CHAPTER THE TWENTY-SECOND.
And aye, as if for death, some lonely trumpet peal'd. CAMPBELL.
The Varangian, his head agitated with the weighty matters which imposedon him, stopt from time to time as he journeyed through the moonlightstreets, to arrest passing ideas as they shot through his mind, andconsider them with accuracy in all their bearings. His thoughts weresuch as animated or alarmed him alternately, each followed by aconfused throng of accompaniments which it suggested, and banishedagain in its turn by reflections of another description. It was one ofthose conjunctures when the minds of ordinary men feel themselvesunable to support a burden which is suddenly flung upon them, and when,on the contrary, those of uncommon fortitude, and that best of Heaven'sgifts, good sense, founded on presence of mind, feel their talentsawakened and regulated for the occasion, like a good steed under themanagement of a rider of courage and experience.
As he stood in one of those fits of reverie, which repeatedly duringthat night arrested his stern military march, Hereward thought that hisear caught the note of a distant trumpet. This surprised him; a trumpetblown at that late hour, and in the streets of Constantinople, arguedsomething extraordinary; for as all military movements were the subjectof special ordinance, the etiquette of the night could hardly have beentransgressed without some great cause. The question was, what thatcause could be?
Had the insurrection broken out unexpectedly, and in a different mannerfrom what the conspirators proposed to themselves?--If so, his meetingwith his plighted bride, after so many years' absence, was but adelusive preface to their separating for ever. Or had the crusaders, arace of men upon whose motions it was difficult to calculate, suddenlytaken arms and returned from the opposite shore to surprise the city?This might very possibly be the case; so numerous had been thedifferent causes of complaint afforded to the crusaders, that, whenthey were now for the first time assembled into one body, and had heardthe stories which they could reciprocally tell concerning the perfidyof the Greeks, nothing was so likely, so natural, even perhaps sojustifiable, as that they should study revenge.
But the sound rather resembled a point of war regularly blown, than thetumultuous blare of bugle-horns and trumpets, the accompaniments atonce, and the annunciation, of a taken town, in which the horridcircumstances of storm had not yet given place to such stern peace asthe victors' weariness of slaughter and rapine allows at length to thewretched inhabitants. Whatever it was, it was necessary that Herewardshould learn its purport, and therefore he made his way into a broadstreet near the barracks, from, which the sound seemed to come, towhich point, indeed, his way was directed for other reasons.
The inhabitants of that quarter of the town did not appear violentlystartled by this military signal. The moonlight slept on the street,crossed by the gigantic shadowy towers of Sancta Sophia. No human beingappeared in the streets, and such as for an instant looked from theirdoors or from their lattices, seemed to have their curiosity quicklysatisfied, for they withdrew their heads, and secured the openingthrough which they had peeped.
Hereward could not help remembering the traditions which were recountedby the fathers of his tribe, in the deep woods, of Hampshire, and whichspoke of invisible huntsmen, who were heard to follow with viewlesshorses and hounds the unseen chase through the depths of the forests ofGermany. Such it seemed were the sounds with which these haunted woodswere wont to ring while the wild chase was up; and with such apparentterror did the hearers listen to their clamour.
"Fie!" he said, as he suppressed within him a tendency to the samesuperstitious fears; "do such childish fancies belong to a man trustedwith so much, and from whom so much is expected?" He paced down thestreet, therefore, with his battle-axe over his shoulder, and the firstperson whom he saw venturing to look out of his door, he questionedconcerning the cause of this military music at such an unaccustomedhour.
"I cannot tell, so please you, my lord," said the citizen, unwilling,it appeared, to remain in the open air, or to enter into conversation,and greatly disposed to decline further questioning. This was thepolitical citizen of Constantinople whom we met with at the beginningof this history, and who, hastily stepping into his habitation,eschewed all further conversation.
The wrestler Stephanos showed himself at the next door, which wasgarlanded with oak and ivy leaves, in honour of some recent victory. Hestood unshrinking, partly encouraged by the consciousness of personalstrength, and partly by a rugged surliness of temper, which is oftenmistaken among persons of this kind for real courage. His admirer andflatterer, Lysimachus, kept himself ensconced behind his ampleshoulders.
