The Star of Lancaster (44 page)

‘I will send out a proclamation,’ he said, ‘that all persons who have preached heretical doctrines and even those who have plotted against my life shall be pardoned.’

His advisers were silent. They questioned the wisdom of this but Henry was firm.

‘So they are gathering in St Giles’s Fields, are they? Well, I will go to meet them. And I shall take a strong company with me.’

‘My lord,’ said one, ‘the apprentices are gathering in the streets.’

‘Then when we pass through the city gates on the way to the Fields, see that the gates are closed and let no one in or out save those known to be our friends.’

‘It shall be done, my lord,’ was the answer; and so the King with his guards rode out to the Fields of St Giles’s.

This was a good move for the apprentices, always eager to join any movement which could mean trouble, were preparing to march, and gathering with them were the beggars and criminals ever eager to loot and pillage other people’s goods and houses. Many of the countrymen who had come to London to answer the call of Lord Cobham mistook the King’s camp for that of their friends and were immediately captured. The result was chaos and the rebelling army quickly realised that they could not hope for success against the King’s disciplined soldiers.

They took the only action possible. They fled.

The King returned to London. He had quelled the revolt with greater ease than Richard had dispersed the band of peasants who came against him. This was not, of course, on the same scale; but such risings could be dangerous.

He eagerly awaited news of the prisoners who had been taken. There were many of them.

‘Is Lord Cobham among them?’ he asked.

‘No, my lord. It would seem that he got away . . . if indeed he were there. He is the one we want, my lord. He might attempt again what he has failed to do this time.’

‘He is a slippery fellow, this Oldcastle.’

‘We should bring him to the Tower and this time make sure he gets his deserts.’

‘We should,’ agreed the King, ‘but I doubt he will be easy to hold. He escaped before.’

‘His fate will be quickly decided this time. He is a heretic as well as a traitor to you, my lord.’

The King half closed his eyes. There were so many memories of John. How had they come to this? They should have been friends for life.

‘Yes,’ said Henry firmly, ‘his fate will be decided quickly.’

And what would it be? The axe, the rope? The heretic’s death?

Henry could not shut out of his mind the thought of John Badby. The hideous smell of scorching flesh.

Oh John, you fool, he thought.

When he heard that Lord Cobham had escaped from the Fields (if he had been there) and had gone into hiding he was filled with relief.

Stay in hiding, you old idiot, he thought. And for the love of God, come to your senses!

Chapter XI

H
enry burned with ambition. All the energies which had gone into his night adventures were now concentrated on one aim. That was to win the crown of France.

He called together his council and told them that negotiations with the French must begin without delay. He laid claim to the crown of France. It was without doubt his. They might maintain the Salic law in France but England took no account of it; and through Isabella of France the mother of his great-grandfather Edward the Third the crown must come to him.

His brothers the Dukes of Gloucester and Bedford stood firmly beside him; so did his uncle the Duke of Exeter and his cousin the Duke of York.

The leading nobles were assembled too with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Poor old Arundel, he looked as though he was not long for this world. He had lived through many hazards, had suffered exile and seen his brother the Earl executed as traitor to King Richard. A long life during which the King believed the
Archbishop had tried to live by his principles. He loved extravagance of course; and he wholeheartedly supported the pomp and grandeur of the Church and was therefore naturally an arch-enemy of the Lollards.

And now here he was to give his assurance that Henry’s claim to the throne of France was no false one.

‘We have already made our feelings on that matter clear to the French,’ said Henry.

‘And, my lord,’ his uncle Exeter reminded him, ‘they laugh at us.’

‘Let them laugh while they may. I promise you all that we shall be the ones who are laughing when the crown is set upon my head.’

‘There will be many a battle before that happy day,’ pointed out his uncle.

Henry laid his hand on his shoulder. ‘You think this the dream of a wild youth,’ he said. ‘I know your mind, Uncle. But think, my great-grandfather had this dream too and he was not a wild youth. He was a warrior before whom all men bent the knee.’

‘It is said, my lord, that he was urged into the endeavour by a rash vow he took on a heron.’

‘But heron or no heron, he made every effort to seize the crown of France.’

‘And did not succeed, my lord.’

‘He had ill luck. He grew old and his great son, the Black Prince, was stricken by ill health. I am young. I shall not cease until I have succeeded.’

‘Charles the Sixth will never willingly give up his crown.’

‘Well, that is something we understand. Poor mad old man. He is beset on all sides. Burgundy would be with us.’

‘It is not likely that a King of France will give up his crown without a struggle. Moreover there is the Dauphin.’

