Section 185. REBECCA DESCRIBES THE SIEGE OF TORQUILSTONE TO THE WOUNDED IVANHOE. III.
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“Who is down?” cried Ivanhoe; “for[1] our dear Lady’s sake, tell me who has fallen?”
“The Black Knight,” answered Rebecca faintly[2]; then instantly again shouted with joyful eagerness[3]: “But[4] no—but no!—the name of the Lord of hosts be blessed[5]!—he is on foot[6] again, and fights as if there were twenty men’s strength in his single arm[7].—His sword is broken—he snatches[8] an axe from a yeoman—he presses[9] Front-de-Bœuf with blow on blow.—The giant stoops and totters like an oak under the steel of the woodman[10]—he falls—he falls!”
“Front-de-Bœuf?” exclaimed Ivanhoe.
“Front-de-Bœuf!” answered the Jewess; “his men[11] rush to the rescue[12], headed (S. 102, N. 3) by (von) the haughty Templar[13]—their united force compels the champion[14] to pause.—They drag Front-de-Bœuf within the walls[15].”
“The assailants have won[16] the barriers, have they not?” said Ivanhoe.
“They have—they have[17]!” exclaimed Rebecca—“and they press[18] the besieged hard upon the outer wall; some plant ladders[19], some swarm like bees (S. 3, N. 2) and endeavour to ascend upon the shoulders of each other[20]—down go[21] stones, beams, and trunks of trees upon their heads, and as fast as they bear the wounded to the rear[22], fresh men[23] supply their places in the assault.—Great God, hast thou given men thine own image[24], that (S. 183, N. 6) it should be thus cruelly defaced[25] by[26] the hands of their brethren?”