Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair(其尔得·克里斯托弗)

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Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

Child Christopher and

Goldilind the Fair

by William Morris 1895

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

CHAPTER I.

OF THE KING OF OAKENREALM, AND HIS WIFE AND HIS

CHILD.

Of old there was a land which was so much a woodland, that a

minstrel thereof said it that a squirrel might go from end to end, and all

about, from tree to tree, and never touch the earth: therefore was that

land called Oakenrealm.

The lord and king thereof was a stark man, and so great a warrior that

in his youth he took no delight in aught else save battle and tourneys.

But when he was hard on forty years old, he came across a daughter of a

certain lord, whom he had vanquished, and his eyes bewrayed him into

longing, so that he gave back to the said lord the havings he had

conquered of him that he might lay the maiden in his kingly bed. So he

brought her home with him to Oakenrealm and wedded her.

Tells the tale that he rued not his bargain, but loved her so dearly that

for a year round he wore no armour, save when she bade him play in the

tilt-yard for her desport and pride.

So wore the days till she went with child and was near her time, and

then it betid that three kings who marched on Oakenrealm banded them

together against him, and his lords and thanes cried out on him to lead

them to battle, and it behoved him to do as they would.

So he sent out the tokens and bade an hosting at his chief city, and

when all was ready he said farewell to his wife and her babe unborn, and

went his ways to battle once more: but fierce was his heart against the

foemen, that they had dragged him away from his love and his joy.

Even amidst of his land he joined battle with the host of the ravagers,

and the tale of them is short to tell, for they were as the wheat before the

hook. But as he followed up the chase, a mere thrall of the fleers turned

on him and cast his spear, and it reached him whereas his hawberk was

broken, and stood deep in, so that he fell to earth unmighty: and when

his lords and chieftains drew about him, and cunning men strove to heal

him, it was of no avail, and he knew that his soul was departing. Then he

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

sent for a priest, and for the Marshal of the host, who was a great lord, and

the son of his father's brother, and in few words bade him look to the babe

whom his wife bore about, and if it were a man, to cherish him and do him

to learn all that a king ought to know; and if it were a maiden, that he

should look to her wedding well and worthily: and he let swear him on

his sword, on the edges and the hilts, that he would do even so, and be true

unto his child if child there were: and he bade him have rule, if so be the

lords would, and all the people, till the child were of age to be king: and

the Marshal swore, and all the lords who stood around bare witness to his

swearing. Thereafter the priest houselled the King, and he received his

Creator, and a little while after his soul departed.

But the Marshal followed up the fleeing foe, and two battles more he

fought before he beat them flat to earth; and then they craved for peace,

and he went back to the city in mickle honour.

But in the King's city of Oakenham he found but little joy; for both the

King was bemoaned, whereas he had been no hard man to his folk; and

also, when the tidings and the King's corpse came back to Oakenrealm, his

Lady and Queen took sick for sorrow and fear, and fell into labour of her

child, and in childing of a man-bairn she died, but the lad lived, and was

like to do well.

So there was one funeral for the slain King and for her whom his

slaying had slain: and when that was done, the little king was borne to

the font, and at his christening he gat to name Christopher.

Thereafter the Marshal summoned all them that were due thereto to

come and give homage to the new king, and even so did they, though he

were but a babe, yea, and who had but just now been a king lying in his

mother's womb. But when the homage was done, then the Marshal

called together the wise men, and told them how the King that was had

given him in charge his son as then unborn, and the ruling of the realm till

the said son were come to man's estate: but he bade them seek one

worthier if they had heart to gainsay the word of their dying lord. Then

all they said that he was worthy and mighty and the choice of their dear

lord, and that they would have none but he.

So then was the great folk-mote called, and the same matter was laid

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

before all the people, and none said aught against it, whereas no man was

ready to name another to that charge and rule, even had it been his own

self.

