Sir　Nigel
  by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle
  CONTENT
  I。　THE　HOUSE　OF　LORING
  II。　HOW　THE　DEVIL　CAME　TO　WAVERLEY
  III。　THE　YELLOW　HORSE　OF　CROOKSBURY
  IV。　HOW　THE　SUMMONER　CAME　TO　THE　MANOR　HOUSE　OF　TILFORD
  V。　HOW　NIGEL　WAS　TRIED　BY　THE　ABBOT　OF　WAVERLEY
  VI。　IN　WHICH　LADY　ERMYNTRUDE　OPENS　THE　IRON　COFFER
  VII。　HOW　NIGEL　WENT　MARKETING　TO　GUILFORD
  VIII。　HOW　THE　KING　HAWKED　ON　CROOKSBURY　HEATH
  IX。　HOW　NIGEL　HELD　THE　BRIDGE　AT　TILFORD
  X。　HOW　THE　KING　GREETED　HIS　SENESCHAL　OF　CALAIS
  XI。　IN　THE　HALL　OF　THE　KNIGHT　OF　DUPLIN
  XII。　HOW　NIGEL　FOUGHT　THE　TWISTED　MAN　OF　SHALFORD
  XIII。　HOW　THE　COMRADES　JOURNEYED　DOWN　THE　OLD；　OLD　ROAD
  XIV。　HOW　NIGEL　CHASED　THE　RED　FERRET
  XV。　HOW　THE　RED　FERRET　CAME　TO　COSFORD
  XVI。　HOW　THE　KING'S　COURT　FEASTED　IN　CALAIS　CASTLE
  XVII。　THE　SPANIARDS　ON　THE　SEA
  XVIII。　HOW　BLACK　SIMON　CLAIMED　FORFEIT　FROM　THE　KING　OF　SARK
  XIX。　HOW　A　SQUIRE　OF　ENGLAND　MET　A　SQUIRE　OF　FRANCE
  XX。　HOW　THE　ENGLISH　ATTEMPTED　THE　CASTLE　OF　LA　BROHINIERE
  XXI。　HOW　THE　SECOND　MESSENGER　WENT　TO　COSFORD
  XXII。　HOW　ROBERT　OF　BEAUMANOIR　CAME　TO　FLOERMEL
  XXIII。　HOW　THIRTY　OF　JOSSELIN　ENCOUNTERED　THIRTY　OF　FLOERMEL
  XXIV。　HOW　NIGEL　WAS　CALLED　TO　HIS　MASTER
  XXV。　HOW　THE　KING　OF　FRANCE　HELD　COUNSEL　AT　MAUPERTUIS
  XXVI。　HOW　NIGEL　FOUND　HIS　THIRD　DEED
  XXVII。　HOW　THE　THIRD　MESSENGER　CAME　TO　COSFORD
  INTRODUCTION
  Dame　History　is　so　austere　a　lady　that　if　one；　has　been　so
  ill…advised　as　to　take　a　liberty　with　her；　one　should　hasten　to
  make　amends　by　repentance　and　confession。　　Events　have　been
  transposed　to　the　extent　of　some　few　months　in　this　narrative　in
  order　to　preserve　the　continuity　and　evenness　of　the　story。　　I
  hope　so　small　a　divergence　may　seem　a　venial　error　after　so　many
  centuries。　　For　the　rest；　it　is　as　accurate　as　a　good　deal　of
  research　and　hard　work　could　make　it。
  The　matter　of　diction　is　always　a　question　of　taste　and　discretion
  in　a　historical　reproduction。　　In　the　year　1350　the　upper　classes
  still　spoke　Norman…French；　though　they　were　just　beginning　to
  condescend　to　English。　　The　lower　classes　spoke　the　English　of　the
  original　Piers　Plowman　text；　which　would　be　considerably　more
  obscure　than　their　superiors'　French　if　the　two　were　now
  reproduced　or　imitated。　　The　most　which　the　chronicles　can　do　is
  to　catch　the　cadence　and　style　of　their　talk；　and　to　infuse　here
  and　there　such　a　dash　of　the　archaic　as　may　indicate　their　fashion
  of　speech。
  I　am　aware　that　there　are　incidents　which　may　strike　the　modern
  reader　as　brutal　and　repellent。　　It　is　useless；　however；　to　draw
  the　Twentieth　Century　and　label　it　the　Fourteenth。　　It　was　a
  sterner　age；　and　men's　code　of　morality；　especially　in　matters　of
  cruelty；　was　very　different。　　There　is　no　incident　in　the　text　for
  which　very　good　warrant　may　not　be　given。　　The　fantastic　graces　of
  Chivalry　lay　upon　the　surface　of　life；　but　beneath　it　was　a
  half…savage　population；　fierce　and　animal；　with　little　ruth　or
  mercy。　　It　was　a　raw；　rude　England；　full　of　elemental　passions；
  and　redeemed　only　by　elemental　virtues。　　Such　I　have　tried　to　draw　it。
