Agincourt

R. James G. P.

Description

In the long slog of the Hundred Years' War, the English forces' decisive victory in the Battle of Agincourt proved to be a key turning point. In this gripping historical novel from G. P. R. James, a tender human drama unfolds against the backdrop of the epic battle.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776582990
• Langue: English

Extrait

AGINCOURT
A ROMANCE
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G. P. R. JAMES
 
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Agincourt A Romance First published in 1844 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-299-0 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-300-3 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I - The Night Ride Chapter II - The Hall and its Denizens Chapter III - The Foregone Events Chapter IV - The Glutton Mass Chapter V - The Assassination Chapter VI - The Suspicions Chapter VII - The Coronation Chapter VIII - The Day of Festival Chapter IX - The Sick Mind Chapter X - The Minstrel's Girl Chapter XI - The Deceiver Chapter XII - The Hours of Joy Chapter XIII - The Wrong Chapter XIV - The Remedy Chapter XV - The Pilgrim Chapter XVI - The New Friends Chapter XVII - The Preparation Chapter XVIII - The Journey and the Voyage Chapter XIX - The Foreign Land Chapter XX - The New Acquaintances Chapter XXI - The Exile Chapter XXII - The Count of Charolois Chapter XXIII - The Departure Chapter XXIV - Those Who Were Left Behind Chapter XXV - The Enterprise Chapter XXVI - The Achievement Chapter XXVII - A Summary Chapter XXVIII - The Friend Estranged Chapter XXIX - The Betrayer Chapter XXX - The Hussites Chapter XXXI - The Result Chapter XXXII - True Love's Defence Chapter XXXIII - The Rescue Chapter XXXIV - The Recompence Chapter XXXV - The Disappointment Chapter XXXVI - The Disaster Chapter XXXVII - The Captivity Chapter XXXVIII - The Flight Chapter XXXIX - The Prisoner Free Chapter XL - The Mystery Chapter XLI - The Camp Chapter XLII - The Charges Chapter XLIII - The Fox in the Snare Chapter XLIV - The Ordering of the Battle Chapter XLV - The Battle Chapter XLVI - The Conclusion Endnotes
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"D'autres auteurs l'ont encore plus avili, (le roman,) en y mêlant lestableaux dégoutant du vice; et tandis que le premier avantage desfictions est de rassembler autour de l'homme tout ce qui, dans lanature, peut lui servir de leçon ou de modèle, on a imaginé qu'ontirerait une utilité quelconque des peintures odieuses de mauvaisesmœurs; comme si elles pouvaient jamais laisser le cœur qui lesrepousse, dans une situation aussi pure que le cœur qui les auraittoujours ignorées. Mais un roman tel qu'on peut le concevoir, tel quenous en avons quelques modèles, est une des plus belles productions del'esprit humain, une des plus influentes sur la morale des individus,qui doit former ensuite les mœurs publiques."—Madame De Stael. Essai sur les Fictions .
"Poca favilla gran flamma seconda: Forse diretro a me, con miglior voci Si pregherà, perchè Cirra risponda." Dante. Paradiso , Canto I.
Chapter I - The Night Ride
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The night was as black as ink; not a solitary twinkling star lookedout through that wide expanse of shadow, which our great Poet hascalled the "blanket of the dark;" clouds covered the heaven; the moonhad not risen to tinge them even with grey, and the sun had too longset to leave one faint streak of purple upon the edge of the westernsky. Trees, houses, villages, fields, and gardens, all lay in oneprofound obscurity, and even the course of the high-road itselfrequired eyes well-accustomed to night-travelling to be able todistinguish it, as it wandered on through a rich part of Hampshire,amidst alternate woods and meadows. Yet at that murky hour, atraveller on horseback rode forward upon his way, at an easy pace, andwith a light heart, if one might judge by the snatches of homelyballads that broke from his lips as he trotted on. These might,indeed, afford a fallacious indication of what was going on within thebreast, and in his case they did so; for habit is more our master thanwe know, and often rules our external demeanour, whenever the spiritis called to take council in the deep chambers within, showing uponthe surface, without any effort on our part to hide our thoughts, avery different aspect from that of the mind's business at the moment.
Thus, then, the traveller who there rode along, saluting the ear ofnight with scraps of old songs, sung in a low, but melodious voice,was as thoughtful, if not as sad, as it was in his nature to be; butyet, as that nature was a cheerful one and all his habits were gay, nosooner were the eyes of the spirit called to the consideration ofdeeper things, than custom exercised her sway over the animal part,and he gave voice, as we have said, to the old ballads which hadcheered his boyhood and his youth.
