Long Will

by Florence Converse

  CHAPTER X

  The Old Fetters

  On the Sunday when Long Will and Calote were come from the burial ofKitte, they were met at their door by Walworth and certain of theKing's officers, who said:--

  "Knowest aught concerning that arch-traitor, Jack Straw? 'T isbelieved he lieth hid in the city.--In the King's name, open thydoor!"

  "Name him not!" cried Will, and crossed himself. "I am a clerk; I maynot venge mine own wrong!--Natheless his name breeds murder in myheart." He groaned and covered his face. Those others stared in amaze.

  "Heard ye not?" said Calote then. "'T was Friday he came into our cotby night, and he would have slain one slept there, but my mother ranin between.--My mother was slain."

  "Alack, sweet maid, here 's news!" exclaimed the Mayor. "I 've beenbusied propping the kingdom." And to the men he said: "On! he is nothere."

  But one of the men answered him: "The fellow was seen o' Cornhillwithin the hour. Is a most arrant knave. This house were safest in allLondon, seeing he hath shed blood in it. Let us enter!"

  So they went in and threw wide the window and the doors, for that theroom was dark. And some mounted to the chamber under the roof. Thenthe man that craved leave to enter went and stood by the great chestin the lower room; and presently he had lifted the lid and thrust inhis hand, and all they heard a terrible squawk. The man had Jack Strawby the leg, and flung him out on the floor.

  "O thou vile murderer!" cried Calote. "Coward, without shame! Dostshelter thee on this hearth thou hast defiled? O craven dog!"

  There were deep shadows in the eyes of Calote. This horror of hermother's death was yet upon her. Moreover, she knew what it was tofail.

  "Do not let the clerk come at me!" Jack Straw prayed the Mayor. Heshivered; he was all of a sweat. "Wherefore do ye take me? Thrust thyfingers in my breast, the King's pardon is there. Hark ye,--I 'll sayit. I have it by heart. 'Know that of our special grace we havemanumitted'--hearken, 'freed him of all bondage, and made him quit bythese presents.' I be free man, pardoned of all felonies, treasons,transgressions, and extortions. Look ye, masters,--'t is writhere.--Bind not my hands! Read!--'And assure him of our summa pax.' I'm free man. Read!--'Dated June the fourteenth, anno regni quarto.' Ihad it of yonder clerk, learned me the Latin the while he writ. I 'mfree man. Will,--speak for me! Will!--Will!--I meant no harm,--shecame between and I knew 't not. Will, thou knowest I meant no harm toKitte. Speak! Is 't for this I 'm ta'en? The Lord is leech of love,Will, forgiveth his enemies. I 'm thy friend, Will;--was ever."

  "Have him forth!" shouted Langland above this din. "Have him forthswift,--else must ye bind me likewise. O Christ--give meleave!--Avenge her, Christ Jesus!"

  Then Jack Straw, being 'ware that here was no hope, turned him at thethreshold and said:--

  "There be others, prisoners, mistress, and thy peddler is one. I sawhim borne to Tower yester e'en. Thy fine esquire 's like to lose hishead as soon as I."

  "Set a gag twixt his teeth," said Walworth. So they did, and bore himthrough London streets. And if any man was his friend, he went and hidhimself.

  Meanwhile, the King took counsel with his lords in the great chamberin the Tower. His cheeks were pale, his eyes heavy. He pressed hishand oft to his brow, where sat a frown.

  "Sire," said Buckingham, "'t is very certain these knaves ought to bepunished, else shall we never have done with uprisings and rebellionsthat do endanger the kingdom."

  "Where is Etienne Fitzwarine?" asked Richard, fretful. "Let him mix mycup! There 's a fever inward, parcheth my throat."

  My Lord of Buckingham looked uneasy on my Lord of Salisbury. Then SirJohn Holland behind the King's back said: "No doubt he consorteth withthose low fellows, his friends, and maketh merry that the King iscozened."

  "Ribaude!" cried the boy starting from his seat. "I cozened?--I?--I?"He choked and turned half round, his hand on his sword.

  Sir John went backward a pace, nevertheless he would not eat hiswords:--

  "Wherefore should they not make merry, sire? They were fools an theywept. Nay, they have gone home to their wives to tell a marvelloustale. Here 's a king! do they cry. Let us but rise up and burn amanor-house or two, and take London Bridge,--and we may have what wewill, even if 't be the King's crown."

  "Who bade me grant all?" cried Richard. "Who fled a-horseback into thefields for fear of that rabble at Mile End? What I did, was 't notdone to save your coward skins, as much as to pleasure peasants?"

