bec ome a Friend o f the W ell And if thou turn .

o u t as w e deem is likest w e will give thee this Castle ,

o f the Scaur for thee and those that shall spring from
,

t hy loins ; fo r we deem that some such m a n as thou

will be the only o n e to hold it worthily and in such ,

wise as it may be a stronghold against tyrants and for

the helping of peaceable folk ; since forsooth we of ,

the Dry Tree have he a rd so mewhat of the Well at

’
the World s End and trow in the might thereof
, .

He made an end ; and Ralph kept silence and po n

dered the matter But Roger lifted up h i s he ad and
.

“
broke in and said , Yea yea ! that is it we are all ,
”
become men o f peace we riders o f the Dry Tree ! ,

And he laughed withal but as one nowise best pleased ,

.

B ut as Ralph was gathering h is words together and ,

Ursu la wa s looking up to him with trouble in her face

again came a man o f the thorp rushing into the hall
, ,

and cried out : O my lords ! there are weaponed ,

men coming forth from the thicket Save us w e pray .

,
”
o u for we are ill weaponed and men of peace
y
-
, .

Roger laughe d and said : Eh good man ! So y e

, ,

20 7
want u s bac k agai n ? But my Lo rd R alph a nd t hou ,

Richard and thou Ste phen com e y e t o the shot wi n

, ,
-

d o w here that giveth o n t o t he fore st we are high up

, .

here and we sh a ll s e e all as cl early as in a good mirror

, .

Hast tho u shut th e gates carl e Yea Lord , ,

“
R o ger quoth h e
, and t he re ar e so m e fifty o f u s
,
”
togeth e r down in t he b ase cour t -
.

Ralph and Ri c o o k e d forth from

t h e shot window a band o f men riding

,

d o wn t he bent into t h e thorp and Ralph who as

.

, ,

aforesaid was far sighted and cle ar sighted said :

- -
,

Yea it i s strange but without doubt these ar e

,

ride rs o f t h e Dry Tre e ; and they se em t o m e t o b e

some ten sc ore Thou Stephen thou Roger what is
-
.
, ,

to hand I s your Captain wont t o give a gift and tak e

”
it back and somewhat more with it ? Stephen
l o oked abashed at his word ; and Roger h u ng his
head a g ain .

But therewith the Sage drew up to t hem an d said

B e not dismayed Lord Ralph What wert thou
,
.

going to say t o t he Champions when this carle brake

in
This said Ralph that I thanked the Dry Tree
, ,

h e artily fo r i ts gift but that meseemed it na ught wis e

,

t o leave t his stronghold disgarnished o f me n til l I can

c ome o r send back from U p me ads .

Stephen s face cleared at the word and h e said

’

I bid thee believe it lord that there is no treason in

, ,
’
o u r Captain s heart ; and that if ther e were I would

fight a gainst him and his men o n thy beh al f A nd .

Roger though i n a somewhat surly voice said the like

, , .

“
Ralph thought a little and then h e said : It is ,

wel l ; go we down and o u t o f gates to meet them ,

”
that w e may t h e sooner get o n o u r wa y t o U pme a ds .

And without more words he went up to Ursula and

took her hand and went o u t o f the hall and down the ,

rock cut stair and all they with him And when they
-
, .

20 8
t he B urg an hour,ere three of my riders brought in to
m e a man w ho said and av e me tokens o f his word
,

being true that he had allen in with a company o f

,

t h e o l d B urgers in t he Wo od D e bateable which be like ,

”
thou wotte st o f .

“ “
All we o f U pmeads wo t o f it s aid R alph Well , .
,

said the Captain amongst the s e said Burgers w ho

, ,

were dwelling in the wildwood in summer content ,

t he word we nt free t hat they would gather t o them

other bands o f s t rong thieves wh o haunt that wood
-
,

and go with them upon U pm e ads and from U pme ads , ,

when they were waxen stron g the y would fall upon ,

Higham by the Way and then c e with yet more

,

strength o n their o ld dwelling o f the Burg No w .

whereas I know that thou art o f U pme ads and also ,

what thou art and what thou hast done I have ridden
, ,

aft er the e t o tell thee what is toward But if thou .

d e e me s t I have brought thee all these riders it is not

wholly so For it was borne into my mind that o u r
.

o ld stronghold was left bare o f men and I knew not ,

what mi g ht betide ; and that the more as more than ,

o n e man h as told us how that another band o f the

d isinherited Burgers have fallen upon Higham o r the

lands thereof and Higham is n o great way hence
,

so that some five score o f these ri d ers are t o hold o u r

Castle o f t h e Scaur and the rest are for the e to ride

,

afield with As fo r the others thou hast been told

.
,

alre ady that t h e Scaur and H am pt on therewith is a

,

gift from us to thee ; for henceforward we be the lords

o f the Burg o f the Four F r i t hs and that i s m ore than
,

e nough fo r u s .

Ralph thanked the Captain for this and did him to ,

w i t that he would take the gift if he came back out

the U pm e a ds fray alive : said he With t hee and the ,

Wheat wearers in the B u rg and me in the Scaur no

-
, ,
”
strong thief shall dare lift up his hand in these parts
-
.

“
The Captain smiled and Ralph went o n : And
,

2 10
no w I must needs ask thee for l eave t o depart ; which
is all the more needful whereas thy men have over ,

ridden their horses and we must needs go a soft pace

,
”
till we come t o Higham .

“
Yea art thou for H igham fair s ir ? said t he
That 1s w
, ,
“
Captain . ell for y e ma y get men there ,

from and at the least it is lik e that y e shall hear

,

tidings : as to my men and their horses this hath ,

been looked t o For five hundred good men of the.

Wheat wearers men wh o have not learned the feat o f

-
,

arms a horseback are coming through the woo d s

-
,

hither to help ward thy castle fair lord ; they will be ,

here l n some three hours space and will bring horses ’

for thy five score men therefore do y e but ride softly ,

to Higham and if these sergeants catch up with yo u

”
it is well but if not abide them at Higham
, ,
.

Thanks have thou for this once more said ,

Ralph ; and now I have no more word than this

for thee ; th a t I will come to thee at thy least word ,

and serve thee with all that I have to my very life ,

if need be And yet I must say this that I wot not

.
,

why ye and these others are become to me wh o a m ,

”
alien to yo u as very brothers ,
Said the Captain : .

There I S this to be said of 1 t as w as aforesaid that , ,

all we count thy winning o f t he Well at the World s ’

End as valiancy l n thee yea and luck withal But , .

,

moreover s he who was Our Lady would have h ad

,

thee for her friend had she lived and how then could ,

w e be less than frien d s to thee ? Depart in peace my ,

friend and we look to see thee again in a little while

,
.

Therewith he kissed him and bade farewell ; and ,

Ral ph bade his band to horse and they were in the ,

saddle in a twinkling and rode away from H ampton

“

at a soft pace .

But as they went Ralph turned to Ursula and s a1d ,

And now belike shall we see Bourton Abbas onc e

more and the house where first I saw thee And
, .

21 1
 “

0 h ow sweet thou wert ! And I so happy and so

f
’

y oun
g
Yea s h e said and sorely I longed fo r thee and
, , ,

now we have long been to gether as it seemeth and y e t ,

that long space shall be but a li ttle while o f o u r lives .

But my friend as t o Bourton Abbas I misdoubt m e

, , ,

o f o ur se eing it ; fo r there is a nigher road by the b

y
ways t o H igham w hich these men know and d o ubtless
, ,

that way we shall wend ; and I am glad thereof ; for I

shall tell thee that somewhat I fear that thorp lest it
, ,
”
should lay hold o f me and wak e me from a dream , .

“ ” “
Yea said Ralph but even then belike thou
, , ,

shouldst find me beside thee ; as if I had fallen asleep

in the ale house and dreamed o f the Well at the
-
,

World s End and then awoke and seen the clear bare
’

foot maiden busying her about her house and its

”
matters That were naught s o ill
. .

Ah she said look round o n thy men and think

, , ,

o f the m ight o f war that is in them and think of t h e ,

deeds t o com e But O how I would that these next

.

few days w e re worn away a n d we yet a live fo r a long ,

”
whi l e .

C H A PTER XX THEY COME T O T H E .

GA TE OF HIGHAM BY THE WAY

‘

T was as Ursula had deemed and they made for ,

Higham by the shortest road so that they came ,

before the gate a little before sunset : t o the very

gate they came not ; fo r ther e were stron g barriers
before it and men a t arms within them as though
,
- -
,

they were looking fo r an onfall And amongst these .

were bowmen who bended their bows o n Ralph and

his company So Ralph stayed his men and rode u p
.
,

to the barriers with Richard and Stephen a Hurst all -

,

three o f them bare headed with their swords in t h e -

sheaths ; and Stephen moreover bearing a white cloth

21 2
what he was abo ut S aid th e kni ght Wh e re w ere
.
,

your bows then ? ,

Said a man They were pressing so hard o n t he

barrier that we cou ld n o t draw a bowstring Besides
,
.
,

h o w might we shoot him without hitting thee belike ,

The knight turned toward Ral ph grown wroth and ,

surly and that the more a s he s a w Stephen and Richard

,

grinning ; h e said : F air s ir ye have stre ngthened ,

t he o ld saw that s aith Te l l m e what thy friends are , ,

and I will tell the e what thou art Tho u hast stolen .

”
o u r man with not a word o n it .

”
Fair s i r said Ralph mese e meth t hou makes t
, ,

more words than enough about it Shall I buy my .

brothe r o f thee then ? I have a good few pieces in

,

my pouch The captain shook his head angrily

. .

Well said Ralph ho w ca n I please thee fair

, , ,

s ir

oth the knight

(b Thou canst please me best by
turnin thy horses heads away from Higham all the
’

sort 0 gyo u
,

H e stepped back toward the barriers

.
,

and then came forward again and said

'
Look you , ,

ma n at arms I warn thee that I trust thee not and

- -
, ,

deem that thou liest Now have I mind t o issue o u t .

and fall upon y o u : fo r y e shal l b e e vil guests in my

Lo rd Abbot s lands ’
.

No w at last Ral ph waxed so mewhat wroth and h e ,

sai d Come o u t then if y o u will and we shall meet , ,

you man fo r man ; there is yet light o n this lil y le a and ,

”
we will do so much fo r thee chur l though thou be , .

But as he spoke came the sound o f h o r n s and lo

, , ,

over t h e bent s howed the points o f spears and then ,

all those fiv e score o f the Dry Tree whom the captain

-

h ad sent after Ra lph came pouring down the bent .

Th e kni ght l ooked o n them under t h e sharp o f his

hand till he s aw th e Dry Tree o n their coats also and
, ,

then h e turned and gat him hastily into the barriers ;

and when h e was am on gs t h is o wn men he fell t o
214
roaring o u t a de fiance t o Ralph and a bolt flew ,

forth and two o r three shafts but hurt no o n e

, , .

Richard and Stephen drew their swords but Ralph ,

cried out Come away friends ta rry n o t to bicker, ,

with these fools wh o are afraid o f they know n o t

,

what : it is but lying under the naked heaven t o

night instead o f under the rafters but we have all ,

lod ge d thus a many times : and we shall be nigher t o

”
o u r journey s end to morrow when w e wake up
’
-
.

Therewith he turned h is horse with Richard and

Stephen and came to his o wn men There w a s much .

laughter and jeering at the Abbot s men amids t o f t he ’

Dry Tree both o f those wh o had ridden with Ralph

, ,

and the new comers ; but they arrayed them t o ride

-

further in good order and presently were skirting the

,

walls o f H igham o u t o f bow shot and making fo r -

,

the Down country by the clear o f the moon The .

sergeants had gotten a horse fo r Hugh and by Ralph s ,

’

bidding he rode beside him as they went their ways ,

and the t wo brethren tal ked togethe r lovingly .

CHAPTER XXI TALK BETWEEN T H O SE .

TWO B RETHREN .

ALPH asked H ugh first if he wotted aught o f

Gregory their brother H ugh laughed and .

“
pointed to Higham and said : He is yonder , .

” “ ’
What said Ralph
, i n the Abbot s host ?
,
”
Ye a said Hugh laughing again
, , but in his spi ,

ritual n o t his worldl y host : he is turned monk

, ,

brother ; that i s he is already a novice and will be a

, ,
”
brother o f the Abbey in s ix months space Said ’
.

Ralph And Launce l ot Long tongue thy squire -

, ,
”
how hath h e sped ? Said Hugh : H e i s yonder
also but in the worldly host n o t the sp i ritual he is a
, ,

sergeant o f theirs and so mewhat o f a cat c h for them

, ,

for he i s n o il l man at arms as tho u wotte st and

- -
, ,

21
5
besides he adorneth everything with words s o that
.

men hearken to him gladly .

But tell me said Ralph ho w i t befalleth that

, ,

the Abbot s men of wa r he so churlish and chary of

’

t h e inside o f their town ; what have th ey to fear ? Is

”
not the Lord Abbot sti ll a might y man ? Hugh
shook his head : There hath been a change o f days
at Higham ; thoug h I s a y not but that the knights are
“
over careful and much over fearful
, What has .

