Produced by Martin Robb
A KING'S COMRADE:
A Story of Old Hereford,
by Charles W. Whistler
PREFACE.
INTRODUCTORY.
CHAPTER I. HOW THE FIRST DANES CAME TO ENGLAND.
CHAPTER II. HOW WILFRID KEPT A PROMISE, AND SWAM IN PORTLAND
CHAPTER III. HOW WILFRID MET ECGBERT THE ATHELING.
CHAPTER IV. HOW WILFRID MET AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE IN NORWICH
CHAPTER V. HOW WILFRID MET THE FLINT FOLK, AND OTHERS.
CHAPTER VI. HOW WILFRID SPOKE WITH ETHELBERT THE KING.
CHAPTER VII. HOW ETHELBERT'S JOURNEY BEGAN WITH PORTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII. HOW ETHELBERT CAME TO THE PALACE OF SUTTON.
CHAPTER IX. HOW QUENDRITHA THE QUEEN WOVE HER PLOTS.
CHAPTER X. HOW GYMBERT THE MARSHAL LOST HIS NAME AS A GOOD
CHAPTER XI. HOW ETHELBERT THE KING WENT TO HIS REST.
CHAPTER XII. HOW QUENDRITHA THE QUEEN HAD HER WILL.
CHAPTER XIII. HOW WILFRID AND ERLING BEGAN THEIR SEARCH.
CHAPTER XIV. HOW WILFRID HAD A FRESH CARE THRUST ON HIM.
CHAPTER XV. HOW WILFRID'S SEARCH WAS REWARDED.
CHAPTER XVI. HOW WILFRID SPOKE ONCE MORE WITH OFFA.
CHAPTER XVII. HOW WILFRID AND HIS CHARGE MET JEFAN THE
CHAPTER XVIII. HOW JEFAN THE PRINCE GUARDED HIS GUESTS.
CHAPTER XIX. HOW WILFRID CAME HOME TO WESSEX.
PREFACE.
Hereford Cathedral bears the name of Ethelbert of East Anglia, king and martyr, round whose death, at the hands of the men of Offa of Mercia, this story of his comrade centres, and dates its foundation from Offa's remorse for the deed which at least he had not prevented. In the sanctuary itself stands an ancient battered statue--somewhat hard to find--of the saint, and in the pavement hard by a modern stone bears a representation of his murder. The date of the martyrdom is usually given as May 20, 792 A.D.
A brief mention of the occurrence is given under that date in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and full details are recorded by later historians, Matthew of Westminster and Roger of Wendover being the most precise and full. The ancient Hereford Breviary preserves further details also, for which I am indebted to my friend the Rev. H. Housman, B.D., of Bradley.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A King's Comrade by Charles W. Whistler
- 2: Is from the Anglo Saxon Chronicle
- 3: And the tall jarl faces the girl at his side
- 4: Once again the great jarl speaks
- 5: For the maiden sinks back into the boat swooning
- 6: And is queen of all the Mercian land
- 7: By that time also the Weymouth folk were leaving the place
- 8: Like the Northumbrian priest we have
- 9: That man who wore the bracelets being at their head
- 10: Over us towered a wonderful carven dragon's head
- 11: I suppose Thorleif will let you go by and by
- 12: Shouted some man from the wharves
- 13: At the head of the group rode Beaduheard himself
- 14: Thorleif had never drawn weapon
- 15: That was ended by Thorleif himself
- 16: Thorleif would not risk aught in the way of safeguard
- 17: And I heard the Wessex war cry rise
- 18: Behind them the wharf was empty
- 19: Thorleif stooped and unbound me
- 20: Thorleif looked at the sea and frowned
- 21: And after it the harmless porpoises
- 22: Thorleif would let me go no longer
- 23: And the rowers were fairly in shelter under them
- 24: And that was the Frankish shore
- 25: Thorleif hailed her to heave to
- 26: And I found my place by Thrond once more
- 27: When I gathered myself up I saw Ecgbert and Thorleif aft
- 28: Atheling and thane's son you will be to us still
- 29: And in the end Ecgbert closed with the offer
- 30: And there Ecgbert was welcomed in all friendliness
- 31: I think that Ecgbert envied me
- 32: And to tell the truth the wrangling of the dealers
- 33: Werbode was laughing at the ways of the horse dealers
- 34: And as I and Werbode did not interfere
- 35: For I suppose the thrall would have taken me to his lord
- 36: Leading a great skew bald horse
- 37: As we travelled toward Thetford
- 38: When I might give the message from Ecgbert
- 39: Said Werbode and Erling in a breath
- 40: For I have runes which are of power against any trolls
- 41: And all the while Werbode had his eyes on Erling
- 42: But when we came to the side of Werbode
- 43: We went one on either side of Werbode
- 44: My comrade is Werbode of old Saxony
- 45: How wilfrid spoke with ethelbert the king
- 46: Ethelbert laughed and told me so
- 47: Which made a great wrath rise in my heart straightway
- 48: And I dared to see if the Lady Hilda had a smile on her face
- 49: Ethelbert went on telling me of the coming journey
- 50: Werbode knew not what that meant
- 51: Maybe you saw the robe as of a saint
- 52: So in a few days I told him of Ecgbert
- 53: Knows more of Ecgbert than you might guess
- 54: Though I saw that she was almost weeping
- 55: Presently you shall surely dream again
- 56: Where Offa had set his throne for the time
