By England's Aid; or, the Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604) Read online

  CHAPTER II

  A MEETING IN CHEPE

  A row of ten minutes took the boat with Master Lirriper and thetwo boys alongside the ketch.

  "How are you, Joe Chambers?" Master Lirriper hailed the skipper ashe appeared on the deck of the Susan. "I have brought you two morepassengers for London. They are going there under my charge."

  "The more the merrier, Uncle John," the young skipper replied. "Thereare none others going this journey, so though our accommodation isnot very extensive, we can put them up comfortably enough if theydon't mind roughing it."

  "Oh, we don't mind that," Geoffrey said, as they climbed on board;"besides, there seems lots of room."

  "Not so much as you think," the skipper replied. "She is a roomycraft is the Susan; but she is pretty nigh all hold, and we arecramped a little in the fo'castle. Still we can sleep six, andthat's just the number we shall have, for we carry a man and a boybesides myself. I think your flour will about fill her up, MasterLirriper. We have a pretty full cargo this time."

  "Well, we shall soon see," John Lirriper said. "Are you ready totake the flour on board at once? Because, if so, we will begin todischarge."

  "Yes, I am quite ready. You told me you were going to bring fortysacks, and I have left the middle part of the hold empty for them.Sam Hunter's bacon will stow in on the top of your sacks, and justfill her up to the beams there, as I reckon. I'll go below and stowthem away as you hand them across."

  In an hour the sacks of flour were transferred from the barge to thehold of the Susan, and the sides of bacon then placed upon them.

  "It's a pity we haven't all the rest of the things on board," theskipper said, "and then we could have started by this evening's tideinstead of waiting till the morning. The wind is fair, and I hatethrowing away a fair wind. There is no saying where it may blowtomorrow, but I shouldn't be at all surprised if it isn't roundto the south, and that will be foul for us till we get pretty nighup into the mouth of the river. However, I gave them till tonightfor getting all their things on board and must therefore wait."

  To the boys the Susan appeared quite a large craft, for therewas not water up at Hedingham for vessels of her size; and thoughthey had seen ships at Harwich, they had never before put foot onanything larger than Master Lirriper's barge. The Susan was aboutforty feet long by twelve feet beam, and drew, as her skipperinformed them, near five feet of water. She was entirely decked.The cabin in the bows occupied some fourteen feet in length. Therest was devoted to cargo. They descended into the cabin, whichseemed to them very dark, there being no light save what came downthrough the small hatchway. Still it looked snug and comfortable.There was a fireplace on one side of the ladder by which they haddescended, and on this side there were two bunks, one above theother. On the other side there were lockers running along the entirelength of the cabin. Two could sleep on these and two on the bunksabove them.

  "Now, young masters, you will take those two bunks on the top there.John Lirriper and I will sleep on the lockers underneath you. Theman and the boy have the two on the other side. I put you on thetop because there is a side board, and you can't fall out if sherolls, and besides, the bunks are rather wider than the lockersbelow. If the wind is fair you won't have much of our company,because we shall hold on till we moor alongside the wharves ofLondon; but if it's foul, or there is not enough of it to take usagainst tide, we have to anchor on the ebb, and then of course weturn in."

  "How long do you take getting from here to London?"

  "Ah, that I can tell you more about when I see what the weatheris like in the morning. With a strong fair wind I have done it intwenty-four hours, and again with the wind foul it has taken menigh a week. Taking one trip with another I should put it at threedays."

  "Well, now we will be going ashore," John Lirriper said. "I willleave my barge alongside till tide turns, for I could not get herback again to the jetty so long as it is running in strong, so Iwill be off again in a couple of hours."

  So saying he hauled up the dinghy that was towing behind the barge,and he and Dick rowed the two boys ashore. Then he walked alongwith them to a spot where several craft were hauled up, pointingout to them the differences in their rig and build, and explainedtheir purpose, and gave them the names of the principal ropes andstays.

