by Mark Twain
CHAPTER XXXII. Coronation Day.
Let us go backward a few hours, and place ourselves in WestminsterAbbey, at four o'clock in the morning of this memorable Coronation Day.?We are not without company; for although it is still night, we findthe torch-lighted galleries already filling up with people who are wellcontent to sit still and wait seven or eight hours till the time shallcome for them to see what they may not hope to see twice in theirlives--the coronation of a King. ?Yes, London and Westminster have beenastir ever since the warning guns boomed at three o'clock, and alreadycrowds of untitled rich folk who have bought the privilege of tryingto find sitting-room in the galleries are flocking in at the entrancesreserved for their sort.
The hours drag along tediously enough. ?All stir has ceased for sometime, for every gallery has long ago been packed. ?We may sit, now, andlook and think at our leisure. ?We have glimpses, here and thereand yonder, through the dim cathedral twilight, of portions of manygalleries and balconies, wedged full with other people, the otherportions of these galleries and balconies being cut off from sight byintervening pillars and architectural projections. ?We have in viewthe whole of the great north transept--empty, and waiting for England'sprivileged ones. ?We see also the ample area or platform, carpeted withrich stuffs, whereon the throne stands. ?The throne occupies the centreof the platform, and is raised above it upon an elevation of four steps.Within the seat of the throne is enclosed a rough flat rock--the stoneof Scone--which many generations of Scottish kings sat on to be crowned,and so it in time became holy enough to answer a like purpose forEnglish monarchs. ?Both the throne and its footstool are covered withcloth of gold.
Stillness reigns, the torches blink dully, the time drags heavily.But at last the lagging daylight asserts itself, the torches areextinguished, and a mellow radiance suffuses the great spaces. Allfeatures of the noble building are distinct now, but soft and dreamy,for the sun is lightly veiled with clouds.
At seven o'clock the first break in the drowsy monotony occurs; for onthe stroke of this hour the first peeress enters the transept, clothedlike Solomon for splendour, and is conducted to her appointed placeby an official clad in satins and velvets, whilst a duplicate of himgathers up the lady's long train, follows after, and, when the lady isseated, arranges the train across her lap for her. ?He then places herfootstool according to her desire, after which he puts her coronet whereit will be convenient to her hand when the time for the simultaneouscoroneting of the nobles shall arrive.
By this time the peeresses are flowing in in a glittering stream, andthe satin-clad officials are flitting and glinting everywhere, seatingthem and making them comfortable. ?The scene is animated enough now.?There is stir and life, and shifting colour everywhere. ?After a time,quiet reigns again; for the peeresses are all come and are all in theirplaces, a solid acre or such a matter, of human flowers, resplendent invariegated colours, and frosted like a Milky Way with diamonds. ?Thereare all ages here: brown, wrinkled, white-haired dowagers who are ableto go back, and still back, down the stream of time, and recall thecrowning of Richard III. and the troublous days of that old forgottenage; and there are handsome middle-aged dames; and lovely and graciousyoung matrons; and gentle and beautiful young girls, with beaming eyesand fresh complexions, who may possibly put on their jewelled coronetsawkwardly when the great time comes; for the matter will be new tothem, and their excitement will be a sore hindrance. Still, this maynot happen, for the hair of all these ladies has been arranged with aspecial view to the swift and successful lodging of the crown in itsplace when the signal comes.
We have seen that this massed array of peeresses is sown thick withdiamonds, and we also see that it is a marvellous spectacle--but now weare about to be astonished in earnest. ?About nine, the clouds suddenlybreak away and a shaft of sunshine cleaves the mellow atmosphere, anddrifts slowly along the ranks of ladies; and every rank it touchesflames into a dazzling splendour of many-coloured fires, and we tingleto our finger-tips with the electric thrill that is shot through us bythe surprise and the beauty of the spectacle! ?Presently a special envoyfrom some distant corner of the Orient, marching with the general bodyof foreign ambassadors, crosses this bar of sunshine, and we catch ourbreath, the glory that streams and flashes and palpitates about him isso overpowering; for he is crusted from head to heel with gems, and hisslightest movement showers a dancing radiance all around him.
Let us change the tense for convenience. ?The time drifted along--onehour--two hours--two hours and a half; then the deep booming ofartillery told that the King and his grand procession had arrived atlast; so the waiting multitude rejoiced. ?All knew that a further delaymust follow, for the King must be prepared and robed for the solemnceremony; but this delay would be pleasantly occupied by the assemblingof the peers of the realm in their stately robes. ?These were conductedceremoniously to their seats, and their coronets placed convenientlyat hand; and meanwhile the multitude in the galleries were alive withinterest, for most of them were beholding for the first time, dukes,earls, and barons, whose names had been historical for five hundredyears. ?When all were finally seated, the spectacle from the galleriesand all coigns of vantage was complete; a gorgeous one to look upon andto remember.
Now the robed and mitred great heads of the church, and theirattendants, filed in upon the platform and took their appointed places;these were followed by the Lord Protector and other great officials, andthese again by a steel-clad detachment of the Guard.
There was a waiting pause; then, at a signal, a triumphant peal of musicburst forth, and Tom Canty, clothed in a long robe of cloth of gold,appeared at a door, and stepped upon the platform. ?The entire multituderose, and the ceremony of the Recognition ensued.
Then a noble anthem swept the Abbey with its rich waves of sound; andthus heralded and welcomed, Tom Canty was conducted to the throne.?The ancient ceremonies went on, with impressive solemnity, whilst theaudience gazed; and as they drew nearer and nearer to completion, TomCanty grew pale, and still paler, and a deep and steadily deepening woeand despondency settled down upon his spirits and upon his remorsefulheart.
At last the final act was at hand. ?The Archbishop of Canterbury liftedup the crown of England from its cushion and held it out over thetrembling mock-King's head. ?In the same instant a rainbow-radianceflashed along the spacious transept; for with one impulse everyindividual in the great concourse of nobles lifted a coronet and poisedit over his or her head--and paused in that attitude.
