The Project Gutenberg EBook of Maid Marian, by Thomas Love Peacock

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Title: Maid Marian

Author: Thomas Love Peacock

Posting Date: July 27, 2008 [EBook #966]
Release Date: June 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MAID MARIAN ***

Produced by Charles Keller

MAID MARIAN

by Thomas Love Peacock

MAID MARIAN

CHAPTER I

Now come ye for peace here, or come ye for war?
--SCOTT.

"The abbot, in his alb arrayed," stood at the altar in the abbey-chapel
of Rubygill, with all his plump, sleek, rosy friars, in goodly lines
disposed, to solemnise the nuptials of the beautiful Matilda Fitzwater,
daughter of the Baron of Arlingford, with the noble Robert Fitz-Ooth,
Earl of Locksley and Huntingdon. The abbey of Rubygill stood in a
picturesque valley, at a little distance from the western boundary of
Sherwood Forest, in a spot which seemed adapted by nature to be
the retreat of monastic mortification, being on the banks of a fine
trout-stream, and in the midst of woodland coverts, abounding with
excellent game. The bride, with her father and attendant maidens,
entered the chapel; but the earl had not arrived. The baron was amazed,
and the bridemaidens were disconcerted. Matilda feared that some evil
had befallen her lover, but felt no diminution of her confidence in his
honour and love. Through the open gates of the chapel she looked down
the narrow road that wound along the side of the hill; and her ear was
the first that heard the distant trampling of horses, and her eye was
the first that caught the glitter of snowy plumes, and the light of
polished spears. "It is strange," thought the baron, "that the earl
should come in this martial array to his wedding;" but he had not long
to meditate on the phenomenon, for the foaming steeds swept up to the
gate like a whirlwind, and the earl, breathless with speed, and followed
by a few of his yeomen, advanced to his smiling bride. It was then
no time to ask questions, for the organ was in full peal, and the
choristers were in full voice.

The abbot began to intone the ceremony in a style of modulation
impressively exalted