At the sign of the Blue boar

Contents

Chapter Page

I. An Accident in Church 5

II. At Whitehall 19

Chapter I. An Accident In Church

TT was a sweet, soft, Sunday morning, early ^ in the spring of 1662, when our story begins, “ The hush of God's own Sabbath " seemed to have descended upon London, and, like the morning mist, wrapped it round in a mantle of peace. Here in Fleet Street, where 'prentices clamored and worried passengers all the week, there was rest and quiet at last, for as yet King Charles himself made some show of decency in regard to the observance of this day; and so there were no roystering courtiers swaggering through the streets, disturbing peaceful citizens ; and the citizens themselves were for the most part in church, for in those days London merchants lived over their shops, and city churches were well filled.

St. Dunstan's here, near Temple Bar, was crowded to standing room ; for it had been announced the previous Sunday, that Dr. Bates’s pulpit would be occupied by the king’s chaplain, Mr. Baxter, of Kiddernfinster, whose fame as a preacher was so well known in London that crowds followed him wherever he went. The doors of St. Dunstan’s had been shut before the time for service to begin, and many had gone away disappointed ; but before the time for closing came they were flung wide open, and a frightened, terrorstricken crowd poured into the street, breaking the stillness with screams and groans and exclamations of horror. A few staggered and fell as they reached the roadway, but no one seemed hurt beyond the fright, and no one could tell exactly what had happened, except that there had been cries that the church was falling. When the tumult of the first rush was over, and people had time to recover a little from their panic, those who had rushed out first began to creep back and look up at the old church walls.

“ I don’t believe they’re falling,” said one.

Falling ! no ; if they were like to fall, they would have come down in the great storm we had a little while ago. I shall go back,” con* eluded the speaker, seeing that the thin stream of people now leaving the church paused on the threshold, and looked back regretfully at their vacated seats.

“ Mr. Baxter has never left the pulpit,’' said one.

“ No; he has just said he will go on with his sermon when the church is quiet again,’' remarked another, pausing undecidedly near the door.

This was sufficient to decide other waverers.

“ It’s only half past nine,” said one, and the sermon not half over; I shall go back.” And the people began to press toward the doors again ; but as they would have passed in, they were pushed back by a little knot of people, who were carrying a young girl, to all appearance dead. Of course, the panic spread again among those who had begun to turn back, and a cry was raised that the back of the church had fallen in ; but a gentleman walking near those who carried the girl instantly quelled it.

See now, good people, this accident is occasioned by your senseless fright, and not by the falling of the church wall. The rattling down of a little loose mortar, that would scarce injure a mouse, hath so robbed ye of your wit, that this poor girl, besides several others, have thrown themselves from the gallery, down among the people in the church.*’

“ Is she dead ? ’* asked one, looking at the white, drawn face lying on the shoulder of the young man carrying her. He was her brother, and by his side walked another sister, almost overcome with grief and dismay.

Now, who will fetch me a carriage? ” said the gentleman who had previously spoken ; then, turning to the young man, he said : '' Can you carry her to the Temple Stairs, think you ? It will shake her less to go by water, and you live near Paul’s Wharf, you say ? ”

“ Yes, at the sign of the Blue Boar,*, said the young man, mechanically, for all his attention was given to watching the death-like face of his sister. This will be our mother*s deathblow,” he said, speaking to the one who walked by his side.

“ Nay, nay ; she hath but swooned, I trow,** said the elder gentleman. I will get a waterman to carry you to PauPs, and will speedily follow with a chirurgeon. Send the carriage to Temple Stairs for me,*’ he said, addressing the crowd, who still lingered outside the church.

An Accident in ChurcJi 9

Many had gone in again, and Mr. Baxter had resumed his sermon ; for the most seriously injured of those who had thrown themselves from the gallery was the young girl now being carried home. A boat was soon obtained at Temple Stairs; and as the boatman pushed off, a carriage came in sight, into which the gentleman leaped, and told the man to drive to the house of a well-known doctor, whom he fortunately found at home, and quite willing to accompany him to the sign of the Blue Boar.

In those days signs were not monopolized by inns and taverns. Nearly every shop had its sign ; so it was no easy matter to find out the particular Blue Boar wanted, amid the labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys that led down to the water-side in the neighborhood of Paul s Wharf. The Blue Boar seemed to be a favorite sign, too, among the dwellers of this water-side neighborhood ; and after several stoppages had been made at wrong places, the gentleman at length paid the coachman and dismissed the carriage, for the doctor had suggested that they could pursue their inquiries better on foot. After the carriage had gone, they made their way to the landingstairs, where, as they had hoped, they found a lo At the Sign of the Blue Boar.

boy who had seen the poor girl carried ashore and watched where she was taken. It was only a few yards off — a shop where ropes and ship cordage were sold ; and they had to pick their way carefully between the coils of rope and heaps of general litter that filled every corner of the small shop.

