St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers Page 8

  CHAPTER VII.

  THE YOUNG ESQUIRE.

  While the attention of the whole of the spectators and combatants wasfixed upon the struggle at the right-hand angle of the castle, a partyof twenty 'prentices suddenly leaped to their feet from among the brokenpalisades of the outwork. Lying perdu there they had escaped theattention of the spectators as well as of the defenders. The reason whythe assailants carried the planks and ladders to this spot was nowapparent. Only a portion had been taken on to the assault of theright-hand tower; those who now rose to their feet lifted with themplanks and ladders, and at a rapid pace ran toward the left angle of thecastle, and reached that point before the attention of the few defenderswho remained on the wall there was attracted to them, so absorbed werethey in the struggle at the other angle. The moment that they saw thenew assailants they raised a shout of alarm, but the din of the combat,the shouts of the leaders and men were so loud that their cries wereunheard. Two or three then hurried away at full speed to give the alarm,while the others strove to repel the assault. Their efforts were invain. The planks were flung across the moat, the ladders placed inposition, and led by Walter the assailants sprang up and gained afooting on the wall before the alarm was fairly given. A thunderingcheer from the spectators greeted the success of the assailants.Springing along the wall they drove before them the few who strove tooppose them, gained the central tower, and Walter, springing up to thetop, pulled down the banner of the defenders and placed that of the cityin its place. At this moment the defenders, awakened too late to theruse which had been played upon them, came swarming back along the walland strove to regain the central tower. In the confusion the assault bythe flying tower of the assailants was neglected, and at this point alsothey gained a footing on the wall. The young nobles of the court,furious at being outwitted, fought desperately to regain their lostlaurels. But the king rose from his seat and held up his hand. Thetrumpeter standing below him sounded the arrest of arms, which wasechoed by two others who accompanied Earl Talbot, who had taken hisplace on horseback close to the walls. At the sound swords dropped andthe din abruptly ceased, but the combatants stood glaring at each other,their blood too heated to relinquish the fray readily.

  Already much damage had been done. In spite of armor and mail manyserious wounds had been inflicted, and some of the combatants hadalready been carried senseless from the field. Some of the assailantshad been much shaken by being thrown backward from the ladders into themoat, one or two were hurt to death; but as few tourneys took placewithout the loss of several lives, this was considered but a smallamount of damage for so stoutly fought a _melee_, and the knowledge thatmany were wounded, and some perhaps dying, in no way damped theenthusiasm of the spectators, who cheered lustily for some minutes atthe triumph which the city had obtained.

  In the galleries occupied by the ladies and nobles of the court therewas a comparative silence. But brave deeds were appreciated in thosedays, and although the ladies would far rather have seen the victoryincline the other way, yet they waved their handkerchiefs and clappedtheir hands in token of their admiration at the success of an assaultwhich, at the commencement, appeared well-nigh hopeless.

  Lord Talbot rode up to the front of the royal pavilion.

  "I was about to stop the fight, sire, when you gave the signal. Theirblood was up, and many would have been killed had the combat continued.But the castle was fairly won, the central tower was taken and the flagpulled down, a footing had been gained at another point of the wall, andthe assailants had forced their way through the sally-port. Furtherresistance was therefore hopeless, and the castle must be adjudged asfairly and honorably captured."

  A renewed shout greeted the judge's decision. The king now ordered therival hosts to be mustered before him as before the battle, and whenthis was done Earl Talbot conducted Walter up the broad steps in frontof the king's pavilion. Geoffrey Ward, who had, after fastening onWalter's armor in the tent before the sports began, taken his placeamong the guards at the foot of the royal pavilion, stepped forward andremoved Walter's helmet at the foot of the steps.

  "Young sir," the king said, "you have borne yourself right gallantlyto-day, and have shown that you possess the qualities which make a greatcaptain. I do my nobles no wrong when I say that not one of them couldhave better planned and led the assault than you have done. Am I notright, sirs?" and he looked round.

  A murmur of assent rose from the knights and nobles, and the kingcontinued: "I thought you vain and presumptuous in undertaking theassault of a fort held by an equal number, many of whom are wellaccustomed to war, while the lads who followed you were all untrained instrife, but you have proved that your confidence in yourself was notmisplaced. The Earl of Talbot has adjudged you victor, and none candoubt what the end of the strife would have been. Take this chain fromyour king, who is glad to see that his citizens of London are able tohold their own even against those of our court, than whom we may say nobraver exist in Europe. Kneel now to the queen of the tourney, who willbestow upon you the chaplet which you have so worthily earned."

