and, by the powers of darkness! I will forthwith hurl thee from the battlements!-Nay, think not to call upon thy keeper, for all in the palace are too intent on saving body and goods to hear thee: and should thy corse be found, King Henry will reck but little so thou art dead; whilst all will deem thou hast but fallen over in seeking to escape. Once more, then, make thy decision."

"Never," then exclaimed I, firmly, "will I take my life on such degrading terms, even though the headsman's axe fell as I spake the word! And never will I disclose the pious Lord Lovel's holy place of rest unto one, who goeth with fiendish malice to feast upon the dead!"

"Then presently commit thy soul to God!" answered Bernard, thereupon seizing me with a mighty grasp, and fixing one foot half over the edge of the battlements. I now also put forth my strength to resist him, and, albeit I shuddered at the very thought of giving him unto the fearful death whereto he had doomed me, yet did I struggle to get free from him. We grappled, therefore, together for some short space, but whilst he was straining his huge frame to raise me unto the battlements, and stoutly I bent me backwards therefrom, certain of the stones trembled and gave way beneath his feet, mine own garment rent at the same moment, and loosing his hold, he reeled over with a mighty fall into the flaming gallery!

Heartsick and full of horror at this evil end of a most evil soldier, I seemed to lose all sense of mine own condition, and all desire of making mine escape; whereupon I wandered back again VOL. II.-L

to the outer chamber, enwrapped in solemn thought, and there awaited the return of my keeper, regardless of all danger around me. The fire was quenched towards morning, when Walter Bolte came back, and once more made me close prisoner, saying that my lodgings were in no hazard from the flames. About noon-tide he did again return unto me, with a soldier bearing a sharp and heavy sword, such as headsmen are sometimes wont to use upon the scaffold. The sound of their approach brake up my musings, and, on beholding them, strange thoughts came over my mind; since I deemed that mine attempted escape had been discovered, and that in the soldier I beheld mine executioner. For I had heard of kings who held it not unlawful, secretly to murther such of their prisoned foes as they listed not to bring to farther trial or open destruction; and it seemed full likely that such a fate was now purposed for me. I will not deny that I felt some dread hereat; for albeit I should thus 'scape the dishonour of dying on a public scaffold, yet to be hurried from life in a moment and in prison, by the slaughtering hands of a secret minister of vengeance, seemed unto me to have a visage of yet greater horror.

The keeper's first address unto me was to follow him quickly, and hold silence in all I did, whilst he farther ordered the soldier with the heavy sword to close up behind me; and, from the blunt and dark manner of his speech and action, I felt me assured that I was going forthwith unto my death whereupon I advanced slowly, at the same time demanding of him whither I was about to go.

"What matter can that be of thine ?" answered

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he, with his wonted jest, come away and keep not thy betters waiting; dost thou fear being set at liberty by following me?"

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No, friend," replied I, "in truth; but last night's fire had nearly done that for me without any other aid.”

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Yea," responded the keeper, "there speakest thou full shrewdly; and because the king's lodg ing is burned, with rare beds, 'broidered carpets, velvet curtains, and royal furniture, beside much of the palace, and certain soldiers, as thou art one of his highness's most precious things in this place, he hath resolved to send thee out of farther hazard to be kept with his other jewels in the Tower. And so follow me forth, and kept silence the whilst.-But hold thee, master,"-continued Walter Bolte, suddenly stopping in his course,

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as you may be noted in your own clothes, I am willed to see you vested in this friar's habit, wherein you must make the journey."

Therewith he produced the gown and cowl of a Benedictine monk, the which I put on, half lamenting within myself that it had not been my fortune always to wear the like; and so, relieved from the thought of instant execution, I followed my conductor: not because I was well content to do so, but because I thought that my present lot could be but little worsted, saving by death; and I also saw that if such were indeed intended, I could in nowise fly therefrom but must perforce yield unto it.

The keeper and certain guards then led me down unto the river-side, and entered with me

into a barge with two watermen; whereupon we launched away on the broad river of Thames, and drew nigh unto the ancient bridge of London when a misty evening was spreading its thickest mantle over land and water. I deemed myself now as one condemned, in being thus sent unto the Tower; with which sad thought, the horrible remembrance of Bernard's death was ever present unto my mind, and, thus disquieted, I had taken little note of our near approach unto my dreaded harbour, or of the voyage thither. Whether it were by reason of the fore-named darkness, or the false and flitting lights dimly seen through it, in divers chambers of the houses which do overhang that wondrous bridge, or from misgovernance of our vessel,-I know not; but when it entered that current which rushes with such loud noise and mighty speed through the arches, our barge was dashed against the oaken piles thereof with sudden and fearful fury, and whelmed in an instant, casting those on board into the river. The forms of all my companions were speedily lost unto me in the thick darkness of that evening, and their cries in the roaring and pouring of the wild surges, which carried along the shattered boat and hapless crew at fiercest speed down the tide, and I wot they were never more beheld of man!

For mine own part, I silently resigned my soul unto God, who could still hear me amidst the loudest clamour of the waters; but as I was hurried through the narrow arch, my course was full suddenly and wondrously stopped, by mine habit catching aginst some iron in the starling. I clung

fast thereunto, and, at length, mounted upon it remaining there until certain cords were let down from the bridge above to aid mine escape thence; and when I learned that there was now no other than myself to save, I gave hearty thanks to Heaven for mine own preservation, and deemed that I once more beheld future liberty, arising out of that which seemed no other than present and certain death.

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