The Battle of the Queens (42 page)

‘Where?’ said Hubert. ‘I have begun to think that there is no way out.’

‘There must be a way out,’ said Margaret. ‘Think of the dangers you have faced throughout your life – and you have always defeated your enemies.’

‘Yes,’ said Hubert. He thought then of how he had defied King John over Prince Arthur. Then it would have been understandable if John had destroyed him; but he had come through that dangerous situation. But now he was fighting a different battle. He had done nothing but serve his King, and his enemies were calling for his blood while the young King who had stood amicably beside him had suddenly changed sides.

Margaret said: ‘You must not stay here. They will be here soon to take you.’

‘There is nowhere else to go, lest it was sanctuary.’

‘Sanctuary! That is the answer,’ cried Margaret. ‘You must go into sanctuary. None would dare harm you there and in time the King will come to his senses and see that the traitors are those who now call for your blood.’

‘It
is
the answer, my lord,’ agreed Ranulf. ‘You must leave at once. Any delay could be dangerous.’

‘I see that you are right,’ said Hubert.

‘Merton Priory is the nearest,’ added Margaret. ‘You must go there.’

Within half an hour Hubert was on his way.

When the King was told that Hubert was taking refuge in Merton Priory he was angry. He had heard then that he was about to be arrested and was either guilty or he did not trust the King’s justice – Henry preferred to believe that he was guilty.

‘He shall see that it is useless to attempt to hide from justice,’ he declared; and he pondered as to what he could best do.

The Londoners had hated Hubert since the riots when he had ordered their leader and his nephew to be hanged and had caused to be mutilated those who had been taken prisoner. The dead might have been forgotten, but there were so many men living minus a limb or their ears that the grievance was kept alive.

Henry sent out a proclamation.

Hubert de Burgh, traitor to the country, was hiding in Merton Priory. Londoners who had long been aware of his perfidy and had good reason to remember his villainy should take him from his refuge and bring him to the courts.

The Londoners were on the march to Merton.

There was one among them – a merchant of deeply religious leanings who raised his voice at this order and asked whether it was fitting to violate a sanctuary. The law of the Church was that any man – however wicked – could find refuge, if only temporarily, in a holy place. He knew that the King had ordered this but the King and the Church were not always in agreement and they must remember that the King was young and the Church was old.

‘What then?’ cried the crowd. ‘Tell us what then.’

The merchant was a respected man among them known for his pious ways and just dealing, and considering this the mob was halted in its madness to get at Hubert.

‘The Bishop of Winchester is lodged nearby,’ said the merchant. ‘We could ask him if it is fitting for us to take the Justiciar from a sanctuary when it is the command of the King.’

‘To the Bishop,’ cried the crowd; and instead of going to Merton they made their way to the Bishop’s lodging.

Peter des Roches was amazed to find them gathered at his gate.

He addressed them from a window.

‘What would you have of me, good people?’ he asked.

The merchant was the spokesman. ‘My lord Bishop, we have had a command from the King to go to Merton and take Hubert de Burgh that he may be brought to justice. Should we obey the King?’

‘Are you good subjects?’ replied Peter. ‘If you are you know full well that you should obey your King.’

‘My lord Bishop, he is in holy sanctuary.’

Peter des Roches hesitated. The merchant was a moderate man, that much was certain. Not so those who gathered about him. There was the blood lust in their eyes. They hated Hubert. They were bent on revenge. They blamed Hubert for the hanging of Constantine and the mutilation of so many of the citizens and they wanted a scapegoat. Hubert was known to be severe because he believed that it was the only way to keep law and order in the country.

The fate of Hubert, as he saw it, could rest on the next few seconds. If he came to court, he might well prove himself guiltless. After all he had governed the country well. Peter des Roches knew that. But if this mob got at him, he would never have a chance to do anything. In their present mood they would tear him apart.

‘We would ask your guidance, as a man of Holy Church,’ went on the merchant.

Peter made his decision. This was an easy way of getting rid of Hubert – once and for all.

‘The King has given you an order. You must obey your King.’

There was a shout from the mob.

‘To Merton,’ they cried. ‘The blood of Hubert de Burgh.’

The Earl of Chester had seen the mob marching to the Bishop’s house and had heard their bloodthirsty shouts.

He had believed that the Bishop would advise them to disperse and was astonished when they came from his house shouting, ‘To Merton.’

He went at once to the King.

‘My lord,’ he said, ‘the mob is on the march.’

‘To Merton,’ replied Henry. ‘I have asked them to bring me Hubert de Burgh.’

‘Bring him to you! They will murder him first.’