Whatever were his contemplations, they were interrupted, just as hecame to a small stream which crossed the road and then wandered alongat its side, by first hearing the quick foot-falls of a horseapproaching, and then a loud, but fine voice, exclaiming, "Who goesthere?"
"A friend to all true men," replied the traveller; "a foe to all falseknaves. 'Merry sings the throstle under the thorn.' Which be you,friend of the highway?"
"Faith, I hardly know," replied the stranger; "every man is a bit ofboth, I believe. But if you can tell me my way to Winchester, I willgive you thanks."
"I want nothing more," answered the first traveller, drawing in hisrein. "But Winchester!—Good faith, that is a long way off; and youare going from it, master:" and he endeavoured, as far as the darknesswould permit, to gain some knowledge of the stranger's appearance. Itseemed that of a young man of good proportions, tall and slim, butwith broad shoulders and long arms. He wore no cloak, and his dressfitting tight to his body, as was the fashion of the day, allowed hisinterlocutor to perceive the unencumbered outline of his figure.
"A long way off!" said the second traveller, as his new acquaintancegazed at him; "that is very unlucky; but all my stars are under thatblack cloud. What is to be done now, I wonder?"
"What do you want to do?" inquired the first traveller. "Winchester isdistant five and twenty miles or more."
"Odds life! I want to find somewhere to lodge me and my horse for anight," replied the other, "at a less distance than twenty-five miles,and yet not quite upon this very spot."
"Why not Andover?" asked his companion; "'tis but six miles, and I amgoing thither."
"Humph!" said the stranger, in a tone not quite satisfied; "it must beso, if better cannot be found; and yet, my friend, I would fain findsome other lodging. Is there no inn hard by, where carriers bait theirbeasts and fill their bellies, and country-folks carouse on nights ofmerry-making? or some old hall or goodly castle, where a truckle bed,or one of straw, a nunchion of bread and cheese, and a draught of ale,is not likely to be refused to a traveller with a good coat on hisback and long-toed shoes?"
"Oh, ay!" rejoined the first; "of the latter there are many round,but, on my life, it will be difficult to direct you to them. The menof this part have a fondness for crooked ways, and, unless you werethe Dædalus who made them, or had some fair dame to guide you by theclue, you might wander about for as many hours as would take you toWinchester."
"Then Andover it must be, I suppose," answered the other; "though, tosay sooth, I may there have to pay for a frolic, the score of whichmight better be reckoned with other men than myself."
"A frolic!" said his companion; "nothing more, my friend?"
"No, on my life!" replied the other; "a scurvy frolic, such as only afool would commit; but when a man has nothing else to do, he is sureto fall into folly, and I am idle perforce."
"Well, I'll believe you," answered the first, after a moment'sthought; "I have, thank Heaven, the gift of credulity, and believe allthat men tell me. Come, I will turn back with you, and guide you to aplace of rest, though I shall be well laughed at for my pains."
"Not for an act of generous courtesy, surely," said the stranger,quitting the half-jesting tone in which he had hitherto spoken. "Ifthey laugh at you for that, I care not to lodge with them, and willnot put your kindness to the test, for I should look for a coldreception."
"Nay, nay, 'tis not for that, they will laugh," rejoined the other,"and perhaps it may jump with my humour to go back, too. If you havecommitted a folly in a frolic to-night, I have committed one in anger.Come with me, therefore, and, as we go, give me some name by which tocall you when we arrive, that I may not have to throw you into myuncle's hall as a keeper with a dead deer; and, moreover, before wego, give me your word that we have no frolics here, for I would not,for much, that any one I brought, should move the old knight's heartwith aught but pleasure."
"There is my hand, good youth," replied the stranger, following, asthe other turned his horse; "and I never break my word, whatever mensay of me, though they tell strange tales. As for my name, people callme Hal of Hadnock; it will do as well as another."
"For the nonce," added his companion, understanding well that it wasassumed; "but it matters not. Let us ride on, and the gate shall soonbe opened to you; for I do think they will be glad to see me backagain, though I may not perchance stay long.
'The porter rose anon certaine As soon as he heard John call.'"
"You seem learned for a countryman," said the traveller, riding on byhis side; "but, perchance, I am speaking to a clerk?"
"Good faith, no," replied the first wayfarer; "more soldier thanclerk, Hal of Hadnock; as old Robert of Langland says, 'I cannotperfectly my Paternoster, as the priest it singeth, but I can rhyme ofRobin Hode and Randof Earl of Chester.' I have cheered my boyhood withmany a song and my youth with many a ballad. Wh