Prentice Hugh

by Frances Mary Peard

expenses she led him into, for they hadglass over from France for their windows, and forks for dinner, and manysuch luxuries, and each one Wat knew quite well--though how, no one everknew. And at last, one day in January, when there had been a fall ofsnow which whitened all the roofs, and gave great joy to the prenticelads, Wat rushed in, powdered over with snow, so full of news that hecould scarce keep from shouting it out as he ran, and so intent uponthat and nothing else that he rushed up against Mistress Prothasy, andsent the dish of roasted apples she was carrying out of her hand. Shegave him a sound box in his ear, and told him he should have no applesfor supper. But even this threat could not compose Wat, well as heloved roasted apples.

  "Truly, good wife," he said, breathlessly, as he picked them up, "thoumust forgive me this time for my news."

  "What news?" said Prothasy crossly. "Thou hast ever some foolish talein thy idle head."

  "This is no foolish news," cried Wat, triumphantly. "King Edward is onhis way!"

  "Nay!"

  "Ay, mistress, it is true. He is at Bristol, and comes here in fourdays' time, and the mayor is almost out of his wits, and there will be abanquet at the Guildhall, and the Baron of Dartington and Lord Montacuteand Sir Richard de Alwis and my Lord of Devon are making ready to rideto meet the king, and all the saddlers and armourers are rushing fromone end of the city to the other, and there will be feasting andbonfires, and we prentices are to stand in the Crollditch to shout whenhe comes in at the East Gate, and I warrant you none will shout lustierthan I!"

  "Mercy on us, thou wilt deafen me with thy chatter!" said Prothasy,clapping her hands on her ears; "but there is an apple for thee, sincethy head had some reason for its turning to-day. The king so near! Imust go and pull out my green kirtle."

  CHAPTER TEN.

  SWORD OR CHISEL?

  Wat's enthusiasm found hearty echo in the house. Roger, indeed, everself-absorbed and eagerly bent upon his own advancement, mutteredsomething that such shows were fit only for fools and jackanapes, but hedared say nothing of the sort aloud, when even Master Gervase himselfwas like a boy in his delight over the occasion. Great consultationstook place between the different guilds. These guilds had flourished inExeter from a very early period, and were founded and preserved onstrong religious lines. Chief and earliest among them were the merchantguilds. Craft guilds grew up later, not, as in other countries, opposedto the merchants, but under their authority, formed merely to promoteand regulate matters belonging to their own crafts. Master and wardensmet regularly in the common hall, and every full craftsman worth twentyshillings might be a brother. Generally there was a distinctive dress,or, at any rate, hood. The guilds took care that their members boregood characters, and there were heavy penalties for bad words, or whatwas called "misquoting." No one might work without leave of thewardens. No one might undersell a craft brother. The guilds arrangedthat all goods received a fair price, and that they were of the bestquality. An excellent technical education was provided, and the toolsthat were used were closely inspected. Women might have part in theguilds, widows being allowed to carry on their business under theirprotection. There were also craft courts to which all complaints werebrought, and it will be easily understood how much guilds had to do withthe local government of a town.

  It was now necessary to organise a banquet to be given to the king, anda day of feasting and rejoicing for the poor, and Gervase was very busyover the arrangements. Frost and snow still continued, but flags andgay hangings were profusely used, and nothing could have been morepicturesque than the narrow streets with their beautiful black-timberedhouses, snow on the steep roofs, and all manner of bright colourshanging from windows and carved balconies. The only thing there wasdoubt about was the sun, but after an hour or two of hesitation in themorning, it broke out in full brilliancy, giving the final touch to agay pageant of moving colour, of which we in England now have littleconception.

  Rougemont Castle, of course, put on its gayest face, but the chiefpreparations were at the East Gate, to which the road from Bristol leddirect, passing by St Sidwell's Church. Here the king would enter, andhere in Crollditch, the present Southernhay, where the Lammas fair wasannually held, the apprentices intended to muster, and to see as much asthey could, the greater number of the burgesses being within the gate,so as to welcome the king to the city. If it had not been for Wat,Hugh's chance of seeing would have been small, for as the king and hisknights rode up, the bigger apprentices closed tumultuously nearer,shouting with all the force of their lungs, and the lesser boys werepushed back without mercy. But Wat was a faithful friend. He held fastby Hugh, and used his own strong limbs to good effect. Opposite to themwas a crowd of the poorest of the city.

