I do believe it: the common world
Teems out with things we know not; and our mind,
Too gross for us to scan the mighty whole,
Knows not how busy all creation is.
In the original history here follows a long chapter describing how Sir
Payan Wileton, sitting in deep and earnest consultation with Sir
Cesar, the magician, regarding the teeming future, was only awakened
to a full sense of the present by the very resonant "Oh!" uttered by
Jekin Groby as he fell from the window. And the same chapter goes on
at great length to detail all that Sir Payan did and said upon making
the discovery of his prisoners' evasion. His fury, his menaces, his
orders, his promises to those who should retake them, are all
described fully, and in very sublime language by Professor
Vonderbrugius. But nevertheless we shall omit them, as well as the
long account by which they are preceded of the strange and curious
ceremonies employed by Sir Cesar to ascertain the event of many dark
schemes that were then revolving in the breasts of men; and we think
that the reasons which induce us to leave out all those curious
particulars, will fully justify our so doing in the opinion of our
readers. In the first place, we wish to follow our hero as fast as
possible; in the next place, every reader whose head is any better
than a turnip, can easily figure the mad rage of a passionate though
wily man, on finding that his prey has escaped from his hand; and in
the third place, we did not translate this chapter, inasmuch as
Vonderbrugius, besides being vastly sublime, was wholly
unintelligible.
Making, therefore, that short which was originally long, we shall only
say that all the servants, roused from their beds, beat the woods in
every direction, searching vainly for the young knight and Richard
Heartley, who, as we have seen, contrived to evade their pursuit. Not
such, however, was the fate of poor Jekin Groby, who, running straight
forward up one of the avenues, was soon seen and overtaken by a party
of servants, who taking it for granted that he would resist most
violently, beat him unmercifully out of mere expectation.
Roaring and grumbling, the unfortunate clothier was brought back to
the manor, and underwent Sir Payan's objurgation with but an ill
grace. "You are a villain! you are!" cried Jekin. "You had better let
me alone, you had! You'll burn your fingers if you meddle with me.
You've stolen my bags already. But the king and Lord Darby shall hear
of it; ay, and the cardinal to boot, and a deal more too. Did not I
hear you promise to murder him, you black-hearted vagabond?"
"Tie him hand and foot," said Sir Payan, "and bring him back again
into the strong room. Bring him along, I would fain see how they
reached the window." And followed by the servants, hauling on poor
Jekin, who ever and anon muttered something about Lord Darby, and the
king, and his bags, he proceeded to the chamber where the young knight
had been imprisoned. There the settle and the rope gave evidence of
the manner in which the escape had been effected, and were instantly
removed by order of the knight, to prevent the honest clothier, though
now bound hand and foot, from making the attempt again. "This man's
evidence would damn me," thought Sir Payan.
"Fool that I was to forget that he was here, and not look in that
straw closet, before I committed myself with the other! But he must be
taken care of, and never see England again. What is that?" continued
he aloud, pointing to the scroll which caught his eye on the ground.
"Give it me. Ha! All fair! Can old Sir Cesar have aided in this trick:
we will see." And with hasty strides he proceeded to the high chamber
where he had left the astrologer. He slackened his pace, however, with
some feelings of awe, for as he approached he heard a voice speaking
high. "In the name of God most high," it cried, "answer! Shall his
head be raised so high for good or for evil? Ha! thou fleetest away!
Let be! let be!"
At this moment Sir Payan threw open the door, and found the old man
with his hair standing almost erect, his eye protruded, and his arms
extended, as if still adjuring some invisible being. "It is gone!"
cried he, as the other entered. "It is gone!" And he sank back
exhausted in his chair.
Notwithstanding the fund of dauntless resolution which Sir Payan held,
his heart seemed to grow faint as he entered the apartment, in which
there was a strange sickly odour of incense and foreign gums, and a
thin blue smoke, that diffusing itself from a chafing-dish on the
table, rendered the various objects flickering and indistinct. Nor
could he help persuading himself that something rushed by him as he
opened the door, like a sudden gust of cold wind, that made him give
an involuntary shudder.
When he had left the room below, he had determined to tax the old
knight boldly with having aided in the prisoners' escape; but his
feelings were greatly changed when he entered, and accosting him with
a mixture of awe and respect, he asked how it was that people
discovered any characters written in a certain sort of ink he had
heard of, which was quite pure and white till the person who had the
secret submitted it to some other process.
"Hold the paper to the fire!" said Sir Cesar, feebly.
Sir Payan immediately extended the parchment over the chafing-dish,
but in vain; no trace of any kind appeared, and vexed and disappointed
he let it drop into the flame.
"Know ye that my prisoner has escaped," said he, "and I am again
insecure?"
"Listen to what is of mightier moment," cried Sir Cesar, with a great
effort, as if his powers were almost extinct with some vast excitement
just undergone. "Listen, and reply not; but leave me the moment you
have heard. You besought me to ascertain the fate of Edward, Duke of
Buckingham, that you might judge whether to serve him as he would have
you. I have compelled an answer from those who know, and I learn that,
within one year, Buckingham's head shall be the highest in the realm.
Mark! determine! and leave me!"
Sir Payan, aware that it was useless to remain when Sir Cesar had once
desired to be alone, quitted the chamber in silence. "Yes!" said he,
thoughtfully, "I will serve him, so long as I do not undo myself. I
will creep into his counsels; I will appear his zealous friend, but I
will be wary. He aims at the crown: as he rises I will rise; but if I
see him make one false step in that proud ascent, I will hurl him
down, and when the fair lands of Buckingham are void----who knows? We
shall see. Less than I have risen higher! Ho! Who waits? When the
Portingallo returns, give the prisoner into his hands; but first make
the captain speak with me. Buckingham's head shall be the highest in
the realm! That must be king. Never did I know his prophecies fail,
though sometimes they have a strange twisted meaning. Highest in the
realm! There can be none higher than the king! Harry has no male heir.
Well, we shall see!"