The Prince and the Pauper
Then his manners suddenly came back to him, and he dropped upon his
knees, with his hands between the King’s, and swore allegiance and did
homage for his lands and titles. Then he rose and stood respectfully
aside, a mark still for all eyes--and much envy, too.
Now the King discovered Sir Hugh, and spoke out with wrathful voice and
kindling eye--
“Strip this robber of his false show and stolen estates, and put him
under lock and key till I have need of him.”
The late Sir Hugh was led away.
There was a stir at the other end of the room, now; the assemblage fell
apart, and Tom Canty, quaintly but richly clothed, marched down, between
these living walls, preceded by an usher. He knelt before the King, who
said--
“I have learned the story of these past few weeks, and am well pleased
with thee. Thou hast governed the realm with right royal gentleness and
mercy. Thou hast found thy mother and thy sisters again? Good; they
shall be cared for--and thy father shall hang, if thou desire it and the
law consent. Know, all ye that hear my voice, that from this day, they
that abide in the shelter of Christ’s Hospital and share the King’s
bounty shall have their minds and hearts fed, as well as their baser
parts; and this boy shall dwell there, and hold the chief place in its
honourable body of governors, during life. And for that he hath been
a king, it is meet that other than common observance shall be his due;
wherefore note this his dress of state, for by it he shall be known, and
none shall copy it; and wheresoever he shall come, it shall remind the
people that he hath been royal, in his time, and none shall deny him his
due of reverence or fail to give him salutation. He hath the throne’s
protection, he hath the crown’s support, he shall be known and called by
the honourable title of the King’s Ward.”
The proud and happy Tom Canty rose and kissed the King’s hand, and was
conducted from the presence. He did not waste any time, but flew to his
mother, to tell her and Nan and Bet all about it and get them to help
him enjoy the great news. {1}
Conclusion. Justice and retribution.
When the mysteries were all cleared up, it came out, by confession of
Hugh Hendon, that his wife had repudiated Miles by his command, that
day at Hendon Hall--a command assisted and supported by the perfectly
trustworthy promise that if she did not deny that he was Miles Hendon,
and stand firmly to it, he would have her life; whereupon she said,
“Take it!”--she did not value it--and she would not repudiate
Miles; then the husband said he would spare her life but have Miles
assassinated! This was a different matter; so she gave her word and
kept it.
Hugh was not prosecuted for his threats or for stealing his brother’s
estates and title, because the wife and brother would not testify
against him--and the former would not have been allowed to do it, even
if she had wanted to. Hugh deserted his wife and went over to the
continent, where he presently died; and by-and-by the Earl of Kent
married his relict. There were grand times and rejoicings at Hendon
village when the couple paid their first visit to the Hall.
Tom Canty’s father was never heard of again.
The King sought out the farmer who had been branded and sold as a slave,
and reclaimed him from his evil life with the Ruffler’s gang, and put
him in the way of a comfortable livelihood.
He also took that old lawyer out of prison and remitted his fine. He
provided good homes for the daughters of the two Baptist women whom he
saw burned at the stake, and roundly punished the official who laid the
undeserved stripes upon Miles Hendon’s back.
He saved from the gallows the boy who had captured the stray falcon, and
also the woman who had stolen a remnant of cloth from a weaver; but he
was too late to save the man who had been convicted of killing a deer in
the royal forest.
He showed favour to the justice who had pitied him when he was supposed
to have stolen a pig, and he had the gratification of seeing him grow in
the public esteem and become a great and honoured man.
As long as the King lived he was fond of telling the story of his
adventures, all through, from the hour that the sentinel cuffed him
away from the palace gate till the final midnight when he deftly mixed
himself into a gang of hurrying workmen and so slipped into the Abbey
and climbed up and hid himself in the Confessor’s tomb, and then slept
so long, next day, that he came within one of missing the Coronation
altogether. He said that the frequent rehearsing of the precious lesson
kept him strong in his purpose to make its teachings yield benefits to
his people; and so, whilst his life was spared he should continue to
tell the story, and thus keep its sorrowful spectacles fresh in his
memory and the springs of pity replenished in his heart.
Miles Hendon and Tom Canty were favourites of the King, all through his
brief reign, and his sincere mourners when he died. The good Earl
of Kent had too much sense to abuse his peculiar privilege; but he
exercised it twice after the instance we have seen of it before he was
called from this world--once at the accession of Queen Mary, and once at
the accession of Queen Elizabeth. A descendant of his exercised it
at the accession of James I. Before this one’s son chose to use the
privilege, near a quarter of a century had elapsed, and the ‘privilege
of the Kents’ had faded out of most people’s memories; so, when the Kent
of that day appeared before Charles I. and his court and sat down in the
sovereign’s presence to assert and perpetuate the right of his house,
there was a fine stir indeed! But the matter was soon explained, and
the right confirmed. The last Earl of the line fell in the wars of the
Commonwealth fighting for the King, and the odd privilege ended with
him.
Tom Canty lived to be a very old man, a handsome, white-haired old
fellow, of grave and benignant aspect. As long as he lasted he was
honoured; and he was also reverenced, for his striking and peculiar
costume kept the people reminded that ‘in his time he had been royal;’
so, wherever he appeared the crowd fell apart, making way for him, and
whispering, one to another, “Doff thy hat, it is the King’s Ward!”--and
so they saluted, and got his kindly smile in return--and they valued it,
too, for his was an honourable history.
