"_THE TAUNTON KING._"
Now although everything had looked so bright and gay since the arrival
of the Duke at Taunton, and though his reception had been so cordial,
and we unlettered folk began to think the cause already won, yet
there were signs which to better-informed minds were ominous and
discouraging; and it was noticed even by ourselves that from time to
time a look of sadness would cloud the Duke's face, whilst for a few
moments he would be lost in thought, and only rouse himself by an
effort to respond to the joyous cheering of the crowd.
And not to be further tedious, I may as well state at once what was
the main cause of this anxiety, and why it was that even thus early a
presage of coming disaster seemed to fall upon the Duke.
When first it had been put into his mind to invade England in the cause
of liberty and justice, he had strenuously refused, saying that he had
had enough of the strife of factions, and that since his father had
left him no charge, he would henceforth remain as he was, a private
gentleman, leading a private life in some foreign city. But he had
been persuaded that half England would join his standard if he did
but show himself, that it was his duty to assert his rights and stand
forth as the champion of the rights of the people; and when the Earl
of Argyll had sailed for Scotland to stir up a rebellion there, he had
promised to follow to England in a few days, and gather round him there
all who would join the cause of liberty and Protestantism.
Nevertheless he had passed his word to the Earl that he came not
as King, but as the supporter of the Commonwealth, and that it was
some such form of government that he should establish were he to be
successful. It will be remembered that in the Declaration made first
at Lyme, and afterwards read in other places, it was fully stated that
he did not insist upon his title as yet, but left that matter to be
decided by a Parliament fairly chosen from the people; although he
declared that he was a legitimate son of the late King, and could prove
as much should need arise.
Directly upon his landing, as I have been told, there were those about
him who desired that he should cause himself to be proclaimed King;
but he refused, saying that it was contrary to his pledges and to his
Declaration--which no man could deny.
But many days had now passed, and instead of the whole of the West
Country flocking to him in a body, only the humbler amongst the
people had come forward. Not one single gentleman with a following
of servants and retainers had placed himself under his standard.
The Viscount was the only man of rank who had joined him since his
landing, and he came alone and unattended, in defiance of his father's
wishes and conviction, and more from personal desire to be quit of the
perplexities of his position than from sympathy for the cause. Rustics
and yokels came flocking in, as has been shown, and the militiamen
likewise by hundreds. But it was too significant a fact that the gentry
stood absolutely aloof; and even Mr. Trenchard, who had made brave
promises beforehand, and who was known to be forward in the cause of
liberty, had betaken himself suddenly to France--a thing which had
caused the Duke not a little discomfort and sorrow.
Soon after his landing, two messengers had come in hot haste from
London with the news that things were ripe for a revolt there, and that
Colonel Danvers was only waiting for the signal of the insurrection in
the West to raise the whole city in the Duke's favour. This, together
with the expectation, everywhere rife, that Cheshire was on the point
of breaking into open rebellion, had cheered his spirits greatly,
as had also the brave reception he had met on his route to Taunton.
But nothing more had been heard of the rising in London. Many of his
followers, who best knew the character of the man, told him plainly
that Colonel Danvers was a time-server and hypocrite, and that no
reliance could be placed upon him; whilst as day after day went by and
still no men of any mark came forward, every person about him began to
feel that matters were growing serious.
I have to explain all this at some length in order to make it to be
understood why, after his declaration to the contrary, the Duke at
last permitted himself to be proclaimed King, to the great joy of the
citizens of Taunton, who had desired it from the very first.
It was urged upon him vehemently now that the reason why the
gentlemen stood aloof from his cause, even whilst heartily hating
and distrusting the reigning King, was partly because they hated the
name of Commonwealth even more, and would not take up arms in any
cause that did not promise the continuance of the monarchical system;
partly because, as things were now, there was too much peril for his
followers, and that in case of disaster they were all dead men.
Now at first sight it may seem strange that such should be the case.
