"T. H. White - The Once and Future King" - читать интересную книгу автора (White T.H)

impossible to walk upstairs. At the foot of the steps they had slipped out of them, and their pages had
carried them up. The impression given by the young men was mainly of legs in stockingsтАФ it had even
been found necessary to pass a sumptuary law, which insisted that their jacket should be long enough to


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cover the buttocks. Then there were more responsible councillors in extraordinary hats, some of which
were like tea-cosies, some turbans, some bird wings, some muffs. The gowns of these were pleated and
padded, with high ruff-like collars, epaulettes and jewelled belts. There were clerks with neat little skull-
caps to keep their tonsures warm, dressed in sober clothes which contrasted with the laity. There was a
visiting cardinal in the glorious tasselled hat which still adorns the notepaper of Wolsey's College at
Oxford. There were furs of every kind, including a handsome arrangement of black and white lambs'
wool, sewn in contrasting diamonds. The talkers made a noise like starlings.
This was the first part of the pageant. The second part began with nearer premonitions on the trumpets.
Then came several Cistercians, secretaries, deacons and other religious people, all burdened with ink
made by boiling the bark of blackthorn, parchment, sand, bulls, pens, and the sort of pen-knife which
scribes used to carry in their left hands when they were writing. They also had tally sticks and the
minutes of the last meeting.
The third instalment was the Bishop of Rochester, who had been appointed nuncio. He came in all the
state of a nuncio, though he had left his canopy downstairs. He was a silk-haired senior, with his cope
and crosier, alb and ring тАФurbane, ecclesiastical, knowing the spiritual power.
Finally the trumpets were at the door, and England came. In weighty ermine, which covered his
shoulders and the left arm, with a narrower strip down the rightтАФin the blue velvet cloak and
overwhelming crownтАФheavy with majesty and supported, almost literally supported, by the proper
officers, the King was led to the throne on the dais, its canopy golden with embroideries of the dragons
ramping in redтАФ and there, the crowd now parting, Gawaine and Mordred were revealed to meet him.
He sank down where he was put. The standing nuncio seated himself also, on a throne opposite, hung
with white and gold. The buzz subsided.
"We are ready to begin?"
Rochester's priestly, voice relieved the tension: "The Church is ready."
"So is the State,"
It was Gwaine's ramble, faintly offensive. '
"Is there anything which we ought to settle before they come?"
"It is a' fair settled."
Rochester turned his eyes to the Laird of Orkney.
"We are obliged to Sir Gawaine,"
"Ye are welcome."

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"In that case,," said the King, "I suppose we must tell Sir Lancelot that the Court is waiting to receive
him."
"Bedivere man, send forth to bring the prisoners."
It was noticed that Gawaine had put himself in the habit of speaking for the throne, and that Arthur let
him do It. The nuncio, however, was less subdued.