the caged lion-第42节

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k's　charge。'

'Warwick　is　waiting　admission；'　said　Bedford。　　'He　and　Salisbury　and　Exeter　rode　with　me。'

The　King's　face　lighted　up　with　joy　as　he　heard　this。　　'It　is　good　for　a　man　to　have　his　friends　about　him；'　he　said；　and　as　they　entered　he　held　out　his　hand　to　them　and　thanked　them。

Then　took　place　the　well…known　scene；　when；　looking　back　on　his　career；　he　pronounced　it　to　have　been　his　endeavour　to　serve　God　and　his　people；　and　declared　himself　ready　to　face　death　fearlessly；　since　such　was　the　will　of　his　Maker：　　grieving　only　for　the　infancy　of　his　son；　but　placing　his　hope　and　comfort　in　his　brother　John；　and　commending　the　babe　to　the　fatherly　charge　of　Warwick。　　'You　cannot　love　him　for　his　own　sake　as　yet；　but　if　you　think　you　owe　me　aught；　repay　it　to　him。'　　And　as　he　thought　over　the　fate　of　other　infant　kings；　he　spoke　of　some　having　hated　the　father　and　loved　the　child；　others　who　had　loved　the　father　and　hated　the　child。

To　Humfrey　of　Gloucester　he　sent　stringent　warnings　against　giving　way　to　his　hot　and　fiery　nature；　offending　Burgundy；　or　rushing　into　a　doubtful　wedlock　with　Jaqueline　of　Hainault；　speaking　of　him　with　an　elder　brother's　fatherly　affection；　but　turning　ever　to　John　of　Bedford　with　full　trust　and　reliance；　as　one　like…minded；　and　able　to　carry　out　all　his　intentions。　　For　the　French　prisoners；　they　might　not　be　released；　'lest　more　fire　be　kindled　in　one　day　than　can　be　quenched　in　three。'

'And　for　you；　Jamie；'　he　said；　affectionately　holding　out　his　hand；　'my　friend；　my　brother…in…arms；　I　must　say　the　same　as　ever。　　Pardon　me；　Jamie；　but　I　have　not　kept　you　out　of　malice；　such　as　man　must　needs　renounce　on　his　death…bed。　　I　trust　to　John；　and　to　the　rest；　for　giving　you　freedom　at　such　time　as　you　can　safely　return　to　be　such　a　king　indeed　as　we　have　ever　hoped　to　be。　　Do　you　pardon　me；　James；　for　this；　as　for　any　harshness　or　rudeness　you　may　have　suffered　from　me？'

James；　with　full　heart；　murmured　out　his　ardent　love；　his　sense　that　no　captive　had　ever　been　so　generously　treated　as　he。

'And　you；　my　young　lord；'　said　Henry；　looking　towards　Malcolm；　whose　light　touch　and　tender　hands　had　made　him　a　welcome　attendant　in　the　illness；　'I　have　many　a　kind　service　to　thank　you　for。　　And　I　believe　I　mightily　angered　you　once；　but；　boy；　rememberay；　and　you　too；　Ralf　Percythat　he　is　your　friend　who　turns　you　back　from　things　sore　to　remember　in　a　case　like　mine！'

After　these；　and　other　calm　collected　farewells；　Henry　required　to　know　from　his　physicians　how　long　his　time　might　yet　be。　　There　was　hesitation　in　answering；　plainly　as　they　saw　that　mortification　had　set　in。

'What；'　he　said；　'do　ye　think　I　have　faced　death　so　many　times　to　fear　it　now？'

Then　came　the　reply　given　by　the　weeping；　kneeling　physician：　　'Sir；　think　of　your　soul；　for；　without　a　miracle；　you　cannot　live　two　hours。'

The　King　beckoned　his　confessor；　and　his　friends　retired；　to　return　again　to　take　their　part　in　the　last　rites；　the　Viaticum　and　Unction。

