the caged lion-第63节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bonnie　land；　how　sweet　its　air　blows　from　the　north！ye　must　e'en　turn　south！　　But　how　to　dispose　of　your　sister？　　Some　nunnery'

'Poor　Lily；　she　is　weary　of　convents；'　said　Malcolm　'but　if　Lady　Montagu　would　let　her　be　with　her　and　the　Lady　Esclairmonde；　then　would　she　learn　somewhat　of　the　ways　of　a　well…ordered　English　noble　house。　　And　I　could　well　provide　for　her　being　there　as　befits　her　station。'

'Well　thought　of！　　The　gentle　Lady　Alice　will　no　doubt　welcome　her；'　said　the　King；　'and　Patrick　must　endure。'

Thus　then　was　it　fixed。　　The　King　and　Queen；　stately　and　beautiful；　royally　robed；　and　mounted　on　splendid　steeds；　were　escorted　the　next　morning　to　the　Scottish　gate　of　Berwick　by　Lord　Northumberland　and　his　retinue；　and　they　were　met　by　an　imposing　band　of　Scottish　nobles；　with　the　white…haired　Earl　of　Lennox　at　their　head。　　To　these　the　captive　was　formally　surrendered　by　Northumberland；　and　James；　flinging　himself　from　his　horse；　kissed　his　native　soil；　and　gave　thanks　aloud　to　God；　ere　he　stood　up　and　received　the　homage　of　his　subjects；　to　most　of　whom　he　was　a　total　stranger。

Malcolm　and　Lilias　on　the　walls　could　see　all；　but　could　not　hear；　and　finally　beheld　the　glittering　troop　wind　their　way　over　the　hills　to　make　ready　for　the　coronation　of　James　and　Joan　as　king　and　queen　of　Scotland。



CHAPTER　XIX：　　THE　LION'S　WRATH



It　was　the　24th　of　May；　1425；　when　in　the　vaulted　hall　of　the　Castle　of　Stirling　the　nobles　of　Scotland　were　convened　to　try；　as　the　peers　of　the　realm；　men　of　rankno　less　than　Murdoch；　Duke　of　Albany；　his　sons　Walter　and　Alexander；　the　Earl　of　Lennox；　and　twenty…two　other　nobles；　most　of　whom　had　been　arraigned　in　the　Parliament　of　Perth　two　months　previously；　and　had　been　shut　up　in　different　castles。　Robert　Stewart　had　escaped　to　the　Highlands；　and　Walterwho　had　neither　been　at　the　Coronation　of　Scone；　nor　at　the　Parliament　of　Perth；　nor　indeed　had　ever　bowed　his　pride　so　as　to　present　himself　to　the　King　at　allhad　been　separately　arrested；　and　shut　up　for　two　months　in　the　strong　castle　on　the　Bass　Rock。

The　charge　was　termed　treason　and　violence；　and　assuredly　there　had　been　perpetual　acts　of　spoil　and　barbarous　infractions　of　the　law　by　men　who　deemed　themselves　above　all　law。　　The　only　curiosity　was；　for　which　of　these　acts　they　were　to　be　tried；　and　this　affected　many　of　their　judges　likewise；　for　there　was　hardly　a　man　in　that　court　who　was　not　conscious　of　some　deed　that　would　not　exactly　bear　to　be　set　beside　the　code　of　Scotland；　and　who　had　not　been　in　the　habit　of　regarding　those　laws　as　all　very　well　for　burghers；　but　not　meant　for　gentlemen。

There；　on　seats　behind　the　throne；　sat　the　twenty…one　jurors；　Earl　Douglas　among　thema　new　earl；　for　the　grim　old　Archibald　had　died　in　the　battle　of　Verneuil　some　months　before。　　Angus；　March；　and　Mar；　and　all　the　most　powerful　names　in　Scotland；　were　there；　and　upon　his　throne；　in　regal　robes　of　crimson　and　ermine；　the　crown　upon　his　brow；　the　sceptre　in　his　hand；　the　sword　of　state　held　before　him；　sat　King　James；　the　most　magnificent…looking　king　then　reigning　in　Europe；　but　with　the　sternest；　saddest；　most　resolute　of　countenances；　as　one　unalterably　fixed　upon　the　terrible　duty　of　not　bearing　the　sword　in　vain。　　Something　of　Henry's　avenging…angel　look　seemed　to　have　passed　into　his　face；　but　with　far　more　of　melancholy　weight。

