Robin Tremayne Part 29

By the second of July, England knew that the King was dying. No longer could there be any question of the sorrowful truth. He was at Greenwich Palace, Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley in frequent waiting on him; and summons was sent to his sisters to come quickly. On the 3rd of July, which was Sunday, Dr Ridley preached at the Cross, where he dimly foreshadowed the disposition of the Crown that was coming. All who heard him were much astonished, for not a word had crept out before. It was plain from what he said that the King's sisters were to be pa.s.sed over (to the no little surprise of all who knew his love for the Princess Elizabeth); but it was not plain who was to come instead; and the rumour ran that it would be the Lady Frances, d.u.c.h.ess of Suffolk, the niece of King Henry, and mother of the Lady Jane Grey.

On the evening of the 6th of July, came a comforting rumour that the King was better, and a hope sprang up that he would yet recover. Those who knew the Duke of Northumberland might have guessed at treachery. In truth, the King died that day; but the Duke kept it secret, until he thought his plans secure for the Lady Jane's succession.

On the morning of the 10th of July, came Dr Thorpe in great haste, from the barber's.

"Isoult!" cried he, "tie thine hood and bring the childre!"

"What is now to do?" said she to herself; but she tied on her hood, and brought down the children with her.

"Where be Jack and Robin?" asked the old man.

"They went forth to Westminster together, half an hour gone," said Isoult.

"They must s.h.i.+ft for themselves, then," said he. "Come away."

"But whither, Doctor?" she wished to know.

"Down to the river side by Saint Katherine's, with all the haste that may be," answered he. "Isoult, the King is dead, and the Lady Jane Dudley proclaimed Queen of England, and she cometh apace from Shene to the Tower. We may chance to see her land, if we lose no time."

"The King dead!"

Isoult said no more, but away they ran down the street, till they reached Saint Katherine by the Tower. A crowd of people were already there. They took up their places by the church, whence they could see the river; and they had not been there two minutes, ere they heard a sound of cheering from the watermen below; and presently the royal barge of England glided into sight. At the bow played the standard of the realm; and about the cloth of estate were several ladies and gentlemen, all clad in mourning, surrounding a lady who sat under the canopy. This was all that could be seen till the barge stopped at the Tower-stairs.

Then from it (a blue cloth being first laid to the gate) came the Duke of Northumberland, robed in a long, black gown trimmed with fox, leading a fair, slender girl also in mourning, and Frances, d.u.c.h.ess of Suffolk [Note 3], bore her train. After them came the Duke of Suffolk, the Earl of Arundel, a slim comely youth unknown to the crowd, and Lord Grey de Wilton. And the minute after, from the crowd thronging the postern, Mr Ive, the High Constable (Mr Underhill's friend and neighbour at the Lime Hurst), made his way to our little group.

"Ah! how do you?" said he. "You are in fair time to see our new Queen."

"I pray you, Mr Ive," said Isoult, "is yonder damsel her Highness, that my Lord's Grace of Northumberland hath by the hand?"

"Even so," replied he; "and yonder young gentleman that followeth is her husband, the Lord Guilford Dudley."

Very earnestly they looked then on the face of their new Sovereign. A soft, gentle face, fair and clear complexion, brown hair, and meek, thoughtful brown eyes; and eyes that had shed tears but very lately.

But Northumberland bore himself proudly, as though he felt himself a King already. And very few voices said "G.o.d save Queen Jane!" Isoult did hear a few, but few they were.

In the evening, throughout the City, and without the gates, was the new Queen proclaimed. It was now known that the King had died on the Thursday previous, and that Northumberland had kept the matter secret, until he thought Jane's succession ensured. And by letters patent, dated the 21st of June, King Edward had bequeathed the realm to the heirs-male of his cousin the Lady Frances, d.u.c.h.ess of Suffolk; and should she have no heirs-male before his death, the reversion was to pa.s.s to her eldest daughter, the Lady Jane Dudley, now Queen; and for lack of her issue, to her cousin Lady Margaret Clifford. The sisters of Jane were pa.s.sed over, and also the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, sisters of the late King.

All the Queen's officers, and her Council, were sworn to serve her on the 9th of July; and troops were sent to take the Lady Mary, who had already been proclaimed Queen at Kenninghall in Norfolk.

Every body was glad to see Mr Rose come in that evening.

"Well!" said he, "we are well into a new reign. Thank G.o.d for a Protestant Prince!"

"There Underhill shall run a tilt with you," said John, smiling.

"My friend, had the Lady Mary not been exempted of the King her brother, I had bowed to her sceptre," said Mr Rose. "But she is lawfully put forth; and Queen Jane as lawfully proclaimed."

"Who talks treason here?" cried Mr Underhill's voice behind, which all dreaded to hear. "What say you--'G.o.d save Queen Jane?' I say, G.o.d save Queen Mary! I serve not my Lord of Northumberland, for all the Papists nick [give me the nick-name] me his spy! _I_ have not proclaimed King John--whereof, as all men do know, Queen Jane is but the feminine. I am a servant of the Queen's Majesty that reigneth by right, and that Queen is Mary. G.o.d defend the right, as a.s.suredly He will!"

