Summary of Ivanhoe's work chapter by chapter. What is Ivanhoe about?

"Ivanhoe" is a summary of Walter Scott's novel about the enmity between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans during the reign of Richard I.

"Ivanhoe" summary

At the end of the third crusade, many knights return to Europe. King Richard the Lionheart is captured by the Austrian Duke Leopold. Prince John sows confusion in the country between the Normans and the Saxons, and intrigues against the king, preparing the seizure of power. Cedric Rotherwood, a wealthy landowner, in the hope of reviving the former power of the Saxons, intends to put Sir Athelstan, a descendant of King Alfred, at the head of them. The apathetic Athelstan does not inspire confidence in anyone, and Cedric, in order to give even more weight to his figure, dreams of marrying him to his pupil, the beautiful Lady Rowena, whose ancestor is also King Alfred the Great. But on the way to the cherished dream of the old ten, his son Wilfred Ivanhoe stood up, who fell in love with Rowena. Cedric, true to his ideal, expelled him from his father's house and disinherited him.

Two servants of Cedric, the swineherd Gurt and the jester Wamba, meet the prelate Aimer and the knight-templar Brian de Boisguillebert, who is heading with his retinue to the jousting tournament in Ashby. Caught on the road by bad weather, the knight and prior are to Cedric. The pilgrim returning from the holy land and the Jew Isaac from York also receive shelter in the house of the hospitable then. Boisguillebert, who returned from Palestine, talks about the battles for the Holy Sepulcher. Pilgrim talks about the tournament in Acre, where the winners were knights of Saxon origin, but he is silent about the name of the sixth knight. Boisguillebert declares that it was Wilfred Ivanhoe who defeated him and declares that next time he will take up over him. At the end of the meal, Lady Rowena, Cedric's pupil, asks the pilgrim about the fate of her beloved Ivanhoe. Pilgrim reports that he is moving to England through the unfriendly lands of France, but it is not known when he will arrive.

In the morning, the pilgrim raises Isaac and informs him that in the evening he heard how the templar Brian de Boisguillebert ordered his Palestinian slaves to seize the Jew and take him to the castle of Front de Boeuf. Pilgrim and Isaac leave Cedric's estate. Having reached Ashby, the grateful Isaac informs the pilgrim that he saw his knight's spurs and offers him to borrow a war horse, weapons and knightly armor for the upcoming tournament from one of his friends.

The tournament starts in Ashby. All the nobility of England came to the tournament, including Prince John and his entourage. The prince publicly shows his insolence and dislike for the Saxons. Five instigator knights challenge everyone to a fight. Everyone agrees to fight only with blunt weapons, no one dares to call the templar. A certain Knight Deprived of Inheritance appears, as he called himself. He defeats all the instigators one by one and is proclaimed the winner of the first day of the competition, he has the honor to choose among the noble ladies the Queen of love and beauty. The winner chooses Lady Rowena.

In the evening, the servants of the vanquished come to the tent of the Knight of the Disinherited, along with the horses and armor of the owners, which, according to the rules of the tournament, go to the winner. The warrior refused to accept the armor of Brian de Boisguillebert, and took only half the amount for the weapons and horses of other knights. Then he sent his squire Gurta to the house of the Jew Isaac to give money for his armor. The Jew accepted the money, but when Gurt was leaving, the daughter of the Jew Rebecca stopped him in the courtyard and gave him a bag of money, explaining that her father Isaac was in great debt to the knight. On the way, Gurth stumbles upon a gang of robbers who want to take money from him, but, having learned that in front of them is the squire of the knight of the Disinherited, they still let him go.

On the second day of the tournament, a massive battle takes place. The detachment led by Brian de Boisguillebert fought with the detachment of the knight of the Disinherited. During the battle of the parties, most of the warriors dropped out, and at the end the knight Deprived of Inheritance was left to fight alone with Boisguillebert, Athelstan and Front de Boeuf. At the last moment, a knight in black armor, who had previously taken a passive part in the battle, arrived in time to help him, for which the audience called him the Black Sloth. He unhorsed Fron de Boeuf and Athelstan, and as a result defeated the detachment of the Knight of the Disinherited. Prince John recognized the Black Sloth as the hero of the day, but he disappeared somewhere from the lists. Then the prince had to again recognize the winner of the knight of the Disinherited. The winner knelt before the Queen of Love and Beauty, Lady Rowena, to receive an honorary crown from her. When the knight took off his helmet, Rowena recognized him as her beloved Ivanhoe, but he was wounded in the side and, having lost strength, fell at her feet. In the course of the confusion that arose, the Jew and his daughter Rebecca, who had the skills of healing, picked up the knight on a stretcher and took him to their home in Ashby. The next day, competitions for the common people were to be held, but Prince John received a letter from the French king, reporting that King Richard was returning from captivity. Competitions were held on the same day, they were won by Yeoman Loxley. In the evening, Cedric and Athelstan attended a feast at Prince John's, which was attended mainly by noble Normans. Lady Rowena did not go to the feast. Prince John and the assembled Normans insulted the Saxons throughout the feast, after which they left him in anger.

De Bracy, the leader of the mercenaries in the service of the prince, together with the templar and Fron de Boeuf, attacked Cedric's procession and captured Cedric, Athelstan, Rowena, Isaac with his daughter and Ivanhoe, whom they carried on a stretcher. The escaped Wamba and Gurt met Locksley, who ordered to gather people, and he went to the chapel of Father Took. There he found the Black Sloth who arrived yesterday, and he agreed to help the yeomen. At this time, Athelstan and Cedric agreed to pay a ransom for their release. In turn, de Bracy could not succeed with Rowena, and the templar failed with Rebecca, although he liked the girl's courage. Isaac, despite threats of torture, refused to pay the Fron de Boeuf when he learned that his daughter was with the templar.

The Normans are challenged by the yeomanry, but their pride keeps them from letting the captives go, even though they only have a handful of men to defend the castle. Wamba, under the guise of a monk, sneaks into the castle and replaces Cedric; he, leaving the castle, talks with the old woman Urfrida, recognizing in her Ulrika - the daughter of his friend Torkil Wolfganger, whose family was treacherously killed by de Befy. Urfrida calls on Cedric to help the besiegers and take revenge on Front de Boeuf. Yeomen go on the assault. Front de Boeuf, defending the palisade, receives a mortal wound from the hand of the Black Knight. He and Cedric cut down the entrance gate, Ulrika sets fire to the castle, the wounded Fron de Boeuf burns to death. De Bracy opens the gate to slay the Black Knight, but loses and is captured by him. The templar, having collected the remnants of the people, having kidnapped the Jewess Rebecca and slain Athelstan, breaks out of the castle.

The yeomen divide the booty, de Bracy returns to the prince and reports that Richard has returned, which turns out to be the Black Knight. The Prince orders Fitz-Urs to ambush him. Richard almost dies, but Locksley comes to his aid. Cedric, Richard and Ivanhoe drink at the wake of Athelstan, suddenly Athelstan is alive. He swears allegiance to Richard, yields to Rowan Ivanhoe and is going to hang the monks who almost killed him.

At this time, the grand master of the order, the formidable Luke Beaumanoir, appears in the preceptory of the Templestowe templars, where Boisguillebert has taken refuge. Having learned from Isaac that the templar brought Rebecca, Beaumanoir decides that she has bewitched him and arranges a show trial. To shield Boisguillebert, the others confirm this version. Rebecca demands God's judgment and throws down the gauntlet. Boisguillebert must defend the order, and the exhausted Ivanhoe on a tired horse, with no visible chance of winning, comes to Rebecca's defense. However, during the duel, Boisguillebert falls out of the saddle and suddenly dies from the passions that tormented him. Rebecca is released and leaves with her father for Granada. After much persuasion from Athelstan, Cedric still gives up and, reluctantly, agrees to Rowena's marriage to Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is married to Rowena.

They talked at the time

When the herds from the fields wandered home,

When, having eaten, but not subdued,

The pigs screeched reluctantly into their barn.

Pop, "Odyssey"

In that picturesque region of merry England, which is watered by the river Don, in ancient times there were extensive forests, covering most of the most beautiful hills and valleys that lie between Sheffield and Doncaster. The remains of these vast forests are still visible around the noble castles of Wentworth, Warncliffe Park and near Rotherham. According to legend, the fabulous Wantley dragon once lived here; fierce battles took place here during the internecine wars of the White and Scarlet Roses; and here in the old days the gangs of those brave robbers gathered, whose exploits and deeds were glorified in folk songs.

This is the main scene of our story, but in terms of time - the events described in it refer to the end of the reign of Richard I, when the return of the king from a long captivity seemed a desirable, but already impossible event to desperate subjects who were subjected to endless oppression of the nobility. The feudal lords, who had received exorbitant power in the reign of Stephen, but were forced to submit to the royal authority of the prudent Henry II, now again outraged, as in former times; ignoring the weak attempts of the English council of state to limit their arbitrariness, they strengthened their castles, increased the number of vassals, forced the entire district into obedience and vassalage; each feudal lord sought to gather and lead such an army that would give him the opportunity to become an influential person in the upcoming state upheavals.

At that time, the position of the petty nobles, or, as they were then called, the Franklins, who, according to the letter and spirit of English laws, should have retained their independence from the tyranny of large feudal lords, became extremely precarious at that time. The Franklins could secure a quiet existence for some time if, as most often happened, they resorted to the patronage of one of the influential nobles of their district, or were part of his retinue, or were obliged by agreements of mutual assistance and protection to support the feudal lord in his military enterprises; but in this case they had to sacrifice their freedom, which is so dear to the heart of every true Englishman, and were in danger of being involved in any rash undertaking of their ambitious patron. On the other hand, noble barons, who had at their disposal powerful and varied means of oppression and oppression, always found an excuse to poison, persecute and bring to complete ruin any of their less powerful neighbors who would try not to recognize their authority and live independently, thinking that his safety is ensured by loyalty and strict obedience to the laws of the land.

The conquest of England by the Norman Duke William greatly increased the tyranny of the feudal lords and deepened the suffering of the lower classes. Four generations could not mix together the hostile blood of the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons or reconcile the common language and mutual interests of the peoples hated by each other, of which one was still reveling in victory, and the other was suffering from the consequences of its defeat. After the battle of Hastings, power completely passed into the hands of the Norman nobles, who were by no means distinguished by moderation. Almost without exception, the Saxon princes and nobles were either exterminated or dispossessed; the number of small Saxon owners, who retained the lands of their fathers, was also small. The kings constantly sought, by legal and illegal measures, to weaken that part of the population that experienced an innate hatred of the conquerors. All monarchs of Norman origin showed a clear preference for their fellows; hunting laws and other regulations that were absent in the softer and more liberal Saxon code fell on the shoulders of the vanquished, further increasing the severity of the already unbearable feudal oppression.

At the court and in the castles of the noblest nobles, who tried to introduce the magnificence of court life, they spoke exclusively in Norman French; the same language was used to conduct legal proceedings in all places where justice was administered. In a word, the French language was the language of nobility, chivalry and even justice, while the incomparably more courageous and expressive Anglo-Saxon speech was left to the peasants and yard people who did not know another language.

However, the need for communication between the landowners and the enslaved people who cultivated their land served as the basis for the gradual formation of an dialect from a mixture of French and Anglo-Saxon, speaking in which they could understand each other. Thus, little by little, the English language of the present tense arose, containing a happy mixture of the language of the conquerors with the dialect of the vanquished, and since then has been so enriched by borrowings from the classical and so-called southern European languages.

I thought it necessary to inform the reader of this information in order to remind him that although the history of the Anglo-Saxon people after the reign of William II is not marked by any significant events like wars or rebellions, yet the wounds inflicted by conquest did not heal until the reign of Edward III. Great are the national differences between the Anglo-Saxons and their conquerors; memories of the past and thoughts of the present reopened these wounds and contributed to the preservation of the border separating the descendants of the victorious Normans and the defeated Saxons.

