第 20 节
作者:空白协议书      更新:2021-02-19 21:36      字数:9320
  〃For none can I find in the good greenwood;               All on the fallen leaves so
  brown。〃
  〃No money have we; good brother;〃 said they:              〃Then;〃 said he; 〃we
  three   for   money   will   pray:         Singing;   hey   down;   ho   down;   down;
  derry   down:      And   whatever   shall   come   at   the   end   of   our   prayer; We
  three   holy   friars   will  piously   share;         All   on   the   fallen  leaves   so
  brown。〃
  〃We will not pray with thee; good brother; God wot:              For truly; good
  brother;   thou   pleasest   us   not;       Singing   hey   down;   ho   down;   down;
  derry down:〃       Then up they both started from Robin to run;                But down
  on their knees Robin pulled them each one;                    All on the fallen leaves
  so brown。
  The grey friars prayed with a doleful face;            But bold Robin prayed
  with a right merry grace;              Singing; hey down; ho down; down; derry
  down:      And   when   they   had   prayed;   their   portmanteau   he   took;      And
  from it a hundred good angels he shook;                    All on the fallen leaves so
  brown。
  〃The   saints;〃   said   bold   Robin;  〃have   hearkened     our   prayer;   And
  here's a good angel apiece for your share:             If more you would have; you
  must win ere you wear:                 Singing hey down; ho down; down; derry
  down:〃      Then he   blew his   good   horn   with   a   musical   cheer;     And   fifty
  green   bowmen   came   trooping   full   near;      And   away  the grey  friars they
  bounded like deer;             All on the fallen leaves so brown。
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  Maid Marian
  CHAPTER XIII
  What   can   a   young   lassie;   what   shall   a   young   lassie; What   can   a
  young lassie do wi'an auld man?BURNS。
  〃Here   is   but   five   shillings   and   a   ring;〃   said   Little   John;   〃and   the
  young man has spoken true。〃
  〃Then;〃 said Robin to the stranger; 〃if want of money be the cause of
  your    melancholy;      speak。    Little    John   is  my    treasurer;   and   he   shall
  disburse to you。〃
  〃It is; and it is not;〃 said the stranger; 〃it is; because; had I not wanted
  money I had never lost my love; it is not; because; now that I have lost her;
  money would come too late to regain her。〃
  〃In what way have you lost her?〃 said Robin:                 〃let us clearly  know
  that she is past regaining; before we give up our wishes to restore her to
  you。〃
  〃She   is   to   be   married   this   day;〃   said   the   stranger;   〃and   perhaps   is
  married by this; to a rich old knight; and yesterday I knew it not。〃
  〃What is your name?〃 said Robin。
  〃Allen;〃 said the stranger。
  〃And where is the marriage to take place; Allen?〃 said Robin。
  〃At Edwinstow church;〃 said Allen; 〃by the bishop of Nottingham。〃
  〃I know that   bishop;〃 said Robin;   〃he dined with   me a  month   since;
  and   paid   three   hundred   pounds   for   his   dinner。   He   has   a   good   ear   and
  loves music。 The friar sang to him to some tune。                 Give me my harper's
  cloak; and I will play a part at this wedding。
  〃These are dangerous times; Robin;〃 said Marian; 〃for playing pranks
  out of the forest。〃
  〃Fear not;〃 said Robin; 〃Edwinstow lies not Nottingham…ward; and I
  will take my precautions。〃
  Robin put on his harper's cloak; while Little John painted his eyebrows
  and   cheeks;   tipped   his   nose   with   red;   and   tied   him   on   a   comely   beard。
  Marian confessed; that had she not been present at the metamorphosis; she
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  should   not   have   known   her   own   true   Robin。      Robin   took   his   harp   and
  went to the wedding。
  Robin found the bishop and his train in the church porch; impatiently
  expecting the arrival of the bride and bridegroom。 The clerk was observing
  to the bishop that the knight was somewhat gouty; and that the necessity of
  walking the last quarter of a mile from the road to the churchyard probably
  detained   the   lively   bridegroom   rather   longer   than   had   been   calculated
