Along these sylvan alleys
they walked in single file; the friar singing and pioneering in the van,
the horse plunging and floundering behind the friar, the lady following
"in maiden meditation fancy free," and the knight bringing up the rear,
much marvelling at the strange company into which his stars had thrown him.
Their path had expanded sufficiently to allow the knight to take Marian's
hand again, when they arrived in the august presence of Robin Hood
and his court.
Robin's table was spread under a high overarching canopy of living boughs,
on the edge of a natural lawn of verdure starred with flowers,
through which a swift transparent rivulet ran sparkling in the sun.
The board was covered with abundance of choice food and excellent liquor,
not without the comeliness of snow-white linen and the splendour
of costly plate, which the sheriff of Nottingham had unwillingly
contributed to supply, at the same time with an excellent cook,
whom Little John's art had spirited away to the forest with the contents
of his master's silver scullery.
An hundred foresters were here assembled over-ready for their dinner,
some seated at the table and some lying in groups under the trees.
Robin bade courteous welcome to the knight, who took his seat between
Robin and Marian at the festal board; at which was already placed
one strange guest in the person of a portly monk, sitting between
Little John and Scarlet, with, his rotund physiognomy elongated
into an unnatural oval by the conjoint influence of sorrow and fear:
sorrow for the departed contents of his travelling treasury, a good-looking
valise which was hanging empty on a bough; and fear for his personal safety,
of which all the flasks and pasties before him could not give him assurance.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146