the caged lion-第27节

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t　go　round　the　posts　before　mass；　Jamie。　　Will　you　face　the　matin　frost？'

'I　am　fitter　to　face　it　than　thou；'　said　James；　rising。　　'Is　there　need　for　this？'

'Great　need；'　said　Henry。　　'Here　are　these　fresh　forces　all　aglow　within　their　first　zeal；　and　unless　they　are　worse　captains　than　I　suppose　them；　they　will　attempt　some　mischief　ere　longnor　is　any　time　so　slack　as　cock…crow。'

James　was　speedily　ready；　and；　within　some　suppressed　sighs；　so　was　Malcolm；　who　knew　himself　in　duty　bound　to　attend　his　master；　and　was　kept　on　the　alert　by　seeing　Ralf　Percy　also　on　foot。　　But　it　was　a　great　relief　to　him　that　the　young　gentleman　murmured　in　no　measured　terms　against　the　intolerable　activity　of　their　kings。　　No　other　attendants　went　within　them；　since　Henry　was　wont　to　patrol　his　camp　with　as　little　demonstration　as　possible。

'I　would　scarcely　ask　a　dog　to　come　out　with　me　this　wintry　morn；'　said　he；　as　he　waved　back　his　sleepy　chamberlain；　Fitzhugh；　and　took　his　brother　king's　arm；　'but　I　could　not　but　crave　a　turn　with　thee；　Jamie；　ere　the　hue　and　cry　of　rejoicing　begins。'

'That　is　poor　welcome　for　your　heir；'　said　James。

'Poor　child！'　said　Henry；　then；　after　they　had　walked　some　space　in　silence；　he　added；　'You'll　mock　me；　but　I　would　that　this　had　not　befallen　at　Windsor。　　I　had　laid　my　plans　that　it　should　be　otherwise；　but　ladies　are　ill　to　guide。'

'And　wherefore　should　it　not　have　been　at　fair　Windsor？　　If　I　can　love　it　as　a　prison；　sure　your　son　may　well　love　it　as　a　cradle。'

'No　dishonour　to　Windsor；'　said　Henry；　'but；　sleeping　or　waking；　this　whole　night　hath　this　adage　rung　in　my　ears　…


〃Harry；　born　at　Monmouth；　shall　short　time　live　and　all　get；　Harry；　born　at　Windsor；　shall　long　time　live　and　lose　all。〃'


'A　most　choice　piece　of　royal　poesy　and　prophecy；'　laughed　James。

'Nay；　do　not　charge　me　with　it；　thou　dainty　minstrel。　　It　was　sung　to　me　by　mime　old　Herefordshire　nurse；　when　Windsor　seemed　as　little　within　my　reach　as　Meaux；　and　I　never　thought　of　it　again　till　I　looked　to　have　a　son。'

'Then　balk　the　prophecy；'　said　James；　'Edward　born　at　Windsor　got　enough；　and　lived　long　enough　to　boot！'

'Too　late！'　was　the　answer。　　'The　Archbishop　christened　the　poor　child　Harry　in　the　very　hour　of　his　birth。'

'Poor　child！'　echoed　James；　rather　sarcastically。

'Nay；　'tis　not　solely　the　rhyme；'　said　Henry；　'but　this　has　been　a　wakeful　night；　and　not　without　misgivings　whether　I　am　one　who　ought　to　look　for　joy　in　his　children。'

'What　is　past　was　not　such　that　you　alone　should　cry　mea　culpa；'　said　James。

'I　never　thought　so　till　now；'　said　Henry。　　'Yet　who　knows？　　My　father　was　a　winsome　young　man　ere　his　exile；　full　of　tenderness　to　us　all；　at　the　rare　times　he　was　with　us。　　Who　knows　what　cares　may　make　of　me　ere　my　boy　learns　to　knew　me？'

'You　will　not　hold　him　aloof；　and　give　him　no　chance　of　loving　you？'

