saint george for england-第39章

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of　the　lady's　mother；　seconded　the　request；　the　king　at　once　acceded　to　it。　Edith　was　now　sixteen；　an　age　at　which；　in　those　days；　a　young　lady　was　considered　to　be　marriageable；　and　the　wedding　took　place　with　great　pomp　and　ceremony　at　Westminster；　the　king　himself　giving　away　the　bride；　and　bestowing；　as　did　the　prince　and　Queen　Philippa；　many　costly　presents　upon　the　young　couple。　After　taking　part　in　several　of　the　tournaments；　Walter　went　with　his　bride　and　Dame　Vernon　down　to　their　estates；　and　were　received　with　great　rejoicing　by　the　tenantry；　the　older　of　whom　well　remembered　Walter's　father　and　mother；　and　were　rejoiced　at　finding　that　they　were　again　to　become　the　vassals　of　one　of　the　old　family。　Dame　Vernon　was　greatly　loved　by　her　tenantry；　but　the　latter　had　looked　forward　with　some　apprehension　to　the　marriage　of　the　young　heiress；　as　the　character　of　the　knight　upon　whom　the　king　might　bestow　her　hand　would　greatly　affect　the　happiness　and　well　being　of　his　tenants。

Sir　James　Carnegie　had　not　returned　to　England　after　the　fall　of　Calais；　he　perceived　that　he　was　in　grave　disfavour　with　the　Black　Prince；　and　guessed；　as　was　the　case；　that　some　suspicion　had　fallen　on　him　in　reference　to　the　attack　upon　Walter　in　the　camp；　and　to　the　strange　attempt　which　had　been　made　to　destroy　him　by　Sir　Phillip　Holbeaut。　He　had；　therefore；　for　a　time　taken　service　with　the　Count　of　Savoy；　and　was　away　from　England；　to　the　satisfaction　of　Walter　and　Dame　Vernon；　when　the　marriage　took　place；　for　he　had　given　proofs　of　such　a　malignity　of　disposition　that　both　felt；　that　although　his　succession　to　the　estates　was　now　hopelessly　barred；　yet　that　he　might　at　any　moment　attempt　some　desperate　deed　to　satisfy　his　feeling　of　disappointment　and　revenge。

In　spite　of　the　gaiety　of　the　court　of　King　Edward　a　cloud　hung　over　the　kingdom；　for　it　was　threatened　by　a　danger　far　more　terrible　than　any　combination　of　foes　…　a　danger　which　no　gallantry　upon　the　part　of　her　king　or　warriors　availed　anything。　With　a　slow　and　terrible　march　the　enemy　was　advancing　from　the　East；　where　countless　hosts　had　been　slain。　India；　Arabia；　Syria；　and　Armenia　had　been　well…nigh　depopulated。　In　no　country　which　the　dread　foe　had　invaded　had　less　than　two…thirds　of　the　population　been　slain；　in　some　nine…tenths　had　perished。　All　sorts　of　portents　were　reported　to　have　accompanied　its　appearance　in　the　East；　where　it　was　said　showers　of　serpents　had　fallen；　strange　and　unknown　insects　had　appeared　in　the　atmosphere；　and　clouds　of　sulphurous　vapour　had　issued　from　the　earth　and　enveloped　whole　provinces　and　countries。　　For　two　or　three　years　the　appearance　of　this　scourge　had　been　heralded　by　strange　atmospheric　disturbances；　heavy　rains　and　unusual　floods；　storms　of　thunder　and　lightning　of　unheard…of　violence；　hail…showers　of　unparalleled　duration　and　severity；　had　everywhere　been　experienced；　while　in　Italy　and　Germany　violent　earthquake　shocks　had　been　felt；　and　that　at　places　where　no　tradition　existed　of　previous　occurrences　of　the　same　kind。

From　Asia　it　had　spread　to　Africa　and　to　Europe；　affecting　first　the　sea…shores　and　creeping　inland　by　the　course　of　the　rivers。　Greece　first　felt　its　ravages；　and　Italy　was　not　long　in　experiencing　them。　In　Venice　more　than　100；000　persons　perished　in　a　few　months；　and　thence　spreading　over　the　whole　peninsula；　not　a　town　escaped　the　visitation。　At　Florence　60；000　people　were　carried　off；　and　at　Lucca　and　Genoa；　in　Sicily；　Sardinia；　and　Corsica　it　raged　with　equal　violence。　　France　was　assailed　by　way　of　Provence；　and　Avignon　suffered　especially。　Of　the　English　college　at　that　place　not　an　individual　was　left；　and　120　persons　died　in　a　single　day　in　that　small　city。　Paris　lost　upwards　of　50；000　of　its　inhabitants；　while　90；000　were　swept　away　in　Lubeck；　and　1；200；000　died　within　a　year　of　its　first　appearance　in　Germany。

