_THE REVOLT OF TAUNTON._
I woke with a start from a deep sleep, to find that already a new day
had dawned, and to hear in the streets below the sound of trampling
feet and the hum of a multitude of voices.
Springing out of bed and commencing to dress myself in a great hurry,
I heard steps approaching along the passage, and my uncle came quickly
in, looking haggard and dishevelled, as indeed he well might, not
having been in bed or asleep for two nights.
"Heaven save us all!" he cried, in a state of genuine alarm. "All
the soldiers have been called out. They say the Duke of Albemarle's
forces have been overthrown, and that the Duke of Monmouth will be
here by noon. Others say that the Duke of Monmouth's army is in full
flight, and that the soldiers have been called out to help to cut them
to pieces and drive them into the sea, so that not one of them shall
remain alive by this time to-morrow. God save us all! What is a man to
think or do, with such frightful news pouring in, and none knowing the
truth of it!" and my uncle groaned aloud.
Now when I went to bed about ten o'clock the town had been quiet
enough, as I have said. The regular soldiers had most of them gone,
but several bands of the militia were still there, and these were
quite sufficient to overawe the citizens; for they were not at all
disposed to desert to the enemy, like those bands in other places of
which I have spoken, and the magistrates and the Mayor had taken every
precaution that the city should be kept tranquil.
But with the first light of dawn flying scouts kept hurrying in with
news that there had been a battle between the two Dukes, and now
the whole town was up and astir in the wildest excitement. My uncle
could not learn the truth from anybody. The Mayor and magistrates
tried hard to persuade the people that the Duke of Albemarle was
triumphing, and that he had called upon the militia to finish the good
work his soldiers had begun; but the tale told by flying soldiers who
made their way into the city from Colonel Lutterell's regiment was
very different. They declared that the train-bands under the Duke
of Albemarle had given way everywhere before the Duke of Monmouth's
troops. The engagement had been more or less in the dark and between
hedges. The accounts were so confused that it was hard to tell what
was the truth of the matter; but at any rate there were confusion and
panic everywhere, and all lovers of order were alarmed, striving hard
to quiet the tumultuous citizens and get them to return to their houses
instead of running wildly about the streets adding rumour to rumour,
till none could tell where the truth might lie.
All through that day this state of wild excitement lasted. Mr. Axe was
to be seen in all parts of the town trying to persuade the populace
to be orderly and quiet; but when towards evening the news came that
the Duke--our Duke, the Duke of Monmouth himself--was in full march
for Taunton, there was no keeping down the tumultuous happiness of
the people. They cheered, they laughed, they shouted, they sang. When
Mr. Nicholas Blewer appeared in the streets (he had been forward in
spreading rumours that the Duke was overthrown, and in striving to set
the people against him by threats of fearful penalties to be dealt
to all traitors), he was so hooted and hustled that he was forced to
fly almost for his life; whilst Will Wiseman led a hooting crowd of
half-mad apprentice boys after him, and drove him ignominiously into
his lodging.
But yet we dared not do more than raise our voices for the Duke when no
magistrate was by: for there were still bands of militia in the town,
despite the fact that continually companies were marching forth by one
route or another; and guards were set everywhere, whilst the constables
were busy keeping order, though not quite with that air of authority
and certainty that they had shown before; and Mr. Axe and the Mayor
worked hand in hand to keep order in the city.
There was no going to bed for me that night. I felt that a crisis was
at hand--as indeed proved to be the case; and I sat with Will in a
nook in the Cornhill, which was always like to be the centre of any
disturbance.
Quiet seemed to have been restored at dark; but that quiet did not
last long, for at midnight the roll of the drums began again, and we
started to our feet, to become quickly aware that the last of the
troops were being marched out of the town. By one or two o'clock in
the morning there was not a soldier left, only the guard and the
constables; and these, if the truth were known, in a great fright for
their own safety.