  "Now," he said, "it's getting on for supper time, and it won't doto keep them waiting, for Ann is sure to have got some cakes made,and there's nothing puts a woman out more than people not beingin to meals when they have something special ready. After that Ishall go out with Dick and bring the barge ashore. He will load upher tomorrow, and take her back single handed; which can be doneeasy enough in such weather as this, but it is too much for oneman if there is a strong wind blowing and driving her over to theone side or other of the river."

  As John Lirriper had expected, his daughter had prepared a pile ofhot cakes for supper, and her face brightened up when she saw theparty return punctually. The boys had been up early, and had sleptbut little the night before, and were not sorry at eight o'clockto lie down on the bed of freshly cut rushes covered with home spunsheets, for regular beds of feathers were still but little used inEngland. At five o'clock they were astir again, and their hostessinsisted on their eating a manchet of bread with some cheese, washeddown by a stoup of ale, before starting. Dick had the boat at thejetty ready to row them off, and as soon as they were on board theSusan preparations were made for a start.

  The mainsail was first hoisted, its size greatly surprising theboys; then the foresail and jib were got up, and lastly the mizzen.Then the capstan was manned, and the anchor slowly brought onboard, and the sails being sheeted home, the craft began to stealthrough the water. The tide was still draining up, and she had notas yet swung. The wind was light, and, as the skipper had predicted,was nearly due south. As the ketch made its way out from the mouthof the river, and the wide expanse of water opened before them, theboys were filled with delight. They had taken their seats, one oneach side of the skipper, who was at the tiller.

  "I suppose you steer by the compass, Master Chambers?" Geoffreysaid. "Which is the compass? I have heard about it, always pointingto the north."

  "It's down below, young sir; I will show it you presently. We steerby that at night, or when it's foggy; but on a fine day like thisthere is no need for it. There are marks put up on all the sands,and we steer by them. You see, the way the wind is now we can layour course for the Whittaker. That's a cruel sand, that is, andstretches out a long way from a point lying away on the right there.Once past that we bear away to the southwest, for we are then, soto speak, fairly in the course of the river. There is many a shiphas been cast away on the Whittaker. Not that it is worse thanother sands. There are scores of them lying in the mouth of theriver, and if it wasn't for the marks there would be no sailing inor out."

  "Who put up the marks?" Lionel asked.

  "They are put up by men who make a business of it. There is oneboat of them sails backwards and forwards where the river beginsto narrow above Sheerness, and every ship that goes up or down paysthem something according to her size. Others cruise about with longpoles, putting them in the sands wherever one gets washed away.They have got different marks on them. A single cross piece, ortwo cross pieces, or a circle, or a diamond; so that each sand hasgot its own particular mark. These are known to the masters of allships that go up and down the river, and so they can tell exactlywhere they are, and what course to take. At night they anchor, forthere would be no possibility of finding the way up or down in thedark. I have heard tell from mariners who have sailed abroad thatthere ain't a place anywhere with such dangerous sands as those wehave got here at the mouth of the Thames."

  In the first three or four hours' sail Geoffrey and Lionel acquiredmuch nautical knowledge. They learned the difference between themainmast and the mizzen, found that all the strong ropes that keptthe masts erect and stiff were called stays, that the ropes thathoist sails are called halliards, and that sheets is the name givento the ropes that restra
in the sails at the lower corner, and areused to haul them in more tightly when sailing close to the wind,or to ease them off when the wind is favourable. They also learnedthat the yards at the head of the main and mizzen sails are calledgaffs, and those at the bottom, booms.

  "I think that's about enough for you to remember in one day, youngmasters," John Lirriper said. "You bear all that in your mind,and remember that each halliard and sheet has the name of the sailto which it is attached, and you will have learnt enough to makeyourself useful, and can lend a hand when the skipper calls out,`Haul in the jib sheet,' or `Let go the fore halliards.' Now sityourselves down again and see what is doing. That beacon you canjust see right ahead marks the end of the Whittaker Spit. When weget there we shall drop anchor till the tide turns. You see we aregoing across it now, but when we round that beacon we shall have itdead against us, and the wind would be too light to take us againstit even if it were not from the quarter it is. You see there aretwo or three other craft brought up there."

  "Where have they come from, do you think, Master Lirriper?"