In　England　the　march　of　the　pestilence　westward　was　viewed　with　deep　apprehension；　and　the　approaching　danger　was　brought　home　to　the　people　by　the　death　of　the　Princess　Joan；　the　king's　second　daughter。　She　was　affianced　to　Peter；　the　heir　to　the　throne　of　Spain；　and　the　bride；　who　had　not　yet　accomplished　her　fourteenth　year；　was　sent　over　to　Bordeaux　with　considerable　train　of　attendants　in　order　to　be　united　there　to　her　promised　husband。　　Scarcely　had　she　reached　Bordeaux　when　she　was　attacked　by　the　pestilence　and　died　in　a　few　hours。　A　few　days　later　the　news　spread　through　the　country　that　the　disease　had　appeared　almost　simultaneously　at　several　of　the　seaports　in　the　south…west　of　England。　Thence　with　great　rapidity　it　spread　through　the　kingdom；　proceeding　through　Gloucestershire　and　Oxfordshire　it　broke　out　in　London；　and　the　ravages　were　no　less　severe　than　they　had　been　on　the　Continent；　the　very　lowest　estimate　being　that　two…thirds　of　the　population　were　swept　away。　Most　of　those　attacked　died　within　a　few　hours　of　the　seizure。　If　they　survived　for　two　days　they　generally　rallied；　but　even　then　many　fell　into　a　state　of　coma　from　which　they　never　awoke。

No　words　can　describe　the　terror　and　dismay　caused　by　this　the　most　destructive　plague　of　which　there　is　any　record　in　history。　No　remedies　were　of　the　slightest　avail　against　it；　flight　was　impossible；　for　the　loneliest　hamlets　suffered　as　severely　as　crowded　towns；　and　frequently　not　a　single　survivor　was　left。　Men　met　the　pestilence　in　various　moods：　　the　brave　with　fortitude；　the　pious　with　resignation；　the　cowardly　and　turbulent　with　outbursts　of　despair　and　fury。　　Among　the　lower　classes　the　wildest　rumours　gained　credence。　Some　assigned　the　pestilence　to　witchcraft；　others　declared　that　the　waters　of　the　wells　and　streams　had　been　poisoned。　Serious　riots　occurred　in　many　places；　and　great　numbers　of　people　fell　victims　to　the　fury　of　the　mob　under　the　suspicion　of　being　connected　in　some　way　with　the　ravages　of　the　pestilence。　The　Jews；　ever　the　objects　of　popular　hostility；　engendered　by　ignorance　and　superstition；　were　among　the　chief　sufferers。　Bands　of　marauders　wandered　through　the　country　plundering　the　houses　left　empty　by　the　death　of　all　their　occupants；　and　from　end　to　end　death　and　suffering　were　universal。

Although　all　classes　had　suffered　heavily　the　ravages　of　the　disease　were；　as　is　always　the　case；　greater　among　the　poor　than　among　the　rich；　the　insanitary　conditions　of　their　life；　and　their　coarser　and　commoner　food　rendering　them　more　liable　to　its　influence；　no　rank；　however；　was　exempted；　and　no　less　than　three　Archbishops　of　Canterbury　were　carried　off　in　succession　by　the　pestilence　within　a　year　of　its　appearance。

During　the　months　which　succeeded　his　marriage　Sir　Walter　Somers　lived　quietly　and　happily　with　his　wife　at　Westerham。　It　was　not　until　late　in　the　year　that　the　plague　approached　the　neighbourhood。　Walter　had　determined　to　await　its　approach　there。　He　had　paid　a　few　short　visits　to　the　court；　where　every　effort　was　made　by　continuous　gaiety　to　keep　up　the　spirits　of　the　people　and　prevent　them　from　brooding　over　the　approaching　pestilence；　but　when　it　was　at　hand　Walter　and　his　wife　agreed　that　they　would　rather　share　the　lot　of　their　tenants；　whom　their　presence　and　example　might　support　and　cheer　in　their　need；　than　return　to　face　it　in　London。　One　morning　when　they　were　at　breakfast　a　frightened　servant　brought　in　the　news　that　the　disease　had　appeared　in　the　village；　that　three　persons　had　been　taken　ill　on　the　previous　night；　that　two　had　already　died；　and　that　several　others　had　sickened。

