CHAPTER XXXVII
Stern was the law which bade its vot'ries leave At human woes with human hearts to grieve; Stern was the law, which at the winning wile Of frank and harmless mirth forbade to smile; But sterner still, when high the iron-rod Of tyrant power she shook, and call'd that power of God. --The Middle Ages
The Tribunal, erected for the trial of the innocent and unhappy Rebecca,occupied the dais or elevated part of the upper end of the great hall--aplatform, which we have already described as the place of honour,destined to be occupied by the most distinguished inhabitants or guestsof an ancient mansion.
On an elevated seat, directly before the accused, sat the Grand Masterof the Temple, in full and ample robes of flowing white, holding in hishand the mystic staff, which bore the symbol of the Order. At his feetwas placed a table, occupied by two scribes, chaplains of the Order,whose duty it was to reduce to formal record the proceedings of the day.The black dresses, bare scalps, and demure looks of these church-men,formed a strong contrast to the warlike appearance of the knights whoattended, either as residing in the Preceptory, or as come thither toattend upon their Grand Master. The Preceptors, of whom there were fourpresent, occupied seats lower in height, and somewhat drawn back behindthat of their superior; and the knights, who enjoyed no such rank inthe Order, were placed on benches still lower, and preserving the samedistance from the Preceptors as these from the Grand Master. Behindthem, but still upon the dais or elevated portion of the hall, stood theesquires of the Order, in white dresses of an inferior quality.
The whole assembly wore an aspect of the most profound gravity; and inthe faces of the knights might be perceived traces of military daring,united with the solemn carriage becoming men of a religious profession,and which, in the presence of their Grand Master, failed not to sit uponevery brow.
The remaining and lower part of the hall was filled with guards, holdingpartisans, and with other attendants whom curiosity had drawn thither,to see at once a Grand Master and a Jewish sorceress. By far the greaterpart of those inferior persons were, in one rank or other, connectedwith the Order, and were accordingly distinguished by their blackdresses. But peasants from the neighbouring country were not refusedadmittance; for it was the pride of Beaumanoir to render the edifyingspectacle of the justice which he administered as public as possible.His large blue eyes seemed to expand as he gazed around the assembly,and his countenance appeared elated by the conscious dignity, andimaginary merit, of the part which he was about to perform. A psalm,which he himself accompanied with a deep mellow voice, which age had notdeprived of its powers, commenced the proceedings of the day; and thesolemn sounds, Venite exultemus Domino, so often sung by the Templarsbefore engaging with earthly adversaries, was judged by Lucas mostappropriate to introduce the approaching triumph, for such he deemedit, over the powers of darkness. The deep prolonged notes, raised bya hundred masculine voices accustomed to combine in the choral chant,arose to the vaulted roof of the hall, and rolled on amongst its archeswith the pleasing yet solemn sound of the rushing of mighty waters.
When the sounds ceased, the Grand Master glanced his eye slowly aroundthe circle, and observed that the seat of one of the Preceptors wasvacant. Brian de Bois-Guilbert, by whom it had been occupied, had lefthis place, and was now standing near the extreme corner of one of thebenches occupied by the Knights Companions of the Temple, one handextending his long mantle, so as in some degree to hide his face;while the other held his cross-handled sword, with the point of which,sheathed as it was, he was slowly drawing lines upon the oaken floor.
Unhappy man! said the Grand Master, after favouring him with a glanceof compassion. Thou seest, Conrade, how this holy work distresses him.To this can the light look of woman, aided by the Prince of the Powersof this world, bring a valiant and worthy knight!--Seest thou he cannotlook upon us; he cannot look upon her; and who knows by what impulsefrom his tormentor his hand forms these cabalistic lines upon thefloor?--It may be our life and safety are thus aimed at; but we spit atand defy the foul enemy. 'Semper Leo percutiatur!'
This was communicated apart to his confidential follower, ConradeMont-Fitchet. The Grand Master then raised his voice, and addressed theassembly.