Now then by law was the Marshal, who hight Rolf, lord and earl of the

land of Oakenrealm. He ruled well and strongly, and was a fell warrior:

he was well befriended by many of the great; and the rest of them feared

him and his friends: as for the commonalty, they saw that he held the

realm in peace; and for the rest, they knew little and saw less of him, and

they paid to his bailiffs and sheriffs as little as they could, and more than

they would. But whereas that left them somewhat to grind their teeth on,

and they were not harried, they were not so ill content. So the Marshal

throve, and lacked nothing of a king's place save the bare name.

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

CHAPTER II.

OF THE KING'S SON.

As for the King's son, to whom the folk had of late done homage as

king, he was at first seen about a corner of the High House with his nurses;

and then in a while it was said, and the tale noted, but not much, that he

must needs go for his health's sake, and because he was puny, to some

stead amongst the fields, and folk heard say that he was gone to the strong

house of a knight somewhat stricken in years, who was called Lord

Richard the Lean. The said house was some twelve miles from

Oakenham, not far from the northern edge of the wild-wood. But in a

while, scarce more than a year, Lord Richard brake up house at the said

castle, and went southward through the forest. Of this departure was

little said, for he was not a man amongst the foremost. As for the King's

little son, if any remembered that he was in the hands of the said Lord

Richard, none said aught about it; for if any thought of the little babe at all,

they said to themselves, Never will he come to be king.

Now as for Lord Richard the Lean, he went far through the wood, and

until he was come to another house of his, that stood in a clearing

somewhat near to where Oakenrealm marched on another country, which

hight Meadham; though the said wild-wood ended not where Oakenrealm

ended, but stretched a good way into Meadham; and betwixt one and the

other much rough country there was.

It is to be said that amongst those who went to this stronghold of the

woods was the little King Christopher, no longer puny, but a stout babe

enough: so he was borne amongst the serving men and thralls to the

castle of the Outer March; and he was in no wise treated as a great man's

son; but there was more than one woman who was kind to him, and as he

waxed in strength and beauty month by month, both carle and quean fell to

noting him, and, for as little as he was, he began to be well-beloved.

As to the stead where he was nourished, though it were far away

amongst the woods, it was no such lonely or savage place: besides the

castle and the houses of it, there was a merry thorpe in the clearing, the

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

houses whereof were set down by the side of a clear and pleasant little

stream. Moreover the goodmen and swains of the said township were no

ill folk, but bold of heart, free of speech, and goodly of favour; and the

women of them fair, kind, and trusty. Whiles came folk journeying in to

Oakenrealm or out to Meadham, and of these some were minstrels, who

had with them tidings of what was astir whereas folk were thicker in the

world, and some chapmen, who chaffered with the thorpe-dwellers, and

took of them the woodland spoil for such outland goods as those woodmen

needed.

So wore the years, and in Oakenham King Christopher was well nigh

forgotten, and in the wild-wood had never been known clearly for King's

son. At first, by command of Rolf the Marshal, a messenger came every

year from Lord Richard with a letter that told of how the lad Christopher

did. But when five years were worn, the Marshal bade send him tidings

thereof every three years; and by then it was come to the twelfth year, and

still the tidings were that the lad throve ever, and meanwhile the Marshal

sat fast in his seat with none to gainsay, the word went to Lord Richard

that he should send no more, for that he, the Marshal, had heard enough of

the boy; and if he throve it were well, and if not, it was no worse. So

wore the days and the years.

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

CHAPTER III.

OF THE KING OF MEADHAM AND HIS DAUGHTER.

Tells the tale that in the country which lay south of Oakenrealm, and

was called Meadham, there was in these days a king whose wife was dead,

but had left him a fair daughter, who was born some four years after King

Christopher. A good man was this King Roland, mild, bounteous, and no

regarder of persons in his justice; and well-beloved he was of his folk:

yet could not their love keep him alive; for, whenas his daughter was of

the age of twelve years, he sickened unto death; and so, when he knew that

his end drew near, he sent for the wisest of his wise men, and they came

unto him sorrowing in the High House of his chiefest city, which hight

Meadhamstead. So he bade them sit down nigh unto his bed, and took up

the word and spake:

"Masters, and my good lords, ye may see clearly that a sundering is at

hand, and that I must needs make a long journey, whence I shall come

back never; now I would, and am verily of duty bound thereto, that I leave

behind me some good order in the land. Furthermore, I would that my

daughter, when she is of age thereto, should be Queen in Meadham, and

rule the land; neither will it be many years before she shall be of ripe age

for ruling, if ever she may be; and I deem not that there shall be any lack

in her, whereas her mother could all courtesy, and was as wise as a woman

may be. But how say ye, my masters?"