” “
t h e change been ? said Ralph Hugh said In . .

time past my Lord Abbot was indeed a mi ghty man ,

and both this town o f Higham was well garnished of

men a t arms and also m any o f h i s manors had castles
- -
,

and strong houses o n them and the yeomen were

-
,

ready t o run t o their weapons whenso the gathering

was blown In short Higham wa s as mighty a s it
.
,

wa s wealthy ; and the Abbot s men had naught t o do

’

wi t h any save with thy friends here wh o he a r t he

,

Tree Le a fle s s ; all else feared t hose holy walls and the

w ell b lessed men who warded them But the Dry .

Tree feared as men said neither man nor devi l (and

, ,

I hope it may be so still since they are become thy

’
friends ) and they would whiles lift in the Abbot s
,

lands when they had no merrier business on hand ,

and n o t seldom c ani e to their above in their de a lings

with his men But all things come to an end ; for as
.
,

I am told some year and a hal f ago the Abbot had

, ,

debate with the Westland Barons who both were and ,

are ill men to deal with being both hungry and ,

doughty The quarrel grew till my Lord must needs

.

defy them and to make a long tale short h e himsel f

, ,

in worldly armour led his ho st against them and they ,

met some twenty mil e s t o the west in the field o f the

Wry Bridge and t here w as Holy Church overt hro wn ;
,

and the Abbot who 13 as valian t a man as ever san g

,

mass though not over wise in war would no t flee —

,

and as none woul d slay him mi ght they help it they

, ,

, ,

21 6
art a fo ol t o go with a budget o f slanderous o ld
’ ”

g
wives tales h laughed Be not so wroth
li t tle lord o r I al ?be asking thee tales o f marvels
. .
,

also But hearken I shal l smooth o u t thy frowns

. .

with a smile when thou hast heard this this folk ar e

not only afeard o f their o ld enemies the devil led ,
-

men but al so they fear those whom t h e devil led men

,
-

have driven o u t o f house and home t o wit the , ,

Yet a gain they fear the Bur gers yet more ,

because they have beaten some of the very foes o f

Hi gham to wit t h e Westland Barons ; for they have
,

taken from thein some o f their strongholds and ar e

,

,
”
deemed to be gatherin g force .

Ralph pondered a while and the n he said : B r o ,

ther hast thou any tidings o f U pm ea ds o r that these

, ,
” ”
Burgers have gone down thither ? God forbid !
said Hugh Nay I have had n o tidin s o f U p
g
.
,

meads since I was foo l e nough to leave i t .

’

“ “ ’
What ! brother said Ral ph thou hast no t
, ,

thriven then
“
I have had u ps a nd downs said H u gh but t he , ,

u s have been o n e rung o f the la dder and t he downs

p ,

three o r more Three months I s at in prison for

—
.

getting me a broken head in a quarrel that concerned

me not Six months was I besieged m a town whither
.

naught led me but i ll luck Tw o da ys I wore in .

running thence having scaled the wall and swam t he

,

ditch 1n the night Three months I served squire t o

.

a knight who gave me the business o f watchin g h is

wife o f whom he was jealous and to help me o u t o f the
weariness o f his house I must needs make love myself
to the said wife who sooth t o s ay was perchanc e worth
,

it Thence again I went by night and c l oud Te n

. .

months I wore away at the edge o f t he wi l dwo od ,

and sometimes in it with a sort o f fel l ows who ta ught

,

me many things but not ho w t o keep my hands from

,

other men s goods whe n I was hun g ry There was I

’
.

21 8
taken with some five othe rs by ce rtain s ergea nts o f
Higham whom the warriors o f the town had se nt
,

o u t cautiously to see if they might catch a few men

for their ranks Well they gave me the choice o f the

.
,

gallows tree o r service for the Church and s o my

-
, ,

choice m ade there have I been e ver since till I sa w

, ,
”
thy face this evening fair s ir ,
.

”
Well brother said Ralph
,
all that shall be
, ,

amended and thou shalt back to U pme ads with me

, .

Yet wert thou to amend thyse lf somewhat it might ,

not be ill .

“
(b oth H ugh : It shall be tried brother But , .

”
may I ask the e somewhat ? Said Ralph : Ask o n .

” “
Fair Sir said Hugh thou s e e me ds t rown into a
pretty man when I s aw thee e en now be g
, ,
’
”

ore this twi -

light made u s all a like but the men at thy back ar e

not wont to be led by men who have not e arned a
warrior s name yet they follow thee : h o w cometh
’

that about ? Again before the twilight gathered I ,

saw the woman that rideth anigh u s (who i s now b u t

a shadow) how fair and gentle s he is : indeed there is
no marvel in her following thee (though if s he be an
earl s daughter s he is a fair getting for an imp o f
’

U pme ads ) for thou art a well shapen lad little lord
, , ,

a n d carriest a sweet ton g ue in t h mouth But tell

”
y .

me what is s he ?
,
”
Brother said Ralph kindly she is my wife
, , .

“
I kiss her hands said Hugh ; but o f what ,

lineage is she
“
She is my wife said Ralph Said Hugh , .

That is forsooth a high dignity

, Said Ralph
,
.

Thou sayest sooth though in mockery thou speakest , ,

which is scarce kind to thine o wn mother s so n but ’

learn brother that I am become a Friend o f the

, ,

Well and were meet to wed with the daughters o f

,

the best of the Kings yet is this one meeter to w e d

with me than the h i ghes t o f t he Qi e e n s ; for s he also ‘

21
9
is a Friend of the Well More over thou sayest 1t
.
,

that t h e champions of t he D ry Tree who would think ,

but little o f an earl for a leader ar e eager to follow ,

m e : and if t hou still doubt what this may mean ,

abid e till in t o days o r t hree thou see m e before the

,

foema n Then shalt t hou tell me how much chang ed

.

I am from the stripling whom thou knewe st i n

U p me ad s a littl e while a go .

Then was H ugh somewhat a bashed and h e said ,

I crave t hy pardon broth e r b u t never had I a we ll

, ,

filed tongue and belike it hath grown n o smoother

,

amid the har d haps which have be fallen me o f late .

Besides it was dull in th ere and I must needs try to ,

”
w in a little mirth o u t o f kith and kin .

“ ” “
So be it lad, quoth Ralph kindl y th o u d ids t
, ,
”
as k and I told an d all is s aid
.
, .

“
Ye t forsooth said H ugh thou hast give n me
, ,
”
marvel for marvel brother ,
Even . Ralph ,

and he reafter I will tell thee more when we s i t s afe ’

b y the wine at U pm e a ds .

Now cometh back o n e o f the fore riders a nd dra weth -

rein by Ralph and saith that they are hard o n a little '

thorp under the hanging o f the hill that was the be

ginning o f the Down country o n that road 8 0 Ralph .

bade make st ay there and rest t h e night over and seek ,

new tidings on the morrow ; and the man told Ralph

that the folk o f the thorp were fleeing fast at the
tidings of their company and that it we r e be s t that
,
~

he and some half score should ride sharply into t he

thorp so that it might not be quite bare o f victuals
,
’
when they came to their night s lodging Ralph .

bid s him s o do b u t to h ee d well that he hurt no man

, ,

or let fire get into any house o r roof ; so he takes his

knot o f men and rides o ff on the spur and Ralph ,
“

and the main o f them come o n quietly ; a nd when

they came into the street o f the thorp lo there by the ,

cross a bi g fire lighted and the elders standin g thereby

,

2 20
we have overco me the foemen and meanwh ile we will ,

live and die together But thou ancient man show

.
, ,

o ur sergeants where o u r riders shall lie t o night and -

,

what they shall do with their horses .

S o the elders marshal l ed the littl e hos t t o their

abodes fo r that night lodging the more part o f them
,

in a big barn o n t h e western outskirt o f the thorp .

The elder wh o led them thither brought them victual ,

and g ood drink and said t o them : Lords ye were

, ,

best t o keep a good watch to night because it is o n -

this side that we may l ook fo r an onfall from the fo e

men i f they be abroad t o night ; an d sooth to s ay that
-

is o n e cause we have bestowed you here deeming ,

that ye would n o t grudge u s the solace o f knowing

that your valiant bodies were betwixt u s and them ,

fo r w e be a poor unwalled people .

Stephen to whom he spake laughed at his word ,

and said : Hear t u p carle ! within these fe w days

-
,

we shal l build up a better wall than ye may have of

stone and lime ; and that i s t he overthrow o f o u r foe
me n in the open field .

So there wa s kindness and good fellowship betwixt

t h e thorp dwellers and the riders and the country folk
-
,

told those others many tales o f the evil deeds of the

Burg devils as they called them ; but they could n o t
-
,

tell them fo r certain whether they had gone down

into U pm e ads .

A s to Ralph and Ursula they with Richard and ,

’
Ro ger were lodged in the headman s house and had
, ,

good fe ast there and he also talked over the where

,

abouts o f the Burgers with t h e thorp dwellers but -

,

might have no certain tidings So he and Ursula a n d

.

h is fellows went t o bed and s l ept peaceful l y for the

first hours o f th e night .

222
C H APTER XXI I AN OL D AC QU AINTANCE .

COMES FROM THE DOWN COUNTRY TO

SEE RALPH .

UT an hour after midnight Ralph arose as his ,

purpos e w as and c a lled Richard and they took

, ,

their swords and went forth and about t he

thorp and around its outskirts and found naught ,

worse than their o wn watch any where ; s o they came

back again t o t heir quarters and found Roger standing
“
at the door who said to Ralph : Lord here is a
, ,
” ”
man who would s e e thee What like is he ? said .

Ralph Said Roger, He is an o ld man but a tough

.
,

o n e ; however I have got his weapons from him

, .

“
Bring him in said Ralph and he shall have his
, ,

sa
y .

So they all went into the chamber together and there

wa s light therein ; but the man said to Ralph : Art
”
thou the Captain o f the men a t arms lord ? Yea - -
, ,
“
said Ralph Said the man I were as lief have these
.
,
” “
others away So be it said R alph ; depart for
.
,
”
a little while friends So they went butUrsula lay in
, .
,

the bed which was in a nook in the wall ; the man

,
“
looked about the chamber and said Is there any
” “ ”
o n e in the bed ? Yea said Ralph my wife , , ,
” ”
h
good fellow ; shall s go also
e ? Nay said the ,

carle we shall do as we are now So I will begin

, .

”
my tale .

Ralph looked o n him and deemed he had seen him

before but could not altogether call his visage to mind ;
,

s o he held his peace and the man went o n .

I am of the folk of the shepherds of the Downs

‘

we be not a many by count o f noses but each one of us ,

’
who is come to man s years and many who be past ,

them as I myself can handle weapons at a pinch Now

, , .

some deal we have been harried a nd have su ffe red by

2 23
thes e wretches who have eaten into the bowel s o f this
land ; that is t o say t hey have lifted o u r sheep an d
, ,

slain som e o f us who withstood them but whereas

o u r houses be uncostly a n d that w e move about easily

from o n e hil l side to ano t her it is like that we should

-
,

have deemed it wisest t o have borne th is trouble lik e ,

oth ers o f wind and weather without seeking new ,

remedy but that there have been to k ens o n earth and

,

in the heavens whereof it is too long t o tell thee lord

, , ,

at present which have stirred up o u r scattered folk

,

t o meet to g ether in arms Moreover the blood of

.
,

o u r you n g men is up because the Burg devils have

,
-

taken some o f o u r women an d have mishandled them

,

grievously and shamefully so that naught wi l l keep ,

point and edg e from seeking the war clash F u r the r -

.

more there is an old tale which hath now come up

,

again That some time when o u r folk shall be in great

,

nee d t here shall come t o o u r helping o n e from afar

, ,

whose home is anigh ; a stripling and a great man ; a

runaway and the conqueror of man y then say they
, , ,

shall the point and the edge brin g the red water down
on the d ear dales ; whereby we understand that the
bloo d o f men shall be shed there and naught to o u r ,

shame o r dishonour Again I mind me o f a rhyme

.

concerning this which s aye th

The Dry Tree shall be seen
On the green earth and green ,

The Well s pr i n shall arise

-

For the hope 0 the wise .

They are o ne which were twain ,

The Tree b lo o m e t h again ,

And the Well spring hath come -

From the waste t o the home .

Well lord thou shalt tell me presently if this hath

, ,

aught to do with thee : for indeed I saw the Dry

Tree whi c h hath s c ared us s o many a time beaten
, ,

2 24
Go ni g ht a n d day s i t n o t down t o ea t stand not t o
, ,

drink ; heed none that crieth after t hee fo r deliver

ance but go go go till thou hast found him Me
, , , .

seems I se e him ridin g toward Higham but those ,

dastards will no t open g ate t o him o f that b e sure , .