The sun was setting behind one of the densely grassed clearings of the forest, which was already mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Hundreds of branchy oaks with low trunks and widely spread branches, which, perhaps, were witnesses of the majestic campaign of the ancient Roman army, stretched out their knotty hands over the soft carpet of magnificent green turf. In places the oaks were mingled with beech, holly, and an undergrowth of various shrubs, grown so densely that they did not let in the low rays of the setting sun; in some places the trees parted, forming long alleys running away into the distance, in the depths of which the admiring glance is lost, and the imagination creates even wilder pictures of the age-old forest. The purple rays of the setting sun, breaking through the foliage, cast a scattered and trembling light on the broken branches and mossy trunks, then lay bright and sparkling spots on the turf. A large clearing in the middle of this clearing was probably the place where the druids performed their rites. Here rose a hill of such regular shape that it seemed to have been poured by human hands; at the top, an incomplete circle of huge uncut stones has been preserved. Seven of them stood upright, the rest were knocked down by the hands of some zealous adherent of Christianity and lay partly near the former place, partly along the hillside. Only one huge stone rolled down to the very bottom of the hill, blocking the course of a small stream that made its way at the foot of the hill - it made its peaceful and quiet jets rumble almost audibly.

Two people brought this picture to life; they belonged, judging by their dress and appearance, to the number of commoners who inhabited in those distant times the forest region of West Yorkshire. The eldest of them was a gloomy and ferocious-looking man. His clothes consisted of one leather jacket, sewn from the tanned skin of some animal, fur side up; from time to time, the fur was so worn out that it was impossible to determine from the few remaining scraps which animal it belonged to. This primitive robe covered its owner from the neck to the knees and replaced all parts of ordinary clothing for him. The collar was so wide that the jacket was put on over the head, like our shirts or old chain mail. To make the jacket fit snugly to the body, it was pulled over by a wide leather belt with a copper clasp. A bag was hung from the belt on one side, and a ram's horn with a pipe on the other. A long wide knife with a horn handle protruded from his belt; such knives were made right there, in the neighborhood, and were already known then under the name of Sheffield. On his feet this man had sandal-like shoes with bearskin straps, and thinner and narrower straps wrapped around the calves, leaving the knees bare, as is customary among the Scots. His head was not protected by anything, except for thick matted hair, faded from the sun and taking on a dark red, rusty hue and sharply different from the light blond, rather even amber color, large beard. We can only note one very curious feature in his appearance, but it is so remarkable that it cannot be ignored: it was a copper ring like a dog collar, tightly soldered around his neck. It was wide enough not to interfere with breathing, but at the same time so narrow that it was impossible to remove it only by sawing it in half. On this peculiar collar was inscribed in Saxon letters:

"Gurth, son of Beowulf, born slave of Cedric of Rotherwood."

Near the swineherd (for such was Gurth's occupation) on one of the fallen stones of the druids sat a man who looked ten years younger than the first. His attire resembled the clothes of a swineherd, but was distinguished by some quirkiness and was sewn from the best material. His jacket was dyed bright purple, and it was painted with some colorful and ugly patterns. Over the jacket was thrown over an exorbitantly wide and very short cloak of crimson cloth, fairly soiled, trimmed with a bright yellow border. It could be freely thrown from one shoulder to another or completely wrapped in it, and then it fell in bizarre folds, draping his figure. On the hands of this man were silver bracelets, and around his neck was a silver collar with the inscription: "Wamba, son of the Mindless, slave of Cedric of Rotherwood." He wore the same shoes as his comrade, but the plaited belt was replaced by something like gaiters, of which one was red and the other yellow. Attached to his cap were bells no larger than those that are tied to hunting falcons; each time he turned his head, they rang, and since he did not remain still for almost a single minute, they rang almost continuously. The hard leather band of this cap was carved along the upper edge with teeth and a through pattern, which gave it a resemblance to a peer's crown; on the inside, a long bag was sewn to the band, the tip of which hung over one shoulder, like an old-fashioned nightcap, a triangular sieve, or the headdress of a modern hussar. From the hat with bells, and its very shape, as well as from the silly and at the same time cunning expression of Wamba's face, one could guess that he was one of those domestic clowns or jesters that rich people kept for fun in their homes, so that both to pass the time" of necessity spent within four walls.

Like his comrade, he carried a bag on his belt, but he did not have a horn or a knife, since it was probably assumed that he belonged to that category of human beings to whom it is dangerous to put a piercing or cutting weapon into their hands. Instead of all this, he had a wooden sword, like the one with which the harlequin on the modern stage performs his tricks.

The facial expressions and behavior of these people were no less different than their clothing. The face of a slave or serf was gloomy and sad; judging by his despondent look, one might have thought that his gloom made him indifferent to everything, but the fire that sometimes lit up in his eyes spoke of the consciousness of his oppression hidden in him and of the desire for resistance. The appearance of Wamba, on the contrary, denounced the diffuse curiosity inherent in people of this kind, extreme restlessness and mobility, as well as complete satisfaction with their position and their appearance. They conversed in the Anglo-Saxon dialect, which, as has been said before, was spoken at that time in England by all the lower classes, with the exception of the Norman warriors and the closest retinue of feudal lords. However, to give their conversation in the original would be useless for a reader unfamiliar with this dialect, and therefore we will allow ourselves to give it in a literal translation.

Saint Witold, curse those damn pigs! grumbled the swineherd, after vain attempts to gather the scattered herd with the shrill sounds of the horn. The pigs answered his call with no less melodious grunts, but were in no hurry to part with a luxurious treat of beech nuts and acorns or leave the swampy banks of the stream, where part of the herd, buried in the mud, lay stretched out, ignoring the cries of their shepherd.

Smash them, Saint Vitold! I'll be damned if the two-legged wolf doesn't kill two or three pigs by nightfall." Over here, Fange! Hey Fange! he shouted at the top of his voice to a shaggy dog, either a great dane, or a greyhound, or a cross between a greyhound and a Scottish shepherd. The dog, limping, ran around and seemed to want to help his master gather the recalcitrant herd.

But either not understanding the signs given by the swineherd, or forgetting about his duties, or by malicious intent, the dog drove the pigs in different directions, thereby increasing the misfortune that he seemed to intend to correct.

Oh, damn your teeth! grumbled Gurt. - This forester would fail. Trims the nails of our dogs, and then they're no good. Be a friend, Wamba, help. Come on the other side of the hill and scare them from there. They will follow the wind home like lambs.

Listen, - said Wamba, not moving from his place. “I have already consulted with my legs about this: they decided that dragging my beautiful outfit through the bog would be a hostile act on their part against my royal person and royal attire. Therefore, Gurt, this is what I will tell you: call Fangs, and leave the herd to their fate. Does it matter whether your pigs meet with a detachment of soldiers, or with a gang of robbers, or with wandering pilgrims! After all, by morning the pigs will still turn into Normans, and, moreover, to your own pleasure and relief.

How is it that the pigs, to my pleasure and relief, will turn into Normans? Gurt asked. - Well, explain. My head is dull, and on my mind there is only annoyance and anger. I'm not into riddles.

Well, what are these grunting creatures on four legs called? Wamba asked.

Pigs, fool, pigs, answered the shepherd. - Every fool knows that.

That's right, "swain" is a Saxon word. Now, what do you call a pig when it's stabbed and skinned and cut to pieces and hung by its feet like a traitor?

Pork, answered the swineherd.

I am very glad that every fool knows this too,” Wamba remarked. “And spanking, I think, is a Norman-French word. So, while the pig is alive and a Saxon slave looks after it, then its name is in Saxon; but she becomes a Norman and is called "pork" as soon as she enters the master's castle and appears at the feast of noble persons. What do you think about this, my friend Gurt?

What's true is true, friend Wamba. I just don't know how that truth got into your stupid head.

And you listen to what I'll tell you more, - continued Wamba in the same vein. - Here, for example, our old alderman bull: while he is herded by such slaves as you, he wears his Saxon nickname "oke", but when he is in front of a noble gentleman to taste him, the bull becomes an ardent and amiable French knight Beef. In the same way, the calf - "kaf" - is made by Monsieur de Vaux: while he needs to be looked after - he is a Saxon, but when he is needed for enjoyment - he is given a Norman name.

I swear by Saint Dunstan, - answered Gurth, - you speak the truth, even though it is bitter. We were left with only air to breathe, and it was not taken away only because otherwise we would not have done the work piled on our shoulders. What is tastier and fatter, then to their table; more beautiful women - on their bed; the best and bravest among us must serve in the armies under the command of foreigners and cover distant countries with our bones, and here few remain, and even those have neither the strength nor the desire to defend the unfortunate Saxons. God bless our master Cedric for standing up for us like a brave warrior; only one of these days Reginald Fron de Boeuf will arrive in our direction, then we will see what all the troubles of Cedric are worth ... Here, here! he suddenly shouted, raising his voice again. - That's it, good them. Fange! Well done, got everyone together.

Gurt, - said the jester, - everything shows that you consider me a fool, otherwise you would not stick your head down my throat. For if I hint to Reginald Fron de Boeuf or Philippe de Malvoisin that you are cursing the Normans, you will be thrown up into one of these trees in an instant. So you will swing for warning to everyone who decides to vilify noble gentlemen.

Dog! Are you capable of betraying me? You yourself called me to such words! exclaimed Gurth.

Give you away? No, - said the jester, - this is how smart people act, where can I, the fool ... But be quiet ... Who is going to us? he interrupted himself, listening to the sound of the horses, which was already quite distinct.

Do you care who goes there? asked Gurth, who in the meantime had managed to collect all his herd and drove him along one of the gloomy clearings.

No, I must see those riders, Wamba answered. “Perhaps they are coming from the magical realm on an errand from King Obsron…”

Shut up! interrupted the swineherd. - You want to talk about it when there is a terrible thunderstorm with thunder and lightning nearby. Listen, what rumbles. And the rain! I have never seen such large and sheer drops in summer. Look, there is no wind, and the oaks are cracking and groaning, as if in a storm. Shut up better, let's hurry home before the storm hits! The night will be terrible.

Wamba, apparently, comprehended the full force of these arguments and followed his companion, who took a long staff that lay beside him on the grass, and set off. This newest Eumeus hurriedly walked to the edge of the forest, with the help of Fangs urging the piercingly grunting herd.

ivanhoe summary by chapter 5 chapters and got the best answer

Answer from GALINA[guru]
The proud Tan Cedric of Rotherwood does not give up hope of throwing off the Norman yoke and reviving the former power of the Saxons, placing Athelstan of Coningsburg, a descendant of the royal family, at the head of the liberation movement. However, the obtuse and unenterprising Sir Athelstan causes mistrust among many. To give more weight to his figure, Cedric dreams of marrying Athelstan to his pupil, Lady Rowena, the last representative of King Alfred's family. When Lady Rowena's attachment to Cedric's son, Wilfred Ivanhoe, got in the way of these plans, the adamant thane, not without reason nicknamed Sax for his devotion to the cause, expelled his son from his parental home and disinherited him.
And now Ivanhoe, dressed as a pilgrim, is secretly returning home from a crusade. Not far from his father's estate, he is overtaken by the detachment of the commander of the order of the templars, Brian de Boisguillebert, who is heading to the jousting tournament in Ashby de la Zouche. Caught on the road by bad weather, he decides to ask Cedric for an overnight stay. The hospitable house of a noble tan is open to everyone, even to the Jew Isaac from York, who joins the guests already during the meal. Boisguillebert, who also visited Palestine, boasts at the table of his exploits in the name of the Holy Sepulcher. The pilgrim defends the honor of Richard and his brave warriors, and on behalf of Ivanhoe, who has already once defeated the templar in a duel, accepts the challenge of the arrogant commander to fight. When the guests leave for their rooms, the pilgrim advises Isaac to quietly leave Cedric's house - he heard how Boisguillebert gave the order to the servants to seize the Jew, as soon as he drives away from the estate. The perceptive Isaac, who saw the spurs under the wanderer's attire, gives him a note in gratitude to a merchant relative, in which he asks to lend the pilgrim armor and a war horse.
The tournament at Ashby, which brought together the entire color of English chivalry, and even in the presence of Prince John himself, attracted everyone's attention. The host knights, including the arrogant Briand de Boisguillebert, confidently win one victory after another. But when it seemed that no one else would dare to oppose the instigators and the outcome of the tournament was decided, a new fighter appears on the arena with the motto "Deprived of Inheritance" on the shield, who fearlessly challenges the templar himself to a mortal battle. Several times the opponents converge, and their spears scatter in fragments to the very handles. All the sympathy of the audience is on the side of the brave stranger - and luck accompanies him: Boisguillebert falls from his horse, and the duel is recognized as over. Then the Disinherited Knight fights in turn with all the instigators and decisively takes over them. As the winner, he must choose the queen of love and beauty, and, gracefully bowing his spear, the stranger places the crown at the feet of the beautiful Rowena.
The next day, a general tournament is held: the party of the knight of the Disinherited fights against the party of Briand de Boisguillebert. The templar is supported by almost all instigators. They are pushing the young stranger, and if not for the help of the mysterious Black Knight, he would hardly have managed to become the hero of the day for the second time. The queen of love and beauty should put an honorary crown on the head of the winner. But when the marshals take off the helmet from the stranger, she sees in front of her pale as death Ivanhoe, who falls at her feet, bleeding from his wounds.
Meanwhile, Prince John receives a note from a messenger: "Be careful - the devil is unleashed." This means that his brother Richard got his freedom. The prince is in a panic, in a panic and his supporters. To secure their loyalty, John promises them rewards and honors. To the Norman knight Maurice de Bracy, for example, he proposes Lady Rowena as his wife - the bride is rich, beautiful and noble. De Bracy is delighted and decides to attack Cedric's squad on the way home from Ashby and kidnap the beautiful Rowena.
Proud of his son's victory, but still unwilling to forgive him, Cedric Sacks sets off on his return journey with a heavy heart. The news that the wounded Ivanhoe was carried away by a stretcher of some rich lady only kindles a feeling of indignation in him. By road

