Edwy the Fair or the First Chronicle of Aescendune Page 6

amend by example the somewhat giddy ways of my nephew."

  Ella felt that this latter commendation might be better bestowed uponAlfred, who, although far less full of boyish spirit and energy than hisbrother, was far more attached to his religious duties, as also far moreattentive to the wishes of his parents; but his love for Elfric blindedhim to more serious defects in the character of his son, or he mighthave feared their development in a congenial soil.

  So the father saw his boy alone, and communicated the contents of theletter. The news was indeed welcome to Elfric, who panted for travel andadventure and the freedom he fancied he should get in Edwy's society.But Ella hardly perceived this, and enlarged upon the dangers to whichhis son would be exposed, and tried to put before the boy all the "pros" and "cons" of the question faithfully.

  "He would not keep him back," he said, "if he desired to leave home,"but as he uttered the words he felt his heart very heavy, for Aescendunewould lose half its brightness in losing Elfric.

  But Elfric's choice was already made, and he only succeeded inrepressing his delight with great difficulty, in deference to theserious aspect and words of his revered sire. But his decision, for itwas left to him, was unchanged, and he stammered forth his desire to bea man, and to see the world, in words mingled with expressions of hisdeep love for his parents, which he was sure nothing could ever change.

  Strange to say, now that the parental consent was gained, and noobstacle lay between him and the accomplishment of his ardent wish, hedid not feel half so happy as he had expected to feel. Home affectionsseemed to increase as the hours rushed by which were to be his last inthe bosom of his family; every familiar object became precious as thethought arose that it might be seen for the last time; favourites, bothmen and animals, had to be bidden farewell. There was the old forester,the gleeman, the warder, the gardener, the chamberlain, the cellarius,the cook (not an unimportant personage in Saxon households), the fostermother, his old nurse, and many a friend in the village. Then there werehis favourite dogs, his pony, some pigeons he had reared; and all hadsome claim on his affection, home nurtured as he had been in a mostkindly household.

  But the appointed day came, the horse which was to bear him away stoodat the door, another horse loaded with his personal effects stood near,for carriages were then unknown, neither would the roads have permittedtheir use, so changed were the times since the Roman period.

  His father and mother, his brother and sister, stood without thedrawbridge, where the last goodbye took place; tears started unbidden tohis eyes--he was only fifteen--as he heard the parting blessing, andas his mother pressed him to her bosom.

  Alfred and his sister Edith seemed almost broken hearted at the parting.But Elfric tried to bear up, and the end came.

  The little cavalcade left the castle, two attendants, well armed andmounted, being his bodyguard.

  Again and again he looked back; and when, after a journey of two miles,the envious woods closed in, and hid the dear familiar home from hissight, a strange sense of desolation rushed upon him, as if he werealone in the world.

  The route taken by the cavalcade led them in the first place to Warwick,even then a flourishing Saxon town: this was the limit of Elfric'sprevious wanderings, and when they left it for the south, the wholecountry was strange to him.

  The royal messenger had business at the cathedral city of Dorchester, atthe junction of the Tame and Isis, and they did not take the more directroute by the Watling Street, the most perfect Roman road remaining. Theland was but thinly peopled, forests covered the greater portion, anddesolate marshes much of the remainder; thus, through alternate forestand marsh, the travellers advanced along the ruinous remains of an oldRoman crossroad, which had once afforded good accommodation totravellers, but had been suffered to fall into utter ruin and decay bythe neglect of their successors, our own barbarous ancestors.

  Originally it had been paved with stone, and causeways had been formedover marsh and mere, but the stones had been taken away, for the roadformed the most accessible quarry in the neighbourhood. Here and there,however, it was still good, surviving the wear of centuries, and eventhe old mileposts of iron were still existing covered with rust, withthe letters denoting so many Roman miles--or thousands of paces--still legible.

  A few hours' riding from Warwick brought them at the close of the day insight of Beranbyrig (Banbury), where three centuries earlier a bloodybattle had been fought, [vi] wherein success--almost for the last time--visited the British arms, and saved the Celtic race from expulsionfor twenty years.