  Walter bent his knee before Edith Vernon. She rose to her feet, and withan air of pretty dignity placed a chaplet of laurel leaves, wrought ingold and clasped with a valuable ruby, on his head.

  "I present to you," she said, "the chaplet of victory, and am proud thatmy gage should have been worn by one who has borne himself so bravelyand well. May a like success rest on all your undertakings, and may youprove a good and valiant knight!"

  "Well said, Mistress Edith," Queen Philippa said, smiling. "You may wellbe proud of your young champion. I too must have my gift," and drawing aring set with brilliants from her finger she placed it in Walter's hand.

  The lad now rose to his feet. "The prince, my son," the king said, "haspromised that you shall ride with his men-at-arms when he is old enoughto take the field. Should you choose to abandon your craft and do soearlier I doubt not that one of my nobles, the brave Sir Walter Manny,for example, will take you before that time."

  "That will I readily enough," Sir Walter said, "and glad to have sopromising a youth beneath my banner."

  "I would that you had been of gentle blood," the king said.

  "That makes no difference, sire," Sir Walter replied. "I will place himamong the young gentlemen, my pages and esquires, and am sure that theywill receive him as one of themselves."

  Geoffrey Ward had hitherto stood at the foot of the steps leading to theroyal pavilion, but doffing his cap he now ascended. "Pardon myboldness, sire," he said to the king, "but I would fain tell you whatthe lad himself has hitherto been ignorant of. He is not, as hesupposes, the son of Giles Fletcher, citizen and bowmaker, but is thelawfully born son of Sir Roland Somers, erst of Westerham and Hythe, whowas killed in the troubles at the commencement of your majesty's reign.His wife, Dame Alice, brought the child to Giles Fletcher, whose wifehad been her nurse, and dying left him in her care. Giles and his wife,if called for, can vouch for the truth of this, and can give you proofsof his birth."

  Walter listened with astonishment to Geoffrey's speech. A thrill ofpleasure rushed through his veins as he learned that he was of gentleblood and might hope to aspire to a place among the knights of KingEdward's court. He understood now the pains which Geoffrey had bestowedin seeing that he was perfected in warlike exercises, and why he andGiles had encouraged rather than repressed his love for martialexercises and his determination to abandon his craft and become aman-at-arms when he reached man's estate.

  "Ah! is it so?" the king exclaimed. "I remember Sir Roland Somers, andalso that he was slain by Sir Hugh Spencer, who, as I heard on manyhands, acted rather on a private quarrel than, as he alleged, in myinterest, and there were many who avowed that the charges broughtagainst Sir Roland were unfounded. However, this matter must be inquiredinto, and my high justiciar shall see Master Giles and his wife, heartheir evidence, and examine the proofs which they may bring forward. Asto the estates, they were granted to Sir Jasper Vernon and cannot berestored. Nevertheless I d
oubt not that the youth will carve out forhimself a fortune with his sword. You are his master, I suppose. I wouldfain pay you to cancel his apprenticeship. Sir Walter Manny has promisedto enroll him among his esquires."

  "I will cancel his indentures willingly, my liege," the armoreranswered, "and that without payment. The lad has been to me as a son,and seeing his high spirit, and knowing the gentle blood running in hisveins, I have done my best so to teach him and so to put him in the wayof winning back his father's rank by his sword."

  "He hath gone far toward it already," the king said, "and methinks mayyet gain some share in his father's inheritance," and he glanced atlittle Mistress Edith Vernon and then smiled at the queen. "Well, weshall see," he went on. "Under Sir Walter Manny he will have bravechances of distinguishing himself, and when my son takes the field, heshall ride with him. But I am keeping the hosts waiting. Bring hither,"he said to Earl Talbot, "Clarence Aylmer."

  The young noble was led up to the king. "You have done well, Clarence;though you have been worsted you fought bravely, but you were deceivedby a ruse which might have taken in a more experienced captain. I trustthat you will be friends with your adversary, who will be known to youhenceforth as Walter Somers, son of Sir Roland of that name, and whowill ride to the wars, whither you also are shortly bound, under thestandard of Sir Walter Manny."

  The cloud which had hung over the face of the young noble cleared. Ithad indeed been a bitter mortification to him that he, the son of one ofthe proudest of English nobles, should have been worsted by a Londonapprentice, and it was a relief to him to find that his opponent was oneof knightly blood. He turned frankly to Walter and held out his hand. "Igreet you as a comrade, sir," he said, "and hope some day that in ourrivalry in the field I may do better than I have done to-day."

