Alchemy (33 page)

Meanwhile I pounded, distilled and mixed against a possible multitude of distempers and broken heads. As the day approached the house filled until it seemed its walls would burst. Not only the barns but many houses in the town, the Pembroke Arms and other inns as far as Salisbury were all taken up until there was nowhere for any to lie in that country. At the last came the court, together with the bride her family, which my lady greeted as if no shadow of doubt for her own future troubled her.

On the day, the bride was led to the church by Prince Henry and his majesty himself gave her away. The queen followed in her train as the whole party returned to the house for the bride cake and the usual sops in wine. Rich gifts of gloves and garters were exchanged, his majesty making a gift of plate, and other nobles too to the tune of three thousand pounds. Then it was time for feasting and drinking of wine until bedtime when the young earl and his bride were carried to bed and with much laughter she was stripped of her clothes, her lace hose thrown for who should catch them and, as I heard, twenty other like pretty games before they were left together with the sheets sewn up.

In the morning came his majesty and lay in or upon the bed
in his shirt and nightgown to quiz them on the night’s sport and how they found each other, and to inspect the sheets for her blood. Many came to me for potions to ease their aching heads and queasy stomachs. Only my lady seemed calm and unmoved. She had asked me for a draught to render her quiet and cheerful for, said she, ‘The name and title of Mary, Countess of Pembroke will now belong to another from this day and I must submit to God’s will.’

The time of the tilt approached and all made their way over the bridge to a meadow bounded on one side by the river Nadder. Banks of seats had been set up for royalty and the nobility, especially the ladies, to watch in comfort and safety. When I saw the countess seated with the duenna and her steward to attend her I slipped away before she could call for me. I had determined that I would have a hand in these sports as Zelmane in the guise of an Amazon had done in the
Arcadia
and fight on my lady’s behalf as I had practised in Sir Henry Stilman his garden.

To this end I retired to the stillroom and exchanged my satin doublet for a peasant’s rough tunic and over it put on my cuirass which I had hidden in a closet there, together with the helmet for my head which helmet I had graced with three plumes. Then I girded my sword and went down to seek out a lance, taking up my shield with its impresa of my own devising which showed a double A, one inverted within the other, with two arrows piercing it in imitation of my lady’s Sidney pheon and cupid’s dart.

I went out to the stables and got upon my horse who knew me in spite of my disguise, and rode around by the backside of the house for the Salisbury road as if I might be coming from the city, and so to the field where the heralds were commanding knights to draw near and prove their valour in defence of their mistresses’ beauty. As I looked out through the visor of my helmet I heard a buzz of voices for none knew me except that my mistress
leant forward and whispered in the duennas ear. But I kept on to where the shield hung that the knights must strike to be admitted to the tourney.

‘What is your name, Sir Knight?’ the herald demanded. ‘And what lady do you serve?’

‘My name is Anonimous and I serve the most beautiful lady Anonima.’ I dared not say my lady’s name for fear I might disgrace it. At this there was a new buzz of voices.

The other knights had pasteboard shields like mine but prettily painted with ingenious designs as a sinking ship or a house on fire to wittily signify marriage and I heard after that many had been made by the king’s servants for the players’ company was well skilled in the painting of scenes, shields and such toys. for the stage.

First we were to run at the ring, which pleased me as a trial I was much practised in. And indeed when my turn came I easily bore it away to the cheers of the crowd. I rode up to where the countess sat and placed it at her feet with the tip of my lance. Then I bowed to her from the saddle and returned to the contest.

Now we were to fight in earnest. At first I was lucky for I was paired with a knight who bore a shield with a she bear on it and he being stout and wearing a heavy breastplate I was able to run under his guard, prick him and then away before he could bring down his sword. At which the people laughed mightily and he cried out that he was stung by a gnat and would have his revenge but the judge who was his majesty’s chamberlain would not permit it.

