Under One Sceptre, or Mortimer's Mission: The Story of the Lord of the MarchesHolt, Emily Sarah
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Under One Sceptre, or Mortimer's Mission: The Story of the Lord of the Marches
Holt, Emily Sarah
Historical fiction; Mortimer, Roger de, Earl of March, 1328-1360 -- Fiction
Castide’s opinion is worth record as to the reasons why the Irish
submitted themselves so readily. He thought the "rebellious English"
were alarmed at the blockade of their coasts, which was so strict that
"neither provision nor merchandise could be landed": but he admitted
that the "wild Irish" cared nothing for this, since they lived by
hunting, and were strangers to commerce. Their reason, he considered,
was the personal respect which they bore to King Richard, whom they
accounted to be a prudent and conscientious man, and whose reverence for
the memory of Edward the Confessor was shared by themselves,—a fact
undisturbed by any inconvenient knowledge that Richard, if not the Irish
Kings also, had at least as much sanctity about him as Edward the
Confessor. How that most unamiable of men, whose cruelty as a husband
was only equalled by his irreverence as a son, ever came to be canonised
and honoured as Saint Edward, must be left as one of the many insoluble
enigmas which Rome propounds to the crushed hearts, smothered
intelligences, and stifled consciences of her votaries. For any other
reason, Castide remitted it to the grace of God. The Canon of Chimay,
whose exquisite naïve simplicity at times cuts sharply as a knife, made
answer, with more wit than he was aware, that "the grace of God is good,
and of infinite value to those who can obtain it: but we see few lords
now-o’-days augment their territories otherwise than by force."
The campaign thus ended, Roger returned to England in company with his
royal cousin, and rejoined his family in London on May, 1395, much to
the satisfaction of both himself and Lawrence Madison, who greatly
preferred to follow his master out of battle rather than into it, though
he wisely kept to himself that sentiment, which would only have earned
him a character for cowardice. On very few men had the idea then dawned
that any person could love peace for other reasons than laziness and
fear of being hurt. The two characteristics of King Richard which his
uncle Gloucester specially detested and despised were his religious
opinions, and his dislike to war and tumult. It might truly be said,
paradox though it be, that Gloucester was never at peace except when he
was at war.
During the twelve months following his return to London, Roger kept
himself exceedingly quiet. It was the only safe thing he could do. It
is said that an eminent man was asked how, being a resident in Paris, he
contrived to live through the Reign of Terror. "I made myself of no
reputation, and kept silence," was the significant answer. The Earl of
March followed the same plan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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