Gaston De Blondeville, Or the Court of Henry III. Keeping Festival In

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY 82-5 L161-O-1096 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/gastondeblondevi03radc THE POSTHUMOUS WORKS OF MRS. RADCLIFFE. VOL. III. LONDON: PRINTED BY S. AND R. BENTLEY, DORSET-STREET. : ^''9-,. GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE, -^^^^ OR THE COURT OF HENRY III. KEEPING FESTIVAL IN ARDENNE, ST. ALBANS ABBEY, A METRICAL TALE; WITH SOME POETICAL PIECES. BY ANNE RADCLIFFE, AUTHOR OF THE " MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO," " ROMANCE OF THE FOREST," &c. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, WITH EXTRACTS FROM HER JOURNALS. IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1826. V-0 . CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME. Page. GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE, concluded. The Seventh Night ...... 1 The Eighth Day . .43 Conclusion . .51 Notes to Gaston de Blondeville . .59 ST. ALBAN'S ABBEY : A Metrical Romance. Canto I. The Abbey . .93 II. The Night before the First Battle . .132 III. The Day of the First Battle . .153 IV. The Hour after the Battle . .204 V. The Evening after the Battle—Scene, without the WaUs of St. Alban's . .221 VI. The Evening after the Battle—Scene, within the Town and Abbey of St. Alban's . 252 VII. Scene in the Monastery . 279 VIII. Solemn Watch within the Abbey . 317 IX. Among the Dead .... 354 77700 ; GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE OR THE COURT OF HENRY THE THIRD, KEEPING FESTIVAL IN ARDEN. VOL. III. THE SEVENTH NIGHT. Here was miniatured a stately chamber, in part richly illuminated. Under a canopy, wujS a long sleeping-couch, but no person appeared there. In another part of this spacious room, where the light prevailed less, sat one, who leaned thoughtfully on a table, his hand covering his eyes ; another figure stood near, but so obscurely drawn, that for what designed could not be certainly known. Images, holding lamps, were pictured in the chamber. GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. THE SEVENTH NIGHT. That same night, King Henry signed the death-warrant of the merchant ; and he gave notice, that, on the morrow, he would depart for his palace of Woodstock. And that same night, as was said, the prisoner thought he heard again his death- warning ; the same song of peace passed by his turret, as at this hour of the evening before. Others there were, also, about the castle, who, that night, heard strange sounds, and witnessed more than they could well understand. B 2 4 GASrON DE BLONDE\ILLE. Amongst these, were the wardours of a postern, near the north walls, who re- ported they heard grievings, and, more than once, saw some one pass, almost within reach of their spikes. When they spoke the watch-word, it answered not, and, when they raised their spears, it fled. The same appearance, though not the same moanings, was heard of those, who kept guard on the east ramparts ; and the groom wayte, it was said, as he sat within the porch of King Henry's lodgings, on a sud- den, saw some one standing still before it. He had not heard a step, but, on raising his head, perceived that figure. It was sus- pected he had been slumbering, and had dreamed of the strange accident, which had befallen the day before. But, whe- ther this appearance were a reality, or only an impression of his fear, certain it is, that, being on watch alone, for his master GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. 5 had never piped the first hour, since the night of his alarm, he had net courage now to speak, or even to step forward, till the object of his terror had passed away. Then, he came forth of the porch to little pur- pose ; for, all without was still and lone- some, and nothing to be distinguished, save the huge shadowy towers around the court, and the stars twinkling bright above them. But he also heard, at times, a strain of mournful music, and thought it was a re- quiem in the chapel. Remembering the late strange occurrence in this very court, as he had paced his round there, he be- gan to think this Avas in very truth tlie Prior of Saint Mary, come again on some secret errand of mischief to the imprisoned merchant ; and straight he wended to the keepers door, in Caesar's tower, to give alarm. 