The Talisman"For the love of the blessed Crown, most royal lady," said Edith-and Sir Kenneth, with feelings which it were hard to unravel, heard her prostrate herself at the Queen's feet -"for the love of our blessed Lady, and of every holy saint in the calendar, beware what you do!"-from The TalismanSir Walter Scott invented the historical novel... and the hunger among readers for sweeping tales of the distant past. This 1825 novel-a companion work to Scott's The Betrothed, of the same year-is an engrossing example of the genre he created, an historical melodrama of the 12th-century Crusades after the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin. Woven into the tale of rivalries among the Christian forces are secret identities, magical amulets, forbidden romance, an ailing king, and trial by combat. Forward thinking-this may be the first English-language novel to portray Muslims in a positive light-and exciting, Scott's fresh and lively prose and adventurous story continues to thrill readers in the 21st century.Scottish novelist and poet SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832), a literary hero of his native land, turned to writing only when his law practice and printing business foundered. Among his most beloved works are The Lady of the Lake (1810), Rob Roy (1818), and Ivanhoe (1820). |
Contents
Section 18 | 189 |
Section 19 | 198 |
Section 20 | 204 |
Section 21 | 213 |
Section 22 | 228 |
Section 23 | 240 |
Section 24 | 254 |
Section 25 | 262 |
Section 9 | 84 |
Section 10 | 95 |
Section 11 | 108 |
Section 12 | 120 |
Section 13 | 134 |
Section 14 | 144 |
Section 15 | 163 |
Section 16 | 171 |
Section 17 | 180 |
Section 26 | 274 |
Section 27 | 284 |
Section 28 | 298 |
Section 29 | 307 |
Section 30 | 319 |
Section 31 | 337 |
Section 32 | 357 |
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Common terms and phrases
anchorite answered Archbishop of Tyre Archduke Archduke of Austria arms attendants Austria baron Berengaria betwixt Blondel blood brave camp chivalry Christendom Christian Coeur-de-Lion command Conrade of Montserrat couch Crusade death desert Duke of Austria dwarf Eastern Emir Engaddi English exclaimed eyes faith fear Gilsland Grace Grand Master Hakim hand hath head heard Heaven hermit holy honour horse hound infidel King of England King Richard King's Lady Edith lance Leopard liege lion look lord manner Marquis of Montserrat methinks monarch Nazarene Nectabanus Neville noble Nubian Palestine pavilion person Philip physician Plantagenet present princes Prophet Queen rank replied Richard of England Richard Plantagenet royal sage Saladin Saracen Scot Scottish knight seemed silence Sir Kenneth slave Soldan soldier speak stood sword Templar tent thee thine Thomas de Vaux thou art thou hast thou wilt thyself tone turban voice warrior Western warrior words yonder
Popular passages
Page 29 - But what was the surprise of the Saracen, when, dismounting to examine the condition of his prostrate enemy, he found himself suddenly within the grasp of the European, who had had recourse to this artifice to bring his enemy within his reach! Even in this deadly grapple the Saracen was saved by his agility and presence of mind. He unloosed the sword-belt, in which the Knight of the Leopard had fixed his hold, and, thus eluding his fatal grasp, mounted his horse, which seemed to watch his motions...
Page 26 - ... which they would otherwise have rendered intolerable to the wearer. The surcoat bore, in several places, the arms of the owner, although much defaced. These seemed to be a couchant leopard, with the motto, "I sleep — wake me not." An outline of the same device might be traced on his shield, though many a blow had almost effaced the painting. The flat top of his cumbrous cylindrical helmet was unadorned with any crest. In retaining their own unwieldy defensive...
Page 28 - Christian knight, desirous to terminate this illusory warfare, in which he might at length have been worn out by the activity of his foeman, suddenly seized the mace which hung at his saddlebow, and, with a strong hand and unerring aim, hurled it against the head of the Emir, for such and not less his enemy appeared.
Page 27 - Leopard continued to fix his eyes attentively on the yet distant cluster of palm trees, it seemed to him as if some object was moving among them. The distant form separated itself from the trees, which partly hid its motions, and advanced towards the knight with a speed which soon showed a mounted horseman, whom his turban, long spear, and green caftan floating in the wind, on his nearer approach, proved to be a Saracen cavalier. " In the desert," saith an Eastern proverb, "no man meets a friend.
Page 8 - Crusaders,' would resemble the play bill which is said to have announced the tragedy of Hamlet, the character of the Prince of Denmark being left out.
Page 25 - ... there was also his triangular shield suspended round his neck, and his barred helmet of steel, over which he had a hood and collar of mail, which was drawn around the warrior's shoulders and throat, and filled up the vacancy between the hauberk and the head-piece.