Henry did not answer and Chester went on: ‘My lord, it is dangerous to rouse the mob. They will murder Hubert … horribly, doubtless. I have seen these men. It is a fearful sight to see a mob on the march. I beg of you to disband the mob while there is still time. It is not good for the people to see that it is possible to get what they want by force. I implore you, my lord. Command them to disband while you still have the power to do so.’

Henry hesitated. He knew that Chester was an enemy of Hubert. That was why he could believe him. He was suddenly afraid. He knew what had happened when the barons had risen against his father. Retaining the crown depended to a large extent on the good will of the people. The terrible story of his father’s reign was a lesson to him.

‘What must I do?’

‘Ride out with me now. We can catch up with the mob. You must command it to disband.’

So the King rode out with Chester and when they had caught up with the marchers Henry spoke to them.

He had not meant them to go thus to Merton. They knew that Hubert de Burgh was resting in sanctuary. It was against the laws of the Church to take a man from such a refuge. He had spoken rashly and they were in no way to blame or would not be if they disbanded quietly and returned to their homes.

The merchant who had doubted the wisdom of breaking into sanctuary was clearly relieved. He spoke for the mob and said they would return to their homes. They knew that the King would do what was necessary and that Hubert de Burgh would be brought to justice in due course.

When Peter des Roches heard what had happened, he was furious. Not only was Hubert still alive but he had been exposed as giving advice which was contrary to the rules of the Church.

He presented himself to the King and told him how wisely he had acted. He had been confronted by the mob, he explained, and he had told them that they must at all costs obey the King, which was what he believed good subjects should do; and Henry, who realised how foolish he had been in giving the order in the first place, was quite relieved to accept this explanation.

‘What do you propose to do in this matter now, my lord?’ asked Peter.

‘It is a matter for consideration,’ murmured Henry.

‘I doubt not that you will decide that he should have a list of the charges against him and be told that he is to prepare his answers.’

‘That had been in my mind,’ said Henry, looking eagerly at the Bishop for more suggestions.

‘And perhaps a safe conduct from the sanctuary to some place of his choice.’ Then taking him would not present the same difficulties.

‘It is what I had been considering.’

The Bishop retired well pleased. It was gratifying to his self-esteem to be able to guide the King so effortlessly.

When Hubert received the safe conduct from the King he and Margaret went to Brentwood – a house which belonged to Hubert’s nephew the Bishop of Norwich. He could rely on the help of the Bishop who owed his present position to him. But feeling it unwise to stay in the house he took refuge in the Boisars Chapel close by that he might once more find sanctuary.

As soon as Henry heard where he was he sent guards to take him and bring him to London.

When Hubert realised the perfidy of the King who had promised him time to prepare his answers against the charges, he tried to defend himself, but was soon outnumbered.

His captors, however, were afraid he would escape and sent for the local blacksmith to make chains that he might be fettered. The blacksmith, however, knew who he was and he declared that he wanted nothing to do with the matter. If the troops wished to fetter the Bishop’s uncle they must find some other to do it. Hubert decided that if ever he came into power again he would remember that blacksmith. His captors were not to be beaten however; they would do without chains and would bind him with ropes.

So he was bound and set upon a horse and brought to the Tower of London, and there he was lodged to await his trial.

The Bishop of London, hearing that he had been taken from the Boisars Chapel where he was in sanctuary and brought in fetters to London, went to see the King and pointed out to him that it was against the law of the Church for a man to be taken from sanctuary. No matter what a man’s crime, he was immune.

The Bishop was a little stern, implying that the King had forgotten the law of sanctuary which was that any man, be he the most hardened criminal, was entitled to refuge under the roof of the Church. For forty days and forty nights he should be safe there and any who dared touch him defiled the Church. At the end of that time he was bound to leave the country and should be guaranteed freedom from molestation while he made his way to the coast.

This law, the Bishop pointed out, had been ignored in the case of Hubert de Burgh and the men who had dragged him from Boisars Chapel.

Henry was once more in a quandary. The Bishop of London was very stern and although he referred to the soldiers who had taken Hubert as the offenders, he meant of course the King. Henry, who liked to think of himself as a deeply religious man, hated the thought of conflict with the Church; so he immediately agreed that Hubert should be taken back to the chapel where he would be guarded by two sheriffs. His servants might be with him to provide his food and any comforts they could.

After that, he could leave England, according to the laws of sanctuary, or if he failed to do this he would go to prison as was fitting for one who had proved a traitor to his King and country.

Hubert decided that he would leave England for a short period during which time he would prove his innocence, but it was discovered that he had a large quantity of jewels and gold and when these were found his enemies declared that these were in fact the King’s property and here was the proof they needed that he had enriched himself at the King’s cost.

It was no use Hubert’s protesting that the goods had been honestly earned during a lifetime of service. His enemies, led by Peter des Roches, advised the King that Hubert deserved to die.