  "That is well spoken," the king said. Then he rose and in a loud voiceaddressed the combatants, saying that all had borne themselves well andbravely, and that he thanked them, not only for the rare pastime whichthey had made, but for the courage and boldness which had been displayedon both sides. So saying, he waved his hand as a token that theproceedings were ended, and returned with the court to Westminster;while the crowd of spectators overflowed the lists, those who hadfriends in the apprentice array being anxious to know how they hadfared. That evening there was a banquet given by the lord mayor. Walterwas invited to be present, with Giles and Geoffrey, and manycomplimentary things were said to him, and he was congratulated on theprospects which awaited him. After dinner all the 'prentices who hadtaken part in the sports filed through the hall and were each presentedwith a gold piece by the lord mayor, in the name of the corporation, forhaving so nobly sustained the renown of the city.

  After the entertainment was over Walter returned with Geoffrey to thebowyer's house, and there heard from his two friends and Bertha thedetails of his mother's life from the time that she had been a child,and the story of her arrival with him, and her death. He had stilldifficulty in believing that it was all true, that Giles and Bertha,whom he had so long regarded as his father and mother, were only hiskind guardians, and that he was the scion of two noble families. Verywarmly and gratefully he thanked his three friends for the kindnesswhich they had shown to him, and vowed that no change of conditionshould ever alter his feelings of affection toward them. It was notuntil the late hour of nine o'clock that he said good-by to hisfoster-parents, for he was next day to repair to the lodging of SirWalter Manny, who was to sail again before the week was out for the LowCountries, from which he had only returned for a few days to haveprivate converse with the king on the state of matters there. Hisfriends would have delivered to him his mother's ring and other tokenswhich she had left, but thought it better to keep these, with the otherproofs of his birth, until his claim was established to the satisfactionof the lord justiciaries.

  The next morning early, when Walter descended the stairs, he found RalphSmith waiting for him. His face was strapped up with plaster and he worehis arm in a sling, for his armor had been twice cut through as he ledhis party in through the sally-port.

  "How goes it with you, Ralph?" Walter said. "Not much the worse, I hope,for your hard knocks?"

  "Not a whit," Ralph replied cheerfully, "and I shall be all right againbefore the week is out; but the leech made as much fuss over me as if Ihad been a girl, just as though one was not accustomed to hard knocks ina smithy. Those I got yesterday were not half so hard as that which yougave me the day before. My head rings yet with the thought of it. But Ihave not come to talk about myself. Is the story true which they tell ofyou, Master Walter, that you are not the son of Giles the bowyer, but ofa great noble?"

  "Not of a great noble, Ralph, but of a gallant knight, which is just asgood. My father was killed when I was three years old, and my motherbrought me to Bertha, the wife of Giles the bowyer, who had been hernurse in childhood. I had forgotten all that had passed, and deemedmyself the son of the good citizen, but since I have heard the truth mymemory has awakened somewhat, and I have a dim recollection of a lordlycastle and of my father and mother."

  "And they say, Walter, that you are going with Sir Walter Manny, withthe force which is just sailing to the assistance of Lady de Montford?"

  "That is so, Ralph, and the good knight has taken me among his esquires,young as I am, although I might well have looked for nothing better thanto commence, for two years at least, as a page, seeing that I am buteighteen now. Now I shall ride with him into the battles and shall haveas good a chance as the others of gaining honor and winning my spurs."

  "I have made up my mind that I will go with you, Master Walter, if youwill take me; each squire has a man-at-arms who serves him, and I willgive you good and faithful service if you will take me with you. I spoketo the smith, my master, last night, when I heard the news, and as myapprenticeship is out next week he was willing enough to give me the fewdays which remain. Once out of my apprenticeship I may count to be aman, and seeing that I am nineteen, and as I may say well grown of myyears, methinks I am fit for service as a man-at-arms, and I wouldrather fight behind you than labor all my life in the smithy."

  "I shall be glad indeed, Ralph, to have you with me if such be reallyyour wish, and I do not think that Sir Walter Manny will say nay, forthey have been beating up for recruits through the kingdom, and weproved yesterday that you have courage as well as strength. If he willconsent I should be glad indeed to have so brave a comrade with me, sowe may consider that settled, and if you will come down to Westminster,to Sir Walter Manny's lodging, this afternoon, I will tell you what hesays touching the matter. You will, of course, need arms and armor."

