THE ARMOURER’S PRENTICES BY CHARLOTTE M. YONGE [Illustration] _ILLUSTRATED BY W. J. HENNESSY_ London MACMILLAN AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1889 _The Right of Translation is Reserved_ Contents PREFACE CHAPTER I. THE VERDURER’S LODGE CHAPTER II. THE GRANGE OF SILKSTEDE CHAPTER III. KINSMEN AND STRANGERS CHAPTER IV. A HERO’S FALL CHAPTER V. THE DRAGON COURT CHAPTER VI. A SUNDAY IN THE CITY CHAPTER VII. YORK HOUSE CHAPTER VIII. QUIPSOME HAL CHAPTER IX. ARMS SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL CHAPTER X. TWO VOCATIONS CHAPTER XI. AY DI ME GRENADA CHAPTER XII. A KING IN A QUAGMIRE CHAPTER XIII. A LONDON HOLIDAY CHAPTER XIV. THE KNIGHT OF THE BADGER CHAPTER XV. HEAVE HALF A BRICK AT HIM CHAPTER XVI. MAY EVE CHAPTER XVII. ILL MAY DAY CHAPTER XVIII. PARDON CHAPTER XIX. AT THE ANTELOPE CHAPTER XX. CLOTH OF GOLD ON THE SEAMY SIDE CHAPTER XXI. SWORD OR SMITHY CHAPTER XXII. AN INVASION CHAPTER XXIII. UNWELCOME PREFERMENT CHAPTER XXIV. THE SOLDIER CHAPTER XXV. OLD HAUNTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. “Ha! Ha!” laughed Henry, “hast found him out, lads?” “And see here, your Grace!” “See there, Master Alderman” PREFACE I have attempted here to sketch citizen life in the early Tudor days, aided therein by Stowe’s _Survey of London_, supplemented by Mr. Loftie’s excellent history, and Dr. Burton’s _English Merchants_. Stowe gives a full account of the relations of apprentices to their masters; though I confess that I do not know whether Edmund Burgess could have become a citizen of York after serving an apprenticeship in London. Evil May Day is closely described in Hall’s _Chronicle_. The ballad, said to be by Churchill, a contemporary, does not agree with it in all respects; but the story-teller may surely have license to follow whatever is most suitable to the purpose. The sermon is exactly as given by Hall, who is also responsible for the description of the King’s sports and of the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Ardres. Knight’s admirable _Pictorial History of __England_ tells of Barlow, the archer, dubbed by Henry VIII. the King of Shoreditch. _Historic Winchester_ describes both St. Elizabeth College and the Archer Monks of Hyde Abbey. The tales mentioned as told by Ambrose to Dennet are really New Forest legends. The Moresco’s Arabic Gospel and Breviary are mentioned in Lady Calcott’s _History of Spain_, but she does not give her authority. Nor can I go further than Knight’s _Pictorial History_ for the King’s adventure in the marsh. He does not say where it happened, but as in Stowe’s map “Dead Man’s Hole” appears in what is now Regent’s Park, the marsh was probably deep enough in places for the adventure there. Brand’s _Popular Antiquities_ are the authority for the nutting in St. John’s Wood on Holy Cross Day. Indeed, in some country parishes I have heard that boys still think they have a license to crack nuts at church on the ensuing Sunday.