« Ivanhoe"- one of the first historical novels. Published in 1820 as a work by the author of Waverley (as it turned out later, Walter Scott). In the 19th century it was recognized as a classic of adventure literature.

It cannot fully reveal the spirit of events, but will cover events only superficially, without penetrating into the details of images and actions.

Summary of "Ivanhoe" by chapter

Summary of "Ivanhoe" 1 chapter

The picturesque surroundings of old England, where the River Den flows, and in the old days a large forest grew, covering most of the mountains and valleys between Sheffield and the town of Doncaster, is the scene of the legend of the knight Ivanhoe.

The situation in the country was difficult. Conquered by the Normans, the Anglo-Saxons suffered from the oppression of foreign feudal lords and their subordinate troops. After the victory at Hastings, power passed to the Norman nobility, the Anglo-Saxons lost their privileges and even their language. The famous king Richard the Lionheart, having gone to fight the Saracens in the Holy Land, was captured, from where he returned only for the time when the events described in this story took place.

King William the Conqueror, an ardent hunter, exterminated entire villages in order to spread forests, and introduced new Tirana "forest laws". All these circumstances repeatedly reopened the wounds that the conquest of the country led to, supported the fire of enmity and hatred between the Normans - the winners and the defeated Saxons.

One day, figures of two poorly dressed people with strange rings around their necks appeared in a forest clearing, the inscriptions on which said that these people were slaves of Cedric Rodervudsky Gurd - a swineherd and Wamba, a favorite jester. They herded pigs, talking among themselves in Anglo-Saxon and complaining that there were no more knights left to protect poor Sax, except their master Sir Cedric, who alone goes ahead against foreign invaders.

Summary of "Ivanhoe" Chapter 2

Suddenly, men appeared in the clearing, one of them was in monastic attire, and it was easy to recognize in him the abbot of Zhorvoska Abbey, Prior Amery, who loved feasts and other sweets of life. His swarthy companion had a strange half-monastic, drunken warrior look, a deep scar on his forehead, which also damaged his eye, and gave his face more severity and dashing. The decoration and weapons of his eastern companions were also unusual.

The prior asked the way to the castle of Cedric - Sax - Roderwood and Wamba deliberately showed him the wrong way, because he did not want his master, barin Cedric, to quarrel with uninvited guests, and they, in turn, saw Sax's pupil - the beautiful lady Rowena.

Leaving along the indicated path, the travelers once discussed the temper of the rich Sax Cedric and the beauty of Lady Rowena, and even argued: the prior should have given his companion Brian where Boisguillebert, a knight of the templars who had recently returned from Palestine, a gold chain if he recognized the beauty of a Saxon .

“Win it fairly,” said the prior, “and then wear your good health. Kalsut, Cedric - Sachs kicked his only son out of the house because he dared to look with loving eyes at this beauty.

The prior and the knight almost lost their way, but the oncoming traveler, introduced himself as a pilgrim from the Holy Land, brought them to Rodervudu, the home of Cedric.

Roderwood Castle was a fortress, as those troubled times demanded, when the house could be robbed and burned daily. The castle was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water.

Before entering, the knight blew his horn loudly.

Summary of "Ivanhoe" Chapter 3

When the owner of the estate, Cedric-Sax, was informed that the Prior of Zhvorsky and the knight of the Order of the Templars, Bois-Plber, were asking for shelter in the midst of bad weather, he was not happy about this visit. The Templars were renowned as a brave knight of their order, but were also known for their pride, vanity and cruelty. Few of those who were lucky enough to return from Palestine said that this was a man with a ruthless heart.

However, Cedric, although he was not satisfied with the visit of uninvited guests, invited them to dinner. In the room, military and hunting weapons were hung on the walls, the whole interior must have an imprint of that rough simplicity of the Saxon era, which Cedric loved and was proud of so much. From the face of the owner of the castle it was clear that he was sincere, but incendiary and quick luck. He was a man of medium height, broad-shouldered, long-armed, and strong, like a man accustomed to the hardships of hunting or war.

Summary of "Ivanhoe" Chapter 4

The host warned the late visitors that they should speak to them in Saxon, because he considered it his duty to communicate in the language of his ancestors. The appearance of Lady Rowena in the hall made a great impression on the knight Boisguillebert. Despite the warning of his guardian, Briand where Boisguillebert did not take his eyes off the magical Saxon.

Rowena was tall and very slender, had clear blue eyes under thick dark eyebrows and luxurious chestnut-blond hair, fancifully curled into numerous boucles. As soon as Rowena noticed how hotly the knight was looking at her, she immediately covered her face with a veil.

Prior invited the beautiful girl with her guardian to the tournament, which should take place soon.

“Not yet decided,” Cedric replied, “we will go there at all. I do not like these vain holidays, which were unknown to my ancestors in those days when England was free.

“At least let me hope,” said the prior, “that with us it will be easier for you to decide to go there, and when the roads are now so dangerous, you should not refuse the company of Sir Briand where Boisguillebert is.

- Priore, - answered Sax, - while still traveling our country, I did not resort to outside help, relying only on my good sword of faithful servants.

The conversation was interrupted by the goalkeeper, who appeared to report that some stranger at the gate was asking to be let in and accepted.

Summary of "Ivanhoe" Chapter 5

This stranger was a Jew named Isaac from York, and although the abbot and whether - the king - the templar were outraged that they might be in the same company with an unfaithful Jew, Cedric ordered the traveler to be admitted, as the custom of hospitality dictates.

Isaac turned out to be a tall, thin old man with regular features; aquiline nose, sharp black eyes, tall, wrinkled forehead, long gray hair and beard made a good impression. However, none of the guests for a long time did not want to give him a seat, until one pilgrim offered to sit next to him.

The conversation gradually turned to questions of the military prowess of the Saxons which they had discovered in the Holy Land, and the pilgrim remarked that the English knights were not inferior to any of those who had fought for the Holy Land. He saw how King Richard himself and five of his knights, in the tournament after the conquest of Saint-Jean-d'Acre, challenged their opponents to battle, and how that day each of those knights went out to the duel three times and threw three opponents down.

August Briand where Boisguillebert objected that only one knight threw him down from his horse, and this allegedly happened due to a simple case and the imprudence of his horse: it was the knight Ivanhoe. Of all the six knights, according to his age, he received the greatest fame in the tournament.

Defending the honor of Ivanhoe, the pilgrim offered a particle of the holy cross from the monastery of Mount Carmel as a pledge that when the knight Ivanhoe returns from the four seas to Britain, he is obliged to accept the challenge of Briand where Boisguillebert. Everyone took off their hats before the relic. But the templar took no notice of her. He removed the golden chain from his neck and, throwing it on the table, said:

“Let Prior Aymer keep my bail, along with that of this unknown passer-by…

Summary of "Ivanhoe" Chapter 6

When dinner was over, the pilgrim was stopped in the hallway by Lady Rowena's maid, who said in an authoritative tone that her lady wanted to speak to him. The pilgrim agreed silently, without objecting, and soon already told the noble girl everything he knew about the fate of her beloved knight Ivanhoe, who allegedly escaped from the persecution of his enemies in Palestine and returned to England. “God grant,” said Lady Rowena, “that he reach us alive and well and be able to take up arms in the upcoming tournament, where all the knights of the country must show their strength and military dexterity. If Adelstan Koningzburzky receives an award, then Ivanhoe, returning to England, will hear unpleasant news. Lady Rowena spoke of the man to whom she was betrothed at the behest of her guardian, and whom she loved because her heart was Ivanhoe's.

The happily saved Jew Isaac wanted to thank the mysterious pilgrim. He guessed that therefore a horse and weapons were needed, because under the appearance of a poor traveler were hidden a knight's chain and golden spurs that flashed when he bent over the bed in the morning. Isaac told the pilgrim to turn to the rich Jew Kirjaf Jarem from Lombardy, who lived in the city of Leicester, and get weapons and a horse from him.

The condition of the English people in those times about which the story is being told was difficult. King Richard was held captive by the unfaithful and cruel Duke of Austria. Even the place of Richard's imprisonment was not known; most of his subjects did not know anything about their king.

King Richard's brother Prince John, in alliance with Philip of France, Richard's mortal enemy, used all his influence with the Duke of Austria to continue this captivity, because he hoped to win the royal crown himself and become the rightful heir. Frivolous, depraved and treacherous, John managed to win over not only those who feared Richard's wrath for the atrocities committed during his absence, but also numerous adventurers who, returning from the Crusades to their homeland, hoped to enrich themselves due to the disorder in state.

In addition, many robbers from the poorest strata of the population united in huge detachments and reigned in the forests and wastelands, punishing their exploiters with weapons for the offenses they had caused. The barons themselves, having made each of their castles something like a fortress, became at the head of detachments no less lawless and just as dangerous as the packs of zealous robbers. And besides, a dangerous epidemic spread in the country, which was gaining momentum due to the terrible living conditions of the poor.

Despite all this, almost the entire population took part in the tournament, which was held at Ashby, in the county of Leicester. Glorious knights must come there; They thought that Prince John himself would be there. Huge crowds of people of various ranks hurried the intended morning to the place of knightly competitions. Here, the name of the most privativish woman, the queen of love and beauty, is also to be determined. But no one could guess the name of the one who was destined to be queen.

Old Isaac appeared at the tournament with his daughter Rebecca, and again no one wanted to give up their place. The dispute was noticed by Prince John, who, in a luxurious red robe embroidered with gold, with a falcon on his arm, led his cheerful company, going around the arena on a gray fast. He immediately recognized the Jew, and Rebechchin's beauty aroused even greater interest in him.

Who is sitting up there? - The prince said, looking at the gallery. - Saxon men? Down with them! Let them make room and make room for the Jew and his good daughter!

Those sitting in the gallery and to whom this insulting, rude speech was addressed were the family of Cedric-Sachs and his friend and relative Adelstan Koningsburzky, who was of noble birth, but had an indecisive and sluggish character, and therefore did not immediately draw his weapon when de Bracy pointed at him a spear. But Mr. Cedric, as resolute as his sluggish comrade was, with lightning speed pulled out a short sword and cut the tip from the shaft with one blow. Prince John's face flushed with anger, but he was forced to retreat. He bent down from his horse, tore off the bag from Isaac's belt, tossed Wamba a few gold pieces and rode further down the arena to thunderous applause from the audience, who greeted him as he had done an honest, noble deed.

