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 cannot 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."
"Not I, my worthy friend," replied the knight, "I have explained the
words as they are here set down."
"Then, by St Thomas of Canterbury," replied Gurth, "we will have the
castle, should we tear it down with our hands!"
"We have nothing else to tear it with," replied Wamba; "but mine are
scarce fit to make mammocks of freestone and mortar."
"'Tis but a contrivance to gain time," said Locksley; "they dare not do
a deed for which I could exact a fearful penalty."
"I would," said the Black Knight, "there were some one among us who
could obtain admission into the castle, and discover how the case stands
with the besieged. Methinks, as they require a confessor to be sent,
this holy hermit might at once exercise his pious vocation, and procure
us the information we desire."
"A plague on thee, and thy advice!" said the pious hermit; "I tell thee,
Sir Slothful Knight, that when I doff my friar's frock, my priesthood,
my sanctity, my very Latin, are put off along with it; and when in my
green jerkin, I can better kill twenty deer than confess one Christian."
"I fear," said the Black Knight, "I fear greatly, there is no one here
that is qualified to take upon him, for the nonce, this same character
of father confessor?"