The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-07-06
The knights Secret.
| NEW STORY BY CHARLES REAl


Thomas Erpingham was knighted b.
Henry the Fourth for good and valian
| service.
This Sir Thomas Erpingham, Knight Q
the Garter, afterwards fought by the sid
of Henry the Fifth in his French wars, an,
was made Warden of the Cinque Ports
but retired to Norwich, his native place
He married a beautiful, pious lady, and
after a turbulent career and the horrors 0
war, desired to end his days in charity
Being wealthy and of one mind he an,
Lady Erpingham built goodly church il
the city and also erected and endowed ;
religious house for twelve monks and
prior close to the Knights house and part
ed only by a high wall.
But though the retired soldier wished tt
be at peace with all men, two of his friar
were of another mind Friar John ant
Friar Richard hated each other, and coul(
by no means be Ieconciled; neither ha(
ever good word for the other; and a
last Friar John gave Friar Richard tai
excuse for his inyectives. Lady Erping
ham came over to mathis in the convent
and Frar John would always await hel
coming and attend her through the clois
lations, whereat she smiled being in truth,
a most innocent lady, atfable to all, ant
slow to think i'll OF any man.
But Richard denounced John as Il licen
tious monk, and soon watched and whis
pered; others rebuked Richard, for it was
against the monastic rule to put an i'll con
struction where the matter might be limo
cent
But Richard stood his ground, and un
fortunately, Richard was right; misunder
standing the lady's courtesy and charity
brother John thought his fawning advan
ces were encouraged, and this bred in him
such impudence that one day he sent hel
a tulsomc love letter, and had the hardi-
hood to beg for private interview.
The lady, when she opened this letter
could hardly believe her senses; and, at
last as gentle-woman will be both unsus
picious and suspicious in the wrong place
she made up her mind that the poor, good
ridiculous friar could never have been sc
wicked as to write this; but it was hel
husbands doing, and trial of her virtue
lie was older than herself; and great love
is often tainted with jealousy.
This brought tears into her eyes, to
think she should be doubted but soon an.
ger dried them, and she took occasion to
put the letter suddenly into Sir Thomas
hand, and fixed her eyes on him SO keenly
that, if there had been a flaw in his conjll-
gal armor, no doubt those ewes had
pierced it.
The Knight read the letter and turned
black and white with rage; his eyes spar
kled with fury and he looked so fearful
that the lady was very sorry she had
shown him the letter, and begged him not
to take madman's folly to heart.
mot take it to heart !" said he "What,
these beggarly shavelings that l have
housed and fed, and so lessened my estate
and thine-they shall corrupt thee and rob
me of my one earthly treasure Sit thou
down and write"
"Wrte-Thomas-what ?-to whom ?'
"Do as | bid thee, dame" said he stern
ly, land no more words"
Those We're days when husbands COM
manded and wives obeyed; SO she sat
down, trembling. and took the pen
Then he made her write a letter back to
the friar and say she compassionated his
love, and her husband was to ride toward
London that night, and her servant, or
WHOM SlC COutu ucpcltl SilOulu tuiIIII iiliti
to her by Il side door Of the house.
Friar John at the appointed time, took
care to be in the town-for he knew the
ay-brother who kept the gate Of the prio-
", would not let him out so late He
came to the side door, and was admitted
by servant Of the Knight, q reckless old
soldier who cared for neither man MOI
devil, as the saying is, but only for his
master, this man took him into a room
and left him; then went for the Knight
he was not far off. Now, the unlucky
monk, being come to the conquest of 9
beautiful lady, as he vainly thought, haC
fine linen on, and perfumed like q civet
The Knight smelt these perfumes and
rushed in upon him with his man, like
dogs upon the odoriferous fox, and, in .
fury, without giving him time to call fol
help, or say one prayer, strangled hin
and left him dead
But death breeds calm; the Knight.
rage abated that moment and he saw he
had done foul and remorseless deed. He
would have given half his estate to bring
his offender back to life Half his estate
his whole estate, ay, and his life were
now gone from him; they were forfeited
to the law. SO did he pass from rage to
remorse. and from remorse to fear. The
rough soldier, seeing him so stricken
made light of all, except the danger 0
discovery. Come, noble Sir" said he
''let us bestir ourselves, and take hin
back to the priory, and there bestow him
so shall we ne'er be known in it,"
Thus urged, the Knight aroused him
calf ap,; bo op6 bic man bronnbt bo bod
out, and got as far as the wall that di,
part the house from the monastery. Herr
they were puzzled awhile; but the MAJ
remembered short ladder in the bacl
yard, that was high enough for this Job
| SO they set the ladder, and, with muc
ado, got the body up it, and then drew tn
ladder up, and set it again on the othe
side; and so, with infinite trouble, tn
soldier got him into the priory.
The next thing was to make it appea
Friar John had died natural death Ac
cordingly he set him up on a rickety chai
he found in the yard, balanced him, an,
left him, mounted the wall again, and lie
himself down, and then dropped into tn
Knights premises.
He found the Knight walking in grea
perturbation, and they went into the house
Now, good master" said the stout sol
dier so you to bed. and think no NOR
ont"
'''To bed y groaned the Knight in age
ny, why should l go there ? l cannc
sleep. Methnks shall never sleep again.
Then give me the cellar key, good sill
III draw Il stoup of Canary"
LAY, wineH' cried the Knight; ''fo
my blood runs cold in my veins"
The servant lighted rousing fire i
the dinng-hall and warmed and spice
some generous wine, after the fashion c
the day and there sat these two over tn
fire awaiting daylight and its revelation
But meantime the night was fruitful i
events. The prior, informed of Fria
Richards uncharitable interpretations, ha
condemned him to vigil and prayer O
the bare pebbles of the yard from mic
night until three of the clock. But the 81
Richard at dusk had conveyed a chair int
the yard to keep his knees off the col
hard stones.
At midnight, when he came to his Ell
forced devotions, lo there sat a figure
tho chair Ha rto1 opH tooly II for ~,