THE BOND.
Let never man be bold enough to say--
Thus, and no further, shall my passion stray;
The first crime past compels us into more,
And guilt grows _fate_, that was but _choice_ before.
AARON HILL.
The silence of a minute was, perhaps, the most severe comment which
followed this story of more than Oriental barbarity. Indignation made
the fiery young king almost speechless. He snatched from the table
one of those Beauvais goblets, which were then greatly esteemed and
were mounted with silver-gilt. It was full of water, and he drank it
thirstily.
"My brave kinsman--so young, so faithful, and so merry!" exclaimed Sir
Patrick Gray, with more of grief than anger in his tone; "I would give
my life to save his; for it must be in imminent peril."
"No such sacrifice will be necessary," said the king; "we shall
write to this daring lord, commanding him at once, on peril of
his allegiance, to yield up Sir Thomas MacLellan of Bombie to our
messenger, and set him forth of Thrave."
"But who," asked the chancellor, "will be daring enough to bear such a
message into the wilds of Galloway, beyond the land of the Annandale
thieves?"
"That will I, and blithely, too: MacLellan would do as much for me,"
replied Sir Patrick, with energy.
"Reflect, my friend; a royal herald were safer," said the king. "You
are the enemy of Douglas in more ways than one."
"How, your highness? I am not wont to reflect much in time of peril."
"True, Sir Patrick; but this mission becomes doubly one of life and
death, and of many perils to you; for loyalty to me is, perhaps, your
smallest crime in the eyes of Douglas," said the king.
"Then I have reflected. Douglas shall release my father's sister's son,
or I shall cleave him to the beard in his own hall!" exclaimed Gray,
with a sudden burst of passion.
"That would not mend the matter much; and I should only be in thee but
one faithful subject the less, and faithful subjects are rather scarce
at present. Alas! my valiant friend, this strong traitor is likely to
hang thee like a faulty hound--even as he hanged the gentle and noble
Herries of Terregles."
"I have given my word to ride on this perilous errand, and, with your
majesty's permission, go I shall," said Gray, resolutely.
"Good," said the chancellor, striking his long cane on the oak floor;
"a soldier's word is his bond for weal or woe."
"In the cause of our king and kindred, I will do all that MacLellan
would, were he free. Oh! your highness, write at once; furnish me
with due credentials; time in this is precious, and the waste of it
perilous!"
"When shall you depart on this mission?"
"So soon as I can get my horse and armour; within an hour, I shall have
left these new walls of Edinburgh many a mile behind me."
"'Tis well--good service is ever promptly done."
"I am the subject and soldier of your majesty," replied Gray, bowing
with modest confidence.
"And a faithful one!" added the king, giving his hand to his favourite,
who was now in his thirty-fifth year, with a fine martial face, a
clear bright eye, and a heart that was brave as it was tender and
true. "But know you the language of these wild men among whom you are
venturing--the _fremit_ Scots of Galloway?"
"I know but little more than our Lowland tongue, with a smattering of
Flemish and French, picked up when I had more leisure than desire to
learn them--the castle of Bommel; yet I can make a shift to use others,
too, that are more universally known."
"How?"
"I can make love to the women and show my purse to the men," said Gray,
with a gaiety that was half assumed; "I'll warrant they will both
understand me."
"I fear me, Sir Patrick, you may have to show your sword more
frequently, on a king's errand though you be; but within an hour a
letter shall be prepared."
"And within that time, with the permission of your highness, I shall be
armed and mounted," said Gray, bowing low again and retiring in haste.
There was a momentary silence after this, for the mission on which
Gray was departing was one of great peril to himself. Indeed, as Lord
Glammis observed, "he was the last man in Scotland who should have
undertaken it."
"Chancellor," said the king suddenly, "you spoke of a bond, or league,
as a _third_ cause for the hatred of Douglas against Sir Thomas
MacLellan. What is this document?"
"A matter so formidable, so seriously affecting the welfare of the
realm, and the honour of your crown, that I know not in what language
to approach it; but the abbot of Tongland has sent me a copy of the
actual deed."
The manner of Crichton became so grave and earnest that the king
changed colour, and the master of the household and the abbot of
Melrose, who remained silent and somewhat apart, exchanged glances
expressive of interest and alarm.
"Say on," said James briefly, and striking the floor with his heel.
"The earl of Douglas, for the aggrandisement of his power and family,
has formed a league offensive and defensive with the earls of Crawford
and Rosse--a league by which he hopes to bid complete defiance to
your royal authority, and to bring _forty thousand men at a day's
notice_ into the field against it; and to this compact they have bound
themselves by rebellious and sacrilegious but solemn and terrible
oaths, that each shall aid and assist the others and their friends
against the _whole world_."
The chancellor then handed to James a duplicate of this remarkable
bond, which was signed and sealed by Douglas; by Alexander (with the
long beard), earl of Crawford, who was surnamed the Tiger, and was
sheriff of Aberdeen, and bailiff of Scone; Donald, earl of Rosse and
lord of the Isles; Hugh Douglas, earl of Ormond; James Dunbar, earl of
Murray; Douglas, Lord Balvenie; James Hamilton, lord of Cadzow, and
many others of the highest rank.
On beholding this terrible bond, James felt for a moment as if the
crown which had come to him from a long line of monarchs was about to
be torn from his head. He grew very pale, then perceiving that the
keen and deeply-set eyes of his stern, faithful, and uncompromising
chancellor were fixed upon him, he rallied his spirits and said, "This
must be crushed in the bud, lest in its bloom it crush us."
"And to crush it we must first dissemble, and take these rebels in
detail--break the rods separately which while in a bundle might defy
our efforts."
"I must have a _personal_ interview with this daring earl of Douglas,"
said the king, "even if I condescend to ride to Thrave for it. But
meanwhile Gray shall bear to him three documents----"
"Three?" reiterated Crichton, looking up.
"He shall be written to intreating, rather than demanding, the release
of Sir Thomas MacLellan, who refused to join this infamous league.
I shall entrust Gray with a second missive containing a summons to
a conference, and assuring Douglas of a restoration to favour, and
forgiveness for the past, provided he break this bond, and as a
guarantee----"
"Yes--yes," interrupted the old chancellor, grinding his almost
toothless gums; "he will require something of that kind, while the
memory of that 23rd of November, 1440, is fresh in Galloway."
"Then as a security the earl shall have a letter of safe conduct, to
and from the castle of Stirling, signed by our own hand. Let this be
seen to at once," and the king, as if weary of the morning, but in
reality crushed and overwhelmed by its terrible revelations, retired to
another room, muttering as he did so, "Oh, my poor father, who perished
by the swords of regicides! how happier would I be if seated with you
at the feet of God, than on this throne of Scotland?"
So thought James II. in 1450; how many of his descendants had better
reason to utter the same bitter prayer, ere throne, and crown, and
sceptre passed away from them.
Exactly one hour after the king retired, Sir Patrick Gray, carefully
armed and splendidly mounted, departed on perilous, and--considering
the state of the country, the lack of fords, roads, bridges, and
hostelries--distant journey of ninety old Scottish miles. Over his suit
of mail he wore a surcoat, on which the royal arms were embroidered
to show that he rode on the special service of the king, and that to
molest him involved the penalties of treason.
His departure was viewed with deep interest by the court and his
soldiers. All expressed doubt and pity, for the unscrupulous character
of Douglas inspired all men with terror, and as he rode off, the old
warder at the castle gate shook his silvery head while saying, "By my
faith, Foulis, ye'll come back faster than ye gang, gif ye e'er come
back ava--but God speed ye the gate, man!"