A March on London

"I know not the name, for indeed I know scarce one among the citizens; but if he trades with Venice and Genoa direct he must be a ma

sques and feastings that would well-nigh pay a king's ransom. After a great victory they will set the public conduits running with wine, and every varlet in the city can sit down at banquets prepared for them and eat and drink hi

asked his father the next morning,

you have respect for him as a citizen, and indeed the dresses are far less sh

ung lady like?" Ali

ight; her tresses are somewhat darker than yours; methinks she is somewhat g

ally, the poor girl was grievously shaken by the events of the evening before, and would, moreover

her lips after being introduced to us. I did not notice the resemblance to your daughter that Albert speaks

tha laughed; "a good knight should hold the weight

uit of caitiffs, from whom she had escaped. I indeed had believed them, but assuredly either those tales are false or I have but a small share of the strength of which I be

or these London citizens are, I have heard, precise as to their time, and the merchant

sked a citizen if he could direct them

city. Turn to the right; his house stands in a courtyard facing the G

, for at noon most of the booths were closed, as at that hour there were no customers, and the assistants and apprentices all took their meal toge

thin?" Albert asked. "He is

rs to conduct yo

surprise, was covered with an Eastern carpet. At the t

ouse that would have been the abode of mourning a

re seen. Over his neck was a heavy gold chain, which they judged to be a sign of office. The landing was large and square, with richly carved oak panelling, and, like the stairs, it was carpeted with a thick Eastern rug. Taking their hands, he led them through an open door into a large withdr

once, being fixed upon the lady who rose from her chair to meet them. She was some thirty-five years old, and of singular sweetness of face. There was but little about her of the stiffness that they had expected to find in the wife of a London c

"with what words can I thank you for the service that you have rend

went to his succour. We are glad, indeed, to have been able to render your husband such service, but it was only such an action as a soldier

foes, or the wounded man carried off the field would assuredly feel gratitude to him who has saved him, so do we feel

the room where the table was laid. It was similar to the room they had left, save that the floor was polished instead of being carpeted. The table was laid with a damask cloth of snowy whiteness and of a fineness of quality such as neither of the lads had ever seen before. The napkins were

by the aid of a piece of bread, just as it is still eaten in the East, the spoon being only used for soups and sweetmeats. Two servitors, attired in doublets of red and green cloth, waited. The wine was poured into goblets of Venetian glass; and after several me

o Court we country folk should come to the city to learn how to live. All this is as strange

r the purpose. The carving of the wood-work is a copy of that in a palace at Genoa; the furniture came by sea from Venice; the gold and silver work is English, for although my husband says that the Italians are great masters in such work and in advance of our own, he holds that English gold and silvers

nest arms come from Milan and Spain; our best brass work from Italy. Maybe some day we shall make all these things for ourselves. Then, too, our people-not only those of the lowest class-are more rude and boorish in their manners; they drink more heavily, and eat more coarsely. An English banquet is plentiful, I own, but it lacks the elegance and luxury of one abroad, and save in the matter o

use, for he is a scholar, and so that he can work in peace among his books and in his laboratory he cares naught for aught else; but it is the same in other houses that I have visited; they seem bare and ch

pend our money on bands of armed retainers. We have our city walls, and each man is a soldier if needs be. Then our intercourse with foreign merchants and our visits to the Continent show us what others are doing, and how vastly their houses are ahead of ours in point of luxury and eq

f your robe and chain are ba

e honour of bei

"I thought, sir, that the

nterests of the ward and city. My father was a prominent citizen before me, and I early learned from him to take an interest in the affairs of the city. It chanced that, when on the accession of the young king the Duke of Lancaster would have infringed some of our rights and privileges, I

of our merchants, and because he spends his wealth worthily, giving large gifts to many charities, and being always foremost in every work for the benefit of the citizens. Maybe, too, the fact that he

irs that are of little interest to our

urself in the tournament suffices to explain how it was that you were able

ted; and as my father was wealthy, there were always two or three good horses in his stables, and I learned to couch a lance and sit firm in the saddle. As at Hastings and Poictiers, the contingent of the city has ever been held to bear itself as well as the best; and although we do not, like most men, always go about the street with swords in our belts, we can all use them if needs be. Stra

