[begin page 123]
The royal barge, attended by its gorgeous fleet, took its stately way down the Thames through the wilderness of illuminated boats. The air was laden with music; the river banks were beruffled with joy-flames;Ⓐalteration in the MS the distant city lay in a soft luminous glow from its countless invisible bonfires; above it rose many a slender spire into the sky, encrusted with sparkling lights, wherefore in their remoteness they seemed like jeweled lances thrust aloft; as the fleet swept along,Ⓐalteration in the MS it was greeted from the banks with a continuous hoarse roar of cheers and the ceaseless flash and boom of artillery.
To Tom Canty, half buried in his silken cushions, these sounds and this spectacle were a wonder unspeakably sublime and astonishing. To his little friends at his sideⒶalteration in the MS, the princess Elizabeth and the lady Jane Grey, they were nothing.
Arrived at the DowgateⒶemendation, the fleet was towedⒶalteration in the MS up the limpid Walbrook (whose channel has now been for two centuries buried out of sight under acres of buildings,) to Bucklersbury, past houses and under bridges populous with merry-makers and brilliantly lighted, and at last came to a halt in a basin where now is Barge Yard, in the centre of the ancientⒶalteration in the MS city of London. Tom disembarked, and he and his gallantⒶalteration in the MS [begin page 124]
Tom and his little ladies were received with due ceremony by the Lord Mayor and the Fathers of the City, in their gold chains and scarlet robes of state, and conducted to a richⒶalteration in the MS canopy of stateⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation Ⓐtextual note at the head of the great hall, preceded by heralds making proclamation, and by the Mace and the City Sword. The lords and ladies who were to attend upon Tom and his two small friends took their places behind their chairs.
At a lower table the court grandees and other guests of noble degree were seated, with the magnates of the city;Ⓐalteration in the MS the commoners took places [begin page 125] at a multitude of tables on the main floor of the hall. From their lofty vantage-ground, the giants Gog and Magog, the ancient guardians of the city, contemplated the spectacle below them with eyes grown familiar to it in forgotten generations. There was a bugle-blast and a proclamation, and a fatⒶalteration in the MS butler appeared in a high perch in the leftwardⒶemendation wall, followed by his servitors bearing with impressiveⒶalteration in the MS solemnityⒶalteration in the MS a royal Baron of Beef,Ⓐalteration in the MS smoking hot and ready for the knife.
After grace,Ⓐalteration in the MS Tom (being instructed,) rose—and the whole house with him—and drank from a portly golden loving-cup with the princess Elizabeth; from herⒶalteration in the MS it passed to the lady Jane, and then traversed the general assemblage. So the banquet began.
By midnight the revelry was at its height. Now came one of those picturesque spectacles so admired in that old day. A description of it is still extant in the quaint wording of a chronicler who witnessed it:
“Space being made, presently entered a baron and an earl appareled after the Turkish fashion in long robes of bawdkin powdered with gold; hats on their heads of crimson velvet, with great rolls of gold, girded with two swords, called scimitars, hanging by great bawdricks of gold. Next came yet another baron and another earl, in two long gowns of yellow satin, traversed with white satin, and in every bend of white was a bend of crimson satin, after the fashion of Russia, with furred hats of gray on their heads; either of them having an hatchet in their hands, and boots with pykes” (points a foot long), “turnedⒶalteration in the MS up. And after them came a knight, then the Lord High Admiral, and with him five nobles, in doublets of crimson velvet, voydedⒶalteration in the MS low on the back and before to the cannell-boneⒶalteration in the MS, laced on the breasts with chains of silver; and, over that, short cloaks of crimson satin, and on their heads hats after the dancers’ fashion, with pheasants’ feathers in them. These were appareled after the fashion of Prussia. The torch-bearers, which were about an hundred, were appareled in crimson satin and green, like Moors, their faces black. Next came in a mommarye. Then the minstrels, which were disguised, danced; and the lords and ladies did wildly dance also, that it was a pleasure to behold.”Ⓔexplanatory note
And while Tom, in his high seat, was gazing upon this “wild” dancing, lost in admiration of the dazzling commingling of kaleidoscopic colors which the whirling turmoil of gaudy figures below him presented, the ragged but real little PrinceⒶemendation of Wales was proclaiming his rights and his wrongs, denouncing the impostor, and clamoring for [begin page 126] admission at the gates of Guildhall! The crowd enjoyed this episode prodigiously, and pressed forward and craned their necks to see the small rioter. Presently they began to taunt him and mock at him, purposely to goad him into a higher and still more entertaining fury. Tears of mortification sprungⒶhistorical collation to his eyes, but he stood his ground and defied the mob right royally. Other taunts followed, added mockings stung him, and he exclaimed—
“I tell yeⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation again, youⒶhistorical collation Ⓐemendation pack of unmannerly curs, I am the Prince of Wales! And all forlorn and friendless as I be, with none to give me word of grace or help me in my need, yet will not I be driven from my ground, but will maintain it!”
