how the insurgents proceeded to lambeth palace.
meantime, osbert and his party were more than half across the thames.
before them rose the stately palace of lambeth, with its tower and gateway, looking like a black mass relieved against the clear sky. the serene beauty of night, which contrasted forcibly with the agitating events that were taking place, was not without effect upon osbert. as he stood at the prow of the barge, leaning upon his sword and contemplating the scene, its holy calmness insensibly softened him, and he began to feel compunction for what he had done. but it was now too late to recede. the step was taken, and he must go on. he must either perish as a traitor, or live as the liberator of his country. stifling all remorseful feelings, he tried to fix his thoughts on the latter contingency.
as the insurgents approached lambeth palace, it was evident from the lights gleaming from the windows, and the sounds heard from the courts, that its inmates were alarmed and astir.
in another moment the little squadron reached the wharf. osbert was the first to land, and leaped ashore sword in hand. udal and rufford followed him, but such expedition was used that only a few minutes elapsed before the whole party had disembarked.
meantime, their movements were watched from the battlements 323of the gateway by rodomont bittern and his two lieutenants. as soon as the insurgents had landed, and were drawn up, osbert marched at their head towards the gateway, but before he reached it, rodomont called out in a loud voice:—
“who are ye, sirs, and what seek ye, that ye approach the palace of the lord cardinal in this hostile fashion? state your business without parleying, that i may report it to his eminence. but i warn you that you can have no admittance at this hour.”
“we will obtain admittance for ourselves if our request be refused,” replied osbert. “we require constance tyrrell and derrick carver, both detained within the palace, to be delivered up to us.”
“by whose warrant do you make this demand?” inquired rodomont.
“by mine own,” replied the other, “which thus backed, shall answer as well as any other, were it even the queen’s.”
“none but her majesty’s own order will procure their liberation,” rejoined rodomont; “and since you possess not that, you are likely to go away empty-handed. though i would fain disbelieve it, methinks it is master osbert clinton who speaks to me.”
“i am he you suppose,” replied osbert. “use dispatch, good rodomont, and convey my message to the lord cardinal.”
“if you are turned rebel, as i suspect from the tone you adopt, and the armed rout at your heels,” rejoined rodomont, “i must pray you to cease all familiarity with me. but i will make your demand known to the lord cardinal.”
“fail not to add, that if they be not delivered up, we will enter the palace and take them,” said osbert.
“i will communicate your exact words,” rejoined rodomont, “but i warn you, that if you make the attempt you will assuredly be hanged.”
with this he quitted the battlements.
while he was gone, osbert employed the time in explaining to the insurgents what must be done in the event of the cardinal’s refusal.
after a brief delay, a wicket in the gate was opened, and rodomont bittern came forth.
324“what answer bring you from the lord cardinal?” demanded osbert, on seeing him.
“his eminence will answer you in person,” said rodomont. “but if you will take the advice of one who was once your friend, and is still your well-wisher, you will pursue this matter no further.”
“a truce to this,” cried osbert, sternly. “i must have the cardinal’s answer without delay, or i shall proceed to action. i have no time to waste.”
“you are peremptory, sir,” observed rodomont dryly.
“so peremptory, that i will have the prisoners,” rejoined osbert, fiercely.
“you must discuss that point with the lord cardinal himself,” rejoined rodomont.
as he spoke, the falling of heavy bars within-side proclaimed that the gates were being unfastened, and in another moment the ponderous valves swung aside and disclosed the cardinal standing beneath the archway.
close behind him stood priuli with constance tyrrell, habited in black, and looking deathly pale, and a little further removed was derrick carver, with mallet, the keeper of the lollard’s tower.
no guard was near the cardinal; the only persons with him besides simnel and holiday being some half-dozen attendants bearing torches. pole’s features wore a grave and somewhat severe expression. he manifested no apprehension whatever, but fixed a searching though somewhat sorrowful glance upon osbert and the insurgent crew drawn up behind him.
seen by the light of the torches which gleamed upon the cardinal’s majestic figure, upon constance’s pallid but lovely features, upon priuli’s noble countenance, and derrick carver’s rugged physiognomy—upon osbert, who, sword in hand, confronted the cardinal, and upon the insurgents with their pikes—the whole picture was exceedingly striking.
the conference was opened by pole, who, eyeing osbert severely, and speaking in a stern tone, said, “i have caused my gates to be thrown open to you, sir, in order to show you that i have no fear. by what authority do you demand the liberation of the persons committed to my charge?”
“i have no authority for the demand i make,” replied 325osbert, “but i have the power to enforce compliance, and that must suffice. you have done well in throwing open your gates to us, lord cardinal, for we design you no injury. let constance tyrrell and derrick carver, both of whom i see with you, be delivered up to us, and we will trouble you no further.”
“and what will you do if i refuse?” said the cardinal, sternly.
“we will take them,” rejoined osbert. “but i beseech your eminence not to compel us to have recourse to violence.”
“hear me, misguided man,” said pole; “and hear me all of ye,” he continued, addressing the insurgents in a louder tone, “i will not affect to misunderstand the character in which you come. you are rebels and traitors to the queen, and have risen in arms against her.”
“none would be more loyal and devoted subjects of her majesty than we, were our rights and liberties respected,” said osbert: “but we have thrown off our allegiance because we will not submit to be governed by a spanish king. we will not suffer our preachers and pastors to be burnt at the stake as heretics and infidels, nor our country to be enslaved. but we have not come hither to make known our grievances to your eminence, or to ask for redress, which we well know we cannot obtain from you. we have not come hither to do you injury of any sort, for we hold you in profound respect, and wish there were many of your creed like you. our object is to liberate all prisoners for religion, and we therefore require the release of the two persons in your custody.”