The tournament has begun. According to the rules, the five knights who challenged were obliged to fight all opponents. Each knight who wanted to fight was given the right to choose his opponent from those that were called by touching his shield. In addition, when the knights were present to fulfill their duties, that is, each of them would break five spears, then the prince had the right to proclaim the winner of the first day of the tournament. Finally, it was announced that the next day there would be a general tournament and all the knights present could take part in it. Then the knight, whom the prince will declare the winner of this other day, the queen of beauty and love will crown with a wreath of gold plates like a laurel crown. The next day, the knightly competitions will end, then the performance of archers, bullfights and other folk entertainment will take place.

The knights who called out came out of their tents, mounted their horses, and, led by Briand where Boisguillebert and Malvoisin Frons de Boeuf, rode towards them. They remained victorious in numerous fights. Cedric-Sachs was especially outraged by this: in every victory of the Norman knights, they called, he saw an enemy triumph over the glory of England. Cedric wanted Adelstana to defend the Saxon honor, but he was too sluggish and unambitious, he did not dare to attempt, which Cedric expected from him.

No one broke the pauses during the tournament; only occasionally were the cries of the heralds heard:

- Love to women! Death to spades! Come forth, brave knights! The eyes of beauties look at your exploits.

For quite a long time, no one hesitated to continue the duel, and the people had already begun to complain about the spoiled holiday, suddenly the sound of a lonely trumpet was heard from the north side, calling for a fight. The new fighter, as could be judged from his fully armored figure, was slightly above average height and not very strong build. He had steel armor richly carved with gold, and for the motto on his shield was a young oak, uprooted, with the inscription: "Deprived of Inheritance".

The knight hit hard with the tip of the spear on the shield of Briand where Boisguillebert. There was a loud blow. Everyone was surprised by this self-confidence, and most of all - the formidable knight himself, who was thus called to a mortal duel.

Have you atoned for your sins, my brother? The templar asked, "and listened to mass this morning before risking his life so desperately?"

“I am better prepared for death than you,” the knight replied.

As soon as the trumpets gave a signal, the knights met each other, their spears were broken to the very handles, and the girth of the saddle broke in the templars, and he flew off his horse to the ground. Enraged, Boisguillebert drew his sword and rushed at the winner, but the marshals of the tournament parted the opponents.

“I hope,” the templar said, glaring at his opponent, that we will meet again where no one can interfere with us.

“If we do not meet,” answered the Disinherited, “it will therefore not be my fault. On foot or on horseback, with spears, axes or swords, I am always ready to fight you.

Without dismounting from his horse, the winner asked for a glass of wine and, throwing back his visor, announced that he was drinking "for the health of all true Englishmen, for the death of foreign tyrants".

In the following fights, the Disinherited defeated the giant Fron de Boeuf, Sir Philippe Malvoisin, where the Grand - mekhil and Ralph de Vipon.

William de Uyvil and Stephen Matival, marshals of the tournament, were the first to vindicate the winner, at the same time asking him to remove his helmet or at least raise his visor before approaching Prince John, who was to crown him with the award for victory. The Disinherited denied their request, saying that he could not show his face for the reason he told the herald before entering the arena. The answer completely satisfied the marshals, because between the bizarre vows of knights there was often a promise to remain unknown for a while or until a certain feat was completed.

John was very interested in the mystery of the stranger; in addition, he was dissatisfied with the consequences of the tournament, where his beloved knights suffered one defeat after another from the same opponent.

“It is our will,” replied John, “that the Disinherited wait for someone to guess his name and rank, even if he has to sit up to night, and then he will not catch a cold after such work.

Many of those present whispered that perhaps it was the king, Richard the Lionheart himself.

“God,” said the prince, and turned as pale as a dead man. He was very excited and frightened, but the Disinherited Knight did not utter a word in response to the prince's greeting and limited himself to a respectful bow.

In the end, slowly and deftly tilting the tip of the spear, he lowered the crown to the feet of the beautiful Rowena. Trumpets immediately blew, the heralds proclaimed Lady Rowena the queen of beauty and love. However, both the winner of the tournament and the beauty queen he chose refused to attend Prince John's feast, which also angered him quite a lot.

After the tournament ended, the Disinherited Knight took only half of the sum of money assigned to him for the weapons and horses of the vanquished, distributing the rest. Djuru Briand where Boisguillebert he asked to tell his master that their fight is not over yet and will not end until they fight in mortal combat.

He further ordered Gourdes, who played the role of his squire, to take a bag of gold and take it to Ashby in order to pay the Jew Isaac of York for the horse and weapons borrowed. So, it became clear that the mysterious disinherited knight and the pilgrim who asked for asylum in the house of Cedric-Sachs were one person.

Isaac with his daughter and servants lived in a rich friend's house outside the city, near the village of Ashby. The old Jew took eighty sequins for his horse and weapons, and his daughter Rebecca, secretly summoning Gourdo to her chambers, gave him another hundred sequins. However, the swineherd's joy at such unexpected good fortune was short-lived...

Gourdes had just gone out of the city, when suddenly four men, two from each side of the road, attacked him and seized him tightly.

- Come on, what are you talking about! one of them exclaimed. We are benefactors, we free everyone from weight.

The swineherd invited them to take his personal thirty sequins, leaving his master's money. When the outlaws learned that he served the Knight Deprived of Legacy, who covered himself with glory at the tournament at Ashby, they decided not to take his money. Taking advantage of the fact that the attackers were counting the money, Gurd snatched the stick from one of them, knocked down the leader, who was unaware of his intention, and almost grabbed the bag and his treasures. But the robbers turned out to be too dexterous - they grabbed the bag and Gurdo again. The ringleader ordered Gurd to fight with one of the robbers to prove his dexterity.

Both fighters, equally armed with sticks, went to the middle of the clearing. For several minutes they showed the same strength, courage and dexterity, until Gurd did not hit the enemy with might and main on the head, so that he stretched himself to his full height on the grass ...

“Now go, boy, wherever you need to go,” said the leader, addressing Gurdo with the consent of everyone. - I will give you two comrades, they will lead you to your tent and protect you from night vagabonds, but do not try to find out who we are, otherwise you will not escape trouble.

The next day, the next fights were to take place. According to the charter, the knight Deprived of Inheritance was to be at the head of one party, and Briand where Boisguillebert, recognized the day before at the second after the winner of the warrior, was to be at the head of another.

Prince John arrived with his retinue, Cedric arrived at the same time - Sax with Lady Rowena, but without Adelstan, who decided to participate in the competition and, to Cedric's surprise, joined the party of templars.

Adelstan hid the main reason that forced him to accept Briand where Boisguillebert was in the party. He was too sluggish of character to woo Lady Rowena himself, and yet he felt the spell of beauty on himself and considered their marriage a matter decided, since Cedric and his friends would be glad if it happened. Therefore, he was hostile to the winner, that on the eve he honored Lady Rowena by choosing her queen.

According to the tournament rules of this day, the battle must take place on sharpened swords and sharp peaks. Given this, the knights were forbidden to stab with swords, they only had the right to beat. It was allowed to use maces or axes at will, but the dagger was forbidden. Opponents fought furiously, and happiness passed from one to the other. The leaders fought surprisingly fearlessly. Neither Briand where Boisguillebert, nor the knight Deprived of Inheritance could find among the opponents a warrior equal to each of them in strength. Inflamed by mutual enmity, they constantly tried to collide with each other, knowing full well that when one of them was overcome, it would mean victory.

Finally, the squad of the knight of the Deprived of Legacy began to lose the case. The huge Fron de Befova hand on the one hand and the heavy blows of Adelstan on the second destroyed and swept away all the obstacles that appeared in front of them. Turning their horses in a moment, they charged at the Knight of the Disinherited, Norman on one side, the Saxon on the other. The Knight of the Disinherited was saved by the unanimous warning from the onlookers:

“Beware, beware, Disinherited Knight!” — Heard from everywhere.

But at that time, an unexpected event occurred - a knight in black armor, on a huge black horse, strong and powerful in appearance, still hardly participated in the battle, for which he received the nickname "Black Lazy" from the audience, suddenly intervened in the battle.

Burying his spurs into his still quite fresh horse, he rushed to the aid of the leader, shouting in a thunderous voice: “Deprived of Inheritance, I go to the rescue! » . He made it just in time - another minute, and it would have been too late, because while the Knight Disinherited fought with the Templars, Fron de Boeuf rushed at him with his sword raised. But Black Sloth got ahead of him, hitting his opponent on the head, and Front de Boeuf fell. Then the Black Knight turned his horse towards Adelstan Koningsburzky, and since his sword was gutted in a fight with Fron de Boeuf, he tore the ax from the velvet's hand. He, as a person who is well acquainted with this weapon, hit Adelstan on the helmet so much that he fell unconscious into the arena.

Briand where Boisguillebert, having fallen into the arena, got entangled in the stirrup, from which he could not free his foot. His opponent jumped from his horse to the ground, raised his formidable sword over his head and ordered him to show himself - but at that moment Prince John threw down his rod and thus stopped the battle in order to save Briand where Boisguillebert from shame to admit defeat.

Prince John now had to name the knight who distinguished himself the most, and he decided that the glory of this day belonged to the Black Sloth. But, to the surprise of all those present, this knight could not be found anywhere, as he fell through the ground. Prince John, having no reason to refuse the Disinherited Knight, declared him the hero of the day.

However, even during the award ceremony, the knight did not want to reveal his face. However, in a heavy battle, he was wounded, and therefore could not resist when the marshals, despite his words, removed the helmet, cutting the straps and unfastening the armored collar. As soon as the helmet was removed, everyone saw the good, albeit sun-tanned features of a twenty-five-year-old youth with thick blond curls. His face was as pale as death, and where-where stained with blood.

As soon as she looked at him, Lady Rowena let out a low cry, but immediately she regained control of herself and performed her duty with difficulty, although she was trembling all over, then she suddenly became very agitated. She placed a brilliant crown on the conqueror's bowed head and said loudly and clearly:

- I crown you, knight, with this crown for courage, I give you this award, awarded today to the winner.

- Never crowned a knightly crown more worthy!

The knight bowed his head and kissed the hand of the beautiful queen, rewarded his courage, and then, leaning forward, fell unconscious at her feet.

Everyone was confused by what had happened, Cedric, amazed at how suddenly his exiled son appeared before him, rushed to him, wanted to stand between him and Lady Rowena. But this has already been done by the marshals of the tournament. Guessing how Ivanhoe fell unconscious, they hurried to remove his armor and saw that the tip of the spear, breaking through the breastplate, wounded him to the side.

No sooner had Ivanhoe's name been uttered than it passed from mouth to mouth extremely quickly. Soon it came to the prince too, and his face darkened when he heard it.

“Yes,” answered Waldemar Fitzurz, “it seems that this brave knight is ready to claim back the castle and estates that Richard gave him, and through the generosity of your highness they came to Fron de Bethovie.

“Fron de Boeuf is a man,” said the prince, “who would rather take three castles like Ivanhoe for himself than agree to return even one of them.

Those close to the prince spoke of Lady Rowena's sadness, which she tried to hide when she saw the motionless body of Avengo at her feet.

“We will try to console her sadness,” said Prince John, “and grant her ancestral nobility by marrying Norman.” She seems to be a minor, and therefore her marriage depends on our royal will. What do you say, de Bracy? Is it not to your liking to obtain estates with all income by marrying a Saxon, following the example of the Conqueror's comrades?

“If I like estates with revenues, my lord,” answered de Bracy, “then, perhaps, what would I not like a bride?”

At the end of the day, there was a shooting competition, which was won by a peasant named Locksley. He did not accept the offer of Prince John to enter his service, because he swore never to enter the service of anyone but King Richard.

On the occasion of the end of the tournament, Prince John ordered a sumptuous feast to be prepared at Ashby Castle. The castle and town of Ashby then belonged to Roger de Quincey, Earl of Winchester, who at that time was in Palestine. Prince John seized his castle and, without hesitation, hosted in his possessions. The prince's servants, who acted on such occasions on behalf of the king, completely battered the whole country around and took away everything that, in their opinion, was worthy of their master's table.

