majestic presence, by calling her Halgerdr, the stately or tall; what must they do but term her Ha-brokr, or High Breeks, it being the fashion in old times for Northern ladies to wear breeks, or breeches, which English ladies of the present day never think of doing; and just, as of old, they called Halgerdr Long-breeks, so this very day a fellow of Horncastle called, in my hearing, our noble-looking Hungarian friend here, Long-stockings. Oh, I could give you a hundred instances, both ancient and modern, of this unseemly propensity of our illustrious race, though I will only trouble you with a few more ancient ones; they not only nicknamed Regner, but his sons also, who were all kings, and distinguished men: one, whose name was Biorn, they nicknamed Ironsides; another Sigurd, Snake in the Eye; another, White Sark, or White Shirt—I wonder they did not call him Dirty Shirt, and Ivarr, another, who was King of Northumberland, they called Beinlausi, or the Legless, because he was spindle-shanked, had no sap in his bones, and consequently no children. He was a great king, it is true, and very wise, nevertheless his blackguard countrymen, always averse, as their descendants are, to give credit to anybody, for any valuable quality or possession, must needs lay hold, do you see—’
But before I could say any more, the jockey, having laid down his pipe, rose, and having taken off his coat, advanced towards me.
CHAPTER XLII
A SHORT-TEMPERED PERSON—GRAVITATION—THE BEST ENDOWMENT—MARY FULCHER—FAIR DEALING—HORSE-WITCHERY—DARIUS AND HIS GROOM—THE JOCKEY’S TRICKS—THE TWO CHARACTERS—THE JOCKEY’S SONG
The jockey, having taken off his coat and advanced towards me, as I have stated in the preceding chapter, exclaimed, in an angry tone, ‘This is the third time you have interrupted me in my tale, Mr. Rye; I passed over the two first times with a simple warning, but you will now please to get up and give me the satisfaction of a man.’
‘I am really sorry,’ said I, ‘if I have given you offence, but you were talking of our English habit of bestowing nicknames, and I could not refrain from giving a few examples tending to prove what a very ancient habit it is.’
‘But you interrupted me,’ said the jockey, ‘and put me out of my tale, which you had no right to do; and as for your examples, how do you know that I wasn’t going to give some as old or older than yourn. Now stand up, and I’ll make an example of you.’
‘Well,’ said I, ‘I confess it was wrong in me to interrupt you, and I ask your pardon.’
‘That won’t do,’ said the jockey, ‘asking pardon won’t do.’
‘Oh,’ said I, getting up, ‘if asking pardon does not satisfy you, you are a different man from what I considered you.’