A True Hero: A Story of the Days of William Penn

  CHAPTER TWO.

  While the young man was speaking, the stranger and his son had workedtheir way close to the stout soldier-like man who has been described.The stranger's eye fell on his countenance. He touched his son'sshoulder. "An old comrade in arms!" he whispered. "A truer man thanCaptain William Mead,--trusty Bill Mead, we used to call him,--neverdrew sword in the cause of liberty. If I can but catch his eye and geta grip of his honest hand, I will ask him who that young man can be,--abrave fellow, whoever he is." In another instant the two old comradeshad recognised each other.

  "What, Christison! Nicholas Christison! is it thou?" exclaimed CaptainMead, examining the stranger's countenance. "Verily, I thought thouwast no longer in the land of the living; but thou art welcome, heartilywelcome. Come with me to my house in Cornhill, at the sign of the`Spinning Wheel,' and thou shalt tell me where thou hast been wanderingall this time; while, may be, we will have a talk of bygone days."

  "With all my heart," answered Christison; "but tell me who is that nobleyouth addressing the people? He seems by his dress and bearing not onelikely to utter such sentiments as are now dropping from his mouth!"

  "Verily, he is not less noble in deed and word than in look," answeredMead. "He is William Penn, the son of the admiral who fought so wellfor the Commonwealth, and now serves a master about whom the less we saythe better."

  "I remember him well; a brave, sagacious man, but one who was ever readyto serve his own interest first, and those of his country afterwards. Ishould not have expected to find a son of his consorting with Quakers."

  "No, verily; as light from darkness, so does the son differ from thefather in spiritual matters," answered Mead. "The son has sacrificedall his worldly prospects for the sake of his own soul and for those ofhis fellow-creatures. In a righteous cause he fears no foes, temporalor spiritual; and is ready to lay down his life, if needs be, for thetruth."

  "A brave youth he must be, by my troth," observed Christison. "Wenlock,my boy, I pray Heaven you may be like him. I would rather have thee athorough true-hearted man, than the first noble in the land."

  At this moment, Mead, who had been stopped by the crowd from making hisway towards the place where William Penn was speaking, saw anopportunity of advancing, and again moved forward, accompanied by hisold friend and his son. There was, indeed, a general movement in thecrowd, and voices in tones of authority were heard shouting, "Make waythere; make way!" The people who uttered these cries were soonrecognised as sheriffs' officers. They were advancing towards Penn.Their intention was evident.

  "They are about to arrest him," said Mead; "but he has done nothingworthy of bonds."

  "No, by my troth he has not," exclaimed Christison; "and I would gladly,even now, strike a blow for the cause of liberty, and rescue him fromtheir power, if they attempt to lay hands on him."

  "No, no, friend, put up thy sword," said Mead; "we fight not with carnalweapons. He would not thank you for any such attempt on your part."

  By this time the constables had reached Penn, and informed him that hewas their prisoner. Two others at the same time came up to where Meadwas standing, and arrested him also. It was a sore trial to the oldRepublican officer to stand by and see his friend carried off to prison.

  "By whose authority am I arrested?" asked Penn, turning with an air ofdignity to the officers.

  One of them immediately produced a document. "See here, young sir," hesaid in an insulting tone, "This is our warrant! It is signed by theworshipful Lord Mayor, Sir Samuel Starling. I have a notion thatneither you nor any of your friends would wish to resist it."

  "We resist no lawful authority; but I question how far this warrant islawful," answered the young Quaker. "Howbeit, if thou and thycompanions use force, to force we yield, and must needs accompany theewhithersoever thou conductest us."

  "Farewell, old friend," said Mead, shaking Christison by the hand, asthe constables were about to lead him off. "I would rather have spent apleasant evening with thee in my house than have had to pass it in ajail: but yet in a righteous cause all true men should be ready tosuffer."

  "Indeed so, old comrade; and you know that I am not the man to desertyou at a pinch. As we are not to pass the evening together at yourhouse, I will spend it with you in jail. I suppose they will notexclude you from the society of your friends?"

  Mead shrugged his shoulders. "It is hard to say how we may be treated,for we Quakers gain but scant courtesy or justice."

  These last remarks were made as Mead, with a constable on either side ofhim, was being led off with William Penn to the Guildhall.

  The old Commonwealth officer and his son followed as close behind themas the shouting, jeering mob would allow them; Christison revolving inhis mind how he should act best to render assistance to his old friend.At length they arrived at the hall where the Lord Mayor was sitting forthe administration of justice.

  Captain Christison and his son entered with others who found their wayinto the court. A short, though somewhat corpulent-looking gentleman,with ferrety eyes and rubicund nose, telling of numerous cups of sackwhich had gone down between the thick lips below it, occupied themagisterial chair.

  "Who are these knaves?" he exclaimed, in a gruff voice, casting a fierceglance at the young William Penn and his companion, Captain Mead."What! ye varlets, do you come into the presence of the Lord Mayor ofLondon with your hats on? Ho! ho! I know you now," he exclaimed, as anofficer handed him a paper, while he turned his eyes especially on Penn."Let me tell you, if you pay not proper respect to the court, I willhave you carried to Bridewell and well whipped, you varlet, though youare the son of a Commonwealth admiral! Do you hear me, sirrah?"

  "By my troth," whispered Christison to his son. "I should like to rushin with my sword and stop that foul-speaking varlet's mouth, Lord Mayorof London though he be. And now I look at him, I remember him well,Master Starling, a brawling supporter of the Protector when he wasseated firmly at the head of Government. And now see, he is louderstill in carrying out the evil designs of this Charles Stuart and hismyrmidons." These words, though said in a low voice, were notaltogether inaudible to some of the by-standers.

  "Beware!" said some one at his elbow.

  To this tirade of the Lord Mayor, the young gentleman made no answer."Do you hear me, sirrah?" he exclaimed again; "I speak to you, WilliamPenn. You and others have unlawfully and tumultuously been assemblingand congregating yourselves together for the purpose of creating adisturbance of the peace, to the great terror and annoyance of HisMajesty's liege people and subjects, and to the ill example of allothers; and you have, in contempt of the law of the land, been preachingto a concourse of people whom you tumultuously assembled for the purposeof instigating them to rebel against His Majesty the king and theauthorities of this city of London."

  "Verily, thou art misinformed and mistaken, sir," answered the youngman, in a calm voice. "I neither created a disturbance, nor did I utterwords whereby any disturbance could have been created, while I have everbeen a loyal and dutiful subject of King Charles as His Majesty."

  "Ho! ho! ho! you have come here to crow high, I warrant you," exclaimedSir Samuel Starling; "and your companion, Master Mead, will, I warrant,declare himself equally innocent of offence!"

  "Thou speakest truly, friend," answered Captain Mead; "I was the causeof no disturbance, as all those present very well know; for nodisturbance indeed took place, while my principles forbid me to opposethe authorities that be."

  These calm answers only seemed to enrage Sir Samuel Starling, who,heaping further abuse on the prisoners, exclaimed, "Take the varlets offto the `Black Dog' in Newgate Market; there they shall remain in durancetill they are tried for their crimes at the Old Bailey, and we shallthen see whether this young cock-of-the-woods will crow as loudly as henow does."

  Young Wenlock could with difficulty restrain his father's indignationwhen he heard this order pronounced by the city magistrate. He however,managed to get him out of the court.
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  "We will go and see where they are lodged, at all events," said thecaptain, who at length yielded to his son's expostulation. "Perchance Imay render my old friend Mead, and that noble young fellow Penn, someassistance."