H e shall pass o n and l ie t o night it may be at Mile -

,

ham it may be at Milton it may be at Garton ; at

, ,

o n e o f those thorps shal l e fi nd him And when ye

y .

have found him thus be speak him O bright Friend

o f t h e Well turn n o t aside t o fa l l o n the Burge r s in
,

this land either at Foxworth Castle o r the Long

, ,

ford o r the Nin e way s Garth : al l that thou mayest d o

,

he r eafter thou o r thy champions The re be Burge rs

, .

otherwhe re housed in no str ong castle but wendin g

, ,

t h e road toward the fai r greens ward o f U pme a ds If .

thou delay t o go look o n them then shall thy work b e ,

t o begin a gain amid sorrow o f heart and loss that may

’
n o t be rem e died Hast thou heard me lord .
?
,
”
Yea verily said Ralph and at sunrise shall we
, , ,

be in t h e s addl e t o ride straigh t t o U pme ads F or I .

”
know thee friend , .

H old a whil e said t he carl e for m e seemeth I , ,

know the e also But this w ithal s he said . B ut

hearken Giles hearken a while for I see him clearly
, , , ,

and the men that he rideth with and the men that ar e ,

fo l lowing t o his aid fierc e and fell are they ; but so ,

withal are t h e foemen that await them and his are fe w , ,

howsoever fier ce There fore bid him this also Haste . .

,

haste haste ! But haste n o t overmuch lest thou

, ,

speed t he worse in Bear Castle I s e e a mote o f o u r

folk and thee amidst o f it with thy champions and I
, ,

s ee t h e staves o f the Shepherds rising round thee like

a wood In Wu ls t e ad I s e e a valiant ma n with sword

i
.

b y sid e a nd sallet o n head and with him sitteth a tall

‘

man at arms grizzle headed a n d r ed bearded big

- - — -
,

boned and mighty they s it at the wine in a fair

chamber and a well looking dame serveth them and
,
-

2 26
there ar e weaponed men n o few about the stree ts .

Wilt thou pass by friends an d o ld friend s No w ?

,

ride o n Green Coats ! stride f orth Shepherds ! staves

, ,

o n your shoulders Wool wards ! and there goes the

,
-

host over the hills into U pm e ads and the Burg devils ,
—

will have come from the Wood Debateable to find

graves by the fair river And the n do thy will 0.
,

Friend o f the
The carle took a breath and then h e said : Lord, ,

this i s t h e s a y I w a s charged with and if thou under ,

standest it well ; but if it be dark t o thee I may

, ,
”
make it clear if thou as k me aught .

Ralph pondered a while and then he said “ I s it

,

known o f others than thy spaewife that the Burgers

”
be in U pm e ads Nay lord said the carle , , ,
“
and this also I say to thee that I deem by what ,

s h e said that they be n o t in U m e a ds yet and but

p ,

drawing thitherward as I deem from t he Wood D e

,

b at e ab l e .

Ralph arose from his se at and strod e up and down

t he chamber a while ; then he went to the b e d and ,

stood over Ursula wh o lay twixt sleeping and waking

, ,

for she was weary ; then he came back t o the carle ,

“
and said t o him : Good friend I thank thee and , ,

this is what I shal l do : when daylight is broad (and

l o the dawn beginnin g ! ) I shall gather my men and
, ,

ride the shortest way which thou shalt show me t o

, ,

Bear Castle and there I shall give the token o f the

,

four fires which erewhile a good man o f the Shep

herds bade me if I were in nee d And it seems to me .

that there shall the mote be hallowed though it may ,

be no t before n ightfall But the m ote done we shall

.
,
.

wend the whole host o f us be we few o r many down

, , ,

to Wuls te ad where we shall fall in with my friend

,

Clement Chapman and hear tidings Thence shall

, .

we wend t he dear ways I know into the l and where

I was born and the folk amongst whom I shall
2 27
di e
. And s o le t St Nicholas and A ll H allo ws do as
.

they wi l l with us D e e mes t thou fri e nd that this i s

.
, ,

the meaning o f thy wise s he friend - .

'

Th e carle s e yes glitt e re d and he rose up a n d sto od

’

clo se by Ralph and said : Even so s he me an t ; an d

,

no w I se e m t o se e that b u t few o f thy riders shall b e

lackin g when th e y turn their h eads aw ay fr om U p

meads towards th e strong places o f the Burg devils - -

that a r e hereabouts But te ll me Captain o f the host

.
, ,
”
h a I
is that victu al and br e ad t t ee o n the board
s P i .

R alph laughed Fall t o frie nd and e a t thy fill ! ; , ,

and here is wine withal Thou needest n o t t o fear it . .

'
Wert th ou a ny t h e wors e o f the wine that Th irl y
‘

”
poured into thee that other day ?
“ ”
Nay ; n ay master said t he carle between his
, ,

mout hfuls but mickle the better as I shall be after

, ,

this t all luck t o thee ! Yet s e c I that I need not WlS ll '

thee luck since that is thin e alre ady S ooth to s ay I

’

,
.
,

deemed I knew thee when I first set eyes o n th ee

again I looked n o t to see thee mo re ; though I spoke
.

to th ee wo rds at that ti me which came from my heart

“

a lmost without my will Though it i s but a little .

while a go thou hast changed much sinc e then and

, ,

has t go t another sort o f look in t he eye s than then

”
they had Nay nay said he laughing not when
.
, , ,

thou lookest o n me s o fra nkly and kindly ; that is

l ik e thy look when we passed Thir l y about Yea I .
,

s ee t he fashion o f it : o n e look i s fo r thy friend s ,

another fo r thy foes God be praised for bot h And . .

n o w I am full I will o look o n thy wife

g , .

8 0 he went up to the bed a n d stood over Ursula ,

Wh ile s he w ho wa s n o w fully awake smiled u p into

, ,

his face The o ld man smiled back at her and bent

.

“
down and kissed her mouth and said I ask thy ,
.

pardon lady and thin e my lord if I be t o o free but ,

such i s o u r custom o f the D o whs ; and sooth t o sa y

, , , ,

thy face is o n e that even a o ld man should not fail to

228
and th e y a ll handl ed t he ir we apons and r o de ove r t he
brow and tarri e d n o t o ne mome nt the re n o t e ven t o
, ,

cry their cri es ; fo r down in t he bottom were a sort o f

men t wo score and s i x (a s they counted them after
,

ward) sitting o r lying about a cooking fire o r l oiter ,

ing here and there with their horses standin g behind

,

them and they mostly unhelmed Th e Ch ampions

,
.

knew them at once for m e n o f their o ld foes and ,

there was scarc e time for a word ere t he fu ll half o f

th em had pass e d by th e sword o f the D ry Tree ; t he n
Ralph cried out t o spare t he rest unless they o ff ered t o ,

run ; so the foemen cast down their weapons and stood

still and were pre sentl y brought before Ralph wh o s a t
, ,

o n the grass amidst o f the ring o f t h e Champions He .

looked o n them a while and remembered th e favour

o f those whom he had seen erewhile in t h e Burg
°

but ere he could speak Giles said softly in his e ar

These be o f the Burg forsooth as ye may s ee by , ,
’
their dogs faces ; but they be not cl ad nor a rmed as
those whom we have met heretofore A s k them .

”
whence they be lord ,
.

Ralph spake and said : Whenc e and whithe r ar e

e ye manslayers B u t n o man o f them answered
”

y , .

Then said Ralph Pass these murderers by t h e ed ge

o f the sword Stephen ; unless some o n e o f them will
,
”
save his life and the life o f his fellows by speaking .

As he spake o n e of the younge st o f the men hung

,

down his head a little and then raised it up : Wilt ,

”
thou spare o u r lives if I speak ? Yea said Ralp h , .

”
Wilt thou swear it by the edge o f the blade ? said
t h e man Ralph drew forth his sword and said
. Lo
then ! I swear it The man no dded his head and
.
,

s aid : F e w words are best ; and whereas I w o t not

if my words will avail thee aught and since they will ,

save o u r lives I will tell thee truly We are men of

, .

t he Burg whom these green coated thieves drave o u t -

o f the Bur g o n an unlucky day Well some o f us . , ,

23 0
o f whom I was o ne fetched a compass and crossed the
,

water that runneth through U pme ads by the R ed

Bri dge and so gat u s into the Wo od Debateable
,

through t h e Uplands There we st ruck a bargain .

with the main band o f stron thieves o f the wo od ,that -

we and they together wo u d get u s a new home in

U pme ads which i s a fat and pleasant land S o we go t
, .

u s ready ; but t h e Woo d m e n told us that the U me ad s

p
carles though they b e n o t man y are strong an d daunt
, ,

less and sinc e we no w had pleasant life before us with

, ,

good thralls t o work fo r u s and with plenty o f fair ,

women fo r o u r bed mates we deemed it best t o hav e

-
,

the most numbers we might so that we might over ,

w helm the said carl es at o n e blow and g et a s few o f ,

ourselves slain as might be No w we knew that .

another band o f us had entered the lands o f the Abbot

o f Higham and had taken hold o f some o f his castles ;
,

wherefore the captains considered and thou ght and ,

sent u s t o give bidding to o u r folk south here to

march at once toward u s in U pme a ds that o u r bands ,

might meet there and scatter all before u s The re is

, .

”
o ur story lord , .

“
Ral h knitted his bro w and said : Tell me (and
thy 111i:lieth o n thy giving true answers ) do thy folk
,

in these strongholds know o f your purpose o f falling

”
upon U pme a ds ? Nay said the Burger Said ,
.

Ralph : And will they know otherwise if ye do them ’

”
not to wit Nay again said the man Said Ralph ,
”
Are thy folk already in U p mea ds ? Nay said ,
“
the captive but by this time they will be on the
,
”
road thither How many all told ? said Ralph
. .

The man reddened and stammered A thousand

”
two t wo thousand A thousand lord said he
— —
, , .

”
Get thy sword ready Stephen said Ralph Ho w , ,
.

”
m any on thy life Burger ?
,
Two thousand lord
, , ,
“
said t h e man And how many do ye look t o have
.

from Higham land ? Said the Burger Somewhat

-
,

23 1
more t han a thousand W i thal he looked un easily
.

at hi s fellows some o f whom we re scowli n g o n him

,
“ “
fe lly . Tell me n o w said Ralph wher e b e t h e
, ,

other bands o f the Burgers ?

Ere th e captive could speak he who s t oo d ne x t him ,

snatched an unsheathed knife from t he gi r dle o f on e

o f t h e Dry Tre e and quick as lightnin t h rust i t into
, g
h i fellow s b lly t h at h e fell d e ad at once amongst
’
s e so ,

them Then Ste phen who had hi s sword naked in h is

.
,

hand straight way hewe d down the slayer and swords

, ,

came o u t o f t h e scabbards e ve rywhere ; and it went

but a little but that all t he Bur gers were slai n at
on ce But Ral ph cried o u t : Put up your swords
.
,

Champions ! Stephen slew yonder man for slayin g his

fellow w ho was under my wa rd and that was but his
, ,

due But I have given life to these others an d s o i t

.
,

mu s t be held to Tie their hands behind them and let

.

”
us o n t o Be ar Castle F o r this tide brooks no delay
. .

S o they gat t o horse and the footm en from Gart on

,

mounte d the horses o f the slain Burgers and had the ,

charge o f guarding the twenty t hat were left So they .

rode o ff all o f them toward Bear Castle and shortly to ,

sa it came within sight o f i t s rampa r t two ho u rs

y ,

before noon Sooner had they come thither b u t

.

divers times they cau ght up with small companies o f

w ea poned men whose heads were turned the sam e
,

way and Gil e s told Ralph each time that they were
o f the Shepherd folk going to the mote -
But n o w .

when they were come so nigh t o the ca stle they saw a

v ery stream o f men setting that w a and winding up
y ,
“
the hi ll t o the rampart And Giles said : It i s n o t to b e
.

doubted but that Martha hath sent round t he war

brand and thou wilt presently have an host that will
,

meet thy foemen without delay ; and what there lack s

in number shall be made good by thy luck which once ,

again wa s shown by o u r fallin g in with that company .

”
e en n o w .

23 2
c e e di nl on g h e had a sa l let o n his head and he l d a
g ; ,

guisarme i n his hand All men held their peace when

.

they s a w him standing there ; and straightway he pr o

claimed t he hallowing o f t he Mote l n such form o f
words as was du e amongst that folk and which were ,

somewhat long t o tell here Then w as silence again .

for a littl e and then the o ld man spake

,
Few words
are best to day neighbours for wherefore are we met
-
, ,
”
together ? There aros e a hum o f assent from the
Shepherds as he spoke and men clashed their we apons
together but none said any clear word Then spake .

the old man We b e met together because we have

trouble o n hand and becau s e there is a helper t o hand
, ,

o f whom the words o f t h e wise and tales o f o ld have

told us ; and because as h e shal l help us s o shall we ,

help him since indeed o u r trouble i s his also : n o w

, ,

n eighbours shal l I s ay the word fo r you which y e

,

wo uld s a y to this young man who is nevertheless o ld ,

in wisdom and tru e hearted and kind

,
-

Then came the hum of y e as ay again and t he clash

ing o f weapons and the old man spake again
,
Ralph
o f U me a d s there thou standest wilt thou help u s
p ,
”
,

against the tyrants as we shall help thee ? ,

”
Yea said Ralph Said the Elder
,
Wilt thou
. .

be our Captain if we do according t o thy bidding

,
? r

”
For thou needest n o t fear o u r failing thee .
,

”
Yea verily s aid Ralph , .