As Hereward passed, he put the same question as he did to the formercitizen,--"Know you the meaning of these trumpets sounding so late?"
"You should know best yourself," answered Stephanos, doggedly; "for, tojudge by your axe and helmet, they are your trumpets, and not ours,which disturb honest men in their first sleep."
"Varlet!" answered the Varangian, with an emphasis which made theprizer start,--"but--when that trumpet sounds, it is no time for asoldier to punish insolence as it deserves."
The Greek started back and bolted into his house, nearly overthrowingin the speed of his retreat the artist Lysimachus, who was listening towhat passed.
Hereward passed on to the barracks, where the military music had seemedto halt; but on the Varangian crossing the threshold of the amplecourtyard, it broke forth again with a tremendous burst, whose clangouralmost stunned him, though well accustomed to the sounds. "What is themeaning of this, Engelbrecht?" he said to the Varangian sentinel, whopaced axe in hand before the entrance.
"The proclamation of a challenge and combat," answered Engelbrecht."Strange things towards, comrade; the frantic crusaders have bit theGrecians, and infected them with their humour of tilting, as they saydogs do each other with madness."
Hereward made no reply to the sentinel's speech, but pressed forwardinto a knot of his fellow-soldiers who were assembled in the court,half-armed, or, more properly, in total disarray, as just arisen fromtheir beds, and huddled around the trumpets of their corps, which weredrawn out in full pomp. He of the gigantic instrument, whose duty itwas to intimate the express commands of the Emperor, was not wanting inhis place, and the musicians were supported by a band of the Varangiansin arms, headed by Achilles Tatius himself. Hereward could also notice,on approaching nearer, as his comrades made way for him, that six ofthe Imperial heralds were on duty on this occasion; four of these (twoacting at the same time) had already made proclamation, which was to berepeated for the third time by the two last, as was the usual fashionin Constantinople with Imperial mandates of great consequence. AchillesTatius, the moment he saw his confidant, made him a sign, whichHereward understood as conveying a desire to speak with him after theproclamation was over. The herald, after the flourish of trumpets wasfinished, commenced in. these words:
"By the authority of the resplendent and divine Prince AlexiusComnenus, Emperor of the most holy Roman Empire, his Imperial Majestydesires it to be made known to all and sundry the subjects of hisempire, whatever their race of blood may be, or at whatever shrine ofdivinity they happen, to bend--Know ye, therefore, that upon the secondday after this is dated, our beloved son-in-law, the much esteemedCaesar, hath taken upon, him to do battle with our sworn enemy, Robert,Count of Paris, on account of his insolent conduct, by presumingpublicly to occupy our royal seat, and no less by breaking, in ourImperial presence, those curious specimens of art, ornamenting ourthrone, called by tradition the Lions of Solomon. And that there maynot remain a man in Europe who shall dare to say that the Grecians arebehind other parts of the world in any of the manly exercises whichChristian nations use, the said noble enemies, renouncing allassistance from falsehood, from spells, or from magic, shall debatethis quarrel in three courses with grinded spears, and three passagesof arms with sharpened swords; the field to be at the judgment of thehonourable Emperor, and to be decided at his most gracious
and unerringpleasure. And so God show the right!"
Another formidable flourish of the trumpets concluded the ceremony.Achilles then dismissed the attendant troops, as well as the heraldsand musicians, to their respective quarters; and having got Herewardclose to his side, enquired of him whether he had learned any thing ofthe prisoner, Robert, Count of Paris.
"Nothing," said the Varangian, "save the tidings your proclamationcontains."
"You think, then," said Achilles, "that the Count has been a party toit."
"He ought to have been so," answered the Varangian. "I know no one buthimself entitled to take burden for his appearance in the lists."
"Why, look you," said the Acolyte, "my most excellent, thoughblunt-witted Hereward, this Caesar of ours hath had the extravagance toventure his tender wit in comparison to that of Achilles Tatius. Hestands upon his honour, too, this ineffable fool, and is displeasedwith the idea of being supposed either to challenge a woman, or toreceive a challenge at her hand. He has substituted, therefore, thename of the lord instead of the lady. If the Count fail to appear, theCaesar walks forward challenger and successful combatant at a cheaprate, since no one has encountered him, and claims that the lady shouldbe delivered up to him as a captive of his dreaded bow and spear. Thiswill be the signal for a general tumult, in which, if the Emperor benot slain on the spot, he will be conveyed to the dungeon of his ownBlacquernal, there to endure the doom which his cruelty has inflictedupon so many others."
