A Child's History of England.125

Although Gloucester had proceeded thus far with a very smooth countenance [approval, support]- and although he was a clever man, fair of speech [公平地说？{fair enough}], and not ill-looking, in spite of one of his shoulders being something higher than the other - and although he had come into the City riding bare-headed at the King's side, and looking very fond of him - he had made the King's mother more uneasy yet; and when the Royal boy was taken to the Tower, she became so alarmed that she took sanctuary [庇护bìhù] in Westminster with her five daughters.

Nor did she do this without reason, for, the Duke of Gloucester, finding that the lords who were opposed to the Woodville family were faithful to the young King nevertheless, quickly resolved to strike a blow for himself. Accordingly, while those lords met in council at the Tower, he and those who were in his interest [利益] met in separate council at his own residence, Crosby Palace, in Bishopsgate Street. Being at last quite prepared, he one day appeared unexpectedly at the council in the Tower, and appeared to be very jocular [诙谐的] and merry. He was particularly gay [愉快的] with the Bishop of Ely: praising the strawberries that grew in his garden on Holborn Hill, and asking him to have some gathered that he might eat them at dinner. The Bishop, quite proud of the honour, sent one of his men to fetch some; and the Duke, still very jocular and gay, went out; and the council all said what a very agreeable [令人愉快的] duke he was! In a little time, however, he came back quite altered - not at all jocular - frowning and fierce - and suddenly said,

'What do those persons deserve who have compassed [plot, scheme] my destruction; I being the King's lawful, as well as natural, protector?'

To this strange question, Lord Hastings replied, that they deserved death, whosoever they were.

'Then,' said the Duke, 'I tell you that they are that sorceress [女巫] my brother's wife;' meaning the Queen: 'and that other sorceress, Jane Shore. Who, by witchcraft, have withered my body, and caused my arm to shrink as I now show you.'

He then pulled up his sleeve and showed them his arm, which was shrunken, it is true, but which had been so, as they all very well knew, from the hour of his birth.

Jane Shore, being then the lover of Lord Hastings, as she had formerly been of the late King, that lord knew that he himself was attacked. So, he said, in some confusion, 'Certainly, my Lord, if they have done this, they be worthy of punishment.'

'If?' said the Duke of Gloucester; 'do you talk to me of ifs? I tell you that they have so done, and I will make it good upon thy [your] body, thou [you] traitor!'

With that, he struck the table a great blow with his fist. This was a signal to some of his people outside to cry 'Treason!' They immediately did so, and there was a rush into the chamber of so many armed men that it was filled in a moment.

'First,' said the Duke of Gloucester to Lord Hastings, 'I arrest thee [you,宾格], traitor! And let him,' he added to the armed men who took him, 'have a priest at once, for by St. Paul I will not dine until I have seen his head of!' of在Old English里通off(as prep and adv)

六级/考研单词: thereby, fond, sanctuary, nonetheless, resolve, accordingly, reside, merry, gay, bishop, praise, supper, frown, fierce, gradual, shore, witch, wither, shrink, sleeve, confuse, worthy, punish, fist, chamber, priest, dine