  "Well, they may have come out from Burnham, or they may have comedown from London and be going up to Burnham or to Bricklesey whenthe tide turns. There is a large ship anchored in the channel beyondthe Whittaker. Of course she is going up when tide begins to flow.And there are the masts of two vessels right over there. They arein another channel. Between us and them there is a line of sandsthat you will see will show above the water when it gets a bitlower. That is the main channel, that is; and vessels coming fromthe south with a large draught of water generally use that, whilethis is the one that is handiest for ships from the north. Smallvessels from the south come in by a channel a good bit beyond thoseships. That is the narrowest of the three; and even light draughtvessels don't use it much unless the wind is favourable, for thereis not much room for them to beat up if the wind is against them."

  "What is to beat up, Master Lirriper?"

  "Well, you will see about that presently. I don't think we shallbe able to lay our course beyond the Whittaker. To lay our coursemeans to steer the way we want to go; and if we can't do that weshall have to beat, and that is tedious work with a light wind likethis."

  They dropped anchor off the beacon, and the captain said that thiswas the time to take breakfast. The lads already smelt an agreeableodour arising from the cabin forward, where the boy had been forsome time busily engaged, and soon the whole party were seated onthe lockers in the cabin devouring fried fish.

  "Master Chambers," Geoffrey said, "we have got two boiled pulletsin our basket. Had we not better have them for dinner? They werecooked the evening before we came away, and I should think theyhad better be eaten now."

  "You had better keep them for yourselves, Master Geoffrey," theskipper said. "We are accustomed to living on fish, but like enoughyou would get tired of it before we got to London."

  But this the boys would not hear of, and it was accordingly arrangedthat the dinner should be furnished from the contents of the basket.

  As soon as tide turned the anchor was hove up and the Susan got underway again. The boys soon learnt the meaning of the word beating,and found that it meant sailing backwards and forwards acrossthe channel, with the wind sometimes on one side of the boat andsometimes on the other. Geoffrey wanted very much to learn why,when the wind was so nearly ahead, the boat advanced instead ofdrifting backwards or sideways. But this was altogether beyond thepower of either Master Lirriper or Joe Chambers to explain. Theysaid every one knew that when the sails were full a vessel went inthe direction in which her head pointed. "It's just the same waywith yourself, Master Geoffrey. You see, when you look one waythat's the way you go. When you turn your head and point anotherway, of course you go off that way; and it's just the same thingwith the ship."

  "I don't think it's the same thing, Master Lirriper," Geoffreysaid puzzled. "In one case the power that makes one go comes fromthe inside, and so one can go in any direction one likes; in theother it comes from outside, and you would think the ship wouldhave to go any way the wind pushes her. If you stand up and I giveyou a push, I push you straight away from me. You don't go sidewaysor come forward in the direction of my shoulder, which is what theship does."

  John Lirriper took off his cap and scratched his head.

  "I suppose it is as you say, Master Geoffrey, though I never thoughtof it before. There is some reason, no doubt, why the craft movesup against the wind so long as the sails are full, instead of driftingaway to leeward; though I never heard tell of it, and never heardanyone ask before. I dare say a learned man could tell why it is;and if you ask your good father when you go back I would wager hecan explain it. It always seems to me as if a boat have got somesort of sense, just like a human being or a horse, and when sheknows which way you wants her to go she goes. That's how it seemsto me--ain't it, Joe?"

  "Something like that, uncle. Every one knows that a boat's got herhumours, and sometimes she sails better than she does others; andeach boat's got her own fancies. Some does their best when they arebeating, and some are lively in a heavy sea, and seem as if theyenjoy it; and others get sulky, and don't seem to take the troubleto lift their bows up when a wave meets them; and they groans andcomplains if the wind is too hard for them, just like a human being.When you goes to a new vessel you have got to learn her tricksand her ways and what she will do, and what she won't do, and justto humour her as you would a child. I don't say as I think sheis actually alive; but every sailor will tell you that there issomething about her that her builders never put there."

