The greatest men that ever lived, if we were to examine accurately all
the actions that they have performed at different periods of their
existence, and could try them with impartial and perfectly
discriminating judgment, would be found to have committed more than one
great mistake which in many instances did not lead to the evil
consequences that might have been anticipated. And, on the contrary,
very often indeed, a trifling fault, a rash word, a thoughtless act, or
even an angry look, has produced more important results than one of
these capital errors. Sometimes it has been conduct which has retrieved
the fault, but history shows us that the moment at which an act is
committed more frequently decides whether the consequences shall be
great or insignificant than the nature of the act itself. At the period
of history of which we now speak, the famous Simon de Montfort, Earl of
Leicester--justly celebrated both as a soldier and a politician, one of
the few men, with a prophetical spirit, to foresee the path in which
society will march, and forestall their age in choosing it--had
committed that grand mistake which led to his overthrow and death.
Often, before this period, he had proceeded with inferior forces from
one end of the land to the other, and, supported by the strong popular
feeling in his favour, had overthrown all his enemies, holding his weak
and tyrannical sovereign a mere prisoner in his hands, and keeping even
Prince Edward himself, one of the wisest men and best soldiers of the
age, in a state of honourable captivity. No evil results had ensued--no
great danger even had been incurred. But the times had changed. Many of
those who had attached themselves to De Montfort, upon the less
virtuous and honourable motives which affect the course of human
actions, had been treated by him with cold and most impolitic neglect.
Others feared the consequences of his growing power, either for
themselves or their country, not taking in the vast range to which his
own political vision extended; and others were indignant at his
treatment of their king, who, however weak, vicious, and tyrannical,
they still looked upon with feudal respect. Many of the lords of the
marches of Wales were actually in arms against his power; and the
famous Earl of Gloucester, a factious kinsman of the throne, had been
for some time assuming loyalty, and displaying a thinly veiled enmity
to the party of De Montfort.
At this inauspicious moment, the Earl of Leicester had determined to
march from the neighbourhood of London, by whose citizens he had always
been vigorously supported, and where his chief strength lay, and to
advance to the frontiers of Wales, with the purpose of punishing the
malcontents who refused to submit to his authority. By thus removing
from the proximity of his best resources, he rendered the power of his
adversaries and his own so nearly equal, that it wanted but one of
those slight accidents which so frequently overthrow the best laid
schemes, to turn the balance against him; and that accident was soon
destined to occur.
With the exception of this great mistake, not the slightest error has
been pointed out in his conduct, at least in a military point of view.
His march was conducted with the circumspection; and, with a force by
no means large--keeping the King and the Prince, eager for deliverance
and assisted by many friends, at his side, while he advanced in the
midst of enemies, equal, if not superior in numbers to himself,--he
proceeded, with slow and careful steps, to Gloucester, and there
entered into negotiations with Gilbert de Clare, his most formidable
opponent, in order to induce him once more to join the party which had
so frequently asserted the rights of the people against the encroaching
spirit of Henry III.
Deceived; in some degree, by pretended advances on the part of the Earl
of Gloucester, he agreed to refer their differences to arbitration, and
recommenced his march for Hereford; but still, with the most scrupulous
precaution, guarded his royal companions, and frustrated every effort
made by the Earl to take him at a disadvantage, and to set them free.
At the same time, perceiving that, in order to attain the great objects
he had in view, he must strengthen himself to the utmost of his power,
he notified to all his friends the absolute necessity of their
combining to give him support and marching to his assistance with all
the troops that they could levy. The effect of his messages and
exhortations we have seen in the meetings held in Yorkshire, and
gradually perceiving that there was no chance of recovering the
friendship of Gloucester, he prepared to compel that submission which
he could not obtain, by gentler means.
Men were gathering from all parts--arms were being manufactured in
every town--the land was agitated from end to end, and every one looked
forward to a great and decisive struggle--though there were few, it
must be confessed, who did not believe that De Montfort would
triumph--for the prestige of victory hung around his banner, and the
whole air and tone of the great leader were those of a man marked out
by the hand of God for success.
Such was the state of affairs, when Hugh de Monthermer, with his small
troop, after having visited the town of Gloucester, and learned that
his uncle had proceeded at once to Hereford, arrived in that fair city.
It was now filled with soldiers and with noblemen from different parts
of the country, so that a lodging would have been difficult to obtain,
had not the old Earl of Monthermer secured a portion of the inn called
the May which we have once led the reader--for the dwelling of himself
and his nephew.