  For　good　or　bad；　many　books　have　gone　to　the　building　of　this　one。
  I　look　round　my　study　table　and　I　survey　those　which　lie　with　me
  at　the　moment；　before　I　happily　disperse　them　forever。　　I　see　La
  Croix's　〃Middle　Ages；〃　Oman's　〃Art　of　War；〃　Rietstap's　〃Armorial
  General；〃　De　la　Borderie's　〃Histoire　de　Bretagne；〃　Dame　Berner's
  〃Boke　of　St。　Albans；〃　〃The　Chronicle　of　Jocelyn　of　Brokeland；〃
  〃The　Old　Road；〃　Hewitt's　〃Ancient　Armour；〃　Coussan's　〃Heraldry；〃
  Boutell's　〃Arms；〃　Browne's　〃Chaucer's　〃England；〃　Cust's　〃Scenes　of
  the　Middle　Ages；〃　Husserand's　〃Wayfaring　Life；〃　Ward's　〃Canterbury
  Pilgrims；〃　Cornish's　〃Chivalry；〃　Hastings'　〃British　Archer；〃
  Strutt's　〃Sports；〃　Johnes　Froissart；　Hargrove's　〃Archery；〃
  Longman's　〃Edward　III；〃　Wright's　〃Domestic　Manners。〃　With　these
  and　many　others　I　have　lived　for　months。　　If　I　have　been　unable　to
  combine　and　transfer　their　effect；　the　fault　is　mine。
  ARTHUR　CONAN　DOYLE。
  〃UNDERSHAW；〃　　November　30；　1905。
  I。　　THE　HOUSE　OF　LORING
  In　the　month　of　July　of　the　year　1348；　between　the　feasts　of　St。
  Benedict　and　of　St。　Swithin；　a　strange　thing　came　upon　England；
  for　out　of　the　east　there　drifted　a　monstrous　cloud；　purple　and
  piled；　heavy　with　evil；　climbing　slowly　up　the　hushed　heaven。　　In
  the　shadow　of　that　strange　cloud　the　leaves　drooped　in　the　trees；
  the　birds　ceased　their　calling；　and　the　cattle　and　the　sheep
  gathered　cowering　under　the　hedges。　　A　gloom　fell　upon　all　the
  land；　and　men　stood　with　their　eyes　upon　the　strange　cloud　and　a
  heaviness　upon　their　hearts。　　They　crept　into　the　churches　where
  the　trembling　people　were　blessed　and　shriven　by　the　trembling
  priests。　　Outside　no　bird　flew；　and　there　came　no　rustling　from
  the　woods；　nor　any　of　the　homely　sounds　of　Nature。　　All　was　still；
  and　nothing　moved；　save　only　the　great　cloud　which　rolled　up　and
  onward；　with　fold　on　fold　from　the　black　horizon。　　To　the　west　was
  the　light　summer　sky；　to　the　east　this　brooding　cloud…bank；
  creeping　ever　slowly　across；　until　the　last　thin　blue　gleam　faded
  away　and　the　whole　vast　sweep　of　the　heavens　was　one　great　leaden
  arch。
  Then　the　rain　began　to　fall。　　All　day　it　rained；　and　all　the　night
  and　all　the　week　and　all　the　month；　until　folk　had　forgotten　the
  blue　heavens　and　the　gleam　of　the　sunshine。　　It　was　not　heavy；　but
  it　was　steady　and　cold　and　unceasing；　so　that　the　people　were
  weary　of　its　hissing　and　its　splashing；　with　the　slow　drip　from
  the　eaves。　　Always　the　same　thick　evil　cloud　flowed　from　east　to
  west　with　the　rain　beneath　it。　　None　could　see　for　more　than　a
  bow…shot　from　their　dwellings　for　the　drifting　veil　of　the
  rain…storms。　　Every　morning　the　folk　looked　upward　for　a　break；
  but　their　eyes　rested　always　upon　the　same　endless　cloud；　until　at
  last　they　ceased　to　look　up；　and　their　hearts　despaired　of　ever
  seeing　the　change。　　It　was　raining　at　Lammas…tide　and　raining　at
  the　Feast　of　the　Assumption　and　still　raining　at　Michaelmas。　　The
  crops　and　the　hay；　sodden　and　black；　had　rotted　in　the　fields；　for