They were evidently expected, for they had scarcely knocked before the door was opened by the young man who had carried his sister home. He led the way up a narrow, dark staircase ; but the room above was large, and looked out upon the river. Here they were met by an elderly lady, whom the young man, with a courtly grace, introduced as “ Mrs. Aylmer, my mother.”

‘‘ My name is Coventry,” said the gentleman, bowing ; for he felt instinctively that he was in the presence of gentle, refined people, despite the poverty of their surroundings. '' I have brought a chirurgeon to see your daughter, madam,” he said.

‘‘ Will you come this way ? We have laid her on the bed,” said the lady, entering a small room, at the door of which she had been standing.

The doctor closed the door, and Mr. Coventry had time to look round the sitting-room.

1 1

and notice more particularly the attire of young Aylmer, which he saw had once been rich and handsome, but was shabby and threadbare now, and evidently had not been made for its present wearer. The furniture of the room, too, was an odd mixture of faded splendor and sordid poverty. The young man seemed greatly embarrassed at the presence of a stranger, and, as if in explanation of the peculiar surroundings, said : ‘‘ We have not been in England long.'*

“But you are English?” said Mr. Coventry.

“O yes,” said the young man, quickly; but we had to leave the country after — after the death of our late king.”

“ I see. You are Royalists, and have come back to claim your own.”

The penetration of his visitor seemed to put the young man at his ease at once.

“Yes; Aylmer Court will soon be in the hands of its rightful owners again,” he said ; “ and then, sir, you will find the Aylmers are not ungrateful. For the present, until the king can settle this business, I am afraid — O, this accident is most unfortunate!” he suddenly broke off; “ for I know not how we shall pay the chirurgeon.”

''Nay, nay; that is my affair, not yours,” said Mr. Coventry ; " and if you must talk of payment, at least postpone it until the king has settled this business for you.”

" Thank you for your consideration. I will try again to see the king to-morrow. If I could but see him.” added young Aylmer, '‘we should not remain here another hour: for he knows my father gave up home and lands, and life itself, to serve his father and himself, and he will be sorely vexed when he knows of our poor estate here.”

'‘How long have you been here?” asked his visitor.

" Only a few weeks. We were to have come over immediately after the king ; but my father was taken ill at that time, and died in Flanders, and none of the letters he wrote during his illness ever reached the king’s hand.”

" Was he ill long ? ” asked Mr. Coventry.

"More than a year; and we were in sore straits then, for the last of my mother’s jewels were given for the king’s service before he came to England.”

" And you have received nothing in return ? ”

But young Aylmer’s Royalist sympathies were aroused at the question, or the tone of it, and he said, quickly : ‘‘ How could we, since the king knows not of our poor estate? As I say, it will be but to ask and have, when I can see the king/*

Mr. Coventry would not say a word to disturb this confident faith in the king’s sense of justice and honor ; but he resolved not to lose sight of the family, for he strongly surmised they would be glad to receive other help than the king’s before long ; for, whatever their right might be, Aylmer Court had doubtless been disposed of long ago, if it had not been seized by the kings brother, the Duke of York, in which case their chances of regaining it were equally remote.

He was relieved from the awkward silence that followed by the entrance of the doctor from the inner room.

Young Aylmer jumped up instantly to meet him.

“ What do you think of my sister ? ” he said, eagerly.

“ She lives, and that is all I can say at present,” said the doctor, gravely. I will see her again in a few hours, and bring another chirurgeon with me — one who is skilled in cases of accident.”

Thank you ; let no expense be spared ;

Mr. Coventry will explain. You will under-, stand that we can pay for all my sister needs,” said young Aylmer, in a dignified tone.

But Mrs. Aylmer looked up in surprise. “ My dear Launcelot, have you received news from Whitehall?” she asked.

“ Not yet, mother ; but I am going to the king to-morrow : this accident will brook no delay. Bessie must be moved to Aylmer Court as speedily as possible.”

The doctor and Mr. Coventry exchanged glances.

‘‘ Your sister must remain here for the present,” said the chirurgeon, taking up his hat. ‘‘ I could not sanction her removal for some weeks, at least ; but I will, take care that she has every attention that her case demands ; and she could scarce be better placed, for you have a fine view of the river,” he added, waving his hat toward the window.