Walter　Stewart　was　led　into　the　court。　　He　too　was　a　man　of　lofty　stature　and　princely　bearing；　and　his　grand　Stewart　features　were　set　in　an　expression　of　easy　nonchalance　and　scorn；　aware　as　he　was　that　of　whatever　he　might　be　accused；　there　were　few　of　his　judges　that　did　not　share　the　guilt；　and　moreover　persuaded　that　this　was　a　mere　ceremony；　and　that　the　King　would　never　dare　to　go　beyond　this　futile　attempt　to　overawe　him。　　He　stood　alonehis　father　and　the　others　were　reserved　for　another　trial；　and　as；　richly　arrayed；　he　stood　opposite　to　the　jury；　gazing　fixedly　first　at　one；　then　at　the　other；　as　though　challenging　their　right　to　sit　in　judgment　on　him；　one　eye　after　another　fell　beneath　his　gaze。

'Walter　Stewart　of　Albany；　Earl　of　Fife；'　proclaimed　the　crier's　voice。　　'You　stand　here　arraigned　of　murder　and　of　robbery。'

'At　whose　suit？'　demanded　Walter；　undaunted。

'At　the　suit　of　Malcolm　and　Lilias　Stewart　of　Glenuskie；　and　of　Patrick　Drummond　of　the　Braes；'　returned　the　crier；　an　ecclesiastic；　as　were　all　lawyers；　and　at　the　same　moment　three　figures　came　forward；　namely；　a　tall　knightly　gentleman　with　gold　chain　and　spurs；　a　lady　whose　veil　disclosed　a　blushing　dark…eyed　face；　and　a　slender　youth　of　deep　and　earnest　countenance。　　'At　the　suit　of　these　here　present　you　stand　arraigned；　Sir　Walter　Stewart　of　Albany；　for　having　feloniously；　and　of　malice　aforethought；　on　the　Eve　of　the　Annunciation　of　our　Lady；　of　the　year　of　grace　1421；　set　upon　the　said　Malcolm　and　Lilias　Stewart；　Sir　David　Drummond　of　the　Braes；　Tutor　of　Glenuskie；　and　divers　other　persons；　on　the　muir　of　Hetherfield；　and　having　there　cruelly　and　maliciously　wounded　the　said　David　of　the　Braes　to　the　death；　and　of　having　forcibly　stolen　and　abducted　the　person　of　the　said　Lilias　Stewart'

The　crier　was　not　permitted　to　proceed；　for　Walter　Stewart　broke　forth；　passionately　addressing　the　jurors。　　'So　this　is　all　that　can　be　found　to　be　laid　against　me。　　This　is　the　way　that　matters　of　five　years　back　are　raked　up　to　vex　the　princes　and　nobles　of　Scotland。　　I　am　sorry　for　you；　lords　and　gentlemen；　if　this　is　the　way　that　vexatious　are　to　be　stirred　up　against　those　who　have　defended　their　country　so　long。'

'This　is　no　answer　to　the　accusation；　Sir　Walter；'　said　the　Earl　of　Mar。

'Accusation；　forsooth！'　said　Walter　Stewart　scornfully。　　'Who　dares　to　bear　witness；　if　I　DID　maintain　my　father's　lawful　authority　over　peevish　runaway　wards　of　the　Crown？'

'Sir　Walter；'　said　the　King；　'you　would　have　done　better　to　have　waited　and　heard　the　whole　indictment　ere　answering　one　charge。　　But　since　you　demand　who　will　dare　to　bear　witness　in　this　matter　of　the　murder　of　Sir　David　Drummond　of　the　Braes；　and　of　the　seizure　of　the　Lady　Lilias；　here　is　one。'