"But"---said the Varangian.
"But---but--but," said his officer; "but thou art a fool. Canst thounot see that this gallant Caesar is willing to avoid the risk ofencountering with this lady, while he earnestly desires to be supposedwilling to meet her husband? It is our business to fix the combat insuch a shape as to bring all who are prepared for insurrection togetherin arms to play their parts. Do thou only see that our trusty friendsare placed near to the Emperor's person, and in such a manner as tokeep from him the officious and meddling portion of guards, who may bedisposed to assist him; and whether the Caesar fights a combat withlord or lady, or whether there be any combat at all or not, therevolution shall be accomplished, and the Tatii shall replace theComneni upon the Imperial throne of Constantinople. Go, my trustyHereward. Thou wilt not forget that the signal word of the insurrectionis Ursel, who lives in the affections of the people, although his body,it is said, has long lain a corpse in the dungeons of the Blacquernal."
"What was this Ursel," said Hereward, "of whom I hear men talk sovariously?"
"A competitor for the crown with Alexius Comnenus--good, brave, andhonest; but overpowered by the cunning, rather than the skill orbravery of his foe. He died, as I believe, in the Blacquernal; thoughwhen, or how, there are few that can say. But, up and be doing, myHereward! Speak encouragement to the Varangians--Interest whomsoeverthou canst to join us. Of the Immortals, as they are called, and of thediscontented citizens, enough are prepared to fill up the cry, andfollow in the wake of those on whom we must rely as the beginners ofthe enterprise. No longer shall Alexius's cunning, in avoiding popularassemblies, avail to protect him; he cannot, with regard to his honour,avoid being present at a combat to be fought beneath his own eye; andMercury be praised for the eloquence which inspired him, after somehesitation, to determine for the proclamation!"
"You have seen him, then, this evening?" said the Varangian.
"Seen him! Unquestionably," answered the Acolyte. "Had I ordered thesetrumpets to be sounded without his knowledge, the blast had blown thehead from my shoulders."
"I had wellnigh met you at the palace," said Hereward; while his heartthrobbed almost as high as if he had actually had such a dangerousencounter.
"I heard something of it," said Achilles; "that you came to take theparting orders of him who now acts the sovereign. Surely, had I seenyou there, with that steadfast, open, seemingly honest countenance,cheating the wily Greek by very dint of bluntness, I had not forbornelaughing at the contrast between that and the thoughts of thy heart."
"God alone," said Hereward, "knows the thoughts of our hearts; but Itake him to witness, that I am faithful to my promise, and willdischarge the task intrusted to me."
"Bravo! mine honest Anglo-Saxon," said Achilles. "I pray thee to callmy slaves to unarm me; and when thou thyself doffest those weapons ofan ordinary life-guardsman, tell them they never shall above twice moreenclose the limbs of one for whom fate has much more fitting garmentsin store."
Hereward dared not intrust his voice with an answer to so critical aspeech; he bowed profoundly, and retired to his own quarters in thebuilding.
Upon entering the apartment, he was immediately saluted by the voice ofCount Robert, in joyful accents, not suppressed by the fear of makinghimself heard, though prudence should have made that uppermost in hismind.
"Hast thou heard it, my dear Hereward," he said--"hast thou heard theproclamation, by which this Greek antelope hath defied me to tiltingwith grinded spears, and fighting three passages of arms with sharpenedswords? Yet there is something strange, too, that he should not thinkit safer to hold my lady to the encounter! He may think, perhaps, thatthe crusaders would not permit such a battle to be fought. But, by ourLady of the Broken Lances! he little knows that the men of the Westhold their ladies' character for courage as jealously as they do theirown. This whole night have I been considering in what armour I shallclothe me; what shift I shall make for a steed; and whether I shall nothonour him sufficiently by using Tranchefer, as my only weapon, againsthis whole armour, offensive and defensive."
"I shall take care, however," said Hereward, "that, thou art betterprovided in case of need.--Thou knowest not the Greeks."