The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-05-15

their own IOlly- 10 not uelay, L De-
seech your majesty. Eat not another
morsel. I pray you. until this brave
man, who has so truly served you, be
taken from his prison and freed from
his sentence of death. Come, come,
my king. this moment. and all that I
have, my wealth, my life. my honor.
are yours for all time"
The king remained a moment in
thought, with knife In hand.
''Caskoden. ] have never detected
you I'm a lie In all the years I have
known you. You are not very large in
body, but your honor is great enough
10 stock a Goliath. I believe you are
telling the truth / will go at once to
Hberate Brandon. and that little hussy,
my sister, shall 60 10 France and EN-
joy life rs best she can with her old
beauty, King Louis. I know OF no
greater punishment to infiict upon her.
This determines me. She shall coax
me out Of II no longer. Sir Thomas
Brandon. have my horses ready. and
will go to the lord mayor, then to my
lord bishop of Lincoln and arrange to
everybody know that the Princess
Mary will within the month be queen
of France" This was said to the
courtiers and was all over London be-
fore night.
/ followed closely In the wake of tho
king. though unlimited, for had de-
termined to trust to no one. not even
his majesty. until Brandon should be
free. Henry had said he would 60
first to the lord mayor and then to
wolsey, but after we crossed the
bridge he passed down Lower Thames
street and turned up Fish street hill
into Grace Church street on toward
Bishopsgate. He said he would stop
at Mistress CORVALLIS and have a
pudding and then on to Wolsey. who
at that time lodged in a house near the
wall beyond Bishopsgate.
/ well knew IL the king once reached
Wolsey's IL would be wine and quoits
and other games. interspersed now
and then with q little clustering talk
on statecraft, for the rest OF the day.
Then the good bishop would have in q
few pretty London women. and dance
would follow. with wine and cards
and dice. and Henry would spend the
night at Wolsey's and Brandon lie an
other night In the mire Of his Newgate
dungeon.
I resolved to raise heaven and earth,
and the other place, too, IL necessary,
before this should happen. So ! rode
boldly up to the king and with uncov-
cred head addressed him: your maj
esty gave me your royal word that you
would go to the lord mayor first, and
this is the road to my lord bishop OF
Lincoln. In all the years have known
your majesty. both as gallant prince
and puissant king, this is the first re.
quest ever proffered, and now only
ask of you to save your own noble
honor and do your duty as man and
king"
These were bold words. but did moi
care one little farthing whether they
pleased him or not. The king stared
at me and said:
"Caskoden, you are a perfect hound
at my heels. But you are right. hat
forgotten my errand. You disturbed
my dinner, and my stomach called
loudly for one OF Mistress CORVALLIS
puddings, but you are right to stick t.
me. What friend you are in case o.
need, Would I had one like you"
"Your majesty has two Of whom
know-one riding humbly by your roy
al side and the other lying in the wors
dungeon In Christendom."
With this the king wheeled abou
and started west toward Guildhall.
To the lord mayor we accordingl,
| went without further delay. He wa
only too glad to liberate Brandon whel
he heard my story. which the king ha'
ordered me to repeat. The only besl
/ fancy was from a doubt Of Its truth.
/ The lord mayor was kind enough Z
say that he felt little doubt OF m.
word. but that friendship would oftel
drive a man to any extremity. evel
falsehood. to save a friend.
Then offered to go into custody my
self and pay the penalty. death. 10
helping a convicted felon to escape II
| told not the truth. TO be confirmed o
denied by the princess and her hrs
lady I'm waiting. I knew Jane and wa
willing to risk her truthfulness with
out a doubt-it was so pronounced a
to be troublesome at times-and as I
Mary-well. / had not doubt OF he
either II she would but stop to thin
out the right. she was sure to do 1t.
My offer was satisfactory. for wha
more can a man do than pledge his lif
for his friend? We have Scripture 70
that, or something like II.
The lord mayor did not require m
proffered pledge. but readily eonsente
that the king should write an order 10
Brandon's pardon and release. Thi
was done at once. and we-that Is.
together with the sheriff's sergeant an
his four yeomen. hastened to Newgat'
while Henry went over to Wolsey's I
settle Mary's fate.
| Brandon was brought up, with chain
and manacles at his ankles and wrists
When he entered the room and say
me, he exclaimed: "Ah, Caskoden,
that your / thought they had brough
me up to hang me. and was glad fo
the change. But suppose you woul
not come to help at that, even IL yo
have left me here to rot. God onl
knows how long; have forgotten"
could not restrain the tears ut sigh
Of him.
"Your words are more than just"
said. and. being anxious that he shoul
know at once that my fault had nc
/