Ivanhoe Excerpt.

"The assailants have won the barriers, have they not?" said Ivanhoe.

"They have - they have!" exclaimed Rebecca - "and they press the besieged hard upon the outer wall; some plant ladders, some swarm like bees, and endeavour to ascend upon the shoulder of each other - down go stones, beams, and trunks of trees upon their heads, and as fast as they bear the wounded to the rear, fresh men supply their places in the assault - Great God! hast thou given men thine own image, that it should be thus cruelly defaced by the hands of their brethren!"

"Think not of that," said Ivanhoe; "this is no time for such thoughts - Who yield? - who push their way?"

"The ladders are thrown down," replied Rebecca, shuddering; "the soldiers lie grovelling under them like crushed reptiles - The besieged have the better."

"Saint George strike for us!" exclaimed the knight; "do the false yeomen give way?"

"No!" exclaimed Rebecca, "they bear themselves right yeomanly - the Black Knight approaches the postern with his huge axe - the thundering blows which he deals, you may hear them above all the din and shouts of the battle - Stones and beams are hailed down on the bold champion - he regards them no more than if they were thistle-down or feathers!"

"By saint John of Acre," said Ivanhoe, raising himself joyfully on his couch, "methought there was but one man in England that might do such a deed!"

"The postern-gate shakes," continued Rebecca, "it crashes - it is splintered by his blows - they rush in - the outwork is won - Oh, God! - they hurl the defenders from the battlements - they throw them into the moat - Oh men, if ye be indeed men, spare them that can resist no longer!"

"The bridge - the bridge which communicates with the castle - have they won that pass?" exclaimed Ivanhoe.

"No," replied Rebecca, "the Templar has destroyed the plank on which they crossed - few of the defenders escaped with him into the castle - the shrieks and cries which you hear tell the fate of the others - Alas! I see it is still more difficult to look upon victory than upon battle."