all knightly sports shall be held
to grace thy coming; and by St. Michael, knight-saint of the Norman,
nought less will content me than to have thy great name in the list of my
chosen chevaliers. But the night wears now, and thou sure must need
sleep;" and, thus talking, the Duke himself led the way to Harold's
chamber, and insisted on removing the ouche from his robe of state. As
he did so, he passed his hand, as if carelessly, along the Earl's right
arm. "Ha!" said he suddenly, and in his natural tone of voice, which was
short and quick, "these muscles have known practice! Dost think thou
couldst bend my bow!"

"Who could bend that of--Ulysses?" returned the Earl, fixing his deep
blue eye upon the Norman's. William unconsciously changed colour, for he
felt that he was at that moment more Ulysses than Achilles.

CHAPTER III.

Side by side, William and Harold entered the fair city of Rouen, and
there, a succession of the brilliant pageants and knightly
entertainments, (comprising those "rare feats of honour," expanded, with
the following age, into the more gorgeous display of joust and tourney,)
was designed to dazzle the eyes and captivate the fancy of the Earl. But
though Harold won, even by the confession of the chronicles most in
favour of the Norman, golden opinions in a court more ready to deride
than admire the Saxon,--though not only the "strength of his body," and
"the boldness of his spirit," as shown in exhibitions unfamiliar to Saxon
warriors, but his "manners," his "eloquence, intellect, and other good
qualities," [194] were loftily conspicuous amidst those knightly
courtiers, that sublime part of his character, which was found in his
simple manhood and intense nationality, kept him unmoved and serene
amidst all intended to exercise that fatal spell which Normanised most of
those who came within the circle of Norman attraction.

These festivities were relieved by pompous excursions and progresses from
town to town, and fort to fort, throughout the Duchy, and, according to
some authorities, even to a visit to Philip the French King at Compiegne.
On the return to Rouen, Harold and the six thegns of his train were
solemnly admitted into that peculiar band of warlike brothers which
William had instituted, and to which, following the chronicles of the
after century, we have given the name of Knights. The silver baldrick was
belted on, and the lance, with its pointed banderol, was placed in the
ha