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- Стр. 152/364
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And
thus
it
is
probable
,
that
the
Jews
,
by
the
very
frequency
of
their
fear
on
all
occasions
,
had
their
minds
in
some
degree
prepared
for
every
effort
of
tyranny
which
could
be
practised
upon
them
;
so
that
no
aggression
,
when
it
had
taken
place
,
could
bring
with
it
that
surprise
which
is
the
most
disabling
quality
of
terror
.
Neither
was
it
the
first
time
that
Isaac
had
been
placed
in
circumstances
so
dangerous
.
He
had
therefore
experience
to
guide
him
,
as
well
as
hope
,
that
he
might
again
,
as
formerly
,
be
delivered
as
a
prey
from
the
fowler
.
Above
all
,
he
had
upon
his
side
the
unyielding
obstinacy
of
his
nation
,
and
that
unbending
resolution
,
with
which
Israelites
have
been
frequently
known
to
submit
to
the
uttermost
evils
which
power
and
violence
can
inflict
upon
them
,
rather
than
gratify
their
oppressors
by
granting
their
demands
.
In
this
humour
of
passive
resistance
,
and
with
his
garment
collected
beneath
him
to
keep
his
limbs
from
the
wet
pavement
,
Isaac
sat
in
a
corner
of
his
dungeon
,
where
his
folded
hands
,
his
dishevelled
hair
and
beard
,
his
furred
cloak
and
high
cap
,
seen
by
the
wiry
and
broken
light
,
would
have
afforded
a
study
for
Rembrandt
,
had
that
celebrated
painter
existed
at
the
period
.
The
Jew
remained
,
without
altering
his
position
,
for
nearly
three
hours
,
at
the
expiry
of
which
steps
were
heard
on
the
dungeon
stair
.
The
bolts
screamed
as
they
were
withdrawn
--
the
hinges
creaked
as
the
wicket
opened
,
and
Reginald
Front-de-Boeuf
,
followed
by
the
two
Saracen
slaves
of
the
Templar
,
entered
the
prison
.
Front-de-Boeuf
,
a
tall
and
strong
man
,
whose
life
had
been
spent
in
public
war
or
in
private
feuds
and
broils
,
and
who
had
hesitated
at
no
means
of
extending
his
feudal
power
,
had
features
corresponding
to
his
character
,
and
which
strongly
expressed
the
fiercer
and
more
malignant
passions
of
the
mind
.
The
scars
with
which
his
visage
was
seamed
,
would
,
on
features
of
a
different
cast
,
have
excited
the
sympathy
and
veneration
due
to
the
marks
of
honourable
valour
;
but
,
in
the
peculiar
case
of
Front-de-Boeuf
,
they
only
added
to
the
ferocity
of
his
countenance
,
and
to
the
dread
which
his
presence
inspired
.
This
formidable
baron
was
clad
in
a
leathern
doublet
,
fitted
close
to
his
body
,
which
was
frayed
and
soiled
with
the
stains
of
his
armour
.
He
had
no
weapon
,
excepting
a
poniard
at
his
belt
,
which
served
to
counterbalance
the
weight
of
the
bunch
of
rusty
keys
that
hung
at
his
right
side
.
The
black
slaves
who
attended
Front-de-Boeuf
were
stripped
of
their
gorgeous
apparel
,
and
attired
in
jerkins
and
trowsers
of
coarse
linen
,
their
sleeves
being
tucked
up
above
the
elbow
,
like
those
of
butchers
when
about
to
exercise
their
function
in
the
slaughter-house
.
Each
had
in
his
hand
a
small
pannier
;
and
,
when
they
entered
the
dungeon
,
they
stopt
at
the
door
until
Front-de-Boeuf
himself
carefully
locked
and
double-locked
it
.
Having
taken
this
precaution
,
he
advanced
slowly
up
the
apartment
towards
the
Jew
,
upon
whom
he
kept
his
eye
fixed
,
as
if
he
wished
to
paralyze
him
with
his
glance
,
as
some
animals
are
said
to
fascinate
their
prey
.
It
seemed
indeed
as
if
the
sullen
and
malignant
eye
of
Front-de-Boeuf
possessed
some
portion
of
that
supposed
power
over
his
unfortunate
prisoner
.
The
Jew
sat
with
his
mouth
agape
,
and
his
eyes
fixed
on
the
savage
baron
with
such
earnestness
of
terror
,
that
his
frame
seemed
literally
to
shrink
together
,
and
to
diminish
in
size
while
encountering
the
fierce
Norman
's
fixed
and
baleful
gaze
.
The
unhappy
Isaac
was
deprived
not
only
of
the
power
of
rising
to
make
the
obeisance
which
his
terror
dictated
,
but
he
could
not
even
doff
his
cap
,
or
utter
any
word
of
supplication
;
so
strongly
was
he
agitated
by
the
conviction
that
tortures
and
death
were
impending
over
him
.
On
the
other
hand
,
the
stately
form
of
the
Norman
appeared
to
dilate
in
magnitude
,
like
that
of
the
eagle
,
which
ruffles
up
its
plumage
when
about
to
pounce
on
its
defenceless
prey
.
He
paused
within
three
steps
of
the
corner
in
which
the
unfortunate
Jew
had
now
,
as
it
were
,
coiled
himself
up
into
the
smallest
possible
space
,
and
made
a
sign
for
one
of
the
slaves
to
approach
.
The
black
satellite
came
forward
accordingly
,
and
,
producing
from
his
basket
a
large
pair
of
scales
and
several
weights
,
he
laid
them
at
the
feet
of
Front-de-Boeuf
,
and
again
retired
to
the
respectful
distance
,
at
which
his
companion
had
already
taken
his
station
.
The
motions
of
these
men
were
slow
and
solemn
,
as
if
there
impended
over
their
souls
some
preconception
of
horror
and
of
cruelty
.
Front-de-Boeuf
himself
opened
the
scene
by
thus
addressing
his
ill-fated
captive
.
"
Most
accursed
dog
of
an
accursed
race
,
"
he
said
,
awaking
with
his
deep
and
sullen
voice
the
sullen
echoes
of
his
dungeon
vault
,
"
seest
thou
these
scales
?
"
The
unhappy
Jew
returned
a
feeble
affirmative
.
"
In
these
very
scales
shalt
thou
weigh
me
out
,
"
said
the
relentless
Baron
,
"
a
thousand
silver
pounds
,
after
the
just
measure
and
weight
of
the
Tower
of
London
.
"
