Of The Visit Of The Two Guildford Merchants To The Forester's Hut
Tristam Lyndwood did not return home till late in the evening; and when
informed of the cardinal's visit, he shook his head gravely.
"I am sorry we went to the hunting party," he observed. "Valentine
Hagthorne said mischief would come of it, and I wish I had attended to
his advice."
"I see no mischief in the matter, grandsire," cried Mabel. "On the
contrary, I think I have met with excellent
promises me a high destiny, and says the king himself noticed me."
"Would his regards had fallen anywhere than on you," rejoined Tristram.
"But I warrant me you told the cardinal your history--all you know of
it, at least."
"I did so," she replied; "nor did I know I was doing any harm."
"Answer no such inquiries in future," said Tristram angrily.
"But, grandfather, I could not refuse to answer the cardinal," she
replied, in a deprecating voice.
"No more excuses, but attend to my injunctions," said Tristram. "Have
you seen Morgan Fenwolf to-day?"
"No; and I care not if I never see him again," she replied pettishly.
"You dislike him strangely, Mab," rejoined her grandfather; "he is the
best keeper in the forest, and makes no secret of his love for you."
"The very reason why I dislike him," she returned.
"By the same rule, if what the cardinal stated be true--though, trust
me, he was but jesting--you ought to dislike the king. But get my
supper. I have need of it, for I have fasted long."
Mabel hastened to obey, and set a mess of hot pottage and other viands
before him. Little more conversation passed between them, for the old
man was weary, and sought his couch early.
That night Mabel did nothing but dream of the king--of stately chambers,
rich apparel, and countless attendants. She awoke, and finding herself
in a lowly cottage, and without a single attendant, was, like other
dreamers of imaginary splendour, greatly discontented.
The next morning her grandsire went again to Bray Wood, and she was
left to muse upon the event of the previous day. While busied about
some trifling occupation, the door suddenly opened, and Morgan Fenwolf
entered the cottage. He was followed by a tall man, with a countenance
of extreme paleness, but a noble and commanding figure. There was
something so striking in the appearance of the latter person, that it
riveted the attention of Mabel. But no corresponding effect was produced
on the stranger, for he scarcely bestowed a look upon her.
Morgan Fenwolf hastily asked whether her grandsire was at home, or near
at hand, and being answered in the negative, appeared much disappointed.
He then said that he must borrow the skiff for a short while, as he
wished to visit some nets on the lake. Mabel readily assented, and
the stranger quitted the house, while Fenwolf lingered to offer some
attention to Mabel, which was so ill received that he was fain to hurry
forth to the boathouse, where he embarked with his companion. As soon as
the plash of oars announced their departure, Mabel went forth to watch
them. The stranger, who was seated in the stern of the boat, for the
first time fixed his large melancholy eyes full upon her, and did not
withdraw his gaze till an angle of the lake hid him from view.
Marvelling who he could be, and reproaching herself for not questioning
Fenwolf on the subject, Mabel resolved to repair the error when the
skiff was brought back. But the opportunity did not speedily occur.
Hours flew by, the shades of evening drew on, but neither Fenwolf nor
the stranger returned.
Soon after dusk her grandfather came home. He did not express the least
astonishment at Fenwolf's prolonged absence, but said that he was sure
to be back in the course of the evening, and the skiff was not wanted.
"He will bring us a fine jack or a carp for dinner to-morrow, I'll
warrant me," he said. "If he had returned in time we might have had
fish for supper. No matter. I must make shift with the mutton pie and a
rasher of bacon. Morgan did not mention the name of his companion, you
say?"
"He did not," replied Mabel; "but I hope he will bring him with him. He
is the goodliest gentleman I ever beheld."
"What! a goodlier gentleman than the king!" cried Tristram.
"Nay, they should not be compared," replied Mabel: "the one is stout
and burly; the other slight, long-visaged, and pale, but handsome
withal--very handsome."
"Well, I daresay I shall see him anon," said Tristram. "And now for
supper, for I am as sharp-set as a wolf; and so is old Hubert," he
added, glancing affectionately at the hound by which he was attended.
