St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  THE BLACK DEATH.

  The court at Westminster during the few months which followed thecapture of Calais was the most brilliant in Europe. Tournaments and_fetes_ followed each other in rapid succession, and to these knightscame from all parts. So great was the reputation of King Edward thatdeputies came from Germany, where the throne was now vacant, to offerthe crown of that kingdom to him. The king declined the offer, for itwould have been impossible indeed for him to have united the Germancrown with that of England, which he already held, and that of France,which he claimed.

  Some months after his return to England the Black Prince asked hisfather as a boon that the hand of his ward Edith Vernon should bebestowed upon the prince's brave follower Sir Walter Somers, and asQueen Philippa, in the name of the lady's mother, seconded the request,the king at once acceded to it. Edith was now sixteen, an age at which,in those days, a young lady was considered to be marriageable, and thewedding took place with great pomp and ceremony at Westminster, theking himself giving away the bride, and bestowing, as did the princeand Queen Philippa, many costly presents upon the young couple. Aftertaking part in several of the tournaments, Walter went with his brideand Dame Vernon down to their estates, and were received with greatrejoicing by the tenantry, the older of whom well remembered Walter'sfather and mother, and were rejoiced at finding that they were again tobecome the vassals of one of the old family. Dame Vernon was greatlyloved by her tenantry; but the latter had looked forward with someapprehension to the marriage of the young heiress, as the character ofthe knight upon whom the king might bestow her hand would greatly affectthe happiness and well-being of his tenants.

  Sir James Carnegie had not returned to England after the fall of Calais;he perceived that he was in grave disfavor with the Black Prince, andguessed, as was the case, that some suspicion had fallen on him inreference to the attack upon Walter in the camp, and to the strangeattempt which had been made to destroy him by Sir Philip Holbeaut. Hehad, therefore, for a time taken service with the Count of Savoy, andwas away from England, to the satisfaction of Walter and Dame Vernon,when the marriage took place; for he had given proofs of such amalignity of disposition that both felt that although his succession tothe estates was now hopelessly barred, yet that he might at any momentattempt some desperate deed to satisfy his feeling of disappointment andrevenge.

  In spite of the gayety of the court of King Edward a cloud hung over thekingdom; for it was threatened by a danger far more terrible than anycombination of foes--a danger from which no gallantry upon the part ofher king or warriors availed anything. With a slow and terrible marchthe enemy was advancing from the East, where countless hosts had beenslain. India, Arabia, Syria, and Armenia had been well-nigh depopulated.In no country which the dread foe had invaded had less than two-thirdsof the population been slain; in some nine-tenths had perished. Allsorts of portents were reported to have accompanied its appearance inthe East, where it was said showers of serpents had fallen, strange andunknown insects had appeared in the atmosphere, and clouds of sulphurousvapor had issued from the earth and enveloped whole provinces andcountries. For two or three years the appearance of this scourge hadbeen heralded by strange atmospheric disturbances; heavy rains andunusual floods, storms of thunder and lightning of unheard-of violence,hail-showers of unparalleled duration and severity, had everywhere beenexperienced, while in Italy and Germany violent earthquake shocks hadbeen felt, and that at places where no tradition existed of previousoccurrences of the same kind.

  From Asia it had spread to Africa and to Europe, affecting first thesea-shores and creeping inland by the course of the rivers. Greece firstfelt its ravages, and Italy was not long in experiencing them. InVenice more than one hundred thousand persons perished in a few months,and thence spreading over the whole peninsula, not a town escaped thevisitation. At Florence sixty thousand people were carried off, and atLucca and Genoa, in Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica it raged with equalviolence. France was assailed by way of Provence, and Avignon sufferedespecially. Of the English college at that place not an individual wasleft, and one hundred and twenty persons died in a single day in thatsmall city. Paris lost upward of fifty thousand of its inhabitants,while ninety thousand were swept away in Lubeck, and one million twohundred thousand died within a year of its first appearance in Germany.

  In England the march of the pestilence westward was viewed with deepapprehension, and the approaching danger was brought home to the peopleby the death of the Princess Joan, the king's second daughter. She wasaffianced to Peter, the heir to the throne of Spain; and the bride, whohad not yet accomplished her fourteenth year, was sent over to Bordeauxwith a considerable train of attendants in order to be united there toher promised husband. Scarcely had she reached Bordeaux when she wasattacked by the pestilence and died in a few hours.

  A few days later the news spread through the country that the diseasehad appeared almost simultaneously at several of the seaports in thesouth-west of England. Thence with great rapidity it spread through thekingdom; proceeding through Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire it broke outin London, and the ravages were no less severe than they had been on theContinent, the very lowest estimate being that two-thirds of thepopulation were swept away. Most of those attacked died within a fewhours of the seizure. If they survived for two days they generallyrallied, but even then many fell into a state of coma from which theynever awoke.

