God and the King

by Marjorie Bowen

  CHAPTER VI

  THE LETTERS OF MR. HERBERT

  When Admiral Herbert found himself closeted with William of Orange, hehad some eagerness in observing that Prince whose name was so much inthe mouths of men, and who had grown to be a kind of lodestar toProtestant England.

  The first thing that impressed a courtier of the Stewarts, used to alavish and extravagant habit of living, was that there was no splendourin the plain dark room, the stern furnishing of which seemed almostparsimony in a royal Prince, nor any manner of display about theStadtholder himself, who, with his own hands, shifted the candles in thebrass sticks from the mantelshelf to the table, and set open the windowon the summer woods.

  Arthur Herbert looked keenly at him; he had dropped his hat and mantleon to a chair, and his person was fully revealed in the steady redcandle glow.

  He was at this time in his thirty-seventh year, at the height of hisreputation: the most respected statesman, one of the most fearedgenerals and powerful rulers in Europe, the head of the nation which wassupreme in trade and maritime dominion, the foremost champion of thereformed religion, first Prince of the blood in England, the close allyand councillor of the Empire, of Spain, the Northern States, Germany,and, as it was whispered, of the Pope, the leader of the Englishopposition, and husband to the heiress of that country, the rallyingpoint for the discontents and indignations of all those whom the King ofFrance had injured or the King of England put out of humour.

  This combination of circumstance and quality that had given him theunique position he held, made him the most discussed and famous figureat present before the eyes of men. Even where he was abused and decriedhe was never forgotten, and shared in the minds of the French almost asmuch attention as their own exalted King.

  Added to his present fame was the glamour of past heroism, the historyof his splendid house, the great deeds of his ancestors, his ownbreaking from unhappy childhood and desolate youth to power in one dayof chaos and ruin, blood and despair, his almost miraculous deliveranceof his country, constant devotion to it, and his firm adherence to thepersecuted religion were unique in the history of princes, and lived inthe minds of men.

  The man who was of this estimation in Europe, who possessed so manyextraordinary qualities, and had had so strange a history, appeared tothe Englishman as a gentleman of no particular appearance of energy,rather below than above the middle height, and of a frail physique andslenderness of proportion rare in a man of action, and which remindedHerbert of my Lord Shaftesbury, whose impetuous and fiery manners hadcounteracted the effect of his feeble person.

  The Stadtholder differed there, being entirely composed and stately, andholding himself with a certain stiff control, as one trained to maintaindignity and the foremost place in the sight of men.

  His countenance was manly, grave, and remarkable, chiefly by reason ofhis large brilliant eyes of a lively hazel, sparkling and expressive,and his thick dark brown hair, which he wore falling on to his collarlike an old-fashioned cavalier; his high aquiline nose, full mouth veryfirmly set, slightly cleft chin and hollowed cheeks, clear and tannedcomplexion, conveyed a subtle sense of youth and simplicity, despite hisrather severe and austere expression, as if at heart he was still asardent as when he wrested the three conquered provinces from the French;his face, though thin and worn, was unlined.

  He wore a violet riding coat of a heavy fashion, and a cravat of thickBruges lace and a plain sword. Herbert would never have taken him for asoldier. He wondered if he would ever please the English as he had donethe Dutch, or courts as he did people, and was conscious of anunreasonable feeling of incongruity in this being the man looked to asthe saviour of England, indeed of half Europe.

  The Prince pulled off his gloves slowly, the while looking on the floor.He was seated the other side of the table to Herbert, who thought he hadfound some reluctance or difficulty in speaking, perhaps because he wasusing English, with which language he was tolerably familiar, but spokewith no kind of grace, but rather a distaste.

  "You are sent by Mr. Sidney?" he asked at last.

  He had a short, strong way of speaking; his manner was stately tocoldness. Arthur Herbert looked in vain for any trace of emotion orcuriosity as to the momentous errand he must know that he, Herbert, hadcome upon, or even, as he reflected rather vexedly, any welcome forhimself.

