while another visitor, Edgar himself, stoodat the head of the bed, but retired to give place to the mother, as ifhe felt no stranger could then intrude, when the widow clasped herprodigal to her loving breast.
CHAPTER XXIV. SOW THE WIND, AND REAP THE WHIRLWIND.
When Alfred rebuilt the city of Winchester, after it had been burned bythe Danes, he erected a royal palace, which became a favourite retreatof his successors.
Here the unhappy Edwy retired after his defeat, to find consolation inthe company of Elgiva. Indeed he needed it. Northumbria had followed theexample of Mercia, and acknowledged Edgar, and he had no dominions leftnorth of the Thames, while it was rumoured that worse news might follow.
In an inner chamber of the palace, and remote from intrusion, sat theking and his chosen advisers. It was early in the year 958, a spring daywhen the sun shone brightly and all things spoke of the coming summer--the songs of the birds, the opening buds, the blossoming orchards.
But peace was banished from those who sat in that council chamber. Edwywas strangely disturbed, his face was flushed, and he bore evidence ofthe most violent agitation.
"It must come to that at last, my king," exclaimed Cynewulf, "or Wessexwill follow the example of Mercia."
"Better lose my crown then and become a subject, with a subject'sliberty to love."
"A subject could never marry within the prohibited degree," said agrey-headed counsellor.
"We have messengers from all parts of Wessex, from Kent, from Essex,from Sussex, and they all unite in their demand that you should submitto the Church, and put away (forgive me for repeating their words) yourconcubine."
"Concubine!" said Edwy, and his cheek flushed, "she is my wife and yourqueen."
"Pardon me, my liege, I did not make the word my own."
"You should not have dared to repeat it."
"If I dare, my lord, it is for your sake, and for our country, which isdear to us all. Not an Englishman will acknowledge that your connectionis lawful; from Exeter to Canterbury the cry is the same--'Let himrenounce Elgiva, and we will obey him; but we will not serve a king whodoes not obey the voice of the Church or the laws of the land.'"
"Laws of the land! The king is above the laws."
"Nay, my lord, he is bound to set the first example of obedience, chiefin that as in all things; an example to his people. Remember, my lord,your coronation oath taken at Kingston three years ago."
Edwy flushed. "Is this a subject's language?"
"It is the language of one who loves his king too well to flatter him."
At this moment an usher of the court knocked at the door, and obtainingpermission to enter, stated that Archbishop Odo had arrived, anddemanded admission to the council.
"I will not see him," said the king.
"My liege," exclaimed Athelwold, the old grey-headed counsellor we havementioned, "permit one who loves you, as he loved your revered father,to entreat you to cease from this hopeless resistance. If you refuse tosee him you are no longer a king."
"Then I will gladly abdicate."
"And become the scorn of Dunstan, and receive a retiring pension fromEdgar, and put your hand between his, kneeling humbly and saying 'I amyour man.'"
"No, no. Anything rather than that. Death first."
"All this may be averted with timely submission. Elgiva herself wouldnot counsel you to sacrifice all for her."
"O Athelwold. my father, the only one of my father's counsellors who hasbeen faithful to his firstborn, what can I do? She is dearer to me thanlife."
"But not than honour. You have both erred, both disobeyed the law of theChurch, both forgotten the example due from those in high places."
"Tell Odo to enter," exclaimed Edwy.
The archbishop was close at hand, patiently awaiting the answer to hisdemand, yet determined, in case of a refusal, to take his pastoral staffin his hand and enter the council room, announced or not. A moredetermined priest had never occupied the primacy, yet he was benevolentas determined, and, as we have mentioned, was known as Odo the Goodamongst the poor. Stern and unyielding to the vices of the rich, he wasgentle as a parent to the repentant sinner.
He had pronounced, as we have seen, the lesser excommunication,[xxxi]in consequence of Edwy's refusal to put away Elgiva, immediately afterthe coronation; since which the guilty pair had never communicated atthe altar, or even attended mass. Their lives had been practicallyirreligious, nay idolatrous, for they had been gods to each other.
