The Last of the Vikings, Page 2

  CHAPTER I.

  ETHEL.

  "Be just and fear not. Let all thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth's."

  Shakespeare.

  I, Adhelm, Abbot of this monastery of ----, being eye-witness, andlikewise participator in the unhappy times my beloved country wassubjected to, in consequence of the Norman Conquest and the troubloustimes which followed, it occurred to me to make a record of these thingsafter the example of the beloved Bede, whose "Chronicles" are so justlyesteemed by those who are concerned in the history of our ancient race.

  I would have it known, then, by all those who are interested in thematter, that this ancient monastery was founded by that wise and goodking, Alfred, who assigned unto it, for revenue, one hundred and twentyhides of land; all of which was well wooded and watered, being fertileand free. That is, with sack and sock, toll and team, and infang-thief.It pleased him also, in furtherance of his purpose, to lay charges uponcertain thegns and nobles, who had lands adjacent to this monasteryassigned to them by him, that they should annually pay to the monasteryfor the maintenance of the brotherhood, and for the purpose of defrayingthe cost of its extensive charities and hospitalities, one hundred andfifty loads of wood, and twenty-five loads of faggots; together withthirty-five tuns of pure ale; seventy beasts, ready for slaughter;twelve hundred loaves; fifty-six measures of Welsh ale; sixteen butts ofwine; six horses; and one hundred and thirty pounds, ten shillings, ofmoney. Now, as to all other matters, such as the particulars of landsand farms, church and cloister, granges, Abbot's and Prior's lodgings,which may be of interest to some, but which are not material to thisnarrative; I refer all such to our carticularies, in which all theseparticulars were carefully noted by our sacristan. Enough, however, hasnow been said to show that in the merely worldly point of view, thismonastery was, when in peaceful enjoyment of its emoluments, afoundation of no mean order. In consequence also of its bounties itattracted palmers, minstrels, newsbearers, from all parts of thekingdom. Thus I had exceptional opportunities of learning how thekingdom fared.

  * * * * *

  Adown the valley one bright September morning, in the year 1066, wasspeeding Ethel, the only daughter of the Danish thane Beowulf, who islord of the domain of Rivenwood, and whose hall looks down from thewooded heights in the distance like a grim sentinel. This fair girlEthel was probably not more than fifteen years of age--just at thejuncture where coy and blushing maidenhood, with its unconsciousassumptions of grace and dignity, joins issue with the freer and boldermanners of girlhood, and when the wholesome, innocent, and gracefulblending is wholly interesting, and often most piquant. Most piquantindeed, at all events, was this graceful specimen of budding womanhood.Her brow was open and expressive, her countenance somewhat broad, insympathy with her manner of life; the free, unfettered, and merryout-of-door life of sylvan England. Her blue eyes glanced, and sparkled,and glowed, betokening a mind responsive and alert as the falcon whichperched upon her embroidered leathern gauntlet. Her nose was perfectlystraight, but had just so much of an upward trend as to indicate thepoint positive, and the attitude--"beware all." Upon her head she wore asort of cap of blue silk, broad at the crown and drooping over the broadscarlet band with which it was bound. In the front of this head-dressstood erect a couple of eagles' feathers; whilst from underneath it theflaxen curls, like the fetterless things they were, burst luxuriantly,and circled across her forehead and over her ears; and though the wantontresses were captured again at the back of her head, yet they burst awayagain and ran riot over her shoulders and down to her girdle. Ofjewellery, she wore a handsome gold torc which encircled her neck, onwhich, and on the pendants attached thereto, were skilfully engravedstrange mystical runic devices. She wore a mantle trimmed with fur,which on this occasion flowed loosely down her back, leaving free herarms, but which, at needs be, became a cloak covering the upper parts ofher body entirely. Her under dress was of woollen material andtight-fitting, whilst her sandals had a stout sole of leather withtoe-piece and overstraps of prepared deer skin. Accompanying this fairgirl was a favourite maid, and one of her father's housecarles whofilled the office of ranger and provider for the household, in thematters of fish and game. At his heels there followed a couple of dogs,whilst on his left arm there perched a falcon with all his furniture on.On Ethel's arm also there perched another falcon, ready for flight.