"The soldiers have gone! the soldiers have gone!" cried Will,
in a fever of excitement; and forthwith he went from house to
house, knocking cautiously at doors, which flew open without any
delay--plainly showing that the inhabitants were not asleep or abed
that night; and I followed his example, till from all quarters men
began pouring into the street, and the first dawn of the midsummer
morning saw all the Cornhill full of people, looking into each other's
faces as though asking what should be done next.
I know not who spoke the word first. It is always hard to say when
the explosion comes whose hand set light to the gunpowder. For some
while it had become known that no militia band was in the town, that
the soldiers had gone, that none remained now to impose order upon the
citizens. The town was practically in their own hands; they could do
what they would.
Then there arose first a low whisper, just a rustle through the moving
mass of humanity, but the whisper that became a shout, and the shout
that became a yell, and was taken up and passed on, till every throat
was vociferating the one word,--
"Arms! arms! arms!"
Now in the tower of St. Mary Magdalene's Church a quantity of arms and
ammunition had been stored in case of emergency, and this fact was well
known to the crowd. Accordingly a movement was made in the direction
of the church, although the doors were known to be very strong; and
we still had reverence for sacred buildings, whilst contemning the
idolatrous usages of Popery.
But the blood of the citizens was up, and a trifle was not to stay
them. Will Wiseman had, as usual, managed to get into the forefront of
the crowd, and as they halted beside the church, wondering how to get
at the stores, he cried out boldly,--
"Help me up, good people; hoist me on your shoulders. Let me but get
footing on yonder ledge, and I'll get the window open and throw you out
the arms as fast as you can catch them!"
A shout was the answer, and in another minute I saw the bold Will
swarming up to the leads of the church roof, followed by first one
and then another active man or lad. To wrench open the windows, to
get at the store of arms, to pass them to those below until nothing
remained within the tower, was but the work of an hour. By six o'clock
every capable citizen of Taunton was armed and equipped. Those who
had horses were already talking of going forth to meet the Duke and
escort him to the loyal town. Women were hanging their windows with
the costliest stuff their stores contained; children were going forth,
as from Ilminster a few days before, to get flowers for garlands and
green boughs for arches. We laughed aloud in the joy of our hearts. We
shouted for the Duke till our throats were sore. Every flying scout who
came into the city brought some fresh tale of disaster to the King's
forces, and of triumph to the Duke's. Our Mayor had not shown his face
since dawn. It was supposed that he and the magistrates, and those of
the Burgesses who could not bring themselves to declare for the Duke,
were hiding away in fear of the anger of the people, and the possible
punishment the new King (as some of us boldly called him) might inflict
upon them for their resistance.
Mr. Axe, indeed, came towards us, to try to speak in the name of order
and authority; but an excited citizen marched up to him with a musket,
and exclaiming, "We will not hear you! the town is ours!" looked so
threatening in his aspect that the clergyman quietly retired.
And then the cry broke out,--
"Loose the prisoners! Release Mr. Vincent! Have out the loyal knaves,
who will raise a shout for the Duke!"
No sooner said than done. The prison was broken open by the mob. Mr.
Vincent appeared before our eyes carried high on the shoulders of the
wildly-cheering crowd.
"A Monmouth! a Monmouth! Down with Popery! Down with tyranny! A
Protestant King for England! A Monmouth! a Monmouth!"
There was no resisting that sort of shout; we joined in it almost to
a man. Even my uncle, who took no open part in these proceedings,
remembering perhaps that as Capital Burgess he was expected to be on
the side of law and order, could not refrain from adding a cheer as
the procession went by. The crowd, despite the efforts of Mr. Vincent
to free himself from their well-meant attentions, insisted on carrying
him in triumph through all the main thoroughfares, shouting themselves
hoarse the while; whilst other inferior prisoners were treated to
as much ale and sack as they could drink, and were listened to with
admiration and delight as they told the tale of their capture. We were
assured by this time that all England would declare for the Duke, and
that he would make Taunton his capital in the West, and perhaps even
allow himself to be crowned here (so fast did our imaginations and our
tongues outrun reason and sense); that his enemies would fly before
him, and be scattered as we heard the forces of the Duke of Albemarle
had already been. In our great joy we were like men intoxicated, and
every sense was strained to catch the first tread of approaching
horsemen, which should betoken the coming of the deliverer.
