Edwy the Fair or the First Chronicle of Aescendune Read online

led the way to the river's brink, and there pointed out a skifflying at a short distance from the shore. At a signal, the men whomanned it pulled in and received the two youths on board, then pulled atonce out into the stream.

  "How do you like an evening on the river?" said Edwy.

  "It is very beautiful, and the stars are very bright tonight; but whereare we going?"

  "You will soon find out."

  Finding his royal companion so uncommunicative, Elfric remained silent,trusting that a few minutes would unravel the mystery.

  But an hour had passed, during which the boat steadily progressed upstream, before the watermen pulled in for the shore, and a dark buildingloomed before them in dim shadow.

  "Here is the place," said Edwy. "Be ready, my men, to take us back aboutmidnight, or a little later;" and he threw some pieces of money amongstthem.

  Passing through a large garden, they arrived at a porch before a stoutdoor garnished with knobs of iron, which might bid defiance to thief orburglar.

  "Whose house is this?" asked Elfric.

  "Wait; you shall soon see."

  The loud knocking Edwy made at the door soon brought some domestics,who, opening a small wicket, discovered the identity of their principalvisitor, and immediately threw open the door.

  "Thanks," said Edwy; "we were almost frozen."

  Passing through a kind of atrium--for the old Roman fashion was stillsometimes followed in this particular--the domestics ushered thevisitors into a room brilliantly lighted by torches stuck in cressetsprojecting from the walls, and by huge wax candles upon a table spreadfor a feast. The light revealed a small but apparently select party, whoseemed to await the prince: a lady, who appeared to be the mistress ofthe mansion; a young girl apparently about the age of Edwy, who, callingher his fair cousin, saluted her fondly; and two or three youths, whosegaudy dress and affected manners were strongly in contrast with thestern simplicity of the times.

  After saluting each person with the greatest freedom, Edwy introducedhis companion.

  "Here is a young novice I have brought to learn the noble art ofmerrymaking, of wine and wassail. We have both been literally starved atthe palace--I should say monastery--of Monk Edred today. It isFriday, and we have been splendidly dining upon salt fish served up ongolden salvers. My goodness! the flavour of that precious cod is yet inmy mouth. Food for cats, I do assure you, and served up to kings. Whatdid you think of it, Elfric?"

  Elfric was ashamed to say that it had not been so very bad after all.Truth to say his conscience was uneasy, for he had been brought up torespect the fasts of the Church, and he saw a trial awaiting him in theluscious dishes before him.

  "What does it matter?" the reader may exclaim; "it is not that whichgoeth into the mouth which defileth a man," etc.

  True, most wise critic, but it is that which goeth out; and ifdisobedience be not amongst the evils which defile, then Adam did notfall in Paradise when he ate the forbidden fruit. Elfric could not touchflesh on fast days without the instinctive feeling that he was doingwrong, and no one can sin against the conviction of the heart withoutdanger.

  The party now seated themselves, and without any grace or furtherpreface the feast began. Servants appeared and served up the mostexquisite dishes, of a delicacy almost unknown in England at that day,and poured rich wines into silver goblets. It was evident that wealthabounded in the family they were visiting, and that they had expended itfreely for the gratification of Edwy.

  Ethelgiva, the lady of the house, was of noble presence, which almostseemed to justify the claim of royal blood which was made for her. Talland commanding, age had not bent her form, although her locks werealready white. Her beauty, which must have been marvellous in heryounger days, had attracted the attention of a younger son of thereigning house, and they were married at an early age, secretly, withoutthe sanction of the king.

  The fruit of their union was Elgiva, a name destined to fill a place ina sad and painful tragedy; but we are anticipating, and must crave thereader's pardon.

  Bright and cheerful indeed was the fair Elgiva at this moment. Herbeauty was remarkable even in a land so famed for the beauty of itsdaughters; and the ill-advised Edwy may be pitied, if not altogetherpardoned, for his infatuation, for infatuation it was in a day when thenear tie of blood between them precluded the possibility of lawfulmatrimony, save at the expense of a dispensation never likely to beconceded, since the temperament of men like Odo, the Archbishop ofCanterbury, and of Dunstan, was opposed to any relaxation of the law inthe case of the great when such relaxation was unattainable by the poorand lowly.

