In the course of this work I have mentioned several roads, the
direction of each of which will be very easily understood by those who
have an acquaintance with the locality, even in the present day. For
those who have not, however, I must add a few words of explanation.
One road, passing over the abbey green and between the houses on the
western side, descended the slope, on the top of which the buildings
stood, and then, running through the lower part of the wood, ascended
the higher hill, cutting straight across the heart of the forest. At
the bottom of the slope, however, just under the abbey, and at the
distance of, perhaps, a quarter of a mile, this road was entered by
another, which, coming through the lower ground from the hamlet at
Coleshill, and joining the valley and the stream at the distance of
about a mile from that place, followed all the meanders which the
little river chose to take, till it reached the spot I have mentioned.
At the point where the two roads met, Sir John Godscroft, after
distributing his men around the wood, fixed his temporary head
quarters, and took the measures which he thought necessary for
obtaining information. Two messengers were also sent off in haste in
different directions; and every peasant who could be brought in was
strictly interrogated, as well as the bailiff of the abbey, who was
subjected to more than one cross examination. The information of the
bailiff was peculiarly valuable, not so much because it was eagerly
and minutely given, both from motives of revenge and apprehension, as
because it afforded the most perfect and detailed account of every
part of the abbey, as far as it was known to the coward himself. From
it, Sir John Godscroft satisfied himself completely, first, that no
part of the abbey where a man could be concealed had escaped search,
and, secondly, that the fugitive must have taken refuge in that
portion of the forest lying to the right of the road as you ascended
the hill. With this conviction he established a line of patrols all
round the wood, too close, as he thought, for any man to pass
unnoticed, and then wrapping himself in his cloak, with a saddle for
his pillow, he gave himself up to sleep. Twice he woke during the
night, and, mounting his horse, rode at a rapid pace round the whole
of that part of the wood which he was watching so eagerly, and ever,
as he went, he encouraged the men on duty, by reminding them that a
reward of a thousand marks was promised for the capture of the bishop
of Ely.
"Be vigilant till morning," he said, "and then we will search the
wood. In a few hundred acres like this, it is impossible he can
escape."
He once more stretched himself on the ground, when it wanted about an
hour to dawn, and had slept for somewhat more than half an hour, when
he was roused by the return of one of his messengers.
"Up into the saddle, Sir John, up into the saddle!" said the man; "Sir
William Catesby is at my heels with full five hundred spears. He rose
and mounted at once, as soon as he got your message; and his men say
that he has a warrant under the king's own hand for the arrest of the
bishop and several others."
Godscroft looked somewhat grim at this intelligence, imagining,
perhaps that the reward he anticipated was likely to be snatched from
his grasp by another. What he might have done in these circumstances,
had there been time for deliberate thought and action, I cannot tell;
but before he could well shake off the effects of sleep, the head of
Catesby's troop came down from the green; and the crafty and
dissimulating minister of Richard sprang to the ground by his side.
Catesby took Sir John Godscroft by the hand, and divining, perhaps,
what might be the impression produced by his coming, said in a loud
frank tone, "Sir John, you and your brave companions have done the
king good service, which will not be easily forgotten. Think not that
I come either to share or take away your reward, but simply as a loyal
subject and a good soldier, to do my duty to my prince and my country,
without any recompense whatever. We must have this traitor before noon
to-morrow."
"That shall we, beyond doubt, Sir William," replied the other, while a
good number of the soldiers stood round and listened. "With the force
which you have brought, one body can surround the wood while the other
searches."
"I must detach a considerable troop," replied Catesby, "to pursue the
party of Lord Chartley to Hinckley; for I have authority to attach
every one who has contributed in any degree to the escape of this
proclaimed traitor, the bishop of Ely."
"Then I have a notion you must attach the abbess of St. Clare," said
Godscroft, "for she has certainly sheltered him and favoured his
evasion, since the young lord left him there."
"How many men has Chartley with him?" demanded Catesby, not appearing
to notice the suggestion regarding the abbess.
"Well nigh upon fifty," answered Godscroft, and then added, returning
to the point: "Had you not better secure the abbey first?"
"No, no," answered Catesby; "we must not violate sanctuary, nor touch
the privileges of the church;" and, taking Godscroft's arm, he said in
a low voice, "What is the meaning of those houses I see burned upon
the green? I hope your men have not done it."
"Good faith but they have," answered the other; "altogether contrary
to my orders though; and I have hanged several of them for their
pains."
"Better keep this from the king's ears," said Catesby, musing.
"However, we must have the bishop, Sir John, and this young Lord
Chartley too, who has been clearly privy to Morton's visit to England,
which makes it a case of misprision of treason, for which disease the
axe is the only remedy I know."
After uttering these bitter words in a somewhat jocose tone, he
returned to the head of his troop, and gave some orders, which
immediately caused a party of forty-eight or fifty men to ride on,
with all speed, upon the same road which had been taken the night
before by Chartley and his companions. The rest of Catesby's
dispositions were soon made; for, in order not to disappoint Sir John
Godscroft and his companions of their prey, he reserved to the regular
soldiers the simple task of guarding the wood, while it was searched
by Godscroft's band. Nothing, however, could be done till day-break,
beyond a few preliminary arrangements; and the rest of the time was
spent by the two leaders in walking up and down, and conversing over
the events in which they took an interest.
"If we had but known an hour or two before," said Sir John Godscroft,
"we should have caught the bishop in the abbey. We lost no time by the
way, nor in setting out either; for we were not five minutes out of
the saddle after Sir Charles's messenger arrived. 'Tis marvellous he
did not send before; for his man tells me he was more than a whole day
in the bishop's company, and knew him from the first."
"He could not help it," answered Catesby. "He wrote at once to the
king and to myself; but it was agreed on all hands that it would be
better for Weinants to follow him till he was lodged somewhere for the
night; for, if we had attempted to take him in Tamworth yesterday
morning--not having known soon enough to seize him in his bed--he
would have escaped to a certainty, in the confusion of the fair. Then
to catch him on the road would have been difficult, for Chartley's
party is large; and a very little resistance on their part would have
given him time to fly. No, no, Weinants is wonderfully shrewd and
discreet; and he calculated to a nicety, that this traitor prelate
would either stop here upon some pretence, while the rest rode on to
Hinckley, or go on with them to Hinckley, where he could be taken
without trouble.--Is not the sky turning somewhat greyer, think you?"
"Methinks it is," replied the other.
"Well then, let us to our work," said Catesby. "You must dismount your
men, and let two or three enter at the mouth of every path, pursuing
it through its whole track, till they meet somewhere in the centre of
the wood. Have you any one who knows the forest well?"
"But few," replied the other. "However, I have remarked, when riding
by on the other road, the towers of an old castle rising up, about the
middle of this part which we have surrounded. They can all direct
their steps thither--"
"Ay, and search the castle too," said Catesby. "He must have some one
to guide him, depend upon it. The ruin will be a good place for
refuge."
"If we find him not at the first essay," responded the other, "we can
afterwards take the wood in separate portions, and beat through every
thicket, as we should for a stag."
"Away then, away!" answered Catesby. "It will be well day before we
have commenced."