Percival Glyde

“ And Percival said to himself: "Ha! how great is the world; I knew not that there were so many people in the world."
How Percival rode in the world.
But when the folk of that place beheld what sort of a saddle was upon the back of the pack-horse; and when they beheld what sort of armor it was that Percival wore--all woven of osier twigs; and when they beheld how he was armed with a javelin and with no other weapon, they mocked and laughed at him and jeered him. But Percival understood not their mockery, whereupon he said: "Lo! how pleasant and how cheerful is the world. ”

“ And as to what hath become of my esquires, I know not; but as for that lady, methinks she can be none other than a certain enchantress, hight Vivien, who hath wrought such powerful spells upon Merlin as to have removed him from the eyes of all mankind."
Unto all this Sir Percival listened in great wonder, and when the knight had ended his tale he said: "What is thy name?" And the knight said: "My name is Percydes and I am the son of King Pecheur--so called because he is the king of all the fisher-folk who dwell upon the West coast. ”

“ At last it chanced that, looking out to sea, Sir Percivale descried a ship and, as it drew nearer, he saw how it was all hung with satin and velvet. Presently, it reached the land and out of it there stepped a lady of marvellous beauty, who asked him how he came there; "For know," said she, "ye are like to die here by hunger or mischance." "He whom I serve will protect me," said Sir Percivale. "I know well whom ye desire most to see," said the lady. "Ye would meet with the Red Knight who bears the red-cross shield." "Ah! lady, I pray you tell me where I may find him," cried Sir Percivale. ”

“ Since then was there never man so hard as to say that he had seen the Holy Grail.
When Percivale and Bors saw Galahad had died, they made as much sorrow as ever did two men; and if they had not been good men, they might lightly have fallen in despair. And the people of the country and of the city were right heavy. And then he was buried. And as soon as he was buried, Sir Percivale betook himself to a hermitage out of the city, where for a year and two months he lived a full holy life, and then passed out of this world. ”

“ But Percy, an I brook my life, thy death well quite shall be." As our noble king made his avow, like a noble prince of renown, For the death of the Lord Perc-y he did the battle of Homildoun, Where six and thirty Scottish knights on a day were beaten down; Glendale glittered on their armour bright, over castle, tower, and town. This was the hunting of the Cheviot; that tear began this spurn; Old men that knowen the ground well enough call it the battle of Otterburn. At Otterburn began this spurn upon a Monenday; There was the doughty Douglas slain, the Percy never went away. ”

“ At every stroke he smote one down, or put him to rebuke, so that they would fight no more, but fled to a thick forest, and Sir Galahad followed them.
When Sir Percivale saw him chase them so, he made great sorrow that his horse was away, for he wist well it was Sir Galahad. Then he cried aloud, "Ah, fair knight, abide and suffer me to do thankings unto thee, for much have ye done for me!" ”

“ Be calm; Douglas this very moment left the castle, With seeming peace. Elw. Ah, then, indeed there's danger! Birtha, whene'er Suspicion feigns to sleep, 'Tis but to make its careless prey secure. Bir. Should Percy once again entreat to see thee, 'Twere best admit him; from thy lips alone He will submit to hear his final doom Of everlasting exile. Elw. Birtha, no; If honour would allow the wife of Douglas To meet his rival, yet I durst not do it. Percy! too much this rebel heart is thine: Too deeply should I feel each pang I gave; I cannot hate—but I will banish—thee. ”

“ But Glyde became the slave of the strange man who blended austerity with charitable judgment, and appeased his passion by blood from his heart. He was not himself a mystic, but a sensitive youth whom the world's rubs had taught the uses of a thick hide. Either you have that by nature, or you earn it by practice. Glyde had found out that the less you say to your maltreaters the less, in time, you have to say about it to yourself. He was conscious of his parts and all too ready to be arrogant. Senhouse's goddess had been kind to him, and he had presumed upon that. ”