  "Keep thy legs, gammer--good folk, press not so closely! Here theycome!"

  "Alack, alack, I can see nothing!"

  "There is the king on a black horse!"

  "Nay, that is my Lord of Albemarle."

  "Ay, there's the king!"

  "Where? Where?"

  "He rides a white horse, with the bishop by his side."

  "The saints preserve him! How he towers above them all! A proper man,indeed!"

  The sight was very striking as the gallant cavalcade swept slowly intothe grim shadows of the East Gate, with its walls stretching away oneither side, and out into the keen sunshine beyond, whererepresentatives from the guilds, the mayor, bailiffs, and councilmenwere drawn up with every mark of pageantry. Loud shouts broke from thecrowd, many cries of blessing were raised, and some appeals for"Justice, my Lord King!" were heard. All the way down the High Streetthe narrow way was so thronged with citizens that Edward and his traincould scarcely make way, and there was time enough for Wat and Hugh torush down a side way and get round to their master's house before theking reached it. Joan was in the balcony with her mother craning herlittle neck to see the show, and beckoning to Hugh, but the boy had adesign in his head; rushing up to catch Agrippa, and, when he had gothim, determinedly squeezing his way to the front. In this he might nothave succeeded but for the good nature of my Lord of Devon's jester, whowas a favourite in the town, and now in his motley suit had taken up hisposition before Master Gervase's house. He pathetically implored thecrowd to make room for his grandfather, and the roar of laughter whichfollowed when this turned out to be the monkey secured Agrippa'sposition.

  Hugh's heart beat fast as he saw the men-at-arms clearing the way withno little difficulty.

  "Hold thou on to my sleeve," whispered the good-humoured jester, "andwe'll not budge."

  He was as good as his word, and as the king passed with a smile on hisgrave face, for he was touched by the fervour of his welcome, Hugh andhis monkey were so close that Edward's eye fell upon him. He wascertain that he was recognised, for the king's smile deepened, and hesaid something to the bishop, who raised himself in his stirrups to getsight of the boy. Nor was this all. The monkey attracted the attentionof the _suite_, and a knight suddenly reined up his horse and bent down.

  "Why, thou art the little varlet that was at Stourbridge Fair! I mindme now thy father spoke of Exeter. How goes it with him? Has he achoice bit of his work that I can take back to my lady? What, dead!Nay, that is sad, but he looked scarce like to live. Thou mayest cometo the bishop's palace, where we lie, and ask for my squire, JohnWakefield, if thou wilt."

  He nodded and rode on, and Hugh was besieged by inquiries of who he was,and what had led him to speak.

  "Sir Thomas de Trafford," repeated the jester. "A fair name and anhonourable. Prithee forget not a poor cousin, if there be preferment tobe had. I would almost renounce my cap and bells to be dubbed aknight."

  But Joan overhead was clamouring for Hugh, and Prothasy's curiosity wasgetting past bearing. She had never quite believed the boy's story ofthe gold noble, but all had seen the king's amused smile of recognition,and now she questioned Hugh sharply, while he was longing to be off withWat, who was in the thick of the crowd which had closed up on the heelsof the men-at-arms, an
d was following the king down the High Street, forto pleasure them he rode as far as the Carfax or conduit, the centralpoint of the city, which stood at the junction of North and SouthStreet, where much business was transacted, before going to the quartersprepared for him in the bishop's palace. Hugh got away at last, but hewas in the rear of things, and could get no nearer than the tail of theprocession, every now and then catching the gleam of armour in thedistance as some corner was turned, while the people were cheering andpushing with all their might, and gathering the largesse freelydistributed.

  Gervase came home in high good humour, for the king had received theguild officers very cordially, and promised a hearing for the next day,the townspeople having certain matters to plead against the