One might naturally suppose that the peril would be greater to those
who followed him (in the case of defeat) if he had proclaimed himself
King; but men who understood the law said that this was not so. And
they further explained their words to the unlettered by telling us
that there was a statute made in the reign of King Henry the Seventh
(who, it will be remembered, obtained his crown by force of arms)
sheltering all those persons who should obey a king who was king _de
facto_, as it was termed, even though he should not be a king _de
juro_. And I understand by this that a king _de facto_ is one who,
like the Duke, comes with a great following, and for the time being
proclaiming himself king, and being obeyed as one, does exercise royal
prerogative, although in law he may be no monarch, and may never live
to wear a crown. If therefore those who obey such a king could shelter
themselves behind this statute, it would naturally give men courage
to join the standard. For instead of being considered mere rebels
following an obscure insurrection, they would be following one who was
for the time being their king.
This is what was argued upon one side, whilst others said that if the
Duke once took such a step he would make the breach between himself
and his uncle irreconcilable, and seal his own doom in case misfortune
attended him. But the Duke answered to such words that for himself he
cared nothing, that his desire in all things was to do what was right
and best for his followers, and that he would abide by the counsel of
the majority of his advisers.
There were other matters to discuss also to-day in the council of war
which was held after the grand spectacle of the giving of the colours
which I have described. It was now known that the Duke of Albemarle
was following hard after the rebel army, and that he was either at
Wellington or not far away. Scouts had even come in to say he was
marching upon Taunton, but that had proved untrue. The question arose
as to whether the Duke's army should march back and give battle to
him as early as possible, or march on towards Bristol, which, if once
captured, would be a weighty prize in the hands of the party; for it
would give him a basis of operations which he never could have so long
as no garrison town was in his hands.
Whether what was decided was wise or the reverse, I cannot say, having
no knowledge of such matters; but I was told by the Viscount that
evening, when he returned to his quarters from the council, that it
had been decided to march in a northerly direction, and that probably
the move would be made on Sunday. It was now Friday night, and when I
asked why not to-morrow, since time seemed of much importance in these
matters, one of his curious smiles passed over the Viscount's face, and
he replied significantly.
"To-morrow is needed for another matter. To-morrow will give to us a
new King James."
Then, with a thrill of intense excitement, I realized what was about
to happen, and I quickly ran out into the streets to spread the news.
It was known already in many quarters, and the town was alive with
citizens all crowding together and talking of the coming event. Nothing
but approval reigned in Taunton. We were proud to think that our
town would be honoured by being the one in which the new King should
be first proclaimed. Mistress Mary Mead's banner, although her own
workmanship and design, did but reflect in its legend the feelings and
opinions of the citizens.
All night long the good folks were up, renewing the wreaths in their
windows, and adding to the festive appearance of their city. And when
soon after break of day the heralds went about giving notice that
all loyal subjects were invited to attend at the Market Cross in the
Cornhill to the proclamation to be made, the press of people gathering
there was almost greater than even upon the day previous; whilst the
windows which gave upon the place were crowded to suffocation, and the
city seemed again to have gone mad with joy.
Several magistrates were there as on Thursday, wearing their gowns,
and striving to conduct themselves in such a fashion as should give no
cause of offence to either side. I believe they were forced out of fear
to be present, lest they should be torn to pieces by the populace; but
it was against the grain with many to appear, and as soon as they were
able they withdrew, and hid themselves in their houses so long as the
new King remained in the city.
The Duke was mounted upon his charger, and surrounded by his small band
of gentlemen, as usual. His face was pale, I thought, and although he
returned the vociferous salutations of the crowd with his usual courtly
grace, I thought there was an air of anxiety and restlessness about
him, and in my heart I doubted if he himself desired this honour which
was thrust upon him.
Places of honour near to the Duke and his _cortége_ had been reserved
for Miss Blake and her white-robed maidens, who appeared once more
before the eyes of Taunton. I noted that Viscount Vere shifted his
position a little so that he stood very close to Mistress Mary Mead,
and I think that they had some minutes of conversation together from
time to time. At any rate their eyes must often have met, and I suppose
that the language of the eyes is often full of eloquence, and says as
much as the tongue can do.