  To return to our subject:

  The feast proceeded with great animation. At first Elfric hesitated whenthe meat was placed before him, but he withered, in his weakness, beforethe mocking smile of Edwy, and the sarcasm which played upon the lips ofthe rest of the company, who perceived his hesitation. So he yielded,and, shaking off all restraint, ate heartily.

  Dish followed dish, and the wine cup circulated with great freedom.Excited as he was, Elfric could but remark the loose tone of theconversation. Subjects were freely discussed which had never foundadmittance either in the palace of King Edred or at Aescendune, andwhich, indeed, caused him to look up with surprise, remembering in whosepresence he sat.

  But, as is often the case in an age where opinion is severely repressedin its outward expression, and amongst those compelled against theirwill to observe silence on such subjects on ordinary occasions, allrestraint seemed abandoned at the table of Ethelgiva. It was not thatthe language was coarse, but whether the conversation turned upon therestraints of the clergy, or the court, or upon the fashionablefrivolities of the day--for there were frivolities and fashions evenin that primitive age--there was a freedom of expression borderingupon profanity or licentiousness.

  Edred was mocked as an old babbler; Dunstan was sometimes a fool,sometimes a hypocrite, sometimes even a sorcerer, although this was saidsneeringly; the clergy were divided into fools and knaves; the claims ofthe Church--that is of Christianity--derided, and the principlefreely avowed--"Enjoy life while you can, for you know not what maycome after."

  Excited by the wine he had drunk, Elfric became as wild in his talk asthe other young men, and as the intoxicating drink mounted to his brain,seemed to think that he had just learnt how to enjoy life.

  The ladies retired at last, and Edwy followed them. Elfric was on thepoint of rising too, but a hint from his companions restrained him. Thewine cup still circulated, the conversation, now unrestrained, initiatedthe boy into many an evil secret he had never known earlier; and so thehours passed on, till Edwy, himself much flushed, came in and said thatit was time to depart, for midnight had long been tolled from thedistant towers of London.

  He smiled as he saw by Elfric's bloodshot eyes and unsteady gait, as herose, upsetting his seat, that his companion was something less masterof himself than usual; he felt, it need hardly be said, no remorse, butrather regarded the whole thing as what might now be termed "a jolly lark."

  "Shall you require bearers, or can you walk to the boat? I do not wonderyou are ill, you have eaten too much fish today; it is a shame to makethe knees weak through fasting in this style."

  "I--I--am all right now."

  "You will be better in the air."

  So, bidding a farewell of somewhat doubtful character to hisentertainers, Elfric was assisted to the boat. The air did not revivehim, he felt wretchedly feverish and giddy, and could hardly tell how hereached the river.

  Reach it, however, he did, and the strong arms of the watermen impelled theboat rapidly down the tide, until it reached the stairs near the palace.

  Here Redwald was in waiting, and assisted them to land.

  "You are very late, or rather early," he said.

  "Yes," said Edwy, "but it has been a jolly evening, only poor Elfric hasbeen ill, having of course weakened himself by fasting."

  Redwald smiled such a scornful smile, and muttered some words tohimself. Yet it did not seem as
if he were altogether displeased at thestate in which he saw Elfric. It may be added that Edwy was but littlebetter.

  "You must keep silent," said Redwald; "I believe the king and Dunstanare hearing matins in the chapel: it is the festival of some saint orother, who went to the gridiron in olden days."

  The outer gate of the palace was cautiously opened, and, taking offtheir shoes, the youths ascended the stairs which led to theirapartments as lightly as possible.

  "Send the leech Sigebert to us in the morning--he must report Elfricunwell--for he will hardly get up to hear Dunstan mumble mass."

  "Perhaps your royal highness had better rest also."

  "And bring suspicion upon us both? No," said Edwy, "one will be enoughto report ill at once; Dunstan is an old fox."

  Poor Elfric could hardly get to bed, and, almost for the first timesince infancy, he laid himself down