A deep hush pervaded the Abbey. ?At this impressive moment, a startlingapparition intruded upon the scene--an apparition observed by none inthe absorbed multitude, until it suddenly appeared, moving up the greatcentral aisle. ?It was a boy, bareheaded, ill shod, and clothed incoarse plebeian garments that were falling to rags. ?He raised his handwith a solemnity which ill comported with his soiled and sorry aspect,and delivered this note of warning--
"I forbid you to set the crown of England upon that forfeited head. ?Iam the King!"
In an instant several indignant hands were laid upon the boy; but inthe same instant Tom Canty, in his regal vestments, made a swift stepforward, and cried out in a ringing voice--
"Loose him and forbear! ?He _is_ the King!"
A sort of panic of astonishment swept the assemblage, and they partlyrose in their places and stared in a bewildered way at one another andat the chief figures in this scene, like persons who wondered whetherthey were awake and in their senses, or asleep and dreaming. ?The LordProtector was as amazed as the rest, but quickly recovered himself, andexclaimed in a voice of authority--
"Mind not his Majesty, his malady is upon him again--seize thevagabond!"
He would have been obeyed, but the mock-King stamped his foot and criedout--
"On your peril! ?Touch him not, he is the King!"
The hands were withheld; a paralysis fell upon the house; no one moved,no one spoke; indeed, no one knew how to act or what to say, in sostrange and surprising an emergency. ?While all minds were struggling toright
themselves, the boy still moved steadily forward, with high portand confident mien; he had never halted from the beginning; and whilethe tangled minds still floundered helplessly, he stepped upon theplatform, and the mock-King ran with a glad face to meet him; and fellon his knees before him and said--
"Oh, my lord the King, let poor Tom Canty be first to swear fealty tothee, and say, 'Put on thy crown and enter into thine own again!'"
The Lord Protector's eye fell sternly upon the new-comer's face; butstraightway the sternness vanished away, and gave place to an expressionof wondering surprise. ?This thing happened also to the other greatofficers. ?They glanced at each other, and retreated a step by a commonand unconscious impulse. ?The thought in each mind was the same: ?"Whata strange resemblance!"
The Lord Protector reflected a moment or two in perplexity, then hesaid, with grave respectfulness--
"By your favour, sir, I desire to ask certain questions which--"
"I will answer them, my lord."
The Duke asked him many questions about the Court, the late King, theprince, the princesses--the boy answered them correctly and withouthesitating. ?He described the rooms of state in the palace, the lateKing's apartments, and those of the Prince of Wales.
It was strange; it was wonderful; yes, it was unaccountable--so all saidthat heard it. ?The tide was beginning to turn, and Tom Canty's hopes torun high, when the Lord Protector shook his head and said--
"It is true it is most wonderful--but it is no more than our lord theKing likewise can do." ?This remark, and this reference to himself asstill the King, saddened Tom Canty, and he felt his hopes crumbling fromunder him. ?"These are not _proofs_," added the Protector.
The tide was turning very fast now, very fast indeed--but in the wrongdirection; it was leaving poor Tom Canty stranded on the throne,and sweeping the other out to sea. ?The Lord Protector communed withhimself--shook his head--the thought forced itself upon him, "It isperilous to the State and to us all, to entertain so fateful a riddle asthis; it could divide the nation and undermine the throne." ?He turnedand said--
"Sir Thomas, arrest this--No, hold!" ?His face lighted, and heconfronted the ragged candidate with this question--
"Where lieth the Great Seal? ?Answer me this truly, and the riddle isunriddled; for only he that was Prince of Wales _can_ so answer! On sotrivial a thing hang a throne and a dynasty!"
It was a lucky thought, a happy thought. ?That it was so considered bythe great officials was manifested by the silent applause that shot fromeye to eye around their circle in the form of bright approving glances.Yes, none but the true prince could dissolve the stubborn mystery of thevanished Great Seal--this forlorn little impostor had been taught hislesson well, but here his teachings must fail, for his teacher himselfcould not answer _that_ question--ah, very good, very good indeed;now we shall be rid of this troublesome and perilous business inshort order! And so they nodded invisibly and smiled inwardly withsatisfaction, and looked to see this foolish lad stricken with a palsyof guilty confusion. How surprised they were, then, to see nothing ofthe sort happen--how they marvelled to hear him answer up promptly, in aconfident and untroubled voice, and say--
"There is nought in this riddle that is difficult." ?Then, without somuch as a by-your-leave to anybody, he turned and gave this command,with the easy manner of one accustomed to doing such things: "My LordSt. John, go you to my private cabinet in the palace--for none knoweththe place better than you--and, close down to the floor, in the leftcorner remotest from the door that opens from the ante-chamber, youshall find in the wall a brazen nail-head; press upon it and a littlejewel-closet will fly open which not even you do know of--no, norany soul else in all the world but me and the trusty artisan that didcontrive it for me. The first thing that falleth under your eye will bethe Great Seal--fetch it hither."
All the company wondered at this speech, and wondered still more to seethe little mendicant pick out this peer without hesitancy or apparentfear of mistake, and call him by name with such a placidly convincingair of having known him all his life. ?The peer was almost surprisedinto obeying. ?He even made a movement as if to go, but quicklyrecovered his tranquil attitude and confessed his blunder with a blush.?Tom Canty turned upon him and said, sharply--
"Why dost thou hesitate? ?Hast not heard the King's command? ?Go!"
The Lord St. John made a deep obeisance--and it was observed that it wasa significantly cautious and non-committal one, it not being deliveredat either of the kings, but at the neutral ground about half-way betweenthe two--and took his leave.
Now began a movement of the gorgeous particles of that official groupwhich was slow, scarcely perceptible, and yet steady and persistent--amovement such as is observed in a kaleidoscope that is turned slowly,whereby the components of one splendid cluster fall away and jointhemselves to another--a movement which, little by little, in thepresent case, dissolved the glittering crowd that stood about Tom Cantyand clustered it together again in the neighbourhood of the new-comer.?Tom Canty stood almost alone. Now ensued a brief season of deepsuspense and waiting--during which even the few faint hearts stillremaining near Tom Canty gradually scraped together courage enough toglide, one by one, over to the majority. ?So at last Tom Canty, in hisroyal robes and jewels, stood wholly alone and isolated from the world,a conspicuous figure, occupying an eloquent vacancy.
