by Walter Scott
CHAPTER XIV.
This is rare news thou tell'st me, my good fellow; There are two bulls fierce battling on the green For one fair heifer--if the one goes down, The dale will be more peaceful, and the herd, Which have small interest in their brulziement, May pasture there in peace. --OLD PLAY.
Sayes Court was watched like a beleaguered fort; and so high rose thesuspicions of the time, that Tressilian and his attendants were stoppedand questioned repeatedly by sentinels, both on foot and horseback,as they approached the abode of the sick Earl. In truth, the high rankwhich Sussex held in Queen Elizabeth's favour, and his known and avowedrivalry of the Earl of Leicester, caused the utmost importance to beattached to his welfare; for, at the period we treat of, all men doubtedwhether he or the Earl of Leicester might ultimately have the higherrank in her regard.
Elizabeth, like many of her sex, was fond of governing by factions, soas to balance two opposing interests, and reserve in her own hand thepower of making either predominate, as the interest of the state, orperhaps as her own female caprice (for to that foible even she was notsuperior), might finally determine. To finesse--to hold the cards--tooppose one interest to another--to bridle him who thought himselfhighest in her esteem, by the fears he must entertain of another equallytrusted, if not equally beloved, were arts which she used throughouther reign, and which enabled her, though frequently giving way to theweakness of favouritism, to prevent most of its evil effects on herkingdom and government.
The two nobles who at present stood as rivals in her favour possessedvery different pretensions to share it; yet it might be in general saidthat the Earl of Sussex had been most serviceable to the Queen, whileLeicester was most dear to the woman. Sussex was, according to thephrase of the times, a martialist--had done good service in Ireland andin Scotland, and especially in the great northern rebellion, in 1569,which was quelled, in a great measure, by his military talents. He was,therefore, naturally surrounded and looked up to by those who wished tomake arms their road to distinction. The Earl of Sussex, moreover, wasof more ancient and honourable descent than his rival, uniting inhis person the representation of the Fitz-Walters, as well as ofthe Ratcliffes; while the scutcheon of Leicester was stained by thedegradation of his grandfather, the oppressive minister of Henry VII.,and scarce improved by that of his father, the unhappy Dudley, Duke ofNorthumberland, executed on Tower Hill, August 22, 1553. But in person,features, and address, weapons so formidable in the court of afemale sovereign, Leicester had advantages more than sufficient tocounterbalance the military services, high blood, and frank bearing ofthe Earl of Sussex; and he bore, in the eye of the court and kingdom,the higher share in Elizabeth's favour, though (for such was her uniformpolicy) by no means so decidedly expressed as to warrant him against thefinal preponderance of his rival's pretensions. The illness of Sussextherefore happened so opportunely for Leicester, as to give rise tostrange surmises among the public; while the followers of the one Earlwere filled with the deepest apprehensions, and those of the other withthe highest hopes of its probable issue. Meanwhile--for in that old timemen never forgot the probability that the matter might be determinedby length of sword--the retainers of each noble flocked around theirpatron, appeared well armed in the vicinity of the court itself, anddisturbed the ear of the sovereign by their frequent and alarmingdebates, held even within the precincts of her palace. This preliminarystatement is necessary, to render what follows intelligible to thereader. [See Note 3. Leicester and Sussex.]
On Tressilian's arrival at Sayes Court, he found the place filled withthe retainers of the Earl of Sussex, and of the gentlemen who came toattend their patron in his illness. Arms were in every hand, and a deepgloom on every countenance, as if they had apprehended an immediateand violent assault from the opposite faction. In the hall, however,to which Tressilian was ushered by one of the Earl's attendants,while another went to inform Sussex of his arrival, he found only twogentlemen in waiting. There was a remarkable contrast in their dress,appearance, and manners. The attire of the elder gentleman, a personas it seemed of quality and in the prime of life, was very plain andsoldierlike, his stature low, his limbs stout, his bearing ungraceful,and his features of that kind which express sound common sense, withouta grain of vivacity or imagination. The younger, who seemed abouttwenty, or upwards, was clad in the gayest habit used by persons ofquality at the period, wearing a crimson velvet cloak richly ornamentedwith lace and embroidery, with a bonnet of the same, encircled with agold chain turned three times round it, and secured by a medal. His hairwas adjusted very nearly like that of some fine gentlemen of our owntime--that is, it was combed upwards, and made to stand as it were onend; and in his ears he wore a pair of silver earrings, having each apearl of considerable size. The countenance of this youth, besides beingregularly handsome and accompanied by a fine person, was animated andstriking in a degree that seemed to speak at once the firmness ofa decided and the fire of an enterprising character, the power ofreflection, and the promptitude of determination.
