第3章
加入书架 A- A+

  Thecompanionofthechurchdignitarywasamanpastforty,thin,strong,tall,andmuscular;anathleticfigure,whichlongfatigueandconstantexerciseseemedtohaveleftnoneofthesofterpartofthehumanform,havingreducedthewholetobrawn,bones,andsinews,whichhadsustainedathousandtoils,andwerereadytodareathousandmore。Hisheadwascoveredwithascarletcap,facedwithfur——ofthatkindwhichtheFrenchcall_mortier_,fromitsresemblancetotheshapeofaninvertedmortar。Hiscountenancewasthereforefullydisplayed,anditsexpressionwascalculatedtoimpressadegreeofawe,ifnotoffear,uponstrangers。

  Highfeatures,naturallystrongandpowerfullyexpressive,hadbeenburntalmostintoNegroblacknessbyconstantexposuretothetropicalsun,andmight,intheirordinarystate,besaidtoslumberafterthestormofpassionhadpassedaway;buttheprojectionoftheveinsoftheforehead,thereadinesswithwhichtheupperlipanditsthickblackmoustachesquiveredupontheslightestemotion,plainlyintimatedthatthetempestmightbeagainandeasilyawakened。Hiskeen,piercing,darkeyes,toldineveryglanceahistoryofdifficultiessubdued,anddangersdared,andseemedtochallengeoppositiontohiswishes,forthepleasureofsweepingitfromhisroadbyadeterminedexertionofcourageandofwill;adeepscaronhisbrowgaveadditionalsternnesstohiscountenance,andasinisterexpressiontooneofhiseyes,whichhadbeenslightlyinjuredonthesameoccasion,andofwhichthevision,thoughperfect,wasinaslightandpartialdegreedistorted。

  Theupperdressofthispersonageresembledthatofhiscompanioninshape,beingalongmonasticmantle;butthecolour,beingscarlet,showedthathedidnotbelongtoanyofthefourregularordersofmonks。Ontherightshoulderofthemantletherewascut,inwhitecloth,acrossofapeculiarform。Thisupperrobeconcealedwhatatfirstviewseemedratherinconsistentwithitsform,ashirt,namely,oflinkedmail,withsleevesandglovesofthesame,curiouslyplaitedandinterwoven,asflexibletothebodyasthosewhicharenowwroughtinthestocking-loom,outoflessobduratematerials。Thefore-partofhisthighs,wherethefoldsofhismantlepermittedthemtobeseen,werealsocoveredwithlinkedmail;thekneesandfeetweredefendedbysplints,orthinplatesofsteel,ingeniouslyjointeduponeachother;andmailhose,reachingfromtheankletotheknee,effectuallyprotectedthelegs,andcompletedtherider’sdefensivearmour。

  Inhisgirdleheworealonganddouble-edgeddagger,whichwastheonlyoffensiveweaponabouthisperson。

  Herode,notamule,likehiscompanion,butastronghackneyfortheroad,tosavehisgallantwar-horse,whichasquireledbehind,fullyaccoutredforbattle,withachamfromorplaitedhead-pieceuponhisbead,havingashortspikeprojectingfromthefront。

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