Mabel placed the better part of a huge pie before him, which the old
forester attacked with great zeal. He then fell to work upon some slices
of bacon toasted over the embers by his granddaughter, and having washed
them down with a jug of mead, declared he had supped famously. While
taking care of himself, he did not forget his hound. From time to time
he threw him morsels of the pie, and when he had done he gave him a
large platterful of bones.
"Old Hubert has served me faithfully nigh twenty years," he said,
patting the hound's shaggy neck, "and must not be neglected."
Throwing a log of wood on the fire, he drew his chair into the
ingle-nook, and disposed himself to slumber. Meanwhile, Mabel busied
herself about her household concern, and was singing a lulling melody to
her grandfather, in a voice of exquisite sweetness, when a loud tap was
heard at the door. Tristram roused himself from his doze, and old Hubert
growled menacingly.
"Quiet, Hubert--quiet!" cried Tristram. "It cannot be Morgan Fenwolf,"
he added. "He would never knock thus. Come in, friend, whoever thou
art."
At this invitation two persons darkened the doorway. The foremost was a
man of bulky frame and burly demeanour. He was attired in a buff jerkin,
over which he wore a loose great surcoat; had a flat velvet cap on his
head; and carried a stout staff in his hand. His face was broad and
handsome, though his features could scarcely be discerned in the
doubtful light to which they were submitted. A reddish-coloured beard
clothed his chin. His companion, who appeared a trifle the taller of the
two, and equally robust, was wrapped in a cloak of dark green camlet.
"Give you good e'en, friend," said the foremost stranger to the
forester. "We are belated travellers, on our way from Guildford
to Windsor, and, seeing your cottage, have called to obtain some
refreshment before we cross the great park. We do not ask you to bestow
a meal upon us, but will gladly pay for the best your larder affords."
"You shall have it, and welcome, my masters," replied Tristram, "but I am
afraid my humble fare will scarcely suit you."
"Fear nothing," replied the other; "we have good appetites, and are not
over dainty. Beshrew me, friend," he added, regarding Mabel, "you have a
comely daughter."
"She is my granddaughter, sir," replied Tristram.
"Well, your granddaughter, then," said the other; "by the mass, a lovely
wench. We have none such in Guildford, and I doubt if the king hath such
in Windsor Castle. What say you, Charles Brandon?"
"It were treason to agree with you, Harry La Roy," replied Brandon,
laughing, "for they say the king visits with the halter all those who
disparage the charms of the Lady Anne Boleyn. But, comparisons apart,
this damsel is very fair."
"You will discompose her, my masters, if you praise her thus to her
face," said Tristram somewhat testily. "Here, Mab, bring forth all my
scanty larder affords, and put some rashers of bacon on the fire."
"Cold meat and bread will suffice for us," said Harry: "we will not
trouble the damsel to play the cook."
With this Mabel, who appeared a good deal embarrassed by the presence of
the strangers, spread a cloth of snow-white linen on the little table,
and placed the remains of the pie and a large oven cake before them. The
new-comers sate down, and ate heartily of the humble viands, he who had
answered to the name of Harry frequently stopping in the course of his
repast to compliment his fair attendant.
"By our Lady, I have never been so waited on before," he added, rising
and removing his stool towards the fire, while his companion took up a
position, with his back against the wall, near the fireplace. "And now,
my pretty Mabel, have you never a cup of ale to wash down the pie?"
"I can offer you a draught of right good mead, master," said Tristram;
"and that is the only liquor my cottage can furnish."
"Nothing can be better," replied Harry. "The mead, by all means."
While Mabel went to draw the liquor, Tristram fixed his eyes on Harry,
whose features were now fully revealed by the light of the fire.
"Why do you look at me so hard, friend?" demanded Harry bluffly.
"I have seen some one very like you, master," replied Tristram, "and one
whom it is no light honour to resemble."
"You mean the king," returned Harry, laughing. "You are not the first
person who has thought me like him."
"You are vain of the likeness, I see, master," replied Tristram, joining
in the laugh. "How say you, Mab?" he added to his granddaughter, who at
that moment returned with a jug and a couple of drinking-horns. "Whom
does this gentleman resemble?"
"No one," returned Mabel, without raising her eyes.
"No one," echoed Harry, chucking her under the chin. "Look me full in
the face, and you will find out your mistake. Marry, if I were the royal
Henry, instead of what I am, a plain Guildford merchant, I should prefer
you to Anne Boleyn."
