惊婚记 英文版 Quentin Durward
瓦尔特.司各特 Sir Walter Scott
CHAPTER XXVIII: UNCERTAINTY Page 1
Then happy low, lie down;Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV.
Forty men at arms, carrying alternately naked swords and blazingtorches, served as the escort, or rather the guard, of King Louis,from the town hall of Peronne to the Castle; and as he enteredwithin its darksome and gloomy strength, it seemed as if a voicescreamed in his ear that warning which the Florentine has inscribedover the portal of the infernal regions, "Leave all hope behind."
(The Florentine (1265-1321): Dante Alighieri, the greatest ofItalian poets. The Divine Comedy, his chief work, describes hispassage through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; the inscription herereferred to Dante places at the entrance of Hell.)
At that moment, perhaps, some feeling of remorse might have crossedthe King's mind, had he thought on the hundreds, nay, thousandswhom, without cause, or on light suspicion, he had committed tothe abysses of his dungeons, deprived of all hope of liberty, andloathing even the life to which they clung by animal instinct.
The broad glare of the torches outfacing the pale moon, which wasmore obscured on this than on the former night, and the red smokylight which they dispersed around the ancient buildings, gave adarker shade to that huge donjon, called the Earl Herbert's Tower.It was the same that Louis had viewed with misgiving presentimenton the preceding evening, and of which he was now doomed to becomean inhabitant, under the terror of what violence soever the wrathfultemper of his overgrown vassal might tempt him to exercise in thosesecret recesses of despotism.
To aggravate the King's painful feelings, he saw, as he crossed thecourtyard, one or two bodies, over each of which had been hastilyflung a military cloak. He was not long in discerning that theywere corpses of slain Archers of the Scottish Guard, who havingdisputed, as the Count Crevecoeur informed him, the command giventhem to quit the post near the King's apartments, a brawl hadensued between them and the Duke's Walloon bodyguards, and beforeit could be composed by the officers on either side, several liveshad been lost.
"My trusty Scots!" said the King as he looked upon this melancholyspectacle; "had they brought only man to man, all Flanders, ay,and Burgundy to boot, had not furnished champions to mate you."
his dungeons, deprived of all hope of liberty, andloathing even the life to which they clung by animal!
"Yes, an it please your Majesty," said Balafre, who attended closebehind the King, "Maistery mows the meadow (maist, a Scotch formof most. That is, there is strength in numbers) -- few men canfight more than two at once. -- I myself never care to meet three,unless it be in the way of special duty, when one must not standto count heads."
"Art thou there, old acquaintance," said the King, looking behindhim; "then I have one true subject with me yet."
"And a faithful minister, whether in your councils, or in hisoffices about your royal person," whispered Oliver le Dain.
"We are all faithful," said Tristan l'Hermite gruffly; "for shouldthey put to death your Majesty, there is not one of us whom theywould suffer to survive you, even if we would."
"Now, that is what I call good corporal bail for fidelity," said LeGlorieux, who, as already mentioned, with the restlessness properto an infirm brain, had thrust himself into their company.
Meanwhile the Seneschal, hastily summoned, was turning with laboriouseffort the ponderous key which opened the reluctant gate of thehuge Gothic Keep, and was at last fain to call for the assistanceof one of Crevecoeur's attendants. When they had succeeded, sixmen entered with torches, and showed the way through a narrow andwinding passage, commanded at different points by shot holes fromvaults and casements constructed behind, and in the thicknessof the massive walls. At the end of this passage arose a stair ofcorresponding rudeness, consisting of huge blocks of stone, roughlydressed with the hammer, and of unequal height. Having mounted thisascent, a strong iron clenched door admitted them to what had beenthe great hall of the donjon, lighted but very faintly even duringthe daytime (for the apertures, diminished, in appearance bythe excessive thickness of the walls, resembled slits rather thanwindows), and now but for the blaze of the torches, almost perfectlydark. Two or three bats, and other birds of evil presage, rousedby the unusual glare, flew against the lights, and threatened toextinguish them; while the Seneschal formally apologized to theKing that the State Hall had not been put in order, such was thehurry of the notice sent to him, adding that, in truth, the apartmenthad not been in use for twenty years, and rarely before that time,so far as ever he had heard, since the time of King Charles theSimple.
