At the conclusion of the trial, James was observed to smile, and
Buckingham, who had drawn near the chair of state, ventured to inquire
what it was that entertained his Majesty.
"Our fancy has been tickled by a curious conceit," answered the King.
"We discern a singular similitude between the case we hae just heard,
and the transgression of our first parents."
"How so, your Majesty?" asked the favourite.
"As thus," replied James. "Sir Thomas Lake may be likened to our gude
Father Adam, wha fell into sin frae listening to the beguilements of
Eve--Mither Eve being represented by his dochter, my Lady Roos--and ye
will own that there cannot be a closer resemblance to the wily auld
serpent than we find in my Lady Lake."
"Excellent!" cried Buckingham, joining in the royal laughter; "but
before your Majesty quits that seat, I must entreat you to perform that
which I know you delight in--an act of justice."
"Anither act of justice, ye should say, my Lord," returned James in a
tone of slight rebuke; "seeing we hae just delivered a maist memorable
judgment in a case which has cost us five days of incessant labour and
anxious consideration. But what is it ye require at our hands? In whose
behalf are we to exercise our prerogative?"
"In that of Sir Jocelyn Mounchensey, my gracious Liege," replied
Buckingham, "who has been committed to the Fleet for contempt of this
high and honourable Court, and can only be released by your Majesty's
warrant. As I was myself present on the occasion, when the intemperate
expressions laid to his charge were used, I can affirm that he was
goaded on by his enemies to utter them; and that in his calmer moments
he must have regretted his rashness."
"Ye shall have the warrant, my Lord," said James, with a smile. "And it
does ye meikle credit to have made the request. The punishment Sir
Jocelyn has already endured is amply sufficient for the offence; and we
hae nae fears of its being repeated. A single visit to the Fleet is
eneuch for any man. But in respect to Sir Jocelyn, I am happy to say
that his Excellency the Conde de Gondomar has quite set him right in our
gude opinion; and has satisfactorily proved to us that the spy we
suspected him to be was anither person, wha shall be nameless. Ha! here
comes the Count himself," he exclaimed, as the Spanish Ambassador
approached. "Your Excellency will be glad to hear, after the handsome
manner you have spoken of him, that it is our intention to restore Sir
Jocelyn to the favour he previously enjoyed. My Lord of Buckingham is
to have a warrant for his release from the Fleet, and we shall trust to
see him soon at Court as heretofore."
"While your Majesty is in this gracious mood," said De Gondomar, bending
lowly, "suffer me to prefer a request respecting a person of very
inferior consequence to Sir Jocelyn--but one in whom I nevertheless take
an interest--and who is likewise a prisoner in the Fleet."
"And ye require a warrant for his liberation--ah, Count?"
"Your Majesty has said it," replied De Gondomar, again bending lowly.
"What is the nature of his offence?" demanded the King.
"A trifling outrage upon myself," returned the Ambassador;--"a mere
nothing, your Majesty."
"Ah! I know whom you mean. You refer to that rascally apprentice, Dick
Taverner," cried James. "Call ye his attack upon you a trifling
outrage--a mere nothing, Count. I call it a riot--almost a rebellion--to
assault an ambassador."
"Whatever it may be, I am content to overlook it," said De Gondomar;
"and, in sooth, the knaves had received some provocation."
"Aweel, since your Excellency is disposed to view it in that light,"
rejoined James--"since ye display such generosity towards your enemies,
far be it from us to oppose your wishes. The order for the 'prentice's
release shall be made out at the same time as Sir Jocelyn's. My Lord of
Buckingham will give orders to that effect to the Clerk of the Court,
and we will attach our sign manual to the warrants. And now--have ye not
done?" he continued, observing that Buckingham still lingered. "Have ye
any mair requests to prefer?"
"I had some request to make on the part of the Prince, my Liege,"
replied the Marquis; "but his Highness, I perceive, is about to speak to
you himself."
As he said this, Prince Charles, who had occupied a seat among the
Council, drew near, and stepping upon the elevation on which the chair
of state was placed, so as to bring himself on a level with his royal
father, made a long and apparently important communication to him in a
very low tone. James listened to what was said by his son with great
attention, and seemed much surprised and indignant at the circumstances,
whatever they were, related to him. Ever and anon, he could not repress
a great oath, and, but for the entreaties of Charles, would have given
vent to an explosion of choler, which must have betrayed the secret
reposed to his keeping. Calming himself, however, as well as he could,
he at length said, in a low tone--"We confide the matter to you, since
you desire it, for we are assured our dear son will act worthily and
well as our representative. Ye shall be clothed with our authority, and
have power to punish these heinous offenders as ye see fit. We will
confirm your judgments, whatever they be, and sae will our Preevy
Council."
"I must have power to pardon, as well as to punish, my gracious Liege,"
said Charles.
"Ye shall hae baith," answered the King; "but the distinction is
needless, since the ane is comprehended in the ither. Ye shall have our
ain seal, and act as if ye were King yersel'--as ye will be ane of these
days. Will that content ye?"
"Perfectly," replied Charles, gratefully kissing his royal father's
hand. And, descending from the platform, he proceeded to join Buckingham
and De Gondomar, with whom he held a brief whispered conference.
Meanwhile, the two warrants were made out, and received the royal
signature; after which James quitted the Court, and the Council broke
up.
The warrants having been delivered by the clerk to Buckingham, were
entrusted by the latter to Luke Hatton, who, it appeared, was waiting
for them in the outer gallery; and, after the latter had received some
directions respecting them from the Marquis, he hastened away.
As he passed through New Palace-yard, Luke Hatton encountered a tall
man muffled in a long black cloak. A few words were exchanged between
them, and, the information gained by the individual in the cloak seemed
perfectly satisfactory to him. So he went his way, while Luke Hatton
repaired to the Fleet Prison.
There he was at once admitted to the ward wherein Sir Jocelyn was
confined, and announced to him the glad tidings of his restoration to
freedom. By this time Sir Jocelyn was perfectly recovered from the
injuries he had received from the jailer, during his struggle with Sir
Giles Mompesson, so that there was no obstacle to his removal, and his
natural wish was to quit the prison at once; but such cogent reasons
were assigned by Luke Hatton for his remaining there for another day,
that he could not but acquiesce in them. Indeed, when all the
circumstances were explained to him, as they were, by the apothecary, he
could not but approve of the plan, which, it appeared, was about to be
acted upon in the next day for the punishment of his enemies; and it
then became evident why Sir Giles should not be made acquainted with his
release, which must be the case if the warrant were immediately acted
upon. Neither the deputy-warden nor the jailer--both of whom, as he
knew, were the extortioner's creatures--were to be informed of it till
the last moment. Certain disclosures respecting Clement Lanyere, which
were made by Luke Hatton to the young knight, affected him very deeply,
and plunged him for a long time in painful thought.
Quitting the cell of the more important prisoner, Luke Hatton proceeded
to that of the apprentice, whom he acquainted with his good fortune,
holding out to him certain prospects of future happiness, which drove
poor Dick nearly distracted. At the suggestion of his new friend, the
'prentice wrote a letter to Gillian Greenford, conjuring her, by the
love she bore him, and by their joint hopes of a speedy union,
implicitly to comply with the directions of the bearer of the
note--whatever they might be: and, armed with this, Luke Hatton quitted
the Meet, and, procuring a horse, rode off, at a rapid pace, to
Tottenham.