A Clerk of Oxford, and His Adventures in the Barons' War

  CHAPTER VI.

  _A "MAD" PARLIAMENT._

  "'Twill be a mad Parliament, gentlemen, a mad Parliament," said onereverend doctor, as the news was definitely made known in Oxford thatthat place had been selected by King and Barons as a neutral spot wherethe adjourned Parliament should meet.

  Great excitement reigned throughout the city and University. Nothing wastalked of but the political situation, the weakness of the King, theresolution of the Barons to enforce the terms of the Great Charter uponthe tyrannical monarch, and the possibility (only too well grounded)that the Sovereign, advised by his foreign favourites, would seek tocall in aid from abroad, and overrun the fair realm of England withforeign mercenaries.

  "But hireling foreigners must be paid," remarked one citizen grimly, asthis danger was mooted, "and until the nation gets its rights andliberties, no more money will his Majesty wring from it. The sinews ofwar are in our pockets, and there they shall stay unless the Kingchooses to hear reason."

  "Ay, and more than that," cried Gilbert, hurrying up to join the eagercrowd; "I have had good news from my father in the south. He tells methat the Barons have garrisoned the Cinque Ports, so that no foreignersmay land on our coasts. As the truce with France has just expired, theyhave good reason for this step, without doing any disloyalty to hisMajesty; but all the world knows with what special object it has beendone at this moment. Methinks we shall be free from fear of foreigninvasion, and that we shall obtain our liberties without bloodshed."

  "Heaven grant we may!" cried the older and graver amongst thetownsfolks, some of whom remembered, and others had heard from theirfathers, the tales of the terrible struggle in John's time, which hadled to the granting of the Great Charter. They wanted no repetition ofsuch scenes as those; albeit some of the younger and more ardentspirits, and the lawless and violent ones, would not have beendispleased had some open collision occurred which should cause the wholecountry to fly to arms.

  Even as it was, great impetus had been given to the joustings andpractices of wars in the meadows around the city. Both clerks andcitizens went out afoot or on horseback during the long evenings ofsummer, and often such a tumult arose, and such a din of arms, that onemight well suppose some real battle was going on rather than animitation of it.

  June had come, and all the world was clothed in verdure. Oxford waslooking her best and brightest at this season. As the day for theassembling of this Parliament drew near, the excitement became intense.Lectures in some cases were suspended, and discipline of any kind becameenforced only with difficulty.

  As usual, there were two parties in the city. The very fact that thescholars sided almost to a man with the Barons' party disposed some ofthe citizens to throw in their sympathies with the King. Henry was nospecial favourite, but he was personally beloved by those who had at anytime had access to his presence. He was not vicious, and he was devout;his defenders could always say many things in his favour. He was not amonarch to inspire respect or personal enthusiasm; but then neither washe one who roused against himself any great outbreak of popular rage.Had he lived in less critical days, or been better advised, he mighthave passed through life comfortably and easily, and have been regardedas a good and well-meaning monarch.

  "We must needs see some of these great sights!" cried Jack excitedly toLeofric, after coming back from a prowl round the city one evening."They say that to-morrow the Barons will march into the city; and uponthe day following the King will arrive at Beaumont Palace. We must goforth to see these brave sights. Marry, what a time it will be forOxford! Right glad am I to be here at such a season! Think of it--Imight have been following the plough behind my father's horses, knowingnaught of the great things that be doing in the world!"

  A few minutes later and Hugh burst in, quivering with excitement.

  "The great Earl of Leicester with his train comes to-morrow," he cried,"and many others of the Barons as well. Some will lodge here, and somethere; but the great De Montfort and his sons will come to Dagville'sInn, and for the nonce all who are there must make way. So I come to bega lodging with you, my friends; and if fortune favours us, I will seekto get speech with my old playmates, Guy and Amalric, and will presentye both to them."

  "Are they the sons of the great Earl?" asked Leofric eagerly.

  "Ay; and time was once when I went as a page with my father toKenilworth, and we played together, we boys. Guy and Amalric are the twoyoungest sons. The elder pair have won knighthood for themselves beyondthe seas. But these be yet lads still, albeit, if report says true, veryproper and noble lads. Right well do I hope that they will accompanytheir father on the morrow. Methinks they will not have forgotten me.Amalric was very friendly in those past days, and we vowed to love eachother always."

  There was little sleep for the trio in the turret that night. Jack andLeofric made Hugh tell them everything he could remember of the DeMontfort family at Kenilworth, when he had been there as page.