"Is that said in good sooth, sir?" asked Mabel, slightly raising
her eyes, and instantly dropping them before the ardent gaze of the
self-styled merchant.
"In good sooth and sober truth," replied Henry, rounding his arm and
placing his hand on his lusty thigh in true royal fashion.
"Were you the royal Henry, I should not care for your preference," said
Mabel more confidently. "My grandsire says the king changes his love as
often as the moon changes--nay, oftener."
"God's death!--your grandsire is a false knave to say so! cried Harry.
"Heaven help us! you swear the king's oaths," said Mabel. "And wherefore
not, sweetheart?" said Harry, checking himself. "It is enough to make
one swear, and in a royal fashion too, to hear one's liege lord unjustly
accused. I have ever heard the king styled a mirror of constancy. How
say you, Charles Brandon?--can you not give him a good character?"
"Oh! an excellent character," said Brandon. "He is constancy
itself--while the fit lasts," he added, aside.
"You hear what my friend says, sweetheart," observed Harry; "and I
assure you he has the best opportunities of judging. But I'll be sworn
you did not believe your grand-sire when he thus maligned the king."
"She contradicted me flatly," said Tristram. "But pour out the mead,
girl; our guests are waiting for it."
While Mabel, in compliance with her grandsire's directions, filled the
horn, the door of the cottage was noiselessly opened by Morgan Fenwolf,
who stepped in, followed by Bawsey. He stared inquisitively at the
strangers, but both were so much occupied by the damsel that he remained
unnoticed. A sign from the old forester told him he had better retire:
jealous curiosity, however, detained him, and he tarried till Harry had
received the cup from Mabel, and drained it to her health. He then drew
back, closed the door softly, and joined a dark and mysterious figure,
with hideous lineaments and an antlered helm upon its brows, lurking
outside the cottage.
Meanwhile, a cup of mead having been offered to Brandon, he observed to
his companion, "We must now be setting forth on our journey. Night is
advancing, and we have five long miles to traverse across the great
park."
"I would stay where I am," rejoined Harry, "and make a bench near
the fire serve me in lieu of a couch, but that business requires our
presence at the castle to-night. There is payment for our meal, friend,"
he added, giving a mark to Tristram, "and as we shall probably return
to-morrow night, we will call and have another supper with you. Provide
us a capon, and some fish from the lake."
"You pay as you swear, good sir, royally," replied Tristram. "You shall
have a better supper to-morrow night."
"You have a dangerous journey before you, sir," said Mabel. "They say
there are plunderers and evil spirits in the great park."
"I have no fear of any such, sweetheart," replied Harry. "I have a
strong arm to defend myself, and so has my friend Charles Brandon. And
as to evil spirits, a kiss from you will shield me from all ill."
And as he spoke, he drew her towards him, and clasping her in his arms,
imprinted a score of rapid kisses on her lips.
"Hold! hold, master!" cried Tristram, rising angrily; "this may not be.
'Tis an arrant abuse of hospitality."
"Nay, be not offended, good friend," replied Harry, laughing. "I am
on the look-out for a wife, and I know not but I may take your
granddaughter with me to Guildford."
"She is not to be so lightly won," cried Tristram; "for though I am but
a poor forester, I rate her as highly as the haughtiest noble can rate
his child."
"And with reason," said Harry. "Good-night, sweet-heart! By my crown,
Suffolk!" he exclaimed to his companion, as he quitted the cottage, "she
is an angel, and shall be mine."
"Not if my arm serves me truly," muttered Fenwolf, who, with his
mysterious companion, had stationed himself at the window of the hut.
"Do him no injury," returned the other; "he is only to be made
captive-mark that. And now to apprise Sir Thomas Wyat. We must intercept
them before they reach their horses."