Now the Lord St. John was seen returning. ?As he advanced upthe mid-aisle the interest was so intense that the low murmur ofconversation in the great assemblage died out and was succeeded bya profound hush, a breathless stillness, through which his footfallspulsed with a dull and distant sound. ?Every eye was fastened upon himas he moved along. ?He reached the platform, paused a moment, then movedtoward Tom Canty with a deep obeisance, and said--
"Sire, the Seal is not there!"
A mob does not melt away from the presence of a plague-patient with morehaste than the band of pallid and terrified courtiers melted away fromthe presence of the shabby little claimant of the Crown. ?In a momenthe stood all alone, without friend or supporter, a target upon whichwas concentrated a bitter fire of scornful and angry looks. ?The LordProtector called out fiercely--
"Cast the beggar into the street, and scourge him through the town--thepaltry knave is worth no more consideration!"
Officers of the guard sprang forward to obey, but Tom Canty waved themoff and said--
"Back! ?Whoso touches him perils his life!"
The Lord Protector was perplexed in the last degree. ?He said to theLord St. John--
"Searched you well?--but it boots not to ask that. ?It doth seem passingstrange. ?Little things, trifles, slip out of one's ken, and one doesnot think it matter for surprise; but how so bulky a thing as theSeal of England can vanish away and no man be able to get track of itagain--a massy golden disk--"
Tom Canty, with beaming eyes, sprang forward and shouted--
"Hold, that is enough! ?Was it round?--and thick?--and had it lettersand devices graved upon it?--yes? ?Oh, _now_ I know what this Great Sealis that there's been such worry and pother about. An' ye had describedit to me, ye could have had it three weeks ago. ?Right well I know whereit lies; but it was not I that put it there--first."
"Who, then, my liege?" asked the Lord Protector.
"He that stands there--the rightful King of England. ?And he shall tellyou himself where it lies--then you will believe he knew it of his ownknowledge. ?Bethink thee, my King--spur thy memory--it was the last, thevery _last_ thing thou didst that day before thou didst rush forth fromthe palace, clothed in my rags, to punish the soldier that insulted me."
A silence ensued, undisturbed by a movement or a whisper, and all eyeswere fixed upon the new-comer, who stood, with bent head and corrugatedbrow, groping in his memory among a thronging multitude of valuelessrecollections for one single little elusive fact, which, found, wouldseat him upon a throne--unfound, would leave him as he was, for good andall--a pauper and an outcast. ?Moment after moment passed--the momentsbuilt themselves i
nto minutes--still the boy struggled silently on, andgave no sign. ?But at last he heaved a sigh, shook his head slowly, andsaid, with a trembling lip and in a despondent voice--
"I call the scene back--all of it--but the Seal hath no place in it."?He paused, then looked up, and said with gentle dignity, "My lords andgentlemen, if ye will rob your rightful sovereign of his own for lack ofthis evidence which he is not able to furnish, I may not stay ye, beingpowerless. ?But--"
"Oh, folly, oh, madness, my King!" cried Tom Canty, in a panic,"wait!--think! ?Do not give up!--the cause is not lost! ?Nor _shall_ be,neither! List to what I say--follow every word--I am going to bring thatmorning back again, every hap just as it happened. ?We talked--I toldyou of my sisters, Nan and Bet--ah, yes, you remember that; and aboutmine old grandam--and the rough games of the lads of Offal Court--yes,you remember these things also; very well, follow me still, you shallrecall everything. ?You gave me food and drink, and did with princelycourtesy send away the servants, so that my low breeding might not shameme before them--ah, yes, this also you remember."
As Tom checked off his details, and the other boy nodded his head inrecognition of them, the great audience and the officials stared inpuzzled wonderment; the tale sounded like true history, yet how couldthis impossible conjunction between a prince and a beggar-boy have comeabout? ?Never was a company of people so perplexed, so interested, andso stupefied, before.
"For a jest, my prince, we did exchange garments. ?Then we stood beforea mirror; and so alike were we that both said it seemed as if there hadbeen no change made--yes, you remember that. ?Then you noticed that thesoldier had hurt my hand--look! here it is, I cannot yet even write withit, the fingers are so stiff. ?At this your Highness sprang up, vowingvengeance upon that soldier, and ran towards the door--you passed atable--that thing you call the Seal lay on that table--you snatchedit up and looked eagerly about, as if for a place to hide it--your eyecaught sight of--"
"There, 'tis sufficient!--and the good God be thanked!" exclaimed theragged claimant, in a mighty excitement. ?"Go, my good St. John--in anarm-piece of the Milanese armour that hangs on the wall, thou'lt findthe Seal!"
"Right, my King! right!" cried Tom Canty; "_Now_ the sceptre of Englandis thine own; and it were better for him that would dispute it that hehad been born dumb! ?Go, my Lord St. John, give thy feet wings!"
The whole assemblage was on its feet now, and well-nigh out of its mindwith uneasiness, apprehension, and consuming excitement. ?On the floorand on the platform a deafening buzz of frantic conversation burstforth, and for some time nobody knew anything or heard anything or wasinterested in anything but what his neighbour was shouting into his ear,or he was shouting into his neighbour's ear. ?Time--nobody knew how muchof it--swept by unheeded and unnoted. ?At last a sudden hush fell uponthe house, and in the same moment St. John appeared upon the platform,and held the Great Seal aloft in his hand. ?Then such a shout went up--
"Long live the true King!"
For five minutes the air quaked with shouts and the crash of musicalinstruments, and was white with a storm of waving handkerchiefs; andthrough it all a ragged lad, the most conspicuous figure in England,stood, flushed and happy and proud, in the centre of the spaciousplatform, with the great vassals of the kingdom kneeling around him.
Then all rose, and Tom Canty cried out--
"Now, O my King, take these regal garments back, and give poor Tom, thyservant, his shreds and remnants again."
The Lord Protector spoke up--
"Let the small varlet be stripped and flung into the Tower."