"King Charles the Simple!" echoed Louis; "I know the history ofthe Tower now. -- He was here murdered by his treacherous vassal,Herbert, Earl of Vermandois. -- So say our annals. I knew therewas something concerning the Castle of Peronne which dwelt on mymind, though I could not recall the circumstance. -- Here, then,my predecessor was slain!"
"Not here, not exactly here, and please your Majesty," said the oldSeneschal, stepping with the eager haste of a cicerone who showsthe curiosities of such a place.
"Not here, but in the side chamber a little onward, which opensfrom your Majesty's bedchamber."
He hastily opened a wicket at the upper end of the hall, which ledinto a bedchamber, small, as is usual in those old buildings; but,even for that reason, rather more comfortable than the waste hallthrough which they had passed. Some hasty preparations had beenhere made for the King's accommodation. Arras had been tacked up,a fire lighted in the rusty grate, which had been long unused, anda pallet laid down for those gentlemen who were to pass the nightin his chamber, as was then usual.
"We will get beds in the hall for the rest of your attendants,"said the garrulous old man; "but we have had such brief notice, ifit please your Majesty. -- And if it please your Majesty to lookupon this little wicket behind the arras, it opens into the littleold cabinet in the thickness of the wall where Charles was slain;and there is a secret passage from below, which admitted the menwho were to deal with him. And your Majesty, whose eyesight I hopeis better than mine, may see the blood still on the oak floor,though the thing was done five hundred years ago."
While he thus spoke, he kept fumbling to open the postern of whichhe spoke, until the King said, "Forbear, old man -- forbear but alittle while, when thou mayst have a newer tale to tell, and fresherblood to show. -- My Lord of Crevecoeur, what say you?"
"I can but answer, Sire, that these two interior apartments areas much at your Majesty's disposal as those in your own Castle atPlessis, and that Crevecoeur, a name never blackened by treacheryor assassination, has the guard of the exterior defences of it."
"But the private passage into that closet, of which the old manspeaks?" This King Louis said in a low and anxious tone, holdingCrevecoeur's arm fast with one hand, and pointing to the wicketdoor with the other.
"It must be some dream of Mornay's," said Crevecoeur, "or some oldand absurd tradition of the place; but we will examine."
He was about to open the closet door, when Louis answered, "No,Crevecoeur, no. -- Your honour is sufficient warrant. -- But whatwill your Duke do with me, Crevecoeur? He cannot hope to keep melong a prisoner; and -- in short, give me your opinion, Crevecoeur."
"My Lord, and Sire," said the Count, "how the Duke of Burgundy mustresent this horrible cruelty on the person of his near relativeand ally, is for your Majesty to judge; and what right he mayhave to consider it as instigated by your Majesty's emissaries,you only can know. But my master is noble in his disposition, andmade incapable, even by the very strength of his passions, of anyunderhand practices. Whatever he does, will be done in the faceof day, and of the two nations. And I can but add, that it will bethe wish of every counsellor around him -- excepting perhaps one --that he should behave in this matter with mildness and generosity,as well as justice."
"Ah! Crevecoeur," said Louis, taking his hand as if affected by somepainful recollections, "how happy is the Prince who has counsellorsnear him, who can guard him against the effects of his own angrypassions! Their names will be read in golden letters, when thehistory of his reign is perused. -- Noble Crevecoeur, had it beenmy lot to have such as thou art about my person!"
"It had in that case been your Majesty's study to have got rid ofthem as fast as you could," said Le Glorieux.
"Aha! Sir Wisdom, art thou there?" said Louis, turning round, andinstantly changing the pathetic tone in which he had addressedCrevecoeur, and adopting with facility one which had a turn ofgaiety in it. -- "Hast thou followed us hither?"
"Ay, Sir," answered Le Glorieux, "Wisdom must follow, in motley,where Folly leads the way in purple."
"How shall I construe that, Sir Solomon?" answered Louis. "Wouldstthou change conditions with me?"
"Not I, by my halidome," quoth Le Glorieux, "if you would give mefifty crowns to boot."
"Why, wherefore so? -- Methinks I could be well enough contented,as princes go, to have thee for my king."
"Ay, Sire," replied Le Glorieux, "but the question is, whether,judging of your Majesty's wit from its having lodged you here, Ishould not have cause to be ashamed of having so dull a fool."
