a 刘易斯：地处布莱顿东北大约9英里，国王亨利就被囚禁在刘易斯城堡。
b 伊夫舍姆：位于伍斯特郡的埃文河畔，地处伍斯特城东南15英里。
54
SIR SIMON THE RIGHTEOUS
义人西蒙
attached，joined；belonging.celebrated，famous.deserting，leaving.discontented，ill-pleased.furious，flerce.
mercantile，engaged in trade.
obliged，forced.
overawed，kept back by fear.
pressure，force.
professional，belonging to the learned professions，as the Church and the Law.
sacrament，the Communion，the Lord‘s
Supper.
1.In the later days of King Henry the Third，a man of piety and learning wore the coronet attached to the earldom of Leicester.The people called him “Sir Simon the Righteous.”He once ruled Guienne，a province in the south of France，but he had been recalled from that position by Henry，who called him “traitor”to his face.At that time the English people were very much discontented because of the crowds of foreigners that had come over fromaProvence，the native place of the Queen，and were enjoying all the richestoffices at Court and the best livings in the Church.
2.Remembering how the gleam of armour had frightened John，the barons went to Parliament completely clad in steel；and at Oxford several articles were drawn up，called the Provisions of Oxford.The nation then divided into two parties；one gathered around the King，the other around Leicester；and a war began.
3.Marching from London with an army，every man in which wore a white cross upon his breast in token of his belief that he was fighting in a holy cause，the Earl of Leicester came upon King Henry and his son，Prince Edward，withbtheir men marshalled in a valley not far from Lewes.
4.The battle began.Young Edward，who had recently been made a knight，dashed at the head of a mass of horsemen on the London citizens who had followed Leicester to the war.The furious charge completely scattered them；a Provence （Pro-vangs’）.-An old province in the south-east of France.
b Lewes.-In Sussex，44miles south of London，and 81from Brighton.
and the victors，rejoicing in what they considered noble sport，hunted the flying fragments of the force to a distance from the field.
5.When the heat of the chase had spent itself，Prince Edward rode back；but found that he had been too rash in deserting his father，who in the meantime had been attacked，defeated，and made prisoner by Leicester.Prince Edward gave himself up，that his father might be set free；but the real power remained in Leicester‘s hands.
6.Between this battle and that of Evesham，which resulted in the deathof Leicester，that celebrated step was taken which added to the Council of Lords and Prelates members who represented the Middle Classes.Thus the foundation was laid of what is the most powerful body in our great kingdom-the House of Commons.
7.Leicester used the name of the King in issuing his writs；and，besides calling two knights from every county to represent what we call “the country gentlemen，”he called also “two citizens from every city，and two burgesses from every borough.”His object was that the professional men，merchants，shop-keepers，and trades-people generally，should also have spokesmen in the great Council of the nation.
8.At first these mercantile and professional members，overawed by the novelty of their position，gave their votes silently，not daring to speak in presence of men accustomed to dictate to Kings and to govern a great land.But they soon learned to speak out boldly.
9.Prince Edward escaped from prison in the spring，and gathered an army.Leicester，whose son was in Sussex，lay at Hereford，west of the Severn；and in spite of Edward’s efforts to keep him there by breaking bridges and burning boats，he managed to cross to Worcester，where he waited for his son.Edwardbcame suddenly by night on this young warrior near Kenilworth，and afterscattering his force，obliged him to seek shelter in the great castle there.
10.The Earl moved to a place on the Avon called Evesham，and with great gladness saw his own banners coming over the hills from Kenilworth.These，however，turned out to be the captured standards of his son.And，when he looked in other directions，he saw glittering files of spears advancing towards the position he held.Bitterly，when he saw this sight，did he cry，“It was I who taught them the art of war.”
11.But bitter words were of little use at such a time.Having put his men in array of battle，he knelt down to offer a short prayer，and then took the sacrament，as pious knights always did before going into battle.The fortunesa Evesham.-In Worcestershire，15miles south-east of Worcester.
b Kenilworth.-In Warwickshire，41miles north of Warwick.
of the day went against him from the first；but he resolved to sell his life dearly.His last stand was made on the top of a hill，where he gathered in a solid circle around him some of his bravest men.When his horse was killed，he fought on foot；but the circle yielded to the pressure of charges from every side，and at length brave old Leicester fell.
中文阅读
1.在亨利三世执政晚期，一位虔诚而博学的人获得了莱斯特伯爵的爵位，人们都把他叫做“义人西蒙”。他曾在法国南部省份吉耶纳担任地方首长，但在任上被亨利召回，还被亨利面斥为“叛徒”。当时的英国民怨沸腾，主要是因为从王后的故乡普罗旺斯a而来的法国人太多了，并且他们还在政府中占据最肥差位，在教堂里也担当要职。
2.我们或许还记得，当年身披铠甲，全副武装的贵族阶层走入议会把国王约翰吓成了什么样。而如今莱斯特伯爵又将他们数次召集至牛津郡开会，共同起草了《牛津条例》。这样一来，国家就分成了两个阵营，一个国王阵营，一个莱斯特阵营，一场内战不可避免，终于在公元1258年打响了。
3.莱斯特伯爵率领一支军队从伦敦出发，全军将士每人在胸前戴着一个白色十字架，以彰显正义，最后在离刘易斯b不远的一个山谷里布阵扎营，准备全力迎战亨利国王与爱德华王子。
4.战争随即爆发，刚刚成为骑士的年轻爱德华王子身先士卒，杀入跟随莱斯特参战的伦敦骑兵阵中，经过一番激烈的冲撞，成功突围；而小小的胜利也似乎让他忘乎所以，他将战争当成了贵族运动，奋力追击对方的残余部队，追出了很远。
5.当追赶敌人的热情终于消退，爱德华王子策马而返；这时才发现，由于他的鲁莽之行，导致父王孤立无援，最后被敌人打败，成了莱斯特的俘虏。于是爱德华自告奋勇牺牲自己，充当人质以换回他父王的自由，但即便如此，国政实权从此还是掌握在莱斯特手中。
6.在这场战争与终结莱斯特性命的伊夫舍姆战争之间，发生了一件具有重大历史意义的事件，那就是在代表中产阶级的上议院c和教士群体之间，加入了一个新的阶层，而此阶层为后来英格兰一个最有实力的政治实体打下了坚实基础，这就是下议院d。
a 普罗旺斯：法国东南部的一个旧省份。
b 刘易斯：位于苏塞克斯，地处伦敦南部44英里，离布莱顿8.5英里。