“ Let me not hear the music of thy voice, Or I shall love thee still; I shall forget Thy fatal marriage and my savage wrongs. Elw. Dost thou not hate me, Percy? Per. Hate thee? Yes, As dying martyrs hate the righteous cause Of that bless'd power for whom they bleed—I hate thee. [they look at each other with silent agony.] Enter Harcourt. Har. Forgive, my lord, your faithful knight—— Per. Come, Harcourt, Come, and behold the wretch who once was Percy. Har. With grief I've learn'd the whole unhappy tale. Earl Douglas, whose suspicion never sleeps— Per. What, is the tyrant jealous? ”

“ So drawing Willy closer to his side, Percy replied in a sorrowful tone, without raising his eyes, "I fear that I do not glorify God in the fires, and that is one of my worst troubles. After all that I had heard from dear Uncle Presgrave, I seemed to feel some love of what is holy, some desire to serve my Lord. But oh! Willy, all good and happy thoughts wither in the air of this place! I have no one to help me on the way to heaven, no one who cares whether I am in it or not; I am very, very lonely on earth!" ”

“ He knew that letters came now and then from New York which saddened Judith and brightened Bertie. If Mr. Lisle prospered in America and summoned his son to share his success, would he have strength to cling to poverty and honor in England? There were times when Percival doubted it. There were times, too, when he doubted whether the boy's musical promise would ever ripen to worthy fruit, though he was angry with himself for his doubts. "If he triumphs, it will be her doing," he thought. Little as he saw of Judith, they were yet becoming friends. ”

“ But Douglas. Raby. [puts his hand to his sword.] You?—O spare my age's weakness! You do not know what 'tis to be a father; You do not know, or you would pity me, The thousand tender throbs, the nameless feelings, The dread to ask, and yet the wish to know, When we adore and fear; but wherefore fear? Does not the blood of Raby fill her veins? Dou. Percy;—know'st thou that name? Raby. How? What of Percy? Dou. He loves Elwina, and, my curses on him! He is belov'd again. Raby. I'm on the rack! Dou. Not the two Theban brothers bore each other Such deep, such deadly hate as I and Percy. Raby. ”

“ Such a man may not win fame,—that is an accident; but he must occupy no despicable place in the movement of the world.
It was at first intended to send Percival to Oxford; but for some reason or other that design was abandoned. Perhaps Lady Mary, over cautious, as mothers left alone sometimes are, feared the contagion to which a young man of brilliant expectations and no studious turn is necessarily exposed in all places of miscellaneous resort. So Percival was sent abroad for two years, under the guardianship of Captain Greville. ”

“ Raby. Did he? Did Percy? O gallant boy, then I'm thy foe no more; Who conquers for my country is my friend! His fame shall add new glories to a house, Where never maid was false, nor knight disloyal. Sir H. You do embalm him, lady, with your tears: They grace the grave of glory where he lies— He died the death of honour. ”

“ He is a gentle, amiable creature, without any pose, and with (as I know now) not the very smallest intention or desire to steal the heart of one who belonged to another. It would be difficult to find anyone less likely than Percival to break up—let us say, for instance, a happy English home. Arthur thought otherwise; to Arthur, Percival seemed a Don Juan, a gay Lothario, a very Lovelace, the most dangerous of young troubadours. And he glared—really, glared is the only word—so much while I talked to poor young Percival that I, also, actually began to think there must be something in it ”

“ Percival glanced at his aunt quickly, and replied, “So be it.” I should have preferred riding with Tracey; but before he set off he whispered in my ear, “It makes the dear woman happy to monopolise a new-comer—otherwise——” He stopped short, and I resigned myself to the pony-chaise.
“Pray,” said Lady Gertrude, when we were fairly but slowly in movement along a shady road in the park,—“pray, don’t you think it is very much to be regretted that Percival should be single—should never have married?” ”

“ It was a grim unsmiling land, hard to like.
"This may be God's own country," said Percival once, looking out over a stretch of grey sage-brush to a mass of red sandstone jutting up, high, sharp, and ragged, in the distance—"but it looks to me as if He got tired of it Himself and gave up before it was half finished."
"A man has to work here a few years to love it," said Uncle Peter, shortly.
As they left the car at Montana City in the early dusk, that thriving metropolis had never seemed so unattractive to Percival ”