Toward four o'clock that same afternoon a mighty shout was raised: "He
comes! he comes! The Duke! the Duke!" And men began rushing wildly
towards the road from the south, by which approach to the town from the
coast might be expected.
Will Wiseman was at the head of the rushing crowd, and as I tried
vainly to keep up with his flying feet, he cried that from the tower
of St. Mary's a scout had seen the approach of a band of horsemen; and
that was quite enough to rouse the shouts which were echoing down the
streets, and to send the whole populace flying forth in one direction.
Although outrun by Will and the foremost of the crowd, I yet reached
the limit of the town before the horsemen came up.
Right gallantly did the little cavalcade approach us; yet when they
were near enough for us to distinguish faces, we saw that the leader
was not the Duke himself, but our good friend and townsman John Hucker,
now appearing in all the bravery of his military dress--a Captain in
right of the Duke's commission, and bearing himself right gallantly, so
that we all looked at him in admiration and amaze.
He drew rein at sight of such a crowd of friends, and his honest face
beamed with pleasure.
"Good news, my friends, good news!" he cried. "His Grace the Duke is on
his way, and will be here to-morrow with his victorious army, which has
put to flight at Axminster all the army of the Duke of Albemarle. We
are to march straight to Bristol and secure that for the Duke, and then
we look that all the country shall have risen in his favour. London
will be the next place. The King and the Court are quaking and shaking.
They dare not bring men into the field against us, lest they all desert
to the Duke's standard. The stars in their courses are fighting for the
righteous cause. Citizens, be ready with a loyal welcome to-morrow for
the noble Duke--the future King of England!"
Oh how we did shout and cheer and laugh and weep! This brave message
seemed to infuse new life into us. We on our side pressed round Captain
Hucker, to tell him how we had risen for the Duke, and gained the
mastery of the town in defiance of guard and Mayor and magistrates. We
no longer trembled to think of our audacity and the consequences it
might lead to. We were full of triumphant gladness; and our townsman
promised that the whole story should be told to the Duke, that he might
know and appreciate the loving loyalty and devotion of the men of
Taunton.
Captain Hucker, however, had private matters to attend to, when he had
given us his first good news, and was able to leave his soldiers in our
care and ride to his own home.
I think I have said before that Master Hucker--as we had hitherto
called him--was a great serge-maker of the town of Taunton. He had his
mills in the fair valley of the river Tone hard by the town, and he
had a fine house within the city, where he lived with his wife and his
daughter Eliza, who was one of the maidens of Miss Blake's school, and
had been engaged upon that goodly task of working the colours for the
Duke's army.
Captain Hucker now hastened home; and as it chanced that he passed me
on the way, he asked news of mine uncle and the rest of our household,
and by me sent him a message to ask if he could supply him with any of
those notable wines which he was known to keep in his cellar, and which
commanded a price higher than men cared to give save on very especial
occasions.
"For, Dicon," added Captain Hucker, "thou mayest tell thine uncle that
the Duke of Monmouth has graciously promised to be my guest during the
days of his stay in Taunton. My poor house is to be honoured as the
resting-place of His Grace, and thou wilt see how it beseems me to
have the wherewithal for his entertainment. And listen again, Dicon."
The Captain leaned from his saddle-bow with a beaming face, though he
spoke in a very low and cautious tone. "It behoves us to give a right
royal reception to the Duke; for although he enters Taunton but as Duke
of Monmouth, yet (if I do not greatly err) it will be as King of all
England that he will quit it."
And while I stood open-mouthed in amazement, not seeing how this thing
could come so speedily, Captain Hucker laughed and nodded and rode on,
only calling back to me not to forget about the wine, and to bring him
word in a short space what mine uncle could do for him.
King of all England! The words rang bravely in my ears, but I could
scarce credit them myself. To think that fortune's wheel should bring
to pass that I had seen and spoken to a King, and had held his hand in
mine even for a moment!