〃The　time　has　come；　my　children；〃　Dame　Vernon　said　calmly；　〃the　danger　so　long　foreseen　is　at　hand；　now　let　us　face　it　as　we　agreed　to　do。　It　has　been　proved　that　flight　is　useless；　since　nowhere　is　there　escape　from　the　plague；　here；　at　least；　there　shall　be　no　repetition　of　the　terrible　scenes　we　have　heard　of　elsewhere；　where　the　living　have　fled　in　panic　and　allowed　the　stricken　to　die　unattended。　We　have　already　agreed　that　we　will　set　the　example　to　our　people　by　ourselves　going　down　and　administering　to　the　sick。〃

〃It　is　hard；〃　Walter　said；　rising　and　pacing　up　and　down　the　room；　〃to　let　Edith　go　into　it。〃

〃Edith　will　do　just　the　same　as　you　do；〃　his　wife　said　firmly。　〃Were　it　possible　that　all　in　this　house　might　escape；　there　might　be　a　motive　for　turning　coward；　but　seeing　that　no　household　is　spared；　there　is；　as　we　agreed；　greater　danger　in　flying　from　the　pestilence　than　facing　it　firmly。〃

Walter　sighed。

〃You　are　right；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　wrings　my　heart　to　see　you　place　yourself　in　danger。〃

〃Were　we　out　of　danger　here；　Walter；　it　might　be　so；〃　Edith　replied　gently；　〃but　since　there　is　no　more　safety　in　the　castle　than　in　the　cottage；　we　must　face　death　whether　it　pleases　us　or　not；　and　it　were　best　to　do　so　bravely。〃

〃So　be　it；〃　Walter　said；　〃may　the　God　of　heaven　watch　over　us　all！　Now；　mother；　do　you　and　Edith　busy　yourselves　in　preparing　broths；　strengthening　drinks；　and　medicaments。　　I　will　go　down　at　once　to　the　village　and　see　how　matters　stand　there　and　who　are　in　need。　We　have　already　urged　upon　all　our　people　to　face　the　danger　bravely；　and　if　die　they　must；　to　die　bravely　like　Christians；　and　not　like　coward　dogs。　When　you　have　prepared　your　soups　and　cordials　come　down　and　meet　me　in　the　village；　bringing　Mabel　and　Janet；　your　attendants；　to　carry　the　baskets。〃

Ralph；　who　was　now　installed　as　major…domo　in　the　castle；　at　once　set　out　with　Walter。　They　found　the　village　in　a　state　of　panic。　Women　were　sitting　crying　despairingly　at　their　doors。　Some　were　engaged　in　packing　their　belongings　in　carts　preparatory　to　flight；　some　wandered　aimlessly　about　wringing　their　hands；　while　others　went　to　the　church；　whose　bells　were　mournfully　tolling　the　dirge　of　the　departed。　　Walter's　presence　soon　restored　something　like　order　and　confidence；　his　resolute　tone　cheered　the　timid　and　gave　hope　to　the　despairing。　　Sternly　he　rebuked　those　preparing　to　fly；　and　ordered　them　instantly　to　replace　their　goods　in　their　houses。　Then　he　went　to　the　priest　and　implored　him　to　cause　the　tolling　of　the　bell　to　cease。

〃There　is　enough；〃　he　said；　〃in　the　real　danger　present　to　appall　even　the　bravest；　and　we　need　no　bell　to　tell　us　that　death　is　among　us。　The　dismal　tolling　is　enough　to　unnerve　the　stoutest　heart；　and　if　we　ring　for　all　who　die　its　sounds　will　never　cease　while　the　plague　is　among　us；　therefore；　father；　I　implore　you　to　discontinue　it。　Let　there　be　services　held　daily　in　the　church；　but　I　beseech　you　strive　in　your　discourses　to　cheer　the　people　rather　than　to　depress　them；　and　to　dwell　more　upon　the　joys　that　await　those　who　die　as　Christian　men　and　women　than　upon　the　sorrows　of　those　who　remain　behind。　My　wife　and　mother　will　anon　be　down　in　the　village　and　will　strive　to　cheer　and　comfort　the　people；　and　I　look　to　you　for　aid　in　this　matter。〃

The　priest；　who　was　naturally　a　timid　man；　nevertheless　nerved　himself　to　carry　out　Walter's　suggestions；　and　soon　the　dismal　tones　of　the　bell　ceased　to　be　heard　in　the　village。

Walter　despatched　messengers　to　all　the　outlying　farms　desiring　his　tenants　to　meet　him　that　afternoon　at　the　castle　in　order　that　measures　might　be　concerted　for　common　aid　and　assistance。　An　hour　later　Dame　Vernon　and　Edith　came　do