More
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Containing The History Of The Castle From The Reign Of Charles The Second To That Of George The Third
ON the Restoration the castle resumed its splendour, and presented a striking contrast to the previous gloomy period. The terrace, with its festive groups, resembled a picture by Watteau, the courts resounded with laughter, and the velvet sod of the... How Anne Boleyn Received Proof Of Henry's Passion For Jane Seymour
On the day after the solemnisation of the Grand Feast of the Order of the Garter, a masqued fete of great splendour and magnificence was held within the castle. The whole of the state apartments were thrown open to the distinguished guests, and un... How Herne Appeared To Henry In The Home Park
On that same night, at a late hour, a horseman, mounted on a powerful steed, entered the eastern side of the home park, and stationed himself beneath the trees. He had not been there long, when the castle clock tolled forth the hour of midnight, a... How Herne The Hunter Appeared To Henry On The Terrace
Henry again sat down to his despatches, and employed himself upon them to a late hour. At length, feeling heated and oppressed, he arose, and opened a window. As he did so, he was almost blinded by a vivid flash of forked lightning. Ever ready to ... How Herne The Hunter Showed The Earl Of Surrey The Fair Geraldine In A Vision
On the third day after Surrey's imprisonment in the keep, he was removed to the Norman Tower. The chamber allotted him was square, tolerably lofty, and had two narrow-pointed windows on either side, looking on the one hand into the upper quadrangl... How Herne The Hunter Was Himself Hunted
On the guard's recovery, information of what had occurred was immediately conveyed to the king, who had not yet retired to rest, but was sitting in his private chamber with the Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk. The intelligence threw him into a great ... How King Henry The Eighth Held A Chapter Of The Garter
From a balcony overlooking the upper ward, Anne Boleyn beheld the king's approach on his return from the Garter Tower, and waving her hand smilingly to him, she withdrew into the presence-chamber. Hastening to her, Henry found her surrounded by he... How Mabel Escaped From The Cave With Sir Thomas Wyat
The next day Mabel was set at liberty by her gaoler, and the hours flew by without the opportunity of escape, for which she sighed, occurring to her. As night drew on, she became more anxious, and at last expressed a wish to retire to her cell. Wh... How Mabel Lyndwood Was Taken To The Castle By Nicholas Clamp
THE storm which had fallen so heavily on the castle had likewise visited the lake, and alarmed the inmates of the little dwelling on its banks. Both the forester and his grand-daughter were roused from their beds, and they sat together in the chie... How Mabel Was Received By The Party In The Kitchen
Addressing himself to a stout-built yeoman of the guard, who was standing within the doorway, Nicholas Clamp demanded admittance to the kitchen, and the man having detained them for a few moments, during which he regarded Mabel with a very offensi... How Sir Thomas Wyat Found Mabel In The Sandstone Cave And What Happened To Him There
A week after the foregoing occurrence, the Earl of Surrey was set free. But his joy at regaining his liberty was damped by learning that the Fair Geraldine had departed for Ireland. She had left the tenderest messages for him with his sister, the ... How Sir Thomas Wyat Hunted With Herne
Accompanied by Wyat, and followed by the whole cavalcade, Herne dashed into the glen, where Fenwolf awaited him. Threading the hollow, the troop descried the hart flying swiftly along a sweeping glade at some two hundred yards distance. The glade ... How Sir Thomas Wyat Was Visited By Herne In The Cell
Made aware by the clangour of the lock, and Fenwolf's exulting laughter, of the snare in which he had been caught, Sir Thomas Wyat instantly sprang from his hiding-place, and rushed to the door; but being framed of the stoutest oak, and strengthen... How The Earl Of Surrey And The Fair Geraldine Met In King James's Bower In The Moat
IN order to preserve unbroken the chain of events with which the last book of this chronicle concluded, it was deemed expedient to disturb the unity of time, so far as it related to some of the less important characters; and it will now be necessa... How The Earl Of Surrey And The Fair Geraldine Plighted Their Troth In The Cloisters Of Saint George's Chapel
Barriers were erected on the following day in the upper ward of the castle, and the Lady Anne and her dames assembled in the balcony in front of the royal lodgings, which was decorated with arras, costly carpets, and rich stuffs, to view the spect... How The Fair Geraldine Bestowed A Relic Upon Her Lover