  "That's so," John Lirriper agreed. "Look at a boat that is hoveup when her work's done and going to be broke up. Why, anyone cantell her with half an eye. She looks that forlorn and melancholythat one's inclined to blubber at the sight of her. She don't looklike that at any other time. When she is hove up she is going todie, and she knows it."

  "But perhaps that's because the paint's off her sides and the ropesall worn and loose," Geoffrey suggested.

  But Master Lirriper waved the suggestion aside as unworthy even ofan answer, and repeated, "She knows it. Anyone can see that withhalf an eye."

  Geoffrey and Lionel talked the matter over when they were sittingtogether on deck apart from the others. It was an age when therewere still many superstitions current in the land. Even the upperclasses believed in witches and warlocks, in charms and spells, inlucky and unlucky days, in the arts of magic, in the power of theevil eye; and although to the boys it seemed absurd that a vesselshould have life, they were not prepared altogether to discredit anidea that was evidently thoroughly believed by those who had beenon board ships all their lives. After talking it over for some timethey determined to submit the question to their father on theirreturn.

  It took them two more tides before they were off Sheerness. Thewind was now more favourable, and having increased somewhat instrength, the Susan made her way briskly along, heeling over tillthe water ran along her scuppers. There was plenty to see now, forthere were many fishing boats at work, some belonging, as MasterChambers told them, to the Medway, others to the little village ofLeigh, whose church they saw at the top of the hill to their right.They met, too, several large craft coming down the river, and passedmore than one, for the Susan was a fast boat.

  "They would beat us," the skipper said when the boys expressedtheir surprise at their passing such large vessels, "if the windwere stronger or the water rough. We are doing our best, and if thewind rises I shall have to take in sail; while they could carry alltheirs if it blew twice as hard. Then in a sea, weight and powertell; a wave that would knock the way almost out of us would hardlyaffect them at all."

  So well did the Susan go along, that before the tide was much morethan half done they passed the little village of Gravesend on theirleft, with the strong fort of Tilbury on the opposite shore, withits guns pointing on the river, and ready to give a good accountof any Spaniard who should venture to sail up the Thames. Then atthe end of the next reach the hamlet of Grays was passed o
n theright; a mile further Greenhithe on the left. Tide was gettingslack now, but the Susan managed to get as far as Purfleet, andthen dropped her anchor.

  "This is our last stopping place," Joe Chambers said. "The morningtide will carry us up to London Bridge."

  "Then you will not go on with tonight's tide?" Geoffrey asked.

  "No; the river gets narrower every mile, and I do not care to takethe risk of navigating it after dark, especially as there is alwaysa great deal of shipping moored above Greenwich. Tide will beginto run up at about five o'clock, and by ten we ought to be safelymoored alongside near London Bridge. So we should not gain a greatdeal by going on this evening instead of tomorrow morning, and Idon't suppose you are in a particular hurry."

  "Oh, no," Lionel said. "We would much rather go on in the morning,otherwise we should miss everything by the way; and there is theQueen's Palace at Greenwich that I want to see above all things."

  Within a few minutes of the hour the skipper had named for theirarrival, the Susan was moored alongside some vessels lying off oneof the wharves above the Tower. The boys' astonishment had risen withevery mile of their approach to the city, and they were perfectlyastounded at the amount of shipping that they now beheld. The greatproportion were of course coasters, like themselves, but there weremany large vessels among them, and of these fully half were flyingforeign colours. Here were traders from the Netherlands, with theflag that the Spaniards had in vain endeavoured to lower, flyingat their mastheads. Here were caravels from Venice and Genoa, ladenwith goods from the East. Among the rest Master Chambers pointed outto the lads the ship in which Sir Francis Drake had circumnavigatedthe world, and that in which Captain Stevens had sailed to India,round the Cape of Good Hope. There were many French vessels alsoin the Pool, and indeed almost every flag save that of Spain wasrepresented. Innumerable wherries darted about among the shipping,and heavier cargo boats dropped along in more leisurely fashion.Across the river, a quarter of a mile above the point at whichthey were lying, stretched London Bridge, with its narrow archesand the houses projecting beyond it on their supports of stouttimbers. Beyond, on the right, rising high above the crowded roofs,was the lofty spire of St. Paul's. The boys were almost awed bythis vast assemblage of buildings. That London was a great city theyhad known, but they were not prepared for so immense a differencebetween it and the place where they had lived all their lives. Onlywith the Tower were they somewhat disappointed. It was very grandand very extensive, but not so much grander than the stately abodeof the Veres as they had looked for.