  The spot was very interesting to Elfric, for here his ancestor Sebbaldhad fought by the side of the invading king, Cynric, the son of Cerdic,and had fallen "gloriously" on the field.

  "Look," said Anlaf, the guide, "at that sloping ground which rises tothe northwest. There the Welsh (Britons) stood, formed in nine strongbattalions. In that hollow they placed their archers, and here theirjavelin men and cavalry were arranged after the old Roman fashion. OurEnglishmen were all in one battalion, and charged them fiercely, whenthey were thrown into confusion by the cunning tricks of the Welsh, whomade up in craft what they wanted in manly courage.

  "Look at this brook which flows to the river, it was running with bloodthat evening, and our men lay piled in huge heaps where they tried toscale the hill which you see yonder."

  "And did the Welsh gain the day so easily?" said Elfric, sorrowfully.

  "I don't wonder; they were fighting for their lives, and even a rat willfight if you get him into a corner; besides, they had all their best menhere."

  "Do you know where Sebbald fell?" said Elfric, referring to his ownancestor.

  "Just under this hillock, close by King Cynric, who fought like a lionto save the body, but was unable to do so. The Welsh were then gainingthe day. Still, even his foes respected his valour, and gave yourforefather a fair and honourable burial."

  Leaving the battlefield, they entered the Saxon town, which was defendedon one side by the Cherwell, on the other by a mound and palisade, withan outer ditch supplied by the river. Here they found hospitableentertainment, and left on the morrow for the town of Kirtlington.

  They left Beranbyrig early, and reached the village of Sutthun (King'sSutton), where they perceived a great multitude of people collectedaround a well at the outskirts of the village.

  "What are these people doing?" asked Elfric.

  "Oh, do you not know?" replied Anlaf. "This is St. Rumbald's well," andhe crossed himself piously.

  "Who was St. Rumbald?" asked Elfric innocently.

  "Oh, he was son of the king of Northumbria, and of his queen, thedaughter of the old king Penda of Mercia, and the strange thing is thathe is a saint although he only lived three days."

  "How could that be?"

  "Why it was a miracle, you see. On the day after his birth he was takento Braceleam (Brackley), where he was baptized, and after his baptism heactually preached an eloquent sermon to the people. They brought himback to Sutthun next day, where he died, having first blessed this well,so that many precious gifts of healing are shown thereat. His relicswere removed first to Braceleam, then to Buccingaham (Buckingham), wherehis shrine is venerated by the faithful. But come, you must drink of theholy water."

  So they approached the spot, and, after much labour to get at the well,drank of the water, which had a brackish taste, and proceeded on theirjourney southward through Kirtlington, then a considerable city,although now a small village. It was their intention to pass by thecathedral city of Dorchester, where Wulfstan was then bishop, where theyarrived on the second night of their journey.

  It was the largest city Elfric had as yet seen, possessing severalchurches, of which only one now remains. The hand of the ruthless Daneshad not yet been laid heavily upon it, and the magnificence of thesacred fanes, built by cunning architects from abroad, amazed theMercian boy.

  There was the tomb of the great Birinus, the apostle of Mercia, who hadfounded the see in the year 630 A.D., and to whose shrine multitudes ofpi
lgrims flocked each year. But the remains of Roman greatness mostastonished Elfric. The ruins of the amphitheatre situate near the riverTame were grand even in their decay, and all the imaginative facultiesof the boy were aroused, as one of the most learned inhabitantsdescribed the scenes of former days, of which tradition had beenpreserved, the gladiatorial combats, the wild beast fights.

  The heir of Aescendune found hospitality at the episcopal palace, whereWulfstan,[vii] once the turbulent Archbishop of York, held his court.The prelate seemed favourably impressed with his youthful guest, whomhe dismissed with a warm commendation to Dunstan.

  They left the city early in the morning, and passed through Baenesington(Benson), which having been originally taken from the Welsh by the Saxonchieftain Cuthulf, in the year 571, became the scene of the greatvictory of Offa, the Mercian king, over Cynewulf of Wessex in the year777. One