'I　trow　not！　　I'll　have　him　with　me　in　the　camp；　and　he　and　my　brave　men　shall　be　one　another's　pride。　　Which　Roman　emperor　is　it　that　hears　the　nickname　his　father's　soldiers　gave　him　as　a　child？　　Nay　Caligula　was　it？　　Omens　are　against　me　this　morning。'

'Then　laughs　them　to　scorn；　and　be　yourself；'　said　James。　　'Bless　God　for　the　goodly　child；　who　is　born　to　two　kingdoms；　won　by　his　father's　and　his　grandsire's　swords。'

'Ah！'　said　Henry；　depressed　by　failing　health；　a　sleepless　night；　and　hungry　morning；　'maybe　it　were　better　for　him；　soul　and　body　both；　did　I　stand　here　Duke　of　Lancaster；　and　good　Edmund　of　March　yonder　were　head　of　realm　and　army。'

'Never　would　he　be　head　of　this　army；'　said　James。　　'He　would　be　snoring　at　Shene；　that　is；　if　he　could　sleep　for　the　trouble　the　Duke　of　Lancaster　would　be　giving　him。'

Henry　laughed　at　last。　　'Good　King　Edmund；　he　would　assuredly　never　try　to　set　the　world　right　on　its　hinges。　　Honest　fellow；　soon　he　will　be　as　hearty　in　his　congratulations　as　though　he　did　not　lie　under　a　great　wrong。　　Heigh…ho！　such　as　he　may　be　in　the　right　on't。　I've　marvelled　of　late；　whether　any　priest　or　hermit　could　bring　back　my　old　assurance；　that　all　this　is　my　work　on　earth；　or　tell　me　if　it　be　all　one　grand　error。　　Men　there　have　been　like　Caesar；　Alexander；　or　Charlemagne；　who　thought　my　thoughts　and　worked　them　out；　and　surely　Church　and　nations　cry　aloud　for　purifying。　　Jerusalem；　and　a　general　councilI　saw　them　once　clear　and　bright　before　me；　but　now　a　mist　seems　to　rise　up　from　Richard's　blood；　and　hide　them　from　me；　and　there　comes　from　it　my　father's　voice　when　he　asked　on　his　deathbed　what　right　I　had　to　the　crown。　　What　would　it　be　if　I　had　to　leave　this　work　half　done？'

He　was　interrupted　by　the　sight　of　a　young　knight　stealing　into　the　camp；　after　a　furtive　expedition　to　Paris。　　It　was　enough　to　rouse　him　from　his　despondent　state；　and　the　severity　of　his　wrath　was　in　full　proportion　to　the　offence。　　Nor　did　he　again　utter　his　misgivings；　but　was　full　of　his　usual　alacrity　and　life；　as　though　daylight　had　restored　his　buoyancy。

James；　on　the　way　back　to　the　thanksgiving　mass；　interceded　for　last　night's　offenders；　as　an　act　of　grace　suitable　to　the　occasion；　but　Henry　was　inexorable。

'Had　they　stood　to　die　like　Englishmen；　they　had　not　lied　like　dogs！　'he　said；　'and　as　dogs　they　shall　hang！'

In　fact；　in　the　critical　state　of　his　army；　he　knew　that　the　only　safety　lay　in　the　promptest　and　sternest　justice；　and　therefore　the　three　foremost　in　accusing　King　James　of　treachery　were　hung　long　before　noon。

However；　he　called　for　the　two　Yorkshiremen；　and　thus　addressed　them：　'Well　done；　my　masters！　　Thanks　for　showing　Scots　and　Frenchmen　what　stuff　Englishmen　are　made　of！　　I　keep　my　word；　good　fellows。　　Kneel　down；　and　I'll　dub　each　a　knight。　　How　now！　what　are　you　blundering　and　whispering　for？'

'So　please　you；　Sir；'　said　Kitson；　'this　is　no　matter　to　win　one's　spurs　formere　standing　still　without　a　blow。'

'I　would　all　had　that　same　gift　of　standing　still；'　returned　Henry。　'What　is　it　sticks　in　your　gizzard；　friend？　　If　'tis　the　fees；　I　take　them　on　myself。'

