CHAPTER XXX
Yet though thou shouldst be dragg'd in scorn To yonder ignominious tree, Thou shall not want one faithful friend To share the cruel fates' decree. _Ballad of Jemmy Dawson._
Master George Heriot and his ward, as she might justly be termed, forhis affection to Margaret imposed on him all the cares of a guardian,were ushered by the yeoman of the guard to the lodging of theLieutenant, where they found him seated with his lady. They werereceived by both with that decorous civility which Master Heriot'scharacter and supposed influence demanded, even at the hand of apunctilious old soldier and courtier like Sir Edward Mansel. Lady Manselreceived Margaret with like courtesy, and informed Master George thatshe was now only her guest, and no longer her prisoner.
"She is at liberty," she said, "to return to her friends under yourcharge--such is his Majesty's pleasure."
"I am glad of it, madam," answered Heriot, "but only I could have wishedher freedom had taken place before her foolish interview with thatsingular young man; and I marvel your ladyship permitted it."
"My good Master Heriot," said Sir Edward, "we act according to thecommands of one better and wiser than ourselves--our orders from hisMajesty must be strictly and literally obeyed; and I need not say thatthe wisdom of his Majesty doth more than ensure--"
"I know his Majesty's wisdom well," said Heriot; "yet there is an oldproverb about fire and flax--well, let it pass."
"I see Sir Mungo Malagrowther stalking towards the door of the lodging,"said the Lady Mansel, "with the gait of a lame crane--it is his secondvisit this morning."
"He brought the warrant for discharging Lord Glenvarloch of the chargeof treason," said Sir Edward.
"And from him," said Heriot, "I heard much of what had befallen; for Icame from France only late last evening, and somewhat unexpectedly."
As they spoke, Sir Mungo entered the apartment--saluted the Lieutenantof the Tower and his lady with ceremonious civility--honoured GeorgeHeriot with a patronising nod of acknowledgment, and accosted Margaretwith--"Hey! my young charge, you have not doffed your masculine attireyet?"
"She does not mean to lay it aside, Sir Mungo," said Heriot, speakingloud, "until she has had satisfaction from you, for betraying herdisguise to me, like a false knight--and in very deed, Sir Mungo, Ithink when you told me she was rambling about in so strange a dress, youmight have said also that she was under Lady Mansel's protection."
"That was the king's secret, Master Heriot," said Sir Mungo, throwinghimself into a chair with an air of atrabilarious importance; "the otherwas a well-meaning hint to yourself, as the girl's friend."
"Yes," replied Heriot, "it was done like yourself--enough told to makeme unhappy about her--not a word which could relieve my uneasiness."
"Sir Mungo will not hear that remark," said the lady; "we must changethe subject.--Is there any news from Court, Sir Mungo? you have been toGreenwich?"
"You might as well ask me, madam," answered the Knight, "whether thereis any news from hell."
"How, Sir Mungo, how!" said Sir Edward, "measure your words somethingbetter--You speak of the Court of King James."
"Sir Edward, if I spoke of the court of the twelve Kaisers, I would sayit is as confused for the present as the infernal regions. Courtiers offorty years' standing, and such I may write myself, are as far to seekin the matter as a minnow in the Maelstrom. Some folk say the king hasfrowned on the Prince--some that the Prince has looked grave on theduke--some that Lord Glenvarloch will be hanged for high treason--andsome that there is matter against Lord Dalgarno that may cost him asmuch as his head's worth."
"And what do you, that are a courtier of forty years' standing, think ofit all?" said Sir Edward Mansel.
"Nay, nay, do not ask him, Sir Edward," said the lady, with anexpressive look to her husband.
"Sir Mungo is too witty," added Master Heriot, "to remember that he whosays aught that may be repeated to his own prejudice, does but load apiece for any of the company to shoot him dead with, at their pleasureand convenience."