So I had borne myself well and luckily in two of thtrials but this time was to be with staves. I was drawn against a tall strong knight upon a big roan horse, his impresa showing a tower under siege. We took our choice of weapons and rode apart to the ends of the field. A trumpet sounded. The herald raised his staff and let it fall. I spurred towards the knight of
the tower but his horse being stronger than mine he met me three-quarters of the way and from his greater height struck hard down upon my head. Even so I believe in pity of what he esteemed my youth he did not strike with that force he might have. Yet the strength of it, as well as thrusting my helmet down upon my collarbone, broke the girths of my saddle, which tumbled from the horse with me still upon it, my foot caught in the stirrup on one side. Luckily I was able to cry for my horse to stand, which he was accustomed to do on command or else he had bolted dragging me along with my head thumping on the ground to crack my skull and addle my brains.

Even so as I fell I put out a hand to save myself and felt my wrist bone break and my dagger ride up in its hanger to pierce my body where the cuirass ended. So I hung upside down and bleeding. The knight of the tower being nearest to me got down from his horse to come to my aid. Untangling my foot from the stirrup he lowered me gently to the ground and began to unfasten my helmet.

By this time the duenna came panting up, as I learned, sent by the countess. The knight took off my helmet.

‘Why, it is but a boy.’

‘Yes, sir, a foolish boy, page to my lady who has sent me to see him safely bestowed.’ And indeed two were coming with a hurdle to carry me off the field.

‘Should we not remove the cuirass and search his wound to staunch the bleeding?’

‘It is better for me to take him back to the house to his pallet and as he is something of a physician he will no doubt tend himself when he wakes.’ For from my wounds and the pain and the fear of discovery bringing shame on my lady and her wrath upon me, I had swooned away.

When I awoke it was on my pallet in the laboratory where I had been forced to lie because of the press of people. I found the duenna’s ancient face peering down at me.

‘So you wake at last Master Boston,’ she said as one who knew otherwise. ‘I have staunched your wound which is indeed only slight though it bled a deal. But I think your wrist is broke. Now I must go to my lady and tell her you will live. It was she sent me to make certain no one else should attend you.’

‘Who undressed me?’

‘I did.’

‘Is my lady angry with me?’

‘You have put her honour in danger but by good fortune no one knows. However the knight who laid you low is also eager to know how you do and I think will insist on coming to see for himself. He thought you a most pretty youth and admired your courage. Such likings are all the fashion now, following the pattern of his majesty. And indeed kings have always had their favourites of both sexes, even her late majesty as my own Lord of Leicester and the Earl of Essex. Power ever attracts beauty as moth to candle flame which often has its wings singed there.’

‘Madam, before you leave me I would ask you kindly to fetch me certain things as I direct. I do not wish to rise and set my wound bleeding again which you have so skilfully staunched.’

‘Well, I have tended many wounds in my time, especially from this most dangerous game of the tilt that the noblemen will play, and noblewomen encourage them. And for what: to act out an old play of the romances as Sir Gawain and La Belle Iseult, as if they were Arthur and his knights risen from the dead who were long dust before my grandfather was born if they ever in truth walked the earth except in story books and broadsheet ballads.’

So grumbling still she brought me the things I asked for that I might strap my wrist with a poultice, soaked in tincture of oil of Solomon’s seal, under a leather wristband stiffened with smooth fillets of wood and the same to be applied on a cloth for my wound. I asked also for a draught of poppy to quell the
pain and with a double purpose drown me in Lethe for I could bear neither the sting of my wounds nor of my thoughts.

When I woke again it was to find the knight of the tower, as I judged for I had never before seen his face without his helmet, sitting beside me on a stool and leaning his hands on his sword, his chin on his hands.

‘They say you are something of a physician Sir Boy. Will you live? I would not be the cause of such a spark put out.’

‘I thank you for your asking sir. Are you that knight that worsted me? If so I thank you that you did not strike harder as I believe you might have done, and that as I remember you came to my aid.’

‘It is no part of courage to strike harder than is necessary to gain the end or to be the oppressor of the weaker party.’

‘Then sir you have an unfashionable idea of chivalry for these harsh days.’