But the new King, the true King, said--
"I will not have it so. ?But for him I had not got my crown again--noneshall lay a hand upon him to harm him. ?And as for thee, my good uncle,my Lord Protector, this conduct of thine is not grateful towardthis poor lad, for I hear he hath made thee a duke"--the Protectorblushed--"yet he was not a king; wherefore what is thy fine titleworth now? ?To-morrow you shall sue to me, _through him_, for itsconfirmation, else no duke, but a simple earl, shalt thou remain."
Under this rebuke, his Grace the Duke of Somerset retired a little fromthe front for the moment. ?The King turned to Tom, and said kindly--"Mypoor boy, how was it that you could remember where I hid the Seal when Icould not remember it myself?"
"Ah, my King, that was easy, since I used it divers days."
"Used it--yet could not explain where it was?"
"I did not know it was _that_ they wanted. ?They did not describe it,your Majesty."
"Then how used you it?"
The red blood began to steal up into Tom's cheeks, and he dropped hiseyes and was silent.
"Speak up, good lad, and fear nothing," said the King. ?"How used youthe Great Seal of England?"
Tom stammered a moment, in a pathetic confusion, then got it out--
"To crack nuts with!"
Poor child, the avalanche of laughter that greeted this nearly swept himoff his feet. ?But if a doubt remained in any mind that Tom Canty wasnot the King of England and familiar with the august appurtenances ofroyalty, this reply disposed of it utterly.
Meantime the sumptuous robe of state had been removed from Tom'sshoulders to the King's, whose rags were effectually hidden from sightunder it. ?Then the coronation ceremonies were resumed; the true Kingwas anointed and the crown set upon his head, whilst cannon thunderedthe news to the city, and all London seemed to rock with applause.
CHAPTER XXXIII. Edward as King.
Miles Hendon was picturesque enough before he got into the riot onLondon Bridge--he was more so when he got out of it. ?He had but littlemoney when he got in, none at all when he got out. ?The pickpockets hadstripped him of his last farthing.
But no matter, so he found his boy. ?Being a soldier, he did not go athis task in a random way, but set to work, first of all, to arrange hiscampaign.
What would the boy naturally do? ?Where would he naturally go?Well--argued Miles--he would naturally go to his former haunts, for thatis the instinct of unsound minds, when homeless and forsaken, as wellas of sound ones. ?Whereabouts were his former haunts? ?His rags,taken together with the low villain who seemed to know him and who evenclaimed to be his father, indicated that his home was in one or anotherof the poorest and meanest districts of London. ?Would the search forhim be difficult, or long? ?No, it was likely to be easy and brief. ?Hewould not hunt for the boy, he would hunt for a crowd; in the centre ofa big crowd or a little one, sooner or later, he should find his poorlittle friend, sure; and the mangy mob would be entertaining itselfwith pestering and aggravating the boy, who would be proclaiming himselfKing, as usual. ?Then Miles Hendon would cripple some of those people,and carry off his little ward, and comfort and cheer him with lovingwords, and the two would never be separated any more.
So Miles started on his quest. ?Hour after hour he tramped through backalleys and squalid streets, seeking groups and crowds, and finding noend of them, but never any sign of the boy. ?This greatly surprised him,but did not discourage him. ?To his notion, there was nothing the matterwith his plan of campaign; the only miscalculation about it was that thecampaign was becoming a lengthy one, whereas he had expected it to beshort.
When daylight arrived, at last, he had made many a mile, and canvassedmany a crowd, but the only result was that he was tolerably tired,rather hungry and very sleepy. ?He wanted some breakfast, but there wasno way to get it. ?To beg for it did not occur to him; as to pawninghis sword, he would as soon have thought of parting with his honour;he could spare some of his clothes--yes, but one could as easily find acustomer for a disease as for such clothes.
At noon he was still tramping--among the rabble which followed afterthe royal procession, now; for he argued that this regal display wouldattract his little lunatic powerfully. ?He followed the pageant throughall its devious windings about London, and all the way to Westminsterand the Abbey. ?He drifted here and there amongst the multitudesthat were massed in the vicinity for a weary long time, baffled andperplexed, and finally
wandered off, thinking, and trying to contrivesome way to better his plan of campaign. ?By-and-by, when he came tohimself out of his musings, he discovered that the town was far behindhim and that the day was growing old. ?He was near the river, and in thecountry; it was a region of fine rural seats--not the sort of districtto welcome clothes like his.
It was not at all cold; so he stretched himself on the ground in the leeof a hedge to rest and think. ?Drowsiness presently began to settle uponhis senses; the faint and far-off boom of cannon was wafted to his ear,and he said to himself, "The new King is crowned," and straightway fellasleep. ?He had not slept or rested, before, for more than thirty hours.He did not wake again until near the middle of the next morning.
He got up, lame, stiff, and half famished, washed himself in the river,stayed his stomach with a pint or two of water, and trudged off towardWestminster, grumbling at himself for having wasted so much time.?Hunger helped him to a new plan, now; he would try to get speech withold Sir Humphrey Marlow and borrow a few marks, and--but that was enoughof a plan for the present; it would be time enough to enlarge it whenthis first stage should be accomplished.
Toward eleven o'clock he approached the palace; and although a host ofshowy people were about him, moving in the same direction, he was notinconspicuous--his costume took care of that. ?He watched these people'sfaces narrowly, hoping to find a charitable one whose possessor mightbe willing to carry his name to the old lieutenant--as to trying to getinto the palace himself, that was simply out of the question.
Presently our whipping-boy passed him, then wheeled about and scannedhis figure well, saying to himself, "An' that is not the very vagabondhis Majesty is in such a worry about, then am I an ass--though belike Iwas that before. ?He answereth the description to a rag--that God shouldmake two such would be to cheapen miracles by wasteful repetition. ?Iwould I could contrive an excuse to speak with him."
Miles Hendon saved him the trouble; for he turned about, then, as a mangenerally will when somebody mesmerises him by gazing hard at him frombehind; and observing a strong interest in the boy's eyes, he steppedtoward him and said--
"You have just come out from the palace; do you belong there?"
"Yes, your worship."
"Know you Sir Humphrey Marlow?"
The boy started, and said to himself, "Lord! mine old departed father!"Then he answered aloud, "Right well, your worship."