"What!" said the bold Knight, "you think I am afraid of the trepan? Whynow, what if I should say that Dalgarno has more wit than honesty,--theduke more sail than ballast,--the Prince more pride than prudence,--andthat the king--" The Lady Mansel held up her finger in a warningmanner--"that the king is my very good master, who has given me, forforty years and more, dog's wages, videlicit, bones and beating.--Whynow, all this is said, and Archie Armstrong [Footnote: The celebratedCourt jester.] says worse than this of the best of them every day."
"The more fool he," said George Heriot; "yet he is not so utterly wrong,for folly is his best wisdom. But do not you, Sir Mungo, set your witagainst a fool's, though he be a court fool."
"A fool, said you?" replied Sir Mungo, not having fully heard whatMaster Heriot said, or not choosing to have it thought so,--"I havebeen a fool indeed, to hang on at a close-fisted Court here, when men ofunderstanding and men of action have been making fortunes in every otherplace of Europe. But here a man comes indifferently off unless he gets agreat key to turn," (looking at Sir Edward,) "or can beat tattoo with ahammer on a pewter plate.--Well, sirs, I must make as much haste back onmine errand as if I were a fee'd messenger.--Sir Edward and my lady,I leave my commendations with you--and my good-will with you, MasterHeriot--and for this breaker of bounds, if you will act by my counsel,some maceration by fasting, and a gentle use of the rod, is the bestcure for her giddy fits."
"If you propose for Greenwich, Sir Mungo," said the Lieutenant, "I canspare you the labour--the king comes immediately to Whitehall."
"And that must be the reason the council are summoned to meet in suchhurry," said Sir Mungo. "Well--I will, with your permission, go to thepoor lad Glenvarloch, and bestow some comfort on him."
The Lieutenant seemed to look up, and pause for a moment as if in doubt.
"The lad will want a pleasant companion, who can tell him the nature ofthe punishment which he is to suffer, and other matters of concernment.I will not leave him until I show him how absolutely he hath ruinedhimself from feather to spur, how deplorable is his present state, andhow small his chance of mending it."
"Well, Sir Mungo," replied the Lieutenant, "if you really think allthis likely to be very consolatory to the party concerned, I will send awarder to conduct you."
"And I," said George Heriot, "will humbly pray of Lady Mansel, that shewill lend some of her handmaiden's apparel to this giddy-brained girl;for I shall forfeit my reputation if I walk up Tower Hill with herin that mad guise--and yet the silly lassie looks not so ill in itneither."
"I will send my coach with you instantly," said the obliging lady.
"Faith, madam, and if you will honour us by such courtesy, I will gladlyaccept it at your hands," said the citizen, "for business presses hardon me, and the forenoon is already lost, to little purpose."
The coach being ordered accordingly, transported the worthy citizen andhis charge to his mansion in Lombard Street. There he found his presencewas anxiously expected by the Lady Hermione, who had just received anorder to be in readiness to attend upon the Royal Privy Council in thecourse of an hour; and upon whom, in her inexperience of business, andlong retirement from society and the world, the intimation had made asdeep an impression as if it had not been the necessary consequence ofthe petition which she had presented to the king by Monna Paula. GeorgeHeriot gently blamed her for taking any steps in an affair so importantuntil his return from France, especially as he had requested herto remain quiet, in a letter which accompanied the evidence he hadtransmitted to her from Paris. She could only plead in answer theinfluence which her immediately stirring in the matter was likely tohave on the affair of her kinsman Lord Glenvarloch, for she was ashamedto acknowledge how much she had been gained on by the eager importunityof her youthful companion. The motive of Margaret's eagerness was, ofcourse, the safety of Nigel; but we must leave it to time to show inwhat particulars that came to be connected with the petition of theLady Hermione. Meanw
hile, we return to the visit with which Sir MungoMalagrowther favoured the afflicted young nobleman in his place ofcaptivity.
