The Tower of London: A Historical Romance, IllustratedAinsworth, William Harrison
General
The Tower of London: A Historical Romance, Illustrated
Ainsworth, William Harrison
Grey, Jane, Lady, 1537-1554 -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction; Tower of London (London, England) -- Fiction
The walls of the chamber were decorated with the arms and accoutrements
of the gigantic brethren,—the size of which would have been sufficient
to strike any chance-beholder with wonder. Over the embrasure in which
they had placed the prisoner, hung an enormous pair of gauntlets, and a
morion of equal size. Here was a quiver full of arrows, each shaft far
exceeding a cloth-yard in length—there a formidable club, armed with
sharp steel spikes; while the fire-place was garnished with a couple
of immense halberts. Having drawn a large pot of wine, which they first
offered to their guest, who refused it, they each took a deep draught;
and informing Underhill, if he was still resolved to hold forth, he
had better commence without further delay, they disposed themselves to
listen to him.
Placing a small table in the centre of the chamber, Og seated himself
opposite it, and took Xit upon his knee; while Gog sat down beside him,
and Magog supported his huge bulk against the wall. Divesting himself
of his cap and sword, and placing an hour-glass on the table, the
Hot-gospeller then opened a small volume, which he took from beneath his
cloak; from which he began to read certain passages and to comment upon
them in a vehement tone.
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His exhortation opened with a burst of rejoicing on the accession of
Queen Jane—in which he pronounced terrible anathemas against all those
who sought to restore the fallen religion. Perceiving the fierce gaze of
the prisoner fixed upon him, he directed his chief thunders against
him, and, excited by his subject, soon worked himself into a state
approaching to frenzy.
In this strain he continued for some time, when a sound arose which
drowned even his vehemence. Overcome with drowsiness, the three giants,
who for a short time vainly endeavoured to attend to the discourse of
the Gospeller, had now sunk into a comfortable slumber—and the noise
which they made was tremendous. In vain Underhill endeavoured to
rouse them by thumping the table. Gog gazed at him for an instant
with half-shut eyes, and then leaning on Og’s shoulder, who, with
head dropped back and mouth wide open, was giving audible proof of his
insensible condition, he speedily dropped asleep again. Such was the
astounding din, that the Gospeller could not even make himself heard by
the dwarf, who, perched on Og’s knee at a few paces’ distance, stared in
amazement at his gesticulations.
More than an hour having passed in this manner, the Hot-gospeller, whose
energies were wholly exhausted, came to a pause; and after menacing
his insensible audience with proportionate punishment in the next
world—especially the idolatrous prisoner, whom he threatened with
gesture as well as with word—he closed his volume, and prepared to
depart. With some difficulty the three giants were awakened; and it was
only by the assistance of Xit, who tweaked their noses and plucked their
beards, that this could be accomplished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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