Page:A history of Hungarian literature.djvu/245

 JOHN ARANY 231 squire's horse is as old and as gaunt as his rider's weapons are rusty, and his garments are old-fashioned and shabby. When the people see his rusty weapons they mock him and ask him if he sells them as old iron. The boys tease the old horse, which soon comes to a standstill, and on tuming round the poor squire finds that they are holding on to its tail. When the old monk hears the laughter, he turns round and shakes his huge lance at the crowd, whirling it above his head as though it were a latb, so that mockery gives place to awe. Some whisper that th is apparition can be nothing but the ghost of Toldi. The unknown monk conquers the Italian in a masterly fought combat, and then suddenly disappears with his squire by some by-way, and makes for an old house of his in the town. His skill in fighting had made it evident to all the knigh ts and to the crowd, that the monk was no other than Toldi. They stream to his house to bring him in triumph to the king, who is willing to be reconciled with the old hero. But the excitement p roves fatal to the old man, wh o is one of those who " die of their own temperament.'' In the king's ante-room some pages si ng an ironical song about some old adventure of Toldi. Excited and indignant, the h ero whirl s round his mace and kills one of the si ngers. The king is grievously offended, and when Toldi leaves the Cou rt, se nds soldiers after bim to take bim prisoner. The messengers, however, find that he is dying, and the king, much shaken by the news, hastens to Toldi's house. The aged monarch and aged hero are face to face•. Toldi knows that to the ambitious but luxury-loving king his advice was often 11 a bitter medicine given in a rough wooden spoon," but even now he counsels him to love