The Knight, after the usual salutations, and having prefaced hisdiscourse with a great deal of professed regret for Nigel's situation,sat down beside him, and composing his grotesque features into the mostlugubrious despondence, began his raven song as follows:--
"I bless God, my lord, that I was the person who had the pleasure tobring his Majesty's mild message to the Lieutenant, discharging thehigher prosecution against ye, for any thing meditated against hisMajesty's sacred person; for, admit you be prosecuted on the lesseroffence, or breach of privilege of the Palace and its precincts, _usquead mutilationem_, even to dismemberation, as it is most likely you will,yet the loss of a member is nothing to being hanged and drawn quick,after the fashion of a traitor."
"I should feel the shame of having deserved such a punishment," answeredNigel, "more than the pain of undergoing it."
"Doubtless, my lord, the having, as you say, deserved it, must be anexcruciation to your own mind," replied his tormentor; "a kind of mentaland metaphysical hanging, drawing, and quartering, which may be in somemeasure equipollent with the external application of hemp, iron, fire,and the like, to the outer man."
"I say, Sir Mungo," repeated Nigel, "and beg you to understand my words,that I am unconscious of any error, save that of having arms on myperson when I chanced to approach that of my Sovereign."
"Ye are right, my lord, to acknowledge nothing," said Sir Mungo. "Wehave an old proverb,--Confess, and--so forth. And indeed, as to theweapons, his Majesty has a special ill-will at all arms whatsoever, andmore especially pistols; but, as I said, there is an end of that matter.[Footnote: Wilson informs us that when Colonel Grey, a Scotsman whoaffected the buff dress even in the time of peace, appeared in thatmilitary garb at Court, the king, seeing him with a case of pistols athis girdle, which he never greatly liked, told him, merrily, "he wasnow so fortified, that, if he were but well victualled, he would beimpregnable."--WILSON'S _Life and Reign of James VI._, _apud_ KENNET'S_History of England_, vol. ii. p. 389. In 1612, the tenth yearof James's reign, there was a rumour abroad that a shipload ofpocket-pistols had been exported from Spain, with a view to a generalmassacre of the Protestants. Proclamations were of consequence sentforth, prohibiting all persons from carrying pistols under a foot longin the barrel. _Ibid_. p. 690.] I wish you as well through the next,which is altogether unlikely."
"Surely, Sir Mungo," answered Nigel, "you yourself might say somethingin my favour concerning the affair in the Park. None knows betterthan you that I was at that moment urged by wrongs of the most heinousnature, offered to me by Lord Dalgarno, many of which were reported tome by yourself, much to the inflammation of my passion."
"Alack-a-day!-Alack-a-day!" replied Sir Mungo, "I remember but too wellhow much your choler was inflamed, in spite of the various remonstranceswhich I made to you respecting the sacred nature of the place. Alas!alas! you cannot say you leaped into the mire for want of warning."
"I see, Sir Mungo, you are determined to remember nothing which can dome service," said Nigel.
"Blithely would I do ye service," said the Knight; "and the best whilk Ican think of is, to tell you the process of the punishment to the whilkyou will be indubitably subjected, I having had the good fortune tobehold it performed in the Queen's time, on a chield that had writtena pasquinado. I was then in my Lord Gray's train, who lay leaguer here,and being always covetous of pleasing and profitable sights, I could notdispense with being present on the occasion."
"I should be surprised, indeed," said Lord Glenvarloch, "if you had sofar put restraint upon your benevolence, as to stay away from such anexhibition."
"Hey! was your lordship praying me to be present at your own execution?"answered the Knight. "Troth, my lord, it will be a painful sight to afriend, but I will rather punish myself than baulk you. It is a prettypageant, in the main--a very pretty pageant. The fallow came on withsuch a bold face, it was a pleasure to look on him. He was dressed allin white, to signify harmlessness and innocence. The thing was done on ascaffold at Westminster--most likely yours will be at the Charing. Therewere the Sheriffs and the Marshal's men, and what not--the executioner,with his cleaver and mallet, and his man, with a pan of hot charcoal,and the irons for cautery. He was a dexterous fallow that Derrick. Thisman Gregory is not fit to jipper a joint with him; it might be worthyour lordship's while to have the loon sent to a barber-surgeon's, tolearn some needful scantling of anatomy--it may be for the benefit ofyourself and other unhappy sufferers, and also a kindness to Gregory."
