The Young King 2

All rare and costly¹ materials had certainly a great fascination² for him, and in his eagerness to procure³ them he had sent away many merchants, some to traffic for amber⁴ with the rough fisher-folk of the north seas, some to Egypt to look for that curious green turquoise⁵（绿松石） which is found only in the tombs of kings, and is said to possess magical properties, some to Persia for silken carpets and painted pottery⁶, and others to India to buy gauze and stained ivory, moonstones and bracelets⁷ of jade⁸, sandalwood and blue enamel（搪瓷） and shawls of fine wool.

But what had occupied him most was the robe he was to wear at his coronation（加冕礼） , the robe of tissued gold, and the ruby-studded crown, and the sceptre with its rows and rings of pearls. Indeed, it was of this that he was thinking to-night, as he lay back on his luxurious¹⁰ couch, watching the great pinewood log that was burning itself out on the open hearth¹¹. The designs, which were from the hands of the most famous artists of the time, had been submitted to him many months before, and he had given orders that the artificers were to toil¹² night and day to carry them out, and that the whole world was to be searched for jewels that would be worthy¹³ of their work. He saw himself in fancy standing¹⁴ at the high altar of the cathedral in the fair raiment（衣服） of a King, and a smile played and lingered about his boyish lips, and lit up with a bright lustre¹⁵（光泽） his dark woodland eyes.

After some time he rose from his seat, and leaning against the carved penthouse（阁楼） of the chimney, looked round at the dimly-lit room. The walls were hung with rich tapestries¹⁶ representing the Triumph of Beauty. A large press, inlaid with agate¹⁷（玛瑙） and lapis-lazuli, filled one corner, and facing the window stood a curiously¹⁸ wrought¹⁹ cabinet with lacquer panels of powdered and mosaiced gold, on which were placed some delicate goblets²⁰ of Venetian glass, and a cup of dark-veined onyx. Pale poppies were broidered on the silk coverlet of the bed, as though they had fallen from the tired hands of sleep, and tall reeds of fluted²¹ ivory bare up the velvet²³ canopy²⁴, from which great tufts of ostrich²⁵ plumes²⁶ sprang, like white foam²⁷, to the pallid²⁸ silver of the fretted²⁹ ceiling. A laughing Narcissus in green bronze held a polished mirror above its head. On the table stood a flat bowl of amethyst³⁰（紫水晶） .

Outside he could see the huge dome³¹ of the cathedral, looming³² like a bubble over the shadowy houses, and the weary（疲倦的，厌烦的） sentinels（哨兵） pacing up and down on the misty³³ terrace（平台，梯田） by the river. Far away, in an orchard³⁴, a nightingale was singing. A faint perfume of jasmine came through the open window. He brushed his brown curls back from his forehead, and taking up a lute²², let his fingers stray across the cords. His heavy eyelids³⁵ drooped³⁶, and a strange languor³⁷ came over him. Never before had he felt so keenly, or with such exquisite³⁸ joy, the magic and the mystery of beautiful things.

When midnight sounded from the clock-tower he touched a bell, and his pages entered and disrobed him with much ceremony, pouring rose-water over his hands, and strewing³⁹（散播） flowers on his pillow. A few moments after that they had left the room, he fell asleep.

And as he slept he dreamed a dream, and this was his dream. He thought that he was standing in a long, low attic⁴⁰, amidst the whirr and clatter⁴¹ of many looms⁴². The meagre daylight peered in through the grated windows, and showed him the gaunt figures of the weavers⁴⁴ bending over their cases. Pale, sickly-looking children were crouched⁴⁵ on the huge cross-beams. As the shuttles dashed through the warp⁴⁶ they lifted up the heavy battens, and when the shuttles stopped they let the battens（帆骨，压条） fall and pressed the threads together. Their faces were pinched with famine, and their thin hands shook and trembled. Some haggard women were seated at a table sewing（缝纫） . A horrible odour filled the place. The air was foul⁴⁷ and heavy, and the walls dripped and streamed with damp.

The young King went over to one of the weavers, and stood by him and watched him.

And the weaver⁴³ looked at him angrily, and said, 'Why art thou watching me? Art thou a spy set on us by our master?'

'Who is thy master?' asked the young King.

'Our master!' cried the weaver, bitterly. 'He is a man like myself. Indeed, 'there is but this difference between us that he wears fine clothes while I go in rags, and that while I am weak from hunger he suffers not a little from overfeeding.'

'The land is free,' said the young King, 'and thou art no man's slave.'