  "By Mr. Sidney and some others, sir," he answered.

  The Prince put his gloves on the table, and raised his eyes.

  "You have, Mr. Herbert, brought some answer to my late request that somepowerful English families should give me a written invitation to thisexpedition to which the Protestant lords have so constantly, and, oflate, so insistently urged me."

  Admiral Herbert put his hand into the breast of his common coat, andpulled out a sealed packet, which he handed to the Prince.

  "This association, Your Highness, of which you have had advices from myLord Shrewsbury and Mr. Sydney, is at length signed by seven of ourgreat men, and I pray Your Highness to take it as full warrant forinterfering in the present miserable estate of England."

  After having delivered this speech, Admiral Herbert looked straightly atthe Prince, who was slowly breaking the seals. He felt more enthusiasmfor the cause than for His Highness, and more warmly for both when hewas not in the actual presence of the Prince, whose personal coldnesshad an ill effect on the Englishman's impatient nature.

  "This is Mr. Sidney his hand," remarked the Prince.

  Arthur Herbert laid another letter on the dark, shining table.

  "There is also a personal letter from that gentleman."

  William looked rapidly over the contents of the packet, and his thincheek flushed.

  "This is definite," he said.

  "Your Highness asked that it might be."

  The Prince took up the other letter, and read it over with greatquickness.

  "Mr. Sidney saith my Lord Nottingham would not sign," he remarked; "isthat timidity?"

  "Some manner of prudence, I suppose, sir; but he will not betray ourdesign. He gave us leave to take his life if we thought him capable ofit; but I believe he can go to Court and not discover any sign of theconcern he is under, so close a man he is."

  "Oh, he is honest," said William dryly. He took up the first letteragain; it was signed at the bottom by seven numbers, thus: 25, 24, 27,29, 31, 35, 33; the Prince did not require the code sent him by HenrySidney to discover the names these numbers stood for; he had the cipherby heart, and knew that the seven who had signed were Lord Shrewsbury,Lord Devonshire, Lord Danby, Lord Lumley, the suspended Compton, Bishopof London, Admiral Russell, and Mr. Sydney himself. They represented abody of opinion that was weighty; if they were not many, they werepowerful, and the Prince himself had said that he did not need manynames if they were those of great families. Lord Halifax, who had beenone of his warmest supporters, had shrunk from the first hint ofanything so violent as a revolution, and the Prince had forbidden thedesign to be opened to him; for the scruples of Lord Nottingham he hadalso been prepared; therefore the signatures were the utmost that hecould have hoped for; but he gave no sign of excitement or satisfaction,but sat thoughtfully looking at the two papers in his hand.

  "Mr. Sidney saith that you are well instructed in these affairs, Mr.Herbert," he said at last, raising his great eyes. "This paper is wellcomposed and comprehensive, but it saith nothing of how far the King issuspicious of these gentlemen and their correspondence with me. Andthat is an important matter."

  Admiral Herbert answered instantly.

  "The King is kept amused by my Lord Sunderland, sir, who hath his entireconfidence."

  "My Lord Sunderland hath not openly joined you?"

  "No, sir; and in truth his conduct is a mystery, but Mr. Sidney hath apledge from the Countess that he will not betray us."

  "I am tolerably sure of my lord," answered the Prince. "He hath controlof the foreign correspondence, hath he not?"

  "Yes, Yo
ur Highness. We have felt some fears for M. D'Albeville, theKing his envoy here, it being generally believed that he is in the payof M. Barillon."

  "He receiveth some kind of pension from him," said the Prince calmly,"and maketh him all manner of promises. But he is better fee'd by me,and I do know that he sendeth beguiling letters home."

  "Then I think there is no one likely to open the King his eyes. It allresteth now on the resolution of Your Highness."

  The Prince very faintly smiled.

  "They suggest any attempt, if any be made, this year, do they not?" hesaid, instantly grave again.

  "At once, sir, is what we should wish."

  The Prince rose and crossed to the hearth.

  "This winter would be the soonest," he answered quietly. "Tell me moreof England--it is the King his purpose to call a packed parliament inthe autumn?"