Henry　was　collected；　and　alive　to　all　that　was　passing；　responding　duly；　and　evidently　entering　deeply　into　the　devotions　that　were　to　aid　his　spirit　in　that　awful　passage；　his　face　gravely　set；　but　firm　and　fearless　as　ever。　　The　ceremonial　ended；　he　was　still　sensible；　though　with　little　power　of　voice　or　motion　left；　but　the　tone；　though　low；　was　steady　as　ever；　when　he　asked　for　the　Penitential　Psalms。　　Still　they　doubted　whether　he　were　following　them；　for　his　eyes　closed；　and　his　lips　ceased　to　move；　until；　as　they　chanted　the　revival　note　of　David's　mournful　penance'O　be　favourable　and　gracious　unto　Sion；　build　Thou　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；'at　that　much…loved　word；　the　light　of　the　blue　eyes　once　more　beamed　out；　and　he　spoke　again。　　'Jerusalem！　　On　the　faith　of　a　dying　king；　it　was　my　earnest　purpose　to　have　composed　matters　here　into　peace　and　union；　and　so　to　have　delivered　Jerusalem。　　But　the　will　of　God　be　done；　since　He　saw　me　unworthy。'

Then　his　eyes　closed　again；　he　slept；　or　seemed　to　sleep；　and　then　a　strange　quivering　came　over　the　face；　the　lips　moved　again；　and　the　words　broke　from　them；　'Thou　liest；　foul　spirit！　thou　liest！'　but；　as　though　the　parting　soul　had　gained　the　victory　in　that　conflict；　peace　came　down　on　the　wasted　features；　and　with　the　very　words　of　his　Redeemer　Himself；　'Into　Thy　hands　I　commend　my　spirit；'　he　did　indeed　fall　asleep；　the　mighty　soul　passed　from　the　worn…out　frame。



CHAPTER　XIII：　　THE　RING　AND　THE　EMPTY　THRONE



No　one　knows　how　great　a　tree　has　been　till　it　has　fallen；　nor　how　large　a　space　a　mighty　man　has　occupied　till　he　is　removed。

King　Henry　V。　left　his　friends　and　foes　alike　almost　dizzy；　as　in　place　of　his　grand　figure　they　found　a　blank；　instead　of　the　hand　whose　force　they　had　constantly　felt；　mere　emptiness。

Malcolm　of　Glenuskie；　who　had　been　asserting　constantly　that　King　Henry　was　no　master　of　his；　and　had　no　rights　over　him；　had　nevertheless；　for　the　last　year　or　more；　been　among　those　to　whom　the　King's　will　was　the　moving　spring；　fixing　the　disposal　of　almost　every　hour；　and　making　everything　dependent　thereon。

When　the　death…hush　was　broken　by　the　'Depart；　O　Christian　soul；'　and　Bedford；　with　a　face　white　and　set　like　a　statue；　stood　up　from　his　knees；　and　crossed　and　kissed　the　still　white　brow；　it　was　to　Malcolm　as　if　the　whole　universe　had　become　as　nothing。　　To　him　there　remained　only　the　great　God；　the　heavenly　Jerusalem　into　which　the　King　had　entered；　and　himself　far　off　from　the　straight　way；　wandering　from　his　promise　and　his　purpose　into　what　seemed　to　him　a　mere　hollow　painted　scene；　such　as　came　and　went　in　the　midst　of　a　banquet。　　Or；　again；　it　was　the　grisly　Dance　of　Death　that　was　the　only　reality；　Death　had　clutched　the　mightiest　in　the　ring。　　Whom　would　he　clutch　next？