  "Let the dogs go now, Bretwul, for we should have good sport hereabouts,and have a capital view of it too, on this hillside," said the maiden.

  At a word of encouragement from Bretwul the dogs, with wagging tails,immediately clapped nose to ground, and commenced threading in and outamongst the gorse and brushwood to start the game. Presently a loudfluttering of wings and a scream, sent the hawks into a violentagitation, and a handsome-plumaged pheasant took to wing. Ethelimmediately whipped off the hood of her hawk, and quick almost as aflash of lightning it covered the helpless quarry. Then down it swooped,and a struggling mass of feathers and mingled plumage came fluttering tothe ground.

  "Oh, that is wretchedly poor, Bretwul!" exclaimed Ethel impatiently. "Ilike a good long chase which puts master Grey-eye thoroughly upon hismettle. Such sluggard creatures as that one are poor sport. Come, let usclimb higher, for amid yon gorse and bracken on the hill we shall meetwith partridge, moorfowl, or perhaps, better still, a woodcock. Then weshall test the mettle of little Grey-eye." So together they clamberedthrough the brackened steep, until they reached the fringe of theheather which crowned the brow of the hill. Soon they espied a covey ofgrouse racing along before them stealthily amid the cover; but promptlythese sprang aloft with whirring sound of wing, and loud, peculiarcries. Ethel again unhoods her favourite falcon, Grey-eye, and flingshim towards the game. But the falcon has another matter in hand thanthat of bringing down a sluggard pheasant; for moorfowl, when fairly onthe wing, scud along like the wind. Immediately also when they perceivedthe enemy in pursuit they changed their tactics, and, quitting themountain side, made a dart for the valley, where shelter was to be had.Plump and heavy, the descent suits them more than the falcon; and withimpetuous whirl they rush along with incredible speed. It seems asthough the hawk will never head them! The valley is reached, and themoorfowl, flying low, are hidden from view by the tops of the trees; butthe hawk can be seen scudding along above them.

  "Oh, my poor Grey-eye, you are beaten this time, I do believe!" criedEthel. But just at that moment there was an arrow-like swoop. "Bravo!"she shouted. "He has struck his quarry, for he never swoops to miss!Come along, Bretwul, or he will gorge himself, and then he will fly nomore to-day, the greedy little glutton!" Then away she raced down therough declivity, leaving her maid panting and trembling far behind.

  "There she goes! there she goes! Plague on the girl!" ejaculatedBretwul. "Did ever mortal see such a girl? She's like a two-year-oldfilly that has never had bit in mouth or harness to back; and if shethrow out a splint or strain a fetlock, why then the old thane willcozen my back with a cudgel, and call me a lazy lout of a churl. Comealong, Eadburgh, my buxom lass, I have finished my wattled cote in thedell yonder, and if we come well out of this, we'll get the girl towheedle the master for us, and then it will be done in a twinkling; forhe's ready enough when Dame Ethel lays on the butter." So together theystumbled after their mistress with might and main.

  But the girl mood was uppermost in the damsel now, and away she flewdown the hill with her long hair streaming behind her, giving never athought to man or maid. She came to a halt, however, when she reachedthe spot where apparently Grey-eye had made his swoop. But not a traceof either falcon or victim was to be seen. In vain she blew a tinysilver whistle with which she was wont to call her hawks. There was noresponse. "The greedy fellow is gorging himself I doubt not, Bretwul,"cried Ethel impatiently. "If you feed him before flying he is too lazyto exert himself, and if he hunt on an empty stomach he must needs turnglutton after this fashion."

  At that moment the clear blast of a hunter's horn
in the distance brokeupon the ears of the three seekers, and Ethel, hastily turning in thedirection, exclaimed, "Oh, dear me! Eadburgh, straighten my hair for me,quick. Do I look a gowk? Do be quick! Straighten my cloak out. Thosegallant gentlemen are returning who would not let me take part in theboar hunt because I was a _girl_, honest Beowulf was pleased to say. ButMaster Oswald was no better, though he has spent so much time about thecourt, and, I am told, carried off the Queen's favour at the tilt groundat Westminster, and that too against the picked squires of Normandy. Isuppose I was only a _girl_ in his eyes too, though he was not pleasedto say it, like Beowulf. Never mind, I will let them see I can amusemyself, and find good sport too, without them."

