Gandalf
and Theoden look out over Rohan. It is dark with passing rain, but suddenly a
shaft of sunlight stabs down, making the distant river shimmer.
‘It
is not so dark there,’ said Theoden.’
And
you’re not so old as some would have you think, says Gandalf. Cast aside your
cane!
Theoden
lets it drop and stands slowly to his true height, until he stands tall and
straight, looking at the sky with clear blue eyes. ‘Dark have been my dreams of
late … but I feel as one new-awakened.’ He wishes Gandalf had come before; he
fears that now his kingdom will not stand long. What can he do?
Much,
says Gandalf, but first of all to send for his nephew Eomer, who has been
imprisoned on the word of his evil counsellor Wormtongue. Theoden calls for
Hama, the doorwarden, to fetch him. While they wait for him to return, Gandalf
leads him to a stone seat, sits him down, and begins encouraging him despite
the darkness that surrounds them. ‘But see! You dream no longer! You live.
Gondor and Rohan do not stand alone. The enemy our reckoning, at which he has
not guessed.’
With
Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas standing nearby, Gandalf quickly and quietly tells
him of Frodo’s quest to destroy the ring. Theoden’s eyes grow brighter and he
stands and looks to the east. ‘That way lies our hope,’ Gandalf says, and the
other three turn their thoughts to Frodo and the slender thread from which hangs
their hope.
Slowly
Theoden sits down again, as if weighted down with weariness. His age is not
only imaginary. Gandalf suggests that he would feel his old strength better, if
he held his sword again. Theoden reaches to his side, but Wormtongue has long
ago spirited it away and hidden it.
‘Take
this, dear lord!’ said a clear voice. It is Eomer, with Hama; the warden, in
his happiness, has already restored his weapon. Theoden sternly what’s going on
here, and the two men are astounded to find him proud and erect. Hama,
trembling, explains why he gave the freed Eomer his sword, which the warrior
now offers to Theoden again.
The
king takes it, and strength and firmness seems to flow into his arm. He raises the
blade and gives a great cry, a chant in the tongue of Rohan, calling his army
to war. His guards come in, amazed, and lay their swords at his feet. ‘Command
us!’
Eomer
expresses his joy, and Theoden hands back his sword, sending Hama to fetch his
own blade from Wormtongue. The King asks Gandalf what his counsel would be now.
Gandalf has a ready answer: what he’s doing now. Trust Eomer, cast aside fear
and regret, destroy the threat of Saruman – if they can, and if they prevail, no
rest but on to the next task. But first, he must send the women and children,
and the old to a safe place.
Theoden
agrees, and commands all his folk to be made ready. Meanwhile his guests should
eat and have a place prepared for them to rest. But Aragorn says, ‘There is no
rest yet for the weary… axe, sword, and bow’ shall ride with them that very
day. Besides, he had promised Eomer that they should draw swords together,
which pleases the young warrior who says that now there is hope indeed.
Gandalf
urges Theoden to quickly lead his people to the refuge, but Theoden says that
Gandalf’s skill in healing is better than the wizard thinks: the King himself
will lead the army into the battle, ‘to fall in the front of battle, if it must
be. Thus shall I sleep better.’ Gandalf asks
who then shall lead his people?
‘I
will take thought of that ere I go,’ answered Theoden. ‘Here comes my
counsellor.’
Bits
and Bobs
The
fact that Gandalf already trusts Theoden enough to tell him their ‘secret hope’
helps to further encourage the ancient king and stiffen his spine. Gandalf
promises him neither sureties nor absolute success: even if they win against
Saruman, it is on to the next task.
“In
December 1954, [Hugh] Brogan wrote to Tolkien to criticize the archaic style
used in The Two Towers. Tolkien did not reply. On 18
September 1955 Brogan wrote to apologize for being "impertinent, stupid,
or sycophantic". Tolkien began the following draft, but instead sent a
note stating that the matter of archaism would take too long to debate and must
await their next meeting.
“Tolkien
dismissed Brogan's self-accusations of impertinency and sycophancy and said
that anyone so appreciative and perceptive is entitled to criticism. That said,
Tolkien did say that he felt pain when deliberate "archaism" is
dismissed in an age when authors manhandle English in the name of art or
"personal expression". "Tushery" was properly applied to
bogus "medieval" stuff where those without knowledge inserted
expletives such as tush, pish, zounds, and marry. Real
archaic English is far more terse than modern and can say
things that our slack and frivolous idioms cannot.
“Tolkien
took one of Brogan's examples: "'Nay, Gandalf!' said
the King. 'You do not know your own skill in healing. It shall not be so. I
myself shall go to war, to fall in the front of the battle, if it must be. Thus
shall I sleep better.'" Real
archaic English would have begun: "Nay, thou wost not thine own skill in
healing…" In modern English it would become: "Not at all my dear
Gandalf. You don't know your own skill as a doctor…I shall go to the war in
person, even if I have to be one of the first casualties."
"Then
what?" asked Tolkien. "Thus shall I sleep better" is not a
modern idiom or thought. To express it in a modern way would be longer and more
insincere: "I should sleep sounder in my grave like that rather than if I
stayed at home." The modern expression is more bogus that what seemed
false archaism. Another example was Tolkien's description of the arming of the
guests, which had upset Brogan. But such "heroic" scenes do not occur
in a modern setting, so why not use the wealth of English that gives a choice
of styles?” - from Tolkien Gateway, quoting
from The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 171.
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