So they all with one consent said Yea, and they would ask for no better

king than their lady his daughter. Then said the King:

"Hearken carefully, for my time is short: Yet is she young and a

maiden, though she be wise. Now therefore do I need some man well

looked to of the folk, who shall rule the land in her name till she be of

eighteen winters, and who shall be her good friend and counsellor into all

wisdom thereafter. Which of you, my masters, is meet for this matter?"

Then they all looked one on the other, and spake not. And the King

said: "Speak, some one of you, without fear; this is no time for tarrying."

Thereon spake an elder, the oldest of them, and said: "Lord, this is the

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

very truth, that none of us here present are meet for this office: whereas,

among other matters, we be all unmeet for battle; some of us have never

been warriors, and other some are past the age for leading an host. To

say the sooth, King, there is but one man in Meadham who may do what

thou wilt, and not fail; both for his wisdom, and his might afield, and the

account which is had of him amongst the people; and that man is Earl

Geoffrey, of the Southern Marches."

"Ye say sooth," quoth the King; "but is he down in the South, or nigher

to hand?"

Said the elder: "He is as now in Meadhamstead, and may be in this

chamber in scant half an hour." So the King bade send for him, and there

was silence in the chamber till he came in, clad in a scarlet kirtle and a

white cloak, and with his sword by his side. He was a tall man, bigly

made; somewhat pale of face, black and curly of hair; blue-eyed, thin-

lipped, and hook-nosed as an eagle; a man warrior-like, and somewhat

fierce of aspect. He knelt down by the King's bedside, and asked him in

a sorrowful voice what he would, and the King said: "I ask a great

matter of thee, and all these my wise men, and I myself, withal, deem that

thou canst do it, and thou alone--nay, hearken: I am departing, and I

would have thee hold my place, and do unto my people even what I would

do if I myself were living; and to my daughter as nigh to that as may be.

I say all this thou mayst do, if thou wilt be as trusty and leal to me after I

am dead, as thou hast seemed to all men's eyes to have been while I was

living. What sayest thou?"

The Earl had hidden his face in the coverlet of the bed while the King

was speaking; but now he lifted up his face, weeping, and said:

"Kinsman and friend and King; this is nought hard to do; but if it were, yet

would I do it."

"It is well," said the King: "my heart fails me and my voice; so give

heed, and set thine ear close to my mouth: hearken, belike my daughter

Goldilind shall be one of the fairest of women; I bid thee wed her to the

fairest of men and the strongest, and to none other."

Thereat his voice failed him indeed, and he lay still; but he died not,

till presently the priest came to him, and, as he might, houselled him:

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

then he departed.

As for Earl Geoffrey, when the King was buried, and the homages

done to the maiden Goldilind, he did no worse than those wise men

deemed of him, but bestirred him, and looked full sagely into all the

matters of the kingdom, and did so well therein that all men praised his

rule perforce, whether they loved him or not; and sooth to say he was not

much beloved.

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE MAIDEN GOLDILIND.

AMIDST of all his other business Earl Geoffrey bethought him in a

while of the dead King's daughter, and he gave her in charge to a

gentlewoman, somewhat stricken in years, a widow of high lineage, but

not over wealthy. She dwelt in her own house in a fair valley some

twenty miles from Meadhamstead: thereabode Goldilind till a year and a

half was worn, and had due observance, but little love, and not much

kindness from the said gentlewoman, who hight Dame Elinor Leashowe.

Howbeit, time and again came knights and ladies and lords to see the little

lady, and kissed her hand and did obeisance to her; yet more came to her

in the first three months of her sojourn at Leashowe than the second, and

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair(其尔得·克里斯托弗)

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