  "O my liege! Who may know this, if not thy loyal servants?" saidSalisbury, and bent his old knees. Whereupon those others kneltlikewise, and Salisbury continued:--

  "Thou hast wrought with a king-craft beyond thy years, sire. Thou hastsaved England. But now must stern measures be taken, else are we liketo be in worse case. When the people discover that they are--thatthey--are"--

  "Tricked!" shouted Buckingham, laughing loud. "Tricked, my wisenephew! 'T were well to crush them neath the iron hand of fear, erethey find out this. So, I say, fall to!--Beat them down! Let bloodflow! 'T is the one way!"

  "Tricked?" the King repeated, frowning. "But I was honest."

  "Ay, my lord," assured him Salisbury. "And so wert thou honest if amadman came to thee and gripped thy throat and said, 'Give me thykingdom, King Richard,' and thou didst answer, 'Yea, freely I give itthee.' Natheless, the madman might not rule England. Neither may KingRichard keep faith with him, for that were grievous wrong toEnglishmen."

  The King laughed, as he were uncertain and ashamed; the colour cameinto his face. "'T is very raisonable," he said slowly,--"but--I didnot give them the kingdom,--I gave them--liberty."

  "My lord hath not forgot that concerning this matter Parliamenthath a voice. It may well be Parliament shall giveconsent,--natheless"--Salisbury faltered, and Buckingham laughed veryscornful.

  "I am King!" cried Richard haughtily, but there was a question in hiscry.

  "My lord doth not forget," said Salisbury, "as how in England the Kingtaketh counsel with his people as concerning the welfare of thekingdom. Since the day of the first Edward, grandfather to my lord'sgrandfather, this is more and more a custom in England. ThroughParliament doth the King receive his grants, taxes, moneys for theKing's expending. 'T were not well to make an enemy of Parliament. Thecourt is straitened for moneys."

  Richard bit his lip and paced up and down, clinching his hands.

  "Who said the King was free?" he cried. And on a sudden, very fierce:"If I am cozened, 't is not the peasants have cozened me."

  "O sire!" pleaded the old Earl, "think not of noblesse, nor ofpeasants, nor yet of thine own self,--but of all England, that thygrandfather Edward made a great nation. Wilt have it go to wrack inthe hands of crazed villeins? Put down the revolt with a strong hand;then will they wake from their madness."

  "Cure them with blood, sire," said Buckingham. "'T is the one way.Else were no man's head safe."

  "Beau sire!" cried Robert de Vere, entering, "the Mayor is here withthat rebel, Jack Straw, was so fierce against the Flemings on Friday."

  Then came in Walworth, and Jack bound.

  "What vermin is this?" asked Richard. "Have him forth,--displeasethme. Faugh! How the fellow crawls!"

  "Sire, I will confess," Jack whined. "I will reveal all. Let me gofree, sire! I went astray. Do but let me go free, and I 'll confess.'T was not I was leader, sire, but Wat Tyler--and StephenFitzwarine"--

  The King had sat listless, paying no heed, but at the name ofFitzwarine he lifted his head:--

  "Take this liar to the courtyard and beat out 's brains!" he said."Where is Etienne?"

  "Sire, pardon!" now began Walworth, "but 't is very true I took MasterFitzwarine yester e'en by the side of the body of the traitor, WatTyler; and he made as to defend the body, and spake against certaingreat nobles of the realm."

  "Thou hast slain him?" screamed Richard,--"Etienne!--Etienne!"

  "Nay, sire; for that I knew the King loved him. Natheless, for safetyhe
is housed close. And here is his sword. With this same sword Istrake off the head of Wat Tyler. My lord, I am thy faithful servant."

  "Ay," Richard assented. "Prythee pardon, friend; I have not forgotthat good turn thou did me and all England yesterday. But give me thesword. I will wear the sword that hewed off that traitor's head."

  "Sweet nephew," said Buckingham, "'t is very certain Fitzwarine waslikewise traitor."

  "Wilt thou forget those bold words he spake in this chamber, sire,three days agone?" cried Sir John Holland.

  "Wilt thou forget that insult to madame the Queen, who must needs ridewith his wanton that night on Blackheath?" sneered Robert de Vere,Earl of Oxford.

  "O sire," said Jack Straw soft,--"is 't known of these gentles as howFitzwarine traversed England a year and more, in company of this sameleman, stirring up revolt?"

  There went up a shout of wrath and amaze from all those lordings:--

  "Sire!" they cried, and every eye bent on the King craved vengeance.