“ That will enable them to rest content for a few weeks, where, if I mistake not, they will have to live many years,” said the doctor to his companion, when they had gained the street. “ You heard what I said about the outlook from their window ? Depend upon it they will have no other, if it rests with King Charles and his sense of justice.”

An Accident in Church.

“ Don’t let them hear you say so. I like that young Aylmer. I hope he wont waste the best years of his life waiting for what may never come. But what do you think of the girl — will she live ? ”

“ I’m afraid she will,” said the doctor, seriously.

Afraid she will ! ” repeated his companion. “ But if she lives — ”

“ ’Twill be little better than death in life, I fear. I’m afraid her spine is so seriously injured that she will never walk again.”

“ Dear heart, to think that people’s senseless folly should cause such mischief as that ! ” exclaimed Mr. Coventry. ‘‘ Why, ’twas but the falling of a little loose mortar, and some senseless wight exclaimed, ^ The walls are falling ! ’ and every body seemed bereft of their senses in a minute. Mr. Baxter stood still in the pulpit, and tried to assure them there was no danger ; but this girl and some others flung themselves headlong over the gallery.”

‘‘ And she must have fallen on her back across the edge of a pew. I hope I may be wrong, but I’ll take Burton down to see her by and by, and hear his opinion.”

The kind-hearted doctor was as good as his word, and, before night-fall, took his friend to the Blue Boar to see the injured girl.

She had regained consciousness, but had no power to move her lower limbs, and the doctors impressed upon her the necessity of keeping perfecily quiet, and not trying to move at present. They examined her carefully, but she seemed to have received no other injury but this to her back, which they feared would prove quite incurable.

It would not do to tell her so at once, however, and the doctor told Mrs. Aylmer how to prepare some herb tea, and gave her some medicine he had brought with him. But he took care to close the little bedroom door as he came into the sitting-room, and, beckoning young Aylmer to the lowbow-windowoverlooking the river, he said : “ You are going to try and gain an audience of King Charles to-morrow ?**

The young man blushed and glanced at his shabby dress, for his mother had been impressing upon him the impossibility of his going to court until his wardrobe could' be suitably replenished.

I — I did think of doing so,” he said, in some confusion.

Then do it by all means, if possible; for I think it best to tell you, although you must

A 7 t Accident in CImrch, 17

for the present keep this a secret from your mother and sisters, but I greatly fear your sister’s spine is hopelessly injured.”

You mean, if we were rich she might — ”

‘‘ I mean,” said the doctor, calmly, that if she were the infanta herself all the doctors in Europe could do nothing that would cure her. Mind, she must not knovv this yet : the knowledge will come to her gradually as time goes on ; and meanwhile I will come and see that her general health does not fail. But after what I heard from Mr. Coventry this morning I thought it my duty to tell you at once, for an invalid requires many little comforts those in health can dispense with. In short, Mr. Aylmer, it will not do to wait much longer for the king to right you. Put it to the test at once, and if the king cannot help you to your own again, then let other friends do what they can for you.”

The young man’s face flushed at the implied doubt of his majesty’s willingness to see that justice was done to his old friends.

“ It is but the question of a doublet, I know,” he said ; and his majesty could not always go in such brave attire as he now has. I will prepare a letter to-night to present to his majesty myself to-morrow. I will trust it 2 to no other hand, for I feel certain we have an enemy about the court who has taken care that our letters should never be seen by the king. I would that I knew who it was, for it embittered my father’s last days, and, doubtless, shortened his life.”

‘‘ Well, well, take the letter yourself to-morrow, and may you succeed ; but if you do not, then you must let other friends help you.”

But we have no other friends at present,” said the young man. No one who knew us at Aylmer Court has heard of our return to England — how could we let them know we were living in such a place as this ?” And he glanced round at the faded serge hangings on the wall and the poverty-stricken furniture of the room.

‘‘ You have more friends, perhaps, than you wot of,” said the doctor, pleasantly ; and, taking up his hat, he joined his friend, who was waiting for him near the door, and the two doctors took their departure.

At Whitehall.

CHAPTER IT

AT WHITEHALL.

J^UNCELOT AYLMER sat up nearly all night writing a letter to the king, which he determined to carry himself to the palace next day, and place in the king’s hand, feeling sure that all his other missives had miscarried.

He left home soon after daylight, hut, early as it was, he found the neighborhood of Whitehall astir with gayly-dressed ladies and gentlemen, among whom he felt more shabby than ever ; and it was plain that others thought the same, for when he ventured to approach the palace gates he was ordered away by the guard, who threatened to arrest him if he came near again. He had foreseen some such difficulty as this, and knew that his only chance of getting the letter into the king’s hands would be to present it when he was passing from the palace to his coach or barge, which always lay in readiness at the water-gate close by ; and he thought, by mingling with the crowd, he should hear what the king's movements were likely to be.