Reverend and valiant men, Knights, Preceptors, and Companions of thisHoly Order, my brethren and my children!--you also, well-born and piousEsquires, who aspire to wear this holy Cross!--and you also, Christianbrethren, of every degree!--Be it known to you, that it is not defect ofpower in us which hath occasioned the assembling of this congregation;for, however unworthy in our person, yet to us is committed, with thisbatoon, full power to judge and to try all that regards the weal ofthis our Holy Order. Holy Saint Bernard, in the rule of our knightly andreligious profession, hath said, in the fifty-ninth capital, [53] thathe would not that brethren be called together in council, save at thewill and command of the Master; leaving it free to us, as to those moreworthy fathers who have preceded us in this our office, to judge, aswell of the occasion as of the time and place in which a chapter of thewhole Order, or of any part thereof, may be convoked. Also, in all suchchapters, it is our duty to hear the advice of our brethren, and toproceed according to our own pleasure. But when the raging wolf hathmade an inroad upon the flock, and carried off one member thereof, it isthe duty of the kind shepherd to call his comrades together, that withbows and slings they may quell the invader, according to our well-knownrule, that the lion is ever to be beaten down. We have thereforesummoned to our presence a Jewish woman, by name Rebecca, daughterof Isaac of York--a woman infamous for sortileges and for witcheries;whereby she hath maddened the blood, and besotted the brain, not of achurl, but of a Knight--not of a secular Knight, but of one devotedto the service of the Holy Temple--not of a Knight Companion, but of aPreceptor of our Order, first in honour as in place. Our brother, Briande Bois-Guilbert, is well known to ourselves, and to all degrees who nowhear me, as a true and zealous champion of the Cross, by whose arm manydeeds of valour have been wrought in the Holy Land, and the holy placespurified from pollution by the blood of those infidels who defiled them.Neither have our brother's sagacity and prudence been less in reputeamong his brethren than his valour and discipline; in so much, thatknights, both in eastern and western lands, have named De Bois-Guilbertas one who may well be put in nomination as successor to this batoon,when it shall please Heaven to release us from the toil of bearingit. If we were told that such a man, so honoured, and so honourable,suddenly casting away regard for his character, his vows, his brethren,and his prospects, had associated to himself a Jewish damsel, wanderedin this lewd company, through solitary places, defended her person inpreference to his own, and, finally, was so utterly blinded and besottedby his folly, as to bring her even to one of our own Preceptories,what should we say but that the noble knight was possessed by someevil demon, or influenced by some wicked spell?--If we could supposeit otherwise, think not rank, valour, high repute, or any earthlyconsideration, should prevent us from visiting him with punishment, thatthe evil thing might be removed, even according to the text, 'Aufertemalum ex vobis'. For various and heinous are the acts of transgressionagainst the rule of our blessed Order in this lamentable history.--1st,He hath walked according to his proper will, contrary to capital 33,'Quod nullus juxta propriam voluntatem incedat'.--2d, He hath heldcommunication with an excommunicated person, capital 57, 'Ut fratresnon participent cum excommunicatis', and therefore hath a portionin 'Anathema Maranatha'.--3d, He hath conversed with strange women,contrary to the capital, 'Ut fratres non conversantur cum extraneismulieribus'.--4th, He hath not avoided, nay, he hath, it is to befeared, solicited the kiss of woman; by which, saith the last rule ofour renowned Order, 'Ut fugiantur oscula', the soldiers of the Cross arebrought into a snare. For which heinous and multiplied guilt, Brian deBois-Guilbert should be cut off and cast out from our congregation, werehe the right hand and right eye thereof.
He paused. A low murmur went through the assembly. Some of the youngerpart, who had been inclined to smile at the statute 'De osculisfugiendis', became now grave enough, and anxiously waited what the GrandMaster was next to propose.
Such, he said, and so great should indeed be the punishment of aKnight Templar, who wilfully offended against the rules of his Order insuch weighty points. But if, by means of charms and of spells, Satan hadobtained dominion over the Knight, perchance because he cast his eyestoo lightly upon a damsel's beauty, we are then rather to lament thanchastise his backsliding; and, imposing on him only such penance asmay purify him from his iniquity, we are to turn the full edge ofour indignation upon the accursed instrument, which had so well-nighoccasioned his utter falling away.--Stand forth, therefore, and bearwitness, ye who have witnessed these unhappy doings, that we may judgeof the sum and bearing thereof; and judge whether our justice may besatisfied with the punishment of this infidel woman, or if we mustgo on, with a bleeding heart, to the further proceeding against ourbrother.