I can but add, that it will bethe wish of every counsellor around him -- excepting perhaps one --that ?
"Peace, sirrah!" said the Count of Crevecoeur, "your tongue runstoo fast."
"Let it take its course," said the King, "I know of no such fairsubject of raillery as the follies of those who should know better.-- Here, my sagacious friend, take this purse of gold, and with itthe advice never to be so great a fool as to deem yourself wiserthan other people. Prithee, do me so much favour as to inquire aftermy astrologer, Martius Galeotti, and send him hither to me presently."
"I will, without fail, my Liege," answered the jester; "and I wotwell I shall find him at Jan Dopplethur's, for philosophers, aswell as fools, know where the best wine is sold."
"Let me pray for free entrance for this learned person through yourguards, Seignior de Crevecoeur," said Louis.
"For his entrance, unquestionably," answered the Count; "but itgrieves me to add that my instructions do not authorize me to permitany one to quit your Majesty's apartments. -- I wish your Majestya goodnight," he subjoined, "and will presently make such arrangementsin the outer hall, as may put the gentlemen who are to inhabit itmore at their ease."
"Give yourself no trouble for them, Sir Count," replied the King,"they are men accustomed to set hardships at defiance; and, tospeak truth, excepting that I wish to see Galeotti, I would desireas little farther communication from without this night as may beconsistent with your instructions."
"These are, to leave your Majesty," replied Crevecoeur, "undisputedpossession of your own apartments. Such are my master's orders."
"Your Master, Count," answered Louis, "whom I may also term mine,is a right gracious master. -- My dominions," he added, "are somewhatshrunk in compass, now that they have dwindled to an old hall anda bedchamber, but they are still wide enough for all the subjectswhich I can at present boast of."
The Count of Crevecoeur took his leave, and shortly after, they couldhear the noise of the sentinels moving to their posts, accompaniedwith the word of command from the officers, and the hasty tread ofthe guards who were relieved. At length all became still, and theonly sound which filled the air was the sluggish murmur of theriver Somme, as it glided, deep and muddy, under the walls of thecastle.
"Go into the hall, my mates," said Louis to his train; "but donot lie down to sleep. Hold yourselves in readiness, for there isstill something to be done tonight, and that of moment."
Oliver and Tristan retired to the hall, accordingly, in which LeBalafre and the two officers had remained, when the others enteredthe bedchamber. They found that those without had thrown fagotsenough upon the fire to serve the purpose of light and heat at thesame time, and, wrapping themselves in their cloaks, had sat downon the floor, in postures which variously expressed the discomposureand dejection of their minds. Oliver and Tristan saw nothing betterto be done than to follow their example and, never very good friendsin the days of their court prosperity, they were both equallyreluctant to repose confidence in each other upon this strange andsudden reverse of fortune. So the whole party sat in silent dejection.
Meanwhile their master underwent, in the retirement of his secretchamber, agonies that might have atoned for some of those whichhad been imposed by his command. He paced the room with short andunequal steps, often stood still and clasped his hands together,and gave loose, in short, to agitation, which in public he hadfound himself able to suppress so successfully. At length, pausingand wringing his hands, he planted himself opposite to the wicketdoor, which had been pointed out by old Mornay as leading to thescene of the murder of one of his predecessors, and gradually gavevoice to his feelings in a broken soliloquy.
"Charles the Simple -- Charles the Simple! -- what will posteritycall the Eleventh Louis, whose blood will probably soon refreshthe stains of thine! Louis the Fool -- Louis the Driveller -- Louisthe Infatuated -- are all terms too slight to mark the extremityof my idiocy! To think these hot headed Liegeois, to whom rebellionis as natural as their food, would remain quiet -- to dream thatthe Wild Beast of Ardennes would for a moment be interrupted inhis career of force and bloodthirsty brutality -- to suppose thatI could use reason and arguments to any good purpose with Charlesof Burgundy, until I had tried the force of such exhortations withsuccess upon a wild bull. Fool, and double idiot that I was! Butthe villain Martius shall not escape. -- He has been at the bottomof this, he and the vile priest, the detestable Balue. If I everget out of this danger, I will tear from his head the Cardinal'scap, though I pull the scalp along with it! But the other traitoris in my hands -- I am yet King enough -- have yet an empire roomyenough -- for the punishment of the quack salving, word mongering,star gazing, lie coining impostor, who has at once made a prisonerand a dupe of me! -- The conjunction of the constellations -- ay,the conjunction. -- He must talk nonsense which would scarce gulla thrice sodden sheep's head, and I must be idiot enough to thinkI understand him! But we shall see presently what the conjunctionhath really boded. But first let me to my devotions."