  Presently a couple of horsemen issued from the forest, clad in hunters'attire, with a green baldric over their shoulders and down to theirwaists, from which was suspended a hunter's horn. These two were quicklyfollowed by a retinue of rangers, serving men, and hounds, with theweapons of the chase--boar spears, javelins, and short swords; whilstover the backs of a couple of horses were thrown the carcasses of a pairof wild boar, the fruit of their morning's chase.

  No sooner did these young chieftains set eyes on Ethel than thecountenance of the younger of them was wreathed in smiles, and snatchinghis bugle from his belt he blew a mocking blast in the ear of thedamsel; then, in the blandest of tones, and with an assumption of mockgallantry, he saluted the maiden: "Bon matin, madame. Are you taking alittle _gentle_ exercise in company of your maid?" and he doffed hishunter's bonnet and made a most pretentious bow.

  "I beg your pardon, gallant sir," retorted Ethel, with a graciousinclination, parodying with inimitable grace and humour his mockgallantry, "but if it please you, sir, I am not taking a little _gentle_exercise in company of my maid, I am hawking, as you may easily see ifyou care to."

  "Oh, I see quite easily, madame. So you determined to have a littlesport all to yourself because we disdained the company of a lady at ourboar hunt?" said the young man, with a twinkle in his eye.

  "You have hit it quite wonderfully, sir; which is very remarkable. Wetake note of your behaviour, for, although we do not go to court, wehear about your pranking it about with grand Norman dames and knightserrant, and we expected something quite different from you than fromBeowulf here. But I have lost my hawk hereabouts, so make amends foryour past conduct. Get down, brother Beowulf; and you too, sir; you havetravelled in France, so show your chivalry and your gallantry by gettingdown and helping me seek my hawk."

  "I bow most humbly to your imperious commands, noble lady," said Oswaldagain, doffing his bonnet in mock humility.

  Meanwhile, honest Beowulf sat almost dumbfounded whilst this passage ofwit was proceeding, though he only dimly comprehended what thisnew-fangled jargon meant; but his choler was rising rapidly during theprocess. "Now, drop it fooling, you two!" he at length broke out. "You,Ethel, would imitate Master Oswald and be off to court too, for all yourjapes and jokes about his pranking and parading it with the grand folks,if we did not tie a clog about your neck for you. I know very well whatpasses in that jay's noddle of yours, though you think I'm a numskull,Mistress Ethel."

  This outburst of sturdy Beowulf's was greeted by the pair with a shoutof hilarious laughter.

  "Now don't make asses of yourselves," grunted brother Beowulf."Whereabouts did you lose your hawk, Ethel?"

  "Why, hereabouts, Beowulf. Did you not hear me? He was pursuing moorfowlfrom the hill, and he appeared to strike his quarry just in this place."

  "If that be so, I warrant the headlong flight of the stricken bird wouldcarry them much farther down the slope," said Oswald.

  "A bright idea, I do declare, Master Oswald," exclaimed Ethel. "We neverthought of that, Bretwul. You will gain some repute for wit, neighbourOswald, if you brighten up like this."

  "I am much obliged for your condescension, lady; I feel highly honouredand greatly flattered by your compliment;" and again he made pretence ofa low obeisance.

  "Oh, don't take it too seriously, sir; but we will take your hint,nevertheless." So the party extended their search, and presently theydiscovered the falcon and his prey beneath a tree--the hawk havingimproved the time by stripping the bird of its plumage, and gorginghimself with the flesh and blood of his victim.

  "There, you greedy creature," exclaimed Ethel, as she set eyes on thefalcon. "You will fly no more to-day, I suppose, you glutton! I thinkyou had better hood him at once, Bretwul, and take him home; and I willjoin this party of gallants--by their permission, of course--and if theyshould now deem it quite safe for a lady to do so."

  So the two young chieftains and Ethel headed the company, and steadilythey pressed homeward to the rough and primitive, but neverthelesshospitable hall of Beowulf the Dane.