Said the Elder Ralph of U p me ads wilt thou ,

be o u r Captain as an al ien and a hirelin g o r as a ,

brother
As a brother quoth Ralph , .

Come up here then Captain o f o u r folk and take , ,

my hand in thine and swear by o u r fathers and thine

,

to be a true bro t her o f us and take this ancient s t a ff ,

o f war in thine hand And ye kindred o f the Shep

.
,

herds bear witness o f his swearin g Ye a and ye al so

, .
,

0 nei g hbours o f the D ry Tree !

23 4
 So Ralph went up o n the w ll t o p and took t he a -

Elder s hand and took from him the ancient guisarme

’

, ,

which was inlaid with gold in letters o f old t l me ; and

he swore in a loud voice t o be a true brother o f the
Shepherd folk and raised the weapon aloft and shook it
-
,
”
strongly and all the Folk cried Hail our brother !
, ,

and the Champions shouted gladly with a l and grea t ,

joy there was in that ingle of the ancient work .

Then spake the Elder and said : Ye champions o f

the Dry Tree will ye wend with us under the Captain
,
”
o u r brother against his foemen and ours ?

The n stood forth Stephen a Hurst and said ,

Master shepherd for nought else a re we come

,
”
hither .

Said the Elder Will ye come with u s as friends

o r as hirelings ? for in any case we would have yo u
by our sides and not in face o f us and though we
,

be shepherds and unhoused o r ill housed yet have

, ,
-
,

we wherewithal to wage you as ye kno w well enou gh , ,

”
who have whiles lifted o u r gear .

Then Stephen laughed and said : True it is that we

have whiles driven prey in your country yea and had , ,

some hard knocks therein ; but all that was in playing

the game o f war and now since we are to fight side
,

by sid e we will be paid by o u r foes and n o t by o u r

,

friends ; s o neither hair nor wool will we have o f

yours whatever we may have o f the Burgers ; and it
,

is like that we shall b e good friends o f yours hence

forward .

Once more all they that were there shouted But .

“
once more the Elder spoke and said Is any man
”
now wishful to speak ? None answered till a big
and burly man rose up and said Nay Tall Thomas , ,

thou hast said and done all that need was and I deem ,

that time presses wherefore my mind is that we now

break up this mote and that after we ha v e eaten a
,

morsel we get ourselves into due array and take t o

23 5
the road No w let an y man spe ak agai nst this if h e
.
“

Will.

None gainsai d him ; nay all see med well pl e ased ,

-
.

S o t he Elder proclaimed the break i n g up o f t he mote ,

and they Went from o u t t he hallowed place and s at

down in the dyke o n t he outside of t he r ampart and
behe ld the countr y which stre tched ou t a l l lovely and
blue before them fo r the day w as bright a n d fair
, .

There then certain women brou ght vic t u al a n d dri nk

t o t hem and served the strangers first
, .

S o when they h ad e aten and d runk R al ph b ad e t he ,

Shepherd s array them duly and appointed them leaders

,

o f tens and hundreds with the help o f Giles w h o was ,

now clad in a hauberk and mail coif and looked a -

proper man at arms Then they told over their co m

- -
.

pany and numbered o f the Dry Tree o n e hundred

,

and fifty champions outtaken Stephen and Roger ; o f

,

the men o f Garton were twenty and t wo and o f t he ,

Shepherds three hundred and s eventy and seven stout

carles some eighty o f whom had bows and the rest
, ,

glaives and spe ars and other staff weapons There -

.

w as n o t much armour o f defenc e amongst them but ,

they were o n e and all stark carles and doughty .

So when they were told over and made five hundr e d

and fifty and four they gat them into array for t h e
,

road ; and Ralph went afoot with n o armour but his

sallet an d a light coat o f fence which he ha d gotten
,

him in t he Burg He would have had Ursula ride

.

o n her palfrey with the Sage but s he would not a n d , ,

held it fo r mirth and pleasure that s he should go afoot

through the land n o w s h e wa s s o nigh come hom e
,

to her lord s house ; s o s he went forth b y Ralph s

’ ’

side with her broidered gown tru ss ed through her .

girdle s o that the trimness o f her feet drew the eyes

,

o f all men to them As for Richard he took a

.
,

half score o f t he champions and they rode o n ahead ,

t o se e that all w as clear b e fore t h e main host ;

23 6
eyes behind them which shall no t su ffer that a Fri e nd
”
o f th e Well shall be hur t .

S o Ral ph and U rsula went forth and came within a ,

’
stone s cast of the barrier when Ral ph lifted up his ,

voice and said : I s there a cap ta i n o f the townsfolk

“
”
within the timber there P A cheery voice an swered .

him Y e a y ea l ad ; spar e thy breath ; I am coming

, ,

t o thee .

And therewith a man c ame from o u t t he barrier

and d id o ff his headpiec e and ran straight toward
Ralph who saw at once that 1 t was Clement Chapman ;
,

he made no more a do but coming u p to Ralph fell ,

to clipping him in his arms while the tears ran down ,

hi s face Then he stood aloof and gazed upon him

.

speechless a little while and then spake Hail and, ,

a hundred times hail ! but no w I look o n thee I s e e

what hath betid and that thou art too noble and high
,

that I should have cast mine a rms about thee But

\
.

n o w as fo r this o n e I will be better m annered with

,
”
her.

Th e rewith he knel t down before U rsu l a and kissed ,

her feet but reverentl y A n d she stooped down and

, .

raised him up and w ith a merry countenance kissed

,

his face and stroked his cheeks with her hand a n d

,

said : Hail friend o f my lord Was it not rather

,

thou than he who delivered me from the pain a n d

,

shame o f U t t e r bo l whereas thou didst bring him safe

,

through the mountains unto Goldburg ? And but

for that there had b e en n o Well ei t her fo r him o r ,

for me .

But C l ement stood with his head hanging down ,

and his face reddening Till Ralph said to him .

Hail friend ! many a tim e we thought of this meet

,

ing when we were far away and hard bestead ; but this
is b etter than al l we thought o f But no w Clement .
, ,

hold up thine head and be a stout man o f war for ,

thou seest that we be n o t alone .

9 .
3 8
 S aid Clement Ye a , fair
lord an d time ly y e come , ,

bo th thou and thy company ; and no w that I have my

g
spe ech again which o y hath taken away from me at
the first I shall tel thee this that if ye go further
, ,

than the good town ye shall be met and fought withal

”
by men wh o are over many and over fie r c e fo r u s
- -
.

”
Yea said Ralph and how many be they
m
, ,

oth Clement How many men may b e amongs t

them I wo t no t but I deem there be some t wo
t housand devils .

No w Ral ph reddened a n d he took Cleme nt by the

,

s houlder and said :

, Tell me Clement are they yet , ,
”
in U pm e ads Sooth to s a y said Clement by , ,

this while they may be therein ; but this morn it was

e t free o f t hem ; but when thou art home in o u r
y
house thy gossip shall belike tell thee much more
,

than I can ; fo r she is foreseeing an d hath told us ,

”
much in this matter also that hath come to pass .

Then spake Ralph : Where are my father and my

m other ; and shall I go after them at onc e without
”
resting through the dark night and all ?
,

Said Clement and therewith hi s face brightened

,
‘

thou needest go no further t o look fo r them

than the House o f Black Canons within o u r walls :
t here are they dwelling in a ll honour and dignity these
“
t wo days past What
. said Ralph have they ,

fled from U pme a ds and left the High House empty

,
?

I pray thee Clement bring me t o them as speedily as

, ,
”
may be .

Verily said Clement t hey have fle d wit h many

, , ,

another women and children and o ld men who should

, ,

but hinder the c arles who have abided behind Nicholas .

Longshanks is t he leader of them down there an d ,

the High H ouse is their stronghold in a wa y ; though

forsoo t h their stout heads and stro n g hands are a better
”
defence .

H ere Ralph brake in Sweetling Ursula though ,

23
9
thy fe et have wo rn a m an y mi les t o day I bid the e ’
-
,

has t en b a ck t o the compa ny and tell Richard that 1 t

is as I said t o wit tha t friend s and good guesting
, ,

await them ; so let them hasten hither and come within

gat es at onc e F o r as fo r me I have sworn it that I
.
,

wil l no t go o n e step b ac k till I have se en my father

and mother i n their house o f U pme ads I s 1t well said .
,
”
Clement ? Yea forsooth said Clement ; but he
, ,

could n o t take his ey e s o ff Urs ula s loveliness as s h e

’

kilted her skirts and ran her ways like o ne o f Dian a s ’

l adies 1n the wildw ood At last he said Thou shal t

.
“
,

wo t fair s i r that y e will have a l ittle band t o go with

, ,

thee from us o f Wu ls tea d ; for sooth We had gone t o

morrow morn in any case but since thou art here al l is
, ,
”
well Ev en as he spake a great shout broke o ut
.

the company as Ursula had given her message and ,

then came the tramp o f men and horses and the c lash
of weapons a s they se t forward ; and Cle m ent looked
and beh e ld how first o f all t he array came Ursul a ,

bearing t h e ha l lowed st a fl in her hand ; for her heart

’

also was s e t o n what was to come Then cried o u t .

Clement H appy art thou lord and happy shalt

, ,

thou be and wh o sha l l withstand thee ? Lo ! what a

,

w a r duke it i s ! an d what a l e ader that m ar c hes with fate

-

in her hands before thine host !

Therewith were they a ll joined toge t he r and Ursula ,
’
gave the guisarme i nto Ralph s hand and with his ,

other hand he took hers and th e bar o f the barrier

,

was lifted and the gates thrown open and the y all ,

streamed into the street the champions coming last

,

and towering over the foot men a s they s a t big m e n ,

o n their big horses as if they were very bodyguard s

,

o f the Go d o f War .

240
church but just finished and Ral ph coul d s e e down
,

the street i t s new white pinnacles and the cross o n its

eastern gable rising over the ridg e o f the dortoir .

They came t o the gate and round about it were

,

standing men a t arms n o t a few w ho seemed doughty

- -
,

enough at first sight ; but when Ralph looked o n

them he knew som e o f them that they were o ld men
, ,

and somewhat past warlike d eeds for in sooth they ,

were carles o f U pm e ad s Him they kne w not for he

.
,

had somewhat cas t down the visor o f his helm ; b u t

they looked e agerly o n the fair lady and the g oodly
knight .

So Ralph spake to the porter a n d bade him show

him where was King Peter o f U pm e ad s and his Lady
wife ; and the porter made him obeisance and told him
that they were in the church wherein wa s service ,

toward ; and bade him enter So they went in and .

entered t he church and it w a s somewhat dim b e cause

, ,

the s u n was set and there were many pictures and

, ,

knots o f flowers in the glass o f the windows .

S o they went halfway down the nave and stood ,

to gether there ; and the whole church was full o f the

music that the minstrels were maki n g in the rood loft -
,

and m ost heavenly swe et it was ; and a s Ralph stood

there his heart heaved with hope and love and t h e
sweetness o f his youth ; and he looked at Ursula and ,

s h e hung her head and he s aw that her shoulders

,

were shaken with sobs ; but he knew that it was with

her as with him s o he spake no word to her
,
.

No w when his eyes cleared and he wa s used to the

twilight o f the church he looked toward the choir and
, ,

saw near t o the J esus altar a man and a woman standi n g

together even as they were standing and they were ,

so mewhat stricken in years So presently he knew that

.

this would be his father and mother ; so he stood still

and waited till the service should be over ; and by
then it was done the tw ilight was growin g fast in the
24 2
church and the sacristan was l ighting a l amp here and
,

there in some o f the chapels and the aisles o f the choir

, .

So King Peter and his wife tu r ne d and came slowly

down the nave and when they were come anigh Ral ph
, ,
“
spake aloud and said : Hail King Peter o f U p
, ,

me ads And the old man stopped and said unto him
“
Yea forsooth my name is Peter and my business
, , ,

is t o be a king o r a kinglet rather ; and once it

,

seeme d no such hard craft ; but n o w it all goes other

wise and be like my c raft has left me ; even as it fares
,

with a leech when folk are either t o o well o r t o o ill to

”
need his leech craft -
.

Then he looked at Ralph and at Ursula and said ,

Either my eyes are wors e than I deemed yesterday '

o r tho u art young and a gallant knight and she that

, ,

is standing by thee is you n g and fair Ah lad ! time , .

,

w as when I would have bid thee come home thou ,

and thy sweetling t o my house with me and abide

, ,

there in ease and feastfully ; but now the bes t rede I

can give thee is t o get thee gone from the land for ,

there is all unpe ace in it And yet forso oth , friend I

.
, ,

know n o t where t o send thee to seek for peace sinc e ,

U pm e ads hath failed us .

