Constance Sherwood: An Autobiography of the Sixteenth Century
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move himto compassion? Is there a soft corner in his heart which a woman'stears can touch? I will kneel to him if needful, yea, kiss hisfeet--mind him of his own fair daughter. Lady Sydney, which, if he wasin prison, and my father held his fate in his hands, would doubtlesssue to him with the like ardor, yea, the like agony of spirit, formercy. Oh, tell me, Hubert, what to say which shall drive the edge ofpity into his soul."
"Silence will take effect in this case sooner than the most movingspeeches," he answered. "Steel your soul to it, whatever he may say.Your tears, your eyes, will, I warrant you, plead more mightfully thanyour words. He is as obliging to the softer but predominant parts ofthe world as he is serviceable to the more severe. To him men'sfaces speak as much as their tongues, and their countenances areindexes of their hearts. Judge if yours, the liveliest piece ofeloquence which ever displayed itself in a fair visage, shall fail toexpress that which passionate words, missing their aim, would of asurety ill convey. And mind you, Mistress Constance, this man is ofextreme ability in the school of policy, and albeit inclined torecusants with the view of winning them over by means of kindness, yetan extreme hater of the Pope and Church of Rome, and moreover veryjealous to be considered as such; so if he do intend to show you favorin this matter, make your reckoning that he will urge you toconformity with many strenuous exhortations, which, if you remainsilent, no harm shall ensue to yourself or others."
"And not to mine own soul, Hubert?" I mournfully cried. "Methinks myfather and Basil would not counsel silence in such a case."
"God in heaven give me patience!" he exclaimed. "Is it a woman'scalling, I pray you, to preach? When the apostles were dismissed bythe judges, and charged no longer to teach the Christian faith, wentthey not forth in silence, restraining their tongues then, albeit nottheir actions when once at liberty? Methinks modesty alone shouldforbid one of your years from dangerous retorts, which, like atwo-edged sword, wound alike friend and foe."
I had no courage left to withstand the promptings of mine own heartand his urgency.
"God forgive me," I cried, "if I fail in aught wherein truth orhonesty are concerned. He knoweth I would do right, and yet save myfather's life."
Then falling on my knees, unmindful of his presence, I prayed with anintense vehemency, which overcame all restraint, that my tongue mightbe guided aright when I should be in his presence who under God didhold my father's life in his hands. But hearing Polly's voice in thehall, I started up, and noticed Hubert leaning his head on his hand,seemingly more pitifully moved than was his wont. When she came in, hemet her, and said:
"Lady Ingoldsby, I pray you see that Mistress Constance doth so attireherself as shall heighten her natural attractions; for, beshrew me, ifgrave Mr. Secretary hath not, as well as other men, more pity for afair face than a plain one; and albeit hers is always fair, naturedoth nevertheless borrow additional charms from art."
"Tut, tut," quoth Polly. "She is a perfect fright in that hat, and herruff hideth all her neck, than which no swan hath a whiter; and I prayyou what a farthingale is that! Methinks it savors of the fashions ofthe late queen's reign. Come, Con, cheer up, and let us to thychamber. I'll warrant you, Master Rookwood, she will be twice aswinsome when I have exercised my skill on her attire."
So she led me away, and I suffered her to dress mine hair herself andchoose such ornaments as she did deem most becoming. Albeit shelaughed and jested all the while, methinks the kindness of her heartshowed through this apparent gaiety; and when her task was done, andshe kissed my forehead, I threw my arms round her neck and wept.
"Nay, nay!" she cried; "no tears, coz--they do serve but to swell theeyelids and paint the nose of a reddish hue;" and shaping her ownvisage into a counterfeit of mine, she set me laughing against mywill, and drew me by the hand down the stairs and into the parlor.
"How now, sir?" she cried to Hubert "Think you I have indifferentlywell performed the task you set me?"
"Most excellently well," he answered, and handed us to her coach,which was to carry us to Seething Lane. When we were seated in it, shetold me Hubert had disclosed to her the secret of my father'splight, and that she was more concerned than she could well express atso great a mishap, but nevertheless entertained a comfortable hopethis day should presently see the end of our troubles. Howsoever, shedid know but half of the trouble I was in, weighty as was the part shewas privy to. Hubert, she told me, had dealt with a marvellous greatzeal and ability in this matter, and proved himself so good anegotiator that she doubted not Sir Francis himself must needs haveappreciated his ingenuity.