  "Pah!" said he. "'T is not question of Etienne, but of this worm thatspeweth venom. Let him be despatched forthwith!"

  Then Jack Straw cast himself down on the floor and writhed on hisbelly as far as the King's feet, crying:--

  "Mercy!--Grace!--Mercy!--Mercy!--I will reveal the plot. O sire, Iwill unfold the secrets of this Rising! Give me only my life, my life,sire, my life!"

  "Well, take thy life! Thou shalt go free,--if thou tell all," saidRichard, with averted face. "Lift the fellow to his knees,thou,--yeoman guard,--and wipe his slobber off my shoes!"

  So when Jack Straw was got to his knees and a stout yeoman on eitherside holding him up underneath his arm-pits, for that he was weak withfright and lack of food, he began to tell his tale.

  "'T was in Long Will's cot o' Cornhill,--the Chantry Priest, him thatwrit the Vision concerning Piers Ploughman,--'t was in his house thisplot was hatched.--Water, my lords!--Pity, my tongue is twice its truesize!"

  "Verily, I believe it is so," said Richard; he would not look at JackStraw, but sat with face turned to one side and eyes cast down. "Givehim to drink," he said.

  The Mayor caught a silver flagon from the table and held it to Jack'slips, and when he had drunk, my Lord of Oxford ground the flagonbeneath his heel and kicked it shapeless into a corner.

  "'T was o' Cornhill, lordings, and Will was there, and the light o'love, his daughter, and Wat Tyler,--and--and--Fitzwarine"--

  "And thou," said Richard.

  "But I was no leader in this Rising, sire. Wat would be leader,--aproud, wrathful man. And the traitor Fitzwarine hath evil entreated meoft, for that he would hold second place to Wat."

  "Where was John Ball?" asked Salisbury.

  "John Ball also was there," cried Jack very eager. "'T was he set usall agog in the beginning with his preaching and prating."

  "Get on! The plot!" Richard interrupted impatiently.

  "Mercy, sire,--grace!--'T was agreed as how all knights, squires, andgentlemen should be slain, and the King made to lead this revolution.For this cause came Wat to Smithfield yester morn, to take the King.Mercy!--And until all England was risen up, the King should be calledleader of the people. Then should we slay all the lords.--Ah, pity,gentles!--And when was none left to succour the King,--Wat Tyler wouldhave had the King slain.--Sire, not I, but Wat!--Grace!--Pardon!"

  Richard's face was still as stone. Jack Straw hung limp betwixt theyeomen, and well-nigh swooned, moaning the while.

  Thrice Richard moved his lips and no sound came; at last he said,"Anon?"

  "The--the--bishops after, sire, and all monks, canons,--rectors, to beslain. When no one survived, greater, stronger, or more knowing thanourselves, we should have made at our pleasure laws by which thesubjects would be ruled."

  The room was all a-murmur with rage. Richard arose and signed to theguard to take up Jack Straw:--

  "Take him to the place in the courtyard where Archbishop Simon wasmurdered," he said in a cold voice. "Rip out his guts, lop off hislegs and arms. Let his head be borne throughout the city on a pole,and what remaineth cut in four pieces and send by fleet-footmessengers to north and south and east and west of this foul,traitorous England."

  Jack Straw heard with starting eyes. Then strength came to him and heshrieked and struggled:--

  "Thy promise, sire, thy promise!--Thou didst give me life! Mercy!--Thypromise!"

  "One thing 't would seem a king is free to do," Richard answered him."'T is to break promises."

  And old Salisbury sighed, and hung his head as he were suddenly grownfeeble.

  So Jack Straw was borne away to his death, and the nobles crowdedaround Richard, buzzing approval.

  "And Fitzwarine, sire?" said Robert de Vere.

  The boy pressed his hands against his eyes:--

  "Have ye no pity, wolves?" he groaned.

  "Natheless, sire, he is a traitor," persisted Buckingham. "Is no timeto set free traitors."

  "I have not set him free," said Richard. "Let that suffice. If ye arethirsty for blood, go down into Cheapside; Mayor Walworth shall set upanew the block that was there, and strike off the heads of all such aswere known to be murderers of Flemings. The widows of the dead weaversmay wield the axe an they will. Here 's sport, my lords! Now, pray youleave me! I must make ready for this pilgrimage of vengeance mineuncle Buckingham counselleth."

  "The jongleuse and her father, sire?" ventured Sir John Holland.

  "I may not take keep of women and poets," Richard answered. "'T is myfriends only that I betray."