While he spoke and Ralph w as sore moved by

,

the sound o f his voice and his speech wherein kind

,

ness and mocking was s o blended the Dame o f ,

U pm e ad s came to Ralph and laid her hand o n h i s ar m ,

and said in a pleasant voice for s he was soft hea rted ,

-

and soft spoken both

-
Will n o t the fair young
warrior and his mate do s o much fo r an o ld man and
his wife who have heard no tidin g s o f their best
,

beloved s o n for t wo years well nigh as to come with ,

them to their chamber and answer a little question o r

,

two as t o the p arts o f the world they have seen o f

late
Ralph nodded y e as ay a n d began t o move toward
the porch the Dame o f U pmead s stickin g clos e to
,

24 3
him al l the time a nd King Peter following a fte r and
,

s a in g : Yea young m an thou mayst think t h e worse

'

)
,
, ,

o f me fo r hanging about here amongst the monks ,

when e en n o w fo r all I know the battle is pitc hed in

’

, ,

U pm e ad s ; but Nicholas and all o f them would have

it s o — Yea and al l my sons are away fair sir ; though
, ,

o f the eldest w h o meseems w as born with a long head

, ,
”
w e hear that he i s thriving and hath grown great , .

A s h e spake th e y wer e come into the porch an d ,

p a sse d into th e open ai r where it wa s stil l light ; then

,

t h e D am e turned round o n Ralph and cau g ht him by

t he t wo arms and cried o u t and cast her arms about
his neck ; and whe n s he could sun der herself a little
fr om him s h e said ,
0 R al ph I dee m e d that I knew ,

thy voice but I durst n o t halse th ee till I k n ew it w as

,

mine o w n fl esh and blood lest I should have died fo r ,

grief t o t hink it was thee when it was n o t 0 so n .

,

h o w fair thou art ! No w d o o ff thy salle t that I may

”
s e e the e thy face and thy curly head
, .

S o did he smiling as o ne wh o l o ved her an d a gain

,
:
,

i
'

s he fell t o kissin an d c l i him The n his father

g pp gl

cam e u p and thrus t he r as ia

.

e gently and embraced

“
him also and said : Tell m e s o n what thou art
, , ,

becom e ? Tho u art grown much o f a man since thou

s to les t th y self away from me Is the re aught behind
'

this goodly raiment o f th ine ? And this fair lady hath ,

s he stolen th ee away from thy foes t o bring thee hom e

to u s
. ?
Ral ph lau g he d a nd said No l ess t han that ,

father ; I will tel l th e e all pre se ntly ; but t his fir st ,

that I am t h e cap t ain o f a goodly company o f me n

” ”
a t a rms ; and
- Ah so n sweetheart said his , , ,

mother and tho u wilt be going away from u s again

,

t o seek m or e fame and yet as I look o n thee thou , ,

s e e me s t to have grown great enough alre ady I deem .

”
thou wilt n o t leave us .

”
Mother my dear said Ralph to morro w morn
, , ,
-

24 4
m ay we l l thank the e and b l ess thee that your eyes l ook
upon this half o f me with kind eyes And n o w I
_
. .

shall tel l thee that fo r this woman her heart is greater ,

than a king s o r a leader o f folk And meseemeth

’
.

her p a lms have hardened with t he l abour o f deliver

ing me from many troubles .

Then the Dame o f U pme ads put her arms abo u t

’
U rsula s neck a g ain and bade her all welcome onc e
,

m ore wi th sweet words o f darlin g an d dear and well

, ,

be l oved d au g hter .

But King Peter said So n thou hast not told me ,

what thou art become ; and tru ! it i s that t hou has t

”
the look o f a great o n e .

Said Ralph : F ather and Kin g I have becom e ,

the Lord o f the Little Land o f Abundance the sworn ,

brother o f the Champions o f the D ry Tree the Lo rd ,

o f the Castle o f the Scaur the brother and War ,

duke o f the Shepherds ; and to morrow shall I be th e -

Co nqueror o f the robbers and the devils o f t h e Bur g .

And this be n o t enough for me hearken ! I and my ,

wife both yea and she leading me have drunk of the

, ,

Well at the Worl d s End and have becom e Friends

’

,
”
thereof .

And he looked at hi s fat her with looks o f love and ,

h is father drew nigh t o him again and embraced hi m ,

o nce more and stroked his cheeks and kissed hi m as

,
“ ”
i f he had become a child again : 0 so n said he , ,

whatsoever thou dost that thou dost full we l l ,

.

And 10 o ne whil e when I look o n thee thou art my

,

dear and sweet chi ld as thou wert years agone and I

, ,

love thee dearly and finely ; and another while thou art
a great and mighty man and I fear thee ; s o much ,
”
greater thou s ee m e s t than we poor upland folk .

Then smiled Ralph fo r love and happiness and h e ,

said P a t he r I am thy child in the house and at the

,

board and that is for thine helping And I am thy

, .

c hampion and the fierc e warrior afie ld and that also is ,

24 6
for thin e helping Be of good cheer ; for thine h o use
.

”
shall not wane but wax ,
And all those four were
.

full o f joy and their hearts were raised aloft .

But as they spake thus came a lay brother and bent -

the knee before King Peter and bad e hi m and the

Dame of U p me ads to supper in the name o f the Prior ,

an d the Captain a n d the La dy therewith ; for indeed

the rumour of the coming o f an host fo r the helping

o f the countryside had gotten into that H ouse and t h e ,

Prior and the brethren sorely desired to look upon the

Captain no t knowing him for Ralph o f U pme a ds S o
,
.

into the Hall they went together and there the holy ,

fathers made them great feast and joy ; and King

Peter might not refrain him but told the Prior how
,

this was his so n come back from far lands with the ,

goodly Lady he had wo n t o wife therein ; and the

Prior and all the fathers made much o f Ralph and ,

rejoiced in their hearts when they s aw how goodly a

man o f war he had gotten to be And the Prior .

would lead him on t o tell him of the marvels he had

seen in the far parts o f the world ; but Ralph said
but little thereon whereas his thought w as s e t o n the
,

days that lay even before his feet ; e t some deal he

told him o f the uncouth manners o the lands beyond
Whitwall and at last he said
,
Father when the ,

battles be over here and there is peace o n o u r lands

,

again I will ask thee t o give me guesting for a night

, ,

tha t I may tell thee all the tale of what hath befallen
me since the last summer day when I rode through
Wu ls t e ad but now I ask leave o f thee to depart fo r I ,

have many things to do this even as b eho v e t h a ,

captain before I sleep fo r an hour o r t wo And if it

, .

be thy will I would leave the Lady my wife with my

,

mother here at least till morrow morn .

So the Prior gave him leave loth though he were , ,

a n d Ralph kissed his father and mother and they ,

“
blessed him But U rsula said to him softly : I t is
.

24 7
my me anin g t o go with thee down into U pm ea ds t o
”
mo rr ow ; fo r who knoweth what may befal l thee .

Th en he smi l ed upon her and we nt hi s way s down t he

“ ‘

hall an d o u t a gates whi l e all men loo ked o n him and

- -
,

did him worship .

C HA P TE R XXVII R A LP H H O LDS C O N .

VERSE WITH KAT H ERINE H IS GOSSIP .

A LP H w e nt st rai g ht from St Au stin s t o Cle ’

'

ment s h ouse and found mu c h p e op le abou t

’

t h e door th e re of what o f the townsm e n what

, ,

o f th e men o f hi s o wn host H e p asse d throug h th ese

.
,

a n d fo und Clement in hi s c hamber and with him a hal f ,

score o f such company as was without and amongst ,

them Ro ger and the Sag e ; but Stephen and Ric hard
both were amongst their men doing what was n eed
fu l
. A ll men arose wh e n Ralph e ntered but h e
l ooke d around and could se e nought o f his gossip
,

amongst them Then h e s a t down by Clement

.

a n d asked if h e h ad any fresh tidi n gs ; an d C l ement

d id him t o wit that ther e had com e in a carle

from o u t o f U p me ads who had told them by sure,

t oke ns tha t the foe were come into the U p mead s land -

at noon that day and between then and sunset had

,

skirmished with Nicholas and them that were holding

the High H ouse but had gotten nought there by
, .

This m an said Clement being both bold and o f ood

sleight had mingled with the fo e ; and had h e ar gt h e
, ,

tal k o f them and he said that they had no inkling o f t he

Shepherds o r t he D ry Tree coming against them ; but
they looked to have aid from their o wn folk from t h e
l ands o f H igham wherefore they made a mock o f the
defence o f t he U pmeads men and said that s i nce whe n
'
’

the y were all o i n e d together in U pme a ds they mi g ht

ente r where t lie y would without the loss o f a half score
,
-

me n therefore they wou l d r isk nou g ht now ; nor wou l d

,

24 8
fiel d with the foe be fore him ; s o that they wondere d
at him so young in years being so old 1 n the wi sdom
, ,

o f war Withal they s a w o f him that he had n o

.

doubt but that they should come to their abov e o n

t he morrow ; and all men not only o f the tried men
,

a t arms o f the D ry Tree

-
but they o f the Shepherds
,

also e ven th os e o f them wh o had never stricken a

,

stroke in anger w e re o f hi gh heart and feare d n o t

,

what shou l d befall .

. S o when al l this busin e ss w as over they turn e d about ,

’
and cam e their ways home to Clement s house again .

They s aw li g hts in the chamber or ev er they e ntered ,

and when they cam e t o the door 10 ! there within was ,

Katherin e walkin g up and down t he floor as if s he

knew n o t h o w t o contain herse l f She turned and .

s aw Ral ph at the door and s he cried al oud and ra n

,

towards him with arms outspre ad But when she dre w .

nigh to him and beheld him close ly s he withheld her , ,

and fall ing down o n her knees before him took his
hand and fell t o kissin it and weepin g and c r yin g o u t
O my lord my l on gthou art come again to us !
,
”
,

But R a lph sto op ed down t o her and lifted her up and , ,

embraced her and kissed her o n t he cheeks and t h e

,

mouth and l ed her t o the s ettle and s a t down beside

,

her and put his arm about her and Clement looked
o n smiling and s a t him down over against them
,
.

Then spake Katherine O my lord ! how great

and masterful hast thou grown ; never did I hope t o
”
s e e thee come back s o mighty a man And aga i n s h e .

wept fo r j oy ; but Ralph kissed her again and s he ,

“
said laughing through her tears : Master Clement
, ,

this lord and war rior hath brought back with him
o me t hi n th at I have not seen ; and belike he hath
had o n e gi r woman in his arms o r more it may be , ,

since I s aw him last F o r though he but kisses me

.

a s h is gossip and foster mother yet are h is kisses

-
,

closer and kinder than they were aforetime .

2
5 0
 ’
S aid Clement Sooth is t h e Sage s guess ; ye t
v erily ,
fair s i r I have told her somewhat o f thy
,
‘

”
j ourneys s o far as I knew of them
,
.

“
Said Katherine : D e ar lord and gossip wilt thou ,
”
not tell me more thereof now ?
” “
What ! said Ralph ; shall I n o t sleep to night ? -

”
Dear gossip s he said thou art over mighty t o
,
'
,
-

need sleep And ah ! I had forgotten in the j o y o f

.

o u r meeting that t o mo r row thou go e st to battl e ; and

-

”
how if thou come not again ?
”
Fear nought said Ralph ; art thou not some
,

what fo r e s e e i n g Dost thou not know that to morrow -

o r the day after I shall come back unhurt and v i c t o

r i o u s ; and then shall both thou and Clement come

to U pme ads and abide there as long as ye will and

then shall I tell thee a many tales o f my wanderings
”
and Ursula my beloved she also shall tell thee , .

Katherine reddened somewhat but she said ,

Would I might kiss her feet de ar lord But now I , .

,

pray thee tell me somewhat now at once

, , .

”
So shall it be said Ralph since thou wilt have
, ,

it cl ear gossip ; but when I have done I shall ask thee

,

to tell me somewhat whereof hath long been wonder ,

in my mind ; and meseemeth that by the time we

are both done with tales I shall needs be putting on ,

my helm a gain Nay again I tell thee it is but a

.
—
,
”
show of bat tle that I go to l
So then he went and s a t by Clement s side and ’

b egan and told over as shortly as might be the tidings

o f h is journeys And o ft she wept for pity thereat
. .