Surrey and Richmond agreed to say nothing for the present of their mysterious adventure in the forest; but their haggard looks, as they presented themselves to the Lady Anne Boleyn in the reception-chamber on the following morning, proclaimed that... How The King And The Duke Of Suffolk Were Assailed By Herne's Band
Henry and Suffolk, on leaving the forester's hut, took their way for a sort space along the side of the lake, and then turned into a path leading through the trees up the eminence on the left. The king was in a joyous mood, and made no attempt to ... How The Train Was Fired And What Followed The Explosion
About ten o'clock in the night under consideration, Surrey and Richmond, accompanied by the Duke of Shoreditch, and half a dozen other archers, set out from the castle, and took their way along the great park, in the direction of the lake. They... How Tristram Lyndwood And Mabel Were Liberated
Intelligence of the queen's return was instantly conveyed to Anne Boleyn, and filled her with indescribable alarm. All her visions of power and splendour seemed to melt away at once. She sent for her father, Lord Rochford, who hurried to her in a ... How Tristram Lyndwood Was Interrogated By The King
Anne Boleyn remained with her royal lover for a few minutes to pour forth her gratitude for the attachment he had displayed to her, and to confirm the advantage she had gained over Wolsey. As soon as she was gone, Henry summoned an usher, and givi... How Wolsey Was Disgraced By The King
On the following day, a reconciliation took place between the king and Anne Boleyn. During a ride in the great park with his royal brother, Suffolk not only convinced him of the groundlessness of his jealousy, but contrived to incense him strongly... How Wyat Beheld Mabel Lyndwood
When perfect consciousness returned to him, Wyat found himself lying upon a pallet in what he first took to be the cell of an anchorite; but as the recollection of recent events arose more distinctly before him, he guessed it to be a chamber conne... In What Manner Herne Declared His Passion For Mabel
Utterly disregarding her cries and entreaties, Fenwolf dragged Mabel into the great cavern, and forced her to take a seat on a bench near the spot where a heap of ashes showed that the fire was ordinarily lighted. All this while, her grandfather h... In What Manner Wolsey Put His Scheme Into Operation
Foiled in his scheme of making Wyat the instrument of Anne Boleyn's overthrow, Wolsey determined to put into immediate operation the plan he had conceived of bringing forward a rival to her with the king. If a choice had been allowed him, he would... Of Henry's Attachment To Jane Seymour
ON the anniversary of Saint George, 1536, and exactly seven years from the opening of this chronicle, Henry assembled the knights-companions within Windsor Castle to hold the grand feast of the most noble Order of the Garter. Many important eve... Of The Brief Advantage Gained By The Queen And The Cardinal
As the king, wholly unattended--for he had left the archers at the Curfew Tower--was passing at the back of Saint George's Chapel, near the north transept, he paused for a moment to look at the embattled entrance to the New Commons--a structure er... Of The Combat Between Will Sommers And Patch
Mabel's heart fluttered violently at the usher's announcement, and for a moment the colour deserted her cheek, while the next instant she was covered with blushes. As to poor Patch, feeling that his indiscretion might place him in great jeopardy a... Of The Compact Between Sir Thomas Wyat And Herne The Hunter
On the day after his secret interview with Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas Wyat received despatches from the king for the court of France. "His majesty bade me tell you to make your preparations quickly, Sir Thomas," said the messenger who delivered the... Of The Desperate Resolution Formed By Tristram And Fenwolf And How The Train Was Laid
Transported with rage at the escape of the fugitives, Fenwolf turned to old Tristram, and drawing his knife, threatened to make an end of him. But the old man, who was armed with a short hunting-sword, stood upon his defence, and they remained bra... Of The Earl Of Surrey's Solitary Ramble In The Home Park
In the twentieth year of the reign of the right high and puissant King Henry the Eighth, namely, in 1529, on the 21st of April, and on one of the loveliest evenings that ever fell on the loveliest district in England, a fair youth, having somewhat... Of The Ghostly Chase Beheld By The Earl Of Surrey And The Duke Of Richmond In Windsor Forest
On that same night, and just as the castle clock was on the stroke of twelve, the Earl of Surrey and the Duke of Richmond issued from the upper gate, and took their way towards Herne's Oak. The moon was shining brightly, and its beams silvered the... Of The Interview Between Henry And Catherine Of Arragon In The Urswick Chapel
IT was now the joyous month of June; and where is June so joyous as within the courts and halls of peerless Windsor? Where does the summer sun shine so brightly as upon its stately gardens and broad terraces, its matchless parks, its silver belt... Of The Meeting Of King Henry The Eighth And Anne Boleyn At The Lower Gate