“before you proceed to extremities,” rejoined pole, “let me counsel you to pause and consider what you are about. you are engaged in a rash enterprise, which will in no way benefit your cause, but will infallibly lead to your destruction. by this outbreak you will give your rulers a plea for further oppression. i do not hesitate to say that i am averse to religious persecution, and would gladly see an end put to it, but this is not the plan to pursue. in a few hours your outbreak will be crushed, and then the party you represent will be worse off than ever. to all such as are peaceably disposed among you, whose families are dear to them, and 326who would avoid bloodshed and ignominious death, i would say disperse quietly, go to your homes, and come not forth again on a like pretext. to you, osbert clinton, who have been unwise enough to place yourself at the head of this insurrection, i must hold other language. your only safety is in flight. a price will be set on your head, and, if taken, you will die the death of a traitor.”
“i am aware of it,” replied osbert. “but i have sworn to free my country and my religion, or perish in the attempt. i have no thoughts of flight, neither will my followers desert me. but we have talked long enough. you know our determination. are we to have the prisoners peaceably, or must we take them by force?”
“i should be loth to provoke you to bloodshed,” replied the cardinal. “here are the two prisoners, as you see. i will place no restraint upon them. if they choose to go with you, it is well. if not, you will depart without them.”
“i readily agree to the terms, and thank your eminence for sparing me the necessity of violence,” replied osbert. “i do not think they will hesitate. derrick carver, you have heard what has passed. we wait for you.”
but, to osbert’s great surprise, the enthusiast did not move.
“i cannot go unless i am set free by the cardinal,” he said.
“how?” cried osbert.
“his eminence suffered me to go forth on my promise to return,” replied carver, “and i will now prove to him that i am to be relied on.”
“i cannot prevent your departure,” said pole; “neither can i set you free.”
“then i stay,” replied carver.
“i am not disappointed in you,” observed pole, approvingly.
“if such be your determination when freedom is offered you, you must have taken leave of your senses,” said osbert. “constance, i call upon you—and shall not, i am sure, call in vain.”
“i cannot leave the good cardinal, who has sheltered and protected me, without his consent, even at your bidding, osbert,” she replied.
327“and my consent must be refused,” said pole. “alas! misguided man,” he continued to osbert. “you little know what you have done. just as the king has assented to your union with constance, you yourself raise an insuperable obstacle to it. now constance is lost to you for ever.”
“it is too true, osbert!—it is too true,” she cried. “why did you come hither thus?”
“ah! why?” he cried, striking his head with his clenched hand. “perdition on my folly!”
“save yourself by instant flight—that is the best advice i can give you,” said the cardinal.
“desert my friends—never!” exclaimed osbert. “the die is cast, and i must stand the issue. constance, by all the love you profess to bear me, i implore you to come with me.”
“alas! alas! i cannot obey you,” she rejoined.
“then i will carry you off in spite of your resistance,” cried osbert. “forward, friends, forward!”
some few advanced at the summons, but the majority, upon whom the cardinal’s harangue, combined with subsequent circumstances, had produced a powerful impression, held back.
as osbert stepped forward, rodomont and his two comrades placed themselves in his way.
“back, misguided man!” cried the cardinal. “another step, and you rush on certain destruction. the sanctity of this asylum shall not be violated with impunity.”
just then loud shouts were heard, and some of the insurgents rushing forth to see what was the matter, immediately returned to say that a large number of the royal guard were landing from boats, and that some of them were already on the wharf.
“what shall we do?” cried several voices.
“give them battle,” rejoined osbert, in a loud voice. “farewell, constance,” he added; “if i fall, think that i came to save you. now, friends, to the wharf!—to the wharf!”
hereupon, all the insurgents, headed by osbert, rushed forth simultaneously from the archway, shouting, “down with king philip!—down with the pope!”
as soon as they were gone, the gates were closed by order of the cardinal.
328some thirty or forty archers had already disembarked from the boats that had brought them, and others were leaping ashore, as osbert and his partisans appeared on the wharf. fierce shouts were raised on both sides, and in another instant a desperate conflict commenced. by a sudden dash, osbert hoped to drive the enemy into the river; but the archers stood their ground well, and being quickly reinforced by their comrades from the boats, they not only repelled the attack made upon them, but forced the insurgents to retire.
it soon became evident to rodomont and his lieutenants, who had mounted to the summit of the gateway to watch the conflict, that it must speedily terminate in favour of the archers, who were more than a match for their brave but undisciplined opponents. and so it turned out. in less than ten minutes the conflict was over, and the insurgents dispersed or made captive. osbert fought desperately to the last, but finding it in vain to struggle longer, followed by three or four others, among whom were udal and rufford, he leaped into a boat, and, pushing off, was borne swiftly down the river.
half-a-dozen other boats, manned by archers, instantly started in pursuit, and frequent shots were fired at the fugitives. whether any of these took effect could not be ascertained by rodomont and his comrades, who watched the chase with great interest from the battlements; but, at all events, the flying barque held on its course, and seemed to gain upon the others. at last, pursued and pursuers disappeared from view.
“as the queen’s loyal subject i ought not to wish well to a traitor and a rebel,” remarked rodomont, “and yet i cannot help hoping that osbert clinton has escaped.”
in this wish both his comrades concurred.
end of the fifth book.