  No words can describe the terror and dismay caused by this the mostdestructive plague of which there is any record in history. No remedieswere of the slightest avail against it; flight was impossible, for theloneliest hamlets suffered as severely as crowded towns, and frequentlynot a single survivor was left. Men met the pestilence in various moods:the brave with fortitude, the pious with resignation, the cowardly andturbulent with outbursts of despair and fury. Among the lower classesthe wildest rumors gained credence. Some assigned the pestilence towitchcraft, others declared that the waters of the wells and streams hadbeen poisoned. Serious riots occurred in many places, and great numbersof people fell victims to the fury of the mob under the suspicion ofbeing connected in some way with the ravages of the pestilence. TheJews, ever the objects of popular hostility, engendered by ignorance andsuperstition, were among the chief sufferers. Bands of marauderswandered through the county plundering the houses left empty by thedeath of all their occupants, and from end to end death and sufferingwere universal.

  Although all classes had suffered heavily the ravages of the diseasewere, as is always the case, greater among the poor than among the rich,the unsanitary conditions of their life and their coarser and commonerfood rendering them more liable to its influence; no rank, however, wasexempted, and no less than three Archbishops of Canterbury were carriedoff in succession by the pestilence within a year of its appearance.

  During the months which succeeded his marriage Sir Walter Somers livedquietly and happily with his wife at Westerham. It was not until late inthe year that the plague approached the neighborhood. Walter haddetermined to await its approach there. He had paid a few short visitsto the court, where every effort was made by continuous gayety to keepup the spirits of the people and prevent them from brooding over theapproaching pestilence; but when it was at hand Walter and his wifeagreed that they would rather share the lot of their tenants, whom theirpresence and example might support and cheer in their need, than returnto face it in London. One morning when they were at breakfast afrightened servant brought in the news that the disease had appeared inthe village, that three persons had been taken ill on the previousnight, that two had already died, and that several others had sickened.

  "The time has come, my children," Dame Vernon said calmly, "the dangerso long foreseen is at hand, now let us face it as we agreed to do. Ithas been proved that flight is useless, since nowhere is there escapefrom the plague; here, at least, there shall be no repetition of theterrible scenes we have heard of elsewhere, where the living have fledin panic and allowed the stricken to die un
attended. We have alreadyagreed that we will set the example to our people by ourselves goingdown and administering to the sick."

  "It is hard," Walter said, rising and pacing up and down the room, "tolet Edith go into it."

  "Edith will do just the same as you do," his wife said firmly. "Were itpossible that all in this house might escape, there might be a motivefor turning coward, but seeing that no household is spared, there is, aswe agreed, greater danger in flying from the pestilence than facing itfirmly."

  Walter sighed.

  "You are right," he said, "but it wrings my heart to see you placeyourself in danger."

  "Were we out of danger here, Walter, it might be so," Edith repliedgently; "but since there is no more safety in the castle than in thecottage, we must face death whether it pleases us or not, and it werebest to do so bravely."

  "So be it," Walter said; "may the God of heaven watch over us all! Now,mother, do you and Edith busy yourselves in preparing broths,strengthening drinks, and medicaments. I will go down at once to thevillage and see how matters stand there and who are in need. We havealready urged upon all our people to face the danger bravely, and if diethey must, to die bravely like Christians, and not like coward dogs.When you have prepared your soups and cordials come down and meet me inthe village, bringing Mabel and Janet, your attendants, to carry thebaskets."

  Ralph, who was now installed as major-domo in the castle, at once setout with Walter. They found the village in a state of panic. Women weresitting crying despairingly at their doors. Some were engaged in packingtheir belongings in carts preparatory to flight, some wandered aimlesslyabout wringing their hands, while others went to the church, whose bellswere mournfully tolling the dirge of the departed. Walter's presencesoon restored something like order and confidence; his resolute tonecheered the timid and gave hope to the despairing. Sternly he rebukedthose preparing to fly, and ordered them instantly to replace theirgoods in their houses. Then he went to the priest and implored him tocause the tolling of the bell to cease.

  "There is enough," he said, "in the real danger present to appall eventhe bravest, and we need no bell to tell us that death is among us. Thedismal tolling is enough to unnerve the stoutest heart, and if we ringfor all who die its sounds will never cease while the plague is amongus; therefore, father, I implore you to discontinue it. Let there beservices held daily in the church, but I beseech you strive in yourdiscourses to cheer the people rather than to depress them, and to dwellmore upon the joys that await those who die as Christian men and womenthan upon the sorrows of those who remain behind. My wife and motherwill anon be down in the village and will strive to cheer and comfortthe people, and I look to you for aid in this matter."