But when he was done and he had sat beholding

her and saw how goodly a woman s he was and how
, ,

straight and well knit o f body he said Gossip I , ,

wonder now if thou also hast drunk of the Well ; for

,

t hou art too fair and goodly to be o f the age that we

call thee How is this ? Also tell me h o w thou
.

c amest by this pair of beads that seem to have led me to

25 1
t heWe ll at th e Worl d s En d ? F o r as I s ai d e e n now I
’ ’

have l ong mar ve lle d ho w thou ha d st th e m an d where

,

”
Fair s ir said Clement a s for he r dr inking o f
, ,

the We ll at the World s End it i s n o t so ; but this is a ’

good woman and a v a lia n t and o f great w isdo m

'

, ,

and such women wear well ; e ve n a s a well wrought ,

-

piec e o f armour that hat h born e many stroke s o f the ‘

craftsman s hand and hath in it so me d eal o f hi s very

’

mind an d t he wisdom o f him But no w let her tell .

thee her tal e (which fo rso o th I know n o t) fo r ni ght ,

”
is gro wi n g o ld .

C H A P TER D AME K ATH ER I NE

XXVII I .

TELLS O F T H E P A I R O F BEA D S A N D '

,

W H ENCE SHE HAB T H EM .

ATH ERINE c ast friendl y looks o n them and

said Gossip and thou Clement I will make , , ,

a clean breast o f i t once for all In the dayswhen .

I was first wedded t o Master C l ement yon der he found ,

his bed cold without me for he was a hot lover ; there ,

fore would he o ft have me with him on his journeys ,

h o w hard soever o r peril ous the way m 1gh t b e Y ea .

,

Clement thou lookest t h e sooth though thou saye st it

, ,

not I was nought loth thereto partly because I would

, ,

not grieve thee my man ; but partly and belike

, ,

mostly because I was wishful t o se e the ways o f t he

,

world even at the risk o f being thrust o u t o f the world .

So it befel l u s o n a tim e to mak e a jou rney together ,

a journey e x ceedin g long in t he company o f certain ,

chapmen whereof some and not a few d ied o n t he

, , ,

way But we live d and cam e into the eastern parts

.
,

o f the earth t o a ci t y right ancient and fulfilled o f ,

marvels which hight Sarras the H oly There saw we

, .

wonders where of were it overlong t o tell o f here but

o n e while I will tell thee my lord But this I must , .

n eeds say that I heard tell of a woman dwel l in g ther e

, ,

252
undo that fo r thee t he bar g ain with me may be nought
,

Ho w sayest thou
’
s o burdensome .
?

Well I s a w now that I wa s in the trap for ill had

, ,

it be en in those days had C l ement come t o know that

I h ad done amiss fo r h e was a j ea l ous lover and a ,
”
violent man .

Clement smiled here at but said no u ght and , ,

Katherine w e nt o n : Trap o r n o trap if I were eager ,

before I was over eager n o w ; s o when s he bade me

,
-

swear t o do her will I swore it without tarryin g ,

.

Then s he said : Sit down before me and I will ‘

,
’
teach thee wisdom What did s he teach me ? say
.

y e. Well if I told you

, be l ike ye would b e none
the wiser ; but so much s he told me , that my hear t
swelled with j oy o f the wisdom which I garnered .

Say thou Clement if I have been th e worser woman

, ,
”
to thee o r thy frien ds o r mine
, , .

” “
N ay goodwife said C l ement
, I have n o u g ht
, ,
”
a g ainst thee .

Katherine laughed and went o n

At last the Wise Woman said No w that thou ,

hast o f me al l that may avail thee comes the other ,

part o f o u r bargain wherein I shal l take an d thou shalt

,
’

g1v e .

Q uoth I That is but fair and thou sha l t find me ,

She said If t h o u be not I shall know

'

true to thee .
,
‘
,

it an d sh a ll amend it in such wise that it shall cost

,
’
thee much .

Then s h e looked o n me l ong and keenly and said ,

afterward : F o rs o o t h I should forbear laying this

charg e upon thee if I did n o t d eem t hat thou woul dst
be n o less than true B ut no w I will try it w hereas .
,

I deem t hat the days o f my life henceforward shall n o t

be many ; and many days w ould it tak e me t o find a
woman as little foolish as the e and as little fa lse and ,
’
thereto as fairly fashioned .

Therewith s h e put her hand t o her n eck and took ,

2
54
th e nc e self same pair of beads which I gave to
t he -

t he e d e a r gossip and which (praise be to All H allows ! )

, ,

thou hast borne ever since ; and s he said : No w

hearken ! Thou shalt take th 1s pair of beads and do ,

wi t h them as I bid thee Swear again thereto S o I . .

’

swore by All Angels ; and s he said again This ‘

pair o f beads shall o n e day lead a man unto the Well

at t he World s End but no woman ; forsooth if a
’

, ,

woman have them o f a woman o r the like o f them , ,

( fo r there b e others
) they may serve her for
,
a token ;
b u t will be no talisman or leading stone t o her ; and -

this I tell thee lest thou seek to the Well o n the

strengt h o f them F o r I bid t he e give them to a m a n
'

that thou lovest that thou lovest w e ll when he is i n

—
,

most need ; only he shall not be o f thine own blood .

This is all that I lay upon thee ; and if thou do it thou ,

shalt thrive and if thou do it not thou shalt come to

, ,

harm And I will tell thee now that this meeting b e

.

twixt u s is not by chance hap but o f my bringing -

,

about ; for I have laboured to draw thee to me ,

knowing that th ou alone o f women would avail me

herein No w shalt thou go home to thine hostel and
.
,

take th is for a token o f my sooth saying The wis e -

.

merchant who led thee unto me i s abiding thine home

coming that he may have o f thee that which thou pro
mis e ds t t o him If then thou find him at thine h o s tel
.
,

and he t a ke t h e e by the hand and lead thee to bed ,

whereas C l ement is away till to morrow even then -

,

shalt thou call me a vain word spinner and a liar ; -

but ifwhen thou comest home there the folk there s ay ,

t o thee the merchant Valerius is ridden away hastily ,

being called afar on a message of life and death then ,

shalt thou trow in me as a wise woman Herewith .

depart and I bid thee farewell

, .
’

So I went my wa y s to my hostel trembling and at ,

the door I met the C hamberlain who said to me , ,

Lady the merchant Valerius hath been here seek

,

25
5
ing thee and he said that he wou l d abide t hy c omin
,

but amidst o f his abiding come th a m an who wo u d

speak t o him privily whereof 1t ca me that h e call ed
for his horse and bade me tell thee Lady that he was , ,

summon e d o n a matter o f life an d death and wo uld ,

ret urn to kiss thine hands 1 n fiv e days space ’ ’

S o I wotted that the woman had spoken sooth an d ,

w as wis e and fore s ee in g a n d something o f a dread o f

,

her came u pon me But the next eve n back com e th

.

Clement and th e day after we rode away fro m Sarras

,

the Holy an d Val e rius I s a w n ever a gain And a s t o

, .

t h e beads t here 13 n ough t t o t e ll o f them ti ll they cam e

,

into thine hands ; and something tells me that it wa s

the will o f the Wise Wom an th at t o n o other han ds
t hey should come .
’

H e re Katherine made an end and both the men s a t

.

pondering her tale a little As for Ralph he de em e d

.
,

it certain that the Wise Woman o f Sarras woul d be non e

other tha n s h e who h a d taught lore t o the Lady o f
Abundan ce ; but why s he shou l d have mean t t h e
beads fo r him h e wotted n o t Again he wondered .

h o w it w as that the Lady o f Abundanc e should h av e

given the beads t o Ursula and whether s he kne w,

that they had n o might t o lead her to t he Well at t he

.

World s End And yet further he won dered ho w it

’
.

w a s that Ursula unholpen by t he talisman, should

,

have done s o much t o brin g him t o the Well ; y ea ,

and ho w s he was t he first t o s e e it whi le he slept .

B u t his heart told him that whereas he was seeking t h e

We ll with her s he must needs come thither w ith h i m
, ,

unless the y were both cast away ; with al Katherine

looked at him and said Yea dear lord I wo t what
, ,

thou art t hinkin g o f ; but c ouldes t thou hav e left her ,

when thou hadst onc e found her a g ain We ll o r n o ,

“ ” “
Well ? Soo th i s that said R alph yet fo r all
, ,

that s he hath don e without help o f tal ism a n o r witch

”
cr aft i s s he the more worshipfu l and th e de arer .

256
C H APTE R XXIX T H EY GO DOWN TO .

BATTLE IN U P M E AD S .

‘
B EORE it wa s l ight were all men come into
t h e market place and Ralph and Richard and
-
,

Cl e me nt and Stephen a H urst fell t o and ar -

raye d them du ly ; and n o w what with t he comp any ,

which Ralph had led into Wu ls t e ad what with the ,

men o f the town and the m that had fled from U p

,

meads (though these last were mostly o ld me n and

lads) t hey were a thousand and four score and three
, .

Ralph would go afoot as he went yesterday ; but t o

day he bore in his hand the ancient s t a fi o f war the
"
,

gold writte n guisarme and he went amongst the

-

Shepherds with whom were j oined the feeble folk o f

,

U pme ads me n whom he had known o f o ld and who

,

knew him and it was as if their hearts had caught fire

,

from hi s high heart and that whatever their past days

,

had been t o them this day at least should be glorious

, .

Withal anon comes U rsula from St Austin s with t he .

’

Sage o f S wev e n ha m whose face was full smiling and

,

chee rful Ursula wo re that day a hauberk under her

.

gown and was helme d with a sallet and be cau se o f

,

her armo ur s he ro de upon a little ho rse Ralph gave .

her into th e warding o f the Sage who was armed at ,

a l l points and looked a valiant man o f war But

, .

'
Ralph s brother H ugh had gotte n him a horse and
, , ,

had fallen into t he company o f t he Champions saying

that he dee med they would go further forth than a
,

sort o f sheep tendin g churl s and t h e runa ways o f

-

U pme ads .

A s fo r Ralph, he walked up and down the ranks

o f the stout men o f t he D own country , and s aw h o w -

they had but little armour fo r de fence , though their

W eapons fo r cutti n g and thrustin g looked fe ll and
handy S o presently h e turned about t o Giles, wh o ,
.

as aforesaid , bore a long hauberk , and said : Fr ie nd ’

253
the walk we are o n to day 15 a l on g o ne fo r carry in g
burdens and an hour after sunrise it will be ho t
, .

Wilt thou n o t do with thy raiment a s I do ? And

therewith he did o ff his hauberk and h i s other armour
“
save his sal let .This is good said he fo r the s u n
, ,

t o shine o n so that I may be seen from far ; but th es e

,

other matters are good fo r folk w ho fight a horseback -

”
o r o n a wall ; we striders have n o need of them .

Then arose great shouting from the Shepherds and ,

men s t retched o u t the han d t o him and ca lled hail o n

his valiant heart .

Amidst o f which c r 1es Giles muttered but s o as ,

Ralph might hear him It i s all down hill to

U pme ad s ; I shall tak e o fi my iron coat coming
’ -

back again . So Ralph clapped him o n the shoulder

and bade him come back whole and well in any case .

”
Yea and so shalt thou come back said he
, , .

Then the horns blew fo r departure and they went ,

their ways o u t o f the market place and out into t he

-
,

fields through the new wooden wall of Wu ls t e ad .

Richard led the way with a half score o f the Cham

pions but he rode but a little way before Ralph who
, ,

marched at the h e ad o f the Shepherds .

S o they went in the fresh morni n g over the o ld

familiar fields and strange it seemed to Ralph that he
,

wa s leading an host into the little l and o f U p me a ds .

Spe edily they went though in good order and it was

, ,

b u t a little after sunrise when they were wending

toward the brow of the little hill whence they would
look down into the fair meads whose image R a lph
had seen on s o many days o f peril and weariness .

And now Richard and his fore riders had come u p

-

o n to the brow and sat there o n their horses clear

against the s ky ; and Ralph s aw how Richard dre w

hi s sword from the scabbard and waved it over his
head and he a n d his men shouted ; then the whole
,

host s e t up a great shout and hastened up the bent but

, ,

25
9
with t he e nd o f the ir shou t and the sound o f the tramp
o f their fe e t a n a ttl e o f th e ir war gear w as mingle d
d the r ‘

a confused no ise o f cries a w ay off and the blowing o f ,

horn s and as Ralph and hi s co mpany came crowding

,
'
up o n to t he bro w he looked down an d s a w the ,

happy meadows black with w eaponed me n and arm our ,

gleami n g in t he clear mo r ning and the points o f ,

weapons castin g back t he low sun s rays and glittering ’

like t he sparks m a d yi ng fir e o f straw T hen agai n

'
.

h e looked and lo ! the H i gh House risi ng over t he

,

meadows unburned an d unhurt and the banner of ,

the fruited tree hanging forth from t he to pmost tower

th e reof .

Then h e felt a hand come o n t o his cheek and lo , ,

U rs u la beside him her cheeks flushed and her eyes

,

glittering ; and s he cried o u t : 0 thine home my ,

”
beloved thine home !
, And he turned to her and
”
said Y ea presently sweetheart !
, ,
Ah s he
said will it be long ? and they so many !
, And
”
we s o mighty ! said Ralph Nay it will be but a .
,

little while Wise man o f S we v e n ham see t o it tha t

.
,

my beloved i s anigh me t o day fo r wh e re I am there -

, ,

will be safety .

The Sage nodded y easa y and smiled .