After a great blowing of trumpets and the usual preliminaries, the
proclamation was read in loud tones by Mr. Tyley, who stood upon the
steps of the Market Cross to do so; and whilst he read a deep silence
fell upon the listening crowd, who drank in every word with eager
avidity:--
"Whereas, upon the decease of our Sovereign Lord Charles the Second,
the right of succession to the Crown of England, Scotland, France, and
Ireland, with the dominions and territories thereunto belonging, did
legally descend and devolve upon the most illustrious and high-born
Prince James Duke of Monmouth, son and heir apparent to the said King
Charles; but James Duke of York (taking advantage of the absence of
the said James Duke of Monmouth beyond the seas) did first cause the
said late King to be poisoned, and immediately thereupon did usurp
and invade the Crown, and doth continue so to do: We therefore, the
noblemen, gentlemen, and commons at present assembled, in the names of
ourselves and of all the loyal and Protestant noblemen, gentlemen, and
commons of England, in pursuance of our duty and allegiance, and for
the delivering of the Kingdom from Popery, tyranny, and oppression,
do recognize, publish, and proclaim the said high and mighty Prince
James Duke of Monmouth our lawful and rightful Sovereign and King, by
the name of James the Second, by the Grace of God King of England,
Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith.
GOD SAVE THE KING.
Proclaimed at Taunton, the twentieth day of June 1685."
What cheers and shouts went up from the people as the last words were
read!
"God save the King!"--"God save the King!" Men shouted themselves
hoarse, women fell a-weeping, and thanked God aloud amid their tears
for sending them such a deliverer. Children, held aloft in their
fathers' arms, flung posies and wreaths at the feet of the newly-made
King; whilst Miss Blake, at the head of her pupils, stepped forward to
claim the privilege of being first to kiss the hand of royalty.
All the maidens followed in turn, and the King, after permitting each
to kiss his hand, saluted them upon the cheek, as was the custom of the
day, though from royalty a marvellous condescension. Then after the
white-robed procession of virgins had retired within their own doors,
followed by the cheers and good wishes of the people, the Duke was
beset by a loving crowd of men and women, all desiring to kiss his hand
and do homage to him; whilst from the church towers the bells pealed
forth, and that very day in the evening service he was prayed for as
King. Mothers with children afflicted by the King's Evil brought them
to him to be touched, and I heard that many were thus cured in a few
days, though I speak from hearsay and not of mine own knowledge, having
more to think of than the matter of the children.
Our hearts were made glad to-day likewise by the arrival of Colonel
Basset, one of Cromwell's captains, who came in with a company that he
himself had raised. This looked indeed as though good were to come out
of this step; yet men said that the Colonel looked ill pleased when he
heard of the proclamation just made, being far more in favour himself
of the setting up of a Commonwealth.
Thus it may well be seen how hard it is to please all men; and every
step gives offence in some quarters, however it may be desired in
others.
Another man of some note who joined the Duke here was one Colonel
Perrot, from Southwark near London. Men whispered of him that he had
been concerned in that extraordinary attempt of Blood's upon the crown
and regalia; but as I know not the details of that story, and as it
has no concern with the present narrative, I will say no more of it.
Colonel Perrot was warmly welcomed, and thought to be an addition to
our staff of officers; of which, indeed, we stood in need, so many
thousands of common people having flocked to the standard at Taunton.
And now the Duke, being proclaimed King, and so acknowledged throughout
the town, sent forth almost at once other proclamations which were
eagerly read by the people. The first set a sum of money upon the
head of the usurping James of York; the second declared the present
Parliament a seditious assembly; a third commanded all men to refrain
from paying any taxes levied by the Duke of York; and a fourth declared
the Duke of Albemarle and many others rebels, and authorized all loyal
subjects to wage war upon them till they were destroyed.
Each proclamation was received with enthusiasm and joy by the people,
and Will Wiseman was kept busy until his voice gave out in reading them
to all who desired to hear. Such bold words seemed to augur success;
and as we said one to another, the Duke would not make such sounding
phrases, nor breathe forth such threatenings and slaughter, did he not
know himself prepared to carry on the war to a successful issue.
