Long Will

by Florence Converse

  CHAPTER VII

  Reaction

  Simon Sudbury's head hung grinning above London Bridge, and youngRichard lay at his length, face downward, on the stone floor of hischamber in the Garde Robe, sobbing sick. None dared enter, not hismother, nor Stephen, nor Mayor Walworth, nor Salisbury. Hushed andfearful they waited behind the arras at the door, hearkening to theboy how he wept and cursed and rent his garments. Now 't was thepeople he railed upon, for that they had so burdened him withbloodguiltiness in recompense of all his benefits:--

  "I 'll torture them!" he cried, gnashing his teeth."Ingrates--Hounds!--Christ hear me!--I will avenge thy servant,--Iwill avenge old Simon!"

  Now 't was Sudbury he cursed for a fool:--

  "Is this to serve a king?--To set his soul in peril of hell?--Not onmy head the Archbishop's blood, O God, not on my head! I 'm innocent!How should I know he 'd be tamely taken? Fool that he was!--Weakfool!"

  And so he wept, blaspheming Christ, and beating with his hands uponthe stones.

  "I loved them,--I loved them, good Jesu!--I gave them liberty,--andthey have betrayed me. Curse them! They shall be bound with newbonds. I 'll have a bath of their blood,--I 'll drink it!--Mypeople,--mine!--and I loved them! Christ, I was betrayed; 't was notof mine own will Sudbury was slain. I swear it,--O God, hear mineoath!--Poor fool Simon! Pity!--pity!--How might I guess? Ah, Emperorof Heaven, all-wise, I am so little while a king! Pity!"

  At the last he lay so still they thought he swooned, and the squirecame in a-tiptoe.

  "Etienne," said Richard then, lying all on heap, "bring hither ascourge,--a knotted scourge. And bar the door."

  And when the scourge was brought, and the door barred, and theQueen-Mother weeping without, Richard got to his knees, shaking,sodden, and tore his shirt off his back.

  "Lay on!" he said. "The people have set their sins on my shoulders;the Archbishop hath laden me with his trespass. Lay on the scourge!"

  Etienne lifted his arm as he would strike, then lowered it.

  "Sire," said he, "leave scourging till this business is ended. Is notyet time. Thou must be leader of this people. Already thou hast setthem free from their lords and them that held them in bonds; now mustthey be set free from their own fellows that would make themslaves,--from Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. If thou overturn these, thepeople is in the hollow of thy hand."

  "Then will I chastise!" snarled the boy. "They shall feel the rod.They have slain a good man and a priest,--the man that stood next theKing in this realm of England. These dogs have slain anarchbishop,--and shall I alone suffer for it? Ah!"--He cast up hisright hand in menace and sobs shook him. "I loved them,--I loved mypeople, and thus do they requite me! Will scourgings in my body or intheir own wipe off this blot of holy blood wherewith they 've stainedmy soul?"

  "Oh, my lord," said Stephen, "if we bear our brothers' sins, what dowe more than Christ Jesus that bore our sins in His Body on rood? Yetwas He sinless; and so art thou sinless as concerning the death of theArchbishop."

  Richard put out his hand and plucked Stephen's sleeve: "Dost believeit?" he cried, and there went a shudder through him. "Ah,but--but--when Simon said, 'I know a way,'--I knew what 't was tomean,--and yet--I went forth and left him. Etienne, Etienne,--I amafeared I knew what 't was to mean! I am afeared I knew!--I am soafeared!"

  Etienne kneeled down and set his hands on the boy's shiveringshoulders, and looked in the frighted eyes:--

  "This were impossibilite to know, sire," he said. "Say it notagain,--nor think it. Already I have forgotten thy words. Thou couldstnot divine the will of most high God. Thou art not afeared. Stand upand be the King!"

  Slowly, his eyes staring in Stephen's eyes, Richard got to his feet."I--I--could not--know!" he gasped. "I could not know!--I must forget;yes. Even a king could not know. But I shall alway fear I"--He brokeoff and stood silent.

  When he spoke again he said, "What noise is that?"

  "The prentices and men of London are killing Flemish weavers, sire,not far away. 'T is a hellish mob."

  "Presently they shall have a glut of blood," said the boy very quiet."I 'll see to 't. Go now, and bid them meet their King on the morrowat Smithfield.--Nay,--have no fear, I 'll be gentle with these beasts.I 'm not all fool."

  "Oh, sire, for love's sake be gentle, not for hate! They are thypeople."

  "Etienne, Etienne,--did I not love them? I set them free. Ah,--do not,do not,--I shall weep again,--and I 've left weeping."