"I will not take the trouble," said Nigel.--"If the laws will demand myhand, the executioner may get it off as he best can. If the king leavesit where it is, it may chance to do him better service."
"Vera noble--vera grand, indeed, my lord," said Sir Mungo; "it ispleasant to see a brave man suffer. This fallow whom I spoke of--ThisTubbs, or Stubbs, or whatever the plebeian was called, came forward asbold as an emperor, and said to the people, 'Good friends, I cometo leave here the hand of a true Englishman,' and clapped it onthe dressing-block with as much ease as if he had laid it on hissweetheart's shoulder; whereupon Derrick the hangman, adjusting, d'yemind me, the edge of his cleaver on the very joint, hit it with themallet with such force, that the hand flew off as far from the owner asa gauntlet which the challenger casts down in the tilt-yard. Well, sir,Stubbs, or Tubbs, lost no whit of countenance, until the fallow clappedthe hissing-hot iron on his raw stump. My lord, it fizzed like a rasherof bacon, and the fallow set up an elritch screech, which made somethink his courage was abated; but not a whit, for he plucked off hishat with his left hand, and waved it, crying, 'God save the Queen, andconfound all evil counsellors!' The people gave him three cheers, whichhe deserved for his stout heart; and, truly, I hope to see your lordshipsuffer with the same magnanimity."
"I thank you, Sir Mungo," said Nigel, who had not been able to forbearsome natural feelings of an unpleasant nature during this livelydetail,--"I have no doubt the exhibition will be a very engaging oneto you and the other spectators, whatever it may prove to the partyprincipally concerned."
"Vera engaging," answered Sir Mungo, "vera interesting--vera interestingindeed, though not altogether so much so as an execution for hightreason. I saw Digby, the Winters, Fawkes, and the rest of the gunpowdergang, suffer for that treason, whilk was a vera grand spectacle, as wellin regard to their sufferings, as to their constancy in enduring."
"I am the more obliged to your goodness, Sir Mungo," replied Nigel,"that has induced you, although you have lost the sight, to congratulateme on my escape from the hazard of making the same edifying appearance."
"As you say, my lord," answered Sir Mungo, "the loss is chieflyin appearance. Nature has been very bountiful to us, and has givenduplicates of some organs, that we may endure the loss of one of them,should some such circumstance chance in our pilgrimage. See my poordexter, abridged to one thumb, one finger, and a stump,--by the blow ofmy adversary's weapon, however, and not by any carnificial knife. Weel,sir, this poor maimed hand doth me, in some sort, as much service asever; and, admit yours to be taken off by the wrist, you have still yourleft hand for your service, and are better off than the little Dutchdwarf here about town, who threads a needle, limns, writes, and tosses apike, merely by means of his feet, without ever a hand to help him."
"Well, Sir Mungo," said Lord Glenvarloch, "this is all no doubt veryconsolatory; but I hope the king will spare my hand to fight for himin battle, where, notwithstanding all your kind encouragement, I couldspend my blood much more cheerfully than on a scaffold."
"It is even a sad truth," replied Sir Mungo, "that your lordship wasbut too like to have died on a scaffold--not a soul to speak for you butthat deluded lassie Maggie Ramsay."
"Whom mean you?" said Nigel, with more interest than he had hithertoshown in the Knight's communications.
"Nay, who should I mean, but that travestied lassie whom we dined withwhen we
honoured Heriot the goldsmith? Ye ken best how you have madeinterest with her, but I saw her on her knees to the king for you. Shewas committed to my charge, to bring her up hither in honour and safety.Had I had my own will, I would have had her to Bridewell, to flog thewild blood out of her--a cutty quean, to think of wearing the breeches,and not so much as married yet!"
"Hark ye, Sir Mungo Malagrowther," answered Nigel, "I would have youtalk of that young person with fitting respect."
"With all the respect that befits your lordship's paramour, and DavyRamsay's daughter, I shall certainly speak of her, my lord," said SirMungo, assuming a dry tone of irony.
