EPILOGUE
In the cloister of Malvern Priory schoolboys hummed and buzzed. Thesick man heard them.
"I have had a vision," he said, "I must sing it." And after: "Nay,--Ihad forgot. 'T was long ago."
He lay on a pallet in the midst of the cloister garth, close by thesun-dial. At dusk of the day past he had knocked at the gate andfallen in the arms of the porter. All night a brother watched besidehim, and after Lauds the prior came to the door of the cell.
"'T is not the Black Death, or such-like malady?" he queried.
"Nay, Father, but a bodily weakness only. Hath scaped the dawn, but Idoubt not his spirit will flit at sunset."
"A friar?" 'T would seem as the word stank in the nostrils of the goodFather.
"Nay,--a clerk,--belike a priest secular."
"A Wyclifite preacher?" the prior questioned sharply. "We may notharbour these Worcester Lollards."
"Hath a breviary, with prayers for the dead well thumbed. Likewise aparchment. 'T is here."
The prior unrolled the parchment beneath the window. The sky wasa-flush with the coming up of the sun.
"Nay," quoth he presently, "'t is naught harmful. A poem."
The brother was peering over his prior's shoulder:--
"Here 's Holy Writ," said he.
"In Latin, brother, as is meet."
"'T is very bad Latin," the brother made answer.
The sick man spoke: "I will go up on the Hills," said he, "the MalvernHills," and he made as to rise; but this he might not do.
The brother gave him to drink, and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Here 's an exhortation to King Richard II.," said the prior at thewindow. "But Richard 's dead."
"Ay," spake the sick man. "Death and Dishonour ran a race for Richard.Dishonour caught him first, but Death hath finished him. Mineexhortation came too late, wherefore I broke off in the midst. I wasever too late or too early, all my life long."
The prior came to the bed.
"I will go up on the Hills," said the man, and sat upright, butimmediately a faintness seized him and he swooned.
"Two-score and ten year, sayst thou?" quoth the prior. "Haply BrotherOwyn will know him."
When the sick man was come out of his swoon he said again, "I will goa-wandering on the Malvern Hills. Let me forth,--the Hills. 'T isdark,--let me forth to the sun.--Dost mind how I said, 'The prior ofMalvern shall not clap me in cloister'?--I am come home to the Hills."
"Let him be borne into the cloister garth," said the prior. "There mayhe fresh him in the sun."
At noon, when there was no shadow on the face of the sun-dial, BrotherOwyn came hobbling slow over the grass betwixt two young monks thatguided his steps. For Brother Owyn was very old and bent and blind. Hehad a beard like a snowdrift.
"Two-score and ten year," he mumbled, "and a poet, sayst 'ou?"
They sat him down beside the sick man's pallet, and one brought acushion for his feet, and the other drew his hood over his head, lestthe wind harm him,--howbeit 't was June. Then they went away and lefthim with the stranger.
"Two-score and ten year," said the old man, "and 't is asyesterday.--I go forth a pilgrimage to Truth, said he,--I have had avision concerning Peter the Ploughman."
The sick man opened his eyes. "The ploughman knoweth the way toTruth," quoth he.
Brother Owyn lifted up his face to the sunlight, as he werelistening:--
"Will Langland, art thou there?" he asked.
At the sound of his own name the sick man's wandering wits came back.He was 'ware of the old monk beside him.
"Thou canst not see?" he questioned.
"Nay, I do see very clear," said Brother Owyn, in that high,protesting voice of age. "I see a river, shineth as the sun, and onthe farther side my daughter awaiteth me.--Her locks shine as brightpure gold,--loose on her shoulders so softly they lie."
"My daughter hath likewise golden hair," murmured Long Will, "and mygranddaughter."
"The Lord, the King of Heaven, hath ta'en my daughter, my pearl, to behis bride," said the old man. He held his head upright, very proud,but then it began to shake and shake, till it dropped again, and hischin was sunk in his breast.
"My daughter is wife to truest man in England; might have beencourtier to the King; but he 's a shepherd in Yorkshire,--and his son's a shepherd. They be free labourers, no villeins," cried Will.
One in the cloister heard him and came running.
"Ay," assented Brother Owyn, his head ever a-nod, "the King's Son ofHeaven, he is the Good Shepherd."
The other monk poured wine between the sick man's white lips andsmoothed his pillow. Then he drew aside Brother Owyn's cowl andshouted in his ear, "Dost know him, brother, dost remember him?"
"Hath a daughter," the old man answered, "but so have I. Her name 'sMargaret,--which is to mean a pearl."
"Calote is my daughter called," the sick man made known very clear.
The young monk shrugged his shoulders and went back to the cloister.
After a little while Brother Owyn spoke:--
"Will Langland had a daughter called Calote. She stood t' other sidethe brook, and the light o' the sun blinded mine eyen. Methought 'twas mine own daughter come to take me home. I mind it as 't wereyesterday. 'In the city where the wall is jasper and the gates aretwelve pearls,' quoth she, 'will there be any villeins to labour whileother men feast?' I mind it as 't were yesterday."
"I am Will Langland," said the sick man.
"Yea, thou art he," returned the old monk. "I had forgot."
A little while they slept in the sun, but betwixt the hours of sextand nones, Will moved his head on his pillow:--
"If any goeth into Yorkshire, I would have him seek out StephenFitzwarine, and Calote his wife, and say to them that Will Langlandhath gone home to the Hills of Malvern for a little space. They wouldhave had me stay. My daughter wept when she bade good-by, and the babeon her arm held me by my hair.--All 's not failure,--brother."
The old man dozed and did not hear him.
"She stood in her cottage doorway,--my daughter,--and the woldsstretching far like the billows of the sea. But they 're not the Hillsof Malvern.
"'We 'll watch for thee, father,' she said, 'bide not long away. Here's thy corner by the fireside. Here 's home.'--But I was born in theMalvern Hills, my daughter.
"Stephen saw me as I crossed the wold.--He stood in the midst of hisflock; and young Will ran and gave me his shepherd's crook,--'Thouhast no staff, gran'ther,' he said, 'I 'll fashion me another.' 'T wasearly morn,--springtime. But I 've come back to Malvern--for alittle"--
"Here is a safe refuge for them that wait," the old man answered.
Long Will moved his head, restless. "But I may not wait long," hesaid, "I go forth a pilgrimage to Truth, that dwelleth in the Kingdomof Rightwisnesse."
"My daughter dwelleth therein,--I prythee tell her I 'm an old mannow. I am fain to cross the river."
"I will," said the sick man.
So they were silent until the setting of the sun. Then said Long Willout aloud:--
"By Christ--I will become a pilgrim, And wander as wide as the world reaches, To seek Piers the Ploughman that Pride might destroy-- ... Now Kynde me avenge, And send me success and salvation till I have Piers Ploughman."
So, after the sun was set, that other brother came forth, and theprior.
"Said I not so, that he would be gone about now?" quoth the brother.
"Yea," smiled Brother Owyn. "Hath gone on pilgrimage. This long-leggedlad 's more than he seems. Prythee let him go, prior. He 's apoet,--will one day bring honour to Malvern Priory."
MADE AT THE TEMPLE PRESS LETCHWORTH IN GREAT BRITAIN
a dandelion]
Long Will Page 41