Mr Rose looked quietly on him.

"You may live to forethink [regret] the setting of her up, if it were so," was all he said.

"I may live to be sorry she was ever born," answered Mr Underhill. "I know that, Father Rose! But right is right, and wrong is wrong; and I say this is a wrong, and I stand forth for the right."

"G.o.d's will is the right," gently answered Mr Rose. "Let us not fight against G.o.d."

"And be you ware you do not!" cried Mr Underhill in his ringing voice.

"How look you to know what His will is herein?"

"We shall all know that ere it be long," said Mr Rose, sadly.

On the 13th of July [exact date unrecorded] was born Guilford Underhill, Mr Underhill's eldest son. He had already five daughters. The 19th was appointed for christening the child, and the sponsors were the Queen (that is to say, Lady Jane), her father the Duke of Suffolk, and the Earl of Pembroke. John Avery was greatly amused that Mr Underhill should believe the Lady Jane had no right to be Queen, and yet, because she was Queen, would have her his child's sponsor. It was an instance of the consistent inconsistency inherent in human nature.

The 14th of July was a day of contrary rumours, and great trouble, and running to and fro in the streets of the city. From all sides news poured in that the Lady Mary was proclaimed Queen--at Kenninghall, and Framlingham, and Norwich, and in all the eastern parts. The Council would have sent the Duke of Suffolk against her; but Lady Jane his daughter entreated with tears that he might remain with her; and they then sent the Duke of Northumberland. He and Lord Grey de Wilton (who went unwillingly, being of Mr Underhill's way of thinking) set forth on the 14th, with six hundred men. That evening came news that Mary was proclaimed in Buckinghams.h.i.+re.

On the 16th, at seven o'clock at night, the gates of the Tower were suddenly locked, and the keys carried to Lady Jane. This was to secure the Lord Treasurer, (the Marquis of Winchester), who was considered of doubtful faith, and proved to be as he was considered.

As the party reached Saint Katherine's on their way to the christening, the Lords of the Council were just riding out of the western gate of the Tower. These were the Earls of Pembroke, Shrewsbury, and Arundel, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Lord Mayor, and sundry knights.

The Duke of Suffolk was left behind. The truth was, that he would have been in the way. The Council said that it was going to give audience to the French Amba.s.sador; but it was really bound on a very different errand. Lady Throgmorton was the Queen's deputy at the christening, and named the child Guilford.

"Named for a Dudley!" whispered the irrepressible Dr Thorpe to Isoult.

"He will not thrive, take my word for it--unless he turn out a rascal."

Before the ceremony was ended, a great noise was heard in the City: shouting, singing, and roaring all together. The baptism over, Lady Throgmorton returned into the Tower; and the rest of the party went on to the Lamb, where they were all going to pa.s.s the afternoon. Mistress Helen Ive [a fict.i.tious person], the High Constable's daughter, carried the baby, and accompanied Isoult; but Mr Ive said he would go up to Aldgate, and see what all the tumult had been; so away he went, while the others rested and talked, and ate ale-brew [ale and bread, sometimes called aleberry] and spiced cake; and Kate was wonderfully pleased with the baby. All at once, as they sat thus, Mr Ive returned, his face showing that he brought strange tidings.

"They have proclaimed Queen Mary!" he cried breathlessly.

"Who have?" asked Mr Underhill, turning round.

"The Lords of the Council," answered he.

"Robin Hood's tales!" cried Mr Underhill.

"'Tis truth," responded Mr Ive.

"The Council of Queen Jane to proclaim Queen Mary!" said Mr Underhill, scornfully. "Ive, you are mad as a March hare."

"'Bate me an ace, quoth Bolton,'" said Dr Thorpe, shrugging his shoulders.

"Bate your aces, and catch your March hares," answered Mr Ive, who took all this banter very pleasantly; "but this is truth that I do tell you.

An hour gone, we being in the church, when we heard that mighty bruit from the City, was Queen Mary proclaimed in Cheapside by the Council.

Their audience to the French King's Amba.s.sador was but a feint, to get well and all together out of the Tower. And when they came to the Chepe, they called an halt; and my Lord of Arundel, stepping forwards, did there, in the hearing of all the people, proclaim--'Mary, by the grace of G.o.d, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen'--and so forth.

And no sooner said than every man in the street flung up his cap, and the people cheered as they had gone mad for joy. The Earl of Pembroke threw down in the street his cap full of angelets."

"My word on't, but I would Walter had been there, to run about and gather them up!" said Dr Thorpe. "We might have gleaned that comfort thence, at least."

"And at the windows of many houses in the City," continued Mr Ive, "money was thrown out; and bonfires all along the Chepe and Poultry be a-lighting, and at all the gates, and in Cornhill, and Fleet Street, and Aldersgate Street, and I know not where else; and (say they) such shouting, crying, and singing of the people, ringing of bells, playing of organs, tables of meal and drink setting forth in every street; and such racket and bruit, as a man might scantly hear his own voice. And after the proclamation in Cheapside, all the Council rade to Poules, and there was _Te Deum_ to be sung at evensong."

"But who be 'they'?" cried Mr Underhill. "Who told you all this jolly tale?"