He　stood　motionless；　as　one　in　a　dream；　or　rather　as　if　not　knowing　which　was　reality；　and　which　phantom；　gazing；　gazing　on　at　the　bed　where　the　King　lay；　round　which　the　ecclesiastics　were　busying　themselves；　unperceiving　that　James；　Bedford；　and　the　nobles　had　quitted　the　apartment；　till　Percy　first　spoke　to　him　in　a　whisper；　then　almost　shook　him；　and　led　him　out　of　the　room。　　'I　am　sent　for　you；'　he　said；　in　a　much　shaken　voice；　'your　king　says　you　can　be　of　use。'　　Then　tightening　his　grasp　with　the　force　of　intense　grief；　'Oh；　what　a　day！　what　a　day！　　My　father！　my　father！　　I　never　knew　mine　own　father！　　But　he　has　been　all　to　Harry　and　to　me！　　Oh；　woe　worth　the　day！'　　And　dropping　into　a　window…seat；　he　covered　his　face　with　his　hands；　and　gave　way　to　his　grief：　　pointing；　however；　to　the　council…room；　where　Malcolm　found　Bedford　writing　at　the　table；　King　James；　and　a　few　others；　engaged　in　the　same　manner。

A　few　words　from　James　informed　him　（or　would　have　done　so　if　he　could　have　understood）　that　the　Duke　of　Bedford；　on　whom　at　that　terrible　moment　the　weight　of　two　kingdoms　and　of　the　war　had　descended；　could　not　pause　to　rest；　or　to　grieve；　till　letters　and　orders　had　been　sent　to　the　council　in　England；　and　to　every　garrison；　every　ally　in　France；　to　guard　against　any　sudden　panic；　or　faltering　in　friendship　to　England　and　her　infant　heir。　　Warwick　and　Salisbury　were　already　riding　post　haste　to　take　charge　of　the　army；　Robsart　was　gone　to　the　Queen；　Exeter　to　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　and　as　the　clergy　were　all　engaged　with　the　tendance　of　the　royal　corpse；　there　was　scarcely　any　one　to　lessen　the　Duke's　toil。　　James；　knowing　Malcolm's　pen　to　be　ready；　had　sent　for　him　to　assist　in　copying　the　brief　scrolls；　addressed　to　each　captain　of　a　fortress　or　town；　announcing　the　father's　death；　and　commanding　him　to　do　his　duty　to　the　sonKing　Harry　VI。　　Each　was　then　to　be　signed　by　the　Duke；　and　despatched　by　men…at…arms；　who　waited　for　the　purpose。

Like　men　stunned；　the　half…dozen　who　sat　at　the　council…table　worked　on；　never　daring　to　glance　at　the　empty　chair　at　the　upper　end。　　The　only　words　that　passed　were　occasional　inquiries　of；　and　orders　from；　Bedford；　and　these　he　spoke　with　a　strange　alertness　and　metallic　ring　in　his　voice；　as　though　the　words　were　uttered　by　mechanism；　yet　in　themselves　they　were　as　clear　and　judicious　as　possible；　as　if　coming　from　a　mind　wound　up　exclusively　to　the　one　necessary　object；　and　the　facethough　flushed　at　first；　and　gradually　growing　paler；　with　knitted　brows　and　compressed　lipsbetrayed　no　sign　of　emotion。

Hours　passed：　　he　wrote；　he　ordered；　he　signed；　he　sealed；　he　mentioned　name　after　name；　of　place　and　officer；　never　moving　or　looking　up。　　And　James；　who　knew　from　Salisbury　that　he　had　neither　slept　nor　eaten　since　sixty　miles　off　he　had　met　a　worse　report　of　his　brother；　watched　him　anxiously　till；　when　evening　began　to　fall；　he　murmured；　'There　is　the　captain　ofofatbut'the　pen　slipped　from　his　fingers；　and　he　said；　'I　can　no　more！'

The　overtaxed　powers；　strained　so　longmind；　memory；　and　allwere　giving　way　under　the　mere　force　of　excessive　fatigue。　　He　rose　from　his　seat；　but　stumbled；　like　one　blind；　as　James　upheld　him；　and　led　him　away　to　the　nearest　bed…chamber；　where；　almost　while　the　attendants　divested　him　of　the　heavy　boots　and　cuirass　he　had　never　paused　all　these　hours　to　remove；　he　dropped　into　a　sleep　of　sheer　e