II.

“He blenches not! he blenches not!” said Rebecca, “I see him now; he leads a body of men[1] close under the outer barrier[2] of the barbican. They pull down the piles and palisades; they hew down the barriers with axes.—His high black plume floats abroad over the throng[3], like a raven over the field of the slain[4].—They have made a breach in the barriers—they rush in—they are thrust back! Front-de-Bœuf heads the defenders; I see his gigantic form above the press[5]. They throng[6] again to (S. 72, N. 4) the breach, and the pass is disputed hand to hand and man to man[7]. God of Jacob! it is the meeting of two fierce tides—the conflict of two oceans moved by adverse winds[8]!”

She turned her head from the lattice, as if (S. 27, N. 7) unable longer to endure a sight so terrible (S. 128, N. 11).

“Look forth again, Rebecca,” said Ivanhoe, mistaking[9] the cause of her retiring; “the archery must in some degree[10] have ceased, since they are now fighting hand to hand.—Look again, there is[11] now less danger.”

Rebecca again looked forth, and almost immediately exclaimed: “Help, O prophets of the law! Front-de-Bœuf and the Black Knight fight hand to hand on[12] the breach, amid[13] the roar of their followers[14], who watch[15] the progress of the strife.—Heaven strike[16] (App. § 34) _with_ the cause (+Sache+, f.) of the oppressed and the captive!”

She then[17] uttered a loud shriek, and exclaimed: “He is down[18]!—He is down!”

[1] +eine Schar Kämpfer.+

[2] ‘barrier’ may here be rendered by +Befestigungen+, +Schanzpfähle+, or +Verschanzungen+. Every Gothic castle and city had, beyond the outer walls, a fortification composed of palisades, called the barriers, which were often the scene of severe skirmishes, as these had necessarily to be carried before the walls themselves could be approached. The ‘barbacan’ or ‘_barbican_’ was the outer wall of an ancient castle or town, and may be rendered by ‘+Zwingmauer+, f.’

[3] +flattert hoch über der Menge in der Luft umher.+

[4] = battle-field.

[5] +Gedränge+, n.

[6] to throng = to press forward, +sich vorwärts drängen+, sep. comp. w. v. refl.

[7] and — man = they fight for (+um+) the pass (+Durchgang+, m.) and struggle (+kämpfen+) man against man.

[8] it — winds = it is like the meeting (+Aneinanderstoßen+) of two fierce tides (+Sturmflut+, f.), like the conflict (+Zusammenfließen+, n.) of two oceans (+Weltmeer+, n.) which are moved (+fort´treiben+, sep. comp. str. v.) by adverse (+entgegengesetzt+) winds.

[9] +unrichtig deuten+. Construe accord. to S. 16, N. 4; of her retiring = of this movement.

[10] in some degree = almost.

[11] there is, +es ist ... vorhanden+. Comp. S. 104, N. 19.

[12] +vor+.

[13] +während+, with Gen.

[14] +Anhänger.+

[15] +mit Aufmerksamkeit verfolgen.+

[16] = defend, v. tr.

[17] = hereupon, which place first. To utter a shriek, +einen Schrei ausstoßen+.

[18] = fallen.

_Section 185._

REBECCA DESCRIBES THE SIEGE OF TORQUILSTONE TO THE WOUNDED IVANHOE.