(Louis kept his promise of vengeance against Cardinal La Balue, whomhe always blamed as having betrayed him to Burgundy. After he hadreturned to his own kingdom, he caused his late favourite to beimmured in one of the iron cages at Loches. These were constructedwith horrible ingenuity, so that a person of ordinary size couldneither stand up at his full height, nor lie lengthwise in them.Some ascribe this horrid device to Balue himself. At any rate, hewas confined in one of these dens for eleven years, nor did Louispermit him to be liberated till his last illness. S.)
Above the little door, in memory perhaps of the deed which had beendone within, was a rude niche, containing a crucifix cut in stone.Upon this emblem the King fixed his eyes, as if about to kneel, butstopped short, as if he applied to the blessed image the principlesof worldly policy, and deemed it rash to approach its presencewithout having secured the private intercession of some supposedfavourite. He therefore turned from the crucifix as unworthy tolook upon it, and selecting from the images with which, as oftenmentioned, his hat was completely garnished, a representation ofthe Lady of Clery, knelt down before it, and made the followingextraordinary prayer; in which, it is to be observed, the grossnessof his superstition induced him, in some degree, to consider theVirgin of Clery as a different person from the Madonna of Embrun,a favourite idol, to whom he often paid his vows.
"Sweet Lady of Clery," he exclaimed, clasping his hands and beatinghis breast while he spoke, "blessed Mother of Mercy! thou who artomnipotent with Omnipotence, have compassion with me, a sinner!It is true, that I have something neglected thee for thy blessedsister of Embrun; but I am a King, my power is great, my wealthboundless; and, were it otherwise, I would double the gabelle onmy subjects, rather than not pay my debts to you both. Undo theseiron doors -- fill up these tremendous moats -- lead me, as a motherleads a child, out of this present and pressing danger! If I havegiven thy sister the county of Boulogne, to be held of her for ever,have I no means of showing devotion to thee also? Thou shalt havethe broad and rich province of Champagne, and its vineyards shallpour their abundance into thy convent. I had promised the provinceto my brother Charles; but he, thou knowest, is dead -- poisonedby that wicked Abbe of Saint John d'Angely, whom, if I live, I willpunish! -- I promised this once before, but this time I will keepmy word. -- If I had any knowledge of the crime, believe, dearestpatroness, it was because I knew no better method of quieting thediscontents of my kingdom. Oh, do not reckon that old debt to myaccount today; but be, as thou hast ever been, kind, benignant, andeasy to be entreated! Sweetest Lady, work with thy child, that hewill pardon all past sins, and one -- one little deed which I mustdo this night -- nay, it is no sin, dearest Lady of Clery -- nosin, but an act of justice privately administered, for the villainis the greatest impostor that ever poured falsehood into a Prince'sear, and leans besides to the filthy heresy of the Greeks. He isnot deserving of thy protection, leave him to my care; and holdit as good service that I rid the world of him, for the man isa necromancer and wizard, that is not worth thy thought and care-- a dog, the extinction of whose life ought to be of as littleconsequence in thine eyes as the treading out a spark that dropsfrom a lamp, or springs from a fire. Think not of this little matter,gentlest, kindest Lady, but only consider how thou canst best aidme in my troubles! and I here, bind my royal signet to thy effigy,in token that I will keep word concerning the county of Champagne,and that this shall be the last time I will trouble thee in affairs ofblood, knowing thou art so kind, so gentle, and so tender hearted."
(As overheard and reported by the court jester this historic prayerreads as follows: "Ah, my good Lady, my gentle mistress, my onlyfriend, in whom alone I have resource, I pray you to supplicate Godin my behalf, and to be my advocate with him that he may pardon methe death of my brother whom I caused to be poisoned by that wickedAbbot of Saint John. I confess my guilt to thee as to my goodpatroness and mistress. But then what could I do? he was perpetuallycausing disorder in my kingdom. Cause me then to be pardoned, mygood Lady, and I know what a reward I will give thee.")