Search -
Historical Romances of the Author of Waverley
Historical Romances of the Author of Waverley Author:Walter Scott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. Flower of warriors, How is't with Titus Lartius ? Marcius. As with a man busied about decrees, Condemning some to death and some to exile, R... more »ansoming him or pitying, threatening the other. Coriolanus. The captive Abbot's features and manners exhibited a whimsical mixture of offended pride, and deranged foppery and bodily terror. " Why, how now, my masters ?" said he, with a voice in which all three emotions were blended. " What order is this among ye ? Be ye Turks or Christians, that handle a churchman ?—Know ye what it is, manus imponere in servos Domini ? Ye have plundered my mails—torn my cope of curious cut lace, which might have served a cardinal !—Another in my place would have been at his excommunicabo vos; but I am placable, and if ye order forth my palfreys, release my brethren, and restore my mails, send with all speed an hundred crowns to be expended in masses at the high altar of Jorvaulx Abbey, and make your vow to eat novenison until next Pentecost, it may be you shall hear little more of this mad frolic." " Holy Father," said the chief Outlaw, " it grieves me to think that you have met with such usage from any of my followers, as calls for your fatherly reprehension." " Usage !" echoed the priest, encouraged by the mild tone of the sylvan leader; " it were usage fit for no hound of good race—much less for a Christian—far less for a priest—and least of all for the Prior of the holy community of Jorvaulx. Here is a profane and drunken minstrel, called Allan-a- Dalc—nebulo quidam—who has menaced me with corporeal punishment—nay, with death itself, an I pay not down four hundred crowns of ransom, to the boot all the treasure of which he hath robbed me —gold chains and gymmal rings to an unknown value ; besides what is broken and sp...« less