saint george for england-第47部分

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　in　the　state　in　which　you　see　us　by　our　own　free…will　to　save　the　rest　of　the　people　of　the　city；　who　have　already　suffered　many　ills。　We　pray　you；　therefore；　to　have　pity　and　mercy　upon　us　for　the　sake　of　your　high　nobleness。〃

All　present　were　greatly　affected　at　this　speech；　and　at　the　aspect　of　men　who　thus　offered　their　lives　for　their　fellow…citizens。　The　king's　countenance　alone　remained　unchanged；　and　he　ordered　them　to　be　taken　to　instant　execution。　Then　Sir　Walter　Manny　and　all　the　nobles　with　tears　besought　the　king　to　have　mercy；　not　only　for　the　sake　of　the　citizens；　but　for　that　of　his　own　fame；　which　would　be　tarnished　by　so　cruel　a　deed。

〃Silence；　Sir　Walter！〃　cried　the　king。　〃Let　the　executioner　be　called。　The　men　of　Calais　have　put　to　death　so　many　of　my　subjects　that　I　will　also　put　these　men　to　death。〃

At　this　moment　Queen　Philippa；　who　had　been　weeping　bitterly；　cast　herself　upon　her　knees　before　the　king。　〃Oh；　gentle　lord；〃　she　cried；　〃since　I　have　repassed　the　seas　to　see　you　I　have　neither　asked　or　required　anything　at　your　hand；　now；　then；　I　pray　you　humbly；　and　require　as　a　boon；　that　for　the　sake　of　the　Son　of　Mary；　and　for　the　love　of　me；　you　take　these　men　to　mercy。

The　king　stood　for　a　moment　in　silence；　and　then　said：

〃Ah！　lady；　I　would　that　you　had　been　other　where　than　here；　but　you　beg　of　me　so　earnestly　I　must　not　refuse　you；　though　I　grant　your　prayer　with　pain。　I　give　them　to　you；　take　them；　and　do　your　will。〃

Then　the　queen　rose　from　her　knees；　and　bidding　the　burghers　rise；　she　caused　clothing　and　food　to　be　given　them；　and　sent　them　away　free。

Sir　Walter　Manny；　with　a　considerable　body　of　men…at…arms；　now　took　possession　of　the　town　of　Calais。　The　anger　of　the　king　soon　gave　way　to　better　feelings；　all　the　citizens；　without　exception；　were　fed　by　his　bounty。　Such　of　them　as　preferred　to　depart　instead　of　swearing　fealty　to　the　English　monarch　were　allowed　to　carry　away　what　effects　they　could　bear　upon　their　persons　and　were　conducted　in　safety　to　the　French　town　of　Guisnes。　Eustace　de　St。　Pierre　was　granted　almost　all　the　possessions　he　had　formerly　held　in　Calais；　and　also　a　considerable　pension；　and　he　and　all　who　were　willing　to　remain　were　well　and　kindly　treated。　The　number　was　large；　for　the　natural　indignation　which　they　felt　at　their　base　desertion　by　the　French　king　induced　very　many　of　the　citizens　to　remain　and　become　subjects　of　Edward。　The　king　issued　a　proclamation　inviting　English　traders　and　others　to　come　across　and　take　up　their　residence　in　Calais；　bestowing　upon　them　the　houses　and　lands　of　the　French　who　had　left。　　Very　many　accepted　the　invitation；　and　Calais　henceforth　and　for　some　centuries　became　virtually　an　English　town。

A　truce　was　now；　through　the　exertions　of　the　pope's　legates；　made　between　England　and　France；　the　terms　agreed　on　being　very　similar　to　those　of　the　previous　treaty；　and　when　all　his　arrangements　were　finished　Edward　returned　with　his　queen　to　England；　having　been　absent　eighteen　months；　during　which　time　almost　unbroken　success　had　attended　his　arms；　and　the　English　name　had　reached　a　position　of　respect　and　honour　in　the　eyes　of　Europe　far　beyond　that　at　which　it　previously　stood。



CHAPTER　XVIII：　THE　BLACK　DEATH



The　court　at　Westminster　during　the　few　months　which　followed　the　capture　of　Calais　was　the　most　brilliant　in　Europe。　Tournaments　and　fetes　followed　each　other　in　rapid　succession；　and　to　these　knights　came　from　all　parts。　So　great　was　the　reputation　of　King　Edward　that　deputies　came　from　Germany；　where　the　throne　was　now　vacant；　to　offer　the　crown　of　that　kingdom　to　him。　　The　king　declined　the　offer；　for　it　would　have　been　impossible　indeed　for　him　to　have　united　the　German　crown　with　that　of　England；　which　he　already　held；　and　that　of　France；　which　he　claimed。

Some　months　after　his　return　to　England　the　Black　Prince　asked　his　father　as　a　boon　that　the　hand　of　his　ward　Edith　Vernon　should　be　bestowed　upon　the　prince's　brave　follower　Sir　Walter　Somers；　and　as　Queen　Philippa；　in　the　name　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　r