Cedric and Adelstana came to visit the prince, and he received them very politely, not at all, it seemed, not annoyed when Cedric said that Rowena was not feeling well and therefore could not take advantage of the prince's affectionate invitation.

There was a lively conversation around the table filled with food. The guests talked about the details of the past tournament, about the unknown winner in crossbow shooting, about the Black Knight, who so selflessly avoided a well-deserved reward, and about the brave Ivanhoe, who bought himself a victory for such a high price. Prince John had a gloomy look - he seemed to be very worried about something. Suddenly he said:

- We drink this glass for the health of Wilfried Ivanhoe, the winner of today's competition. We regret that the injury did not allow him to be at our table. Drink, guests, especially you, Cedric Rodervudsky, the respected father of this distinguished knight.

"No, my lord," Cedric replied, standing up and placing his unbearable glass on the table. “I cannot call a disobedient young man a son, he went against my will and forgot the customs of his ancestors. He left my house against my will and my order - our ancestors called this disobedience, and they punished such actions as the gravest crime.

“It seems,” said the prince after a pause, “the brother should have given his favorite a rich estate.

- He gave this Ivanhoe estate, - answered Cedric, - this is precisely the main reason for my quarrel with my son. He agreed to accept, as a feudal vassal, the very land that once belonged to his ancestors, as free and independent rulers.

“Then you, respected Cedric, would perhaps willingly agree that this estate should pass to a person whose dignity will not be harmed by the fact that she accepts the fief of the British crown?” Reginald Fron de Boefe," added the prince, addressing the baron. “I hope you protect the beautiful barony of Ivanhove so well that Sir Wilfried does NOT rot his father by receiving this fief second.”

After these dismissive words of the prince, each courtier, in turn following his example, with a sly smile, tried to throw some kind of joke at Cedric's address.

However, the proud Saxon takes revenge on all his offenders by toasting the health of King Richard the Lionheart. After that, he left the hall along with Adelstan. The other guests began to disperse as well, leaving Prince John irritated and frightened.

Waldemar Fitzurz tried to bring back together the accomplices of Prince John's conspiracy, arguing that if Richard returned, he would be alone, without companions, without friends. The bones of his brave army turn white in the sands of Palestine. Few of his supporters who have returned home, like Wilfrid of Ivanhoe, roam the world as skinned beggars. Fitzurz argued that a king like Prince John would be more beneficial to the nobility. This evidence has done its job. Most of the nobility agreed to appear at the gathering in York, where they must arrange for the crown to be placed on the head of John.

Late at night, Fitzurz returned to Ashby Castle - and met here with de Bracy, who initiated him into his plans to attack the Saxons and steal the beautiful Rowena from them.

“Well, if you really want to know,” said de Bracy, “the templars of Briand where Boisguillebert conceived the plan of theft. He will help me attack, and he, together with his companions, will play the role of a robber, and then, having changed clothes, I will free the beauty from imaginary thieves.

The knight who decided the fate of the tournament, the Black Sloth, left the arena immediately after the victory was finally determined. When he was called to present the award, he was nowhere to be found. Bypassing wide roads, he made his way through forest paths and soon reached the western Yorkshire district.

Soon he drove into a small clearing. Under the rock, clinging to it, stood a simple hut built right here in the forest. The cracks were plugged with moss and clay to somehow protect the house from bad weather.

There the knight met a hermit, who was called kopmen - a Herst cleric. The monk offered him a modest dinner, and then a barrel of wine. When the “holy” father showed the guest the weapon hidden in the closet, he became convinced that its owner was not quite the one he claims to be.

So the Black Sloth and the hermit helped themselves, played the harp and sang not quite pious songs, becoming more and more cheerful and unstoppable, when suddenly someone interrupted their feast, slamming hard on the door of the house ...

Only Cedric - Sax saw that his son fell unconscious in the arena at Ashby, his first desire was to order his servants to help Ivanhoe and watch him - but the word did not escape his lips: he disowned his disobedient son and disinherited him, Cedric did not dare to publicly carry out his first impulses. He only ordered Oswald to look after his son, and then, accompanied by two servants, deliver Ivanhoe, when the crowd dispersed, to Ashby. However, Oswald was ahead of them: the crowd, however, dispersed, and the knight disappeared with it.

Looking for Ivanhoe, Oswald only learned from the people he met that the knight was picked up by well-dressed servants, put on a stretcher by one of the ladies present, and immediately carried out of the crowd.

Let him go where he pleases! Cedric said. “Let those who caused him to be wounded treat his wounds!”

Later, after an obscene reception at Prince John's, the Saxon gentlemen went to supper with Abbot Wilthoff, who, himself from an old Saxon family, received the guests very affectionately, and they sat at the table until late, or rather, by the morning hour - and the next morning left the house of their hospitable host only after a good breakfast.

When the riders were leaving the monastery courtyard, an insignificant incident occurred, and it confused the Saxons a lot, they were very superstitious and superstitious: a thin black dog, sitting on its hind legs, howled plaintively when the front horsemen rode out of the fence, and then, barking wildly and jumping on the sides, ran to the travelers.

Cedric recognized Gurdo's dog Fangs and threw a dart at him. This angered the swineherd, who was already in disfavor with his master for running away from the castle to help the knight Ivanhoe in the tournament. Gurd even told Wamba that he refused to serve Cedric from now on.

“Let him throw it at me,” Gurd said indignantly, “I don’t care! Yesterday he left Wilfrid, my young master, to lie in the blood, and today he wanted to kill before my eyes the only living creature that had never fondled me. I swear I will never forgive him for this.

The offended swineherd again fell into a gloomy silence, and no matter how hard the jester tried to talk to him, all his attempts were in vain.

Having reached the forest, the travelers entered its thicket, which was very dangerous in those days through numerous detachments of freemen, consisting of people of the lower stratum. Leaving the forest, the travelers suddenly heard cries for help. When they reached the place where they could be heard, they were surprised to see a horse-drawn stretcher thrown to the ground; next to them sat a young girl, richly dressed in Jewish fashion, and some old Jew ran to and fro, begging for help.

Recovering from his horror, Isaac with York (it was he) told Adelstan and Cedric that he hired six people from Ashby to guard and donkeys to transport a sick friend. The guides agreed to accompany him to Doncaster. They reached this place safe and sound, but, frightened by the freemen, the guides not only fled, but also took away the donkeys, leaving the Jew with the daughter of fate, under the threat of being robbed and killed by a gang of robbers. Adelstana wanted to refuse to help those they met, but Rebecca persuaded Lady Rowena to help not so much themselves, but because of the wounded man they were carrying with them, without indicating, however, who this wounded was.

When they all together went further and ended up in the gorge, they were suddenly attacked, captured. Only Gurd, who had previously fled into the thicket of the forest, and Wamba, who snatched the sword from the hands of one of the attackers, managed to avoid this. Having met in the forest, they decided to go together to save Cedric and others, suddenly a third person ordered them to stop. Wamba recognized in the stranger Loxley - a peasant, under unfavorable conditions he received the award of the winner in shooting from a crossbow. Locksley promised to assemble a detachment so that Mr. Cedric and the rest of the prisoners were vizovlit.

Arriving at the forest brethren, Locksley ordered to start shadowing the attackers who were leading the prisoners to Torquilston, the castle of Fron de Boefa, and he himself, together with Gourd and Wamba, went further to the Kopmengerst chapel. Happy songs were heard from the hermit's cell. Locksley and the servants of Thane Cedric told the cleric and the knight about the unfortunate incident, and they assured that they would help save the captives

- It is unlikely that you will find someone, - said the knight, - to whom England and the life of every Englishman were as dear as to me.

While measures were being taken to save Cedric and his companions, the armed men who had captured them hurried to take the prisoners to a safe place to keep prisoners there. Khramovikov agreed with de Bracy that he should play the role of the liberator of Lady Rowena, and admitted that he liked the beautiful Jewess Rebecca much more.

During this conversation, Cedric made attempts to find out from his watchmen who had taken them prisoner and for what purpose, but these attempts were in vain. They hurried on, until at the end of an avenue of tall trees appeared in front of them Torquilston, the ancient castle of Reginald Fron de Boeuf, overgrown with gray moss. It was a small fortress, consisting of a huge high tower surrounded by buildings below it, with a circular courtyard inside.

Lady Rowena was separated from her retinue and politely escorted, without asking if she agreed, to a remote part of the castle. They did the same with Rebecca, despite all the pleas of her father, he even offered money to just leave them together.

The butler didn't say a word, only nodded his head.

“Tell Sir Reginald Fron de Bethovie,” added Adelstana, “that I challenge him to mortal combat and invite him to fight me.”

“I will convey your challenge to the knight,” the butler replied. The attention of all was attracted by the sound of a horn, heard at the gates of the castle.

In addition to the Saxon masters, Isaac from York was also in the castle. The poor man was immediately thrown into one of the underground prisons. So he sat for a good 3:00 when he heard someone coming up the stairs to the dungeon. The bolts rattled, the hinges creaked, and Reginald Fron de Boeuf entered the prison, accompanied by two Saracens, captive templars. The baron began to threaten the Jew with reprisal if he did not pay him a thousand pounds in silver.

Isaac was about to agree to this when Frons de Boeuf, with a look of mock surprise, said that he had given his daughter Rebecca for a maid to Sir Briand where Boisguillebert.

- Robber, murderer! Isaac exclaimed, returning the images to his oppressor with a fury that he could no longer appease. “I won’t pay you anything, I won’t pay a single silver penny until you give me your daughter whole and untouched!”

Isaac was saved from immediate torture only by the sound of a horn that came from the courtyard, which forced his tormentor to leave the dungeon.

About noon, de Bracy came to Lady Rowena's room to carry out his intention to ask for her hand, and with it to receive Monsieur Cedric's estate. However, the proud girl reacted dismissively to courtship, reproaching him for his behavior unworthy of a knight. Out of annoyance, de Bracy must resort to blackmail: telling Lady Rowena that the unknown wounded, whom Isaac and Rebecca were carrying with them, was Ivanhoe, he invited her to agree to his proposal, saving the life of her beloved.

In response to this, Rowena burst into tears so hard that she touched even the cruel heart of de Bracy. Excited by these thoughts, he could only ask poor Rowena to calm down and assured that she had no reason to be so hurt, but his words were interrupted by the sharp sound of the horn, disturbing the other inhabitants of the castle along with it.

While the scenes described were taking place in other parts of the castle, Isaac's daughter Rebecca waited in a distant lonely tower, how her fate would be decided. There she saw some old woman, muttering a Saxon song under her breath.

The old one, who called herself Urfrida, told the girl her sad story. She was young and beautiful when Frons de Boeuf, Reginald's father, laid siege to this castle, which belonged to her father. A father and seven sons defended their legacy floor by floor, room by room. There was not a single place on the floor, not a single step on the stairs, which they would not water with their blood. They all died to the last, and the girl became the prey of the winner. Urfrida predicted such a fate for Rebecca.

As Rebecca prepared herself to face the danger calmly, however, she trembled all over when the knight of the templars Briyan where Boisguillebert entered the room. Swearing on the cross, he began to confess his love to the girl, saying that he was betrayed before by a woman, he gave his life to serve in the order. However, the beauty and character of Rebecca so impressed him that he saw in her a kindred spirit for his ambitious plans. The words of the knight greatly outraged Rebecca: although she was of a different religion, she considered such an attitude towards the shrine and sacred vows disgusting.

“I will divulge your crime, templars, to all of Europe,” said the proud girl. “I will take advantage of the superstition of your brothers if they refuse me their condolences. All the people of your order will know that you have sinned with a Jewish woman.

Saying this, she opened wide the lattice window overlooking the watchtower, and in an instant stood on the very edge of the rampart: nothing separated her from the terrible abyss. She was determined to fulfill her intention of committing suicide, but not to succumb to the persuasion of Boisguillebert.

“I will believe you, but only so much,” said Rebecca, and she stepped off the edge of the rampart and clung to one of the loopholes. "I'll stay here, you stay where you are..."

Fearing that the girl would commit suicide, Briand where Boisguillebert left the room, and Rebecca began to pray for her salvation and the name of the wounded Christian sounded in her prayer.