  "I wouldn't change, if I were the earl, with the queen's majesty,"Geoffrey said. "Of course it is larger than Hedingham, but not sobeautiful, and it is crowded in by the houses, and has not like ourcastle a fair lookout on all sides. Why, there can be no huntingor hawking near here, and I can't think what the nobles can findto do all day."

  "Now, young sirs," Master Lirriper said, "if you will get yourwallets we will go ashore at once."

  The boys were quite bewildered as they stepped ashore by the bustleand confusion. Brawny porters carrying heavy packages on theirbacks pushed along unceremoniously, saying from time to timein a mechanical sort of way, "By your leave, sir!" but pushingon and shouldering passersby into the gutter without the smallestcompunction. The narrowness and dinginess of the streets greatlysurprised and disappointed the boys, who found that in theserespects even Harwich compared favourably with the region theywere traversing. Presently, however, after passing through severallanes and alleys, they emerged into a much broader street, alivewith shops. The people who were walking here were for the mostpart well dressed and of quiet demeanour, and there was none ofthe rough bustle that had prevailed in the riverside lanes.

  "This is Eastchepe," their conductor said; "we have not far to gonow. The street in which my friend dwells lies to the right, betweenthis and Tower Street. I could have taken you a shorter way there,but I thought that your impressions of London would not be favourabledid I take you all the way through those ill smelling lanes."

  In a quarter of an hour they arrived at their destination, andentered the shop, which smelt strongly of tar; coils of rope ofall sizes were piled up one upon another by the walls, while onshelves above them were blocks, lanterns, compasses, and a greatvariety of gear of whose use the boys were ignorant. The chandlerwas standing at his door.

  "I am right glad to see you, Master Lirriper," he said, "and havebeen expecting you for the last two or three days. My wife wouldhave it that some evil must have befallen you; but you know whatwomen are. They make little allowance for time or tide or distance,but expect that every one can so arrange his journeys as to arriveat the very moment when they begin to expect him. But who have youhere with you?"

  "These are the sons of the worshipful Mr. Vickars, the rector ofour parish and tutor to the Earl of Oxford and several of the youngVeres, his cousins--a wise gentleman and a kind one, and muchloved among us. He has entrusted his two sons to me that I mightshow them somewhat of this city of yours. I said that I was rightsure that you and your good dame would let them occupy the chamberyou intended for me, while I can make good shift on board theSusan."

  "Nay, nay, Master Lirriper; our house is big enough to take in youand these two young masters, and Dorothy would deem it a slightindeed upon her hospitality were you not to take up your abode heretoo.

  "You will be heartily welcome, young sirs, and though suchaccommodation as we can give you will not be equal to that whichyou are accustomed to, I warrant me that you will find it a pleasantchange after that poky little cabin on board the Susan. I know itwell, for I supply her with stores, and have often wondered howmen could accustom themselves to pass their lives in places wherethere is scarce room to turn, to say nothing of the smell of fishthat always hangs about it. But if you will follow me I will takeyou up to my good dame, to whose care I must commit you for thepresent, as my foreman, John Watkins, is down by the riversideseeing to the proper delivery of divers stores on board a shipwhich sails with the next tide for Holland. My apprentices, too,are both out, as I must own is their wont. They always make excusesto slip down to the riverside when there is aught doing, and I amfar too easy with the varlets. So at present, you see, I cannotlong leave my shop."

  So saying the chandler preceded them up a wide staircase that ledfrom a passage behind the shop, and the boys perceived that thehouse was far more roomy and comfortable than they had judged fromits outward appearance. Turning to the left when he reached thetop of the stairs the chandler opened a door.

