the caged lion-第1章

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The　Caged　Lion

by　Charlotte　M。　Yonge




PREFACE



When　the　venture　has　been　made　of　dealing　with　historical　events　and　characters；　it　always　seems　fair　towards　the　reader　to　avow　what　liberties　have　been　taken；　and　how　much　of　the　sketch　is　founded　on　history。　　In　the　present　case；　it　is　scarcely　necessary　to　do　more　than　refer　to　the　almost　unique　relations　that　subsisted　between　Henry　V。　and　his　prisoner；　James　I。　of　Scotland；　who　lived　with　him　throughout　his　reign　on　the　terms　of　friend　rather　than　of　captive；　and　was　absolutely　sheltered　by　this　imprisonment　throughout　his　nonage　and　early　youth　from　the　frightful　violence　and　presumption　of　the　nobles　of　his　kingdom。

James's　expedition　to　Scotland　is　wholly　imaginary；　though　there　appears　to　have　been　space　for　it　during　Henry's　progress　to　the　North　to　pay　his　devotions　at　Beverley　Minster。　　The　hero　of　the　story　is　likewise　invention；　though；　as　Froissart　ascribes　to　King　Robert　II。　'eleven　sons　who　loved　arms；'　Malcolm　may　well　be　supposed　to　be　the　son　of　one　of　those　unaccounted　for　in　the　pedigrees　of　Stewart。　　The　same　may　be　said　of　Esclairmonde。　　There　were　plenty　of　Luxemburgs　in　the　Low　Countries；　but　the　individual　is　not　to　be　identified。　　Readers　of　Tyler's　'Henry　V。；'　of　Agnes　Strickland's　'Queens；'　Tytler's　'Scotland；'　and　Barante's　'Histoire　de　Bourgogne'　will　be　at　no　loss　for　the　origin　of　all　I　have　ventured　to　say　of　the　really　historical　personages。　　Mr。　Fox　Bourne's　'English　Merchants'　furnished　the　tradition　respecting　Whittington。　　I　am　afraid　the　knighthood　was　really　conferred　on　Henry's　first　return　to　England；　after　the　battle　of　Agincourt；　but　humanor　at　least　story…　tellingnature　could　not　resist　an　anachronism　of　a　few　years　for　such　a　story。　　The　only　other　wilful　alteration　of　a　matter　of　time　is　with　regard　to　the　Duke　of　Burgundy's　interview　with　Henry。　　At　the　time　of　Henry's　last　stay　at　Paris　the　Duke　was　attending　the　death…bed　of　his　wife；　Michelle　of　France；　but　he　had　been　several　times　in　the　King's　camp　at　the　siege　of　Meaux。

Another　alteration　of　fact　is　that　Ralf　Percy；　instead　of　being　second　son　of　Hotspur；　should　have　been　Henry　Percy；　son　of　Hotspur's　brother　Ralf；　but　the　name　would　have　been　so　confusing　that　it　was　thought　better　to　set　Dugdale　at　defiance　and　consider　the　reader's　convenience。　　Alice　Montagu；　though　her　name　sounds　as　if　it　came　out　of　the　most　commonplace　novelist's　repertory；　was　a　veritable　personagethe　heiress　of　the　brave　line　of　Montacute；　or　Montagu；　daughter　to　the　Earl　of　Salisbury　who　was　killed　at　the　siege　of　Orleans；　wife　to　the　Earl　of　the　same　title　（in　her　right）　who　won　the　battle　of　Blore　Heath　and　was　beheaded　at　Wakefield；　and　mother　to　Earl　Warwick　the　King…maker；　the　Marquis　of　Montagu；　and　George　Nevil；　Archbishop　of　York。　　As　nothing　is　known　of　her　but　her　name；　I　have　ventured　to　make　use　of　the　blank。

For　Jaqueline　of　Hainault；　and　her　pranks；　they　are　to　be　found　in　Monstrelet　of　old；　and　now　in　Barante；　though　justice　to　her　and　Queen　Isabeau　compels　me　to　state　that　the　incident　of　the　ring　is　wholly　fictitious。　　Of　the　trial　of　Walter　Stewart　no　record　is　preserved　save　that　he　was　accused　of　'roborica。'　　James　Kennedy　was　the　first　great　benefactor　to　learning　in　Scotland；　and　founder　of　her　earliest　University；　having　been　himself　educated　at　Paris。

The　Abbey　of　Coldingham　is　described　from　a　local　compilation　of　the　early　part　of　the　century；　with　an　account　of　the　history　of　that　grand　old　foundation；　and　the　struggle　for　appointments　between　the　parent　house　at　Durham　and　the　Scottish　Government。　　Priors　Akefield　and　Drax　are　historical；　and　as　the　latter　really　did　commission　a　body　of　moss…troopers　to　divert　an　instalment　of　King　James's　ransom　into　his　own　private　coffers；　I　do　not　think　I　can　have　done　him　much　injustice。　　As　the　nunnery　of　St。　Abbs　has　gone　bodily　into　the　sea；　I　have　been　the　less　constrained　by　the　inconvenient　action　of　fact　upon　fiction。　　And　for　the　Hospital　of　St。　Katharine's…by…the…Tower；　its　history　is　to　be　found　in　Stowe's　'Survey　of　London；'　and　likewise　in　the　evidence　before　the　Parliamentary　Commission；　which　shows　what　it　was　intended　by　Queen　Philippa　to　have　been　to　the　river…side　population；　and　what　it　might　have　been　had　such　intentions　been　understood　and　acted　onnay；　what　it　may　yet　become；　since　the　foundation　remains　intact；　although　the　building　has　been　removed。