When the templars entered the castle hall, de Bracy was already there.

“You must have received a rejection from a Jewess, just like me,” said de Bracy, “all this through the noise of these appeals.

Soon Fron de Boeuf appeared to them, forced to stop the torture of Isaac. On the way, he hesitated a little because he had to give orders.

“Let's see what is the cause of this accursed noise,” he said, “here is a letter and, if I am not mistaken, written in Saxon.

In a letter signed by Wamba, Gurd, Loxley and the Black Knight, it was required to immediately release Mr. Cedric, Adelstan, Lady Rowena and other Saxons captured with them: “If you do not fulfill these our requirements, we will declare you robbers and traitors and call you to fight in an open field, in a siege or in some other way, and we will make every effort to ruin and destroy you.

To this, the nobles replied that they had decided to execute the prisoners, and therefore the only thing their friends could do for them was to send a priest to the castle for the last confession.

A huge crowd of people gathered near the castle, consisted of forest freemen, Saxon residents of the neighboring district and Cedric's vassals and slaves, agreed to release the master, only some of them had real weapons - most were armed with rural weapons, only for lack of a better one used in war.

“I would like,” said the Black Knight, “one of us to sneak up to the castle and find out how the besieged are doing there.” And when they demand a confessor, then, in my opinion, our holy hermit could at the same time fulfill his pious duty and get us all the information we need.

However, the hermit refused to take on this role, and therefore Wamba should disguise himself as a priest, although he knew almost nothing either in Latin or in Norman.

When the jester in the Hermit's hood and robe, girded with knotted rope, approached the gates of the Front de Boeuf castle, the sentry asked who he was and what he wanted.

- Peace to you! The jester answered. “I am a poor brother of the order of St. Francis, and I have come here to set the hearts of the captives now imprisoned in the castle.

Having got to the prisoners, he invited Cedric to change into his clothes and leave the castle. Cedric and Adelstan argue for a long time to whom he should give his clothes in order to escape from prison, but the more determined Cedric finally accepted the jester's offer. Having changed clothes, he met Rebecca in the corridor, who tried to persuade him to visit the sick Ivanhoe. However, Cedric, forced to swim by a priest, quickly left the girl when unexpectedly old Urfrid called him to her room.

Urfrida immediately learned that the imaginary priest was a Saxon. She began to tell him her story, and Cedric was surprised to learn that this old ugly woman was Ulrika, daughter of the noble Sax, friend and comrade-in-arms of Father Torquil Wolfganger. Forced to live among the enemies and murderers of her family, she hated them with a mad hatred and tried to harm them all her life. She managed to make enemies of the old Front de Boeuf and his son, Reginald, and kindle this enmity until the tyrant died at the hands of his own son.

Cedric, disguised as a priest, managed to leave the castle unrecognized, although he was talking to Fron de Boeuf himself, who ordered him to hold off the advance of the "Saxon pigs" who were besieging the castle.

It wasn't until Cedric escaped happily that the deception was exposed. Fron de Boeuf demanded a Saxon ransom, and Adelstan promised to pay a ransom of a thousand marks for himself and his comrades. However, the barons and the templars wanted to leave Isaac with his daughter, the jester and Lady Rowena in the castle.

“Lady Rowena,” said Adelstana firmly, “the bride is engaged, and wild horses would rather tear me to pieces than I agree to leave her.” The same can be said about the slave Wamba.

The Saxon prisoners were taken out when the monk Ambrose was brought in, who said that the Zhorvosky prior had been taken prisoner. Looking at the besiegers who had gathered under the walls of the castle, de Bracy noted that at the head of the crowd was the one whom they called the Black Knight.

When Ivanhoe fell and everyone seemed to leave him, Rebecca, stubbornly begging her father, was able to persuade him to move the brave young man from the arena to a house in the suburb of Ashby, where the Jews temporarily settled.

Beautiful Rebecca knew how to heal well. She received her medical knowledge from an old Jewish woman, the daughter of a famous doctor, who fell in love with Rebecca as if she were her own child. The teacher herself was burned alive, but his secret knowledge remained alive in the mind of her skillful student. She nursed the wounded Ivanhoe, although she realized that he loved Rowena. The beautiful Jewess was fascinated by the courage of the young knight and his desire to stand up for the cause of King Richard and the native rights of the Saxons.

It was Ivanhoe who was on the stretcher when Cedric and his servants met Isaac and his daughter, abandoned by the guides. Together with the Saxon masters and his saviors, Ivanhoe was captured by the castle of Fron de Boefa. His name became known to de Bracy, and the honor of chivalry did not allow him to reveal the presence of Ivanhoe Fron de Befovie - then, of course, he would have killed the wounded man without any hesitation, tempted by the opportunity to get rid of the one whose flax he encroached on. In the event that they were asked, de Bracy ordered them to answer that they had used Lady Rowena's empty litter to transport one of their comrades who had been wounded in the fight. The warriors hurried to the place of battle and, thus, Urfrida began to look after Ivanhoe. But Urfrida, overcome by memories of long-standing grievances and dreaming of revenge, willingly transferred her duty to look after the sick Rebecca.

As soon as Rebecca saw Ivanhoe again, she was surprised to feel how warmly her heart rejoiced - while everything around them threatened them with danger, even death. Since a battle was already unfolding under the walls of the castle, the girl, worried that the knight would not be hurt by this, herself stood at the window to translate everything that was happening outside.

Arrows rained down like copious hail, but each of them seemed to be destined somewhere and did not miss. The Black Knight fought as the strength of up to twenty people passed into his hand. He overcame the giant Fron de Boeuf, and Ivanhoe exclaimed, referring to King Richard:

“And I thought that only one hand of England was capable of such feats!”

Finally, the besiegers broke the castle gates, although they could not take the bridge leading to the castle.

While, after the first success of the besiegers, one side was preparing to use their favorable position, and the other to strengthen their defenses, Boisguillebert and de Bracy met for a short meeting in the castle hall.

They realized that Fron de Boeuf was dying, and they were left without his support and superhuman strength, and therefore they assumed that de Bracy would take over the defense of the gate, and about twenty people from the templars would remain in reserve, ready to strike where the greatest danger threatens.

Meanwhile, the owner of the besieged castle, dying, lay on his bed. Through his agony, he heard a mysterious voice, and the figure of the one who had spoken to Fron de Boeuf appeared at his bedside. It was Ulrika, who yearned to avenge her murdered father and brothers and her ruined life. She set fire to the castle, leaving the terrible knight, abandoned by everyone, to die a terrible death.

Cedric did not really hope for Ulricina's promise to help the besiegers, and yet he informed the Black Knight and Loxley about her. They were glad that they had found a friend, a good hour might make it easier for them to get into the castle.

The Black Knight needed rest - he managed to use it to build a kind of floating bridge or a long raft, with which he hoped to cross over

moat, despite the resistance of enemies. It took some time to do this, and the ringleaders were NOT lamenting, because it gave Ulrici the opportunity to fulfill her promise of help, whatever it was.
The gates were opened for the besiegers, and Cedric and the Black Knight, under a cloud of stones and arrows, tried to lower the raft. At that moment, the besiegers noticed on the corner of the tower the red flag that Ulrika had mentioned to Cedric. Brave Loxley saw him first.
In the same way, the enemies noticed that the castle was on fire. The battle continued, and the besiegers managed to move further and further, despite the stones that flew from the walls. A bloody duel broke out between de Bracy and the Black Knight, and Norman surrendered to the mercy of the winner. He warned that Wilfried Ivanhoe was wounded and would die in the burning castle if not rescued immediately.

The fire grew wider, and soon signs of fire appeared in the room where Ivanhoe lay under the close care of the Rebecca. Everything was overshadowed by thick, suffocating smoke. The door to the room swung open and a templar appeared in a shiny, blood-drenched shell. He grabbed Rebecca and carried him out of the room - Ivanhoe could not stop him. Hearing the loud cries of Ivanhoe, his room was found by the Black Knight, who saved the young captive.
Most of the pledges resisted with all their might, only a few asked for mercy - and none received it. The air resounded with the scream and the clatter of weapons, the floor reddened with the blood of the dead and dying.
Amidst all this horror, Cedric was looking for Rowena, and the faithful Gurd followed him, making every effort to repel the blows directed at his master. Sachs was lucky to get to the room of his pupil at the very moment when she, despairing of her salvation, sat, horrified by her inevitable death. He instructed Gurd to escort her, safe and sound, to the front of the tower.
The proud Templar fought courageously, never taking his eyes off Rebecca, mounted on the horse of one of the Saracen slaves. Adelstan, who, noticing a female figure and thinking that it was Rowena and that the knight was carrying her by force, entered into battle with the Bois de Guilbert, but the templars turned out to be stronger and, having overcome their rival, accompanied by their people, left the battlefield. The rest, even after the templars disappeared, continued to fight desperately, not because they hoped for salvation, but because they had no hope of the mercy of the winners.
Filled with the joy of revenge, Ulrika found herself on the mountain of the tower, where she stood, waving her arms in frenzied delight. At last the tower collapsed with a terrible roar, and Ulrika perished in the flames, and devoured her enemy and executioner as well.

The forest freemen gathered at their tree in the Hertgil Forest. Here they stayed for the night, strengthening their forces after a heavy siege; some drank wine, some slept, others talked about their experiences and counted the booty. No one saw the Copmengerst cleric.
Cedric yearned for the noble Adelstan Koningsburzki. He also set free his faithful servant Gurdo, giving him a piece of land in his Valbergemsky possessions.
Here came the sound of horses, and soon Lady Rowena appeared on horseback, weary and pale, but there was, however, a hope for a better future on her face; she knew that Ivanhoe was in a safe place, and also that Adelstana had died.
Before leaving, Cedric expressed his special thanks to the Black Knight and earnestly asked him to come with him to Roderwood.
“Cedric has already enriched me,” replied the knight, “he has taught me the value of Saxon virtue.” I will be at Roderwoody, brave Saxons, and I will be fast, but now immediate business does not allow me to go to you.
The knight also released the captive de Bracy, and Locksley assured him that if he did not need help, he could get it under the forest brethren.
The Black Knight was not a little surprised to see the discipline and fairness in the division of the booty, and also the fact that the part intended for charitable causes was left untouched.
Subsequently, a hermit joined the group, who freed the Jew Isaac from the burning castle, and even later they brought the captive Prior Aimery Zhorvosky.

The community began to demand money from Isaac and the prior for release, and the Jew was forced to promise to pay the ransom for both of them. The old was indifferent to everything, because he thought that he had lost his beloved daughter Rebecca forever. But one of the freemen said that the beautiful Jewess was in the hands of Sir Briand where Boisguillebert, so the father should hurry to negotiate with the Templars, who loves the sparkle of chervonets no less than the fire of black eyes. The prior promised to write a letter from the knight - the templars with a request to give the girl for a ransom, which old Isaac is ready to pay.
The Black Knight, who followed all these scenes with great interest, also said goodbye to the leader. Involuntarily, he expressed his surprise to him that he had found such a good order among the free forest people.
“Here is my hand for you as a sign that I respect you,” he said to Loxleev.

There was a big feast at York Castle. Prince John invited to it those barons, prelates and leaders, with the help of whom he hoped to carry out his ambitious plans of a brother of the throne. The day after Torquilston was conquered, the dull news was heard in York that de Bracy and Boisguillebert, together with their accomplice Fron de Boeuf, had been captured or killed. Prince John was threatening to take revenge on the Saxons when de Bracy appeared in the hall, stained with the blood of a spurred horse and inflamed by his fast ride. He reported that the Templars had fled, and the Front de Boeuf was on fire, and worst of all, Richard in England and de Bracy saw firsthand. He was referring to the Black Knight who revealed his real name to him.
Prince John realized that the only way to save himself was to waylay his brother. Fitzurz took up the matter. In turn, Prince John ordered de Bracy, whom he did not trust completely, to keep a close eye on.

