Ivanhoe [antikvár]

IVANHOE chapter one IN THE FOREST In that pleasant district of England which is watered by the River Don, there extended in ancient times a large forest: it covered the greater part of the beautiful hills and valleys which lie between Sheffield and Doncaster. The date of our story is about seven hundred and fifty years ago. Richard Lion Heart was King of England, but he had long been absent in Palestine; and John, his brother, was ruling England for him —and ruling it very ill. He was also making plans to seize the throne for himself, and to drive out his brother, Richard, when he returned. Only one hundred years before this date England had been conquered by the Normans. As time went on these two peoples—the Normans and the Saxons —mingled together to make the English nation of to-day; but that mixing had not, at this time, taken place; and there was ill-feeling and hatred between the Norman " nobles " (or great lords) and the Saxons (the original people of the country). • •••••• The sun was setting upon that forest which we have mentioned. Hundreds of broad oak trees stretched their knotted arms over the thick green grass. In some places the trees were so close together that they entirely shut out the sunlight. 7