Nigel was greatly disposed to have made a serious quarrel of it, butwith Sir Mungo such an affair would have been ridiculous; he smotheredhis resentment, therefore, and conjured him to tell what he had heardand seen respecting this young person.
"Simply, that I was in the ante-room when she had audience, and heardthe king say, to my great perplexity, '_Pulchra sane puella;_' andMaxwell, who hath but indifferent Latin ears, thought that his Majestycalled on him by his own name of Sawney, and thrust into the presence,and there I saw our Sovereign James, with his own hand, raising up thelassie, who, as I said heretofore, was travestied in man's attire. Ishould have had my own thoughts of it, but our gracious Master is auld,and was nae great gillravager amang the queans even in his youth; andhe was comforting her in his own way and saying,--'Ye needna greet aboutit, my bonnie woman, Glenvarlochides shall have fair play; and, indeed,when the hurry was off our spirits, we could not believe that he hadany design on our person. And touching his other offences, we will lookwisely and closely into the matter.' So I got charge to take the youngfence-louper to the Tower here, and deliver her to the charge of LadyMansel; and his Majesty charged me to say not a word to her about youroffences, for, said he, the poor thing is breaking her heart for him."
"And on this you have charitably founded the opinion to the prejudiceof this young lady, which you have now thought proper to express?" saidLord Glenvarloch.
"In honest truth, my lord," replied Sir Mungo, "what opinion would youhave me form of a wench who gets into male habiliments, and goes onher knees to the king for a wild young nobleman? I wot not what thefashionable word may be, for the phrase changes, though the customabides. But truly I must needs think this young leddy--if you callWatchie Ramsay's daughter a young leddy--demeans herself more like aleddy of pleasure than a leddy of honour."
"You do her egregious wrong, Sir Mungo," said Nigel; "or rather you havebeen misled by appearances."
"So will all the world be misled, my lord," replied the satirist,"unless you were doing that to disabuse them which your father's sonwill hardly judge it fit to do."
"And what may that be, I pray you?"
"E'en marry the lass--make her Leddy Glenvarloch.--Ay, ay, ye maystart--but it's the course you are driving on. Rather marry than doworse, if the worst be not done already."
"Sir Mungo," said Nigel, "I pray you to forbear this subject, and ratherreturn to that of the mutilation, upon which it pleased you to enlarge ashort while since."
"I have not time at present," said Sir Mungo, hearing the clock strikefour; "but so soon as you shall have received sentence, my lord, you mayrely on my giving you the fullest detail of the whole solemnity; and Igive you my word, as a knight and a gentleman, that I will myself attendyou on the scaffold, whoever may cast sour looks on me for doing so. Ibear a heart, to stand by a friend in the worst of times."
So saying, he wished Lord Glenvarloch farewell; who felt as heartilyrejoiced at his departure, though it may be a bold word, as any personwho had ever undergone his society.
But, when left to his own reflections, Nigel could not help feelingsolitude nearly as irksome as the company of Sir Mungo Malagrowther. Thetotal wreck of his fortune,--which seemed now to be rendered unavoidableby the loss of the royal warrant, that had afforded him the means ofredeeming his paternal estate,--was an unexpected and additional blow.When he had seen the warrant he could not precisely remember; but wasinclined to think, it was in the casket when he took out money to paythe miser for his lodgings at Whitefriars. Since then, the casket hadbeen almost constantly under his own eye, except during the short timehe was separated from his baggage by the arrest in Greenwich Park. Itmight, indeed, have been taken out at that time, for he had no reasonto think either his person or his property was in the hands of those whowished him well; but, on the other hand, the locks of the strong-box hadsustained no violence that he could observe, and, being of a particularand complicated construction, he thought they could scarce be openedwithout an instrument made on purpose, adapted to their peculiarities,and for this there had been no time. But, speculate as he would on thematter, it was clear that this important document was gone, and probablethat it had passed into no friendly hands. "Let it be so," said Nigelto himself; "I am scarcely worse off respecting my prospects of fortune,than when I first reached this accursed city. But to be hampered withcruel accusations, and stained with foul suspicions-to be the objectof pity of the most degrading kind to yonder honest citizen, and of themalignity of that envious and atrabilarious courtier, who can endurethe good fortune and good qualities of another no more than the molecan brook sunshine--this is indeed a deplorable reflection; and theconsequences must stick to my future life, and impede whatever my head,or my hand, if it is left me, might be able to execute in my favour."