Isaac moved with York to the Temple Preceptory to free his daughter. But four miles to Templestow, he became completely exhausted and stopped at his friend, a Jewish rabbi, a very famous physician, Nathan Ben Israel. He informed Isaac that Luca de Beaumanoir himself, the chairman of the order of the Templars, who is called the Grand Master, was in Templestow.
He arrived in England unexpectedly for the crusaders and appeared among them, ready to correct and punish them with his strong, decisive hand, he is full of indignation against all who violated the vows of the order. Luca de Beaumanoir was known as a strict and just monk and at the same time a ruthless destroyer of the Saracens and a cruel tyrant of the Jews.
“Go,” said Nathan Ben Israel, “and may everything that you want in your heart come true.” But as much as you can, avoid meeting the Grand Master. If you're lucky enough to see Boisguillebert alone, you'll soon see him.
Isaac gave Luka where Bomanoir a letter from the Prior of Zhorvos, in which he told the story of the abduction of the daughter of an old Jew by Briyan where Boisguillebert and asked him to help free the girl for a ransom. The Grand Master was outraged that one of the best knights of his order fell victim to the temptation of love for an unfaithful Jewish woman, and his anger fell on the head of a girl who was known as a doctor who received her knowledge from the sorceress Mariam burned at the stake.
The chairman of the order of the Templars ordered the old Jew to be pushed out of the gate, threatening him with the fact that he would deal with the girl according to Christian laws, prescribing the punishment of sorceresses. Old Isaac, beside himself with grief, went to his friend Ben Israel, not knowing who to seek help from.

Albert Malvoisin, President or Preceptor of Templeton, was the brother of Philip Malvoisin; like this baron, he was sincerely friends with Briand where Boisguillebert. Meanwhile, he knew how to please the Grand Master and hoped that he would be able to save Rebecca's life. At first, the preceptor was on the side of the girl, because there were several Jewish doctors in the city, whom no one called magicians, although they surprisingly treated people.
However, the Grand Master undertook to destroy the Jewess, so that her death would be a purifying sacrifice, sufficient to redeem all the love affairs of the knights of the order, and neither the priest nor Boisguillebert was able to convince him.
Finally, Malvoisin decided that it would be better if this pathetic girl died than perish for the brotherhood of Briand where Boisguillebert.
Before the trial began, Rebecca, as she entered the courtroom, was thrust into her hand with a piece of paper. She took it almost unconsciously and held it in her hands without reading what was in it. But the confidence that she was second in this terrible place gave her courage in a difficult situation.

The court convened to convict Rebecca sat on the porch at the end of the hall, just opposite the entrance. The meeting was very solemn and intimidating.
The Grand Master accused Rebecca of clouding the mind of the best knight of the Templar order. Turning to those present with a question, what can they say about the life and deeds of the accused, he called the peasant, who was treated by the girl. However, his testimony was of no help.
“So, Gige, son of Snell,” said the Grand Master, “I tell you, it’s better to remain a paralytic than to use medicines from the hands of infidels and get out of bed and walk through them.
Other witnesses claimed that Rebecca, while in the castle with Bois-Gulbert, turned into a white as milk swan and in this form flew around Torquilston Castle three times, and then sat down on the tower again, turning to a woman.
Although the appearance of the girl and her mild demeanor pleasantly struck all those present and aroused their sympathy, there was nothing to object to these remarks.
Even Boisguillebert could not say anything, he only said, looking at Rebecca:
- Bundle... Bundle...
Rebecca, lowering her eyes to the strip of parchment left in her hand, read what was written on it in Arabic letters: "Demand a duel." According to ancient laws, one of the knights could stand up for the honor of a girl by accepting a challenge to a duel, and thus save her life.
“Impossible,” said Rebecca, “that in merry England—a living room, noble, free, where so many people are willing to risk their lives for the sake of honor—there would not be anyone who would go out to fight for justice. But not only do I demand a trial - a duel: here is my pledge.
And the girl, having removed the embroidered glove from her hand, threw it at the feet of the master with such an arrogant expression on her face, aroused universal sympathy and surprise.

Even Luca Beaumanoir was touched by the sight of Rebecca.
He instructed Boisguillebert to courageously go out to fight, and gave Rebecca three days to find a fighter. The girl must find a messenger who would inform her father about the plight. Snell son of Gig, who was treated by a Jew, volunteered to fulfill her order. He gave Isaac a letter from his daughter, in which she asked that the knight Ivanhoe defend her life in a duel, and the old Jew, without delay, went in search of Cedric's son.

On the evening of the day the trial ended, someone knocked lightly on the door of the room where Rebecca was imprisoned.
It was Briand where Boisguillebert, who did not lose hope once again to explain himself to the girl. He convinced her that he would not have been able to find a knight by old Isaac, he would still be defeated by him, Boisguillebert, and then Rebecca would die a slow and cruel death in agony. If he himself refuses to fight with the defender of the Jewess, he will be declared dishonored and confounded by a knight convicted of witchcraft and conspiracy with the infidels. However, he is ready to lose his big name if Rebecca agrees to be with him. Then they could flee to Palestine and there carry out the ambitious designs of the Templars. However, the girl rejected all Boisguillebert's proposals, forcing him to leave, full of money and at the same time determined to appear for a duel.

The Black Knight, parting from the noble Loxley, moved in a simple way to the priory of St. Botolph, one neighboring monastery, of insignificant territory and income. After the castle was taken, Ivanhoe was transferred there guarded by Gurdo and Wambas. The meeting between Ivanhoe and his savior was very touching. But the Black Knight, apparently, could not hesitate.
Suddenly, three arrows flew out of the forest thicket, and a battle broke out, in which Locksley and his yeomen took part. They quickly finished off the robbers. All of them died on the spot, killed or mortally wounded. The Black Knight thanked his saviors with a grandeur that had never been seen before in his demeanor: back then he carried himself like an ordinary brave man, and not like a person of high rank.
Taking off the helmet from one of the attackers, he was surprised to recognize Waldemar Fitzurz, who was carrying out the shameful commission of Prince John. However, the Black Knight gave Fitzurzovi life, ordering him to leave England within three days and never remember that the king's brother ordered him to be captured in an insidious way. Here the knight revealed his real name to all the brethren, recognizing that he was King Richard of England.
In response, Locksley also revealed that he was the king of the forest freemen - Robin Hood of Sherwood Forests.
The appearance of new riders attracted the attention of all those present.

It was Wilfried Ivanhoe who arrived on the horse of the prior of Botolph, and Gourdes, who was accompanied by him on the war horse of the knight himself. Ivanhoe was infinitely surprised to see on the small lawn where the battle used to be, his owner, polluted with blood, and around him six or seven corpses.
A feast was arranged in the clearing, which was only stopped when Robin Hood ordered the horn to be blown, which Richard mistook for Malvoisin. He did this to put an end to the drinking that was taking hours away from the king for serious business.
And although at first Richard was angry, then he recognized the rights of the king of the forest freemen and set off. The king, accompanied by Ivanhoe, Gourdo and Wamba, without any obstacles, reached the Koningsburgh castle before the sun disappeared below the horizon. It was in the castle that they fit into the funeral dinner for the deceased Sir Adelstan.
Cedric, seeing Richard (whom he knew only as the brave Black Knight), rose with dignity, and greeted him as was his custom with, “How are you? , while raising your glass. The king was familiar with the customs of his English subjects, he, answering the greeting, said: "I drink to health" and drank from the glass served to him by the butler.
Ivanhoe was also politely greeted, silently answering his father's greeting with a bow, replacing the usual words for this occasion so that he would not be recognized by his voice.
In another room they saw about twenty Saxon girls, led by Ners, who were embroidering and weaving wreaths.
Rowena greeted her savior with dignity and tenderness. Her expression was serious, but not sad, and someone thought she missed Ivanhoe more, not knowing anything about his fate, than for Adelstan, whom everyone considered dead.
King Richard turned to Cedric, asking him to make peace with his son Ivanhoe and return his parental love to him. As soon as the words were uttered, the door opened wide, and Adelstana, dressed in a shroud, appeared before them, pale, with a bewildered look, like a dead man, emerging from the grave.
When those present recovered from his appearance, Adelstan told his amazing story: in a fierce fight, the blade of Boisguillebert hit him flat and was reflected by the shaft of a good stick. When Adelstana woke up, he saw himself in a coffin - fortunately, open - in front of the altar of the Sentedmund church. Monks-rascals put him in the prison of this accursed monastery, but the knight managed to escape and get to his own wake in Cedric's castle.
“And my pupil Rowena,” Cedric asked, “I hope you don’t intend to leave her?”
“Father to Cedric,” said Adelstana, “be prudent. Lady Roweni is of no concern to me... Wilfried's little finger is dearer to her than my whole personality. Here, brother Wilfried Ivanhoe, I refuse you and renounce ... Saint Denstane! But brother Wilfried has disappeared!
Everyone looked around and asked about Ivanhoe, but no one saw him. Finally, they learned that a Jew had come to him, and after a short conversation with him, he found Gurdo, his weapons and armor, and left the castle.

The hour that was to decide Rebechchina's fate was approaching. The convict was pale, and even the most ardent hearts sank with sympathy for her. Malvoisin, as a witness to the fighter, stepped forward and placed at the feet of the Grand Master Rebechchin a glove that was the key to the duel.
He said that the good knight Briand where Boisguillebert, who undertook to fight today to prove that this Jewess named Rebecca deserved the death sentence for witchcraft. Even at that moment, Boisguillebert did not lose hope of finding Rebecca's love and invited her to jump up to him on a horse and run on. But at the same moment, a knight appeared on the plain bordering the arena. He drove the horse with all his might. Hundreds of voices shouted: "Defender!" Defender!
This knight, who did not hold fast enough in the saddle due to his recent severe wound, was Wilfried of Ivanhoe. He gave his name and purpose of appearance:
- I am an honest and noble knight, I came here so that, having brought justice and legitimacy to the case of this girl, Rebecca, the daughter of Isaac from York, with a spear and sword, to free her from the sentence proclaimed over her, as false and without a trace, and to go to a duel with sir Briand where Boisguillebert, as with a traitor, a murderer and a liar.
The amazed Boisguillebert wanted to refuse the duel, given the wound of the young knight, but he reminded him of how he forced the golden chain against the sacred relic, fight Wilfried Ivanhoe for the lost honor, and finally, the templars began to fight.
Trumpets sounded, and the knights rushed with might and main. What everyone was waiting for happened: Ivanhoe's exhausted horse and no less exhausted rider from him could not resist the well-aimed spear and strong horse of the Templars. Everyone assumed in advance how the fight would end - but even though Ivanhoe's spear barely touched the Bua - Guilbert shield, the templars, to the surprise of all those present, swayed in the saddle, his legs slipped out of the stirrups, and he fell to the ground.
Ivanhoe, having freed himself from under his horse, immediately jumped up, hastening to correct his failure with his sword. But his opponent got up. When the helmet was removed from Boisguillebert, it became obvious that he had a number from a broken heart.
— Indeed, this is the judgment of God — said the Grand Master. - May your will be done!
At that moment, the Black Knight appeared on the arena, accompanied by a large detachment of warriors and several fully armed knights. He regretted that Boisguillebert, whom he appointed for himself, had already fallen on the battlefield, and accused Albert Malvoisin of treason.
“The brothers of our order,” said the Grand Master, as he stood at the head of the detachment, “do not fight because of such fuss, and it is not with you, Richard of England, that the knight of the order will cross his spear in my presence. The pope and the kings of Europe will decide our dispute, judge, or it is fitting to do as you did today.
With these words, the master, without waiting for an answer, gave the signal to move off.

