Arthur Machen

“ But you may conceive if you can the trampling of the horses of this company as they rode up to Penhow, the glittering of the steel, the blaze of coat armour, and the fine clatter of old French, scraps of love-songs of Provence, or merry ballads from Paris town, and every now and then a rather strong expression by way of comma. I leave the gentlemen and pass to the ladies, who come last, like the canons in a procession; for one should always keep the best for last, and these ladies were assuredly creatures of rarity and art, diamonds of clear water. ”

“ How these fancies are engendered I know not; but it is certain that if one seek for them they are not to be found, but they come and go at their pleasure and are altogether licentious. And this thought of Sir Payne's was to fashion a wreath of roses and to cast it on the current of the Uske; and thus to make an oblation to those maidens of high race of Færie, to whom belongeth every winding of the river, every ripple and little tributary brooklet, all broad spaces and reaches of still and glassy water, from the wells in the mountains unto Severn Sea. ”

“ But Brother Drogo said to himself "one cup—one little cup—of this wonderful wine will quite quench my thirst; better than a hogshead of any other wine; indeed if I were now half-seas-over, it would be my duty to taste it; am I not Cellarer? How shall I bring the matter before the Prior without having tasted?" You see Brother Drogo had not read Aristotle for nothing, so he gently inclined the jar to his cup, and let a dark purple stream run slowly like oil into it, till it was quite full. ”

“ Roses did hang everywhere, by hedgerow and byway and brake and river, white and red, in bud and blossoming, filling the fields with a faint scent that could scarce be perceived but might not be denied. And on this day Sir Payne was lying according to his use by the Uske, keeping well in the hedge's shadow, and just above him with boughs falling to his hand was a great bush of pink roses, and here and there was a blossom almost as red as blood, but most were paler. ”

“ Here was a fine patchwork quilt, the which did one's eyes good to look at, for in one place was a piece of satin and gold lace, in another dusky subfusc tatters: there was a parson in his priest's cloak and cassock, there an esquire glittering with gold galoon, there an Egyptian with his bien morte, there a handsome, laughing maiden walking beside her lover. ”

“ In the midst of all this ink, parchment, and law-latin, Roger grew very sad, for he was not a good clerk, and did not like to see how fast Master Hierome's enormous quill leapt and flickered over the parchment, as if it were a bird of ravine; and it seemed to him that a man who wrote so quickly could not be good for any respectable family, in the which conjecture he may not have been far from the truth. ”

“ But one marvel they have that they sometimes impart to us; for they know of our affairs and have intelligence of things which are done by us in privity, and sometimes will grant boons to them that are deserving of the same. Understand then that there grows in this land a manner of tree, with a blossom somewhat like a rose, for it is red in colour, but in each flower there are twelve leaves, and it is fairer to see than any rose, because the hue of it is not fixed nor always the same, but seems like fire all glowing and palpitating, so that it is a very glorious sight. ”

“ And while he recounted these strange histories his face never changed a whit, but his voice rose and fell and thrilled like the organs when they are played skilfully, and it sank deep into the hearts of all who were at the board. But Eva was more enchanted than the rest by the odd deviser, and would have him come to her bower after dinner, that she might still listen to him, for his voice stirred up old memories in her heart and made her think of the alleys of Estrighoil Castle and likewise of Rupert de Launay, though for the like of her she could not discover why it was so. ”

“ And while they still kissed and clung to one another; there came a man stealthily and secretly behind the high hedge of the garden, moving like a cat before it springs, and bending down and listening for the sound of his own breath. This was none other than the old esquire Gilbert Tapp, who had seen Rupert go into the garden, and had watched him there from the tower; hence he had perceived how the knight talked with Eva; but when it came to kissing, he felt that he had his sword and ran down the tower stair, for it seemed to Gilbert that this fine couple were getting on rather friendly terms. ”

“ And in fact the two knights errant had been enjoying themselves all the time at Abergavenny, revelling, feasting, and making love to their hearts' content; drinking the strongest men under the table and hiding in aumbries and in dark corners till the town was too hot to hold them. And when my lord Humphrey had the real truth of this affair carried to him, so well-pleased was he with the ingenious and finely conceited lying of Sir Nicholas and Sir Dru that he gave to each of them a fat manor in his lordship of Netherwent, and would have them always in presence at Caldicot till he died. ”

“ For Latin came from his tongue full smoothly, and hearing that tongue spoken half asleep he answered in it, much to the confusion and dismay of Efan who hated the language he was compelled now and again to speak; and as he would say "The words do rankle in my belly like sour ale, for they be not good words nor wholesome; but loathsome and hideous." And hearing this flight of Latin whistling about his ears, he made haste, and cursed himself in Welsh, and having sworn profanely, withdrew himself as quickly as he could. ”

“ In our degenerate days, doubtless, it would be thought unwise of a man to spend his days by the riverside, waiting for a water-maid to woo him; but Sir Payne was no pagan and had great faith; and from my history you will understand that he was in the right and could have chosen no better way to mend his fortune. It was one day in June, between Midsummer and Petertide, a highday of Beelzebub (if he in truth have lordship over the flies) , a day of swarming bees, of ripening cherries, of chiming foxglove, of still air moved now and again by faint breezes, but most of all a day of roses. ”

“ Every lady and most of the young knights swore by the pheasant and the peacock that Variety in amours was treason to love; that no virtuous lady would listen to a gentleman that was variable, and that Constancy was one of love's sweetest graces. "What though our ladies slight us, and speak scornfully of us," said Sir Nicholas Kemeys, a young and high-flown gallant, "what though they frown upon us, and turn away when we look at them. ”

