m to place
himself on the same rank with sovereigns even of the first degree, in
so far as regards all but regal authority and dominion. Were Richard
of England himself to wound the honour of a knight as poor as I am, he
could not, by the law of chivalry, deny him the combat."

"Methinks I should like to look upon so strange a scene," said the Emir,
"in which a leathern belt and a pair of spurs put the poorest on a level
with the most powerful."

"You must add free blood and a fearless heart," said the Christian;
"then, perhaps, you will not have spoken untruly of the dignity of
knighthood."

"And mix you as boldly amongst the females of your chiefs and leaders?"
asked the Saracen.

"God forbid," said the Knight of the Leopard, "that the poorest knight
in Christendom should not be free, in all honourable service, to devote
his hand and sword, the fame of his actions, and the fixed devotion of
his heart, to the fairest princess who ever wore coronet on her brow!"

"But a little while since," said the Saracen, "and you described love as
the highest treasure of the heart--thine hath undoubtedly been high and
nobly bestowed?"

"Stranger," answered the Christian, blushing deeply as he spoke, "we
tell not rashly where it is we have bestowed our choicest treasures. It
is enough for thee to know that, as thou sayest, my love is highly and
nobly bestowed--most highly--most nobly; but if thou wouldst hear of
love and broken lances, venture thyself, as thou sayest, to the camp of
the Crusaders, and thou wilt find exercise for thine ears, and, if thou
wilt, for thy hands too."

The Eastern warrior, raising himself in his stirrups, and shaking aloft
his lance, replied, "Hardly, I fear, shall I find one with a crossed
shoulder who will exchange with me the cast of the jerrid."

"I will not promise for that," replied the Knight; "though there be in
the camp certain Spaniards, who have right good skill in your Eastern
game of hurling the javelin."

"Dogs, and sons of dogs!" ejaculated the Saracen; "what have these
Spaniards to do to come hither to combat the true believers, who, in
their own land, are their lords and taskmasters? with them I would mix
in no warlike pastime."

"Let not the knights of Leon or Asturias hear you speak thus of them,"
said the Knight of the Leopard. "But," added he, smiling at the
recollection of the morning's combat, "if, instead of a reed, you were
inclined to stand the cast of a battle-axe, t