Yes, King Edward VI. lived only a few years, poor boy, but he lived them
worthily. More than once, when some great dignitary, some gilded vassal
of the crown, made argument against his leniency, and urged that some
law which he was bent upon amending was gentle enough for its purpose,
and wrought no suffering or oppression which any one need mightily mind,
the young King turned the mournful eloquence of his great compassionate
eyes upon him and answered--
“What dost _thou_ know of suffering and oppression? I and my people
know, but not thou.”
The reign of Edward VI. was a singularly merciful one for those harsh
times. Now that we are taking leave of him, let us try to keep this in
our minds, to his credit.
FOOTNOTES AND TWAIN’S NOTES
{1} For Mark Twain’s note see below under the relevant chapter heading.
{2} He refers to the order of baronets, or baronettes; the barones
minores, as distinct from the parliamentary barons--not, it need hardly
be said, to the baronets of later creation.
{3} The lords of Kingsale, descendants of De Courcy, still enjoy this
curious privilege.
{4} Hume.
{5} Ib.
{6} Leigh Hunt’s ‘The Town,’ p.408, quotation from an early tourist.
{7} Canting terms for various kinds of thieves, beggars and vagabonds,
and their female companions.
{8} From ‘The English Rogue.’ London, 1665.
{9} Hume’s England.
{10} See Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull’s Blue Laws, True and False, p. 11.
NOTE 1, Chapter IV. Christ’s Hospital Costume.
It is most reasonable to regard the dress as copied from the costume
of the citizens of London of that period, when long blue coats were the
common habit of apprentices and serving-men, and yellow stockings
were generally worn; the coat fits closely to the body, but has loose
sleeves, and beneath is worn a sleeveless yellow under-coat; around the
waist is a red leathern girdle; a clerical band around the neck, and
a small flat black cap, about the size of a saucer, completes the
costume.--Timbs’ Curiosities of London.
NOTE 2, Chapter IV.
It appears that Christ’s Hospital was not originally founded as a
_school_; its object was to rescue children from the streets, to
shelter, feed, clothe them.--Timbs’ Curiosities of London.
NOTE 3, Chapter V. The Duke of Norfolk’s Condemnation commanded.
The King was now approaching fast towards his end; and fearing lest
Norfolk should escape him, he sent a message to the Commons, by which
he desired them to hasten the Bill, on pretence that Norfolk enjoyed the
dignity of Earl Marshal, and it was necessary to appoint another, who
might officiate at the ensuing ceremony of installing his son Prince of
Wales.--Hume’s History of England, vol. iii. p. 307.
NOTE 4, Chapter VII.
It was not till the end of this reign (Henry VIII.) that any salads,
carrots, turnips, or other edible roots were produced in England. The
little of these vegetables that was used was formerly imported from
Holland and Flanders. Queen Catherine, when she wanted a salad, was
obliged to despatch a messenger thither on purpose.--Hume’s History of
England, vol. iii. p. 314.
NOTE 5, Chapter VIII. Attainder of Norfolk.
The House of Peers, without examining the prisoner, without trial or
evidence, passed a Bill of Attainder against him and sent it down to the
Commons . . . The obsequious Commons obeyed his (the King’s)
directions; and the King, having affixed the Royal assent to the Bill by
commissioners, issued orders for the execution of Norfolk on the morning
of January 29 (the next day).--Hume’s History of England, vol iii. p
306.
NOTE 6, Chapter X. The Loving-cup.
The loving-cup, and the peculiar ceremonies observed in drinking from
it, are older than English history. It is thought that both are Danish
importations. As far back as knowledge goes, the loving-cup has always
been drunk at English banquets. Tradition explains the ceremonies in
this way. In the rude ancient times it was deemed a wise precaution
to have both hands of both drinkers employed, lest while the pledger
pledged his love and fidelity to the pledgee, the pledgee take that
opportunity to slip a dirk into him!
NOTE 7, Chapter XI. The Duke of Norfolk’s narrow Escape.
Had Henry VIII. survived a few hours longer, his order for the duke’s
execution would have been carried into effect. ‘But news being
carried to the Tower that the King himself had expired that night,
the lieutenant deferred obeying the warrant; and it was not thought
advisable by the Council to begin a new reign by the death of the
greatest nobleman in the kingdom, who had been condemned by a sentence
so unjust and tyrannical.’--Hume’s History of England, vol. iii, p. 307.
NOTE 8, Chapter XIV. The Whipping-boy.
James I. and Charles II. had whipping-boys, when they were little
fellows, to take their punishment for them when they fell short in their
lessons; so I have ventured to furnish my small prince with one, for my
own purposes.
NOTES to Chapter XV.
Character of Hertford.
The young King discovered an extreme attachment to his uncle, who
was, in the main, a man of moderation and probity.--Hume’s History of
England, vol. iii, p324.
But if he (the Protector) gave offence by assuming too much state, he
deserves great praise on account of the laws passed this session,
by which the rigour of former statutes was much mitigated, and some
security given to the freedom of the constitution. All laws were