The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-NayHewlett, Maurice
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The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay
Hewlett, Maurice
Richard I, King of England, 1157-1199 -- Fiction
When they had buried the old King, Richard sent letters to his brother
of France, reminding him of what they had both undertaken to do, namely,
to redeem the Sepulchre and set up again in Jerusalem the True Cross.
'As for me,' he wrote, 'I do most earnestly purpose to set about that
business as soon as I may; and I require of you, sire and my brother, to
witness my resumption of the Cross in this church of Fontevrault upon
the feast of Monsire Saint John Baptist next coming. Let them also who
are in your allegiance, the illustrious Duke of Burgundy, Conrad
Marquess of Montferrat, and my cousin Count Henry, be of your party and
sharers with you in the new vow.' This done, he went to Chinon to secure
his father's treasure, and then made preparations for his coronation as
Count of Anjou, and for Jehane's coronation.
When she got his word that she was to meet him at Angers by a certain
day there was no thought of disobedience; the pouting mouth meant no
mutiny. It meant sickening fear. In Angers they crown the Count of Anjou
with the red cap, and put upon his feet the red shoes. That would make
Richard the Red Count indeed, whose cap and bed the leper had bid her
beware. Beware she might, but how avoid? She knew Richard by this time
for master. A year ago she had subjugated him in the Dark Tower; but
since then he had handled her, moulded her, had but to nod and she
served his will. With what heart of lead she came, come she did to await
him in black Angers, steep and hardy little city of slate; and the
meeting of the two brought tears to many eyes. She fell at his feet,
clasped his knees, could not speak nor cease from looking up; and he,
tall and kingly, stoops, lifts her, holds her upon his breast, strokes
her face, kisses her eyes and sorrowful mouth. 'Child,' he says, 'art
thou glad of me?' asking, as lovers love best to do, the things they
know best already. 'O Richard! O Richard!' was all she could say, poor
fond wretch; however, we go not by the sense of a bride's language, but
by the passion that breaks it up. Every agony of self-reproach, of fear
of him, of mistrust, of lurking fate, lay in those sobbed words, 'O
Richard! O Richard!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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