Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Swef, le douce Beaumont.
Over the last week, I have found myself thinking of the boat hunt in The Sword in the Stone, and of this passage in particular. Robin Hood has killed the boar, but not before it broke the back of one of Master Twyti's hounds.
Master Twyti drew one leg slowly from under the boar, stood up, took hold of his knee with his right hand, moved inquiringly in various directions, nodded to himself and stretched his back straight. Then he picked up his spear without saying anything and limped over to Beaumont. He knelt down beside him ad took his head on his lap. He stroked Beaumont's head and said, "Hark to Beaumont. Softly, Beaumont, mon amy. Oyez a Beaumont the valiant. Swef, le douce Beaumont, swef, swef." Beaumont licked his hand but could not wag his tail. The huntsman nodded to Robin, who was standing behind, and held the hound's eyes with his own. He said, "Good dog, Beaumont the valiant, sleep now, old friend Beaumont, good old dog." Then Robin's falchion let Beaumont out of this world, to run free with Orion and roll among the stars.T.H. White, The Once and Future King 150 (Ace, 1987),
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This is one of my favorite passages in this marvelous book. White handles his material so well and incorporates so much into it that it's an education in medieval lore, staecraft, and the human heart all rolled into one. Thanks for remainding me of this!
# posted by 
: 10:53 AM
: 10:53 AM
Having just had to put down my dog of 13 years---more than a dog, more like a bit of my body---I had been looking for this quotation, also one of White's best. It perfectly recalls that moment, the moment you've ordered the death of something you deeplylove and felt it sag in your arms, extinquished and out of your reach forever.
"..run free with Orion and roll among the stars." is my favorite quote out of any book that i have read. for some reason it holds something dear to my heart.
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