Several witnesses were called upon to prove the risks to whichBois-Guilbert exposed himself in endeavouring to save Rebecca from theblazing castle, and his neglect of his personal defence in attending toher safety. The men gave these details with the exaggerations common tovulgar minds which have been strongly excited by any remarkable event,and their natural disposition to the marvellous was greatly increasedby the satisfaction which their evidence seemed to afford to the eminentperson for whose information it had been delivered. Thus the dangerswhich Bois-Guilbert surmounted, in themselves sufficiently great, becameportentous in their narrative. The devotion of the Knight to Rebecca'sdefence was exaggerated beyond the bounds, not only of discretion, buteven of the most frantic excess of chivalrous zeal; and his deferenceto what she said, even although her language was often severe andupbraiding, was painted as carried to an excess, which, in a man of hishaughty temper, seemed almost preternatural.
The Preceptor of Templestowe was then called on to describe the mannerin which Bois-Guilbert and the Jewess arrived at the Preceptory. Theevidence of Malvoisin was skilfully guarded. But while he apparentlystudied to spare the feelings of Bois-Guilbert, he threw in, from timeto time, such hints, as seemed to infer that he laboured under sometemporary alienation of mind, so deeply did he appear to be enamoured ofthe damsel whom he brought along with him. With sighs of penitence, thePreceptor avowed his own contrition for having admitted Rebecca andher lover within the walls of the Preceptory--But my defence, heconcluded, has been made in my confession to our most reverend fatherthe Grand Master; he knows my motives were not evil, though my conductmay have been irregular. Joyfully will I submit to any penance he shallassign me.
Thou hast spoken well, Brother Albert, said Beaumanoir; thy motiveswere good, since thou didst judge it right to arrest thine erringbrother in his career of precipitate folly. But thy conduct was wrong;as he that would stop a runaway steed, and seizing by the stirrupinstead of the bridle, receiveth injury himself, instead ofaccomplishing his purpose. Thirteen paternosters are assigned by ourpious founder for matins, and nine for vespers; be those servicesdoubled by thee. Thrice a-week are Templars permitted the use of flesh;but do thou keep fast for all the seven days. This do for six weeks tocome, and thy penance is accomplished.
With a hypocritical look of the deepest submission, the Preceptor ofTemplestowe bowed to the ground before his Superior, and resumed hisseat.
Were it not well, brethren, said the Grand Master, that we examinesomething into the former life and conversation of this woman, speciallythat we may discover whether she be one likely to use magical charmsand spells, since the truths which we have heard may well incline us tosuppose, that in this unhappy course our erring brother has been actedupon by some infernal enticement and delusion?
Herman of Goodalricke was the Fourth Preceptor present; the otherthree were Conrade, Malvoisin, and Bois-Guilbert himself. Herman was anancient warrior, whose face was marked with scars inflicted by thesabre of the Moslemah, and had great rank and consideration among hisbrethren. He arose and bowed to the Grand Master, who instantly grantedhim license of speech. I would crave to know, most Reverend Father,of our valiant brother, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, what he says to thesewondrous accusations, and with what eye he himself now regards hisunhappy intercourse with this Jewish maiden?
Brian de Bois-Guilbert, said the Grand Master, thou hearest thequestion which our Brother of Goodalricke desirest thou shouldst answer.I command thee to reply to him.
Bois-Guilbert turned his head towards the Grand Master when thusaddressed, and remained silent.
He is possessed by a dumb devil, said the Grand Master. Avoid thee,Sathanus!--Speak, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, I conjure thee, by this symbolof our Holy Order.
Bois-Guilbert made an effort to suppress his rising scorn andindignation, the expression of which, he was well aware, would havelittle availed him. Brian de Bois-Guilbert, he answered, replies not,most Reverend Father, to such wild and vague charges. If his honour beimpeached, he will defend it with his body, and with that sword whichhas often fought for Christendom.