  They wanted to know, too, the names of the other Barons who wouldsupport the Earl of Leicester; and although parties changed withsomewhat confusing rapidity, as private jealousies or conflictinginterests made the friend of to-day the enemy of to-morrow, yet Hughknew pretty well who were likely to range themselves upon the side ofthe liberties of the nation, and could give bits of information to hiscompanions about the great nobles of the day.

  The Earls of Gloucester, Hereford, and Norfolk were, he thought, certainto support the Earl of Leicester, and also Hugh le Bigod and Hugh leDespenser, whose names were pretty well known at that time. The King wasmore likely to be backed by Bishops and Archbishops, especially such asstill held themselves subservient to the Pope. Then he was almostcertain to be attended by some of the De Lusignans, his half-brothers,and by numbers of other foreign favourites, whose constant presence atCourt was such an offence to the nation.

  "They eat up everything before them, like so many locusts!" cried Hughhotly. "So soon as any place becomes vacant, the King, instead ofpromoting some honest English gentleman to it, who may have served himfaithfully for years, throws it to one of his foreign favourites, whomay have a dozen such offices already. They drain the life-blood fromthe country, and we, its sons, are left to take what pickings we canget!"

  It was easy to understand how bitterly the English nobles and gentlemenwere beginning to resent this kind of thing; and when it was combinedwith a constant infringement of their liberties, and an equally constantimposition of new and illegal exactions, anger became exasperation, andthe sense of a coming crisis was in the very air.

  The short night was soon over, and with the first of the sunlight thethree lads awoke from their light slumbers.

  There was no lingering abed for any that day. Hardly had they returnedfrom their plunge in the pool, and arrayed themselves in their besthabits, before sounds in the streets warned them that all the city wasup and doing.

  Hurrying forth, they saw that the citizens had begun to deck theirhouses as if for a festival: flags were flying from windows, and bandsof clerks paraded up and down the streets, singing songs, crackingjokes, and sometimes striving to make speeches in imitation of thosewhich would be made when the conference should have assembled.

  Mummers were pouring into the town, as they always did on any holiday,and at the street corners they were to be seen going through their roughrepresentations or practising some rude sort of jugglery. It was plainthat there would be no lectures that day. The clerks were far tooexcited to attend, and the masters little less so.

  But many hours must of necessity pass before the Barons would be likelyto arrive at the city gates. These hours had to be got rid of somehow,and Leofric suggested that they should go and see if Brother Angeluswere lecturing in the school of the Friars, since perhaps the excitementhad not spread so much into the religious establishments as into theHalls and lodging-houses.

  Friar Angelus truly was there, and so were the pupils of his own school,but very few outsiders came in that day; and the lecturer did not keephis hearers very long
, dismissing them with a smile, and cautioningthem not to get into any mischief or trouble in their excitement.

  He looked pleased to see Leofric and Jack, and spoke to them as hepassed out. They asked him rather eagerly which side he took--that ofthe King or that of the Barons. He answered, with one of his thoughtfulsmiles, that these matters were not given to him to judge of--that hemeddled but little in the strife of nations; but if he had to judge ofany question, he sought always to discover the teachings of HolyScripture, and to judge according to the mind of Christ.

  By this time messengers had come to report that the Earl of Leicester,together with the Earl of Gloucester, had reached Abingdon, where theyhad halted to dine, and that they might be expected to arrive at theGrandpont by three o'clock in the afternoon.

  All the city seemed in motion towards the South Gate, which led towardsthe Grandpont (as Folly Bridge was then called), and Gilbert rushing upjoined himself to the other three, and urged them to come and see allthat was to be seen.

  The narrow street was quite blocked with foot passengers--clerks,citizens, masters and doctors all mingling together in one moving mass.It was a good-natured crowd, and there was much laughing and jesting asthey had to squeeze through the gateway, and again across the bridge,until in the meadow beyond they had breathing room, and could spreadthemselves out more at ease. Here, dotted about in picturesquegroups, were knots of persons who had come from the surroundingdistricts--farmers on their stout nags, with wife or daughter perched ona pillion behind; and there, too, were groups of squires and gentlemenfrom the neighbouring houses or castles, many of these having broughttheir women folk to watch the procession pass.

  One group attracted attention from the fine trappings of the horses, andfrom the general air of importance it wore. There were two ladies,several horsemen in fine garments, and one tall, commanding personage,who was evidently an official of some sort. He was surrounded by severalsoldiers, who observed an attitude of watchful attention; and Gilbertsaid to his comrades in a quick whisper,--

  "Yon is the Constable of the Castle. They say he is very favourable tothe cause of the Barons, though he calls himself the servant of theKing. He is a good man, and well beliked in Oxford, albeit he and theChancellor sometimes come to loggerheads anent the limits of theirjurisdiction; yet they be good friends for all that. There goes theChancellor to speak with him and join his party."