I went with my message to my uncle, who forthwith started off to
Captain Hucker's house to see and speak with him face to face.
Doubtless he wished to learn from him other matters than the amount of
wine to be delivered. As for me, I made my way to Master Simpson's; for
I had seen his face amongst the horsemen who had ridden into Taunton,
and I knew that he would tell us everything that had befallen, and not
send me away from sharing the narrative.
He was in the garden behind the house and shop--a right pleasant
place, where I had spent many a happy hour with Will and Lizzie. They
were with him in the arbour, filling his glass with the mead he loved
best, and heaping his plate with such viands as they thought he best
relished. He was both thirsty and hungry, as was natural after the
day's march, but he was talking all the while nevertheless; and when
Lizzie saw me she darted forth and dragged me within the pleasant
arbour, exclaiming,--
"Now come and hear all father's tale. Oh, why was I not born a lad,
that I might have ridden forth beside him, and joined in the glorious
victory!"
But her father fondly stroked her bright hair, and said,--
"Nay, nay, my maid, but thou hast done thy share at home; and the
maidens' work shall never be forgotten in Taunton Town.--Well, Dicon,
so thou didst find thy way safe home? Thou didst miss the fight at
Axminster, and the rout of the King's general there. Ah! it was a
goodly sight to see. If all battles end as speedily and as merrily, I
care not how many of them we fight."
He told us all the details of that skirmishing fight in the lanes--how
so many of their adversaries had deserted to them, and how it was
supposed that the Duke of Albemarle had drawn off the rest in fear lest
all his army should melt away before his eyes.
"Why did you not pursue them, father," cried Lizzie, "and kill all who
would not join you? That is what I should have done. I would not have
left alive one soldier or officer who could hurt us afterwards. I would
have scattered and slain even as the angel of the Lord we read of in
the Bible. Now the Duke of Albemarle will gather his men and bring them
up again perchance. I would not have left him even the remnant of an
army."
"Well done, little general!" cried the father, looking well pleased
at Lizzie's martial ardour; and then growing a little more grave, he
added, "I have heard others say that that is what we should have done.
Lord Vere was very urgent to pursue and scatter the band; but Lord
Grey was against it, and his word prevailed. I am not a soldier born;
my duty is to obey my superior. Yet if mine opinion had been asked,
I would have said, as my maid here says, that it were better to rout
and disperse the band than give it time and opportunity to re-form and
harass us as we move."
"I have heard a whisper that my Lord Grey is but a sorry soldier," I
ventured to remark in a low tone; for it is not for us citizens to
condemn our betters. "Did not men say that at Bridport he fled scarce
striking a blow, and left the infantry to be cut to pieces; and no
thanks to him that Colonel Wade got them together and brought them safe
off? That is a story one man told me. I prithee what be the truth of
it, Master Simpson?"
He laughed a little uneasily.
"Oh, as for that little skirmish at Bridport, we take none account of
it, being but a small affair," he answered. "We sent to surprise the
militia there, and we gained possession of the town right speedily.
But there was some blundering and misunderstanding betwixt the
officers; Colonel Venner was wounded; and the cavalry under my Lord
Grey galloped back to Lyme. But no great harm was done. Colonel Wade
brought his men back in good order. They say small skirmishes like
that accompany all warfare, but are of small note in the course of the
campaign."
"I would the Duke would give my lord the Viscount the command of the
horse," I said. "He would not gallop away from the scene of action, and
leave the foot-soldiers to their fate."
Master Simpson shook his head at my temerity in thus speaking, yet
he could not but say that he thought the Viscount would make the
better leader; then we fell to talking of the death of Dare, and the
unfortunate loss of two such good men as himself and Fletcher. For it
had been found impossible to use Fletcher any more in the West Country,
and the sailing-master of the frigate had weighed anchor and taken him
off elsewhere. Thus one of the best soldiers was lost to us; and, as
we all very well knew, out of those who went in the ranks by the brave
names of colonels, captains, and ensigns, scarce more than two or three
had been trained in arms or had seen service.
