The Old English Baron: a Gothic Story
Page 5
all followed him; they broke through the detachment,and stopped the waggons. The officer who commanded the party, encouragedthem to go on; the defeat was soon complete, and the provisions carriedin triumph to the English camp.
Edmund was presented to the Regent as the man to whom the victory waschiefly owing. Not a tongue presumed to move itself against him; evenmalice and envy were silenced.
"Approach, young man," said the Regent, "that I may confer upon you thehonour of knighthood, which you have well deserved."
Mr. Wenlock could no longer forbear speaking--"Knighthood," said he,"is an order belonging to gentlemen, it cannot be conferred on apeasant."
"What say you, sir!" returned the Regent; "is this youth a peasant?"
"He is," said Wenlock; "let him deny it if he can."
Edmund, with a modest bow, replied, "It is true indeed I am a peasant,and this honour is too great for me; I have only done my duty."
The Duke of York, whose pride of birth equalled that of any man livingor dead, sheathed his sword immediately. "Though," said he, "I cannotreward you as I intended, I will take care that you shall have a largeshare in the spoils of this night; and, I declare publicly, that youstand first in the list of gallant men in this engagement."
Thomas Hewson and his associates made a poor figure in their return;they were publicly reproved for their backwardness. Hewson was woundedin body and more in mind, for the bad success of his ill-laid design.He could not hold up his head before Edmund; who, unconscious of theirmalice, administered every kind of comfort to them. He spoke in theirbehalf to the commanding officer, imputing their conduct to unavoidableaccidents. He visited them privately; he gave them a part of the spoilsallotted to himself; by every act of valour and courtesy he strove toengage those hearts that hated, envied, and maligned him: But wherehatred arises from envy of superior qualities, every display of thosequalities increases the cause from whence it arises.
[Another pause ensues here.]
The young nobles and gentlemen who distinguished Edmund were preventedfrom raising him to preferment by the insinuations of Wenlock and hisassociates, who never failed to set before them his low descent, and hispride and arrogance in presuming to rank with gentlemen.
[Here the manuscript is not legible for several pages. There is mention,about this time, of the death of the Lady Fitz-Owen, but not the cause.]
Wenlock rejoiced to find that his schemes took effect, and that theyshould be recalled at the approach of winter. The Baron was glad ofa pretence to send for them home; for he could no longer endure theabsence of his children, after the loss of their mother.
[The manuscript is again defaced for many leaves; at length the lettersbecome more legible, and the remainder of it is quite perfect.]