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The
fore-part
of
his
thighs
,
where
the
folds
of
his
mantle
permitted
them
to
be
seen
,
were
also
covered
with
linked
mail
;
the
knees
and
feet
were
defended
by
splints
,
or
thin
plates
of
steel
,
ingeniously
jointed
upon
each
other
;
and
mail
hose
,
reaching
from
the
ankle
to
the
knee
,
effectually
protected
the
legs
,
and
completed
the
rider
's
defensive
armour
.
In
his
girdle
he
wore
a
long
and
double-edged
dagger
,
which
was
the
only
offensive
weapon
about
his
person
.
He
rode
,
not
a
mule
,
like
his
companion
,
but
a
strong
hackney
for
the
road
,
to
save
his
gallant
war-horse
,
which
a
squire
led
behind
,
fully
accoutred
for
battle
,
with
a
chamfron
or
plaited
head-piece
upon
his
head
,
having
a
short
spike
projecting
from
the
front
.
On
one
side
of
the
saddle
hung
a
short
battle-axe
,
richly
inlaid
with
Damascene
carving
;
on
the
other
the
rider
's
plumed
head-piece
and
hood
of
mail
,
with
a
long
two-handed
sword
,
used
by
the
chivalry
of
the
period
.
A
second
squire
held
aloft
his
master
's
lance
,
from
the
extremity
of
which
fluttered
a
small
banderole
,
or
streamer
,
bearing
a
cross
of
the
same
form
with
that
embroidered
upon
his
cloak
.
He
also
carried
his
small
triangular
shield
,
broad
enough
at
the
top
to
protect
the
breast
,
and
from
thence
diminishing
to
a
point
.
It
was
covered
with
a
scarlet
cloth
,
which
prevented
the
device
from
being
seen
.
These
two
squires
were
followed
by
two
attendants
,
whose
dark
visages
,
white
turbans
,
and
the
Oriental
form
of
their
garments
,
showed
them
to
be
natives
of
some
distant
Eastern
country
.
The
whole
appearance
of
this
warrior
and
his
retinue
was
wild
and
outlandish
;
the
dress
of
his
squires
was
gorgeous
,
and
his
Eastern
attendants
wore
silver
collars
round
their
throats
,
and
bracelets
of
the
same
metal
upon
their
swarthy
arms
and
legs
,
of
which
the
former
were
naked
from
the
elbow
,
and
the
latter
from
mid-leg
to
ankle
.
Silk
and
embroidery
distinguished
their
dresses
,
and
marked
the
wealth
and
importance
of
their
master
;
forming
,
at
the
same
time
,
a
striking
contrast
with
the
martial
simplicity
of
his
own
attire
.
They
were
armed
with
crooked
sabres
,
having
the
hilt
and
baldric
inlaid
with
gold
,
and
matched
with
Turkish
daggers
of
yet
more
costly
workmanship
.
Each
of
them
bore
at
his
saddle-bow
a
bundle
of
darts
or
javelins
,
about
four
feet
in
length
,
having
sharp
steel
heads
,
a
weapon
much
in
use
among
the
Saracens
,
and
of
which
the
memory
is
yet
preserved
in
the
martial
exercise
called
"
El
Jerrid
"
,
still
practised
in
the
Eastern
countries
.
The
steeds
of
these
attendants
were
in
appearance
as
foreign
as
their
riders
.
They
were
of
Saracen
origin
,
and
consequently
of
Arabian
descent
;
and
their
fine
slender
limbs
,
small
fetlocks
,
thin
manes
,
and
easy
springy
motion
,
formed
a
marked
contrast
with
the
large-jointed
heavy
horsastic
vows
.
Yet
so
loose
were
the
ideas
of
the
times
respecting
the
conduct
of
the
clergy
,
whether
secular
or
regular
,
that
the
Prior
Aymer
maintained
a
fair
character
in
the
neighbourhood
of
his
abbey
.
His
free
and
jovial
temper
,
and
the
readiness
with
which
he
granted
absolution
from
all
ordinary
delinquencies
,
rendered
him
a
favourite
among
the
nobility
and
principal
gentry
,
to
several
of
whom
he
was
allied
by
birth
,
being
of
a
distinguished
Norman
family
.