But on a day like this we were not disposed to let grave and despondent
thoughts gain the upper hand. The victorious Duke was on his way to
the town, and all Taunton was decking itself for the reception on the
morrow.
Master Simpson said he must see what he could do to brighten up his
house, and went to take counsel with his sister; whilst Will and
Lizzie and I went forth together and paraded the streets, watching the
erection of triumphal arches, the decking of windows and balconies, and
listening to the joyful cries and shouts of the people, as they ever
and anon let their spirits get the upper hand, and broke forth into
song and cheering.
Lizzie was anxious to see her schoolmistress and take her all the news,
so I escorted her thither, and we passed inside together, to find the
house all in commotion. The town girls had not gathered for schooling
upon such a day of excitement. No study could be thought of at a time
like this, yet never had there been a busier day in Miss Blake's
establishment.
If every window and balcony in the town was to be decorated, how much
was it incumbent upon her to get done before the glorious morrow! All
the resident pupils and the two mistresses were working might and main,
and at once Lizzie and I were pressed into the service; and as our
fingers moved our tongues wagged, and such a clatter as we made amongst
us you would scarce believe.
Mistress Mary was there, of course--the most skilful of all, and with
her whole heart in the work. Yet she found time to come up to me and
ask in a whisper,--
"Has _he_ come in to-day?"
"No," I answered; "he comes with the Duke to-morrow. You will see him
then, Mistress Mary." And her cheek kindled and glowed; yet there was a
sorrowful look in her eyes also, and I noted it the more because upon
such a day as this I should have thought nobody could have had aught
but thoughts of joy and triumph.
As we were decorating a window together later on, and nobody else
chanced to be by, I ventured to ask respectfully,--
"Is aught amiss, fair mistress?"
She looked at me, and suddenly the tears sprang to her eyes. She
clasped her hands together, letting her wreath fall to the ground.
"O Dicon," she exclaimed, in a passionate way quite foreign to her
usual calm, "how will this end--how will it end? Ah, if I only knew
that ill and hurt would not come from it!"
"Why, Mistress Mary," I said in surprise, "you have been ever most
forward to prophesy victory, even when things looked dark; and now,
when all the world is full of confidence and hope, are you to fear and
doubt?"
"Dicon," she said in a low tone, "I had a dream last night--a dream
of terror and dread. And yesterday my guardian came to me and said
terrible words."
"What did he say?" I ventured to ask.
"He said that I had tempted his son to his own undoing; that I had put
a halter round his neck, and had led him to his ruin. He said that
none but women and fools could believe that aught could come of this
rebellion--that was his word--save a rapid downfall, to be followed, if
the King is of the temper he has shown himself ever, by a fearful and
exemplary vengeance. He said things which made me shake for very fear,
and he spoke with a certainty that rang like a knell in mine ears. And
then I had such a frightful dream of dreadful deaths upon the scaffold,
the hideous form of the executioner, the crowds of faces, the horror
and the agony. And above all, I seemed to see _his_ face looking
reproach upon me, and his voice saying in my heart, if not in my ears,
'It was for thy sake I did it, Mary. I am dying now by thy act.' Oh, it
was terrible, terrible, terrible! I have scarce been able to enjoy this
day for the thought of it."
I confess I did not like that dream. I had known before of such that
had proved much too terribly true. Also it reminded me unpleasantly of
Mother Whale's prediction about much blood and little glory, which had
always borne a sinister sound in my ears ever since I had heard it. But
then had she not said that the King should die in exile? And if that
should indeed be true, why need we fear the rest?
However, to Mistress Mary I strove to make light of the dream, and
spoke to her of the prognostications we were hearing on all sides
of the triumphal march lying before the Duke; so I think I left her
comforted. Nor could any person loving the Duke fail to be glad and
happy that night, for we all knew him to be close at hand, and looked
to see him bravely welcomed on the morrow by all Taunton Town.