CHAPTER IV. THE RETURN OF EDWARD OF YORK.
And the winds still blew, and the storm was on the tide, and Margaretcame not when, in the gusty month of March, the fishermen of the Humberbeheld a single ship, without flag or pennon, and sorely stripped andrivelled by adverse blasts, gallantly struggling towards the shore. Thevessel was not of English build, and resembled in its bulk and fashionthose employed by the Easterlings in their trade, half merchantman, halfwar-ship.
The villagers of Ravenspur,--the creek of which the vessel now rapidlymade to,--imagining that it was some trading craft in distress, groupedround the banks, and some put out their boats: But the vessel held onits way, and, as the water was swelled by the tide, and unusually deep,silently cast anchor close ashore, a quarter of a mile from the crowd.
The first who leaped on land was a knight of lofty stature, and incomplete armour richly inlaid with gold arabesques. To him succeededanother, also in mail, and, though well guilt and fair proportioned, ofless imposing presence. And then, one by one, the womb of the dark shipgave forth a number of armed soldiers, infinitely larger than it couldhave been supposed to contain, till the knight who first landed stoodthe centre of a group of five hundred men. Then were lowered from thevessel, barbed and caparisoned, some five score horses; and, finally,the sailors and rowers, armed but with steel caps and short swords, cameon shore, till not a man was left on board.
"Now praise," said the chief knight, "to God and Saint George that wehave escaped the water! and not with invisible winds but with bodilyfoes must our war be waged."
"Beau sire," cried one knight, who had debarked immediately after thespeaker, and who seemed, from his bearing and equipment, of higher rankthan those that followed, "beau sire, this is a slight army to reconquera king's realm! Pray Heaven that our bold companions have also escapedthe deep!"
"Why, verily, we are not eno' at the best, to spare one man," said thechief knight, gayly, "but, lo! we are not without welcomers." And hepointed to the crowd of villagers who now slowly neared the warlikegroup, but halting at a little distance, continued to gaze at them insome anxiety and alarm.
"Ho there! good fellows!" cried the leader, striding towards the throng,"what name give you to this village?"
"Ravenspur, please your worship," answered one of the peasants.
"Ravenspur, hear you that, lords and friends? Accept the omen! On thisspot landed from exile Henry of Bolingbroke, known afterwards in ourannals as King Henry IV.! Bare is the soil of corn and of trees,--itdisdains meaner fruit; it grows kings! Hark!" The sound of a bugle washeard at a little distance, and in a few moments a troop of about ahundred men were seen rising above an undulation in the ground, andas the two bands recognized each other, a shout of joy was given andreturned.
As this new reinforcement advanced, the peasantry and fishermen,attracted by curiosity and encouraged by the peaceable demeanour of thedebarkers, drew nearer, and mingled with the first comers.
"What manner of men be ye, and what want ye?" asked one of thebystanders, who seemed of better nurturing than the rest, and who,indeed, was a small franklin.
No answer was returned by those he more immediately addressed; but thechief knight heard the question, and suddenly unbuckling his helmet,and giving it to one of those beside him, he turned to the crowd acountenance of singular beauty at once animated and majestic, and saidin a loud voice, "We are Englishmen, like you, and we come here to claimour rights. Ye seem tall fellows and honest.--Standard bearer, unfurlour flag!" And as the ensign suddenly displayed the device of a sun ina field azure, the chief continued, "March under this banner, and forevery day ye serve, ye shall have a month's hire."
"Marry!" quoth the franklin, with a suspicious, sinister look, "thesebe big words. And who are you, Sir Knight, who would levy men in KingHenry's kingdom?"
"Your knees, fellows!" cried the second knight. "Behold your true liegeand suzerain, Edward IV.! Long live King Edward!"
The soldiers caught up the cry, and it was re-echoed lustily by thesmaller detachment that now reached the spot; but no answer came fromthe crowd. They looked at each other in dismay, and retreated rapidlyfrom their place amongst the troops. In fact, the whole of theneighbouring district was devoted to Warwick, and many of the peasantryabout had joined the former rising under Sir John Coniers. The franklinalone retreated not with the rest; he was a bluff, plain, bold fellow,with good English blood in his veins. And when the shout ceased, he saidshortly, "We hereabouts know no king but King Henry. We fear you wouldimpose upon us. We cannot believe that a great lord like him you callEdward IV. would land with a handful of men to encounter the armies ofLord Warwick. We forewarn you to get into your ship and go back as fastas ye came, for the stomach of England is sick of brawls and blows; andwhat ye devise is treason!"