A joyous day was it for Windsor and great were the preparations made by its loyal inhabitants for a suitable reception to their sovereign. At an early hour the town was thronged with strangers from the neighbouring villages, and later on cr... Of The Mysterious Disappearance Of Herne The Hunter In The Lake
Unable to procure any mitigation of Surrey's sentence, the Duke of Richmond proceeded to the Round Tower, where he found his friend in a small chamber, endeavouring to beguile his captivity by study. Richmond endeavoured to console him, and was ... Of The Mysterious Noise Heard In The Curfew Tower
On quitting the kitchen, Henry, having been informed by Bouchier that Tristram Lyndwood was lodged in the prison-chamber in the lower gateway, proceeded thither to question him. He found the old man seated on a bench, with his hands tied behind hi... Of The Secret Interview Between Norris And Anne Boleyn And Of The Dissimulation Practised By The King
Henry's attentions to Jane Seymour at the masqued fete were so marked, that the whole court was made aware of his passion. But it was not anticipated that any serious and extraordinary consequences would result from the intoxication--far less that... Of The Visit Of The Two Guildford Merchants To The Forester's Hut
Tristam Lyndwood did not return home till late in the evening; and when informed of the cardinal's visit, he shook his head gravely. "I am sorry we went to the hunting party," he observed. "Valentine Hagthorne said mischief would come of it, and... Of Tristram Lyndwood The Old Forester And His Granddaughter Mabel
In consequence of the announcement that a grand hunting party would be held in the forest, all the verderers, rangers, and keepers assembled at an early hour on the fourth day after the king's arrival at Windsor in an open space on the west side o... Showing How Morgan Fenwolf Escaped From The Garter Tower
Half-an-hour afterwards Fenwolf was visited by the Duke of Suffolk and a canon of the college; and the guard-chamber being cleared, the duke enjoined him to make clear his bosom by confession. "I hold it my duty to tell you, prisoner," said Suff... Showing The Vacillations Of The King Between Wolsey And Anne Boleyn
Before returning to the state apartments, Henry took a turn on the ramparts on the north side of the castle, between the Curfew Tower and the Winchester Tower, and lingered for a short time on the bastion commanding that part of the acclivity wher... The Butcher And How He Was Cast Into The Vault Of The Curfew Tower
Turning off on the right, the earl and his companion continued to descend the hill until they came in sight of the Garter--a snug little hostel, situated immediately beneath the Curfew Tower. Before the porch were grouped the earl's attendants, ... The Last Great Epoch In The History Of The Castle
A prince of consummate taste and fine conceptions, George the Fourth meditated, and, what is better, accomplished the restoration of the castle to more than its original grandeur. He was singularly fortunate in his architect. Sir Jeffry Wyatville ... The Legend Of Herne The Hunter
"Nearly a century and a half ago," commenced Cutbeard, about the middle of the reign of Richard the Second, there was among the keepers of the forest a young man named Herne. He was expert beyond his fellows in all matters of woodcraft, and conseq... The Signal Gun
Anne Boleyn's arraignment took place in the great hall of the White Tower, on the 16th of May, before the Duke of Norfolk, who was created lord high steward for the occasion, and twenty-six peers. The duke had his seat under a canopy of state, and... What Befell Sir Thomas Wyat In The Sandstone Cave
THE cave in which Sir Thomas Wyat found himself, on the removal of the bandage from his eyes, was apparently--for it was only lighted by a single torch--of considerable width and extent, and hewn out of a bed of soft sandstone. The roof, which mig... What Happened At The Jousts
The first of May arrived; and though destined to set in darkness and despair, it arose in sunshine and smiles. All were astir at an early hour within the castle, and preparations were made for the approaching show. Lists were erected in the uppe... What Passed Between Anne Boleyn And The Duke Of Suffolk And How Herne The Hunter Appeared To Her In The Oratory
For some hours Anne Boleyn's attendants were alarmed for her reason, and there seemed good grounds for the apprehension, so wildly and incoherently did she talk, and so violently comport herself--she who was usually so gentle now weeping as if her... What Passed Between Norris And The Tall Monk
Tottering to the seat which Henry and Jane had just quitted, Anne sank into it. After a little time, having in some degree recovered her composure, she was about to return to the great hall, when Norris appeared. "I did not deceive you, madam,"...