So　saying；　and　rising　as　he　spoke；　he　held　forth　the　reliquary　that　hung　from　a　chain　round　his　neck；　keeping　his　gleaming　tawny　eyes　fixed　steadily　straight　upon　Walter　Stewart's　face。

That　face；　as　he　first　had　stood　up；　expressed　the　utmost　amazement；　and　this　gradually；　under　the　lion　glance；　became　more　and　more　of　dismay；　quailing；　collapsing　visibly　under　the　passionless　gravity　of　that　look。　　Even　the　tall　form　seemed　to　shrink；　the　eyes　dilated；　the　brows　drew　closer　together；　and　the　chest　seemed　to　pant；　as　the　relic　was　held　forth。　　There　was　a　dead　silence　throughout　the　court　as　the　King　ceased　to　speak；　only　he　continued　to　bend　that　searching　gaze　upon　his　prisoner。

'Was　it　you？was　it　your　own　self；　my　lord？'　he　stammered　forth　at　last；　in　the　tone　of　one　stricken。

'Yea；　Walter　Stewart。　　To　me　it　was；　and　on　this　holy　relic；　that　you　made　oath　to　abstain　from　all　further　spoil　and　violence　until　the　King　should　come　again　in　peace。　　How　that　oath　has　been　kept　the　further　indictments　will　show。'

'I　deemed　it　was　St。　Andrew；'　faltered　the　prisoner。

'And　therefore　that　the　oath　to　a　heavenly　saint　would　better　bear　breaking　than　one　to　an　earthly　sinner；'　replied　James　gravely。　'Read　on；　Clerk　of　the　Court。'

The　roll　continueda　long　and　terrible　record　of　violence　and　cruelty；　the　private　warfare　of　the　lawless　young　prince；　the　crimes　of　reckless　barbarity　and　of　savage　passiona　deadly　roll；　in　which　indeed　even　the　second　abduction　of　Lilias　was　one　of　the　least　acts　laid　to　his　charge。

No　lack　of　witnesses　were　there　to　prove　deeds　that　had　been　done　in　the　open　face　of　day；　in　utter　fearlessness　of　earthly　justice；　and　defiance　of　Heaven。　　The　defence　that　the　prisoner　seemed　to　have　been　prepared　to　us？that　those　who　sat　to　judge　him　had　shared　in　his　offences；　and　his　daring　power　of　brow…beating　them；　as　he　had　so　often　done　before；　as　son　of　the　man　who　sat　in　the　King's　seathad　utterly　failed　him　now。　　He　was　mute；　and　the　forms　of　the　trial　were　gone　through　as　of　one　whose　doom　was　already　sealed；　but　who　must　receive　his　sentence　according　to　the　strictest　form　of　law；　lest　the　just　reward　of　his　deeds　should　partake　of　their　own　violence。　　By　the　end　of　the　day　the　jurors　had　found　Walter　Stewart　guilty；　and　the　doomster；　a　black…robed　clerk；　rising　up；　pronounced　the　sentence　that　condemned　Walter　Stewart　of　Albany　to　suffer　death　by　beheading。

Even　then　no　one　believed　that　the　doom　would　be　inflicted。　　Royal　blood　had　never　flowed　beneath　the　headsman's　axe；　and　it　would　have　been　infinitely　more　congenial　to　Scottish　feelings　if　the　King　had　sent　a　party　of　men…at…arms　to　fall　on　the　Master　in　the　high　road；　and　cut　him　off；　or　had　burnt　him　alive　in　his　castle。　　The　verdict　'served　him　right'　would　have　been　universally　returned；　and　rejoiced　in；　but　a　regular　trial　of　a　man　of　such　birth　was　unheard　of；　and　shocking　to　the　feelings　even　of　those　whom　that　irresistible　force　of　the　King's　had　compelled　to　sit　in　judgment　upon　him。　　No　one　could　avow　it　face　to　face　with　the　King；　but　every　one　felt