  "Dorothy," he said, "here is your kinsman, Master Lirriper, whohas suffered none of the misadventures you have been picturing toyourself for the last two days, and he has brought with him theseyoung gentlemen, sons of the rector of Hedingham, to show themsomething of London."

  "You are welcome, young gentlemen," Dame Dorothy said, "though whyanyone should come to London when he can stay away from it I knownot."

  "Why, Dorothy, you are always running down our city, though I knowright well that were I to move down with you to your native Essexagain you would very soon cry out for the pleasures of the town."

  "That would I not," she said. "I would be well contented to livein fresh country air all the rest of my life, though I do not saythat London has not its share of pleasures also, though I care butlittle for them."

  "Ah, Master Lirriper," her husband said laughing, "you would notthink, to hear her talk, that there is not a feast or a show thatDorothy would stay away from. She never misses an opportunity, Iwarrant you, of showing herself off in her last new kirtle and gown.But I must be going down; there is no one below, and if a customercomes and finds the shop empty he will have but a poor idea of me,and will think that I am away gossiping instead of attending to mybusiness."

  "Are you hungry, young sirs?" the dame asked. "Because if so themaid shall bring up a manchet of bread and a cup of sack; if not,our evening meal will be served in the course of an hour."

  The boys both said that they were perfectly able to wait un
til themeal came; and Geoffrey added, "If you will allow us, mistress, asdoubtless you have private matters to talk of with Master Lirriper,my brother and I will walk out for an hour to see something of thetown."

  "Mind that you lose not your way," Master Lirriper said. "Do not gobeyond Eastchepe, I beg you. There are the shops to look at there,and the fashions of dress and other matters that will occupy yourattention well enough for that short time. Tomorrow morning I willmyself go with you, and we can then wander further abroad. I havepromised your good father to look after you, you know; and it willbe but a bad beginning if you meet with any untoward adventure uponthis the first day of your arrival here."

  "We will not go beyond the limits of Eastchepe; and as to adventures,I can't see very well how any can befall us."

  "Oh, there are plenty of adventures to be met with in London, youngsir; and I shall be well content if on the day when we again embarkon board the Susan none of them have fallen to your share."

  The two lads accordingly sallied out and amused themselves greatlyby staring at the goods exhibited in the open shops. They wereless surprised at the richness and variety of the silver work, atthe silks from the East, the costly satins, and other stuffs, thanmost boys from the country would have been, for they were accustomedto the splendour and magnificence displayed by the various nobleguests at the castle, and saw nothing here that surpassed thebrilliant shows made at the jousting and entertainments at Hedingham.

  It was the scene that was novel to them: the shouts of the apprenticesinviting attention to their employers' wares, the crowd that filledthe street, consisting for the most part of the citizens themselves,but varied by nobles and knights of the court, by foreigners frommany lands, by soldiers and men-at-arms from the Tower, by countrymenand sailors. Their amusement was sometimes turned into anger bythe flippant remarks of the apprentices; these varlets, perceivingeasily enough by the manner of their attire that they were fromthe country, were not slow, if their master happened for the momentto be absent, in indulging in remarks that set Geoffrey and Lionelinto a fever to commit a breach of the peace. The "What do you lack,masters?" with which they generally addressed passersby would beexchanged for remarks such as, "Do not trouble the young gentlemen,Nat. Do you not see they are up in the town looking for some oftheir master's calves?" or, "Look you, Philip, here are two rusticswho have come up to town to learn manners."

  "I quite see, Geoffrey," Lionel said, taking his brother by thearm and half dragging him away as he saw that he was clenching hisfist and preparing to avenge summarily one of these insults evenmore pointed than usual, "that Master Lirriper was not very farout, and there is no difficulty in meeting with adventures in thestreets of London. However, we must not give him occasion on thisour first stroll in the streets to say that we cannot be trusted outof his sight. If we were to try to punish these insolent varlets weshould have them on us like a swarm of bees, and should doubtlessget worsted in the encounter, and might even find ourselves hauledoff to the lockup, and that would be a nice tale for Master Lirriperto carry back to Hedingham."

