第 13 节
作者:
赖赖 更新:2021-02-27 02:48 字数:9322
blossoming flag or flower…de…luce; of which I had seen plenty in all the
ditches; but in the window near the door was a pot full of those same white
poppies I had seen when I first woke up; and the table was all set forth
with meat and drink; a big salt…cellar of pewter in the middle; covered with
a white cloth。
We sat down; the priest blessed the meat in the name of the Trinity;
and we crossed ourselves and fell to。 The victual was plentiful of broth
and flesh…meat; and bread and cherries; so we ate and drank; and talked
lightly together when we were full。
Yet was not the feast so gay as might have been。 Will Green had me
to sit next to him; and on the other side sat John Ball; but the priest had
grown somewhat distraught; and sat as one thinking of somewhat that was
like to escape his thought。 Will Green looked at his daughter from time
to time; and whiles his eyes glanced round the fair chamber as one who
loved it; and his kind face grew sad; yet never sullen。 When the
herdsmen came into the hall they fell straightway to asking questions
concerning those of the Fellowship who had been slain in the fray; and of
their wives and children; so that for a while thereafter no man cared to jest;
for they were a neighbourly and kind folk; and were sorry both for the
dead; and also for the living that should suffer from that day's work。
So then we sat silent awhile。 The unseen moon was bright over the
roof of the house; so that outside all was gleaming bright save the black
shadows; though the moon came not into the room; and the white wall of
the tower was the whitest and the brightest thing we could see。
Wide open were the windows; and the scents of the fragrant night
floated in upon us; and the sounds of the men at their meat or making
merry about the township; and whiles we heard the gibber of an owl from
the trees westward of the church; and the sharp cry of a blackbird made
fearful by the prowling stoat; or the far…off lowing of a cow from the
upland pastures; or the hoofs of a horse trotting on the pilgrimage road
(and one of our watchers would that be)。
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Thus we sat awhile; and once again came that feeling over me of
wonder and pleasure at the strange and beautiful sights; mingled。
with the sights and sounds and scents beautiful indeed; yet not strange;
but rather long familiar to me。
But now Will Green started in his seat where he sat with his daughter
hanging over his chair; her hand amidst his thick black curls; and she
weeping softly; I thought; and his rough strong voice broke the silence。
〃Why; lads and neighbours; what ails us? If the knights who fled
from us this eve were to creep back hither and look in at the window; they
would deem that they had slain us after all; and that we were but the
ghosts of the men who fought them。 Yet; forsooth; fair it is at whiles to
sit with friends and let the summer night speak for us and tell us its tales。
But now; sweetling; fetch the mazer and the wine。〃 〃Forsooth;〃 said John
Ball; 〃if ye laugh not over…much now; ye shall laugh the more on the
morrow of to…morrow; as ye draw nearer to the play of point and edge。〃
〃That is sooth;〃 said one of the upland guests。 〃So it was seen in
France when we fought there; and the eve of fight was sober and the morn
was merry。〃
〃Yea;〃 said another; 〃but there; forsooth; it was for nothing ye fought;
and to…morrow it shall be for a fair reward。〃
〃It was for life we fought;〃 said the first。
〃Yea;〃 said the second; 〃for life; and leave to go home and find the
lawyers at their fell game。 Ho; Will Green; call a health over the cup!〃
For now Will Green had a bowl of wine in his hand。 He stood up and
said: 〃Here; now; I call a health to the wrights of Kent who be turning
our plough…shares into swords and our pruning…hooks into spears! Drink
around; my masters!〃
Then he drank; and his daughter filled the bowl brimming again and he
passed it to me。 As I took it I saw that it was of light polished wood
curiously speckled; with a band of silver round it; on which was cut the
legend; 〃In the name of the Trinity fill the cup and drink to me。〃 And
before I drank; it came upon me to say; 〃To…morrow; and the fair days
afterwards!〃
Then I drank a great draught of the strong red wine; and passed it on;
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A DREAM OF JOHN BALL
and every man said something over it; as 〃The road to London Bridge!〃
〃Hob Carter and his mate!〃 and so on; till last of all John Ball drank;
saying:
〃Ten years hence; and the freedom of the Fellowship!〃 Then he said
to Will Green: 〃Now; Will; must I needs depart to go and wake the dead;
both friend and foe in the church yonder; and whoso of you will be shriven
let him come to me thither in the morn; nor spare for as little after sunrise
as it may be。 And this our friend and brother from over the water of
Thames; he hath will to talk with me and I with him; so now will I take
him by the hand: and so God keep you; fellows!〃
I rose to meet him as he came round the head of the table; and took his
hand。 Will Green turned round to me and said:
〃Thou wilt come back again timely; old lad; for betimes on the morrow
must we rise if we shall dine at Rochester。〃
I stammered as I yea…said him; for John Ball was looking strangely at
me with a half…smile; and my heart beat anxiously and fearfully: but we
went quietly to the door and so out into the bright moonlight。
I lingered a little when we had passed the threshold; and looked back
at the yellow…lighted window and the shapes of the men that I saw therein
with a grief and longing that I could not give myself a reason for; since I
was to come back so soon。 John Ball did not press me to move forward;
but held up his hand as if to bid me hearken。 The folk and guests there
had already shaken themselves down since our departure; and were gotten
to be reasonably merry it seemed; for one of the guests; he who had
spoken of France before; had fallen to singing a ballad of the war to a wild
and melancholy tune。 I remember the first rhymes of it; which I heard as
I turned away my head and we moved on toward the church:
〃On a fair field of France We fought on a
morning So lovely as it lieth Along by the water。
There was many a lord there Mowed men in the medley;
'Midst the banners of the barons And bold men of the
knighthood; And spearmen and sergeants And
shooters of the shaft。〃
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A DREAM OF JOHN BALL
CHAPTER IX
BETWIXT THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
We entered the church through the south porch under a round… arched
door carved very richly; and with a sculpture over the doorway and under
the arch; which; as far as I could see by the moonlight; figured St。 Michael
and the Dragon。 As I came into the rich gloom of the nave I noticed for
the first time that I had one of those white poppies in my hand; I must
have taken it out of the pot by the window as I passed out of Will Green's
house。
The nave was not very large; but it looked spacious too; it was
somewhat old; but well…built and handsome; the roof of curved wooden
rafters with great tie…beams going from wall to wall。 There was no light
in it but that of the moon streaming through the windows; which were by
no means large; and were glazed with white fretwork; with here and there
a little figure in very deep rich colours。 Two larger windows near the
east end of each aisle had just been made so that the ch