Now Osberne looked again, and he saw that midmost of the towers and
walls was a very great hall exceeding fair, with lovely pinnacles and
spires and windows like to carven ivory, and beside it a church fairer
yet; and then before it and lower down the hill and on either side
were huge towers, stern and stout, all without fretwork or ornament;
and there were many of these and one to help the other, all about the
hill, and down by the river-side a baily such as never was a stronger or
a wiser. And Sir Godrick said: "See thou, lad, those fair and
beauteous buildings were the work of peace, when we sat well beloved
on our own lands: it is an hundred of years ago since they were done.
Then came the beginning of strife, and needs must we build yonder
stark and grim towers and walls in little leisure by the labour of
many hands. Now may peace come again, and give us time to cast wreaths
and garlands of fretwork round the sternness of the war-walls, or let
them abide and crumble in their due time. But little avails to talk of
peace as now. Come thou, Red Lad, and join the host of war that
dwelleth within those walls even as peaceful craftsmen and chapmen
dwell in a good town. Lo thou, they fling abroad the White Hart from
the topmost tower: Blow, music, and salute it."
Then all their horns blew up, and they set forward toward the baily of
the castle. And it is said indeed that five thousand men-at-arms,
besides the women and other folk that waited on them, dwelt for the
most part in the House of Longshaw.
So that even was high feast holden in the great hall of Longshaw,
where by Osberne's deeming all was fairer and daintier within even
than without. There was the Red Lad shown to a good place and all
honour done to him, and his lord looked to it that the tales of his
valiancy should be known, so that all thought well of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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