  Arthur Herbert replied with a kind of angry energy that betrayed theforce that had involved him in these intrigues.

  "The charters being taken from the towns, the franchise is in the Kinghis hands, and is only to be granted to those who will swear to returnHis Majesty his candidate, the Protestant Lord-Lieutenants have beendisplaced by Catholic, and they have orders to let no one into officewho will not consent to the repeal of the Test Act--so we are allofficered by Papists, and to be a Protestant is to starve."

  "My uncle," said the Prince, with an accent of cold contempt, "wouldnever make a good tyrant; when liberty is conquered 'tis by more subtleways than this."

  Arthur Herbert's eyes sparkled.

  "I tell you, sir, that in one place where the electorate hath beenreduced to fifteen, even these are so little to be relied upon, the Kingwas told his man had no chance."

  "Why, surely," answered William, "the English are not of a spirit toendure this monstrous breakage of the laws."

  Arthur Herbert looked at him again with that half admiration, halfdislike; in truth there was nothing in common between the two men butenthusiasm for the same cause--in the one transient, impulsive, based onpersonal interest; in the other strong, unchanging, deep as life itself.

  Some weeks ago the Englishman had received a letter from the Princeoffering him his protection, and Arthur Herbert could not recognise inthe quiet Stadtholder the writer of that warm, firm, courteous, wellturned letter, but none too quick as his perceptions were, theyperceived that there must be something in this man that he had missed;the fire and ardour might escape him, but it must be there. Meanwhile,gratitude was still his cue; warming with a real sense of the grievoushurts done to the liberties of England, he proceeded to enlarge on thetext of the letter, to paint the distracted, exasperated condition ofthe public mind in England, the common hopes of the Prince, the ardentdesire among the most prudent and knowing men of affairs for his activeinterference before the packed parliament was called to force the repealof the Test Act, the disbelief in the young heir being a child of theQueen's, and the small chance that either the army or the navy would beloyal to James.

  The Prince listened with attention but no sign of feeling; when Mr.Herbert finished William crossed to the window and closed it, thedraught was setting the candles guttering.

  "M. Zuylestein hath been successful?" he asked, and coughed a little.

  "He seemeth a most able man, sir; at his secret house in Greg Street allthis hath been considered and performed. We did desire him to remain inEngland until we had an answer from Your Highness, and, to give acareless air to his staying, he hath gone into the country."

  "It is well," answered the Prince, approaching the table. "Mr. Herbert,you shall have your answer very soon. I shall to-night consult with M.Fagel and M. Dyckfelt, who, as you know, were aware of these affairsfrom the first inception of them; to-morrow I will advise with youagain. Meanwhile I will ask you to take your entertainment at myhouse."

  He paused to draw breath, as he always did after any save those verybrief sentences he usually employed. The asthma he had had for yearswas obvious in these painful gasping breaths and constant coughs.

  "You have done me a great service," he continued. "I am very muchobliged to you; you are a man of spirit."

  Admiral Herbert rose.

  "I am greatly indebted to the generosity of Your Highness; but there arespies at The Hague, and it might give a colour to reports already toopersistent were I discovered to be lodging with Your Highness. Amongthe fugitives from England in the town I am easily hid."

  Again William gave his faint, instantly checked smile.

  "I am glad that you are not forgetful of prudence, Mr. Herbert. Wecannot be too careful."

  Mr. Herbert hesitated, eyed the Prince, then said, with more boldnessthan he felt--

  "I must tell Your Highness that there is one matter, too delicate tocommit to writing, that hath been in debate among your friends inLondon----"

  "Ah?" questioned the Prince.

  "--'tis the attitude of the Princess, sir."

  William seemed to slightly stiffen and straighten.

  "What should her attitude be but the same as mine?" he asked.

  Mr. Herbert coloured.

  "Forgive me, sir, she is King James his daughter----"

  The Prince interrupted--

  "Also my wife," he said quietly, but with extraordinary force and, itseemed, pride. "You shall hear the lady for yourself, sir."

