登陆注册
4700500000003

第3章

Tells the tale that in the country which lay south of Oakenrealm, and was called Meadham, there was in these days a king whose wife was dead, but had left him a fair daughter, who was born some four years after King Christopher. A good man was this King Roland, mild, bounteous, and no regarder of persons in his justice; and well-beloved he was of his folk: yet could not their love keep him alive; for, whenas his daughter was of the age of twelve years, he sickened unto death; and so, when he knew that his end drew near, he sent for the wisest of his wise men, and they came unto him sorrowing in the High House of his chiefest city, which hight Meadhamstead. So he bade them sit down nigh unto his bed, and took up the word and spake:

"Masters, and my good lords, ye may see clearly that a sundering is at hand, and that I must needs make a long journey, whence I shall come back never; now I would, and am verily of duty bound thereto, that I leave behind me some good order in the land. Furthermore, I would that my daughter, when she is of age thereto, should be Queen in Meadham, and rule the land; neither will it be many years before she shall be of ripe age for ruling, if ever she may be; and I deem not that there shall be any lack in her, whereas her mother could all courtesy, and was as wise as a woman may be. But how say ye, my masters?"

So they all with one consent said Yea, and they would ask for no better king than their lady his daughter. Then said the King:

"Hearken carefully, for my time is short: Yet is she young and a maiden, though she be wise. Now therefore do I need some man well looked to of the folk, who shall rule the land in her name till she be of eighteen winters, and who shall be her good friend and counsellor into all wisdom thereafter. Which of you, my masters, is meet for this matter?"

Then they all looked one on the other, and spake not. And the King said: "Speak, some one of you, without fear; this is no time for tarrying."

Thereon spake an elder, the oldest of them, and said:

"Lord, this is the very truth, that none of us here present are meet for this office: whereas, among other matters, we be all unmeet for battle; some of us have never been warriors, and other some are past the age for leading an host. To say the sooth, King, there is but one man in Meadham who may do what thou wilt, and not fail; both for his wisdom, and his might afield, and the account which is had of him amongst the people; and that man is Earl Geoffrey, of the Southern Marches."

"Ye say sooth," quoth the King; "but is he down in the South, or nigher to hand?"

Said the elder: "He is as now in Meadhamstead, and may be in this chamber in scant half an hour." So the King bade send for him, and there was silence in the chamber till he came in, clad in a scarlet kirtle and a white cloak, and with his sword by his side. He was a tall man, bigly made; somewhat pale of face, black and curly of hair; blue-eyed, thin-lipped, and hook-nosed as an eagle; a man warrior-like, and somewhat fierce of aspect. He knelt down by the King's bedside, and asked him in a sorrowful voice what he would, and the King said: "I ask a great matter of thee, and all these my wise men, and I myself, withal, deem that thou canst do it, and thou alone--nay, hearken: I am departing, and I would have thee hold my place, and do unto my people even what I would do if I myself were living; and to my daughter as nigh to that as may be. I say all this thou mayst do, if thou wilt be as trusty and leal to me after I am dead, as thou hast seemed to all men's eyes to have been while I was living. What sayest thou?"

The Earl had hidden his face in the coverlet of the bed while the King was speaking; but now he lifted up his face, weeping, and said: "Kinsman and friend and King; this is nought hard to do; but if it were, yet would I do it."

"It is well," said the King: "my heart fails me and my voice; so give heed, and set thine ear close to my mouth: hearken, belike my daughter Goldilind shall be one of the fairest of women; I bid thee wed her to the fairest of men and the strongest, and to none other."

Thereat his voice failed him indeed, and he lay still; but he died not, till presently the priest came to him, and, as he might, houselled him: then he departed.

As for Earl Geoffrey, when the King was buried, and the homages done to the maiden Goldilind, he did no worse than those wise men deemed of him, but bestirred him, and looked full sagely into all the matters of the kingdom, and did so well therein that all men praised his rule perforce, whether they loved him or not; and sooth to say he was not much beloved.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 音乐鉴赏手册(最新21世纪生活百科手册)

    音乐鉴赏手册(最新21世纪生活百科手册)

    中国当代歌曲的显著特点,是它紧密配合着、伴随着社会变迁和各个时期的政治任务以至党的各项具体政策。当党的政策符合广大人民的利益时,当歌曲反映了人民群众的愿望时,就留下了经久耐唱的好作品。
  • 联盟之黄金年代

    联盟之黄金年代

    S2正在进行,LPL还没有诞生,国内的LOLer却开始疯狂暴涨,越来越多的资本开始入场,荣誉、金钱、地位、伴侣皆可以在这里获取!这是最好的时代,也是最坏的时代!这是属于英雄联盟和LOLer的黄金年代!新书《联盟之梦男归来》
  • 灵心医馆

    灵心医馆

    一家小小的医馆,群英汇聚。一个神秘的黑客,战帖挑衅。一个个故事,一张张图片,拼凑记忆的碎片。爱与恨的交集,正义与邪恶的交锋,还有危险恐怖的灰色地带。那被遗忘的记忆逐渐挖开,真相……
  • 道德真经集解

    道德真经集解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 星期八

    星期八

    第一次和李小飞单独见面,是在一家叫做“星期八”的酒吧,我按照约定的时间到达,独自坐在灯光昏暗的角落。我想女生约会迟到大概是正常的,毕竟她们需要做的准备比较多,至少那么长的头发就够她们收拾了。
  • 爱美的小蜻蜓

    爱美的小蜻蜓

    《少儿奇幻童话寓言故事精品集:爱美的小蜻蜓》是作者从近年来创作的作品中精选汇编而成的,适合青少年朋友阅读。这些短小精悍的寓言故事,不仅引领你插上想象的翅膀,在美妙的文学世界里自由翱翔;还可以让你感悟到深刻的哲理,找到许多生活的答案。
  • 赣州圣济庙灵迹碑

    赣州圣济庙灵迹碑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 神机妙算(开启青少年智慧故事)

    神机妙算(开启青少年智慧故事)

    人人都羡慕诸葛亮的神机妙算。《三国演义》中的诸葛亮的形象有些妖魔化了,现实中能有那样的神机妙算的人实在是少之又少。但是神机妙算对于我们来讲也并不是遥远的传说。我们可以在生活中用心观察,用心思考,来获得一定的观察力和判断力。
  • 一个孤独漫步者的遐想

    一个孤独漫步者的遐想

    这十篇漫步者遐想录,是卢梭对话自己内心的产物,是对自己心灵的分析。把卢梭宣扬感情、褒奖自我、热爱大自然的思想展现得淋漓尽致,而且,它也通过自身的力量,荡涤了世俗社会中无数卑劣的灵魂。这漫步不仅是身体的漫步,也是心灵的漫步,更是文学的漫步。
  • 根本说一切有部苾芻习学略法

    根本说一切有部苾芻习学略法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。