Then Ralph looked along t h e ridg e t o r ight and

left o f him and saw that all the host had come u p
,

and had a sight o f the foe men ; o n t h e right stood

the Shepherd s staring down into the me ado w and
laughing for the j o y o f battle and t he rage o f the
oppressed On the left s at the Champions o f the
.

Dry Tree o n their horses a n d they a lso were tossing ,

up their weapons and roaring li k e lions fo r the prey

and down below the black crowd h ad drawn together
into ordered ran k s and still the clamour and ru de
,

roaring o f th e warriors arose thence and beat against ,

t he hill s brow
’
.

No w so fierce and ready were the men o f Ralph s

’

260
 The n spake Ste ph en a H urst : I and we al l me
-
,

seemeth deem that thou ar t in

,

though sooth t o s ay when we first s e t eyes o n these

,

dogs again the blood so stirred in u s that we were like

,

to let all go and ride down o n them .

Said R l c har d : Thou bi dde s t us wisdom o f war ;

let them have the hil l agains t them Said Clement .

Yea fo r they a re well learn e d and wel l ar med ;

,

another sort o f fo lk t o those wi l d me n whom we

”
overthrew in the mountains
'
.

And in like wise said they all .

Then s pake Stephen again : Lo rd sinc e t hou wilt ,

fight afoot with o u r friends o f the Shepherds we o f ,

the D ry Tree are minded to fare in lik e wise and t o

forego our horses ; but if thou gainsay it
” “
Champion said Ralph I do gainsay it Thou
, , .

seest h o w many o f them be horsed and withal y e it ,

i s wh o must hold the chase o f them ; fo r I will tha t

”
n o man o f them escape .

They lau ghed j oyously at his word and th e n he ,

said Go now and give your leaders o f scores and

,

tens t he word that I have said and come back spe edily,

fo r a litt l e while ; fo r n o w I s e e three men sundering

them from their battl e and o ne beareth a white cloth
,
”
at the e n d o f his spear these sh all be th e challengers .

S o they d i d after his bidding and by then they had ,

come back t o Ralph t hose three m e n were at t he

foot o f the hi ll which was but l ow Then Ralph
, .

said t o h i s captains : Stand before me so that I be ,

n o t seen o f them unti l o n e o f hath mad e answer

y o u ,

Speak o f this t o o u r le ader and captain Even so .

’

they did ; and presentl y those three came s o nigh that

they could s e e the whites o f their eyes They were .

all three well armed but the foremost o f them w as

,

clad in white steel from head t o foot s o that he l ooked ,

like a steel image all but his face which was pale and
, ,

sallo w and g rim H e an d his t wo fe llows wh e n they

.
,

262
were ri ght nigh rode slo wly all along the fron t o f
,
’
Ralph s battles thrice and none spake aught t o them
, ,

and they gave no word to any ; b u t w h e n they came

over against the captains who stood before Ralph for
the fourth time they reined up and faced them and
, ,

the leader put back h is sallet and spake in a great

and rough voice
Ye men ! we have hea rd these three hours that ye
were coming wherefore we have drawn o u t into the
,

meads which we have taken that y e might s e e ho w ,

many and ho w valiant we be and might fear us ,

.

Wherefore now ye broken reivers o f the Dry Tree

, ,

ye silly shepherds of silly sheep ye weavers and ,

apprentices of Wul st e a d and if there be any more

, ,

ye foo ls ! we give you t wo choices this morn Either .

come down to us into the meadow yonder that we may ,

slay y o u with less labour o r else which will be the

, ,

better for you give up to us the U pme ads thralls who

,

be with y o u and then turn your fac e s and go back t o

,

your houses and abide there till we come and pull

,

you o ut of them which may be some while yet

, .

”
Hah ! what s ay y e fools ? ,

Then spake Clement and said Ye messengers o f

the robbers and oppressors why make ye this roaring ,

to the common people and the se rgeants ? Why

”
speak ye not with o u r Captain ?
Cried o u t the challenger Where then is the Captain
,
”
o f the Fools ? is he hidden ? can he hear my word ?

Scarce was it out of his mouth ere the captains fell

a way to right and left and there standing by himself
, , ,

was Ralph holding the ancient lettered war sta ff ; h is

,
-

head was bare fo r now he had done o ff his sallet and

, , ,

the s u n and the wind played in his bright hair glorious

w as h is face and his grey eyes gleamed with wrath and
,

mastery as he spake in a clear voice and there was ,

silence all along the ranks to hearken him

O messen g er o f the robbers ! I am the captain o f
2 63
th1s fol k I s ee that th e voi ce hath die d away within
.

t h e j aws o f but it matte r s not for I have heard ,

thy windy tal k and this is the answer : we will

,

neither depart n o r come down t o yo u but will abide

, ,

o ur d e ath by you r hands h e re o n this hi l l side Go .

’
wi t h this answer .

The man stared wild at Ralph while he w as speak

l
and se e med t o stagger in h i s saddle ; then he let h i s
ag
,

e t f all over h i s face and turning h i s horse

, ,

ro de swiftly h e and his t wo fello ws down the hill

, ,

and away t o t he battle o f the B urge rs Non e followed .

o r c ried afte r him ; for n o w had a great longing and

’
e xpe ctation fallen upon Ralph s folk and they abod e ,

what should befall with little noise They noted s o .

soon as t he messe ng er was gotten t o the main o f t h e

foeme n that there was a sti r amo ngst them and they ,

were ordering their ranks to move against the hill .

And withal the y s a w men all armed comi n g from o u t

the H igh H ouse who went down to the Bridge and
,

abode there U pmead s water ran through the meadows

.
—

betwi x t th e hill and the H igh H ouse as hath been ,

said afore ; but as it winded along o n e reac h o f it ,

went nigh t o the House and made wellnigh a quarter

,

o f a cir cle about i t b e fo re it turned t o ru n down the

meadows to the eastw ard an d at this nighest point ,

was there a wide bridge well builded o f stone .

The Burg devils heeded n o t t he men at t he Bridge

-
,

but being a ll arrayed made but short tarrying (and

, ,

that belike only t o hear the tale of their mes senger )

ere they came in t wo battles straight across the
meadow They o n their right were all riders and
. ,

thes e faced the Champions o f the Dry Tree but a ,

great battle o f footmen came aga inst the Shepherds

and the rest o f Ralph s foo t men but l n their rear ward
’

wa s a company o f well horsed m

,

e n a t ar ms ; and all - -

o f them w e re w e ll armed and went ri g ht orderly an d

warrior like
-
.

2 64 .
the light foo te d Shepherds sl au g hterin g the m in t he
-

ch a se
.

B u t R al ph called Clement to h i m and they drew a

’

stalworth band together and heeding nought the chase

, ,

o f the runaways ,they fell o n those wh o had the

Champions in their midst and fell t o smiting down
,

men o n either han d ; and e very m an who looked o n

Ralph crouche d an d cowered before him casting down ,

his weapons and throwing up his hands Shortly to .

sa
y it
,
when th e se horsemen fe lt this n e w onset and ,

l o oking round saw their men fleeing hither and thither

over the green fields o f U pm e a ds smitten by t he ,

Shephe rds a nd leaping into the deep pools o f t he

river they turned and fled every man who could
, ,

keep h is saddle and made fo r the Bridge the D ry

, ,

Tree thundering at their backs But even as they

‘

came within bo wshot a great flight o f arrows cam e

,

from the further side o f t h e water and th e banner o f ,

the Fruitful Tree cam e forth from t h e bridge e n d -

with Nicholas and h i s tried men a t arms behind it ; - -

and then indeed great and gri m was t h e murder and ,

the proud men o f the Burg grovelled o n the g round

and prayed for mercy til l nei t her the Champions n o r
the men o f N icho l as c ou l d smite helpless me n any
longer .

No w had Ralph held his hand fro m the chase and ,

he w as sitting o n a mound amidst o f t h e meadow '

under an ancient thorn and beside him s a t the Sage o f

,

S we v e n h a m and Urs u la And s he was grown pal e

.

now and looked somewhat scared and s he spake in a ,

trembling voice to Ralph and said : Alas friend !

, ,

tha t this should be s o grim ! When we hear the owls

a nighttime about the H igh H ouse
—
shall we not ,

deem at whiles that it is the ghosts o f this dreadful

battle and slaughter wandering about o ur fair fields
But Ralph spake sternly and wrathfully as he s at there
bar e he ade d and a ll un armed save for th e an c ie nt glaive
266
 Why did they n o t slay me then Better the ghosts
o f robbers in our fields by night than the over bur
,

,
—

d e n e d hapless thrall by day and the scourged woman , ,

and ruined child These things they sought for u s

.

and have found death on t h e way let 1t be ! —

He laughed as he spake but then the grief of t he

end o f battle came u pon him and he trembled and
shook and great tears burst from his eyes and rolled
,

down h is cheeks and he became stark and hard faced

, .

Then Ursula took his hands and care ssed them ,

and kissed his face and fell a talking t o him o f ho w

,
-
‘

they rode the p ass t o the Valley o f Sweet Chestnuts ;

and in a while his heart and his mind came back t o
him as it did that other time o f which she spak e and ,

he kissed her in turn and began to tell her o f h is o ld

,

chamber in the turret o f the High House .

And now there come riding across the field t wo war

riors They draw rein by the mound and o ne lights
.
,

down and 10 ! it is Long Nicholas and he took Ralph

,

in his arms and ki ssed him and wept over him fo r al l

,

h i s griz z led beard and his gaunt limbs bu t few words

he had fo r him save this : My little Lord was it
, ,

thou that was t he wise ca ptain t o day o r this stout -

,
”
lifter and reiver ? But the other man was Stephen ‘

a Hurst
-
w h o laughed and said
, Nay Nicholas ,

I was t he fool and this stripling the wise war rior

,

.
,

But Lord Ralph thou wilt p ardon me I h ope but

, , , ,

w e could not kill them all for they would not fight in ,
-

any wise what shall we do with them ? Ralph knit

his brows and thought a little then he said Ho w
’

many hast thou taken ? Said Stephen : Som e

” ” “
two hundred alive Well quoth Ralph ; s trip
.
,

them of all armour and weapons and let a score o f ,

thy riders drive them back the way they came into
the Debateable Wo od But give them this last word .

from me that o r long I shall clear the said wood o f

,

all strong thieve s -

.

267
 St ephen dep arte d o n that e rrand ; a nd presentl y
comes Giles an d another o f t h e Sh ephe rds with a lik e
tale and had a l ike answe r
, .

No w amids t all these de eds it y e t lacked an hour

o f noon S o presentl y Ral ph arose and took Richard
.

apa rt fo r a while and s poke with him a little an d then ,

cam e back t o Urs ul a and took her by t h e han d and ,

s aid : Beloved Ri c hard shall t ake thee now t o a

, .

pleasan t abode th is s ide t he water ; fo r I grudge that

t hou shouldst e nte r t h e H i g h H ouse w i t hout me ; an d
as fo r me I must ne ed s rid e back t o Wu l s t e a d t o bring

hither my father and mo ther as I promised to do , .

after the bat tl e I n g ood sooth I deemed it would

.
,

have lasted longer Said Ursul a

. D e ar friend t his ,

is even what I should have bidden thee myself Depart .

spee dily tha t thou mayst be back the sooner ; for

, .

”
sore ly do I long t o enter thine house be loved Then ,
.

Ral ph turn e d t o Ni c holas and said : Our host 15 n o t

,

s o gre at but that thou mayst victua l it well ; yet I

dee m it is l it t e less t han when we left Wuls tead e arly

this morning l”
.

”
True 1 3 that l ittl e lord said N icholas
, Hear,
.

a wonder amo ngst battl e s : o f thy Shepherds an d t he

othe r footme n i s no t o ne slain and but some five ,

hurt The Champio ns have lost three men slain o u t

.

right and some fifteen hurt ; o f whom 15 thy brot her

,

Hugh but not sorely

,
”
Better than well 1 3 thy story
.

,
”
the n said Ralph No w let them bring me a horse
. .

S o when he was ho rsed he kissed Ursula and went

,

h i s ways And s h e abo de hi s coming bac k at Richard s

’
.
. ,

ho u se a mgh the water .

268
it i n time t o c om e that ye l ive i n pe a ce a nd quiet
here.

Folk shouted for j o y and t he fathers w ho were

,

standin g within the g ate heard his word a n d rejoiced ,

and some o f them ran o ff to tell King Peter that his

so n was come back vi ctorious already ; s o that by

then he h ad dismounted at the Guest house door lo ! -

,

there was the King and his wife with him and both ,

they alb o u n for departure And when they s aw him .

Ki n g Peter c ried o u t : There is n o need to say a

word my s o n ; unl ess thou wouldst tell the tale to the
,

holy father Prior who as ye see has e e n now come

, , ,
’

”
o u t t o us .