"That young gentleman," she added, "will never spoil his own market bylack of timely boldness or opportune bashfulness. My Lady Arundelrelated to me last night at Mrs. Yates's what passed on Monday at thebanquet-hall at Whitehall. Hath he told you his hap on that occasion?"
"No," I answered. "I pray you, Polly, what befel him there?'
"Well, her majesty was at dinner, and Master Hubert comes there to seethe fashion of the court. His handsome features and well-set shapeattract the queen's notice. With a kind of an affected frown she asksLady Arundel what he is. She answers she knows him not. Howsoever, aninquiry is made from one to another who the youth should be, till atlength it is told the queen he is young Rookwood of Euston, inSuffolk, and a ward of Sir Henry Stafford's."
"Mistaking him then for Basil?" I said.
Then she: "I think so; but howsoever this inquisition with the eye ofher majesty fixed upon him (as she is wont to fix it, and thereby todaunt such as she doth make the mark of her gazing), stirred the bloodof our young gentleman, Lady Arundel said, insomuch that a deep colorrose in his pale cheek and straightway left it again; which the queenobserving, she called him unto her, and gave him her hand to kiss,encouraging him with gracious words and looks; and then diverting herspeech to the lords and ladies, said that she no sooner observed himthan she did note there was in him good blood, and she ventured toaffirm good brains also; and then said to him, 'Fail not to come tocourt, sir, and I will bethink myself to do you good.' Now I warrantyou, coz, this piece of a scholar lacked not the wit to use this hishap in the furtherance of his and your suit to Sir Francis, whom headores as his saint, and courts as his Maecenas."
This recital of Polly's worked a tumultuous conflict in my soul; forverily it strengthened hope touching my father's release; but methinksany other channel of such hope should have been more welcome. Ajealousy, an unsubstantial fear, an uneasy misdoubt oppressed thisrising hope. I feared for Hubert the dawn of such favor as was shownto him by her whose regal hand doth hold a magnet which hathoftentimes caused Catholics to make shipwreck of their souls. And thentruth doth compel me to confess my weakness. Albeit God knoweth Idesired not for my true and noble sweetheart her majesty's gracioussmiles, or a higher fortune than Providence hath by inheritancebestowed on him, a vain humane feeling worked in me some sort ofdispleasure that his younger brother should stand in the queen'spresence as the supposed head of the house of Rookwood, and no moremention made of him than if he had been outlawed or dead. Not that Ihad then reason to lay this error to Hubert's door, for verily naughtin Polly's words did warrant such a suspicion; but my heart was sore,and my spirits chafed with apprehensions. God forgive me if I then didunjustly accuse him, and, in the retrospect of this passage in hislife, do suffer subsequent events to cast backward shadows on it,whereby I may wrong him who did render to me (I write it with asoftened--yea, God is my witness--a truly loving, albeit sorrowing,heart) a great service in a needful time. Oh, Hubert, Hubert! my heartacheth for thee. Methinks God will show thee great mercy yet,but, I fear me, by such means only as I do tremble to think of.
CHAPTER XX.
When we reached Seething Lane, Polly bade me be of good heart, forthat Lady Sydney was a very affable and debonnaire lady, and SirFrancis a person of toward and gentle manners, and exceedingly politeto women. We were conducted to a neat parlor, where my Lady Sydney wasawaiting us. A more fair and accomplished lady is not, I ween, to befound in England or any other country,
than this daughter of a greatstatesman, and wife at that time of Sir Philip Sydney, as she hathsince been of my Lords Essex and St. Albans. Methinks the matchlessgentleman, noble knight, and sweet writer, her first husband, who didmarry her portionless, not like as is the fashion with so many in ourdays carrying his love in his purse, must have needs drawn from thefair model in his own house the lovely pictures of beauteous women hedid portray in his "Arcadia." She greeted us with so much heartfeltpoliteness, and so tempered gay discoursing with sundry marks ofdelicate feeling, indicative, albeit not expressive, of a sense of mythen trouble, that, albeit a stranger, methinks her reservedcompassion and ingenious encouragements served to tranquillize mydiscomposed