- 57: I put it down to the thundery feel in the air
- 58: So he only turned for a moment to the thane
- 59: Which the thane could hardly hold
- 60: He said to Father Selred and myself as we rode beside him
- 61: How ethelbert came to the palace of sutton
- 62: And he was also high in honour with Offa
- 63: Else I had ridden straightway from Thetford to them
- 64: And I looked at Erling wonderingly
- 65: Said Father Selred in a whisper
- 66: Mayhap you shall ask Offa to restore it presently
- 67: I have heard that Quendritha came ashore Ay
- 68: It is the word of Thrond that this Quendritha
- 69: And I saw the king speaking with the Mercians
- 70: Now Offa smiled and came down the steps to meet Ethelbert
- 71: And Offa led Ethelbert into the hall
- 72: If Ethelbert did not return thither
- 73: Then Offa and Ethelbert pledged each other
- 74: Then I knew that it was Gymbert the marshal
- 75: To a thane even a queen may speak directly
- 76: And there to him comes Quendritha
- 77: Outside the door waits Gymbert
- 78: Once or twice Gymbert rode across the rear of the line
- 79: Gymbert was already waiting his time
- 80: Is this the way of Gymbert as a rule
- 81: Looking after Gymbert as he went
- 82: What have you done to offend this Gymbert
- 83: And in the great courtyard I looked round for Gymbert
- 84: They had cut a path round this copse
- 85: But Ethelbert was bright and cheerful as ever
- 86: I thought Offa seemed heavy and moody
- 87: Sighard had his say on the matter of Gymbert's carelessness
- 88: Beyond that all was from Quendritha
- 89: Bidding Sighard and the chaplain goodnight as I did so
- 90: You Mercians may best know whither
- 91: But Sighard paid no heed to him
- 92: And Selred and I stood alone in the room
- 93: Witred the Mercian told it quietly
- 94: But Selred and my comrades would not have that
- 95: Now we heard the still voice of Selred
- 96: And in the chill we waited for the return of Witred
- 97: You are Carl's messenger to Ethelbert
- 98: It seemed best to them and to your thanes that
- 99: Offa heard the first words of the Dane
- 100: For I am sure that Witred speaks no less than the truth
- 101: Selred found the sacristan in the church
- 102: And while we watched them Selred came to us
- 103: This means that Quendritha is after us
- 104: Seeing but one or two of his thanes
- 105: Ealdwulf would have it from us
- 106: Sword and seax and spear for myself
- 107: Too well I ken the ways of Quendritha
- 108: And these things I told Erling
- 109: I dare say Erling the viking took pleasure in them
- 110: Having altogether forgotten that matter
- 111: Erling leaped from his horse and laughed
- 112: They brought the cart far from the place
- 113: The way by which Selred and I came here last night was there
- 114: And Erling looked at the stream
- 115: Erling lifted his voice and called
- 116: Gymbert would surely have sold her to the Welsh
- 117: For suddenly Gymbert came back
- 118: That after me she meant to send Gymbert
- 119: Fernlea town was not more than five miles from the palace
- 120: We were closer then to Fernlea than I thought
- 121: I should have no fear of Gymbert and his men spying me
- 122: Yet I had ridden with Ethelbert
- 123: And would fain be led to Fernlea
- 124: His foes have slain a bridegroom
- 125: We rode away from Fernlea toward Sutton
- 126: Would he not let Sighard the thane come to Fernlea
- 127: Jefan will help us to ken the foe
- 128: Either of Quendritha or of my doings
- 129: And Selred heard it and rose to his feet
- 130: I suppose that never before had Offa been so ill attended
- 131: And Ealdwulf was alone near him
- 132: Ealdwulf shall send churchmen to tell him
- 133: How wilfrid and his charge met jefan the prince
- 134: And so be christened straightway
- 135: I minded how often Ethelbert had spoken with Erling
- 136: He had cut for us each a lock from the head of Ethelbert
- 137: The reeve whistled under his breath
- 138: Gymbert and ten men in pursuit
- 139: So at last the black hill of Dynedor
- 140: Kynan gave some orders to his men
- 141: How jefan the prince guarded his guests
- 142: While Kynan asked what was amiss
- 143: Though Jefan had no mind for it
- 144: Jefan walked up to him and looked at him
- 145: Gymbert himself headed this company on foot
- 146: And for all that Gymbert from the gate tried to urge them on
- 147: The wild song of Kynan never ceased
- 148: Kynan was twenty yards from us
- 149: While I knelt at the side of Erling
- 150: And there Sighard bade me tell him all I might of the fight
- 151: But Jefan bade that man who had shot at him see to him
- 152: Jefan had a wonderful palace in Caerleon
- 153: To him Ecgbert had sworn fealty when he came to the crown
- 154: I think that Offa once sent an embassy to Caerleon
- 155: So Sighard sold his right of succession
- 156: Eadburga fled to Carl the emperor