All listened. A distant trampling of horses was heard.



The sounds approached rapidly, and at length a group of horsemen

glittering in holyday dresses was visible among the trees.



"God's my life!" said Robin, "what means this? To arms,

my merrymen all."



"No arms, Robin," said the foremosthorseman, riding up and springing

from his saddle: "have you forgotten Sir William of the Lee?"



"No, by my fay," said Robin; "and right welcome again to Sherwood."

Little John bustled to re-array the disorganised economy of the table,



and replace the dilapidations of the provender.

"I come late, Robin," said Sir William, "but I came by a wrestling,



where I found a good yeoman wrongfully beset by a crowd of sturdy varlets,

and I staid to do him right."



"I thank thee for that, in God's name," said Robin, "as if thy good service

had been to myself."



"And here," said the knight, "is thy four hundred pound;

and my men have brought thee an hundred bows and as many



well-furnished quivers; which I beseech thee to receive

and to use as a poor token of my grateful kindness to thee:



for me and my wife and children didst thou redeem from beggary."

"Thy bows and arrows," said Robin, "will I joyfully" target="_blank" title="ad.高兴地，快乐地">joyfully receive:



but of thy money, not a penny. It is paid already.

My Lady, who was thy security, hath sent it me for thee."



Sir William pressed, but Robin was inflexible.

"It is paid," said Robin, "as this good knight can testify,



who saw my Lady's messenger depart but now."

Sir William looked round to the stranger knight, and instantly fell



on his knee, saying, "God save King Richard."

The foresters, friar and all, dropped on their knees together,



and repeated in chorus: "God save King Richard."

"Rise, rise," said Richard, smiling: "Robin is king here, as his lady



hath shown. I have heard much of thee, Robin, both of thy present and thy

former state. And this, thy fair forest-queen, is, if tales say true,



the lady Matilda Fitzwater."

Marian signed acknowledgment.



"Your father," said the king, "has approved his fidelity to me,

by the loss of his lands, which the newness of my return,



and many public cares, have not yet given me time to restore:

but this justice shall be done to him, and to thee also, Robin,



if thou wilt leave thy forest-life and resume thy earldom,

and be a peer of Coeur-de-Lion: for braver heart and juster



hand I never yet found."

Robin looked round on his men.



"Your followers," said the king, "shall have free pardon, and such

of them as thou wilt part with shall have maintenance from me;



and if ever I confess to priest, it shall be to thy friar."

"Gramercy to your majesty," said the friar; "and my inflictions



shall be flasks of canary; and if the number be (as in grave cases

I may, peradventure, make it) too great for one frail mortality,



I will relieve you by vicarious penance, and pour down my own

throat the redundancy of the burden."



Robin and his followers embraced the king's proposal.

A joyful meeting soon followed with the baron and Sir Guy of Gamwell:



and Richard himself honoured with his own presence a formal

solemnization of the nuptials of our lovers, whom he constantly



distinguished with his peculiar regard.

The friar could not say, Farewell to the forest, without something



of a heavy heart: and he sang as he turned his back upon its bounds,

occasionally reverting his head:



Ye woods, that oft at sultry noon

Have o'er me spread your messy shade:



Ye gushing streams, whose murmured tune

Has in my ear sweet music made,



While, where the dancing pebbles show

Deep in the restless fountain-pool



The gelid water's upward flow,

My second flask was laid to cool:

• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)


• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• abundance [ə´bʌndəns] n.丰富，充裕 (初中英语单词)


• costly [´kɔstli] a.昂贵的；费用大的 (初中英语单词)


• sheriff [´ʃerif] n.郡长；行政长官 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


• scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)


• contents [´kɔ:ntents] n.容纳物；要旨 (初中英语单词)


• protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词)


• portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)


• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)


• saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)


• cellar [´selə] n.地窑，地下室 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)


• phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)


• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• honourable [´ɔnərəbəl] a.荣誉的；正直的 (初中英语单词)


• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)


• observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)


• replace [ri´pleis] vt.放回；复置；取代 (初中英语单词)


• grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)


• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)


• priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)


• relieve [ri´li:v] v.救济，援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)


• restless [´restləs] a.没有休息的 (初中英语单词)


• upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)


• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)


• transparent [træns´peərənt] a.透明的；显而易见的 (高中英语单词)


• courteous [´kə:tiəs] a.有礼貌的；殷勤的 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• embassy [´embəsi] n.大使馆；大使职务 (高中英语单词)


• testify [´testifai] v.证明；证实；表明 (高中英语单词)


• virgin [´və:dʒin] a.处女(般)的 n.处女 (高中英语单词)


• singular [´siŋgjulə] a.单一的；非凡的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• draught [drɑ:ft] n.通风，通气；吸出 (高中英语单词)


• dominion [də´miniən] n.主权；统治权；领地 (高中英语单词)


• foremost [´fɔ:məust] a.最重要的；最先的 (高中英语单词)


• horseman [´hɔ:smən] n.骑手，马术师 (高中英语单词)


• sturdy [´stə:di] a.坚强的；坚定的 (高中英语单词)


• beseech [bi´si:tʃ] v.恳求，哀求 (高中英语单词)


• redeem [ri´di:m] vt.买回；偿还；履行 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• maintenance [´meintinəns] n.保持；主张；保养 (高中英语单词)


• joyful [´dʒɔifəl] a.高兴的，充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• meditation [,medi´teiʃən] n.熟虑；默想 (英语四级单词)


• canopy [´kænəpi] n.(床上的)罩篷；天篷 (英语四级单词)


• nottingham [´nɔtiŋəm] n.诺丁汉 (英语四级单词)


• unnatural [,ʌn´nætʃərəl] a.不自然的 (英语四级单词)


• canary [kə´neəri] n.金丝雀 (英语四级单词)


• bewail [bi´weil] v.悲叹；痛哭；哀悼 (英语四级单词)


• justly [´dʒʌstli] ad.公正地，正当地 (英语四级单词)


• sorrowful [´sɔrəuful] a.悲伤的，使人伤心的 (英语四级单词)


• outlaw [´autlɔ:] n.歹徒 vt.将…放逐 (英语四级单词)


• apprehend [,æpri´hend] vt.理解；忧虑；逮捕 (英语四级单词)


• seeming [´si:miŋ] a.表面上的 n.外观 (英语四级单词)


• fellowship [´feləuʃip] n.团体；伙伴关系；友谊 (英语四级单词)


• meditate [´mediteit] v.考虑；策划；反省 (英语四级单词)


• valiant [´væliənt] a.勇敢的，英勇的 (英语四级单词)


• unjust [ʌn´dʒʌst] a.不公平(正)的 (英语四级单词)


• concede [kən´si:d] v.承认；给予；让步 (英语四级单词)


• cordially [´kɔ:djəli] ad.热诚地；亲切地 (英语四级单词)


• yeoman [´jəumən] n.自由民；自耕农 (英语四级单词)


• joyfully [´dʒɔifuli] ad.高兴地，快乐地 (英语四级单词)


• fidelity [fi´deliti] n.忠实；精确；保真度 (英语四级单词)


• august [ɔ:´gʌst] a.尊严的；威严的 (英语六级单词)


• rivulet [´rivjulit] n.小河，溪流 (英语六级单词)


• departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)


• demolish [di´mɔliʃ] vt.摧毁；拆除(旧房等) (英语六级单词)


• heighten [´haitn] v.增高，加强 (英语六级单词)


• ghostly [´gəustli] a.鬼的；朦胧的 (英语六级单词)


• forester [´fɔristə] n.护林人，林务员 (英语六级单词)


• rivalry [´raivəlri] n.竞争；竞赛；敌对 (英语六级单词)


• uniformly [´ju:nifɔ:mli] ad.一致地，齐心地 (英语六级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• penance [´penəns] n.悔过；(赎罪的)苦行 (英语六级单词)


• sultry [´sʌltri] a.狂(闷)热的；风骚的 (英语六级单词)