Chapter 20

The Kiugr call'd down his merry men all,
By one, and by two, and three;
Earl Marshal was wont to be the foremost man,
But the hindmost man was he.
OLD BALLAD.

If the Lady Eveline retired satisfied and pleased from her private
interview with De Lacy, the joy on the part of the Constable rose
to a higher pitch of rapture than he was in the habit of feeling
or expressing; and it was augmented by a visit of the leeches who
attended his nephew, from whom he received a minute and particular
account of his present disorder, with every assurance of a speedy
recovery.

The Constable caused alms to be distributed to the convents and to
the poor, masses to be said, and tapers to be lighted. He visited
the Archbishop, and received from him his full approbation of the
course which he proposed to pursue, with the promise, that out of
the plenary power which he held from the Pope, the Prelate was
willing, in consideration of his instant obedience, to limit his
stay in the Holy Land to the term of three years, to become
current from his leaving Britain, and to include the space
necessary for his return to his native country. Indeed, having
succeeded in the main point, the Archbishop judged it wise to
concede every inferior consideration to a person of the
Constable's rank and character, whose good-will to the proposed
expedition was perhaps as essential to its success as his bodily
presence.

In short, the Constable returned to his pavilion highly satisfied
with the manner in which he had extricated himself from those
difficulties which in the morning seemed almost insuperable; and
when his officers assembled to disrobe him, (for great feudal
lords had their levees and couchees, in imitation of sovereign
princes,) he distributed gratuities amongst them, and jested and
laughed in a much gayer humour than they had ever before
witnessed.

"For thee," he said, turning to Vidal the minstrel, who,
sumptuously dressed, stood to pay his respects among the other
attendants, "I will give thee nought at present; but do thou
remain by my bedside until I am asleep, and I will next morning
reward thy minstrelsy as I like it."

"My lord," said Vidal, "I am already rewarded, both by the honour,
and by the liveries, which better befit a royal minstrel than one
of my mean fame; but assign me a subject, and I will do my best,
not out of greed of future largess, but gratitude for past
favours."

"Gramercy, good fellow," said the Constable. "Guarine," he added,
addressing his squire, "let the watch be posted, and do thou
remain within the tent--stretch thyself on the bear-hide, and
sleep, or listen to the minstrelsy,