The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary by Robert Hugh Benson

  How Master Richard cried out in Westminster Hall: and of his coming toa Privy Parlour

  _Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea regi._

  My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the king.--_Ps.xliv. 1._

  V

  It would be about half an hour before the King's dinner-time, which wasten o'clock, that Master Richard came again to the hall.

  There was not so great a press that day, and the holy youth was able tomake his way near to the barrier that held back the common folk, and tosee the King plainly. He was upon his seat beneath the cloth-of-estatethat was quartered with the leopards and lilies, and had his hat uponhis head. About him, beneath the scaffold on which he sat were the greatnobles, and my lord cardinal had a chair set for him upon the right-handside, on the step below the King's.

  All was very fair and fine, said Master Richard, with pieces of richstuff hanging upon the walls on this side and that beneath the windows,and, finest of all were the colours of the robes, and the steel and thegold and the white fur and the feathers, and the gilded glaives andtrumpets, and coat-armour of the heralds.

  There was a matter about to be concluded, but Master Richard could nottell what it was, for there was a din of talking all about him, and hesaw many clerks and Religious very busy together in the crowd, shakingtheir fingers, lifting their brows, and clacking like rooks atsunset--so the young man related it. There were two fellows with theirbacks to him, standing in an open space before the scaffold with guardsabout them. One of the two was a clerk, and wore his square cap uponhis head, and the other was not.

  The King looked sick; he was but a young man at that time, not two yearsolder than Master Richard. He was listening with his head down, to aclerk who whispered in his ear, kneeling by his side with papers and agreat quill in his hand, and the King's eyes roved as he listened, nowup, now down, and his fingers with rings upon them were arched at hisear. My lord cardinal had a ruddy face and bright holy eyes, and sat inhis sanguine robes with his cap on his head, looking out with his lipspursed at the clerks and monks that babbled together beyond the barrier.He was an old man at this time, but wondrous strong and hearty.

  At the end the King sat up, and there was a silence, but he spoke so lowand quick, with his eyes cast down, and the shouting followed so hardupon his words, that Master Richard could not hear what was said. But itseemed to content the clerks and the Religious [King Henry VI. was agreat favourer of ecclesiastics.], for they roared and clamoured and oneflung up his cap so that it fell beyond the barrier and he could notcome at it again. Then the two prisoners louted to the King, and wentaway with their guards about them; and the King stood up, and thecardinal.

  Now this was the time on which Master Richard had determined forhimself, but for a moment he could not cry out: it seemed as if thefiend had gripped him by the throat and were hammering in his bowels.The King turned to the steps, and at that sight Master Richard wasenabled to speak.

  He had not resolved what to say, but to leave that to what God shouldput in his mouth, and this is what he cried, in a voice that all couldhear.

  "News from our Lord! News from our Lord, your grace."

  He said that when he cried that, that was first silence, and then such aclamour as he had never heard nor thought to hear. He was pushed thisway and that; one tore at his shoulder from behind; one struck him onthe head: he heard himself named madman, feeble-wit, knave, fond fellow.The guards in front turned themselves about, and made as though theywould run at the crowd with their weapons, and at that the men left offheaving at Master Richard, and went back, babbling and crying out.

  Then he cried out again with all his might.

  "I bring tidings from my Lord God to my lord the King," and went forwardto the barrier, still looking at the King who had turned and looked backat him with sick, troubled eyes, not knowing what to do.

  A fellow seized Master Richard by the throat and pulled him against thebarrier, menacing him with his glaive, but the King said something,raising his hand, and there fell a silence.

  "What is your business, sir?" asked the King.

  The fellow released Master Richard and stood aside.

  "I bring tidings from our Lord," said the young man. He was all out ofbreath, he told me, with the pushing and striking, and held on to thered-painted barrier with both hands.

  The King stooped and whispered with at cardinal, who was plucking him bythe sleeve, for the space of a _paternoster_, and the murmuring began tobreak out again. Then he turned, and lifted his hand once more forsilence.

  "What are the tidings, sir?"

  "They are for your private ear, your grace."

  "Nay," said the King, "we have no private ear but for God's Word."

  "This is God's Word," said Master Richard.

  There was laughter at that, and the crowd came nearer again, but theKing did not laugh. He stood still, looking this way and that, now onMaster Richard, and now on the cardinal, who was pulling again atsleeve. It seemed as if he could not determine what to do.

  Then he spoke again.

  "Who are you, sir?"

  "I am a solitary, named Richard Raynal," said the young man. "I comefrom the country, from ... [It is most annoying that the name of thevillage is wanting.] Sir John Chaldfield, the parson, willundertake for me, your grace."

  "Is Sir John here?" asked my lord cardinal, smiling at the clerks.

  "No, my lord," said Master Richard, "he has his sheep in the wilderness.He cannot run about to Court."

  There was again a noise of laughter and dissent from the crowd ofclerks, and my lord cardinal smiled more than ever, shewing his whiteteeth in the midst of his ruddy face.

  "This is a witty fellow, your grace," said my lord cardinal aloud to theKing. "Will your grace be pleased to hear him in private?"

  The King looked at Master Richard again, as if he knew not what to do.

  "Will you not tell us here, sir?" he asked.

  "I will not, your grace."

  "Have you weapons upon you?" said my lord cardinal, still smiling.

  Master Richard pointed to the linen upon his breast.

  "I bear wounds, not weapons," he answered; which was a brave and shrewdanswer, and one that would please the King.

  His grace smiled a little at that, but the smile passed again like thesunshine between clouds on a dark and windy day, and the crowd crept upnearer, so that Master Richard could feel hot breath upon his bare neckbehind. He committed his soul again to our Lady's tuition, for he knewnot what might be the end if he were not heard out.

  * * * * *

  Well, the end of it was as you know, it was not possible for any manwith a heart in his body to look long upon Master Richard and not lovehim, and the King's face grew softer as he looked upon that fair youngman with his nut-brown hair and the clear pallour of his face and hispure simple eyes, and then at the coarse red faces behind him that creptup like devils after holy Job. It was not hard to know which was in theright, and besides the brave words that had stung the clerks to angerhad stung the King to pity and pleasure; so the end was that the guardswere bidden to let Master Richard through, and that he was to follow onin the procession, and be gently treated, and admitted to see the Kingwhen dinner was done.

  * * * * *

  So that, my children, is the manner in which it came about that my namewas cried aloud before the King's presence, and the cardinals and thenobles, in Westminster Hall on the Monday after _Deus qui nobis_.[So the collect of Corpus Christi begins. It was a common method, evenamong the laity, of defining dates.]