To his great surprise he presently met the gentlemen who had brought the doctor to see his sister the day before, not in a plain black velvet doublet, such as he then wore, but in a dress that proclaimed him to be an officer of state in the Admiralty. He recognized Launcelot in a moment, and, taking his hand, drew him aside from the crowd.

‘ I am glad to see you here,” he said.

You have brought a letter for the king. I suppose ? ”

“ Yes; and I wish to present it to his majesty myself,” said Launcelot. “ I shall then know beyond a doubt that it is not kept from him by any unknown enemy.”

‘‘ Well, I think I can help you to do so. The king is going by water to the Tower presently, and I will speak to the guard at the water-gate to let you present your letter as the king descends the steps. You have chosen a fortunate time to present it, for I have just heard that Parliament has agreed to allow him twelve hundred thousand pounds a year ; and many petitions are now being considered by Parliament for the restoration of the estates of the king’s friends.”

At White hall.

“ A hundred thousand pounds a month,” repeated Launcelot ; ‘‘ what will he do with it

‘‘ Spend it, you may be sure,” said Mr. Coventry, with a smile.

‘‘ Yes, yes, to be sure. He has many friends, I know, besides ourselves, who gave up all they could for him while he was abroad ; and, I doubt not, he is anxious to repay them, at least, if he can do no more. And ought to present a petition to Parliament, you think, sir, about our restoration to Aylmer Court ? ”

“ Wait now till you hear from the king. The Parliament is anxious to please his majesty in all things, and if he — ”

“ I see, I see, sir,” said Launcelot, quickly. “ If the king recommends it, the thing will be done. This is what I have asked in my letter — that we may receive our own again. I knew not that his majesty had so much money at command, or I might have reminded him that our mothers jewels, our last possession, were sold to the Amsterdam merchants to supply his need : but, doubtless, he will remember this, and send for me to court at once.”

‘‘ Perhaps he may,” said Mr. Coventry. If he should, you will need a suitable dress, and you may go to my tailor, and tell him to supply you with a velvet doublet and shoulderknots, silken hose and buckled shoes, and all things necessary for a gentleman to appear at court ; and Mr. William Coventry will be answerable for all charges.*’

“ Thank you, sir, a thousand times ; but I shall be able to pay all charges an the king only gets my letter,” said Launcelot, who felt assured their troubles were at an end, now that the way had been cleared for him to present his letter to the king in person.

Mr. Coventry gave him his tailor’s name and address in Fleet Street, and spoke to the guard at the water-gate, and then left Launcelot to his own reflections.

Pleasant as these were, however, they were not without alloy; for as he thought how soon they would all be going back to Aylmer Court, the vision of his father dying in that miserable home in Flanders, wanting almost the necessaries of life, made his thoughts grow very bitter against his unknown enemy, whoever he might be. A little timely help when the king first came over to England would have saved his father’s life, he felt sure; and so he who withheld his letters from the king was no less than a murderer, he argued. He paid but little attention to tlie gossip

At Whitehall.

going on around him, although, as the crowd increased, he could not help hearing opinions exchanged about the Act of Uniformity, which was now being debated in Parliament, and the reform of the Prayer Book, which was occupying the attention of Convocation. These things mattered little to Launcelot, although to some of the speakers in the crowd they seemed to b.e of vital importance.

'Tis whispered that the king’s chaplain, Mr. Baxter, will not accept the new Prayer Book, and will not preach again until after St. Bartholomew’s Day, that other parsons may know what he is going to do.”

“ And think you many will follow his example?” asked another.

Nay, I know not; but ’twill be a sorry day for England an they do. ’ Pis whispered that all who have been ordained by the late presbytery, instead of by a bishop, will have to seek fresh ordination, as well as accept the new Prayer Book.”

^‘Hey, man, but will they do that — will they avow and declare that they were not competent to baptize and marry, all the years they have been doing it?”

The question was asked very anxiously, and presently the speaker added : ‘T have two little ones lying in All-Hallows church-yard, that were baptized by Dr. Bates, of St. Dunstan’s; but if he needs must be re-ordained, are my little ones verily and truly baptized, or are they — ”

But at this moment there was a movement in the crowd, and Launcelot found himself in danger of bein g hustled to the back ; so he pushed his way nearer the guard again, and so lost the conclusion the anxious father had arrived at, should Dr. Bates decide to conform to the new Act, and seek re-ordination.