  "That is true enough, Lionel; but it is not easy to keep one'stemper when one is thus tried. I know not how it is they see soreadily that we are strangers, for surely we have mixed enough withthe earl's family and friends to have rubbed off the awkwardnessthat they say is common to country folk; and as to our dress, Ido not see much difference between its fashion and that of otherpeople. I suppose it is because we look interested in what is goingon, instead of strolling along like those two youths opposite withour noses in the air, as if we regarded the city and its belongingsas infinitely below our regard. Well, I think we had best be turningback to Master Swindon's; it will not do to be late for our meal."

  "Well, young sirs, what do you think of our shops?" Dame Swindonasked as they entered.

  "The shops are well enough," Geoffrey replied; "but your apprenticesseem to me to be an insolent set of jackanapes, who take strangeliberties with passersby, and who would be all the better forchastisement. If it hadn't been that Lionel and I did not wish tobecome engaged in a brawl, we should have given some of them lessonsin manners."

  "They are free in speech," Dame Swindon said, "and are an impudentset of varlets. They have quick eyes and ready tongues, and are norespecters of persons save of their masters and of citizens in aposition to lay complaints against them and to secure them punishment.They hold together greatly, and it is as well that you should notbecome engaged in a quarrel with them. At times they have raisedserious tumults, and have even set not only the watch but thecitizens at large at defiance. Strong measures have been severaltimes taken against them; but they are a powerful body, seeing thatin every shop there are one or more of them, and they can turn outwith their clubs many thousand strong. They have what they call theirprivileges, and are as ready to defend them as are the citizens ofLondon to uphold their liberties. Ordinances have been passed manytimes by the fathers of the city, regulating their conduct and thehours at which they may be abroad and the carrying of clubs andmatters of this kind, but the apprentices seldom regard them, andif the watch arrest one for a breach of regulations, he raises acry, and in two or three minutes a swarm of them collect and rescuethe offender from his hands. Therefore it is seldom that the watchinterferes with them."

  "It would almost seem then that the apprentices are in fact themasters," Geoffrey said.

  "Not quite as bad as that," Master Swindon replied. "There are therules which they have to obey when at home, and if not they get awhipping; but it is difficult to keep a hand over them when theyare abroad. After the shops are closed and the supper over they havefrom time immemorial the right to go out for two hours' exercise.They are supposed to go and shoot at the butts; but archery, Igrieve to say, is falling into disrepute, and although many stillgo to the butts the practice is no longer universal. But here issupper."

  Few words were spoken during the meal. The foreman and the twoapprentices came up and sat down with the family, and it was notuntil these had retired that the conversation was again resumed.

  "Where are you going to take them tomorrow, Master Lirriper?"

  "Tomorrow we will see the city, the shops in Chepe, the Guildhall,and St. Paul's, then we shall issue out from Temple Bar and walkalong the Strand through the country to Westminster and see thegreat abbey, then perhaps take a boat back. The next day, if theweather be fine, we will row up to Richmond and see the palacethere, and I hope you will go with us, Mistress Dorothy; it is apleasant promenade and a fashionable one, and methinks the riverwith its boats is after all the prettiest sight in London."

  "Ah, you think there can be nothing pretty without water. Thatis all very well for one who is ever afloat, Master Lirriper; butgive me Chepe at high noon with all its bravery of dress, and thebright shops, and the gallants of the court, and our own citizenstoo, who if not quite so gay in colour are proper men, better lookingto my mind than some of the fops with their silver and satins."

  "That's right, Dorothy," her husband said; "spoken like the wifeof a citizen."

  All these plans were destined to be frustrated. As soon as breakfastwas over the next morning Master Lirriper started with the twoboys, and they had but just entered Chepeside when they saw twoyoung men approaching.

  "Why, Lionel, here is Francis Vere!" Geoffrey exclaimed. "I thoughthe was across in Holland with the Earl of Leicester." They doffedtheir caps. Captain Vere, for such was now his rank, looked at themin surprise.

  "Why!" he exclaimed, "here are Mr. Vickars' two sons. How came youhere, lads? Have you run away from home to see the wonders of London,or to list as volunteers for the campaigns against the Dons?"