Hugh found but small space, however, allotted to him and to those who
accompanied him. A party of his own servants who had gone on with the
Earl were already in possession, two having taken up their abode in the
small ante-room leading to the chamber which had been assigned to
himself; and an adjoining room, not very large, with one somewhat less,
at the side, was all that remained for the rest of his retinue, and the
five archers who had been left behind by his uncle. The other parts of
the inn were completely filled; and for the poor boy, Tangel, no place
had, of course, been reserved, as every one had been ignorant of his
coming.
The dwarf, who had seemed to grow more sad at each day's journey from
Sherwood, stood in the doorway of the ante-room, as the young lord
entered, listening to the arrangements which had been made.
"Where to put the maggot that you have brought, my lord," said the old
servant, who was explaining to Hugh the fullness of the rooms and the
disposition they had been obliged to adopt, and who did not appear at
all well pleased at poor Tangel's addition to the party--"Where to put
the maggot you have brought, I cannot tell. The ante-room is scarce
big enough for the two yeomen, and----"
"He shall sleep in my chamber," said Hugh, noting the poor dwarf's
desolate look; "come hither, Tangel, thou shalt sleep on a bed at my
feet. Know him, and take care of him, Walsh; for he is a good and
faithful boy, true and affectionate to his master; and if any one does
him wrong, he shall answer to me for it."
The boy darted forward, and kissed his hand; and Hugh de Monthermer,
after giving some farther directions, to ensure that he was protected
against insult as well as injury, proceeded at once, followed by two
servants, armed with sword and buckler, to the magnificent castle of
Hereford, whither he found that his uncle had gone about an hour
before.
It was a gay and bustling scene that the court-yard presented, for as
every detail of military life was then complicated in the extreme, and
the taste for splendour and expense was at its height, the crowd of
followers, in gaudy dresses, who accompanied even the inferior officers
of an army hither, caused the head-quarters of the general to appear in
a constant state of flutter and pageantry. Forcing his way through the
crowd, and, from the scanty number of his attendants, attracting but
little attention, Hugh de Monthermer ascended the steps into the great
hall of the keep, which he found nearly filled with people, pacing up
and down; and as he was not acquainted with the building, he asked a
gentleman, who seemed at his ease in the place, to tell him where he
could find the Earl of Leicester.
The personage to whom he addressed himself pointed to a flight of steps
leading from the farther end of the hall, and replied, "At the top of
the stairs you will meet with some one who will tell you where the Earl
is: but you will not get speech of him, I think."
"I think I shall!" replied Hugh, "but, at all events, I thank you;" and
ascending the stairs, he was stopped by an officer with a partisan, who
asked him his business, and in the same breath told him he could not
pass that way.
Hugh gave his name, and demanded to see the Earl; upon which a page was
sent to knock at the council chamber, and ask if the Earl would see the
young Lord of Monthermer. In about three minutes the boy returned,
bidding him follow, and Hugh was led along the dark and gloomy
corridor, until his guide paused, and again tapped at a low narrow door
on the left hand side of the passage.
After a moment's interval, a deep voice replied, "Come in!" and the
next instant Hugh entered the room, and found himself standing within a
step or two of the chair in which De Montfort was seated.
He was a tall, powerful, square-browed man, with a countenance full of
thought, but likewise full of confidence. There was great calmness also
in his aspect, and an eye, not stern but grave, not so much shrewd as
searching. There were but two other persons in the room, although he
was said to be holding council. One of those was the old Earl of
Monthermer, and the other a man considerably younger, but yet
grey-headed, and well known in the history of the times as the Lord
Ralph Basset.
De Montfort looked up, as Hugh de Monthermer entered, with a bland and
pleasant smile, holding out his hand at the same time, and saying, "How
are you, Hugh? Right glad are we to see such friends as you arrive. Do
you bring us any farther tidings from Nottingham?"
"None, my lord," replied Hugh, "except that levies of the yeomen and
foresters are going on rapidly."
"They had need be speedy," said De Montfort, "or we shall strike some
great blow before they come. Heard you aught else by the way?"
"In truth, my lord, I did, and no good news either!" replied Hugh. "The
Earl of Gloucester is daily gathering strength, and he renders the road
round his fair city somewhat dangerous to travel. Indeed, the reason
why I intruded on you now, was but to tell you that Alured de Ashby,
his sister, and some twelve or fourteen archers, had been captured by
De Clare, between Gloucester and Charlton. I judge, my lord, that if
you took speedy means to set him free, it might fix the house of Ashby
somewhat more firmly in the good cause."
