d, the Scottish
Knight looked at the gallery, and bent his head to the earth, as if in
honour of those invisible beauties which were enclosed within; then,
loaded with armour as he was, sprung to the saddle without the use of
the stirrup, and made his courser carry him in a succession of caracoles
to his station at the eastern extremity of the lists. Conrade also
presented himself before the altar with boldness enough; but his voice
as he took the oath sounded hollow, as if drowned in his helmet. The
lips with which he appealed to Heaven to adjudge victory to the just
quarrel grew white as they uttered the impious mockery. As he turned
to remount his horse, the Grand Master approached him closer, as if
to rectify something about the sitting of his gorget, and whispered,
"Coward and fool! recall thy senses, and do me this battle bravely,
else, by Heaven, shouldst thou escape him, thou escapest not ME!"

The savage tone in which this was whispered perhaps completed the
confusion of the Marquis's nerves, for he stumbled as he made to horse;
and though he recovered his feet, sprung to the saddle with his usual
agility, and displayed his address in horsemanship as he assumed his
position opposite to the challenger's, yet the accident did not escape
those who were on the watch for omens which might predict the fate of
the day.

The priests, after a solemn prayer that God would show the rightful
quarrel, departed from the lists. The trumpets of the challenger then
rung a flourish, and a herald-at-arms proclaimed at the eastern end of
the lists--"Here stands a good knight, Sir Kenneth of Scotland, champion
for the royal King Richard of England, who accuseth Conrade, Marquis of
Montserrat, of foul treason and dishonour done to the said King."

When the words Kenneth of Scotland announced the name and character
of the champion, hitherto scarce generally known, a loud and cheerful
acclaim burst from the followers of King Richard, and hardly,
notwithstanding repeated commands of silence, suffered the reply of
the defendant to be heard. He, of course, avouched his innocence,
and offered his body for battle. The esquires of the combatants now
approached, and delivered to each his shield and lance, assisting to
hang the former around his neck, that his two hands might remain free,
one for the management of the bridle, the other to direct the lance.

The shield of the Scot displayed his old bearing, the leopard, but
with the additi