Forth from the new detachment stepped a youth of small stature, not inarmour, and with many a weather-stain on his gorgeous dress. He laid hishand upon the franklin's shoulder. "Honest and plain-dealing fellow,"said he, "you are right: pardon the foolish outburst of these brave men,who cannot forget as yet that their chief has worn the crown. We comeback not to disturb this realm, nor to effect aught against King Henry,whom the saints have favoured. No, by Saint Paul, we come but back toclaim our lands unjustly forfeit. My noble brother here is not king ofEngland, since the people will it not, but he is Duke of York, and hewill be contented if assured of the style and lands our father left him.For me, called Richard of Gloucester, I ask nothing but leave to spendmy manhood where I have spent my youth, under the eyes of my renownedgodfather, Richard Nevile, Earl of Warwick. So report of us. Whitherleads yon road?"
"To York," said the franklin, softened, despite his judgment, by theirresistible suavity of the voice that addressed him.
"Thither will we go, my lord duke and brother, with your leave," saidPrince Richard, "peaceably and as petitioners. God save ye, friends andcountrymen, pray for us, that King Henry and the parliament may do usjustice. We are not over rich now, but better times may come. Largess!"and filling both hands with coins from his gipsire, he tossed the bountyamong the peasants.
"Mille tonnere! What means he with this humble talk of King Henry andthe parliament?" whispered Edward to the Lord Say, while the crowdscrambled for the largess, and Richard smilingly mingled amongst them,and conferred with the franklin.
"Let him alone, I pray you, my liege; I guess his wise design. And nowfor our ships. What orders for the master?"
"For the other vessels, let them sail or anchor as they list. Butfor the bark that has borne Edward king of England to the land of hisancestors there is no return!"
The royal adventurer then beckoned the Flemish master of the ship, who,with every sailor aboard, had debarked, and the loose dresses of themariners made a strong contrast to the mail of the warriors with whomthey mingled.
"Friend," said Edward, in French, "thou hast said that thou wilt sharemy fortunes, and that thy good fellows are no less free of courage andleal in trust."
"It is so, sire. Not a man who has gazed on thy face, and heard thyvoice, but longs to serve one on whose brow Nature has written king."
"And trust me," said Edward, "no prince of my blood shall be dearer tome than you and yours, my friends in danger and in need. And sith itbe so, the ship that hath borne such hearts and such hopes should, insooth, know no meaner freight. Is all prepared?"
"Yes, sire, as you ordered. The train is laid for the brennen."
"Up, then, with the fiery signal, and let it tell, from cliff tocliff, from town to town, that Edward the Plantagenet, once returned toEngland, leaves it but for the grave!"
The master bowed, and smiled grimly. The sailors, who had been preparedfor the burning, arranged before between the master and the prince, andwhose careless hearts Edward had thoroughly won to his person and hiscause, followed the former towards the ship, and stood silently groupedaround the shore. The soldiers, less informed, gazed idly on, andRichard now regained Edward's side.
"Reflect," he said, a
s he drew him apart, "that, when on this spotlanded Henry of Bolingbroke, he gave not out that he was marching to thethrone of Richard II. He professed but to claim his duchy,--and men wereinfluenced by justice, till they became agents of ambition. This beyour policy; with two thousand men you are but Duke of York; with tenthousand men you are King of England! In passing hither, I met withmany, and sounding the temper of the district, I find it not ripe toshare your hazard. The world soon ripens when it hath to hail success!"
"O young boy's smooth face! O old man's deep brain!" said Edward,admiringly, "what a king hadst thou made!" A sudden flush passed overthe prince's pale cheek, and, ere it died away, a flaming torch washurled aloft in the air; it fell whirling into the ship--a moment, and aloud crash; a moment, and a mighty blaze! Up sprung from the deck, alongthe sails, the sheeted fire,--
"A giant beard of flame." [Aeschylus: Agamemnon, 314]
It reddened the coast, the skies, from far and near; it glowed on thefaces and the steel of the scanty army; it was seen, miles away, by thewarders of many a castle manned with the troops of Lancaster; it broughtthe steed from the stall, the courier to the selle; it sped, as of oldthe beacon fire that announced to Clytemnestra the return of the Argiveking. From post to post rode the fiery news, till it reached LordWarwick in his hall, King Henry in his palace, Elizabeth in hersanctuary. The iron step of the dauntless Edward was once more pressedupon the soil of England.