We forgive thee, Brother Brian, said the Grand Master; though thatthou hast boasted thy warlike achievements before us, is a glorifying ofthine own deeds, and cometh of the Enemy, who tempteth us to exalt ourown worship. But thou hast our pardon, judging thou speakest less ofthine own suggestion than from the impulse of him whom by Heaven'sleave, we will quell and drive forth from our assembly. A glance ofdisdain flashed from the dark fierce eyes of Bois-Guilbert, but he madeno reply.--And now, pursued the Grand Master, since our Brother ofGoodalricke's question has been thus imperfectly answered, pursue we ourquest, brethren, and with our patron's assistance, we will search to thebottom this mystery of iniquity.--Let those who have aught to witness ofthe life and conversation of this Jewish woman, stand forth before us.There was a bustle in the lower part of the hall, and when the GrandMaster enquired the reason, it was replied, there was in the crowd abedridden man, whom the prisoner had restored to the perfect use of hislimbs, by a miraculous balsam.
The poor peasant, a Saxon by birth, was dragged forward to the bar,terrified at the penal consequences which he might have incurred by theguilt of having been cured of the palsy by a Jewish damsel. Perfectlycured he certainly was not, for he supported himself forward on crutchesto give evidence. Most unwilling was his testimony, and given with manytears; but he admitted that two years since, when residing at York, hewas suddenly afflicted with a sore disease, while labouring for Isaacthe rich Jew, in his vocation of a joiner; that he had been unable tostir from his bed until the remedies applied by Rebecca's directions,and especially a warming and spicy-smelling balsam, had in some degreerestored him to the use of his limbs. Moreover, he said, she had givenhim a pot of that precious ointment, and furnished him with a piece ofmoney withal, to return to the house of his father, near to Templestowe.And may it please your gracious Reverence, said the man, I cannotthink the damsel meant harm by me, though she hath the ill hap to be aJewess; for even when I used her remedy, I said the Pater and the Creed,and it never operated a whit less kindly--
Peace, slave, said the Grand Master, and begone! It well suits bruteslike thee to be tampering and trinketing with hellish cures, and to begiving your labour to the sons of mischief. I tell thee, the fiend canimpose diseases for the very purpose of removing them, in order to bringinto credit some diabolical fashion of cure. Hast thou that unguent ofwhich thou speakest?
The peasant, fumbling in his bosom with a trembling hand, produced asmall box, bearing some Hebrew characters on the lid, which was, withmost of the audience, a sure proof that the devil had stood apothecary.Beaumanoir, after crossing himself, took the box into his hand, and,learned in most of the Eastern tongues, read with ease the motto on thelid,--The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath conquered.
Strange powers of Sathanas. said he, which can convert Scripture intoblasphemy, mingling poison with our necessary food!--Is there no leechhere who can tell us the ingredients of this mystic unguent?
Two mediciners, as they called themselves, the one a monk, the othera barber, appeared, and avouched they knew nothing of the materials,excepting that they savoured of myrrh and camphire, which they took tobe Oriental herbs. But with the true professional hatred to a successfulpractitioner of their art, they insinuated that, since the medicine wasbeyond their own knowledge, it must necessarily have been compoundedfrom an unlawful and magical pharmacopeia; since they themselves, thoughno conjurors, fully understood every branch of their art, so far as itmight be exercised with the good faith of a Christian. When this medicalresearch was ended, the Saxon peasant desired humbly to have back themedicine which he had found so salutary; but the Grand Master frownedseverely at the request. What is thy name, fellow? said he to thecripple.
Higg, the son of Snell, answered the peasant.
Then Higg, son of Snell, said the Grand Master, I tell thee it isbetter to be bedridden, than to accept the benefit of unbelievers'medicine that thou mayest arise and walk; better to despoil infidelsof their treasure by the strong hand, than to accept of them benevolentgifts, or do them service for wages. Go thou, and do as I have said.
Alack, said the peasant, an it shall not displease your Reverence,the lesson comes too late for me, for I am but a maimed man; but I willtell my two brethren, who serve the rich Rabbi Nathan Ben Samuel, thatyour mastership says it is more lawful to rob him than to render himfaithful service.
Out with the prating villain! said Beaumanoir, who was not prepared torefute this practical application of his general maxim.
Higg, the son of Snell, withdrew into the crowd, but, interested in thefate of his benefactress, lingered until he should learn her doom, evenat the risk of again encountering the frown of that severe judge, theterror of which withered his very heart within him.