It was soon known also that our King had sent letters both to the Duke
of Albemarle and to Lord Churchill commanding them to lay down their
arms; and we did not doubt that this would greatly perturb and alarm
those generals, who must be by this time finding out the temper of the
people, and how little they could depend upon their soldiers to fight
against their new King.
But the day was not to be one of entire joy and triumph, for as evening
drew on there began to be some fresh commotion in the streets; and
running forth to see what it might mean, I found people looking scared
and grave, whilst women began to cry out,--
"The Duke of Albemarle is coming! We shall be destroyed! Our town
will be demolished! There will be a terrible and bloody battle ere
nightfall. God have mercy on us all!"
And amongst these cries I heard several whisper, as though half ashamed
of their own words, as well indeed they might be,--
"Would to Heaven he had not come! We had at least peace before. Now no
man can say what will become of us!"
In a state of some alarm and more indignation--for it seemed to me a
coward trick thus to speak because the hour of danger might be near;
but then women have no stomach for fighting, and perhaps mean not
the half of what they say--I ran towards the field where the army was
encamped, thinking I should get the news soonest there. As I did so I
met my lord the Viscount coming towards the town, looking grave and
thoughtful, but with no haste or urgency in his manner; and when his
eye fell on me he paused and smiled.
"Is there to be a battle, my lord?" I cried, panting in my haste. "In
the town they say the Duke's army is upon us. The people seem in a
sudden fright. Hath aught of hurt befallen?"
"Nothing of grave moment," answered the Viscount. "A few men of
ours have been killed not far from Chard, whither they had gone to
reconnoitre. They were fallen upon by a body of the enemy's horse, and
some were killed, whilst the rest rode back thither post-haste. But
the Duke and Lord Churchill are generals of no mean valour, and their
close proximity to the town has decided the Duke--nay, I must now say
the King" (and a smile passed over his face that was beyond my power to
read)--"to leave Taunton on the morrow, and seek to reach Bristol as
soon as possible. If we can find entrance there and make it our own,
all may go well for the time; but if we fail in that, it were better to
face our enemies now at once, than go forward with them hanging on our
rear, and Lord Feversham and Colonel Kirke in front."
"But, my lord, how can we fail, with all the country flocking to the
King's standard?"
"My good Dicon," answered the Viscount, "dost thou not know that
already we have exhausted our supply of arms, and the recruits who
would fain join our muster have perforce to be sent back, because we
have nothing wherewith to equip them? Hast not heard yet that one of
our frigates sailed away with Colonel Fletcher, after the mischance at
Lyme, and that the other two have been seized upon by our enemies, and
such arms as they contained have all been lost to us? If gentlemen with
armed retainers will now join us, they will be gladly welcomed; but for
unarmed country yokels--why, we have enough and to spare of such. We
are now forced to send them back to their own homes; nor do I think the
cause loses much by so doing. It is not with such forces as these that
the kingdoms of the world are won."
"But others will join now that the Duke is made King!" I cried eagerly,
having heard some of the reasons for that step.
"We shall see," answered the Viscount, with his peculiar smile. "At
present it seemeth to me that we have succeeded in disgusting the
advocates of Commonwealth and republican opinion without winning those
whom we have sought."
"But, my lord, it is but a few hours."
"Right, Dicon. I speak not from what has happened---or not happened--in
these few hours, but from my own knowledge of the world I come from.
A King proclaimed in Taunton forsooth--at the head of five thousand
scythe-armed rustics! A wondrous thing indeed! A right royal personage!
Dicon, Dicon, methinks the Duke of Monmouth might have won some
following, for men are deeply discontented with the rule of the tyrant
James; but they will not raise a finger for a puppet-king--the King of
a rabble of low-born knaves and varlets! I speak not these words of
scorn of mine own self; I do but rehearse what will be the words in the
mouths of those gentlemen from whom such brave things are expected.
Ferguson, Wade, Hucker--they know no better; but my Lord Grey should
have lifted his voice against it. It is a blunder we can never repair
now; but methinks it will be the death-blow to the cause."