  He touched a heavy bell on the table and a servant instantly appeared.

  "Request the presence of Her Highness," he said, then spoke again toHerbert when the man had gone.

  "It is only just that in this great issue in which she is so intimatelyconcerned that you should hear her mind from her own lips."

  "No one doubteth the loyalty of the Lady Mary to yourself, sir,"answered Mr. Herbert, lying cheerfully, for he had been one of the mostcynical in discussing this same loyalty in London.

  William coughed again, and seated himself by the table with his Frisianlace handkerchief pressed to his lips. Mr. Herbert was suddenlyimpressed by the fact that he looked not only ill but in pain.

  A little pause of silence, and the Princess entered. She had changedher gown, and wore a dress of the same stiff pattern in white brocade,with tinsel and a ribbon of pearls in her hair.

  William rose and gave her one look as she closed the door, then loweredhis eyes as he spoke.

  "Madame, Mr. Herbert cometh from England with an invitation to me frommy friends there to go there with a force to protect the laws and thereligion----"

  "Ah!" exclaimed Mary; she came straight to the table and dazzled in thecandlelight. Mr. Herbert looked at her, and noticed only hercomeliness; he was not a man to distinguish types or degrees in beauty.If a woman were pretty, to him she was nothing more, and the prettiershe was the less he credited her with sense or strength. The Princess'sair of dignity and spiritual look did not save her from this judgment;he dismissed her as a pleasing young creature, useful for nothing saveto smile and work fantastic finery when she was not saying her prayers.He smiled, therefore, at the Prince's grave way of speaking to her; sheseemed, he noticed, much moved, her body quivered, and she fixed hereyes on her husband with a painful intensity.

  "You know," he continued, with a certain simplicity that had a curiouseffect, taken with his great seriousness, "the project that was firstsuggested to me by Lord Mordaunt a year gone; this hath been repeated byweightier men, and the times are riper----"

  He paused rather abruptly.

  "Will you tell Mr. Herbert that you would approve of this undertaking?"he finished, and with a palpable effort.

  Mary withdrew her eyes to fix them on Mr. Herbert.

  "Surely," she said, "you do not require that assurance from me?"

  She gave a little weak laugh, and clasped her hands tightly andunclasped them.

  "I do not know what words to choose to convince you how utterly I am inthe hands of my husband, nor how foolish I am in matters of business."She drew a deep breath, and added, with a blushing earnestness, "Ifcircumstances permit my husband to m
ake this attempt, my will is onewith his in the design, which I consider holy as well as just----"

  Mr. Herbert bowed, and the bright young beauty added with the gravitythat was her manner--

  "--but if my husband his design was not just, I fear I should stillsupport him in it!"

  Mr. Herbert could do nothing but bow to this outspoken statement; if thewords were spontaneous or learnt, lesson fashion, from the Prince, wasno matter to him. They set at rest the doubts some of the seven,particularly Lord Danby, had raised concerning her attitude.

  He took his leave of the Princess, and she seemed like one amazed, as ifshe neither saw nor heard him. The Prince went with him into theantechamber, and the last look Herbert had of Mary was the sight of herstanding quite still, with her face as pale as the little braid ofpearls in her dark hair, and the fingers of her right hand pressed tothe tinsel bows on her stiff bodice.

  In a few moments the Prince returned, and then she moved abruptly andtook the tall-backed walnut chair Mr. Herbert had occupied, pushed itfrom the table, and gazed up at her husband.

  He had still the two letters in his hand. He looked at Mary. With thedeparture of the Englishman his manner had entirely changed; this wasvery noticeable, though he said nothing.

  "You are fatigued," said Mary in a shaking voice, "so fatigued--Iknow----"

  He cast the letters down between them.

  "Oh, silly!" he answered, "that must be always thinking of my fatigues!"

  He put his thin hand over hers, that rested on the edge of the table,and gave an excited little laugh.

  "Thou hast heard this man, Mary.... I think I am pledged to anextraordinary task."