  "I wish we were, Mr. Francis," Geoffrey said. "You promised whenyou were at Hedingham a year and a half since that you would someday take us to the wars with you, and our father, seeing thatneither of us have a mind to enter the church, has quite consentedthat we shall become soldiers, the more so as there is a prospectof fighting for the persecuted Protestants of Holland. And oh,Mr
. Francis, could it be now? You know we daily exercise with armsat the castle, and we are both strong and sturdy for our age, andbelieve me you should not see us flinch before the Spaniards howevermany of them there were."

  "Tut, tut!" Captain Vere laughed. "Here are young cockerels, Allen;what think you of these for soldiers to stand against the Spanishpikemen?"

  "There are many of the volunteers who are not very much older thanthey are," Captain Allen replied.

  "There are two in my company who must be between seventeen andeighteen."

  "Ah! but these boys are three years younger than that."

  "Would you not take us as your pages, Mr. Francis?" Lionel urged."We would do faithful service, and then when we come of age thatyou could enter us as volunteers we should already have learnt alittle of war."

  "Well, well, I cannot stop to talk to you now, for I am on my wayto the Tower on business. I am only over from Holland for a day ortwo with despatches from the Earl to Her Majesty's Council, and amlodging at Westminster in a house that faces the abbey. It is oneof my cousin Edward's houses, and you will see the Vere cognizanceover the door. Call there at one hour after noon, and I will havea talk with you; but do not buoy yourselves up with hopes as toyour going with me." So saying, with a friendly nod of his headFrancis Vere continued his way eastward.

  "What think you, Allen?" he asked his comrade as they went along."I should like to take the lads with me if I could. Their father,who is the rector of Hedingham, taught my cousin Edward as well asmy brothers and myself. I saw a good deal of the boys when I wasat home. They are sturdy young fellows, and used to practise daily,as we did at their age, with the men-at-arms at the castle, andcan use their weapons. A couple of years of apprenticeship wouldbe good schooling for them. One cannot begin to learn the art ofwar too young, and it is because we have all been so ignorant ofit that our volunteers in Holland have not done better."

  "I think, Vere, that they are too young yet to be enlistedas volunteers, although in another two years, perhaps, you mightadmit the elder of the two; but I see no reason why, if you are soinclined, you should not take them with you as pages. Each companyhas its pages and boys, and you might take these two for thespecial service of yourself and your officers. They would then beon pretty well the same footing as the five gentlemen volunteersyou have already with you, and would be distinct from the lads whohave entered as pages to the company. I suppose that you have notyet your full number of boys?"

  "No; there are fifteen boys allowed, one to each ten men, and I amseveral short of this number, and have already written my brotherJohn to get six sturdy lads from among our own tenantry and to sendthem over in the first ship from Harwich. Yes, I will take theselads with me. I like their spirit, and we are all fond of theirfather, who is a very kindly as well as a learned man."

  "I don't suppose he will thank you greatly, Francis," Captain Allenlaughed.

  "His goodwife is more likely to be vexed than he is," Captain Veresaid, "for it will give him all the more time for the studies inwhich he is wrapped up. Besides, it will be a real service to theboys. It will shorten their probation as volunteers, and they mayget commissions much earlier than they otherwise would do. We areall mere children in the art of war; for truly before Roger Morganfirst took out his volunteers to fight for the Dutch there wasscarce a man in England who knew how to range a company in order.You and I learned somewhat of our business in Poland, and someof our leaders have also had a few lessons in the art of war inforeign countries, but most of our officers are altogether new tothe work. However, we have good masters, and I trust these Spaniardsmay teach us how to beat them in time; but at present, as I said,we are all going to school, and the earlier one begins at schoolthe sooner one learns its lessons. Besides, we must have pages, andit will be more pleasant for me having lads who belong in a sortof way of our family, and to whom, if I am disposed, I can talkof people at home. They are high spirited and full of fun, and Ishould like to have them about me. But here we are at the Tower.We shall not be long, I hope, over the list of arms and munitionsthat the earl has sent for. When we have done we will take boatback to Westminster. Half an hour will take us there, as the tidewill be with us."