  The priest, who was naturally a timid man, nevertheless nerved himselfto carry out Walter's suggestions, and soon the dismal tones of the bellceased to be heard in the village.

  Walter dispatched messengers to all the outlying farms desiring histenants to meet him that afternoon at the castle in order that measuresmight be concerted for common aid and assistance. An hour later DameVernon and Edith came down and visited all the houses where the plaguehad made its appearance, distributing their soups, and by cheering andcomforting words raising the spirits of the relatives of the sufferers.

  The names of all the women ready to aid in the general work of nursingwere taken down, and in the afternoon at the meeting at the castle thefull arrangements were completed. Work was to be carried on as usual inorder to occupy men's minds and prevent them from brooding over theravages of the plague. Information of any case that occurred was to besent to the castle, where soups and medicines were to be obtained.Whenever more assistance was required than could be furnished by theinmates of a house another woman was to be sent to aid. Boys were toldoff as messengers to fetch food and other matters as required from thecastle.

  So, bravely and firmly, they prepared to meet the pestilence; it spreadwith terrible severity. Scarce a house which did not lose some of itsinmates, while in others whole families were swept away. All day Walterand his wife and Dame Vernon went from house to house, and although theycould do nothing to stem the progress of the pestilence, their presenceand example supported the survivors and prevented the occurrence of anyof the panic and disorder which in most places accompanied it.

  The castle was not exempt from the scourge. First some of the domesticswere seized, and three men and four women died. Walter himself wasattacked, but he took it lightly, and three days after the seizurepassed into a state of convalescence. Dame Vernon was next attacked, andexpired six hours after the commencement of the seizure. Scarcely wasWalter upon his feet than Ralph, who had not for a moment left hisbedside, was seized, but he too, after being at death's door for somehours, turned the corner. Lastly Edith sickened.

  By this time the scourge had done its worst in the village, andthree-fifths of the population had been swept away. All the maleretainers in the castle had died, and the one female who survived wasnursing her dying mother in the village. Edith's attack was a verysevere one. Walter, alone now, for Ralph, although convalescent, had notyet left his bed, sat by his wife's bedside a prey to anxiety and grief;for although she had resisted the first attack she was now, thirty-sixhours after it had seized her, fast sinking. Gradually her sight andpower of speech faded, and she sank into the state of coma which was theprelude of death, and lay quiet and motionless, seeming as if life hadalready departed.

  Suddenly Walter was surprised by the sound of many heavy feet ascendingthe stairs. He went out into the anteroom to learn the cause of thisstrange tumult, when five armed men, one of whom was masked, rushed intothe room. Walter caught up his sword from the table.

  "Ruffians," he exclaimed, "how dare you thus desecrate the abode ofdeath?"

  Without a word the men sprang upon him. For a minute he defended himselfagainst their attacks, but he was still weak, his guard was beaten down,and a blow felled him to the ground.

  "Now settle her," the masked man exclaimed, and the band rushed into theadjoining room. They paused, however, at the door at the sight of thelifeless figure on the couch.

  "We are saved that trouble," one said, "we have come too late."

  The masked figure approached the couch and bent over the figure.

  "Yes," he said, "she is dead, and so much the better."

  Then he returned with the others to Walter.

  "He breathes yet," he said. "He needs a harder blow than that you gavehim to finish him. Let him lie here for awhile, while you gather yourbooty together, then we will carry him off. There is scarcely a soulalive in the country round, and none will note us as we pass. I wouldnot dispatch him here, seeing that his body would be found with woundsupon it, and even in these times some inquiry might be made; thereforeit were best to finish him elsewhere. When he is missed it will besupposed that he went mad at the death of his wife, and has wandered outand died, maybe in the woods, or has drowned himself in a pond orstream. Besides, I would that before he dies he should know what handhas struck the blow, and that my vengeance, which he slighted and hastwice escaped, has overtaken him at last."

  After ransacking the principal rooms and taking all that was valuable,the band of marauders lifted the still insensible body of Walter, andcarrying it downstairs flung it across a horse. One of the ruffiansmounted behind it, and the others also getting into their saddles theparty rode away.