ver thought of it before. Somehow one comes to think of the

n the classes. Perhaps if we understood each other better we should join more closely together. We are necessary to each other; we have the honour of England equally at heart. The knights and nobles do most of our fighting for us, while we, on our part, import or produce everything they need beyond the common n

ter De Courcy?" the mercha

there is a strong likeness between them. She and my mother are both here, havin

he merchant said, "it w

morrow when I go to pay

Cou

ook his guests into a small room adj

t that you need; but this may not be so always, for none can tell what fortune may befall him. I only say that any service I can possibly render you at any time, you have but to ask me. I am a rich man, and, having no son, my dau

than yours in being able to follow the king with a goodly array of fighting men. One thing, at least, you must permit me to do when the time comes that you are to make your first essay in arms: it will be my pleasure and pride to furn

time come when, as you say, circumstances may occur in which we

y so doing, it will be you who confer the favour and not I, for my wife and I will always be uneasy in our mi

ave of the merchant's wife and daugh

t and in good taste. The apartments of the king himself are cold and bare in comparison. I felt

night going into trade? Why the bare thought of such a thing would make

ers, and no one thinks it a dishonour. Why should not a

ly commerce requires far more brains and wisdom than the dealing of blows, and the merchants of Venice can fight as earnestly as they can trade. Still, no one man can stand against public opinion, and until trade comes to be generally viewed as being as honourable a calling as that of war, men of gentle blood will

thinks the life would suit me well; but quite serious in not

are ever looked upon as dreamers, if not as seditious and dangerous persons, and to force on a thing before the world is fit for it is to do harm rather than good. Theoretically, there is as much to be said for the views of the priest Jack Straw and other agitators, as for those of Wickcliffe; but their opinions will at first bring persecution and maybe death to those who hold them. T

ys when it were not deemed necessary that one of gent

, and even purses of money were so received with as little hesitation as were ransoms for prisoners taken in battle. Therefore Sir Ralph expressed h

s in my time from merchants whose property I have rescued from marauders, or to whom I have rendered other service. Still, I know not of any one piece of good fortune that equals yours, and truly I myself have no small satisfaction in it, for I have wondered sometimes where the sums would have come from to furnish Albert with suitabl

s and straightforwardness in his speech that well suited the bluff knight. The ladies were no less pleased with each other, and Dame Agatha found herself, to her surprise, chatting with her visitors on terms of equality, and discoursing on dres

leave. "When at home the girl has her horse and dogs, her garden, and her household duties to occupy her. Her

t you will allow your daughter sometimes to come to

hem; and one morning the news came that a hundred thousand men were gathered on Blackheath, the Kentish men having been joined not only by those of Essex, but by many from Sussex, Herts, Cambridge

was journeying hither. Methought that there was not an Englishman who did not hold the widow of the Black Prince in honour, and yet the scurvy knaves stopped her. It is true that they shouted a greeting to her, bu

ill be put off with a few soft words, forgetful of what happened in France when the peasants rose, and that these rascals have already put to death some score of judges, lawyers, and wealthy people. However, when the princess arrived with the news, even the king's councillor

t morning the k

tha asked, as he entered. "How h

lk for him; he himself must come. 'Tis past all bearing. Never did I see such a gathering of ragged rascals; not one of them, I verily believe, has as much as washed his face since they started from home. I scarce thought that all England coul

your counsel

these rebels, and in such fashion as they could best understand. They may have grievances, but this is not the way to urge them, by gathering in arms, murdering numbers of honourable men, insulting the king's mother, burning deeds and recor

t our warhorses, and ride at them. It may be that we should be slain, but before that came about we wou

ir power, but the archbishop of Canterbury, and Hales the treasurer, and I, withstood them so hotly that the king yielded to us, but not until I had charged them with t

decision of the council,

he, and will there hold converse with them. He intends not to disembark, but to parley with them from the boat, and he will, at least in that way, be safe from assault. I hear that another great body of the Essex, Herts, Norfolk, an

l surely never let th

in favour of these fellows, and that it might be that they would altogether get the better of them, and make common cause with the rabble. Many of these people have been out to Blackheath; some have stayed there with the mob, while others have brought back news of their doings. Among the rabble on

shouts, that those with him, fearing the people might put off in boats and attack him, bade the rowers turn the boat's head and make up the river again; and, fortunately,