6 GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. But no one heard him there, the keeper being, at that very time, in the King's hall, waiting his command. Then he went to call the ancient wayte, his master, who was sleeping out his sleep in his own lodge; and, by the time he came back with his groom, this unknown person was no where to be found. If these men, in the midst of the castle, were confounded with fearful thoughts, the poor prisoner above, distant, forlorn and distressed was no less so ; for, as he lay, in watch- fulness and sorrow, ruminating on the extraordinary occurrence in the field of Tom-nament, suddenly he thought a voice, without his door, called upon his name. He would not turn at the sound, fearful of beholding behind his grate the dim visage of the Prior of Saint Mary, as he had seen it on a former night. He knew that mahgnity alone could lead him hither; and, dreading even the sound of his voice. ; GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. 7 he drew his cloak over his head, and co- vered himself close, hardly daring, at the moment, either to see, or hear. A loud knocking, and then a call roused him, and, at last, he heard his name spo- ken ; when, instantly turning at the sound, he perceived, behind the grate, not the dark countenance of the Prior, nor the stern one of his keeper, but that of his beloved and unhapj)y wife. Hardly daring to trust his senses, he held the lamp nearer, before he became convinced it was her very self. Without question, or one word of endearment, she called tremu- lously upon him to save himself by flight and, repeating his name with hurrying fear, entreated him to unfasten the door on his side, telling him that means were provid- ed for his escape, but that he had not an instant to lose, ere the keeper might re- turn. Then, almost swooning with apprehen- 8 GASTON T>E BLONBEVILLK. sion, she undrew the outer bolts, and was so much exhausted by the effort, that she clung to the bars of the grate for support. Woodreeve did not now, as on a former night, hesitate to undraw the inner bolts : no ; with the eagerness of hope and joy, on this unlooked for meeting and intelli- gence, he forced back the bolts, and expected, such was the enchantment of his elation, that the door would open. He had forgotten, that the keeper's key, or the Prior s, w as necessary to unfasten it. With this recollection despair returned, for, all his strength was not sufficient to force the lock. When he had ceased his efforts, and had somewhat calmed the distress of his wife, he inquired by what means she had heard of his situation ; for the messenger he had despatched, he well knew, could not, in so short a time, have reached her. He asked, also, how she had gained admittance to his prison. To these ; GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. 9 questions, she answered, that she had re- ceived a former letter, mentioning the time of his landing at Hull, while, with her sis- ter, living in Gloucestershire ; and had writ- ten by the carrier, to tell Iiim she would abide there, till he should pass thither on his way home. While there awaiting him, she had heard of what had passed at Kenilworth, from one who being at War- wick, when the King took wassel there, had returned almost in his train to wit- ness the festivals at the castle. There, hearing the name of the prisoner, whose extraordinary accusation of the Baron de Blonde ville had become known over the whole forest and county, he had relinquished the expectation of fine sights, that he might hasten to acquaint her with her husband's danger ; and it was by his contrivance, that she had gained admittance, and had hoped to effect an escape that, for two nights, they had walked B 5 10 GASTON DE BLONDEVFLLE. about the castle ; and, when all was still, she had sung aloud, in the hope, that he might hear her voice, and know that she was near him. He now doubted not, that he had heard this, when he thought he listened to a warning of his death. She was then proceeding to give him some particulars of the plan for his escape, when they heard footsteps ascending the stair. She made no attempt to conceal her- self; for, since all hope for her husband was gone, she had nothing more to dread, and she awaited the expected appearance of the keeper, with indifference. The keeper — for it was he- came on, with lamp in one hand, and a parchment in the other ; and, seeing a stranger at the chamber-door, he surlily demanded who she was, and what she wanted. Her answers told part of the truth ; on which he seemed somewhat softened, not refusing her admittance to the prison-chamber of GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. 11 her husband. Then, the poor prisoner saw enter it, at the same time, his beloved wife, and the keeper bearing his death- warrant ! Happily for her, she saw not this ; she saw only her husband, and ran into his arms, and wept upon his breast.

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