The King snapped his fingers. ‘Louis is a braggart and a very pretty one, I believe. He will make sure his linen is well scented before he goes into battle. He would be wise to accept our latest terms: Charles to remain in nominal possession of the throne until his death. That is very fair, very reasonable. England to be no longer the vassal of France for the provinces of Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Aquitaine. The ransom for King John who was captured by the Black Prince and kept prisoner here in London for a while has never been paid. Is it asking much that this should now be honoured? The King of France shall give his youngest daughter Katherine to be my Queen and she shall bring with her a dowry of two million crowns.’

‘They will never agree to those terms,’ said Exeter.

‘But they fear us,’ insisted the King. ‘Yes, they fear us. It is the crown I want and by God’s help I will attain it . . .’

The purpose of this meeting was to receive the French ambassadors and these were brought in that Henry might tell them his will before all assembled.

He spoke clearly and witheringly: ‘I little esteem your French money,’ he said, ‘and less so your power and strength. I know full well my rights to the crown which has been usurped. The usurper, your master, may have loving subjects who will rally to his cause. I thank God I am not unstored with the same. And I tell you this, before a year has passed I shall make the highest crown of your country stoop before me and the proudest mitre to have his humiliation. In the meantime tell this to the usurper your master, that within three months I shall enter France as into mine own true and lawful patrimony, acquiring the same not with bray of words but with deeds of men and dint of sword by
the aid of God in whom I put my trust and confidence. You may depart safely to your own country where I trust sooner to visit you than you shall have cause to bid me welcome.’

The Frenchmen looked astounded by this speech; but they bowed and took their leave.

When they had gone all eyes were on the King.

‘Bold words, my lord,’ said Bedford.

‘Bold deeds should be preceded by bold words, brother. You will see that I meant every one of them. We shall now make our preparations.’

‘Charles will be shivering in his shoes,’ said Exeter. ‘I wonder what the Dauphin will have to say.’

The Dauphin’s reply came within a few weeks.

The King was in his ante-chamber with his brothers and counsellors when the ambassadors from France arrived. They brought with them a barrel which was carried in and placed at the King’s feet.

‘What is this?’ asked the King.

‘The Dauphin’s gift to you, my lord.’

The King laughed. Did the foolish fop think he could placate the King of England with gifts!

‘He has sent these treasures to you, my lord, with the assurance that they will please you mightily. He knows your nature and he applied this knowledge when selecting a treasure which would be considered most suited to your taste.’

‘We should not be affected by it were it ever so much to our liking,’ said the King. ‘But let us see what my lord Dauphin knows of my tastes.’

He was smiling when the barrel was opened. There was a gasp of astonishment when the King put in his hand and brought out a tennis ball.

‘God’s truth,’ he cried. ‘The barrel is full of them.’

The ambassadors lowered their heads to hide their smiles.

‘Our master believed these would please you, my lord,’ said one. ‘His message is that he is sure you will use them with more skill than you could bring to sword and lance.’

Henry was silent for a few moments. His face was a deeper shade of pink than usual.

Then he said in a loud clear voice: ‘Go tell your master that when I have set my rackets against these balls I shall drive them so hard that they will batter open the gates of Paris.’

‘So be it,’ cried those standing by; and the ambassadors retired discomfited.

‘My lord Dauphin has spoken,’ said the King. ‘Now we shall lose no more time. Let us prepare to carry the war into France.’

Henry threw himself fervently into making ready to leave. The people were with him. He was popular. He was young; he was handsome; he had shown in his youth that he was no saint; he was a man of the people.

‘We’ll go with Harry,’ they said.

The rich men of the country rallied round. They brought him gifts which could be converted into money; the poor could only bring themselves which they did to join his army. They were all excited by the expedition into France. They had no doubt of its success and they talked of the spoils that would come their way. France was a rich country. It was not like making war on Wales or Scotland or Ireland. There would be rich profits for those who went foraging with Harry of England.

All the greatest nobles in the land pledged themselves to serve with their followers for a year. Henry announced that for
their services they would be paid, for a Duke thirteen shillings and fourpence a day; for an Earl six shillings and eightpence; for a baron or baronet three shillings and fourpence, a knight two shillings, an esquire one shilling, and an archer sixpence. Any prisoners taken were to belong to their captors and to them would go the ransom demanded when it was paid. There were clearly pickings to be had.

With the expedition the King was taking his physician, Nicholas Colnet, and his surgeon, Thomas Morstede, and they were to be paid twelve pence a day and be given a guard of three archers.

The army was growing in strength; there were six thousand men at arms and twenty-four thousand archers.

During these preparations Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, had a stroke. He was unable to speak. It was said of him that this was God’s punishment for having tied up the word of God in the mouths of preachers.