The Well at the World's End: A Tale
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CHAPTER 19
Master Clement Tells Ralph Concerning the Lands Whereunto They WereRiding
When they were gotten a mile or two from Whitwall, and all was goingsmoothly, Clement came up to Ralph and rode at his left hand, and fellto speech with him, and said: "Now, lord, will I tell thee moreconcerning our journey, and the folk that we are like to meet upon theroad. And of the perils, whatso they may be, I told thee not before,because I knew thee desirous of seeking adventures east-away, and knewthat my tales would not hinder thee."
"Yea," said Ralph, "and had not this goodly fellowship been, I had gonealone, or with any carle that I could have lightly hired."
Clement laughed and said: "Fair sir, thou wouldst have failed ofhiring any one man to go with thee east-ward a many miles. For withless than a score of men well-armed the danger of death or captivity isover great, if ye ride the mountain ways unto Cheaping Knowe. Yea, andeven if a poor man who hath nothing, wend that way alone, he may wellfall among thieves, and be stolen himself body and bones, for lack ofanything better to steal."
Hereat Ralph felt his heart rise, when he thought of battle and strife,and he made his horse to spring somewhat, and then he said: "It likethme well, dear friend, that I ride not with thee for naught, but that Imay earn my daily bread like another."
"Yea," said Clement, looking on him kindly, "I deem of all thy brethrenthou hast the biggest share of the blood of Red Robert, who first wonUpmeads. And now thou shalt know that this good town of Whitwall thatlieth behind us is the last of the lands we shall come to wherein folkcan any courtesy, or are ruled by the customs of the manor, or by duelawful Earls and Kings, or the laws of the Lineage or the Port, or haveany Guilds for their guiding, and helping. And though these folkswhereunto we shall come, are, some of them, Christian men by name, andhave amongst them priests and religious; yet are they wild men ofmanners, and many heathen customs abide amongst them; as swearing onthe altars of devils, and eating horse-flesh at the High-tides, andspell-raising more than enough, and such like things, even to thereddening of the doom-rings with the blood of men and of women, yea,and of babes: from such things their priests cannot withhold them. Asfor their towns that we shall come to, I say not but we shall findcrafts amongst them, and worthy good men therein, but they have littlemight against the tyrants who reign over the towns, and who are of nogreat kindred, nor of blood better than other folk, but merelymasterful and wise men who have gained their place by cunning and thehigh hand. Thou shalt see castles and fair strong-houses about thecountry-side, but the great men who dwell therein are not the naturalkindly lords of the land yielding service to Earls, Dukes, and Kings,and having under them vavassors and villeins, men of the manor; buttheir tillers and shepherds and workmen and servants be mere thralls,whom they may sell at any market, like their horses or oxen. Forsooththese great men have with them for the more part free men waged fortheir service, who will not hold their hands from aught that theirmaster biddeth, not staying to ask if it be lawful or unlawful. Andthat the more because whoso is a free man there, house and head must hehold on the tenure of bow and sword, and his life is like to be shortif he hath not sworn himself to the service of some tyrant of a castleor a town."
"Yea, master Clement," said Ralph, "these be no peaceful lands wheretothou art bringing us, or very pleasant to dwell in."
"Little for peace, but much for profit," said Clement; "for these landsbe fruitful of wine and oil and wheat, and neat and sheep; withalmetals and gems are dug up out of the mountains; and on the other hand,they make but little by craftsmanship, wherefore are they the eagererfor chaffer with us merchants; whereas also there are many of them wellable to pay for what they lack, if not in money, then in kind, which ina way is better. Yea, it is a goodly land for merchants."
"But I am no merchant," said Ralph.
"So it is," said Clement, "yet thou desireth something; and whither weare wending thou mayst hear tidings that shall please thee, or tidingsthat shall please me. To say sooth, these two may well be adverse toeach other, for I would not have thee hear so much of tidings as shalllead thee on, but rather I would have thee return with me, and notthrow thy young life away: for indeed I have an inkling of what thouseekest, and meseems that Death and the Devil shall be thyfaring-fellows."
Ralph held his peace, and Clement said in a cheerfuller voice:"Moreover, there shall be strange and goodly things to see; and the menof these parts be mostly goodly of body, and the women goodlier yet, aswe carles deem."
Ralph sighed, and answered not at once, but presently he said: "MasterClement, canst thou give me the order of our goings for these nextdays?" "Yea, certes," said Clement. "In three days' time we shallcome to the entry of the mountains: two days thence we shall go withoutcoming under any roof save the naked heavens; the day thereafter shallwe come to the Mid-Mountain House, which is as it were an hostelry; butit was built and is upheld by the folks that dwell anigh, amongst whombe the folk of Cheaping Knowe; and that house is hallowed unto truce,and no man smiteth another therein; so that we oft come on the mountainstrong-thieves there, and there we be blithe together and feasttogether in good fellowship. But when there be foemen in that housetogether, each man or each fellowship departing, hath grace of an hourbefore his foeman follow. Such are the customs of that house, and noman breaketh them ever. But when we depart thence we shall ride allday and sleep amidst the mountains, and if we be not beset that nightor the morrow's morn thereof, safe and unfoughten shall we come toCheaping Knowe. Doth that suffice thee as at this time?" "Yea master,"quoth Ralph.
So therewith their talk dropped, for the moment; but Clement talkedmuch with Ralph that day, and honoured him much, as did all thatcompany.