Tales of the crusaders. By the author of 'Waverley'. |
Common terms and phrases
anchorite answered Arabian Arch-Duke arms Austria Baron of Gilsland betwixt brave camp chapel character chivalry Christian Christian knight command companion Conrade of Montserrat couch crusaders dark desert Duke Duke of Austria dwarf Eastern Emir Engaddi English eyes faith Grand Master Hakim Hamako hand hastily hath heard Heaven hermit hither hold holy honour horse infidel King of England King Richard Lady Edith lamp lance length Leopard Leopold letters of credence Lion looked Majesty man-at-arms manner Marquis of Montserrat methinks monarch Moslem Nebectamus noble numbers Palestine pavilion person Philip physician princes Prophet Queen racter rank replied Richard of England royal royal pavilion Saint Saladin Saracen Scot Scottish knight seemed Sheerkohf sick side silence Sir Kenneth Soldan soldier sovereign speak spoke stood sword Templar tent thee Thomas de Vaux thou art thou hast thought tion tone truce valiant voice warriors western warrior words yonder
Popular passages
Page 77 - FAR in a wild, unknown to public view, From youth to age a reverend hermit grew ; The moss his bed, the cave his humble cell, His food the fruits, his drink the crystal well : Remote from man, with God he pass'd the days, Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise.
Page 5 - ... bridle was a steel plate, with apertures for the eyes and nostrils, having in the midst a short sharp pike, projecting from the forehead of the horse like the horn of the fabulous unicorn.
Page 11 - Christian with such unerring skill, that the goodness of bis harness alone saved him from being wounded in as many places. The seventh shaft apparently found a less perfect part of the armour, and the Christian dropped heavily from his horse. But what was the surprise of the Saracen, when, dismounting to examine the condition of his prostrate enemy, he found himself suddenly within the grasp of the European, who had had recourse to this artifice to bring his enemy within his reach!
Page 9 - ... frustrated his attempts to attack him on an unguarded point ; so that the Saracen, wheeling his horse, was fain to retreat to the distance of a hundred yards. A second time, like a hawk attacking a heron, the heathen renewed the charge, and a second time was fain to retreat without coming to a close struggle. A third time he approached in the same manner, when the Christian knight, desirous to terminate this...
Page 10 - ... reach of that weapon, of which he had so lately felt the force, while he showed his purpose of waging a distant warfare with missile weapons of his own. Planting his long spear in the sand at a distance from the scene of combat, he strung, with great address, a short bow, which he carried at his back, and putting his horse to the gallop, once more described two or three circles of a wider extent than formerly, in the course of which he discharged six arrows at the Christian with such unerring...
Page 8 - The Saracen came on at the speedy gallop of an Arab horseman, managing his steed more by his limbs, and the inflection of his body, than by any use of the reins which hung loose in his left hand; so that he was enabled to wield the light, round buckler of the skin of the rhinoceros, ornamented with silver loops, which he wore on his arm, swinging it as if he meant to oppose its slender circle to the formidable thrust of the western lance.
Page 3 - ... there was also his triangular shield suspended round his neck, and his barred helmet of steel, over which he had a hood and collar of mail, which was drawn around the warrior's shoulders and throat, and filled up the vacancy between the hauberk and the headpiece. His lower limbs were sheathed, like his body, in flexible mail, securing the legs and thighs, while the feet rested in plated shoes, which corresponded with the gauntlets.
Page 9 - Leopard should put his horse to the gallop to encounter him. But the Christian knight, well acquainted with the customs of Eastern warriors, did not mean to exhaust his good horse by any unnecessary exertion ; and, on the contrary, made a dead halt, confident that if the enemy advanced to the actual shock, his own weight, and that of his powerful charger, would give him sufficient advantage, without the additional momentum of rapid motion.
Page 8 - Leopard continued to fix his eyes attentively on the yet distant cluster of palm-trees, it seemed to him as if some object was moving among them. The distant form separated itself from the trees, which partly hid its motions, and advanced towards the knight with a speed which soon showed a mounted horseman, whom his turban, long spear, and green caftan floating in the wind, on his nearer approach, showed to be a Saracen cavalier. * In the desert,' saith an 8 Eastern proverb, 'no man meets a friend.
Page 12 - but what security dost thou offer that thou wilt observe the truce?" "The word of a follower of the Prophet was never broken," answered the Emir. "It is thou, brave Nazarene, from whom I should demand security, did I not know that treason seldom dwells with courage." The Crusader felt that the confidence of the Moslem made him ashamed of his own doubts. "By the cross of my sword...