“ Griffith having certain fixed notions of his own capable of no amendment or alteration. So for forty years and more he persisted in this folly, for the twelve rays of the twelve diamonds still blinded him, and the great golden bell within the Castle Mound rung all through the night in a deep mellow voice, and to him the painted images in the windows of the Quire were rubies and sapphires beyond all price. ”

“ And one evening about six o'clock as Eva paced beside the box hedges in her clinging dress, looking very beautiful in the mellow light of evening, a boy's voice suddenly began to sing It is ordained by Love's Decree and looking upward she saw one of the pages walking on the gallery of the tower, and trilling out his melody carelessly and gaily enough as if he knew of nothing better to do. ”

“ And then they begin to recollect and run over everything, and their hearts seem to melt away and their throats get husky. So merely a sunbeam on a lawyer's nose sent Sir Roger off to a land of pretty fancies, and while he was thus a-maze, the sound of a rich mellow voice mounted up and came in like the ray of sunlight through the lattice, and with it tender lute-notes that tickled the heart, and bred love in excess. ”

“ Nevertheless the old and the young were securely tied together and Eva pledged her troth to Sir Roger to be bonour and buxom in bed and at board, and there was feasting and high holiday in the hall of Estrighoil. So the knight took home his wife, who soon began to make the castle more lively than it had ever been since Madam Maud ruled the roast, for a girl of seventeen years will chase dullness out of most places with trills of laughter and song, bright eyes, gay gowns, and all those pleasant varieties, modes, and manners which do entrance us ever. ”

“ How this was I can't tell you, but it is just the same in our days, and I expect never will be different. Moreover each and every of the young gallants hoped to overcome her scruples before next July, and treated themselves with imaginations of the first kiss on those maiden lips, for the sprouting chivalry of Caldicot was point de vice and thought no small beer of itself in war, or love or tennis; the which were the principal amusements of those days. ”

“ No sooner had Sir Nicholas brought this stupendous history to a close than the blast of a horn, blown long and loud, assailed the ears of the High Constable and his company, who marvelled so at this circumstance that they forgot to marvel at the story. "Go, Thomas," said my lord to the fool, "go quickly and see who it is that is without so late; since a fool is best to open to one that comes on a fool's errand." ”

“ I suppose it was in these stars that he saw it figured that Mistress Alianor Bluet would walk on the river bank after Evensong with no more retinue than her page and a girl; but however that may be he discovered this fact and duly betook himself to thitherward, wearing on his sleeve a red rose and looking for all his poor vestments a gentleman of true blood and loyal lineage. It is in this high regard that a man of quality is easily discerned and distinguished from a rich scurf whose only arms are the royal ones on his gold crowns. ”

“ There the great lords lie well, as it becomes lords to lie, decked out in their harness, their head and feet resting on strange monstrous creatures and with calm faces and uplifted hands, wrought full rarely in the goodly stone and alabaster. Beside these are their dear wives and sweethearts vested in wimple, couvre-chef, and cote-hardie, with their little pets cut beside them. One of these sweet ladies hath a squirrel in her hand and they say that while she ran after the merry little beast she fell down from the castle wall and quite lost her breath. ”

“ And her husband on his part forbade her to go beyond the walls of the castle, and set a watch upon her, whilst Gilbert and his men at arms were continually vigilant, and let not so much as an old woman pass the gate unquestioned. And Eva smiled to see their care, for she knew that Rupert loved her, and that no portcullis can keep out love, who always managed to slip through the holes and to pass the guard on his blind side, for the little god is very crafty. ”

“ And when they had bidden farewell to the High Constable the knights mounted their horses and rode forth from the grand gateway, the trumpets sounding for them, and all the walks along the battlements and the high galleries being thronged with ladies, and with knights who waved scarves and shouted good luck as their warriors pricked across the meadows. And the Champion of the Dial and the Champion of the Vane were last seen riding together by the limits of a great wood of beeches; when one turned to the right and the other to the left and so rode out of sight. ”

“ For our chief delight is to have no fixed times or places but to go where we list, and to be ready for any adventure that may befall us, since if our affairs are unprosperous and our hearts sad, we have our musick and our songs of Tuscany; and he that has art, whether of sweet colour, or sweetly measured words, or sweet closes of melody, should deem himself blessed and be very thankful to God, though his cup be dry, his platter empty and his journey through life grievous. ”

“ But you must observe that she flattered herself all the while that it was the Rose she longed for and not her lover's lips; though she confessed that Rupert's system of kissing was vastly superior to any methods her husband practised. So from this sweet yet dreadful night Eva walked about the castle delicately, living in a beautiful dream world full of rosy clouds and fancies, and languorous delights which made her blush when she was alone. ”

“ THE PORTREEVE'S SOLEMNITY
FROM ST. Madoc's Church to Uske is a short mile in distance and the road doth follow the river, passing under a high cliff mantled with trees; the same being a sweet road and a pleasant ennobled by the prospect of the embowered town, distant greeny hills, and the neighbourhood of the clearly flowing water. No sooner had we left the narrow by-way from Landevennoc than we were in the midst of a great throng of people, tramping a-foot, riding on horses, nags, and mules, and pressing forward, as we, unto the great solemnity. ”

“ Now as the barge grew point by point along the river the musick fell to again and began with long drawn harmony of vyalls and a deep tenor throat that divine ballad Soubz cest Amour mon coeur est endormy. And as they passed by, Sir Payne gazed a moment into the eyes of the girl sitting nearest to the helmsman, who wore his rosy fret, and he saw that she was very beautiful. And she, who was keen of wit and sight, noted the red rose in the poor knight's fingers, and smiled on him: ah! such a smile, that made the earth seem lovelier ”