原文
The cows swung placidly down the lane, and Anne followed them dreamily,
repeating aloud the battle canto from MARMION--which had also been part
of their English course the preceding winter and which Miss Stacy had
made them learn off by heart--and exulting in its rushing lines and the
clash of spears in its imagery. When she came to the lines
The stubborn spearsmen still made good
Their dark impenetrable wood,
she stopped in ecstasy to shut her eyes that she might the better fancy herself one of that heroic ring. When she opened them again it was to behold Diana coming through the gate that led into the Barry field and looking so important that Anne instantly divined there was news to be told. But betray too eager curiosity she would not.
語彙など
- swing:向きを変える
- placidly:穏やかに
- dreamily:ぼんやりと,夢うつつに
- battle:戦い
- canto:(詩歌の)編
- Marmion:マーミオン(1808 年に発表された W. Scott の物語詩)
- preceding:先立つ
- learn off by heart:丸暗記する
- exult:大喜びする
- rush:切迫した
- line:詩の1行
- clash:激しくぶつかるときの音
- spear:槍
- stubborn:頑固な,強情な
- spearman:槍使い,槍兵
- make good:成功する,(立場を)保持する
- impenetrable:突き通せない
- in ecstasy:恍惚境に入り込んで
- fancy oneself:自任する,つもりでいる
- heroic:英雄の,勇敢な
- ring:一団,集団
- behold:注視する,見守る
- divine:予言する
- betray:裏切る
- eager:熱心な
- curiosity:好奇心
<参考>
The English leader, Surrey, hurried north to meet him with his army,
Katherine following. On 9 September, between the Twizel and the Till,
the two armies met : long and very bitter fighting followed. The result
was decisive. The flowers o' the forest were a' wede awa' '.
Katherine wrote jubilantly to Henry, on 16 September:
'This victory is the greatest honour that could be. The King will not forget to thank God for it. I could not for haste send by Rouge Cross die piece of the King of Scots coat which John Glyn now bringeth. In this your Grace shall see how I can keep my promise, sending you for your banners a King's coat. I thought to send him- self unto you, but our Englishmen's hearts would not suffer it. It should have been better for him to have been in peace than have this reward. All that God sendeth is for the best.
In this letter is her Spanish cruelty and piety, and also her disastrous tactlessness: for Henry's war in France at that moment was not going nearly so well.
But for Scotland the war was over. Almost a whole generation had been wiped out. Just why the English victory was so complete is still debated: but the slaughter was terrible. The Scottish King fell under his own banner 'a spear's length from Surrey' - the English leader. His left hand was almost severed, his throat gashed, his head cut. With him fell an illegitimate son, the gifted young Archbishop of St. Andrews : the bishops of the Isles and of Caithness, the abbots of Indiaffray and Kilwinning: the earls of Montrose, Crawford, Argyle, Lennox, Glen- cairn, Cassilis, Bothwell : and Errol, hereditary High Constable : scores of lords and knights and men of good family, including one Craig of Aberdeenshire, who left an infant son, and another called Spottiswood, who left two little boys: and many thousands of common men. Prisoners were few.
The stubborn spearsmen still made good
Their dark, impenetrable wood,
Each stepping where the other stood
The instant liiat he fell.
With that slaughter ended the brief Golden Age in Scotland that James had toiled so hard, and so brilliantly, to bring about. He had married Margaret Tudor, Henry VLI's sister : he had brought even the Isles into peace, and had sent his trading-ships far. The lovely lantern steeple of St. Giles' - 'the thistle crown* - belong to his reign: the