At this period of the trial, the Grand Master commanded Rebecca tounveil herself. Opening her lips for the first time, she repliedpatiently, but with dignity,--That it was not the wont of the daughtersof her people to uncover their faces when alone in an assembly ofstrangers. The sweet tones of her voice, and the softness of herreply, impressed on the audience a sentiment of pity and sympathy. ButBeaumanoir, in whose mind the suppression of each feeling of humanitywhich could interfere with his imagined duty, was a virtue of itself,repeated his commands that his victim should be unveiled. The guardswere about to remove her veil accordingly, when she stood up beforethe Grand Master and said, Nay, but for the love of your owndaughters--Alas, she said, recollecting herself, ye have nodaughters!--yet for the remembrance of your mothers--for the love ofyour sisters, and of female decency, let me not be thus handled in yourpresence; it suits not a maiden to be disrobed by such rude grooms. Iwill obey you, she added, with an expression of patient sorrow in hervoice, which had almost melted the heart of Beaumanoir himself; ye areelders among your people, and at your command I will show the featuresof an ill-fated maiden.
She withdrew her veil, and looked on them with a countenance in whichbashfulness contended with dignity. Her exceeding beauty excited amurmur of surprise, and the younger knights told each other with theireyes, in silent correspondence, that Brian's best apology was in thepower of her real charms, rather than of her imaginary witchcraft. ButHigg, the son of Snell, felt most deeply the effect produced by thesight of the countenance of his benefactress.
Let me go forth, he said to the warders at the door of the hall,--letme go forth!--To look at her again will kill me, for I have had a sharein murdering her.
Peace, poor man, said Rebecca, when she heard his exclamation; thouhast done me no harm by speaking the truth--thou canst not aid me bythy complaints or lamentations. Peace, I pray thee--go home and savethyself.
Higg was about to be thrust out by the compassion of the warders,who were apprehensive lest his clamorous grief should draw upon themreprehension, and upon himself punishment. But he promised to be silent,and was permitted to remain. The two men-at-arms, with whom AlbertMalvoisin had not failed to communicate upon the import of theirtestimony, were now called forward. Though both were hardened andinflexible villains, the sight of the captive maiden, as well as herexcelling beauty, at first appeared to stagger them; but an expressiveglance from the Preceptor of Templestowe restored them to their doggedcomposure; and they delivered, with a precision which would have seemedsuspicious to more impartial judges, circumstances either altogetherfictitious or trivial, and natural in themselves, but rendered pregnantwith suspicion by the exaggerated manner in which they were told, andthe sinister commentary which the witnesses added to the facts. Thecircumstances of their evidence would have been, in modern days, dividedinto two classes--those which were immaterial, and those which wereactually and physically impossible. But both were, in those ignorantand superstitions times, easily credited as proofs of guilt.--The firstclass set forth, that Rebecca was heard to mutter to herself in anunknown tongue--that the songs she sung by fits were of a strangelysweet sound, which made the ears of the hearer tingle, and his heartthrob--that she spoke at times to herself, and seemed to look upwardfor a reply--that her garments were of a strange and mystic form,unlike those of women of good repute--that she had rings impressed withcabalistical devices, and that strange characters were broidered on herveil.
All these circumstances, so natural and so trivial, were gravelylistened to as proofs, or, at least, as affording strong suspicions thatRebecca had unlawful correspondence with mystical powers.
But there was less equivocal testimony, which the credulity ofthe assembly, or of the greater part, greedily swallowed, howeverincredible. One of the soldiers had seen her work a cure upon a woundedman, brought with them to the castle of Torquilstone. She did, he said,make certain signs upon the wound, and repeated certain mysteriouswords, which he blessed God he understood not, when the iron head of asquare cross-bow bolt disengaged itself from the wound, the bleeding wasstanched, the wound was closed, and the dying man was, within a quarterof an hour, walking upon the ramparts, and assisting the witness inmanaging a mangonel, or machine for hurling stones. This legend wasprobably founded upon the fact, that Rebecca had attended on thewounded Ivanhoe when in the castle of Torquilstone. But it was themore difficult to dispute the accuracy of the witness, as, in order toproduce real evidence in support of his verbal testimony, he drew fromhis pouch the very bolt-head, which, according to his story, had beenmiraculously extracted from the wound; and as the iron weighed a fullounce, it completely confirmed the tale, however marvellous.
