A few miles from Ripon is Harrowgate, a pretty, rather rural watering-place, with chalybeate and sulphurous springs. A few miles farther towards York, is Knaresborough, with a once important but now shattered castle, and the curious St. Robert's chapel and cave (the latter intimately associated with Bulwer's story relating Eugene Aram's crime). Every traveller in England visits, or ought to visit, the ancient city of York. It is not only large, busy, and historic, but one of the cathedral cities most deserving and repaying examination. Local guide-books describe its many attractions, only the chief of which can be mentioned here, the glorious minster church of St. Peter. Since the year 627 divine service has been perpetual on its site. The existing edifice was built chiefly in the thirteenth century. Like other similar edifices, this has its own peculiar characteristic features, while it has also the generic character common to all. Here are a remarkable crypt, a very stately and almost unique choir that nearly equals the vast nave in size, an unsurpassed group of five lancet windows (in the north transept), and, near them, a superb chapter-house. The great central tower, about two hundred feet high, commands a wide view worth gaining. The present excellent condition, the beauty and the majesty, of this sacred structure are delightful; and may the piety that has long preserved it render it through coming time a like joy and blessing! The route of this tour southward from York should be by the Great Northern line to the picturesque region in which is represented much of the action of Scott's most splendid prose romance, “Ivanhoe.” The period of this action is so remote (1194), and some of the scenes associated with it are so scattered, that we can hardly expect to find them all; yet enough remain, or can be identified, to show what they once were, and also how pleasant they now are, and how appropriately they suggest very much of the rude but interesting times of Old England, and the attractive characters of history, and the charms of ancient as well as modern romance, abounding as they do in associations with the Lion-hearted Richard, knightly Ivanhoe, bold Robin Hood, and fair Maid Marian, Jelly Friar Tuck, and the Great Magician's Rebecca and Rowena, with tournaments, with Templar's pride and power, with "churchman's pomp" or license, with baronial might, and with free life "under the greenwood tree" at Sherwood, and indeed the whole brilliant spectacle presented to us in Scott's delightful creation. "AS enses. XXXVIII. "IVANHOE." Tenth Novel of the Series; Written 1819; Published Dec. 18, 1819; S a work of art," wrote Lockhart, "Ivanhoe' is perhaps the first of all Scott's efforts, whether in prose or in verse." "It is a splendid poem," wrote Jeffrey, "and contains matter enough for six good tragedies." And these two opinions, of the very many elicited, describe this work. It was received "with clamorous delight" by contemporaneous readers, and its publication marked the most brilliant period of its author's history. The circumstances under which it was composed have been mentioned on page 333. Like most of "The Bride" it was written by amanuPortions, however, of the manuscript are closely and firmly written, "many pages together, without one alteration," --- in the handwriting of the author, who, we are told, considered about fifteen pages of the original edition a fair day's work. And we should remember that in no instance did he rewrite "prose before sending it to the press." This work appeared, in better style than its predecessors, in three post-octavo volumes, at ten shillings each, of which 12,000 copies were speedily sold. "The name of Ivanhoe," wrote Scott in 1830, "was suggested by an old rhyme. . . recording three names of the manors forfeited by the ancestor of the celebrated Hampden, for striking the Black Prince a blow with his racket, when they quarrelled at tennis, Tring, Wing, and Ivanhoe, Hampden did forego, And glad he could escape so." "The period of the narrative adopted (wrote Scott) was the reign of Richard I., not only as abounding with characters whose very names were sure to attract general attention, but as affording a striking contrast betwixt the Saxons, by whom the soil was cultivated, and the Normans, who still reigned in it as conquerors, reluctant to mix with the vanquished, or acknowledge themselves of the same stock." Some, however, "of the ancient Saxon families possessed wealth and power, although they were exceptions." At the beginning of the story we are introduced to the residence of one of these families, and to its social and topographical position. "In that pleasant district of merry England which is watered by the river Don (wrote the author), there extended in ancient times a large forest, covering the greater part of the beautiful hills and valleys which lie between Sheffield and the pleasant town of Doncaster.... Here haunted of yore the fabulous Dragon of Wantley; here were fought many of the most desperate battles during the Civil Wars of the Roses; and here also flourished in ancient times those bands of gallant outlaws, whose deeds have been rendered so popular in English song. Such being our chief scene, the date of our story refers to a pericd towards the end of the reign of Richard I., when his return from his long captivity had become an event rather wished than hoped for by his despairing subjects, who were, in the mean time, subjected to every species of subordinate oppression." The power of the nobles had become very great, and each endeavored to render his castle a strong garrison, capable of such offence or defence as he might find desirable. "The situation of the inferior gentry, or Franklins, as they were called," was “unusually precarious." "Four generations had not sufficed to blend the hostile blood of the Normans and Anglo-Saxons," or to unite the two races "by common language and mutual interests." Living in this woodland district, and in this condition of society, Cedric, called the Saxon, held Rotherwood, —a low, irregular, but extensive