But though exceedingly intent upon the service, yet his eye could not
refrain from wandering a LITTLE round about him, and he remarked
with surprise that the whole church was filled with archers; and he
remembered, too, that he had seen in the streets numerous other bands
of men similarly attired in green. On asking at the cathedral porch
the cause of this assemblage, one of the green ones said (in a jape),
“Marry, youngster, YOU must be GREEN, not to know that we are all bound
to the castle of his Grace Duke Adolf of Cleves, who gives an archery
meeting once a year, and prizes for which we toxophilites muster
strong.”
Otto, whose course hitherto had been undetermined, now immediately
settled what to do. He straightway repaired to the ready-made emporium
of Herr Moses, and bidding that gentleman furnish him with an archer's
complete dress, Moses speedily selected a suit from his vast stock,
which fitted the youth to a T, and we need not say was sold at an
exceedingly moderate price. So attired (and bidding Herr Moses a cordial
farewell), young Otto was a gorgeous, a noble, a soul-inspiring boy to
gaze on. A coat and breeches of the most brilliant pea-green, ornamented
with a profusion of brass buttons, and fitting him with exquisite
tightness, showed off a figure unrivalled for slim symmetry. His feet
were covered with peaked buskins of buff leather, and a belt round his
slender waist, of the same material, held his knife, his tobacco-pipe
and pouch, and his long shining dirk; which, though the adventurous
youth had as yet only employed it to fashion wicket-bails, or to cut
bread-and-cheese, he was now quite ready to use against the enemy. His
personal attractions were enhanced by a neat white hat, flung carelessly
and fearlessly on one side of his open smiling countenance; and his
lovely hair, curling in ten thousand yellow ringlets, fell over his
shoulder like golden epaulettes, and down his back as far as the
waist-buttons of his coat. I warrant me, many a lovely Colnerinn looked
after the handsome Childe with anxiety, and dreamed that night of Cupid
under the guise of “a bonny boy in green.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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