Georgette Heyer by My Lord John

Author:My Lord John
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Groom, page, nor yet marshal,

But that some sport he bring withal!

For now is the time of Christmas!

If that he say he cannot sing,

Some other sport then let him bring!

That it may please at this feasting!

For now is the time of Christmas!

If he say he can naught do,

Then for my love ask him no mo’,

But to the stocks then let him go!

For now is the time of Christmas!’

The Lord John, sending a gold noble spinning into the hands of the chief minstrel, said that he would be set in the stocks without more ado; and when my lady insisted that at least he could sing, proved her wrong by venturing his breaking voice in the refrain of ‘All this time this song is best: Verbum caro factum est! ’

It was the merriest Christmas he could remember, the only thing to spoil it being the absence of his brothers. But since he expected to see all three of them as soon as he reached London he wasted no time in repining, but flung himself instead into every offered pastime. There were plenty of these, from outdoor sports to indoor mummeries; and if the Lord John could not sing he was a doughty wrestler, played a lusty game of hand-ball, and rode with zest at the quintain. He generally struck this awry, and received a hearty buffet from the stuffed figure, but this only added to the fun.

When dusk fell, he would run into the castle from the park, hot, and mud-spattered and panting, and clatter up the newel-stair of the tower set aside for his use. He would find his valets waiting with a bowl of hot, herb-scented water. They would strip off his leather jerkin and his sweat-soaked shirt, and peel the muddied hose from his legs; then Steed, the chief amongst them, would rub him with a sponge, dipped in the hot water, till he glowed. After that, and making him shudder deliciously, rose-water was flung over him. Then he was wrapped in towels, and given a dish of spiced cake-bread to eat, or one of pain-puffs, because although he had consumed an enormous dinner at mid-overnoon, and would sit down to a handsome supper during the evening, it was well known that growing lads must be ceaselessly fed. Besides, it kept him quiet while Steed combed his tangled mat of hair. When that was done, a shirt of fine linen was put on him, parti-coloured hose, and a hanseline, or a pourpoint of rich velvet. Lastly, Steed would clip a jewelled belt round his waist, and tie the riband of the Garter about his leg; and off he would go to see what sport had been arranged for the evening.

There was always something. All Ralph’s sons and daughters were at Raby that Christmas-tide, and the castle teemed with visitors. Supper for the Earl and Countess, for the Lord John, and for the noblest guests, was served in one of the solars, but the mumming and the minstrelsy took place in the Great Hall.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.