  They were mistaken, however, in supposing that the Lady Edith was dead.She was indeed very nigh the gates of death, and had it not been for thedisturbance would assuredly have speedily entered them. The voice of herhusband raised in anger, the clash of steel, followed by the heavyfall, had awakened her deadened brain. Consciousness had at oncereturned to her, but as yet no power of movement. As at a great distanceshe had heard the words of those who entered her chamber, and hadunderstood their import. More and more distinctly she heard theirmovements about the room as they burst open her caskets and appropriatedher jewels, but it was not until silence was restored that the
gatheringpowers of life asserted themselves; then with a sudden rush the bloodseemed to course through her veins, her eyes opened, and her tongue wasloosed, and with a scream she sprang up and stood by the side of herbed.

  Sustained as by a supernatural power she hurried into the next room. Apool of blood on the floor showed her that what she had heard had notbeen a dream or the fiction of a disordered brain. Snatching up a cloakof her husband's which lay on a couch, she wrapped it round her, andwith hurried steps made her way along the passages until she reached theapartment occupied by Ralph. The latter sprang up in bed with a cry ofastonishment. He had heard but an hour before from Walter that all hopewas gone, and thought for an instant that the appearance was anapparition from the dead. The ghastly pallor of the face, the eyesburning with a strange light, the flowing hair, and disorderedappearance of the girl might well have alarmed one living in even lesssuperstitious times, and Ralph began to cross himself hastily and tomutter a prayer, when recalled to himself by the sound of Edith'svoice.

  "Quick, Ralph!" she said, "arise and clothe yourself. Hasten, for yourlife. My lord's enemies have fallen upon him and wounded him grievously,even if they have not slain him, and have carried him away. They wouldhave slain me also had they not thought I was already dead. Arise andmount, summon every one still alive in the village, and follow thesemurderers. I will pull the alarm-bell of the castle."

  Ralph sprang from his bed as Edith left. He had heard the sound of manyfootsteps in the knight's apartments, but had deemed them those of thepriest and his acolytes come to administer the last rites of the Churchto his dying mistress. Rage and anxiety for his master gave strength tohis limbs. He threw on a few clothes and rushed down to the stables,where the horses stood with great piles of forage and pails of waterbefore them, placed there two days before, by Walter, when their lastattendant died. Without waiting to saddle it, Ralph sprang upon the backof one of the animals, and taking the halters of four others started ata gallop down to the village.

  His news spread like wildfire, for the ringing of the alarm-bell of thecastle had drawn all to their doors and prepared them for somethingstrange. Some of the men had already taken their arms and were makingtheir way up to the castle when they met Ralph. There were but five menin the village who had altogether escaped the pestilence; others hadsurvived its attacks, but were still weak. Horses there were in plenty.The five men mounted at once, with three others who, though still weak,were able to ride.

  So great was the excitement that seven women who had escaped the diseasearmed themselves with their husbands' swords and leaped on horseback,declaring that, women though they were, they would strike a blow fortheir beloved lord, who had been as an angel in the village during theplague. Thus it was scarcely more than ten minutes after the maraudershad left the castle before a motley band, fifteen strong, headed byRalph, rode off in pursuit, while some of the women of the villagehurried up to the castle to comfort Edith with the tidings that thepursuit had already commenced. Fortunately a lad in the fields hadnoticed the five men ride away from the castle, and was able to pointout the direction they had taken.

  At a furious gallop Ralph and his companions tore across the country.Mile after mile was passed. Once or twice they gained news from laborersin the field of the passage of those before them, and knew that theywere on the right track. They had now entered a wild and sparselyinhabited country. It was broken and much undulated, so that althoughthey knew that the band they were pursuing were but a short distanceahead, they had not yet caught sight of them, and they hoped that,having no reason to dread any immediate pursuit, these would soonslacken their pace. This expectation was realized, for on coming over abrow they saw the party halted at a turf-burner's cottage in the hollowbelow. Three of the men had dismounted; two of them were examining thehoof of one of the horses, which had apparently cast a shoe or troddenupon a stone. Ralph had warned his party to make no sound when they cameupon the fugitives. The sound of the horses' hoofs was deadened by theturf, and they were within a hundred yards of the marauders before theywere perceived; then Ralph uttered a shout, and brandishing their swordsthe party rode down at a headlong gallop.

  The dismounted men leaped into their saddles and galloped off at fullspeed, but their pursuers were now close upon them. Ralph and two of hiscompanions, who were mounted upon Walter's best horses, gained upon themat every stride. Two of them were overtaken and run through.

  The man who bore Walter before him, finding himself being rapidlyovertaken, threw his burden on to the ground just as the leader of theparty had checked his horse and was about to deliver a sweeping blow atthe insensible body.

  With a curse at his follower for ridding himself of it, he againgalloped on. The man's act was unavailing to save himself, for he wasovertaken and cut down before he had ridden many strides; then Ralph andhis party instantly reined up to examine the state of Walter, and thetwo survivors of the band of murderers continued their flightunmolested.