  Leofric looked rather eagerly towards the little group around theConstable, and truly enough there sat Mistress Alys upon her palfrey,her golden hair hanging like a cloud about her face, her eyes gazinground her full of curiosity. Suddenly she met the gaze bent upon her,and started a little. Then a look of recognition flashed into her face.She glanced at her father, but he was engrossed in conversation, and didnot see. Failing in getting his attention, she just raised her hand, andwaved it for a moment towards Leofric and his companion; then blushinga little as if at her boldness, she drew back behind one of the horsemenin the group.

  Leofric bared his head and bowed low at the little lady's salute; but hemade no further attempt to attract attention, and the friends passedquickly through the crowd lingering at the head of the bridge, and madetheir way along the road towards Abingdon, where numbers of the citizenswere already straying, in hopes of catching sight of the foremost of theBarons' followers.

  Presently they came upon a group gathered beneath the shade of somelarge oak trees, and heard themselves hailed in tones of welcome. Thisgroup consisted of the Seaton family, and the beautiful twins, Lotta andLinda. Pedro Balzani, not desiring that his daughters should remain inthe inn when it was like to be crowded from garret to basement by finegallants in the train of the Earl of Leicester, had asked of hisneighbours the Seatons houseroom for them at this season, Joanna Seatonbeing the great friend of the twin sisters. The whole party had comeforth to picnic under the greenwood trees and watch the show go by. Andnow, as was but natural, these four comrades, who always consorted moreor less together, were invited to share in the remains of the repast,and to join the pleasant party.

  Nothing loth, they all sat down, and having been too excited to providethemselves with dinner, were glad enough of some of Dame Seaton'sexcellent fare. By this time all the party were very wellacquainted--laughter and fun were the order of the day. By this timeLeofric had come to distinguish as a rule between the twin sisters,although he frequently made a mistake which evoked amusement and banter.Hugh never made any mistake now, and always gravitated towards Linda,the gentler of the two girls. Leofric sometimes wondered whether or nothe was beginning to love the maiden. She was certainly very sweet andwinning, yet she was but the daughter of an innkeeper, and half aforeigner to boot; whilst Hugh was a gentleman's son, and might hope oneday to win his spurs.

  The sun overhead shone down hotly, though beneath the trees it waspleasant enough. The afternoon was wearing on, and excitement had becomeintense.

  At last the long-waited-for sounds arose, telling of the approach of anumber of riders. Rushing helter-skelter along the dusty road came bandsof clerks and others, who had gone on towards Abingdon, and now camepouring back towards the city with the cry on their lips,----

  "They come! they come!"

  All sprang to their feet. The youths helped the maidens to clamber intogood places of observation amid the branches of a gnarled old oak,blasted by lightning, that stood hard by the road. Then they drewthemselves up bare-headed beneath, prepared to swell the shout ofwelcome which arose as soon as the foremost horsemen hove in sight.Leofric strained his eyes to gaze at the oncoming procession, for it wassuch a sight as his eyes had never looked upon before.

  Hugh stood close beside him, his eyes shining with excitement andanticipation. The tramp of horse-hoofs and the ringing sound of armourmade itself heard through the still, clear air.

  "Come they in arms?" whispered Gilbert with bated breath, for he was notprepared for that. Yet, sure enough, as the first ranks of the horsemenrode up, it was plainly to be seen that they were armed from top totoe--a brave spectacle in truth, yet one that the by-standers hadscarcely expected to see.

  Row after row, row after row of bravely-trapped horsemen passed by at agentle trot, and still Hugh made no sign. Then he suddenly grasped thearms of those next to him, and exclaimed,----

  "There he is! there he is! Is he not a right royal man?"

  Leofric's gaze was instantly fastened upon the eagle-like face of awarrior in a richly-chased coat of mail, with a plumed head-piece on hishead--a man who sat erect in his saddle, returning the greetings of theby-standers with a grave dignity of demeanour--a man who looked born tocommand and born to rule, and who, in spite of his own foreign blood,was at this moment the champion of England's liberties, the enemy ofthose hordes of foreign aliens who were preying upon the land to herdestruction.

  Close behind him rode in pairs four young men, all of them bearing somesort of likeness to their eagle-faced sire. The faces of the first twodid not specially attract Leofric, for there was too much haughtiness inthe bearing of the young men, albeit no trace of that passion was to beseen in their great father. But the younger pair were far moreattractive, being bright-faced boys, who looked about them with eagereyes, and flashed a quick smile at Hugh as they rode by.