"Good--is he within?"
"Yes," said the boy; and added, to himself, "within his grave."
"Might I crave your favour to carry my name to him, and say I beg to saya word in his ear?"
"I will despatch the business right willingly, fair sir."
"Then say Miles Hendon, son of Sir Richard, is here without--I shall begreatly bounden to you, my good lad."
The boy looked disappointed. ?"The King did not name him so," he said tohimself; "but it mattereth not, this is his twin brother, and can givehis Majesty news of t'other Sir-Odds-and-Ends, I warrant." ?So he saidto Miles, "Step in there a moment, good sir, and wait till I bring youword."
Hendon retired to the place indicated--it was a recess sunk in thepalace wall, with a stone bench in it--a shelter for sentinels in badweather. He had hardly seated himself when some halberdiers, in chargeof an officer, passed by. ?The officer saw him, halted his men, andcommanded Hendon to come forth. ?He obeyed, and was promptly arrestedas a suspicious character prowling within the precincts of the palace.?Things began to look ugly. ?Poor Miles was going to explain, but theofficer roughly silenced him, and ordered his men to disarm him andsearch him.
"God of his mercy grant that they find somewhat," said poor Miles; "Ihave searched enow, and failed, yet is my need greater than theirs."
Nothing was found but a document. ?The officer tore it open, and Hendonsmiled when he recognised the 'pot-hooks' made by his lost little friendthat black day at Hendon Hall. ?The officer's face grew dark as he readthe English paragraph, and Miles blenched to the opposite colour as helistened.
"Another new claimant of the Crown!" cried the officer. ?"Verily theybreed like rabbits, to-day. ?Seize the rascal, men, and see ye keephim fast whilst I convey this precious paper within and send it to theKing."
He hurried away, leaving the prisoner in the grip of the halberdiers.
"Now is my evil luck ended at last," muttered Hendon, "for I shalldangle at a rope's end for a certainty, by reason of that bit ofwriting. ?And what will become of my poor lad!--ah, only the good Godknoweth."
By-and-by he saw the officer coming again, in a great hurry; so heplucked his courage together, purposing to meet his trouble as became aman. ?The officer ordered the men to loose the prisoner and return hissword to him; then bowed respectfully, and said--
"Please you, sir, to follow me."
Hendon followed, saying to himself, "An' I were not travelling to deathand judgment, and so must needs economise in sin, I would throttle thisknave for his mock courtesy."
The two traversed a populous court, and arrived at the grand entrance ofthe palace, where the officer, with another bow, delivered Hendon intothe hands of a gorgeous official, who received him with profound respectand led him forward through a great hall, lined on both sides with rowsof splendid flunkeys (who made reverential obeisance as the two passedalong, but fell into death-throes of silent laughter at our statelyscarecrow the moment his back was turned), and up a broad staircase,among flocks of fine folk, and finally conducted him into a vast room,clove a passage for him through the assembled nobility of England, thenmade a bow, reminded him to take his hat off, and left him standing inthe middle of the room, a mark for all eyes, for plenty of indignantfrowns, and for a sufficiency of amused and derisive smiles.
Miles Hendon was entirely bewildered. ?There sat the young King, undera canopy of state, five steps away, with his head bent down and aside,speaking with a sort of human bird of paradise--a duke, maybe. ?Hendonobserved to himself that it was hard enough to be sentenced to deathin the full vigour of life, without having this peculiarly publichumiliation added. ?He wished the King would hurry about it--some of thegaudy people near by were becoming pretty offensive. ?At this momentthe King raised his head slightly, and Hendon caught a good view of hisface. The sight nearly took his breath away!--He stood gazing at thefair young face like one transfixed; then presently ejaculated--
"Lo, the Lord of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows on his throne!"
He muttered some broken sentences, still gazing and marvelling; thenturned his eyes around and about, scanning the gorgeous throng and thesplendid saloon, murmuring, "But these are _real_--verily these are_real_--surely it is not a dream."
He stared at the King again--and thought, "_Is_ it a dream . . . or _is_he the veritable Sovereign of England, and not the friendless poor Tomo' Bedlam I took him for--who shall solve me this riddle?"
A sudden idea flashed in his eye, and he strode to the wall, gathered upa chair, brought it back, planted it on the floor, and sat down in it!
A buzz of indignation broke out, a rough hand was laid upon him and avoice exclaimed--
"Up, thou mannerless clown! would'st sit in the presence of the King?"
The disturbance attracted his Majesty's attention, who stretched forthhis hand and cried out--
"Touch him not, it is his right!"
The throng fell back, stupefied. ?The King went on--
"Learn ye all, ladies, lords, and gentlemen, that this is my trusty andwell-beloved servant, Miles Hendon, who interposed his good sword andsaved his prince from bodily harm and possible death--and for this he isa knight, by the King's voice. ?Also learn, that for a higher service,in that he saved his sovereign stripes and shame, taking these uponhimself, he is a peer of England, Earl of Kent, and shall have goldand lands meet for the dignity. ?More--the privilege which he hath justexercised is his by royal grant; for we have ordained that the chiefsof his line shall have and hold the right to sit in the presence of theMajesty of England henceforth, age after age, so long as the crown shallendure
. ?Molest him not."
Two persons, who, through delay, had only arrived from the countryduring this morning, and had now been in this room only five minutes,stood listening to these words and looking at the King, then at thescarecrow, then at the King again, in a sort of torpid bewilderment.?These were Sir Hugh and the Lady Edith. ?But the new Earl did notsee them. ?He was still staring at the monarch, in a dazed way, andmuttering--
"Oh, body o' me! ?_this_ my pauper! ?This my lunatic! ?This is he whom_I_ would show what grandeur was, in my house of seventy rooms andseven-and-twenty servants! ?This is he who had never known aught butrags for raiment, kicks for comfort, and offal for diet! ?This is hewhom _I_ adopted and would make respectable! Would God I had a bag tohide my head in!"
Then his manners suddenly came back to him, and he dropped upon hisknees, with his hands between the King's, and swore allegiance and didhomage for his lands and titles. ?Then he rose and stood respectfullyaside, a mark still for all eyes--and much envy, too.