The feeling, that he is the object of general dislike and dereliction,seems to be one of the most unendurably painful to which a human beingcan be subjected. The most atrocious criminals, whose nerves have notshrunk from perpetrating the most horrid cruelty, endure more from theconsciousness that no man will sympathise with their sufferings, thanfrom apprehension of the personal agony of their impending punishment;and are known often to attempt to palliate their enormities, andsometimes altogether to deny what is established by the clearest proof,rather than to leave life under the general ban of humanity. It was nowonder that Nigel, labouring under the sense of general, though unjustsuspicion, should, while pondering on so painful a theme, recollect thatone, at least, had not only believed him innocent, but hazarded herself,with all her feeble power, to interpose in his behalf.
"Poor girl!" he repeated; "poor, rash, but generous maiden! your fate isthat of her in Scottish story, who thrust her arm into the staple ofthe door, to oppose it as a bar against the assassins who threatened themurder of her sovereign. The deed of devotion was useless; save to givean immortal name to her by whom it was done, and whose blood flows, itis said, in the veins of my house."
I cannot explain to the reader, whether the recollection of thishistorical deed of devotion, and the lively effect which the comparison,a little overstrained perhaps, was likely to produce in favour ofMargaret Ramsay, was not qualified by the concomitant ideas of ancestryand ancient descent with which that recollection was mingled. But thecontending feelings suggested a new train of ideas.--"Ancestry," hethought, "and ancient descent, what are they to me?--My patrimonyalienated--my title become a reproach--for what can be so absurd astitled beggary?--my character subjected to suspicion,--I will not remainin this country; and should I, at leaving it, procure the society of oneso lovely, so brave, and so faithful, who should say that I derogatedfrom the rank which I am virtually renouncing?"
There was something romantic and pleasing, as he pursued this picture ofan attached and faithful pair, becoming all the world to each other,and stemming the tide of fate arm in arm; and to be linked thus with acreature so beautiful, and who had taken such devoted and disinterestedconcern in his fortunes, formed itself into such a vision as romanticyouth loves best to dwell upon.
Suddenly his dream was painfully dispelled, by the recollection, thatits very basis rested upon the most selfish ingratitude on his own part.Lord of his castle and his towers, his forests and fields, his fairpatrimony and noble name, his mind would have rejected, as a sort ofimpossibility, the idea of elevating to his rank the daughter of amechanic; but, when
degraded from his nobility, and plunged into povertyand difficulties, he was ashamed to feel himself not unwilling, thatthis poor girl, in the blindness of her affection, should abandonall the better prospects of her own settled condition, to embrace theprecarious and doubtful course which he himself was condemned to. Thegenerosity of Nigel's mind recoiled from the selfishness of the plan ofhappiness which he projected; and he made a strong effort to expel fromhis thoughts for the rest of the evening this fascinating female, or, atleast, not to permit them to dwell upon the perilous circumstance, thatshe was at present the only creature living who seemed to consider himas an object of kindness.
He could not, however, succeed in banishing her from his slumbers, when,after having spent a weary day, he betook himself to a perturbed couch.The form of Margaret mingled with the wild mass of dreams which his lateadventures had suggested; and even when, copying the lively narrative ofSir Mungo, fancy presented to him the blood bubbling and hissing onthe heated iron, Margaret stood behind him like a spirit of light, tobreathe healing on the wound. At length nature was exhausted by thesefantastic creations, and Nigel slept, and slept soundly, until awakenedin the morning by the sound of a well-known voice, which had oftenbroken his slumbers about the same hour.