His comrade had been a witness from a neighbouring battlement of thescene betwixt Rebecca and Bois-Guilbert, when she was upon the point ofprecipitating herself from the top of the tower. Not to be behind hiscompanion, this fellow stated, that he had seen Rebecca perch herselfupon the parapet of the turret, and there take the form of a milk-whiteswan, under which appearance she flitted three times round the castle ofTorquilstone; then again settle on the turret, and once more assume thefemale form.
Less than one half of this weighty evidence would have been sufficientto convict any old woman, poor and ugly, even though she had not been aJewess. United with that fatal circumstance, the body of proof was tooweighty for Rebecca's youth, though combined with the most exquisitebeauty.
The Grand Master had collected the suffrages, and now in a solemntone demanded of Rebecca what she had to say against the sentence ofcondemnation, which he was about to pronounce.
To invoke your pity, said the lovely Jewess, with a voice somewhattremulous with emotion, would, I am aware, be as useless as I shouldhold it mean. To state that to relieve the sick and wounded of anotherreligion, cannot be displeasing to the acknowledged Founder of both ourfaiths, were also unavailing; to plead that many things which these men(whom may Heaven pardon!) have spoken against me are impossible, wouldavail me but little, since you believe in their possibility; and stillless would it advantage me to explain, that the peculiarities of mydress, language, and manners, are those of my people--I had well-nighsaid of my country, but alas! we have no country. Nor will I evenvindicate myself at the expense of my oppressor, who stands therelistening to the fictions and surmises which seem to convert the tyrantinto the victim.--God be judge between him and me! but rather would Isubmit to ten such deaths as your pleasure may denounce against me,than listen to the suit which that man of Belial has urged uponme--friendless, defenceless, and his prisoner. But he is of your ownfaith, and his lightest affirmance would weigh down the most solemnprotestations of the distressed Jewess. I will not therefore return tohimself the charge brought against me--but to himself--Yes, Brian deBois-Guilbert, to thyself I appeal, whether these accusations are notfalse? as monstrous and calumnious as they are deadly?
There was a pause; all eyes turned to Brain de Bois-Guilbert. He wassilent.
Speak, she said, if thou art a man--if thou art a Christian,speak!--I conjure thee, by the habit which thou dost wear, by the namethou dost inherit--by the knighthood thou dost vaunt--by the honour ofthy mother--by the tomb and the bones of thy father--I conjure thee tosay, are these things true?
Answer her, brother, said the Grand Master, if the Enemy with whomthou dost wrestle will give thee power.
In fact, Bois-Guilbert seemed agitated by contending passions, whichalmost convulsed his features, and it was with a constrained voice thatat last he replied, looking to Rebecca,--The scroll!--the scroll!
Ay, said Beaumanoir, this is indeed testimony! The victim of herwitcheries can only name the fatal scroll, the spell inscribed on whichis, doubtless, the cause of his silence.
But Rebecca put another interpretation on the words extorted as it werefrom Bois-Guilbert, and glancing her eye upon the slip of parchmentwhich she continued to hold in her hand, she read written thereupon inthe Arabian character, Demand a Champion! The murmuring commentarywhich ran through the assembly at the strange reply of Bois-Guilbert,gave Rebecca leisure to examine and instantly to destroy the scrollunobserved. When the whisper had ceased, the Grand Master spoke.
Rebecca, thou canst derive no benefit from the evidence of this unhappyknight, for whom, as we well perceive, the Enemy is yet too powerful.Hast thou aught else to say?
There is yet one chance of life left to me, said Rebecca, even byyour own fierce laws. Life has been miserable--miserable, at least, oflate--but I will not cast away the gift of God, while he affords me themeans of defending it. I deny this charge--I maintain my innocence, andI declare the falsehood of this accusation--I challenge the privilege oftrial by combat, and will appear by my champion.
And who, Rebecca, replied the Grand Master, will lay lance in restfor a sorceress? who will be the champion of a Jewess?
God will raise me up a champion, said Rebecca--It cannot be that inmerry England--the hospitable, the generous, the free, where so many areready to peril their lives for honour, there will not be found oneto fight for justice. But it is enough that I challenge the trial bycombat--there lies my gage.
She took her embroidered glove from her hand, and flung it down beforethe Grand Master with an air of mingled simplicity and dignity, whichexcited universal surprise and admiration.