Now the King discovered Sir Hugh, and spoke out with wrathful voice andkindling eye--
"Strip this robber of his false show and stolen estates, and put himunder lock and key till I have need of him."
The late Sir Hugh was led away.
There was a stir at the other end of the room, now; the assemblage fellapart, and Tom Canty, quaintly but richly clothed, marched down, betweenthese living walls, preceded by an usher. ?He knelt before the King, whosaid--
"I have learned the story of these past few weeks, and am well pleasedwith thee. ?Thou hast governed the realm with right royal gentleness andmercy. ?Thou hast found thy mother and thy sisters again? ?Good; theyshall be cared for--and thy father shall hang, if thou desire it and thelaw consent. ?Know, all ye that hear my voice, that from this day, theythat abide in the shelter of Christ's Hospital and share the King'sbounty shall have their minds and hearts fed, as well as their baserparts; and this boy shall dwell there, and hold the chief place in itshonourable body of governors, during life. ?And for that he hath beena king, it is meet that other than common observance shall be his due;wherefore note this his dress of state, for by it he shall be known, andnone shall copy it; and wheresoever he shall come, it shall remind thepeople that he hath been royal, in his time, and none shall deny him hisdue of reverence or fail to give him salutation. ?He hath the throne'sprotection, he hath the crown's support, he shall be known and called bythe honourable title of the King's Ward."
The proud and happy Tom Canty rose and kissed the King's hand, and wasconducted from the presence. ?He did not waste any time, but flew to hismother, to tell her and Nan and Bet all about it and get them to helphim enjoy the great news. {1}
Conclusion. Justice and retribution.
When the mysteries were all cleared up, it came out, by confession ofHugh Hendon, that his wife had repudiated Miles by his command, thatday at Hendon Hall--a command assisted and supported by the perfectlytrustworthy promise that if she did not deny that he was Miles Hendon,and stand firmly to it, he would have her life; whereupon she said,"Take it!"--she did not value it--and she would not repudiateMiles; then the husband said he would spare her life but have Milesassassinated! ?This was a different matter; so she gave her word andkept it.
Hugh was not prosecuted for his threats or for stealing his brother'sestates and title, because the wife and brother would not testifyagainst him--and the former would not have been allowed to do it, evenif she had wanted to. ?Hugh deserted his wife and went over to thecontinent, where he presently died; and by-and-by the Earl of Kentmarried his relict. There were grand times and rejoicings at Hendonvillage when the couple paid their first visit to the Hall.
Tom Canty's father was never heard of again.
The King sought out the farmer who had been branded and sold as a slave,and reclaimed him from his evil life with the Ruffler's gang, and puthim in the way of a comfortable livelihood.
He also took that old lawyer out of prison and remitted his fine. Heprovided good homes for the daughters of the two Baptist women whom hesaw burned at the stake, and roundly punished the official who laid theundeserved stripes upon Miles Hendon's back.
He saved from the gallows the boy who had captured the stray falcon, andalso the woman who had stolen a remnant of cloth from a weaver; but hewas too late to save the man who had been convicted of killing a deer inthe royal forest.
He showed favour to the justice who had pitied him when he was supposedto have stolen a pig, and he had the gratification of seeing him grow inthe public esteem and become a great and honoured man.
As long as the King lived he was fond of telling the story of hisadventures, all through, from the hour that the sentinel cuffed himaway from the palace gate till the final midnight when he deftly mixedhimself into a gang of hurrying workmen and so slipped into the Abbeyand climbed up and hid himself in the Confessor's tomb, and then sleptso long, next day, that he came within one of missing the Coronationaltogether. ?He said that the frequent rehearsing of the precious lessonkept him strong in his purpose to make its teachings yield benefits tohis people; and so, whilst his life was spared he should continue totell the story, and thus keep its sorrowful spectacles fresh in hismemory and the springs of pity replenished in his heart.
Miles Hendon and Tom Canty were favourites of the King, all through hisbrief reign, and his sincere mourners when he died. The good Earlof Kent had too much sense to abuse his peculiar privilege; but heexercised it twice after the instance we have seen of it before he wascalled from this world--once at the accession of Queen Mary, and once atthe accession of Queen Elizabeth. ?A descendant of his exercised itat the accession of James I. ?Before this one's son chose to use theprivilege, near a quarter of a century had elapsed, and the 'privilegeof the Kents' had faded out of most people's memories; so, when the Kentof that day appeared before Charles I. and his court and sat down in thesovereign's presence to assert and perpetuate the right of his house,there was a fine stir indeed! ?But the matter was soon explained, andthe right confirmed. ?The last Earl of the line fell in the wars of theCommonwealth fighting for the King, and the odd privilege ended withhim.
Tom Canty lived to be a very old man, a handsome, white-haired oldfellow, of grave and benignant aspect. ?As long as he lasted he washonoured; and he was also reverenced, for his striking and peculiarcostume kept the people reminded that 'in his time he had been royal;'so, wherever he appeared the crowd fell apart, making way for him, andwhispering, one to another, "Doff thy hat, it is the King's Ward!"--andso they saluted, and got his kindly smile in return--and they valued it,too, for his was an honourable history.
Yes, King Edward VI. lived only a few years, poor boy, but he lived themworthily. ?More than once, when some great dignitary, some gilded vassalof the crown, made argument against his leniency, and urged that somelaw which he was bent upon amending was gentle enough for its purpose,and wrought no suffering or oppression which any one need mightily mind,the young King turned the mournful eloquence of his great compassionateeyes upon him and answered--
"What dost _thou_ know of suffering and oppression? ?I and my peopleknow, but not thou."
The reign of Edward VI. was a singularly merciful one for those harshtimes. ?Now that we are taking leave of him, let us try to keep this inour minds, to his credit.
FOOTNOTES AND TWAIN'S NOTES
{1} ?For Mark Twain's note see below under the relevant chapter heading.
{2} ?He refers to the order of baronets, or baronettes; the baronesminores, as distinct from the parliamentary barons--not, it need hardlybe said, to the baronets of later creation.
{3} ?The lords of Kingsale, descendants of De Courcy, still enjoy thiscurious privilege.
