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Touching
the
prisoners
we
have
made
,
we
do
in
Christian
charity
require
you
to
send
a
man
of
religion
,
to
receive
their
confession
,
and
reconcile
them
with
God
;
since
it
is
our
fixed
intention
to
execute
them
this
morning
before
noon
,
so
that
their
heads
being
placed
on
the
battlements
,
shall
show
to
all
men
how
lightly
we
esteem
those
who
have
bestirred
themselves
in
their
rescue
.
Wherefore
,
as
above
,
we
require
you
to
send
a
priest
to
reconcile
them
to
God
,
in
doing
which
you
shall
render
them
the
last
earthly
service
.
"
This
letter
being
folded
,
was
delivered
to
the
squire
,
and
by
him
to
the
messenger
who
waited
without
,
as
the
answer
to
that
which
he
had
brought
.
The
yeoman
having
thus
accomplished
his
mission
,
returned
to
the
head-quarters
of
the
allies
,
which
were
for
the
present
established
under
a
venerable
oak-tree
,
about
three
arrow-flights
distant
from
the
castle
.
Here
Wamba
and
Gurth
,
with
their
allies
the
Black
Knight
and
Locksley
,
and
the
jovial
hermit
,
awaited
with
impatience
an
answer
to
their
summons
.
Around
,
and
at
a
distance
from
them
,
were
seen
many
a
bold
yeoman
,
whose
silvan
dress
and
weatherbeaten
countenances
showed
the
ordinary
nature
of
their
occupation
.
More
than
two
hundred
had
already
assembled
,
and
others
were
fast
coming
in
.
Those
whom
they
obeyed
as
leaders
were
only
distinguished
from
the
others
by
a
feather
in
the
cap
,
their
dress
,
arms
,
and
equipments
being
in
all
other
respects
the
same
.
Besides
these
bands
,
a
less
orderly
and
a
worse
armed
force
,
consisting
of
the
Saxon
inhabitants
of
the
neighbouring
township
,
as
well
as
many
bondsmen
and
servants
from
Cedric
's
extensive
estate
,
had
already
arrived
,
for
the
purpose
of
assisting
in
his
rescue
.
Few
of
these
were
armed
otherwise
than
with
such
rustic
weapons
as
necessity
sometimes
converts
to
military
purposes
.
Boar-spears
,
scythes
,
flails
,
and
the
like
,
were
their
chief
arms
;
for
the
Normans
,
with
the
usual
policy
of
conquerors
,
were
jealous
of
permitting
to
the
vanquished
Saxons
the
possession
or
the
use
of
swords
and
spears
.
These
circumstances
rendered
the
assistance
of
the
Saxons
far
from
being
so
formidable
to
the
besieged
,
as
the
strength
of
the
men
themselves
,
their
superior
numbers
,
and
the
animation
inspired
by
a
just
cause
,
might
otherwise
well
have
made
them
.
It
was
to
the
leaders
of
this
motley
army
that
the
letter
of
the
Templar
was
now
delivered
.
Reference
was
at
first
made
to
the
chaplain
for
an
exposition
of
its
contents
.
"
By
the
crook
of
St
Dunstan
,
"
said
that
worthy
ecclesiastic
,
"
which
hath
brought
more
sheep
within
the
sheepfold
than
the
crook
of
e
'
er
another
saint
in
Paradise
,
I
swear
that
I
can
not
expound
unto
you
this
jargon
,
which
,
whether
it
be
French
or
Arabic
,
is
beyond
my
guess
.
"
He
then
gave
the
letter
to
Gurth
,
who
shook
his
head
gruffly
,
and
passed
it
to
Wamba
.
The
Jester
looked
at
each
of
the
four
corners
of
the
paper
with
such
a
grin
of
affected
intelligence
as
a
monkey
is
apt
to
assume
upon
similar
occasions
,
then
cut
a
caper
,
and
gave
the
letter
to
Locksley
.
"
If
the
long
letters
were
bows
,
and
the
short
letters
broad
arrows
,
I
might
know
something
of
the
matter
,
"
said
the
brave
yeoman
;
"
but
as
the
matter
stands
,
the
meaning
is
as
safe
,
for
me
,
as
the
stag
that
's
at
twelve
miles
distance
.
"
"
I
must
be
clerk
,
then
,
"
said
the
Black
Knight
;
and
taking
the
letter
from
Locksley
,
he
first
read
it
over
to
himself
,
and
then
explained
the
meaning
in
Saxon
to
his
confederates
.
"
Execute
the
noble
Cedric
!
"
exclaimed
Wamba
;
"
by
the
rood
,
thou
must
be
mistaken
,
Sir
Knight
.
"