“Though thou be prince or no prince, ’tis all one, thou be’st a gallant lad, and not friendless neither! Here stand I by thy side to prove it; and mind I tell thee thou might’st have a worser friend thanⒶalteration in the MS Miles Hendon and yet not tire thy legs with seeking. Rest thy small jaw, my child, I talk the language of these base kennel-rats like to a very native.”
The speaker was a sort of Don Caesar de BazanⒺexplanatory note inⒶalteration in the MS dress, aspect, and bearing. He was tall, trim-built, muscular. His doublet and trunks were of rich material, but faded and threadbare, and their gold-lace adornments were sadly tarnished; his ruff was rumpled and damaged; the plume in his slouched hat was broken and had a bedraggled and disreputable look; at his side he wore a longⒶalteration in the MS rapier in a rusty iron sheath; his swaggering carriage marked him at once as a ruffler of the camp. The speech of this fantastic figure was received with an explosion of jeers and laughter. Some cried, “ ’Tis another prince in disguise!” “ ’Ware thy tongue, friend, belike he is dangerous!” “Marry,Ⓐalteration in the MS he looketh it—mark his eye!” “Pluck the lad from him—to the horse-pond wi’ the cub!”
Instantly a hand was laid upon the prince, under the impulse of this happy thought; as instantly the stranger’s long sword was out and the meddler went to the earth under a sounding thump with the flat of it. The next moment a score of voices shouted “Kill the dog! kill him! kill him!” and the mob closed in on the warrior, whoⒶalteration in the MS backed himself against a wall and began to lay about him with his long weapon like a madman. His victims sprawled this way and that, but the mob-tideⒶemendation poured over their prostrate forms and dashed itself against the championⒶalteration in the MS with undiminished fury. His moments seemed numbered, his destruction certain,Ⓐalteration in the MS when suddenly a trumpet-blast sounded, a voice [begin page 127] shouted, “Way for the king’s messenger!” and a troop of horsemen came charging down upon theⒶalteration in the MS mob, who fled out of harm’s reach as fast as their legs could carry them. The boldⒶalteration in the MS stranger caught up the prince in his arms, and was soon far away from danger and the multitude.
Return weⒶtextual note within the Guildhall. Suddenly, high above the jubilant roar and thunder of the revel, broke the clear peal of a bugle-noteⒶemendation.
There was instant silence,Ⓐalteration in the MS a deep hush; then a single voice rose—that of the messenger from the palace—and began to pipe forth a proclamation, the whole multitude standing, listening. The closing words, solemnly pronounced, were—
“The king is dead!”
The great assemblage bent their heads upon their breasts with one accord; remained so, in profound silence, a few moments;Ⓐalteration in the MS then all sunkⒶhistorical collation upon their knees in a body, stretched out their hands toward Tom, and a mighty shout burst forth that seemed to shake the building—
“Long live the king!”
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Poor Tom’sⒶalteration in the MS dazed eyes wandered abroad over this stupefying spectacle, and finally rested dreamily upon the kneeling princesses beside him, a moment, then upon the Earl of Hertford.Ⓐtextual note A sudden purpose dawned in his face. He said,Ⓐalteration in the MS in a low tone, at lordⒶemendation Hertford’s ear—Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Answer me truly, on thy faith and honor!Ⓐalteration in the MS Uttered I here a command, the which none but a king might hold privilege and prerogative to utter, would such commandment be obeyed, and none rise up to say me nay?”
“None, my liege, in all these realms. In thy person bides the majesty of England. Thou art the king—thy word is law.”
[begin page 129]Tom responded, in a strongⒶalteration in the MS, earnest voice, and with great animation—
“Then shall the king’s law be law of mercy, from this dayⒶalteration in the MS, and never more be law of blood! Up from thy knees and away! To the Tower and say the king decrees the DukeⒶalteration in the MS of Norfolk shall not die!”*Ⓐalteration in the MS
The words were caught up and carried eagerly from lip to lip far and wide over the hall, and as HertfordⒶtextual note hurried from the presence, another prodigiousⒶalteration in the MS shout burst forth—
“The reign of blood is ended!Ⓐalteration in the MS Long live Edward, king of England!”Ⓐtextual note
*See Note 7, at end of volume.Ⓐalteration in the MS [begin page 130]
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