  "I can provide that," Ralph replied, "seeing that his worshipful thelord mayor bestowed upon me yesterday five gold pieces as the second incommand in the sports. I have already a steel cap and breast and backpieces, which I have made for myself in hours of leisure, and warrantwill stand as hard a knock as the Frenchmen can give them."

  Going across into the city with Geoffrey, Walter purchased, with thecontents of the purse which the king had given him, the garments suitedfor his new position. He was fortunate in obtaining some which fittedhim exactly. These had been made for a young esquire of the Earl ofSalisbury; but the tailor, when he heard from Geoffrey for whom theywere required, and the need for instant dispatch, parted with them toWalter, saying that he for whom they were made could well wait a fewdays, and that he would set his journeymen to work at once to make somemore of similar fit and fashion.

  Walter felt strange in his new attire, and by no means relished thetightness of the garments, which was strictly demanded by the fashion ofthe day. His long hose, one of which was of a deep maroon, the other abright yellow, came far up above the knee, then came a short pair oftrunks of similar colors divided in the middle. The tight-fittingdoublet was short and circled at the waist by a buff belt mounted insilver, and was of the same colors as the hose and trunks. On his headwas a cap, peaked in front; this was of maroon, with a short erectfeather of yellow. The long-pointed shoes m
atched the rest of thecostume. There were three other suits similar in fashion, but differentin color; two like the first were of cloth, the third was of white andblue silk, to be worn on grand occasions.

  "You look a very pretty figure, Walter," Geoffrey said, "and will beable to hold your own among the young gallants of the court. If you lacksomewhat of courtly manners it will matter not at all, since you areleaving so soon for the wars. The dress sets off your figure, which isfully two years in advance of your age, seeing that hard work haswidened you out and thickened your muscles. I need not tell you, lad,not to be quarrelsome, for that was never your way; but just at firstyour companions may try some jests with you, as is always the manner ofyoung men with new-comers, but take them in a good spirit, and be surethat, seeing the strength of arm and skill which you showed yesterdayand the day before, none will care to push matters with you unduly."

  One of the journeymen accompanied Walter to Westminster to carry up fromthe boat the valise with his clothes and the armor which he had worn inthe sports. Sir Walter received the lad with much kindness andintroduced him to his future companions. They were five in number; theeldest was a man of some thirty years old, a Hainaulter, who hadaccompanied Sir Walter Manny to England at the time when the latterfirst came over as a young squire in the suit of the Princess Philippa.He was devotedly attached to the knight, his master, and although hemight several times have received the rank of knighthood for his braveryin the field, he preferred remaining in his position as esquire andfaithful friend of his master.

  The other four were between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one, and allbelonged to the families of the highest nobility of England, it beingdeemed a distinguished honor to be received as a squire by the mostgallant knight at the court of England. Their duties were, as Waltersoon learned, almost nominal, these being discharged almost exclusivelyby John Mervaux. Two of the young esquires, Richard Coningsby and EdwardClifford, had fought in the _melee_, having been among the ten leadersunder Clarence Aylmer. They bore no malice for the defeat, but receivedWalter with cordiality and kindness, as did the other young men. Walteron his arrival acquainted the knight with Ralph's wish to follow him,and requested permission for him to do so. This was readily granted, SirWalter Manny telling the lad that although esquires were supposed towait entirely upon themselves, to groom their horses, and keep theirarmor and arms bright and in good order, yet, in point of fact, youngmen of good families had the greater part of these duties performed forthem by a retainer who rode in the ranks of their master's following asa man-at-arms.

  "The other esquires have each one of their father's retainers with them,and I am glad that you should be in the same position. After you havetaken your mid-day meal you had best go across to the Earl of Talbot'sand inquire for the Lady Vernon, who is still staying with him. She toldme at the king's ball last night that she wished to have speech withyou, and I promised to acquaint you with her desire. By the way, dostknow aught of riding?"

  "I have learned to sit on a horse, Sir Walter," the lad answered. "Mygood friend Geoffrey, the armorer, advised that I should learn, andfrequently hired from the horse dealer an animal for my use. I haveoften backed half-broken horses which were brought up by graziers fromKent and Sussex for use in the wars. Many of them abode at the hostelsat Southwark, and willingly enough granted me permission to ride theirhorses until they were sold. Thus I have had a good deal of practice,and that of a rough kind; and seeing that latterly the horses have, forthe most part, found it difficult to fling me when sitting barebackedacross them, I think I could keep my seat in the high-peaked saddles onthe most vicious, but I have had no practice at tilting, or at the ring,or other knightly exercises."