Both De Montfort and the Earl of Monthermer heard him with a smile, and
Ralph Basset muttered between his teeth--"Fix the sands of the sea!"
"You have been forestalled, my young friend," said De Montfort; "some
one else has already liberated Alured de Ashby, together with his
sister and his archers."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Hugh de Monthermer; "may I ask who?"
"Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester," replied De Montfort.
"Ay, and not without cause, be sure of that;" said Ralph Basset; "he is
coming hither now, will arrive to-morrow, with a smooth air and a
high-carried head, and my Lord of Leicester here will receive him as
kindly and frankly as the truest of his friends."
"I want not to multiply my enemies, Ralph," replied De Montfort; "and
perhaps we may find some better way of attaching him to what is right,
than by treating him as a foe, before we are well sure that he has done
aught to deserve the name. What say you, Hugh, will you be the link to
bind him to our cause?"
"Right willingly, my lord," answered Hugh de Monthermer; "but I rather
fear that I am more likely to separate him from it. He loves me not,
that is clear; and though the good Earl, his uncle, is not so hot and
fiery in his nature, yet I have those things to say about their near
relation, Richard, which may breed ill blood before I have done."
De Montfort mused for a minute or two. "Why, Richard," he said, at
length, "is apparently the most zealous in our cause of all the race!"
"But did my uncle----" demanded Hugh.
"Ay, he did,". said De Montfort, interrupting him; "and I spoke
with Richard about it; but he assures me that the thing was
done in ignorance, and that the man himself has since been
discharged.--However----"
"He is a foul knave!" replied Hugh de Monthermer; "and at all events I
have promised to demand, at the hands of the Earl, some reparation for
a gross wrong which he has committed."
"Well, well," said the Earl of Leicester, apparently desirous of
changing the subject for the time; "if you must do so, Hugh, let it be
done before some friends as witnesses--before myself, perhaps, were
better; and do whatever you do gently, for your uncle here has told me
of hopes and wishes which you may go far to mar, if you act rashly in
the business."
"I will be as calm and gentle as the south-west wind," replied Hugh,
"for I would fain give neither Alured nor his father any matter for
offence; and if you will send and let me know when they are with you, I
will come and speak to them in your presence. And now, my lord," he
continued, "if such a thing be permitted, as I suppose it is, I would
fain spend a short time with Prince Edward. You know we were sworn
friends in youth."
"I know you were," replied De Montfort; "but good sooth, Hugh, to have
been his sworn friend is no good motive, in my eyes, for letting you
confer with him."
The brow of Hugh de Monthermer grew somewhat dark, but the Earl of
Leicester added immediately--"I will tell you what is a motive,
however, my young friend--your own honour and high name. We treat the
Prince with every courtesy and due respect; we do not look upon him as
a prisoner; but it is highly needful for the safety of the state, ay,
and for our own lives and fortunes, that he should remain in close
attendance upon his father, the King. Now, my good friend, there are
men who would fain persuade him it were better for him to be away,
consulting, doubtless, with this good Earl of Gloucester, and heading
armies to tear the kingdom with fresh strife, while others again would
willingly give him the means of carrying such designs into execution.
None that we even suspect, therefore, do we permit to visit him; and
this very Richard de Ashby, whom we spoke of but now, though he gave
good reasons, as I have said, to make us believe him innocent, we have,
on your uncle's information, forbidden to hold any farther
communication with the Prince, and, moreover, warned him to quit
Hereford without delay. It is different, however, with a Monthermer,"
continued the Earl, with a gracious but stately inclination of the
head--"you can be trusted."
"Of this, at least, my lord, you may rest assured," replied Hugh;
"that, although I own I wish to see the Prince at liberty, and only
bound by solemn vows to take no part against the cause of freedom and
right----"
"No wise man trusts to fetters of wind," interrupted the Earl, who had
taken up a pen, and was writing at the table.
"At all events," continued Hugh de Monthermer, "I would never basely
use a permission you yourself had granted to thwart your dearest
wishes."
"I know it," said the Earl; "there is a pass. You will find the Prince
in the other court; but make what speed you may, for it is growing
dusk, and the castle gates must soon be closed."
"Haste away, Hugh," said his uncle; "in an hour I shall be at the inn."