The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-03


book. This book was the "De Conso-
latione Philosophical the famous
meditative work which helped so many
in the middle ages to bear misfortune
with equanimity. He was leaning his
head on it when tho bolts of the door
were drawn, and looked up in dreamy
mood which quickly changed to one OF
eager surprise whom he saw his brother
enter.
Reginald strobe forward into the
dim light, and embraced him. 81
come, Brother Amend-all," he said,
with better consolation than you can
get from the last of the Romans; l
bring you freedom"
Reginald's airy manner was unaffect-
ed by the gravity of the times. Ralph
looked at him in puzzled way, as one
newly awakened and keenly on the
alert without understanding why.
"Shake off your dreams, my philos-
opher," said Reginald briskly; 81 am
sent for you by the king
"The king!" cried Ralph. 81 had
renounced all hope of that"
"You should not have done that"
said Reginald, jauntily.A "Hope is too
precious a thing to be parted with
lightly"
1t was an excited world into which
the prisoner came forth. Southwark,
in which the Marshalsea stood, was
disturbed by the advance of
the insurgent hosts, and the accents OF
panic stricken rumor filled it's hostel.
ries and ran about its streets and lanes.
Southwark was leafy suburban then,
the outer fringe of the city round its
main southern entrance a very different
place from the present region of crowd
ed railway termini, and huge ware
houses, and noisome soap and tallow
and leather factories.
Earls and prelates of the southern
and the heads of the great
OF Canterbury and Battle
and Lewes, had their town residences
in Southwark, and hosts of travellers
from the south, and holiday pilgrims
bound fer Canterbury, were lodged in
its commodious inns. Southwark was
more than usually crowded, for many
visitors had come to town to witness
the professions and psgeants of Corpus
Christi, and the Canterbury pilgrims
of Whitsun week were stayed in their
hostelries by the sudden and unforeseen
popular storm. These fair weather
strangers were dispei sing homewards
as fast as they could HE, now that
the track Of the storm towards the cap
ital was declared, and Ralph and Regi-
maid, when they came out Of the Mar
shalsea, found themselves in the thick
of the noise and hustle of their hurried
departure.
"You would have been free in few
hours more,' said Regineld to his
brother, without the kings grace.
The rabbls will have no prisoners.
Jails are their adherence. The gov.
ernor tells me that nearly all his tip
slaves and wardsrs have hed."
Ralph made no answer. The unac-
light and hurry and noise
him. He rode along in
silence, while his brother volubly di.
rected his attention to the signs of the
general excitement, all of which the
lively courtier treated in a humorous
spirit.
The drawbridge at the Southwark end
Of London bridge was up. and was not
lowered till Reginald had given the
password. The bridge itself was
onI 10 IL
Thames street towards the Tower they
could see that the riverside walls also
and the landing stars were under the
care of the watch and ward. But
mixed up with this militia, and stand
ing in buzzing groups at the corners,
or moving restlessly through the streets,
were hundreds of the lower populace,
rowdy apprentices and ragged laborers,
who had thrown their work aside and
come out to swell the excitement. The
booths were all shut up, and such of
the richer citizens as were not within
doors walked about with very grave
faces. On st. GATHERINGS Hill by the
Tower people were gathered in knots,
eagerly discussing what they had heard,
and watching the arrivals at the Tower,
on the alert to learn more.
The king was sitting with his council
when Ralph arrived at the Tower and
he was conducted to the apartments of
the princess. There he found also in
waiting the governor of Rochester Cas-
tie, Sir John Newton, who had been
seized by the insurgents and compelled,
at peril of his life, to be the bearer of
message to the king. This message was
to the effect that the commons OF Eng
land, as the insurgents styled them
selves, were deeply attached to the
4 IL