Both these gentlemen reclined nearly in the same posture on benchesnear each other; but each seeming engaged in his own meditations, lookedstraight upon the wall which was opposite to them, without speaking tohis companion. The looks of the elder were of that sort which convincedthe beholder that, in looking on the wall, he saw no more than the sideof an old hall hung around with cloaks, antlers, bucklers, old piecesof armour, partisans, and the similar articles which were usually thefurniture of such a place. The look of the younger gallant had in itsomething imaginative; he was sunk in reverie, and it seemed as if theempty space of air betwixt him and the wall were the stage of a theatreon which his fancy was mustering his own DRAMATIS PERSONAE, and treatinghim with sights far different from those which his awakened and earthlyvision could have offered.
At the entrance of Tressilian both started from their musing, andmade him welcome--the younger, in particular, with great appearance ofanimation and cordiality.
"Thou art welcome, Tressilian," said the youth. "Thy philosophy stolethee from us when this household had objects of ambition to offer; itis an honest philosophy, since it returns thee to us when there are onlydangers to be shared."
"Is my lord, then, so greatly indisposed?" said Tressilian.
"We fear the very worst," answered the elder gentleman, "and by theworst practice."
"Fie," replied Tressilian, "my Lord of Leicester is honourable."
"What doth he with such attendants, then, as he hath about him?" saidthe younger gallant. "The man who raises the devil may be honest, but heis answerable for the mischief which the fiend does, for all that."
"And is this all of you, my mates," inquired Tressilian, "that are aboutmy lord in his utmost straits?"
"No, no," replied the elder gentleman, "there are Tracy, Markham, andseveral more; but we keep watch here by two at once, and some are wearyand are sleeping in the gallery above."
"And some," said the young man, "are gone down to the Dock yonder atDeptford, to look out such a hull; as they may purchase by clubbingtheir broken fortunes; and as soon as all is over, we will lay our noblelord in a noble green grave, have a blow at those who have hurried himthither, if opportunity suits, and then sail for the Indies with heavyhearts and light purses."
"It may be," said Tressilian, "that I will embrace the same purpose, sosoon as I have settled some business at court."
"Thou business at court!" they both exclaimed at once, "and thou makethe Indian voyage!"
"Why, Tressilian," said the younger man, "art thou not wedded, andbeyond these flaws of fortune, that drive folks out to sea when theirbark bears fairest for the haven?--What has become of the lovelyIndamira that was to match my Amoret for truth and beauty?"
"Speak not of her!" said Tressilian, averting his face.
"Ay, stands it so with you?" said the youth, taking his hand veryaffectionately; "then, fear not I will again touch the green wound.But it is strange as well as sad news. Are none of our fair and
merryfellowship to escape shipwreck of fortune and happiness in this suddentempest? I had hoped thou wert in harbour, at least, my dear Edmund. Buttruly says another dear friend of thy name,
'What man that sees the ever whirling wheel Of Chance, the which all mortal things doth sway, But that thereby doth find and plainly feel, How Mutability in them doth play Her cruel sports to many men's decay.'"
The elder gentleman had risen from his bench, and was pacing thehall with some impatience, while the youth, with much earnestnessand feeling, recited these lines. When he had done, the other wrappedhimself in his cloak, and again stretched himself down, saying, "Imarvel, Tressilian, you will feed the lad in this silly humour. If therewere ought to draw a judgment upon a virtuous and honourable householdlike my lord's, renounce me if I think not it were this piping,whining, childish trick of poetry, that came among us with Master WalterWittypate here and his comrades, twisting into all manner of uncouth andincomprehensible forms of speech, the honest plain English phrase whichGod gave us to express our meaning withal."
"Blount believes," said his comrade, laughing, "the devil woo'd Evein rhyme, and that the mystic meaning of the Tree of Knowledge referssolely to the art of clashing rhymes and meting out hexameters." [SeeNote 4. Sir Walter Raleigh.]
At this moment the Earl's chamberlain entered, and informed Tressilianthat his lord required to speak with him.