"My lord, my lord, say not so! All Taunton is rejoicing. All Taunton
will stand by His Majesty to the death!"
"Is that so, Dicon? thou wilt see erelong. I think it would not take
much misfortune to turn Taunton back to her grudging loyalty to the
present King."
"O my lord, Taunton has ever been true to the cause of liberty!"
"Ay, but not to the cause of monarchy. There is the rub. The King
is now pledged to rule as a monarch; and methinks Taunton has been
dreaming all this while of a Commonwealth."
"But, my lord, think how they greeted the King to-day!"
"True, carried away by love for him, and the excitement of the hour.
Well, Dicon, thou mayest know thy towns-folk better than I do. Yet I
misdoubt me if Taunton will long lift her voice for her new-made King;
and I would that there had been less of pageant within her boundaries,
and that it had been some other place which had given him such royal
honours. I would that those colours had never been worked and presented
in Taunton, and that my Mary had had no hand in the matter."
"Dost think harm will come to her, my lord?" I asked anxiously.
"If this rebellion, or revolution, or what you good folks choose to
call it, come to naught, I verily believe that a signal vengeance will
be taken by the outraged monarch; and if so, the town of Taunton, thou
mayest be sure, will be one to win for herself the first place in the
royal disfavour. Dicon, hast thou ever seen the Lord Chief-Justice
Jeffreys? He came on circuit not so long since in the West. Didst thou
see him then?"
"No, my lord," I answered, slightly shivering at the name of one
who was held in terror and execration by all dissenters in the West
of England. "It so chanced that when he came I was on a visit to my
father's farm. I heard of him when he had gone."
"Dicon," said the Viscount gravely, "if thou hadst seen that man, thou
wouldst have felt that thou hadst seen the devil incarnate. If ever
the spirit of a devil looked out of human eyes, it does so from the
eyes of that man. And, Dicon, he stands high in the King's favour. If
a cruel and bloody piece of work has to be done, it will be my Lord
Chief-Justice Jeffreys who will be sent to do it. When I think that
my peerless Mary may in the days to come be brought face to face with
that monster, my blood freezes in my veins with horror. Dicon, I am too
deeply implicated now to be of use to her, and she may need a protector
in the days to come." He broke off suddenly, biting his lips, as
though to subdue an inward agitation, and then he suddenly began again,
"Boy, I think that thou dost love me?"
"My lord, I would die for you if I might save you from peril!" And in
truth I meant what I said, for it is easy to think and speak of death
when the peril is far off. It is another matter when it seems to be
looking you in the face; but then I did not know that, and spoke in all
sincerity.
My lord smiled, and put his hand for a moment on my shoulder--a thing
which sent the blood tingling through my veins.
"I ask none such sacrifice as that, good Dicon," he said. "My life is
of none such great value; yet I believe in thy good-will, boy, and I
thank thee for it. Thou lovest me, I know well, and methinks that thou
dost love my gentle lady too?"
"My lord, I would die for her too," I answered, not able to think of
any other way of expressing the devotion I felt.
"Good," he answered; "to die in such sweet service would not, methinks,
be hard. Yet I would not have thee die, good Dicon, but live to serve
and perchance to save her. Boy, I lay this charge upon thee; and if
thou lovest me thou wilt perform it faithfully, in so far as it may be
possible. When the issue of this insurrection is known, and if that
issue be disaster to this new King's cause, and that peril threaten
Taunton and Mary, and I am unable to help or succour her, then do thou
watch over her with all such care and diligence as is possible to thee.
Guard her from harm if such a thing may be; and strive at all risk
to save her from the evil power of Mr. Blewer, if he should seek (as
is like enough) to advantage himself by the winning of her hand and
her fortune when there be none to defend her from him. It may not be
possible, Dicon, that thou canst do this; yet thou hast a shrewd wit,
and thou livest so nigh at hand that thou mayest be able to contrive
what another could not do. Wilt thou at least take this charge from me,
and seek to fulfil it by every means in thy power?"
And with a heart swelling with pride and devotion I answered, "I will,
my lord."