Confused as to what had happened when the march went on, Rebecca neither saw nor heard anything. They secretly left the fateful place with their father, while the attention of all was riveted on King Richard - the crowd greeted him with loud cheers.
In a conversation, the Earl of Essex told Ivanhoe that the reckless king left all his affairs, like a real adventurer, in order to personally resolve the dispute between the Templars and the Jewess with his own hand, while not far from York, Prince John gathered his supporters. However, when the rebels fled, Prince John himself came to tell King Richard about this, and he did not order him to be thrown into prison, but accepted him as he met him after the hunt! It was precisely this, according to many contemporaries, that the magnanimous king prompted many of his close associates to treason.
According to the evidence of the then trials, it turns out that Maurice de Bracy went overseas and went into the service of Philip of France; Philippe de Malvoisin and his brother, Albert, preceptor of Temples, were executed, although the punishment of the rebel Valdemar where Fitzurza was limited to exile. And Prince John, through whom this whole conspiracy was conceived, did not even receive a reprimand from his good-natured brother. No one felt sorry for Malvoisin: treacherous cruel oppressors, they well deserved to die.
After some time, Cedric-Sachs was summoned to the court of Richard, who lingered in York, reconciling the surrounding counties, where it was restless because of the previous intrigues of his brother. This was very unpleasant for Cedric, since Richard, by returning, thus destroyed Cedric's last hope for the possibility of restoring the Saxon dynasty in England.
Moreover, Cedric had to make sure, albeit against his will, that his plan for the final unification of all the Saxons through the marriage of Rowena to Adelstan was a complete failure. Soon Cedric agreed to the marriage of his pupil and Ivanhoe. Richard personally attended the wedding, and the way he treated the Saxons, still humiliated and oppressed, aroused in them hopes to regain their lost rights in a safe way than a vague way of strife.
The day after this happy wedding, Elgita, Rovenina's maid, told her in the morning that some girl wanted to see her and asked permission to talk to her face to face.
It was Rebecca who informed Roweni that she was leaving England for good. The Jewess left her lucky rival a box set in silver containing a very expensive diamond necklace and matching earrings.
Rebecca said that she wanted to devote her whole life to human causes, healing the sick, feeding the hungry and comforting the unfortunate. When Rowena told her husband about the visit and the conversation with Rebecca, Ivanhoe became thoughtful. Apparently, it made a big impression on him.
He lived happily ever after with Rowena, but he often remembered Rebechchina's beauty and her majestic soul, perhaps more often than Rowena wanted.
Ivanhoe distinguished himself in Richard's service, and the king honored him with many displays of his grace. He would have been much more exalted if the heroic Richard the Lionheart had not died prematurely in France, in front of the castle of Chaluz, the circle of Limoges. Together with the death of a noble, but quick-tempered and too romantic king, all ambitious and noble plans perished.

Almost one hundred and thirty years have passed since the Norman Duke William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon troops and took possession of England at the Battle of Hastings (1066). The English people are going through hard times. King Richard the Lionheart has not returned from the last crusade, taken prisoner by the treacherous Duke of Austria. The place of his imprisonment is unknown. Meanwhile, the king's brother, Prince John, recruits supporters, intending, in the event of Richard's death, to remove the legitimate heir from power and seize the throne. A cunning schemer, Prince John is wreaking havoc throughout the country, igniting the long-standing feud between the Saxons and the Normans.

The proud Tan Cedric of Rotherwood does not give up hope of throwing off the Norman yoke and reviving the former power of the Saxons, placing Athelstan of Coningsburg, a descendant of the royal family, at the head of the liberation movement. However, the obtuse and unenterprising Sir Athelstan causes mistrust among many. To give more weight to his figure, Cedric dreams of marrying Athelstan to his pupil, Lady Rowena, the last representative of King Alfred's family. When Lady Rowena's attachment to Cedric's son, Wilfred Ivanhoe, got in the way of these plans, the adamant thane, not without reason nicknamed Sax for his devotion to the cause, expelled his son from his parental home and disinherited him.

And now Ivanhoe, dressed as a pilgrim, is secretly returning home from a crusade. Not far from his father's estate, he is overtaken by the detachment of the commander of the order of the templars, Brian de Boisguillebert, who is heading to the jousting tournament in Ashby de la Zouche. Caught on the road by bad weather, he decides to ask Cedric for an overnight stay. The hospitable house of a noble tan is open to everyone, even to the Jew Isaac from York, who joins the guests already during the meal. Boisguillebert, who also visited Palestine, boasts at the table of his exploits in the name of the Holy Sepulcher. The pilgrim defends the honor of Richard and his brave warriors, and on behalf of Ivanhoe, who has already once defeated the templar in a duel, accepts the challenge of the arrogant commander to fight. When the guests leave for their rooms, the pilgrim advises Isaac to quietly leave Cedric's house - he heard how Boisguillebert gave the order to the servants to seize the Jew, as soon as he drives away from the estate. The perceptive Isaac, who saw the spurs under the wanderer's attire, gives him a note in gratitude to a merchant relative, in which he asks to lend the pilgrim armor and a war horse.

The tournament at Ashby, which brought together the entire color of English chivalry, and even in the presence of Prince John himself, attracted everyone's attention. The host knights, including the arrogant Briand de Boisguillebert, confidently win one victory after another. But when it seemed that no one else would dare to oppose the instigators and the outcome of the tournament was decided, a new fighter appears on the arena with the motto "Deprived of Inheritance" on the shield, who fearlessly challenges the templar himself to a mortal battle. Several times the opponents converge, and their spears scatter in fragments to the very handles. All the sympathy of the audience is on the side of the brave stranger - and luck accompanies him: Boisguillebert falls from his horse, and the duel is recognized as over. Then the Disinherited Knight fights in turn with all the instigators and decisively takes over them. As the winner, he must choose the queen of love and beauty, and, gracefully bowing his spear, the stranger places the crown at the feet of the beautiful Rowena.

The next day, a general tournament is held: the party of the knight of the Disinherited fights against the party of Briand de Boisguillebert. The templar is supported by almost all instigators. They are pushing the young stranger, and if not for the help of the mysterious Black Knight, he would hardly have managed to become the hero of the day for the second time. The queen of love and beauty should put an honorary crown on the head of the winner. But when the marshals take off the helmet from the stranger, she sees in front of her pale as death Ivanhoe, who falls at her feet, bleeding from his wounds.

Meanwhile, Prince John receives a note from a messenger: "Be careful - the devil is unleashed." This means that his brother Richard got his freedom. The prince is in a panic, in a panic and his supporters. To secure their loyalty, John promises them rewards and honors. To the Norman knight Maurice de Bracy, for example, he proposes Lady Rowena as his wife - the bride is rich, beautiful and noble. De Bracy is delighted and decides to attack Cedric's squad on the way home from Ashby and kidnap the beautiful Rowena.

Proud of his son's victory, but still unwilling to forgive him, Cedric Sacks sets off on his return journey with a heavy heart. The news that the wounded Ivanhoe was carried away by a stretcher of some rich lady only kindles a feeling of indignation in him. On the way to the cavalcade of Cedric and Athelstan of Coningsburg, Isaac from York joins with his daughter Rebekah. They were also at the tournament and now they are asking to be taken under protection - not so much for themselves, but for the sick friend they are accompanying. But as soon as the travelers go deep into the forest, a large detachment of robbers pounces on them and all of them are taken prisoner.

Cedric and his companions are taken to the fortified castle of Fron de Boeuf. The leaders of the "robbers" are Boisguillebert and de "Brassi, which Cedric guesses when he sees the battlements of the castle. "If Cedric Sax cannot save England, he is ready to die for her," he challenges his captors.

De Bracy, meanwhile, comes to Lady Rowena and, confessing everything to her, tries to win her favor. However, the proud beauty is not

inclined and, only learning that Wilfred Ivanhoe is also in the castle (namely, he was in Isaac's stretcher), begs the knight to save him from death.

But hard as it is for Lady Rowena, Rebekah is in much greater danger. Captivated by the mind and beauty of the daughter of Zion, Brian de Boisguillebert was inflamed with passion for her, and now he is persuading the girl to run away with him. Rebekah is ready to prefer death to disgrace, but her fearless rebuke, full of indignation, only gives rise to the templar's confidence that he has met the woman of his fate, his soul mate.

Meanwhile, detachments of free yeomen are gathered around the castle, brought by Cedric's servants who escaped captivity. The siege is led by Ivanhoe, who once came to the aid of the Black Knight. Under the blows of his huge ax, the gates of the castle crack and fall apart, and stones and logs flying at his head from the walls annoy him no more than raindrops. Rebekah, who made her way into Ivanhoe's room in the turmoil of the battle, tells the bedridden young man what is happening around. Reproaching herself for her tender feelings for a non-believer, she is unable to leave him at such a dangerous moment. And the liberators win back span after span from the besieged. The Black Knight mortally wounds Front de Boeuf and captures de Bracy. And what is strange - the proud Norman, after a few words spoken to him, unquestioningly resigns himself to his fate. Suddenly the castle is engulfed in flames. The Black Knight barely manages to pull Ivanhoe out into the open air. Boisguillebert grabs the desperately resisting Rebekah and, putting her on the horse of one of the slaves, tries to escape from the trap. ‘However, Athelstan rushes in pursuit of him, deciding that the templar has kidnapped Lady Rowena. The sharp sword of the templar falls with all his might on the head of the ill-fated Saxon, and he falls dead to the ground.

Leaving the dilapidated castle and thanking the free shooters for their help, Cedric, accompanied by a stretcher with the body of Athelstan of Koningsburg, goes to his estate, where he will be given the last honors. The Black Knight also parted with his faithful assistants - his wanderings are not over yet. The leader of the shooters, Luxley, gives him a hunting horn as a farewell gift and asks him to blow it in case of danger. Released, de Bracy gallops at full speed to Prince John to tell him the terrible news - Richard is in England. The cowardly and vile prince sends his main henchman Voldemar Fitz-Urs to capture, or even better, kill Richard.

Boisguillebert takes refuge with Rebekah in the abode of the Knights of Templestow. Grandmaster Beaumanoir, who arrived at the monastery with a check, finds many shortcomings, first of all, he is outraged by the promiscuity of the templars. When he learns that a captive Jewish woman is hiding in the walls of the preceptory, who, in all likelihood, is in a love affair with one of the brothers of the order, he decides to arrange a trial for the girl and accuse her of witchcraft - for what, if not witchcraft, explains her power over the commander The stern ascetic Beaumanoir believes that the execution of a Jewess will serve as a cleansing sacrifice for the love sins of the Knights of the Temple. In a brilliant speech that won the sympathy of even her opponents, Rebekah rejects all Beaumanoir's accusations and demands a duel: let whoever volunteers to defend her prove her case with a sword.

Meanwhile, the Black Knight, making his way through the forests to his only target, comes across an ambush. Fitz-Urs carried out his vile plans, and the king of England could have fallen from a treacherous hand, if not for the sound of the horn, free arrows led by Loxley. The knight finally reveals his incognito: he is Richard Plantagenet, the rightful king of England. Loxley does not remain in debt either: he is Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest. Here the company is caught up by Wilfred Ivanhoe, traveling from St. Botolph Abbey, where he was recovering from his wounds, to Koningsburgh Castle. Forced to wait until his supporters muster enough forces, Richard goes with him. In the castle, he persuades Cedric to forgive the recalcitrant son and give him Lady Rowena as his wife. The resurrected, or rather, never dying, but only stunned Sir Athelstan joins his request. The turbulent events of recent days have repulsed his last ambitious dreams. However, in the midst of the conversation, Ivanhoe suddenly disappears - some Jew called him urgently, according to the servants. At Templestow, everything is ready for the duel. There is only no knight willing to fight with Boisguillebert for the honor of Rebekah. If the intercessor does not appear before sunset, Rebekah will be burned. And then a rider appears on the field, his horse almost falls from fatigue, and he himself can barely keep in the saddle. This is Wilfred Ivanhoe, and Rebekah trembles with excitement for him. Opponents converge - and Wilfred falls, unable to withstand the well-aimed blow of the templar. However, from a fleeting touch of Ivanhoe's spear, Boisguillebert also falls - and no longer gets up. God's judgment is over! The Grandmaster declares Rebekah free and innocent.

Having taken his rightful place on the throne, Richard forgives his dissolute brother. Cedric finally agrees to the wedding of Lady Rowena and her son, and Rebekah and her father leave England forever. Ivanhoe lived happily ever after with Rowena. They loved each other even more because they experienced so many obstacles to their connection. But it would be risky to ask in too much detail whether the memory of Rebekah's beauty and generosity did not come to his mind much more often than Alfred's beautiful heiress might have liked.

Retelling - S. A. Solodovnik

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