  upon。
  〃Oh! by my fey;〃 said the music…loving bishop; 〃here comes a harper
  in the nick of time; and now I care not how long they tarry。 Ho! honest
  friend; are you come to play at the wedding?〃
  〃I   am  come   to   play  anywhere;〃   answered   Robin;   〃where   I   can get   a
  cup of sack; for which I will sing the praise of the donor in lofty verse; and
  emblazon him   with   any  virtue   which   he  may   wish   to have   the   credit   of
  possessing; without the trouble of practising。
  〃A most courtly harper;〃 said the bishop; 〃I will fill thee with sack; I
  will make thee a walking butt of sack; if thou wilt delight my ears with thy
  melodies。〃      〃That will I;〃 said Robin; 〃in what branch of my art shall I
  exert my faculty?        I am passing well in all; from the anthem to the glee;
  and from the dirge to the coranto。〃
  〃It would be idle;〃 said the bishop; 〃to give thee sack for playing me
  anthems;   seeing   that   I   myself   do   receive   sack   for   hearing   them   sung。
  Therefore; as the occasion is festive; thou shalt play me a coranto。〃
  Robin struck up and played away merrily; the bishop all the while in
  great   delight;   noddling   his   head;   and   beating   time   with   his   foot;   till   the
  bride   and   bridegroom   appeared。   The   bridegroom   was   richly   apparelled;
  and came slowly and painfully forward; hobbling and leering; and pursing
  up his mouth into a smile of resolute defiance to the gout; and of tender
  complacency   towards   his   lady   love;   who;   shining   like   gold   at   the   old
  knight's   expense;   followed   slowly   between   her   father   and   mother;   her
  cheeks pale; her head drooping; her steps faltering; and her eyes reddened
  with tears。
  Robin stopped his minstrelsy; and said to the bishop; 〃This seems to
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  me an unfit match。〃
  〃What do you say; rascal?〃 said the old knight; hobbling up to him。
  〃I   say;〃   said   Robin;   〃this   seems   to   me   an   unfit   match。   What;   in   the
  devil's   name;   can   you   want   with   a   young   wife;   who   have   one   foot   in
  flannels and the other in the grave?〃
  〃What is that to thee; sirrah varlet?〃 said the old knight; 〃stand away
  from the porch; or I will fracture thy sconce with my cane。〃
  〃I will not stand away from the porch;〃 said Robin; 〃unless the bride
  bid me; and tell me that you are her own true love。〃
  〃Speak;〃 said the  bride's   father;  in   a   severe  tone;  and   with   a look   of
  significant menace。         The girl looked alternately at her father and Robin。
  She  attempted   to   speak;   but   her  voice  failed   in   the   effort;   and   she   burst
  into tears。
  〃Here is lawful cause and just impediment;〃 said Robin; 〃and I forbid
  the banns。〃
  〃Who are you; villain?〃 said the old knight; stamping his sound foot
  with rage。
  〃I am the Roman law;〃 said Robin; 〃which says that there shall not be
  more than ten years between a man and his wife; and here are five times
  ten: and so says the law of nature。〃
  〃Honest   harper;〃   said   the   bishop;   〃you   are   somewhat   over…officious
  here; and less courtly than I deemed you。 If you love sack; forbear; for this
  course will never bring you a drop。 As to your Roman law; and your law
  of   nature;   what   right   have   they  to   say  any  thing   which   the   law  of   Holy
  Writ says not?〃
  〃The law of Holy Writ does say it;〃 said Robin; 〃I expound it so to say;
  and I will produce sixty commentators to establish my exposition。〃
  And so saying; he produced a horn from beneath his cloak; and blew
  three    blasts;  and   threescore     bowmen      in  green   came     leaping   from    the
  bushes and trees; and young Allen was the first among them to give Robin
  his sword; while Friar Tuck and Little John marched up to the altar。 Robin
  stripped the bishop and clerk of their robes; and put them on the friar and
  Little John; and Allen advanced to take the hand of the bride。 Her cheeks
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  grew red and her eyes grew bright; as she locked her hand in her lover's;
  and tripped lightly with him into the church。