The jerkin, and the tabard over it, reached the knee; and the
nether stocks, or covering of the legs, were of the same leather
which composed the tabard. A cap of rough shag served to hide
the upper part of a visage which, like that of a screech owl,
seemed desirous to conceal itself from light, the lower part of
the face being obscured by a huge red beard, mingling with shaggy
locks of the same colour. What features were seen were stern and
misanthropical. The man's figure was short, strongly made, with
a neck like a bull, very broad shoulders, arms of great and
disproportioned length, a huge square trunk, and thick bandy
legs. This truculent official leant on a sword, the blade of
which was nearly four feet and a half in length, while the handle
of twenty inches, surrounded by a ring of lead plummets to
counterpoise the weight of such a blade, rose considerably above
the man's head as he rested his arm upon its hilt, waiting for
King Richard's further directions.
On the sudden entrance of the ladies, Richard, who was then lying
on his couch with his face towards the entrance, and resting on
his elbow as he spoke to his grisly attendant, flung himself
hastily, as if displeased and surprised, to the other side,
turning his back to the Queen and the females of her train, and
drawing around him the covering of his couch, which, by his own
choice, or more probably the flattering selection of his
chamberlains, consisted of two large lions' skins, dressed in
Venice with such admirable skill that they seemed softer than the
hide of the deer.
Pages:
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381