  "That matters not at all," the knight said. "All these knightlyexercises which you speak of are good in time of peace, for they giveproficiency and steadiness, but in time of war he who can sit firmly inhis saddle and wield sword and battle-ax lustily and skillfully is equalto the best; but never fear, when this expedition is over, and we havetime for such things, I will see that you are instructed in them. Onewho has achieved so much martial skill as you have done at so early anage will have little difficulty in acquiring what may be termed thepastime of chivalry."

  Ralph arrived just as Walter was setting out. The latter presented himto the knight, who spoke with praise of the gallantry which he haddisplayed on the previous day, and then handed him over to John Mervaux,with instructions to enroll him as a man-at-arms among his followers, toinform him of his duties, and to place him with those who attended uponthe other esquires.

  After seeing Ralph disposed of, Walter went across to the Earl of Talbotand was again conducted to the presence of Dame Vernon.

  "You have changed since we met last, young sir," she said with a smile,"though it is but a month since. Then you were a 'prentice boy, now youare an esquire of Sir Walter Manny, and on the highway to distinction.That you will win it I am well assured, since one who risked his life torescue a woman and child whose very names were unknown to him is sure toturn out a noble and valiant knight. I little thought, when my daughtercalled you her knight, that in so short a time you might become anaspirant to that honor. I hope that you do not look askance at us, nowthat you know I am in possession of the lands of your parents. Suchchanges of land, you know, often occur, but now I know who you are, Iwould that the estates bestowed upon Sir Jasper had belonged to someother than you; however, I trust that you will hold no grudge againstus, and that you may win as fair an estate by the strength of your armand the king's favor."

  "Assuredly I feel no grudge, madam," Walter replied, "and since thelands were forfeited, I am pleased that of all people they should havegone to one so kind and so fair as yourself."

  "What, learning to be a flatterer already!" Dame Vernon laughed. "Youare coming on fast, and I predict great things from you. And now, Edith,lay aside that sampler you are pretending to be so busy upon and speakto this knight of yours."

  Edith laid down her work and came forward. She was no longer thedignified little queen of the tournament, but a laughing, bright-facedgirl.

  "I don't see that you are changed," she said, "except in your dress. Youspeak softly and naturally, just as you used to do, and not a bit likethose little court fops, Uncle Talbot's pages. I am afraid you will notbe my knight any more, now that you are going to get great honors at thewar; for I heard my Uncle Talbot tell my lady mother that he was sureyou would gain great credit for yourself."

  "I shall be always your knight," Walter said earnestly; "I told you Ishould, and I never break my word. That is," he went on, coloring, "ifDame Vernon makes no objection, as she well might."

  "If I did not object before, Walter," she said, smiling, "why should Ido so now?"

  "It is different, my lady; before, it was somewhat of a jest, a sort ofchildish play on the part of Mistress Edith, though so far as I wasconcerned it was no play, but sober earnest."

  "It needs no permission from me," Dame Vernon replied, "for you to wearmy daughter's colors. Any knight may proclaim any lady he chooses themistress of his heart, and a reigning beauty will often have a dozenyoung knights who wear her colors. However, I am well content that onewho has done me such great service and who has shown such high promiseshould be the first to wear the gage of my little daughter, and if inafter-years your life fulfills the promise of your youth, and you remaintrue to her gage, there is none among all the youths of the court whom Iwould so gladly see at her feet. Remember," she said as Walter was aboutto speak, "her hand will not be at my disposal, but at that of the king.His majesty is wont to bestow the hands of his wards upon those who mostdistinguish themselves in the field. You have already attracted hisroyal attention and commendation. Under Sir Walter Manny you will besure of opportunities of distinguishing yourself, and the king may wellbe glad some day at once to reward your services and to repair a cruelinjustice by bestowing upon you the hand of the heiress of your father'slands. If I mistake not, such a thought has even now crossed hismajesty's mind, unles
s I misinterpreted a glance which yesterday passedbetween him and our sweet queen. I need not tell you to speak of yourhopes to none, but let them spur you to higher exertions and noblerefforts. Loving my little Edith as I do, I naturally consider the prizeto be a high one. I have often been troubled by the thought that herhand may be some day given to one by years or temper unsuited for her,and it will be a pleasure to me henceforth to picture her futureconnected with one who is, I am sure, by heart and nature fitted forher. And now, farewell, young sir. May God protect you in the field, andmay you carry in the battle which awaits you the gage of my daughter asfairly and successfully as you did in the mimic fray of yesterday!"