Presently the crowd near the palace gates raised a shout, which was speedily taken up all along the line, and “The king! the king!” passed from lip to lip, and every body pressed forward to catch a glimpse of his majesty and the ladies and gentlemen of his court. Launcelot held his letter with trembling fingers, as he gazed at Charles in his splendid suit of ruby velvet and white satin, slashed with silver lace.

“Now!” whispered the guard in his ear; and, stepping forward, Launcelot fell on one knee before the king, and humbly presented his missive.

“Who have we here? ” asked Charles, pausing for an instant at the top of the steps.

At WhitchalL 25

“ Your majesty hath, doubtless, forgotten us — I am Launcelot Aylmer.’’

A frown contracted the king’s brow for an instant, and he looked as though he was about to return the letter ; but after a moment’s hesitation he thrust it into his pocket and passed on, without deigning to cast another look at Launcelot, kneeling at the side of the pathway. The ladies following immediately behind the king looked at him curiously as they passed, for Launcelot felt so overcome at the king’s strange reception of his letter that he could not rise for a minute or two, and the splendid procession had well-nigh passed before he could turn and mingle with the crowd again.

‘‘ Some one has poisoned the king’s mind against us, I am certain,” said Launcelot, bitterly, as he slowly turned his steps toward the Strand; and as he walked along this fashionable thoroughfare, where most of the nobility lived, he mused over this, wondering who, among the few people they had known in Flanders, could have slandered them to his majesty.

‘‘ Could it be that wretch Oaklands ? I always suspected him of being a Roundhead in disguise — a spy sent by the caitiff Cromwell to watch the king and his friends. He took

26 At the Sign of the Ble^e Boar.

Rosalind away from us, I know — poor Cousin Rosalind ! She believed him to be a saint, but I fear she has had a terrible awakening from her delusion ere this. I wonder where she is now ! I would that I had the wretch Oaklands here ; I would wring the secret from him, and then grasp him by the throat until he fell dead at my feet ! and Launcelot ground his teeth in the bitterness of his impotent rage.

The sight of the tailor’s shop where Mr. Coventry had told him to order his court dress, and the importunities of the noisy apprentices plying their master’s trade, put an end to these thoughts.

Buy a doublet, sir, or a fine lawn shirt, a hat with the richest feathers in London town?” asked one saucy urchin, while at the same time he made signs and grimaces to his fellow-apprentices to look at Launcelot’s threadbare, shabby appearance. When he had run through the list of articles sold by his master, the apprentice from the next booth fastened himself upon his prey. '‘Buy a horologue, sir? You’ll want to know the time when you go to court.” The idea of Launcelot going to court seemed to be considered a good joke, and a burst of laughter followed from the other apprentices.

At Whitehall.

Launcelot felt annoyed, but knew that it was useless to complain, and he would have to put up with the same annoyance until he reached home now, for he had passed Temple Bar, and this was the usual behavior of city 'prentices.

But he was unexpectedly relieved from the vexation of being told that he looked like a very shabby, broken-down gentleman, for there was a sudden far-off cry of Clubs ! clubs ! ” proclaiming that a fight was in progress ; and the cry was instantly taken up and re-echoed down the street, while every 'prentice lad darted into the shop he was in charge of, and seized a stick that lay handy, and rushed off in the direction whence the cry of Clubs!" was heard. Masters came grumbling to their doors, but they might grumble; not a lad could be induced to stay at his post when that cry was raised, and they were flying up Fleet Street now, flourishing their sticks, and crying

Clubs ! clubs ! " to Launcelot's great relief, for he might hope to escape any further reminder of his uncomfortable position.

It would be at an end soon now, he hoped ; but even as he thought of this came the chilling recollection of the king's frown when he heard his name, and his instant change of behavior, so different from his pleasant affability;

and Launcelot wondered whether he ought to tell his mother of this, or whether he should simply tell her he had succeeded in placing his letter in the king’s hand, and allow her to hope for the best, as he should do, if he had not seen the ominous change in the king’s countenance.

But before he reached home he was again painfully reminded of his poverty, by seeing the stalls set out with smoking ribs of beef and fresh salads, and men in clean white aprons, crying, “ Hot boiled beef!” “ Hot sheep’s feet!” “ Hot calves’ liver ! ” It made Launcelot feel more hungry to see and smell these appetizing dainties — not that he would have stopped and eaten them here, even if he had had a pocketful of gold pieces; but it reminded him painfully of the meager fare they had at home, and made him wish he could take some little^ dainty with him for Bessie, and for her sake he wished he could feel more assured as to their future good fortune.