{4} ?Hume.
{5} ?Ib.
{6} ?Leigh Hunt's 'The Town,' p.408, quotation from an early tourist.
{7} ?Canting terms for various kinds of thieves, beggars and vagabonds,and their female companions.
{8} ?From 'The English Rogue.' ?London, 1665.
{9} ?Hum
e's England.
{10} ?See Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull's Blue Laws, True and False, p. 11.
NOTE 1, Chapter IV. Christ's Hospital Costume.
It is most reasonable to regard the dress as copied from the costumeof the citizens of London of that period, when long blue coats were thecommon habit of apprentices and serving-men, and yellow stockingswere generally worn; the coat fits closely to the body, but has loosesleeves, and beneath is worn a sleeveless yellow under-coat; around thewaist is a red leathern girdle; a clerical band around the neck, anda small flat black cap, about the size of a saucer, completes thecostume.--Timbs' Curiosities of London.
NOTE 2, Chapter IV.
It appears that Christ's Hospital was not originally founded as a_school_; its object was to rescue children from the streets, toshelter, feed, clothe them.--Timbs' Curiosities of London.
NOTE 3, Chapter V. The Duke of Norfolk's Condemnation commanded.
The King was now approaching fast towards his end; and fearing lestNorfolk should escape him, he sent a message to the Commons, by whichhe desired them to hasten the Bill, on pretence that Norfolk enjoyed thedignity of Earl Marshal, and it was necessary to appoint another, whomight officiate at the ensuing ceremony of installing his son Prince ofWales.--Hume's History of England, vol. iii. p. 307.
NOTE 4, Chapter VII.
It was not till the end of this reign (Henry VIII.) that any salads,carrots, turnips, or other edible roots were produced in England. ?Thelittle of these vegetables that was used was formerly imported fromHolland and Flanders. ?Queen Catherine, when she wanted a salad, wasobliged to despatch a messenger thither on purpose.--Hume's History ofEngland, vol. iii. p. 314.
NOTE 5, Chapter VIII. Attainder of Norfolk.
The House of Peers, without examining the prisoner, without trial orevidence, passed a Bill of Attainder against him and sent it down to theCommons . . . The obsequious Commons obeyed his (the King's)directions; and the King, having affixed the Royal assent to the Bill bycommissioners, issued orders for the execution of Norfolk on the morningof January 29 (the next day).--Hume's History of England, vol iii. p306.
NOTE 6, Chapter X. The Loving-cup.
The loving-cup, and the peculiar ceremonies observed in drinking fromit, are older than English history. ?It is thought that both are Danishimportations. ?As far back as knowledge goes, the loving-cup has alwaysbeen drunk at English banquets. ?Tradition explains the ceremonies inthis way. ?In the rude ancient times it was deemed a wise precautionto have both hands of both drinkers employed, lest while the pledgerpledged his love and fidelity to the pledgee, the pledgee take thatopportunity to slip a dirk into him!
NOTE 7, Chapter XI. The Duke of Norfolk's narrow Escape.
Had Henry VIII. survived a few hours longer, his order for the duke'sexecution would have been carried into effect. 'But news beingcarried to the Tower that the King himself had expired that night,the lieutenant deferred obeying the warrant; and it was not thoughtadvisable by the Council to begin a new reign by the death of thegreatest nobleman in the kingdom, who had been condemned by a sentenceso unjust and tyrannical.'--Hume's History of England, vol. iii, p. 307.
NOTE 8, Chapter XIV. The Whipping-boy.
James I. and Charles II. had whipping-boys, when they were littlefellows, to take their punishment for them when they fell short in theirlessons; so I have ventured to furnish my small prince with one, for myown purposes.
NOTES to Chapter XV.
Character of Hertford.
The young King discovered an extreme attachment to his uncle, whowas, in the main, a man of moderation and probity.--Hume's History ofEngland, vol. iii, p324.
But if he (the Protector) gave offence by assuming too much state, hedeserves great praise on account of the laws passed this session,by which the rigour of former statutes was much mitigated, and somesecurity given to the freedom of the constitution. ?All laws wererepealed which extended the crime of treason beyond the statute of thetwenty-fifth of Edward III.; all laws enacted during the late reignextending the crime of felony; all the former laws against Lollardy orheresy, together with the statute of the Six Articles. ?None were to beaccused for words, but within a month after they were spoken. ?Bythese repeals several of the most rigorous laws that ever had passedin England were annulled; and some dawn, both of civil and religiousliberty, began to appear to the people. ?A repeal also passed of thatlaw, the destruction of all laws, by which the King's proclamation wasmade of equal force with a statute.--Ibid. vol. iii. p. 339.
Boiling to Death.
In the reign of Henry VIII. poisoners were, by Act of Parliament,condemned to be _boiled to death_. ?This Act was repealed in thefollowing reign.
In Germany, even in the seventeenth century, this horrible punishmentwas inflicted on coiners and counterfeiters. ?Taylor, the Water Poet,describes an execution he witnessed in Hamburg in 1616. ?The judgmentpronounced against a coiner of false money was that he should '_beboiled to death in oil_; not thrown into the vessel at once, but witha pulley or rope to be hanged under the armpits, and then let down intothe oil _by degrees_; first the feet, and next the legs, and so to boilhis flesh from his bones alive.'--Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull's Blue Laws,True and False, p. 13.
The Famous Stocking Case.
A woman and her daughter, _nine years old_, were hanged in Huntingdonfor selling their souls to the devil, and raising a storm by pulling offtheir stockings!--Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull's Blue Laws, True and False,p. 20.
NOTE 10, Chapter XVII. Enslaving.
So young a King and so ignorant a peasant were likely to make mistakes;and this is an instance in point. ?This peasant was suffering from thislaw _by anticipation_; the King was venting his indignation against alaw which was not yet in existence; for this hideous statute was tohave birth in this little King's _own reign_. However, we know, from thehumanity of his character, that it could never have been suggested byhim.
NOTES to Chapter XXIII. Death for Trifling Larcenies.
