how the treasure-chests were carried to
traitors’ gate.
the bride’s sudden indisposition naturally put an end to the breakfast, and ere many minutes all the guests had quitted the stone kitchen. on being brought into the open air, lilias speedily revived, and the bloom which had temporarily deserted them returned to her cheeks. a stroll on the green completely restored her, though she was nearly made ill again by an injudicious remark of xit, who pointed out to her the spot whereon the scaffold was usually erected.
in order to divert her from the gloomy thoughts which seemed to have been inspired by mauger, og took her to the palace and showed her over the royal apartments, with the size and splendour of which she was much astonished. they next visited the garden, with which she was also delighted, and were crossing the outer court towards the cold harbour tower, when they encountered lovel, the keeper of the jewel tower, who, courteously saluting the bride, volunteered to show her the treasures under his custody.
lilias gratefully accepted the offer, and was taken with her husband and the whole party into the jewel house, where the many precious articles contained in it were displayed to them. after they had feasted their eyes on this rich collection, lovel said to the bride,—
378“you shall now see the coffers containing the bullion deposited here by his majesty. this is the only opportunity you will have of viewing them, for they are to be removed to the exchequer to-night.”
upon this he unlocked the door of the strong-room, and showed them fifteen mighty chests piled within it. each chest was wrapped in a cover emblazoned with the arms of castile and aragon. removing the cover from one of them, lovel disclosed a handsome coffer made of walnut, strengthened by bands of brass, and secured by two locks.
“oh! how i should like to see what is inside it!” cried lilias, after she had examined the exterior of the box.
and she looked so beseechingly at lovel that he could not refuse to gratify her curiosity.
“it is against my orders to open the chests,” he said. “nevertheless, i will yield to your wishes.”
and taking a bunch of keys from his girdle, he unlocked the coffer, and raising the lid, revealed the bars of gold to lilias’s admiring gaze.
“oh! how beautiful they look!” she cried, clapping her hands. “cannot you spare one of them?—it would never be missed.”
“were the gold mine, you should have one, and welcome, fair mistress,” replied lovel, gallantly. “but this is the king’s treasure, and i am bound to guard it.”
“but suppose it were carried off by force, what would you say then?” pursued lilias, playfully.
“i cannot entertain any such supposition,” he replied, shutting down the lid, and locking the coffer. “there! now i have removed temptation,” he added, with a smile.
“that chest must be enormously heavy,” observed lilias to her husband. “do you think you could lift it, og?”
“i don’t know,” he replied; “but if master lovel will allow me, i will try.”
“make the attempt, and welcome,” replied lovel, with a laugh.
seizing hold of the chest with a herculean grasp, og threw it over his shoulder.
“there, now you have got possession of it, away with you,” cried lilias. “master lovel will not prevent you.”
379“hold! hold!” exclaimed the keeper of the treasure. “this is carrying the jest rather too far.”
“did you really think i was making off with the chest, master lovel?” cried og, setting it down with a great laugh.
“well, it looked like it, i must own,” returned the other. “but you couldn’t go very far with such a burden as that.”
“couldn’t i?” rejoined og. “you don’t know what i could do if i tried. why, i would carry the chest from the tower to whitehall, if the king would only bestow it upon me for my pains.”
and he burst into another tremendous laugh, in which his brothers heartily joined.
“that were a feat worthy of samson,” observed lovel, dryly. “suppose i put your strength to the test.”
“do so,” rejoined og. “what would you have me perform? you have just told us that the chests are to be removed to the exchequer to-night. you don’t want me to carry them to westminster hall?”
“no, no! i don’t want that,” said lovel, laughing. “they are to be transported by water, and it will save time if they are taken at once to traitor’s gate, where they will be embarked.”
“say no more—we’ll do it, won’t we?” cried og, turning to his brothers, who readily assented.
without more ado, he again took up the ponderous coffer, and called out, “now, i’m ready.”
“so are we,” cried gog and magog, as they each shouldered a chest.
upon this, the whole party went out of the chamber, the door of which was carefully locked by the keeper. it was a striking sight to see the three giants, laden in the manner we have described, cross the court of the palace, and descend with slow but firm footsteps the slope leading to the bloody tower, each having upon his broad shoulders a weight sufficient to call into activity the full forces of three ordinary men, and yet bearing it—if not easily—yet stoutly. it was true that the muscles of their bull throats and brawny legs were tremendously developed, and looked almost as large as cables, but these were the 380only evidences of the strain put upon them. lilias walked by the side of her husband, enchanted by this display of his strength, while xit strutted in front, as if the giants were under his command.
state offenders, as is well known, were formerly brought into the tower through a gloomy archway, spanning a sluice from the river—the sluice being protected by a ponderous wooden gate, constructed of huge beams of wood, worked by machinery in the superstructure. this massive portal was popularly known as “traitors’ gate.” a flight of stone steps offered a landing-place from the channel, which was capable of holding some three or four large boats, and led to the outer ward of the fortress, but the approach was guarded by another ponderous wooden portal. within the archway on the right of the steps was a stone platform, whence there was access through a narrow arched passage to a guard-room in the building above, which was known as saint thomas’s tower. these details are necessary for the understanding of what is to follow.
it was upon the platform just described that lovel caused the giants to deposit the chests. this done, they immediately went back to the jewel tower for a fresh supply, and paused not in their exertions till the fifteen ponderous coffers had been laid upon the platform. lovel, of course, superintended their task, and, when their labours were over, proposed an adjournment to the stone kitchen, to which the giants made no objection, so the gate being locked, and instructions given to croyland, the warder who had charge of saint thomas’s tower, the whole party proceeded in search of refreshment. on reaching the stone kitchen, lovel called for a plentiful supply of hydromel, which being quickly brought by peter trusbut, the giants were enabled to quench their thirst. by her husband’s desire, lilias sipped a few drops from his brimming goblet ere he emptied it.
“i tell you what, master lovel,” observed magog. “i have some misgiving about that treasure. do you think it quite safe where you have left it?”
“ay, marry,” replied the other; “as safe as in the jewel house itself. who can meddle with it? traitors’ gate will not be opened by croyland without my order.”
“true,” rejoined magog. “still, with a treasure like 381that, no precautions ought to be neglected. to make matters sure, i will go to saint thomas’s tower, and stay there till all the chests are fetched away.”
“then you will have to stay there till night,” said lovel.
“no matter,” rejoined magog, getting up. “peter trusbut will send me a few flasks of wine, and i shall be just as comfortable there as anywhere else. are you coming with me, gog?” he added to his brother.
“i will follow in a few minutes, and bring the wine with me,” replied gog.
“and i will join you later on—as soon as lilias can spare me,” laughed og.
“nay, then, there can be no doubt the treasure will be well guarded,” said lovel.
and, bowing to the company, he quitted the stone kitchen with magog.