  they　were　not　worth　the　garnering。　　The　sheep　had　died；　and　the
  calves　also；　so　there　was　little　to　kill　when　Martinmas　came　and
  it　was　time　to　salt　the　meat　for　the　winter。　　They　feared　a
  famine；　but　it　was　worse　than　famine　which　was　in　store　for　them。
  For　the　rain　had　ceased　at　last；　and　a　sickly　autumn　sun　shone
  upon　a　land　which　was　soaked　and　sodden　with　water。　　Wet　and
  rotten　leaves　reeked　and　festered　under　the　foul　haze　which　rose
  from　the　woods。　　The　fields　were　spotted　with　monstrous　fungi　of　a
  size　and　color　never　matched　before　…　scarlet　and　mauve　and　liver
  and　black。　　It　was　as　though　the　sick　earth　had　burst　into　foul
  pustules；　mildew　and　lichen　mottled　the　walls；　and　with　that
  filthy　crop　Death　sprang　also　from　the　water…soaked　earth。　　Men
  died；　and　women　and　children；　the　baron　of　the　castle；　the
  franklin　on　the　farm；　the　monk　in　the　abbey　and　the　villein　in　his
  wattle…and…daub　cottage。　　All　breathed　the　same　polluted　reek　and
  all　died　the　same　death　of　corruption。　　Of　those　who　were　stricken
  none　recovered；　and　the　illness　was　ever　the　same　…　gross　boils；
  raving；　and　the　black　blotches　which　gave　its　name　to　the　disease。
  All　through　the　winter　the　dead　rotted　by　the　wayside　for　want　of
  some　one　to　bury　them。　　In　many　a　village　no　single　man　was　left
  alive。　　Then　at　last　the　spring　came　with　sunshine　and　health　and
  lightness　and　laughter　…　the　greenest；　sweetest；　tenderest　spring
  that　England　had　ever　known　…　but　only　half　of　England　could　know
  it。　　The　other　half　had　passed　away　with　the　great　purple　cloud。
  Yet　it　was　there　in　that　stream　of　death；　in　that　reek　of
  corruption；　that　the　brighter　and　freer　England　was　born。　　There
  in　that　dark　hour　the　first　streak　of　the　new　dawn　was　seen。　　For
  in　no　way　save　by　a　great　upheaval　and　change　could　the　nation
  break　away　from　that　iron　feudal　system　which　held　her　limbs。　　But
  now　it　was　a　new　country　which　came　out　from　that　year　of　death。
  The　barons　were　dead　in　swaths。　　No　high　turret　nor　cunning　moat
  could　keep　out　that　black　commoner　who　struck　them　down。
  Oppressive　laws　slackened　for　want　of　those　who　could　enforce
  them；　and　once　slackened　could　never　be　enforced　again。　　The
  laborer　would　be　a　slave　no　longer。　　The　bondsman　snapped　his
  shackles。　　There　was　much　to　do　and　few　left　to　do　it。　　Therefore
  the　few　should　be　freemen；　name　their　own　price；　and　work　where
  and　for　whom　they　would。　　It　was　the　black　death　which　cleared　the
  way　for　that　great　rising　thirty　years　later　which　left　the
  English　peasant　the　freest　of　his　class　in　Europe。
  But　there　were　few　so　far…sighted　that　they　could　see　that　here；
  as　ever；　good　was　coming　out　of　evil。　　At　the　moment　misery　and
  ruin　were　brought　into　every　family。　　The　dead　cattle；　the
  ungarnered　crops；　the　untilled　lands　…　every　spring　of　wealth　had
  dried　up　at　the　same　moment。　　Those　who　were　rich　became　poor；　but
  those　who　were　poor　already；　and　especially　those　who　were　poor
  with　the　burden　of　gentility　upon　their　shoulders；　found
  themselves　in　a　perilous　state。　　All　through　England　the　s