Death to the Flemings!
That morning Aline had gone early to the city at the
invitation of Mistress Gaiton to spend the day with
Ursula, under the escort of her brother and Edgar.
They were to have fetched her before dusk, but early
in the afternoon Richard Gaiton himself brought her
back.
“I am sorry to bring your daughter back so early,”
he said to Dame Agatha, “but I had news that
after the king turned back this morning, the leaders
of the rebels have been haranguing them, telling them
that it was clearly useless to put any trust in promises,
or to hope that redress could be obtained from the
king, who was surrounded by evil councillors, and that,
since they would not allow him to trust himself among
the people, the people must take the matter into their
own hands. They had remained quiet long enough;
now was the time that they should show their strength.
The rabble shouted loudly, ’Let us to London!
Death to the council! Death to the rich!’
and having gathered under their leaders, they started
to march for Southwark. As there is no saying
what may come of the matter, methought that it were
best to bring the young lady back again.”
“I thank you,” Dame Agatha said; “’tis
indeed better that we should be together. This
morning my lord was saying that if these knaves marched
upon London, he had decided that we should move into
the Tower.”
“It were indeed best, madam. There is no
saying what may happen when these fellows become inflamed
with wine and begin to taste the sweets of plunder.
We ourselves feel ashamed that we are not in a position
to inarch out with the city force, and to maintain
the law against this rabble; but it is clear to us
that the majority are on the other side. They
have taken into their heads that if these fellows
gain rights and privileges for themselves, the city
may also gain fresh rights. Many of the serving-men,
the craftsmen, and even the apprentices have friends
and relations among these people, for most of them
belong to the counties round London.
“There are others better placed who not only
sympathize, as I myself do, with the natural desire
of the country people to be free from serfdom, but
who favour the cause because they think that were all
the people free to carry arms it would check the power
both of the king and nobles. So it comes that
the city is divided in itself; and in this strait,
when all should show a front against rebellion, we
are powerless to do aught. Even among those who
talk the loudest against the rabble, there are many,
I fear, who send them secret encouragement, and this
not because they care aught for their grievances,
but because the people are set against the Flemings,
who are ill-liked by many of the merchants as being
rivals in trade, and who have in their hands the greater
portion of the dealings, both with Flanders and the
Low Country; and indeed, though I see that in the
long run we shall benefit greatly by this foreign trade,
I quite perceive that the privileges that our king
has given to the Flemings in order to win their good-will
and assistance against France, do for the present
cause disadvantage and harm to many of the traders
of London.”