Said Ralph F ather and mother I pray your ,

b l essing and al so t h e blessing o f the father Prior

,

here ; and t he ta l e i s short enough : that we have

overthrown them and s l ain the more part and the ,

others ar e n o w being driven like a herd o f swine into

their stron ghold o f the Wood Deba teable where fo r , ,

sooth I shal l be e re the world is o n e month older

, .

And in the doing o f all this have but three o f o u r

men been slain and a few hurt amongst whom is thy ,

s o n H ugh but n o t sorely,

.

”
O yea so n said hi s mother he shal l do well
, , ,

enough But n o w with thy leave holy Prior we will

.
, ,

depart so that we may sleep in the High House t o

,
’
night and feel tha t my dear son s hand is ove r us to
,
”
ward u s .

Then Ralph knelt before them and King P e te r and ,

h is wife blessed their s o n when they had kissed and

embraced eac h oth er and they wept fo r joy o f him
, .

The Prior al so who was o ld and a worthy p r elate

, , ,

and an ancient friend o f King Peter might n o t r e ,

frain his tears at the j o y o f h is friends as he gave

Ralph his blessing And then when Ralph had risen
.
,

up and t he horses were come he said to him One ,

thin g thou art not to forget youn g co nqueror to wi t , , ,

2 70
that thou art to come here early o ne day an d tell me ,
”
all thy tale at full length .

“ ” “
Yea Prior said Ralph o r there is the H ig h
, , ,

Ho use o f U pme ads fo r thee t o use as thine o wn ,

and a rest for thee o f three o r four days while thou

”
h e ar k e n e s t the tale for it may need that .

”
Hearken said K ing P eter softl y to the D ame
, ,

ho w he reckons it all h I S o wn ; my day is done my ,

” “
dear . He spake smiling and s he sa id : Soothly ,

he is waxen masterful and well it becometh the dear

,

h
’
n f
y oun
g g
Now they get t o horse an d ride their ways whil e ,

all folk blessed them The two o ld folk rode fast

.

and pressed their nags whatever Ralph might do to

give them pastime o f words ; so they came into the
plain field o f U pme a ds two hours before sunset ;
“
and King Peter said : Now I account it that I have
had o ne day more o f my life than was my due and ,

thou s o n h a st added it t o the others whereas thou

, ,

didst no t promise to bring me hither till morrow .

Ralph le d them round by the ford so that they ,

might n o t come across t he corpses o f the robbers ;

but already were the U pme ads carles at work digging
trenche s wherein t o bury them .

8 0 Ral ph led his father and his mother to t he

gate o f the garth o f High House ; the n he got o E
hi s hor se and helped them d o wn and as he so dealt
‘

w ith hi s father he said t o him ,

Thou art springy
and limber yet father ; maybe thou wilt put o n thine
,

helm t his year t o ride the De bateabl e Wood with

30
me .

The o ld man laughed and said : Maybe s o n ; but ,

as no w it i s time fo r thee t o enter under o u r roof tree -

”
once mo re .

”
Nay s aid Ralph but go ye in and s i t in the
, ,

hig h seat a nd abide me For did I not go straight

—
.

back to y o u fro m the field of battle ; and ca n I s u Ee r

27 I
it t h at an y other hand t han mine should lead my wi fe
into the hall and up t o t he high se at o f my fathers ; -

and therefore I g o t o fetch her from the house o f

Rich ard t h e Red where s he is a biding me ; but pre .

s e nt l
y I shall lead her in and d o
y e then with
, u s
”
what ye will .

Therewith h e turn e d abo ut and rod e his ways to

’
Richard s hou se which was but a half mile thence
,
-
.

But his father and mother laughed whe n he was gone ,

and King P eter said There again ! thou se e st Wife , ,

”
it is he that command s and we that obey .

0 happy hour that so it i s ! said the Lady and ,

happy no w shall be the weari ng o f o u r days .

So they entered the garth and came into the house ,

and were welcomed with all j o y by Nicholas and told ,

him all that Ralph had said and bade him array the ,

house as he best might ; fo r there w a s much folk

about t h e Hi gh H ouse thou g h t he U pmeads carles
,

and queans had take n the more part o f the host t o

their house s which the y had delivered from the fire
,

and sword and the y mad e much o f them the re with a

,

good heart .

CHAPTER XXXI RALPH BRINGS URSU LA .

HOME TO T H E H IGH HOUSE .

ALP H speedily came t o Richard s ho u se a nd ’

entered t h e c hamber and found Urs ula alone ,

therein clad in th e daintiest o f her woman s

,
’

gear of the web o f Goldbur g S h e rose up t o meet .

him and he took her in his arms and said

,
No w ,

is come t he very ending o f o u r j ourney that we so

often longed fo r ; and all will b e re ady by then we come
t o the H igh H ouse .

”
Ah s he said as s he clung to him but they were
, , ,

happy days the days o f o u r journey ; and t o morrow -

”
b e gms a new life .

27 2
wide So they came into the b ase court o f the house
.
x -
,

and it also was empty o f folk ; and they came t o t he

reat d oors o f the hall and they we re open wide and
g ,

they could s e e through them that the hall was full o f

folk and therein by the light o f the lo w s u n that
,

streame d in at the shot windo w a t t h e o ther end they

-

s a w t he fa c es o f men and the g l e a m o f steel and

g o ld .

S o they lighted down from their horses and took ,

h and in hand and entered bright faced and c al m and -

,

goodly beyond t he goodliness o f men ; then indeed

all that folk burst forth into g lad cries and tossed ,

up their weapons and many wept fo r j oy

,
.

A s they went slowly up the long hall (and it was thirty

fa thom o f le ngth ) Ralph looked cheerfully and friendly
from sid e t o s i de a n d beheld the faces o f the Shep
,
'

herds and the Champions and the men o f Wu ls t e ad

, ,

a n d h i s o wn folk ; and all they cried hail to him and the

love l y and valiant Lady Then he loo ked up to t h e

.

’
high seat and sa w that his father s throne was empty
-
, ,
’
and his mother s also ; but behind the throne stood a
knight all armed in bright armour holding the banner
o f U m e ad s ; but his father and mother stood o n
p
the e dge o f the d ai s to meet him and Ursula ; and
when they came up thither these o ld folk embraced
them and kissed them a n d led them up to the table .

Th e n Ralp h bade Ursula s i t by his mother and made ,

h i m re ady t o s i t by hi s father in all love and duty .

“
B u t King Peter stayed him and sa id : Nay dear ,

son n o t there b u t here shalt thou S it thou saviour

, , ,

o f U m e ad s and conqueror o f t h e hearts o f men ;

p
this i s a little land but therein shall be none above
,
”
thee . And therewith he s e t Ralph down in the
throne and R alph turning to his left hand s a w that
, , ,

it w as Ursula and n o t his mother wh o sat be side

, ,

him But at the sight o f these two in the throne

.

the glad cries and shouts shook the very timbers of

274
 roof and t he s u n sank unde r while yet they cried
“

t he ,

hail t o the King o f U pme a ds .

Then were the lights brought and the supper and ,

all men fell t o feast and plenteous wa s the wine in

,

the hall and sure since first men met to eat together
none have been merri er than t hey .

But now when men had well eaten a n d the gre at ,

called the River o f U me ad s was brought in the

cu
p p ,

cupbearers being s o bidden be fo re b r o u gh t it last o f all

, ,

to King Peter and he stood up with the River in his

,
‘

hand and spoke aloud and said : Lo rds and warriors, ,

and good people all h e r e I do y o u to wit that it is not

, ,

because my so n Ralph h as c ome home to day and -

wrought us a great deliverance and that my love hath ,

overcome me it is n ot fo r this cause that I have set him

in my throne this even ; but because I s e e and perceive
that o f all the kindred he is meetest t o s it therein so -

long as h e liveth ; u nless perchance this lovely and

valiant woman should bear him a so n e ven better than
himself and s o may it be Therefore I do y o u all to
— .

w i t that this man is the King o f U pme a d s and ,

this woman is his Lady and (b een ; and so deem I

o f his prowess and his wisdom and kindliness t h at I
, , ,

tro w he S hall be lord and servant of other lands than

U pm e a ds and shall draw the good towns and the
,

kindre ds and worthy good lords into peace and might

and well being such as they have no t known hereto
-
,

fore Now within three days S hall mass be sung in

.

the choir of St Laurence and then shall King Ralph

.
,

swear on the gospels such oaths as ye wot o f to guard ,

his people and help the needy and oppress no m a n

, , ,

even as I have sworn it A n d I say to you that if I .

,

have kept the oath to my power yet shall he ke ep it ,

better as he is mightier than I

,
.

Furthermore when he hath sworn then s ha ll t he

, ,

vassals swear to h i m according to ancient custom to ,

be true to him and hardy in all due service But so .

275
please y o u I wil l n o t abi de til l then but wi l l knee l t o
,
”
h i m and t o hi s Lady and (b e e n here and n o w .

’
Eve n so he did and took Ralph s hand in his and
,

swore se rvice t o him such as w a s due ; and he knelt

t o Ursu l a also and bade her al l thanks for what s h e
,

had don e I n t h e helpin g o f h i s so n ; and they raised him

up and made much o f him and o f Ralph S mother ; ’

and gre at was t he j o y o f all folk 1 n the ha l l .

S o t h e feast went o n a whi l e ti l l the night g re w

o ld and folk must fare bedward
,
Th e n King Peter
.

a n d h i s wife brought Ralph and Ursu l a t o the chamber

o f t h e solar t h e kingly chamber which was well and

, ,

oo dly dight wi t h han g in and a fair and glorious

ged and w as newly decke with such fair flowers as
,

the summer might furnish ; and at the threshold King

Peter stayed them and said : Kinsman and thou , ,

dear friend this is become your due chamb e r and

,

restin g place while ye live l n the world and this nigh t

-
,

o f al l others it shall b e a chamber o f love ; fo r ye are ,

a s it wer e new wedded since now first y e are come

, ,

amongst the kindred as lover and beloved ; an d thou ,

Ursula art no w at last t h e bride o f this ancient house

,

n o w tell me doth it n o t look friendly and kindly o n

,
”
thee P
.

“
O yea yea S h e said
, ,
Come thou my man and
.
,

my darling and let us be alon e I n the master chamber

,
-

o f this ancient House .

Then Ralph drew her unto him ; and the o ld man

b l essed them and prayed for goodl y o Es pri ng fo r them ,

that the H ouse o f U pme a ds might lon g endure .

And thus were they two left alone amidst the love
and hope o f the kindred a s erst they lay alone i n the
,

de se rt .

27 6
hap amongst them he helped them to t h e uttermost o f
,

his power T he Wood D ebateable also he cleared o f

.

foul robbers and re ivers a n d rooted o u t the l ast o f the

,

Burg d evils and delivered three g ood towns beyond

-
,

the wo od from the cru elty o f the oppressor .

Once i n every y ear h e and Ursula h i s wife v isited

the Land o f Abunda nc e and he went into t he c astl e ,

ther e as into a holy plac e and worshipped the ,

memory o f the Lady whom he had l oved s o dearly .

With all the friends o f his quest h e wa s kind and

well be loved
-
.

In about two years from the day when h e rode

h om e came t o him the Lord Bull o f U t t e r b o l with a
,

chosen band o f who m were both Otter and Redhead

, .

That very day they came he w as about putti n g his

foot i n the S tirrup to ride against the foemen ; so Bull
and his men would not go into the H igh H ouse t o
e a t but drank a c u where they stood and turned
, p ,

and rode with him straightway and did him right ,

m anly service in battle ; and went back with him

afte r wards to U pm e a ds and abode with him there in,

feasting and j oyance for tw o months wearin g And ’

.

thrice in the years that followed when his lands at ,

home seemed safest and most at peace Ralph took ,

a chosen band and Ursula with them and Clemen t

, ,

w ithal and journeyed through the was tes and the

,

mountains t o U t t e r b o l and p asse d j oyous days with

,

his o ld thrall o f war Bul l Nosy now become a very

, ,

mighty man and the warder o f t h e peace o f the Utter

most lands .

Clement and Katherin e came o ft t o t h e High

H ouse and K atherine exceeding often ; and she
,

loved and cherished Ursula and lived long in health

o f body and pe ace o f mind .

A ll the days that Ralph o f U pm e ad s lived h e was ,

the goodliest o f men and n o man to look on him had

,

known i t when he grew old ; and when he c hanged

27 8
 ’
his life an e xceeding ancient man he was to all men s
, ,

eyes in the very blos som of his age .

As to Ursula his wife s he was ever as valiant and

,

true as when they met in the dark night amidst o f the

Eastland wood Eight goodly children s he bore him
.
,

and s aw four generations o f her kindred wax up ; but

even as it was with Ralph never was she less goodly
,

o f b ody nay rather but fairer than when first s h e cam e

, ,

to U pme ads ; and the day whereon any man s a w her

was a day o f j oyful feast to him a d ay to be r e
,

membered for ever On one day they two died and

.

were laid together in o n e tomb in the choir of St .

Laurence of U pm e a ds A ND HERE ENDS THE

.

TALE O F WELL AT T H E WO RLD S ’

END .