The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-10
CHAPTER XXIV-Continued.

"a DOuy OF TuleFS COZ pOTateiy UeHoTdl-
lied and individually demorslized by
panic, Cabling at one another like
flock of geese Ii some Asmodeus could
have transported them to Blackheath,
taken the roof off the Green Man and
shown them the leaders of the commons
in that humble tavern in quiet and
earnest deliberation, it would have put
them to shame. But the kings council
was for moment without a head.
Fear had broken the bonds of custom,
and the instinct of self-preservationr ran
riot above all the restraints OF cOnven-
tional ceremony. Every man was
eager to give voice to his own panic
stricken comments and suggestions, and
as they could not all gain the general
ear at once, each man turned to his
neighbor, trying desperately to be heard
above the din. A confused gable and
babble of voices, strained to make
themselves audible, filled the room.
The question was, what answer
should he sent to the request of the
commons, but there was no authority
in the chamber equal to keeping this
or any other single question before the
minds of the council. The members
gesticulated and roared out express
sions of impotent wrath. Sir John
Newton was coward: he should never
have yielded Rochester castle; it was
strong enough to have held out till
dOomsday against such a rabbe. Sir
John Newton should be beheaded at
once as a traitor, and his head sent to
the insolent caitiffs with warning
that if they did not dispense at once
the same fate was in store for them.
This should be the answer, this or no
answer at all, but hundred or two of
men-at-arms, with/Sir Robert Knolles
at their head, to ride into their camp
and scatter them like herd OF swine.
Those who, in their hearts, we're in
favor of milder policy were not less
loud in declaring what ought to have
been done sooner, before the insurg-
ents had gained such head
The chancellor, Sudbury, ready with
a proposal in the midst of all this
clamor, calm, pale, with contemptu-
Gus smile on his lips, raised his hand
in vain for order. He looked reproach-
full, he looked indignant, but nobody
needed him. The babble continued,
and confused roar and hiss echoed |
from the walls and roof in the ears of
the powerless statesman.
Then the young king rose, with all
the composed majesty of a Plantagenet
in his boyish face. He raised his
voice, and the penetrating treble, clear
-. IL Il
the din, and brought back the unruly
council to sense of the improperly of |
its behavior
He beckoned to the chancellor to |
take advantage of the lull The chan
cellor's tones were hard and severe;
the disrespect of the council had made |
him acrimonious.
What was the meaning, he asked, OF
this ignoble panic before a herd of
slaves? II they wished to confer with |
the king about their grievances, let
them choose spokesman of their own
number and petition to be heard by the |
king in the presence OF his council, and
the king and his council would then
determine to hear them or not. For |
himself he set no store by the opinion |
of the ignorant in matters of state
but as his own conduct was called in
question, and he was branded by these
men as an evil counsellor, he would
not presume to gainsay any who deemed
their opinion of higher worth, and
wished to learn of their wisdom how to
govern the kingdom. But as for this
demand that the king should go to
them, it was outrageous and insolent,
and not for a moment to be listened to-
Let this be their plain answer, and let
them give the foolish and misguided |
men TO understand that il was final.
There were murmurs OF approval
at this, and each man looked at his
neighboi for encouragement. But
their minds were really too agitated TO
rest firmly in any conclusion, and the /
next speaker, the Earl of Salisbury, |
swung them round to more cautious
policy. He professed himself of entire
accord with the archbishop, and echoed
his strong language about the insolence
OF the rebellious vil!eins. But had
they duly weighed the danger of i'm
flaming the rebels further? There was
another host assembled to the north
OF London were they satisfied of their
power to withstand such numbers if
they were made desperate by rough
answer? 1t behooved them to proceed
warily in this matter and not take
more in hand than they could execute,
for not only their own lives but the
lives Of their heirs and the very exist
ence OF nobility in England were at
stake and il they could annease the