Arab countries -- Fiction; Crusades -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Medieval period, 1066-1485 -- Fiction
When it was over they led Rosamund to the boat, felt their way down the
creek, towing behind them the little skiff which they had taken from
the water-house—laden with their dead and wounded. This, indeed, proved
the most perilous part of their adventures, since it was very dark, and
came on to snow; also twice they grounded upon mud banks. Still guided
by Nicholas, who had studied the river, they reached the galley before
dawn, and with the first light weighed anchor, and very cautiously
rowed out to sea. The rest is known.
Two days later, since there was no time to spare, Sir Andrew was buried
with great pomp at Stangate Abbey, in the same tomb where lay the heart
of his brother, the father of the brethren, who had fallen in the
Eastern wars. After he had been laid to rest amidst much lamentation
and in the presence of a great concourse of people, for the fame of
these strange happenings had travelled far and wide, his will was
opened. Then it was found that with the exception of certain sums of
money left to his nephews, a legacy to Stangate Abbey, and another to
be devoted to masses for the repose of his soul, with some gifts to his
servants and the poor, all his estate was devised to his daughter
Rosamund. The brethren, or the survivor of them, however, held it in
trust on her behalf, with the charge that they should keep watch and
ward over her, and manage her lands till she took a husband.
These lands, together with their own, the brethren placed in the hands
of Prior John of Stangate, in the presence of witnesses, to administer
for them subject to the provisions of the will, taking a tithe of the
rents and profits for his pains. The priceless jewels also that had
been sent by Saladin were given into his keeping, and a receipt with a
list of the same signed in duplicate, deposited with a clerk at
Southminster. This, indeed, was necessary, seeing that none save the
brethren and the Prior knew of these jewels, of which, being of so
great a value, it was not safe to speak. Their affairs arranged, having
first made their wills in favour of each other with remainder to their
heirs-at-law, since it was scarcely to be hoped that both of them would
return alive from such a quest, they received the Communion, and with
it his blessing from the hands of the Prior John. Then early one
morning, before any were astir, they rode quietly away to London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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