He found Lord Sussex dressed, but unbraced, and lying on his couch, andwas shocked at the alteration disease had made in his person. The Earlreceived him with the most friendly cordiality, and inquired into thestate of his courtship. Tressilian evaded his inquiries for a moment,and turning his discourse on the Earl's own health, he discovered, tohis surprise, that the symptoms of his disorder corresponded minutelywith those which Wayland had predicated concerning it. He hesitated not,therefore, to communicate to Sussex the whole history of his attendant,and the pretensions he set up to cure the disorder under which helaboured. The Earl listened with incredulous attention until the nameof Demetrius was mentioned, and then suddenly called to his secretary tobring him a certain casket which contained papers of importance. "Takeout from thence," he said, "the declaration of the rascal cook whom wehad under examination, and look heedfully if the name of Demetrius benot there mentioned."
The secretary turned to the passage at once, and read, "And saiddeclarant, being examined, saith, That he remembers having made thesauce to the said sturgeon-fish, after eating of which the said nobleLord was taken ill; and he put the usual ingredients and condimentstherein, namely--"
"Pass over his trash," said the Earl, "and see whether he had not beensupplied with his materials by a herbalist called Demetrius."
"It is even so," answered the secretary. "And he adds, he has not sinceseen the said Demetrius."
"This accords with thy fellow's story, Tressilian," said the Earl; "callhim hither."
On being summoned to the Earl's presence, Wayland Smith told his formertale with firmness and consistency.
"It may be," said the Earl, "thou art sent by those who have begun thiswork, to end it for them; but bethink, if I miscarry under thy medicine,it may go hard with thee."
"That were severe measure," said Wayland, "since the issue of medicine,and the end of life, are in God's disposal. But I will stand the risk. Ihave not lived so long under ground to be afraid of a grave."
"Nay, if thou be'st so confident," said the Earl of Sussex, "I will takethe risk too, for the learned can do nothing for me. Tell me how thismedicine is to be taken."
"That will I do presently," said Wayland; "but allow me to conditionthat, since I incur all the risk of this treatment, no other physicianshall be permitted to interfere with it."
"That is but fair," replied the Earl; "and now prepare your drug."
While Wayland obeyed the Earl's commands, his servants, by the artist'sdirection, undressed their master, and placed him in bed.
"I warn you," he said, "that the first operation of this medicine willbe to produce a heavy sleep, during which time the chamber must be keptundisturbed, as the consequences may otherwise he fatal. I myself willwatch by the Earl with any of the gentlemen of his chamber."
"Let all leave the room, save Stanley and this good fellow," said theEarl.
"And saving me also," said Tressilian. "I too am deeply interested inthe effects of this potion."
"Be it so, good friend," said the Earl. "And now for our experiment; butfirst call my secretary and chamberlain."
"Bear witness," he continued, when these officers arrived--"bear witnessfor me, gentlemen, that our honourable friend Tressilian is in no wayresponsible for the effects which this medicine may produce upon me, thetaking it being my own free action and choice, in regard I believe it tobe a remedy which God has furnished me by unexpected means to recover meof my present malady. Commend me to my noble and princely Mistress;and say that I live and die her true servant, and wish to all about herthrone the same singleness of heart and will to serve her, with moreability to do so than hath been assigned to poor Thomas Ratcliffe."
He then folded his hands, and seemed for a second or two absorbedin mental devotion, then took the potion in his hand, and, pausing,regarded Wayland with a look that seemed designed to penetrate his verysoul, but which caused no anxiety or hesitation in the countenance ormanner of the artist.
"Here is nothing to be feared," said Sussex to Tressilian, and swallowedthe medicine without further hesitation.
"I am now to pray your lordship," said Wayland, "to dispose yourselfto rest as commodiously as you can; and of you, gentlemen, to remain asstill and mute as if you waited at your mother's deathbed."
The chamberlain and secretary then withdrew, giving orders that alldoors should be bolted, and all noise in the house strictly prohibited.Several gentlemen were voluntary watchers in the hall, but none remainedin the chamber of the sick Earl, save his groom of the chamber, theartist, and Tressilian.--Wayland Smith's predictions were speedilyaccomplished, and a sleep fell upon the Earl, so deep and sound thatthey who watched his bedside began to fear that, in his weakened state,he might pass away without awakening from his lethargy. Wayland Smithhimself appeared anxious, and felt the temples of the Earl slightly,from time to time, attending particularly to the state of hisrespiration, which was full and deep, but at the same time easy anduninterrupted.