“ It is now reported that Sir Percival Grandison, after much thought, feels it his duty to side with the king, and not to aid the colonists. But he hath great todo in striving to keep down the fiery spirit of his young son. The lad thinketh himself old enough to have a mind of his own, as indeed he is, and he greatly desireth to have his name enrolled as a soldier, if fighting must be done. It is sad to have father and son divided at such serious times, and Sir Percival wishes not to deal harshly with his son. [Pg 202] Yet the young man is with the colonists heart and soul. ”

“ Immediately Percinet stood before her.
'Ah, Princess!' he said, 'but for the wicked Queen I fear you would never think of me at all.'
'Indeed I should,' said Graciosa; 'I am not so ungrateful as you think. Only wait a little and I believe I shall love you quite dearly.'
Percinet was pleased at this, and with one stroke of his wand compelled all the wilful little people to come back to their places in the box, and then rendering the Princess invisible he took her with him in his chariot to the castle. ”

“ If she laments him, he's my rival still, And not the grave can bury my resentment. Raby. The truly brave are still the truly gen'rous; Now, Douglas, is the time to prove thee both. If it be true that she did once love Percy, Thou hast no more to fear, since he is dead. Release young Harcourt, let him see Elwina, 'Twill serve a double purpose, 'twill at once Prove Percy's death, and thy unchang'd affection. Be gentle to my child, and win her heart By confidence and unreproaching love. ”

“ Did you never feel so?"
"No, never."
"If I had been buried on the Rocas Reef," said Percival, with biting emphasis, "you would have kept your promise, gone back to England, and—married Elizabeth."
"I never considered that possibility," answered Brian, with perfect quietness and some coldness.
"Then you're a better fellow than I am. Look here," said Percival, with vehemence, "in your place I could not have nursed a man through an illness as you have done. The temptation would have been too strong: I should have killed him." ”

“ Tears rolled fast down his cheeks as he spoke.
"But the Lord loves, and is always watching over you."
"Yes," replied Percy very gravely, "but He must see in me so much to displease and offend Him. Remember, Willy, that He is a just and a terrible God!"
"All of us do wrong often; but, Percy, I should think that few offended so seldom as you do."
"Ah! You do not know," replied the boy, rocking himself backwards and forwards us if in pain. "I have plenty of time to look at my own heart, as I lie day after day, and night after night, with nothing to amuse or to distract my attention. ”

“ Wuffle jumped up with alacrity.
"I'd be awfully glad to get a snapshot of it," said he, disappearing in search of his hat and coat.
Frederick took the opportunity to make a few scathing remarks to Percival.
"It's just like you, you mouldy old citron," he said. "I start a little experiment in tirage de jambe, and you put your heavy hoof in and spoil the whole business. You know jolly well that Le Glaxo was completely closed down months ago."
"Oh, put another penny in your brain-meter and try to realise that you aren't the only one who's grown up," replied Percival impatiently. ”

“ The old woman threw open the drawing-room door, and Percival was in the presence of his deadliest foe! The armchair was turned towards the entrance, and from amidst the coverings that hid the form, the remarkable countenance of Madame Dalibard emerged, sharp and earnest, directly fronting the intruder.
"So," she said slowly, and, as it were, devouring him with her keen, steadfast eyes,—"so you are Percival St. John! Welcome! I did not know that we should ever meet. I have not sought you, you seek me! Strange— yes, strange—that the young and the rich should seek the suffering and the poor!" ”

“ Hyde, however, was subsequently reconciled to Percy, who brought about a meeting between the queen and the chancellor of the exchequer, and is praised in the ‘History of the Rebellion’ for his economical administration of the king's household (xiv. 89, 93) . When Percy thought of making his peace with the Protector, Hyde dissuaded him, and told him that few men were so fit to be about the king's person, or engaged in the counsels likely to carry him home (Cal. Clarendon Papers, iii. 161, 330) . ”