building, defended by a double stockade and by a ditch. In the large but not high hall of this edifice he received a party that came rather by accident than upon invitation to share his hospitality. Among this party were representative men, — Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert, a Preceptor of the powerful Knights Templars, and Prior Aymer of Jorvaulx Abbey. They had been guided through the intricacies of the forest by one, apparently a pilgrim, who, with them, visited Rotherwood. Besides these, many other persons, both gentle and simple, were assembled in the hall. Among them was the Saxon ward of Cedric, the Lady Rowena, — the heroine, or one of the heroines of the story. She was, wrote Scott, "formed in the best proportions of her sex," and "tall in stature, yet not so much so as to attract observation on account of superior height. Her complexion was exquisitely fair; but the noble cast of her head and features prevented the insipidity which sometimes attaches to fair beauties. Her clear, blue eye, which sate enshrined beneath a graceful eyebrow of brown, sufficiently marked to give expression to the forehead, seemed capable to kindle as well as melt, to command as well as to beseech.... Her profuse hair, of a color betwixt brown and flaxen, was arranged in a fanciful and graceful manner in numerous ringlets, to form which, art had probably aided nature. These locks were braided with gems, and, being worn at full length, intimated the noble and freeborn condition of the maiden." Her dress was both rich and picturesque. Adding to the number of the company, and seeking rest for the night, came a troubled traveller, Isaac the Jew, of York, - wealthy, but despised and hated, illustrating by his condition that of even the most favored of his race in Britain at that time. The evening spent by this mixed company, characteristic of the times and of the classes represented, does not cause us now to envy their social life. In relation to the appearance of the seat of Cedric, Rotherwood, archæological research will not elicit as definite illustration as it will of many other places described in Scott's works. A prominent authority, Mr. T. H. Turner, reasonably remarks, “An inquiry into the state of domestic architecture in England during the twelfth century is attended with much difficulty." Few examples of any English architectural works built before William I.'s reign remain. The Anglo-Saxons, until that period even, usually built of wood, "although," it is said, "stone had been occasionally used several centuries earlier." Their "workmanship was undoubtedly rude; and their buildings are described by early historians as having been very different in character and very inferior in size to those erected by the Normans. Most of the remains of their work are scattered portions of churches. Indeed, it has been said that the Normans, either from taste or the necessities of their position as conquerors, built strong and large edifices, and lived simply in them; while even the higher classes of the Saxons built indifferently, but kept lavishly supplied tables. During the evening, the Lady Rowena showed her interest in one who was supposed to be far distant, by summoning the pilgrim to her room and inquiring of him any thing that he might have learned about Ivanhoe, a disinherited son of Cedric, then a follower and favorite of King Richard, and an associate with the Normans, whom Cedric cordially hated. On the next morning, after this interview and some of its results, the pilgrim left Rotherwood. He was accom panied by the Jew, with whom, after a fashion, he had become acquainted. The Templar and his party also left; and then Cedric, with the Lady Rowena and attendants, -all in various ways bound to a great Tournament that was soon to be held at Ashby-de-laZouche, in Leicestershire, many miles south of the supposed site of Rotherwood. Ashby is at present a small town, noted for a great and now ruinous castle, built subsequent to the time of this story. It is said to have been one of the numerous edifices briefly occupied by Mary, Queen of Scots. The Tournament, described and shown to us in the Great Magician's most brilliant manner, occurred; and by its numerous incidents developed, with great stir and picturesqueness, the action of the romance. The splendor of knightly prowess, abundantly exhibited, was most conspicuous in one affair of curious origin, that proved the quality of a certain actor in the pageant, — a stranger, who bore the title of the Disinherited Knight. The Templar, who, high as was his rank, was quite as capable of robbery and oppression as any who came with the Conqueror, had planned that Isaac of York should be waylaid and carried to the castle of a noble friend with a character like his own, and that there money should be extorted from the Jew. Isaac had been enabled to avoid this danger by the unexpected care of the stout Disinherited, to whom he had gratefully presented means for procuring a complete outfit of horse and armor, and thus for appearing in the lists, and there making good a challenge of Sir Brian, and retributively settling a just quarrel had by the knight with that acquisitive gentleman. The combat in which the two fought was inaugurated in grand state by the brother of Richard, Prince John, who, with his suite, and a great and varied crowd of people, beheld it. Among these spectators were Cedric and the Lady Rowena, Athelstane, a Saxon of high lineage, Thane of the ancient castle of Coningsburgh, and Isaac of York, who, boldly enough for one of his race, was present with his daughter Rebecca, — that celebrity in literature. Her charms soon attracted the attention of the Prince. Her figure," wrote Scott, "might indeed have compared with the proudest beauties of England.... Her form was exquisitely symmetrical, and was shown to advantage by a sort of Eastern dress, which she wore according to the fashion of the females of her nation. Her turban of yellow silk suited well with the darkness of her complexion. The brilliancy of her eyes, the superb arch of her eye |