IV.

“Think not of that (S. 4, N. 5, _B_),” said Ivanhoe; “this is[1] no time for such thoughts. Who yield? Who push their way[2]?”

“The ladders are thrown down,” replied Rebecca shuddering; “the soldiers lie grovelling[3] under them like crushed reptiles. The besieged have the better[4].”

“Saint George, strike[5] for us!” exclaimed the Knight; “do the false yeomen give way[6]?”

“No!” exclaimed Rebecca, “they bear[7] themselves right yeomanly—the Black Knight approaches the postern with his huge axe—the thundering blows which he deals[8] you may[9] hear _them_ above all the din[10] and shouts of the battle.—Stones and beams are hailed down[11] on the bold champion—he regards them no more than if they were[12] thistle-down[13] or feathers!”

“By Saint George,” said Ivanhoe, raising (S. 111, N. 6) himself joyfully on his couch, “methought[14] there was (S. 82, N. 7, and App. § 33) but one man in England that[15] might do such a deed!”

“The postern gate shakes[16],” continued Rebecca; “it crashes—it is splintered by[17] his blows—they rush in—the outwork is won[18].—O God, they hurl the defenders from the battlements—they throw them into the moat.—O men, if ye[19] be indeed men, spare them that can resist no longer!”

“The bridge—the bridge which communicates with the castle—have they won[20] that pass?” exclaimed Ivanhoe.

“No,” replied Rebecca, “the Templar has destroyed the plank on which they crossed[21]—few[22] of the defenders escaped with him into the castle—the shrieks and cries[23] which you hear tell the fate of the others.—Alas! I see it is still more difficult to look upon[24] victory (S. 3, N. 2) than upon battle.”—SIR WALTER SCOTT, “IVANHOE.”

[1] = we have; for, +zu+.

[2] to push one’s way, +vorwärts dringen+.

[3] +auf dem Bauche.+

[4] to have the better, +die Oberhand haben+.

[5] = fight.

[6] +zurück´weichen.+

[7] ‘to bear oneself’, here +sich halten+; right yeomanly = like true (+echt+) yeomen.

[8] to deal blows, +Streiche führen+.

[9] = can; See S. 92, N. 5 and App. § 14; above, +über ... hinaus+.

[10] +Getöse+, n.

[11] = thrown down.

[12] than — were = than he would regard (+beachten+).

[13] +Distelwolle.+

[14] = I thought; see S. 64, N. 11; but = only.

[15] +der einer solchen That fähig wäre!+

[16] +wackeln.+

[17] +von.+

[18] = taken, +ein´nehmen+, sep. comp. irreg. v. tr.

[19] +ihr+; to spare a man, +~eines~ Menschen schonen+; render ‘them’ by the Gen. of the demonstr. pron.; that — longer = who can defend themselves no longer.

[20] +erkämpft+; that pass, +diesen Durchgang+.

[21] to cross on a plank, +über eine Planke schreiten+.

[22] = only few; escaped = have escaped (+entkom´men+, insep. comp. irreg. v., S. 29, N. 3).

[23] +das laute Schreien und Klagen+; you = thou; tell, +verrät+.

[24] ‘to look upon a thing’, here +etwas mit an´sehen+, v. tr.

_Section 187._

THE FAVOURITE HARES[1].