‘So young and so out of sorts with the times. You would be a philosopher as well as a pasteboard soldier. What is your name Sir Boy?’

‘Amyntas Boston, sir. And yours? By your manner of speaking you should be a Scotsman.’

‘Aye. For I came south with his majesty looking for some preferment in England since in Scotland I am only the youngest son of Sir Hector McQueen, a landless laird who left my mother nothing but debts, and a crumbling tower besieged by the bailiffs. Hence my impresa. My given name is Duncan, after the kings of Scotland. His majesty was gracious enough to knight me for my attendance on him as a page but now I must make my own fortune by my sword. That is not easy in time of peace. So I think to go abroad where there are still wars and booty to be had by taking and ransoming of prisoners or in defence of new colonies in lands still to be explored by the Northwest Passage if that may be found, where a landless man may gain something of his own. What is your lineage?’

‘My father was a physician sir in Salisbury and I follow his calling.’

‘Then you could be most useful for my enterprise for I mean to settle in the New World either in the north where there are many animals as beaver and silver fox that may be trapped for their fur and a fortune made that way or in the south where gold is to be found among the idols of the heathens who live there. You are a lad of courage. Come with me.’

‘I am honoured sir that you should wish to make me of your company but I am servant to the Countess of Pembroke and cannot leave at will.’

‘Fortune changes. Now that her son the earl has a wife your countess must move over. Who knows where she will go or what she will do? She may no longer have need of a page physician.’

‘Then I shall follow my fortunes elsewhere sir but for now I remain in her service.’

‘If you should change your mind Sir Boy you may find me until I sail at the Unicorn in Southwark.’ And he left me.

I was glad to see him go for the truth of his words pained me and the strength of his will in my weakened state might have prevailed on me to go with him though it would have been hard to keep my secret for many months on board ship. If I were discovered I might suffer all kinds of indignity as indeed I feared might also be the case if I were not. Sir Duncan McQueen had stared at me too hard with a look of lechery and I remembered my night-time visitor when first I came to the great house.

Later after I had slept again a servant was sent to me with bread and broth and a hot posset to which I added more poppy and so slept pretty well, except it seemed to me that my lady came and leant above me so that her naked breast nearly rested on my lips and her hand on my brow. In the morning I remembered some words of a poet: ‘It was no dream I lay broad waking’ but could not tell if this was true or false.

Within two days treating of my wound I was well enough to rise and make my way, though shakily, to my lady’s chamber. The house was quiet and empty, the court having gone away for Windsor carrying with them the bride and groom. I found her seated in her chair and saw at once the settled melancholy on her face.

‘Well Amyntas, you have not killed yourself with your foolishness.’

I fell on my knees and kissed the folds of her skirt. ‘My lady is rightly angry with me.’

‘At least no one knew your folly except myself. I saw to that or I had been shamed to have been deceived as men would have thought it. Were you mad Amyntas to play such a trick? And where did you get your antique armour that caused all to laugh that saw you?’

‘I found it in Sir Henry Stilman his house.’

‘It must have been his son’s. A boy of great promise struck down by the smallpox. And where did you learn your skills?’

‘By practice my lady’

‘Why did you expose yourself and me to discovery rash child?’

‘I thought to do as Zelmane in your brother’s
Arcadia!

‘But Zelmane was a youth, a prince in disguise.’

‘Then I could be Parthenia when she fought as the Knight of the Temple.’

And was worsted. The
Arcadia
of my dear brother is to be understood like one of Our Saviour’s parables as showing forth an inner meaning, not to be followed slavishly word for word. Again I say Amyntas you must give thought to your future. When my son returns after the Christmas festival I must leave this place, as well Ramsbury and my Ivychurch and I do not know where I shall go except to lodge a while at Baynard’s. I shall be poor, Amyntas, and must cut my coat according to my cloth. You must shift for yourself though I will give you what help I may but I shall be myself a vagrant. You must consider
whether it is time to give up your disguise and look for a husband, some merchant or physician or servant to a noble household as a steward.’