And now, in the full pomp of the archiepiscopal attire, with the mitreof St. Augustine on his head and the crozier in his hand, Odo advanced,like one who felt his divine mission, to the centre of the room. Hiscross bearer and other attendants remained in the antechamber.
"What dost thou seek, rude priest?" said Edwy.
"I am come in the Name of Him Whose laws thou hast broken, and speak tothee as the Baptist to Herod. Put away this woman, for it is not lawfulfor thee to have her."
"And would I could reply to thee as the holy fox Dunstan once informedme Herod replied to the insolent Baptist, and send thine head on acharger to Elgiva."
"My lord! my liege! my king! Remember his sacred office," remonstratedthe counsellors.
"Peace, my lords. His threats or his blandishments would alike fail tomove me. The blood of Englishmen slain in civil war--if indeed any arefound to fight for an excommunicate king--is that which I seek to avert.
"In the Name of my Master, Whom thou hast defied, O king, I offer theethy choice. Thou must put away thy concubine, or thou shalt sustain thegreater excommunication, when it will become unlawful for Christianpeople even to speak with thee, or wish thee God speed, lest they bepartakers of thy evil deeds."
"My lord, you must yield," whispered Cynewulf.
"Son of the noble Edmund, thou must save thy father's name from disgrace."
"I cannot, will not, do Elgiva this foul wrong. I tell thee, priest,that if thy benediction has never been pronounced upon our union, we areman and wife before heaven."
"I await your answer," said Odo. "Am I to understand you choose thefearful penalty of excommunication?"
"Nay! nay! he does not; he cannot," cried the counsellors. "Yourholiness!--father!--in the king's name we yield!"
"You are all cowards and traitors! Let him do what he will, I cannot yield."
"Then, my lord king, I must proceed," said Odo. "You have not only actedwickedly in this matter, but you have misgoverned the people committedto your charge, and broken every clause of your coronation oath. First,you have not given the Church of God peace, or preserved her frommolestation, but have yourself ravaged her lands, and even slain herservants with the sword; one, specially honoured of God, you sought toslay, sending that wicked man, who has been called by fire to hisjudgment, to execute your impious will."
"That holy fox Dunstan! Would Redwald had slain him!" muttered Edwy.
"Secondly," continued Odo, not heeding the interruption, "so far frompreventing thefts and fraud in all manner of men, you have maintainednotorious oppressors amongst your officers, and in your own person youhave broken the oath; for did you not even rob your aged grandmother,and consume her substance in riotous living?"
"What could the old woman do with it all?"
"Thirdly, you have not maintained justice in your judicial proceedings,but have spent all your time, like Rehoboam of old, with the young andgiddy, and in chastising your people with scorpions."
"Would I had a scorpion to chastise you! This is unbearable.
"My lords and counsellors, have you not a word to say for me?"
"Alas!" said Athelwold, "it is all too true; but give up Elgiva now, andall will be well!"
"It will be at least the beginning of reformation," said Odo.
"And the end, I suppose," said Edwy, "will be that I shall shave my headlike a monk, banquet sumptuously upon herbs and water, spendthree-fourths of the day singing psalms through my nose, wear a hairshirt, look as starved as a weasel, and at last, after sundry combatswith the devi
l, pinch his nose, and go off to heaven in all the odour ofsanctity. Go and preach all this to Edgar; I am not fool enough tolisten to it. You have got him to be your obedient slave and vassal; youhave bought him, body and soul, and the price has been Mercia, and nowyou want to add Wessex. Well, I wish you joy of him, and him of you all;for my part, if I could do it, I would restore the worship of Odin andThor, and offer you priests as bloody sacrifices to him: I would!"
"Peace, my lord and king! peace! this is horrible." said Athelwold.
"Horrible!" said another. "He is possessed. My lord Odo, you had betterexorcise him."
But Edwy had given way--he was young--and burst into