C。　M。　YONGE。

November　24；　1869。



CHAPTER　I：　　THE　GUEST　OF　GLENUSKIE



A　master　hand　has　so　often　described　the　glens　and　ravines　of　Scotland；　that　it　seems　vain　and　presumptuous　to　meddle　with　them；　and　yet　we　must　ask　our　readers　to　figure　to　themselves　a　sharp　cleft　sloping　downwards　to　a　brawling　mountain　stream；　the　sides　scattered　with　gray　rocks　of　every　imaginable　size；　interspersed　here　and　there　with　heather；　gorse；　or　furze。　　Just　in　the　widest　part　of　the　valley；　a　sort　of　platform　of　rock　jutted　out　from　the　hill…side；　and　afforded　a　station　for　one　of　those　tall；　narrow；　grim…looking　fastnesses　that　were　the　strength　of　Scotland；　as　well　as　her　bane。

Either　by　nature　or　art；　the　rock　had　been　scarped　away　on　three　sides；　so　that　the　walls　of　the　castle　rose　sheer　from　the　steep　descent；　except　where　the　platform　was　connected　with　the　mountain　side　by；　as　it　were；　an　isthmus　joining　the　peninsula　to　the　main　rock；　and　even　this　isthmus；　a　narrow　ridge　of　rock　just　wide　enough　for　the　passage　of　a　single　horse；　had　been　cut　through；　no　doubt　with　great　labour；　and　rendered　impassable；　except　by　the　lowering　of　a　drawbridge。　　Glenuskie　Castle　was　thus　nearly　impregnable；　so　long　as　it　was　supplied　with　water；　and　for　this　all　possible　provision　had　been　made；　by　guiding　a　stream　into　the　court。

The　castle　was　necessarily　narrow　and　confined；　its　massive　walls　took　up　much　even　of　the　narrow　space　that　the　rock　afforded；　but　it　had　been　so　piled　up　that　it　seemed　as　though　the　builders　wished　to　make　height　compensate　for　straitness。　　There　was；　too；　an　unusual　amount　of　grace；　both　in　the　outline　of　the　gateway　with　its　mighty　flanking　towers；　and　of　the　lofty　donjon　tower；　that　shot　up　like　a　great　finger　above　the　Massy　More；　as　the　main　building　was　commonly　called　by　the　inhabitants　of　Glenuskie。

Wondrous　as　were　the　walls；　and　deep…set　as　were　the　arches；　they　had　all　that　peculiar　slenderness　of　contour　that　Scottish　taste　seemed　to　have　learnt　from　France；　and　a　little　more　space　was　gained　at　the　top；　both　of　the　gateway　towers　and　the　donjon；　by　a　projecting　cornice　of　beautifully　vaulted　arches　supporting　a　battlement；　that　gave　the　building　a　crowned　look。　　On　the　topmost　tower　was　of　course　planted　the　ensign　of　the　owner；　and　that　ensign　was　no　other　than　the　regal　ruddy　Lion　of　Scotland；　ramping　on　his　gold　field　within　his　tressure　fiery　and　counter　flory；　but　surmounted　by　a　label　divided　into　twelve；　and　placed　upon　a　pen…noncel；　or　triangular　piece　of　silk。　　The　eyes　of　the　early　fifteenth　century　easily　deciphered　such　hieroglyphics　as　these；　which　to　every　one　with　the　least　tincture　of　'the　noble　science'　indicated　that　the　owner　of　the　castle　was　of　royal　Stewart　blood；　but　of　a　younger　branch；　and　not　yet　admitted　to　the　rank　of　knighthood。

The　early　spring　of　the　year　1421　was　bleak　and　dreary　in　that　wild　lonely　vale；　and　large　was　the　fire　burning　on　the　hearth　in　the　castle　hall；　in　the　full　warmth　of　which　there　sat；　with　a　light　blue　cloth　cloak　drawn　tightly　round　him；　a　tall　old　man；　of　the　giant　mould　of　Scotland；　and　with　a　massive　thoughtful　brow；　whose　grand　form　was　rendered　visible　by　the　absence　of　hair；　only　a　few　remnants　of　yellow　locks　mixed　with　silver　floating　from　his　temples　to　mingle　with　his　magnificent　white　beard。　　A　small　blue　bonnet；　with　a　short　eagle　feather；　fastened　with　a　brooch　of　river　pearl；　was　held　in　the　hands　that　were　clasped　over　his　face；　as；　bending　down　in　his　chair；　he　murmured　through　his　white　beard；　'Have　mercy；　good　Lord；　have　mercy　on　the　land。　　Have　mercy　on　my　son；and　guard　him　when　he　goes　out　and　when　he　comes　in。　　Have　mercy　on　the　children　I　have　toiled　for；　and　teach　me　to　judge　and　act　for　them　aright　in　these　sore　stra