Sir Nigel Read online

  SIR NIGEL

  By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

  CONTENT

  I. THE HOUSE OF LORING

  II. HOW THE DEVIL CAME TO WAVERLEY

  III. THE YELLOW HORSE OF CROOKSBURY

  IV. HOW THE SUMMONER CAME TO THE MANOR HOUSE OF TILFORD

  V. HOW NIGEL WAS TRIED BY THE ABBOT OF WAVERLEY

  VI. IN WHICH LADY ERMYNTRUDE OPENS THE IRON COFFER

  VII. HOW NIGEL WENT MARKETING TO GUILFORD

  VIII. HOW THE KING HAWKED ON CROOKSBURY HEATH

  IX. HOW NIGEL HELD THE BRIDGE AT TILFORD

  X. HOW THE KING GREETED HIS SENESCHAL OF CALAIS

  XI. IN THE HALL OF THE KNIGHT OF DUPLIN

  XII. HOW NIGEL FOUGHT THE TWISTED MAN OF SHALFORD

  XIII. HOW THE COMRADES JOURNEYED DOWN THE OLD, OLD ROAD

  XIV. HOW NIGEL CHASED THE RED FERRET

  XV. HOW THE RED FERRET CAME TO COSFORD

  XVI. HOW THE KING'S COURT FEASTED IN CALAIS CASTLE

  XVII. THE SPANIARDS ON THE SEA

  XVIII. HOW BLACK SIMON CLAIMED FORFEIT FROM THE KING OF SARK

  XIX. HOW A SQUIRE OF ENGLAND MET A SQUIRE OF FRANCE

  XX. HOW THE ENGLISH ATTEMPTED THE CASTLE OF LA BROHINIERE

  XXI. HOW THE SECOND MESSENGER WENT TO COSFORD

  XXII. HOW ROBERT OF BEAUMANOIR CAME TO FLOERMEL

  XXIII. HOW THIRTY OF JOSSELIN ENCOUNTERED THIRTY OF FLOERMEL

  XXIV. HOW NIGEL WAS CALLED TO HIS MASTER

  XXV. HOW THE KING OF FRANCE HELD COUNSEL AT MAUPERTUIS

  XXVI. HOW NIGEL FOUND HIS THIRD DEED

  XXVII. HOW THE THIRD MESSENGER CAME TO COSFORD

  INTRODUCTION

  Dame History is so austere a lady that if one, has been so ill-advisedas to take a liberty with her, one should hasten to make amends byrepentance and confession. Events have been transposed to the extent ofsome few months in this narrative in order to preserve the continuityand evenness of the story. I hope so small a divergence may seem avenial error after so many centuries. For the rest, it is as accurate asa good deal of research and hard work could make it.

  The matter of diction is always a question of taste and discretion in ahistorical reproduction. In the year 1350 the upper classes still spokeNorman-French, though they were just beginning to condescend to English.The lower classes spoke the English of the original Piers Plowman text,which would be considerably more obscure than their superiors' French ifthe two were now reproduced or imitated. The most which the chroniclescan do is to catch the cadence and style of their talk, and to infusehere and there such a dash of the archaic as may indicate their fashionof speech.

  I am aware that there are incidents which may strike the modern readeras brutal and repellent. It is useless, however, to draw the TwentiethCentury and label it the Fourteenth. It was a sterner age, and men'scode of morality, especially in matters of cruelty, was very different.There is no incident in the text for which very good warrant may not begiven. The fantastic graces of Chivalry lay upon the surface of life,but beneath it was a half-savage population, fierce and animal, withlittle ruth or mercy. It was a raw, rude England, full of elementalpassions, and redeemed only by elemental virtues. Such I have tried todraw it.

  For good or bad, many books have gone to the building of this one. Ilook round my study table and I survey those which lie with me at themoment, before I happily disperse them forever. I see La Croix's"Middle Ages," Oman's "Art of War," Rietstap's "Armorial General," De laBorderie's "Histoire de Bretagne," Dame Berner's "Boke of St. Albans,""The Chronicle of Jocelyn of Brokeland," "The Old Road," Hewitt's"Ancient Armour," Coussan's "Heraldry," Boutell's "Arms," Browne's"Chaucer's England," Cust's "Scenes of the Middle Ages," Husserand's"Wayfaring Life," Ward's "Canterbury Pilgrims;" Cornish's "Chivalry,"Hastings' "British Archer," Strutt's "Sports," Johnes Froissart,Hargrove's "Archery," Longman's "Edward III," Wright's "DomesticManners." With these and many others I have lived for months. If I havebeen unable to combine and transfer their effect, the fault is mine.

  ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.

  "UNDERSHAW," November 30, 1905.