The
ladies
,
in
particular
,
were
not
disposed
to
scan
too
nicely
the
morals
of
a
man
who
was
a
professed
admirer
of
their
sex
,
and
who
possessed
many
means
of
dispelling
the
ennui
which
was
too
apt
to
intrude
upon
the
halls
and
bowers
of
an
ancient
feudal
castle
.
The
Prior
mingled
in
the
sports
of
the
field
with
more
than
due
eagerness
,
and
was
allowed
to
possess
the
best-trained
hawks
,
and
the
fleetest
greyhounds
in
the
North
Riding
;
circumstances
which
strongly
recommended
him
to
the
youthful
gentry
.
With
the
old
,
he
had
another
part
to
play
,
which
,
when
needful
,
he
could
sustain
with
great
decorum
.
His
knowledge
of
books
,
however
superficial
,
was
sufficient
to
impress
upon
their
ignorance
respect
for
his
supposed
learning
;
and
the
gravity
of
his
deportment
and
language
,
with
the
high
tone
which
he
exerted
in
setting
forth
the
authority
of
the
church
and
of
the
priesthood
,
impressed
them
no
less
with
an
opinion
of
his
sanctity
.
Even
the
common
people
,
the
severest
critics
of
the
conduct
of
their
betters
,
had
commiseration
with
the
follies
of
Prior
Aymer
.
He
was
generous
;
and
charity
,
as
it
is
well
known
,
covereth
a
multitude
of
sins
,
in
another
sense
than
that
in
which
it
is
said
to
do
so
in
Scripture
.
The
revenues
of
the
monastery
,
of
which
a
large
part
was
at
his
disposal
,
while
they
gave
him
the
means
of
supplying
his
own
very
considerable
expenses
,
afforded
also
those
largesses
which
he
bestowed
among
the
peasantry
,
and
with
which
he
frequently
relieved
the
distresses
of
the
oppressed
.
If
Prior
Aymer
rode
hard
in
the
chase
,
or
remained
long
at
the
banquet
,
--
if
Prior
Aymer
was
seen
,
at
the
early
peep
of
dawn
,
to
enter
the
postern
of
the
abbey
,
as
he
glided
home
from
some
rendezvous
which
had
occupied
the
hours
of
darkness
,
men
only
shrugged
up
their
shoulders
,
and
reconciled
themselves
to
his
irregularities
,
by
recollecting
that
the
same
were
practised
by
many
of
his
brethren
who
had
no
redeeming
qualities
whatsoever
to
atone
for
them
.
Prior
Aymer
,
therefore
,
and
his
character
,
were
well
known
to
our
Saxon
serfs
,
who
made
their
rude
obeisance
,
and
received
his
"
benedicite
,
mes
filz
,
"
in
return
.
But
the
singular
appearance
of
his
companion
and
his
attendants
,
arrested
their
attention
and
excited
their
wonder
,
and
they
could
scarcely
attend
to
the
Prior
of
Jorvaulx
'
question
,
when
he
demanded
if
they
knew
of
any
place
of
harbourage
in
the
vicinity
;
so
much
were
they
surprised
at
the
half
monastic
,
half
military
appearance
of
the
swarthy
stranger
,
and
at
the
uncouth
dress
and
arms
of
his
Eastern
attendants
.
It
is
probable
,
too
,
that
the
language
in
which
the
benediction
was
conferred
,
and
the
information
asked
,
sounded
ungracious
,
though
not
probably
unintelligible
,
in
the
ears
of
the
Saxon
peasants
.
"
I
asked
you
,
my
children
,
"
said
the
Prior
,
raising
his
voice
,
and
using
the
lingua
Franca
,
or
mixed
language
,
in
which
the
Norman
and
Saxon
races
conversed
with
each
other
,
"
if
there
be
in
this
neighbourhood
any
good
man
,
who
,
for
the
love
of
God
,
and
devotion
to
Mother
Church
,
will
give
two
of
her
humblest
servants
,
with
their
train
,
a
night
's
hospitality
and
refreshment
?
"