'No；　Sir；'　hoarsely　cried　both。

And　Kitson　explained：　　'Sir；　you　said　you'd　knight　the　one　of　us　that　was　foremost。　　Now；　the　two　being　dubbed；　we　shall　be　but　where　we　were　before　as　to　Mistress　Agnes　of　Mineshull；　unless　of　your　good…　will　you　would　be　pleased　to　let　us　fight　out　the　wager　of　the　heriard　in　all　peace　and　amity。'

Henry　burst　out　laughing；　with　all　his　old　merriment；　as　he　said；　'For　no　Mistress　Agnes　living　can　I　have　honest　men's　lives　wasted；　specially　of　such　as　have　that　gift　of　standing　still。　　If　she　does　not　knew　her　own　mind；　one　of　you　must　get　himself　killed　by　the　Frenchmen；　not　by　one　another。　　So　kneel　down；　and　we'll　make　your　knighthood's　feast　fall　in　with　that　of　my　son。'

Thus　Sir　Christopher　Kitson　and　Sir　William　Trenton　rose　up　knights；　and　bore　their　honours　with　a　certain　bluntness　that　made　them　butts；　even　while　they　were　the　heroes　of　the　day；　and　Henry；　who　had　resumed　his　gay　temper；　made　much　diversion　out　of　their　mingled　shrewdness　and　gruffness。

'So；'　muttered　Malcolm　to　Ralf　Percy；　'we　are　passed　over　in　the　self…same　matter　for　which　these　fellows　are　knighted。'

'Tush！'　answered　Percy；　'I'd　scorn　to　be　confounded　with　a　couple　of　clowns　like　them！　　Moreover；'　he　added；　with　better　reason；　'their　valour　was　more　exercised　than　ours；　inasmuch　as　they　thought　there　was　treachery；　and　we　did　not。　　No；　no；　when　my　spurs　are　won；　it　shall　be　for　some　prowess；　better　than　standing　stock…still。'

Malcolm　held　his　tongue；　unwilling　that　Percy　should　see　that　he　did　feel　this　an　achievement；　but　he　was　vexed　at　the　lack　of　reward；　fancying　that　knighthood　would　be　no　small　step　in　the　favour　of　that　imaginary　Esclairmonde　whom　he　had　made　for　himself。

'Light　of　the　world'　he　loved　to　call　her　still；　but　it　was　in　the　commonplace　romance　of　his　time；　the　mere　light　of　beauty　and　grace　illuminating　the　world　of　chivalry。



CHAPTER　VIII：　　THE　CAPTURE



The　seven　months'　siege　ended　at　last；　but　it　was　not　until　the　brightness　of　May　was　on　the　fields　outside；　and　the　deadly　blight　of　famine　on　all　within；　that　a　haggard；　wasted…looking　deputation　came　down　from　the　upper　city　to　treat　with　the　King。

Henry　was　never　severe　with　the　inhabitants　of　French　cities；　and　exacted　no　harsh　terms；　save　that　he　insisted　that　Vaurus；　the　robber　captain；　and　his　two　chief　lieutenants；　should　be　given　up　to　him　to　suffer　condign　punishment。　　The　warriors　who　had　shut　themselves　up　to　hold　out　the　place　by　honourable　warfare　for　the　Dauphin　must　be　put　to　ransom　as　prisoners　of　war；　but　the　burghers　were　to　be　unmolested；　on　condition　of　their　swearing　allegiance　to　Henry　as　regent　for；　and　heir　of；　Charles　VI。

To　this　the　deputies　consented；　and　the　next　day　was　fixed　for　the　surrender。　　The　difficulty　was；　as　Henry　had　found　at　Harfleur；　Rouen；　and　many　other　places；　to　enforce　forbearance　on　his　soldiery；　who　regarded　plunder　as　their　lawful　prey；　the　enemy　as　their　natural　game；　and　the　trouble　a　city　had　given　them　as　a　cause　for　unmercifulness。　　The　more　time　changed　his　army　from　the　feudal　gathering　of　English　country　gentlemen　and　yeomen　to　mercenary　bands　of　men…at…arms；　the　mere　greed