  "Those be my young lords, Guy and Amalric," cried Hugh with beamingface, "and they have not forgotten me. Anon I will seek speech of them.And see--see! yonder rides mine own father, amongst the retainersbringing up the rear. Ah! I had scarce thought to see him here. Now,perchance, we shall see something of the great scene when thisParliament, which men call "mad", shall assemble itself. Methinks therewill be sound sense found amongst those who gather together to discussthe welfare of the nation."

  It was hopeless to try to keep up with the riders; the hot sun andchoking dust alike precluded such a thing. The party returned leisurelyto Oxford, to find the city half mad with excitement. Nor was there anydiminution of excitement possible; for on the morrow there would be ayet grander sight, when the King himself should ar
rive, and when theBarons should ride forth to meet and welcome him.

  This was indeed a very fine spectacle, and Hugh took care that hisfriends should share it with him. He had managed to borrow steeds fromsome of his father's servants, who had no need to take part in thisceremony, and upon these horses he mounted his friends and himself. Theyposted themselves at a certain spot hard by Beaumont Palace, where theywere told they would obtain an excellent view of the meeting betwixtKing and Barons.

  To-day Leofric and Jack were able to obtain a far nearer and better viewof the Earl of Leicester, and the more they studied his handsome face,the more admiration did they feel for him. He seemed the soul and centreof that noble assembly. The other Barons appeared to regard him as theirnatural chieftain, and whenever he spoke they hung upon his words, andappeared to give the utmost respect to them. Although he was habitedmore plainly than any, he was like a king in their midst. His face waslined by anxiety and care, but the fire in his eyes was unquenched andunquenchable. He looked like one born to rule, and his expression seemedto show that, on this occasion at least, he meant to exercise thatfaculty to the uttermost.

  A blare of trumpets suddenly announced the coming of the King, and athrill seemed to run through the assembled crowd. The Earl drew himselferect in his saddle, and the other nobles fell into rank around him. Thetrumpet notes drew nearer and nearer, and at last the cry wasraised,----

  "The King! the King!"

  In gorgeous array, surrounded by courtiers dressed in the extreme offoppery, appeared the procession of the monarch. The nobles bared theirheads, as did also the crowd, and all faces were turned expectantlytowards the oncoming procession.

  Everything that pomp and state could do to add dignity to the King'sMajesty was present here; and yet there was so little of true kinglymajesty in that weak, handsome face, and in the shifting expression ofthe uncertain eyes, that Leofric, looking from one face to the other,said in his heart,----

  "Is it possible that that is the King and the other the subject? Surelyit should be just the other way about."

  It did indeed so appear; for the Earl, whilst showing every mark ofrespect to his sovereign, yet wore himself so lofty and kingly an aspectthat Henry seemed unwittingly to shrink before him, but he strove toconceal this by taking a haughty and rebuking tone.

  "How, now, my lord of Leicester! is it in arms that you come to meetyour King?"

  "Sire," replied the Earl, speaking for himself and his companions, "weare on our way to quell the troubles that have arisen in Wales, andtherefore come we armed, as indeed needs must be if we are to do thereyour Majesty's behests. This business once over for which we are mettogether, and we must to the West to serve your Highness there. Let ushope for a speedy settlement of affairs here, for our presence is neededurgently against the troublers of the peace of the realm."

  As he spoke the Earl swept with his eagle eyes the ranks of swarthyfaces that surrounded the King, and a murmur went up from the crowdwhich was sufficiently significant.

  It was almost an open challenge of defiance, and Henry knew it as such.This could be seen in the flush upon his face, and in the flash of hiseye. Yet he could not meet the calm gaze of the Earl, and he strove topass the matter off with a laugh.

  "Thou wert always something too ready with thy tongue, Simon," he said;"be careful thou art not some day too ready with thy sword likewise."

  "My sword can never be too ready, an it be unsheathed in the service ofyour Majesty's peace and honour, and for the safety and welfare of thefair realm over which it has pleased God to set you," was the steadyresponse.

  The King laughed, and shrugged his shoulders.

  "Come and ride with me, and tell me of my sister, thy wife," he said, asthough willing to let other matters rest for the present. "Thou art asgreat a tyrant as ever thou wast, Simon; but beshrew me if I can helpfrom liking thee when we meet face to face. Ride by my side and talk tome. Let the people at least see that we bear each other no ill-will."

  So King and subject rode side by side to the palace of Beaumont, and thepeople made the welkin ring with their acclamations.

  "Though whether they be shouting for thee or for me," remarked Henry,with a short laugh, "perhaps it would be well not to inquire tooclosely."