When Connecticut and New Haven were framing their first codes, larcenyabove the value of twelve pence was a capital crime in England--as ithad been since the time of Henry I.--Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull's BlueLaws, True and False, p. 17.
The curious old book called The English Rogue makes the limit thirteenpence ha'penny: ?death being the portion of any who steal a thing 'abovethe value of thirteen pence ha'penny.'
NOTES to Chapter XXVII.
From many descriptions of larceny the law expressly took away thebenefit of clergy: ?to steal a horse, or a _hawk_, or woollen cloth fromthe weaver, was a hanging matter. ?So it was to kill a deer from theKing's forest, or to export sheep from the kingdom.--Dr. J. HammondTrumbull's Blue Laws, True and False, p.13.
William Prynne, a learned barrister, was sentenced (long after EdwardVI.'s time) to lose both his ears in the pillory, to degradation fromthe bar, a fine of 3,000 pounds, and imprisonment for life. ?Three yearsafterwards he gave new offence to Laud by publishing a pamphlet againstthe hierarchy. ?He was again prosecuted, and was sentenced to lose _whatremained of his ears_, to pay a fine of 5,000 pounds, to be _branded onboth his cheeks_ with the letters S. L. (for Seditious Libeller), and toremain in prison for life. ?The severity of this sentence was equalledby the savage rigour of its execution.--Ibid. p. 12.
NOTES to Chapter XXXIII.
Christ's Hospital, or Bluecoat School, 'the noblest institution in theworld.'
The ground on which the Priory of the Grey Friars stood was conferredby Henry VIII. on the Corporation of London (who caused the institutionthere of a home for poor boys and girls). Subsequently, Edward VI.caused the old Priory to be properly repaired, and founded withinit that noble establishment called the Bluecoat School, or Christ'sHospital, for the _education_ and maintenance of orphans and thechildren of indigent persons . . . Edward would not let him (BishopRidley) depart till the letter was written (to the Lord Mayor), and thencharged him to deliver it himself, and signify his special request andcommandment that no time might be lost in pro
posing what was convenient,and apprising him of the proceedings. ?The work was zealouslyundertaken, Ridley himself engaging in it; and the result was thefounding of Christ's Hospital for the education of poor children. (TheKing endowed several other charities at the same time.) "Lord God," saidhe, "I yield Thee most hearty thanks that Thou hast given me life thuslong to finish this work to the glory of Thy name!" ?That innocent andmost exemplary life was drawing rapidly to its close, and in a few dayshe rendered up his spirit to his Creator, praying God to defend therealm from Papistry.--J. Heneage Jesse's London: ?its CelebratedCharacters and Places.
In the Great Hall hangs a large picture of King Edward VI. seated on histhrone, in a scarlet and ermined robe, holding the sceptre in his lefthand, and presenting with the other the Charter to the kneeling LordMayor. ?By his side stands the Chancellor, holding the seals, and nextto him are other officers of state. ?Bishop Ridley kneels before himwith uplifted hands, as if supplicating a blessing on the event; whilstthe Aldermen, etc., with the Lord Mayor, kneel on both sides, occupyingthe middle ground of the picture; and lastly, in front, are a double rowof boys on one side and girls on the other, from the master and matrondown to the boy and girl who have stepped forward from their respectiverows, and kneel with raised hands before the King.--Timbs' Curiositiesof London, p. 98.
Christ's Hospital, by ancient custom, possesses the privilege ofaddressing the Sovereign on the occasion of his or her coming into theCity to partake of the hospitality of the Corporation of London.--Ibid.
The Dining Hall, with its lobby and organ-gallery, occupies the entirestorey, which is 187 feet long, 51 feet wide, and 47 feet high; it islit by nine large windows, filled with stained glass on the south side;and is, next to Westminster Hall, the noblest room in the metropolis.?Here the boys, now about 800 in number, dine; and here are held the'Suppings in Public,' to which visitors are admitted by tickets issuedby the Treasurer and by the Governors of Christ's Hospital. ?The tablesare laid with cheese in wooden bowls, beer in wooden piggins, pouredfrom leathern jacks, and bread brought in large baskets. ?The officialcompany enter; the Lord Mayor, or President, takes his seat in a statechair made of oak from St. Catherine's Church, by the Tower; a hymnis sung, accompanied by the organ; a 'Grecian,' or head boy, reads theprayers from the pulpit, silence being enforced by three drops of awooden hammer. ?After prayer the supper commences, and the visitors walkbetween the tables. ?At its close the 'trade-boys' take up the baskets,bowls, jacks, piggins, and candlesticks, and pass in procession, thebowing to the Governors being curiously formal. ?This spectacle waswitnessed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845.
Among the more eminent Bluecoat boys are Joshua Barnes, editorof Anacreon and Euripides; Jeremiah Markland, the eminent critic,particularly in Greek Literature; Camden, the antiquary; BishopStillingfleet; Samuel Richardson, the novelist; Thomas Mitchell, thetranslator of Aristophanes; Thomas Barnes, many years editor of theLondon Times; Coleridge, Charles Lamb, and Leigh Hunt.
No boy is admitted before he is seven years old, or after he is nine;and no boy can remain in the school after he is fifteen, King's boys and'Grecians' alone excepted. ?There are about 500 Governors, at the headof whom are the Sovereign and the Prince of Wales. ?The qualificationfor a Governor is payment of 500 pounds.--Ibid.
GENERAL NOTE.
One hears much about the 'hideous Blue Laws of Connecticut,' and isaccustomed to shudder piously when they are mentioned. ?There are peoplein America--and even in England!--who imagine that they were a verymonument of malignity, pitilessness, and inhumanity; whereas in realitythey were about the first _sweeping departure from judicial atrocity_which the 'civilised' world had seen. ?This humane and kindly Blue LawCode, of two hundred and forty years ago, stands all by itself,with ages of bloody law on the further side of it, and a century andthree-quarters of bloody English law on _this_ side of it.
There has never been a time--under the Blue Laws or any other--whenabove _fourteen_ crimes were punishable by death in Connecticut. ?But inEngland, within the memory of men who are still hale in body and mind,_two hundred and twenty-three_ crimes were punishable by death! {10}?These facts are worth knowing--and worth thinking about, too.