The Star of Lancaster - Plaidy Jean. Страница 69

But Scrope had flushed scarlet and Henry saw the fear leap into his eyes.

'Charming letters your friend Cambridge writes to you,' said Henry.

1 understand you not, my lord.'

'Enough, traitor. I have read the correspondence between you two. So you would put March on the throne, eh? But first you must rid yourselves of me. Who was to be the assassin? You, mayhap. You have gained yourself easy access to me with your false protestations of friendship.'

Scrope was silent.

'Tell me the truth,' thundered the King, 'for by God's own truth I swear I will have it from you.'

'There is a conspiracy, my lord.'

'That is already clear to me. And you are involved in it.'

'For the purpose of discovering when the conspirators meant to strike.'

'Oh come, Scrope, you will have to do better than that. My

kinsman Cambridge, eh? He wants his wife's brother on the throne. And if he should die, well then Anne of Cambridge has a son who could well take the crown, is that it? Is Cambridge's plan to set up March and then have another little conspiracy; remove Alarch and set up Cambridge's boy in his place?'

'My lord, the plan was to make the Earl of March the King. Though there are some ^vho say that Richard still lives.'

'Not that old story again!'

Tew believe it.' Scrope seemed anxious to talk as though by so doing he could convince the King that he had joined the conspiracy only to betray it in due course.

Henry listened with scornful lips and a sadness in his heart. It hurt him to see Scrope flounder, betraying his fellow traitors in an attempt to save himself.

He called to his guards and cried: 'Take him away. Keep him your prisoner. If he escapes you will answer to me.'

Scrope was dragged away still protesting his innocence.

His brothers came to him for they had heard that Scrope was arrested. He told them what he had discovered. They were horrified.

*I shall act promptly,' said Henry. 'This is no time for delay. They shall have a trial today and if they are found guilty shall be despatched immediately.'

'They should be made an example of. The traitor's death should be accorded them.'

'I want them out of my way,' said the King. 'That will be enough. God is on our side for had this not been discovered now we could have lost our throne.'

The facts were soon brought to light. The plan was to assert the claims of York against those of Lancaster. Henry was to be assassinated and the the Earl of March set on the throne. A man had appeared in Scotland calling himself Thomas of Trumpyngton who declared he was in fact King Richard who had escaped from Pontefract. It seemed pretty clear that he was a madman who was not the first to be obsessed by this idea but the conspirators promised to test his claim. Anvthing which would help in the fight to rid the country of Henry would be considered. But the main idea was to put the Earl of March on the throne. They planned to conduct the Earl to the Welsh border, where they could be sure of support,

and proclaim him King. The Percys could be relied on to hold the north against Henry.

It was indeed a well laid plot; and, said Henry, there was only one way to act.

He was convinced that his cousin the Earl of March was innocent. He was merely to be used as the figurehead but there was no doubt whatever of the guilt of Cambridge, Scrope and Thomas Grey of Heton.

They were condemned and deprived of their heads without delay.

The conspiracy had been brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Now for France.

On a hot August day Henry set out for France with six thousand men at arms and twenty-four thousand archers. They travelled in fifteen hundred vessels.

He immediately attacked Harfleur. The town was ill equipped to stand out against him; and the governor in desperation sent messengers to the King of France telling him that unless he sent relief within a month he would have no alternative but to surrender.

No help came and Harfleur, to Henry's jubilation, fell into English hands.

*This is a good beginning,' cried Henry, *an omen. I shall fortify this town and make it into another Calais. Then we shall have two ports of entrance to France.'

He set about consolidating his position. He wanted the inhabitants of Harfleur to leave the town to his men and he ordered them to take as much baggage as they could carry after they had sworn on God's name that they would not take part in the war, and surrender themselves to the governor of Calais.

'My lord, do you think they will obey that order?' asked his brother Bedford.

It matters little if they do not, brother. I wish to be rid of them and populate this town with English men and women.'

It was a resounding initial success, but alas it was soon seen to be less glorious than had at first been believed for an epidemic of dysentery soon appeared among the soldiers and within a matter of days two thousand of them were dead. That was

not all, for if he had not taken some action more would have died. He saw that there was only one course to be taken and that was to send back to England those who were growing too weak to be of use.

Thus it seemed that success was turning to disaster for the army was by this time only half the strength it had been when it set out.

'We must return to England,' said Bedford. 'We must raise more men.'

But Henry shook his head. 'Return to England with only the capture of Harfleur to our credit! Nay, good brother, that will not do. The people of England have given me their men and their treasure. I will not return without something more than Harfleur to offer them. They would say I was over-timid and no man shall ever have reason to call me that/

'Then where next?'

Henry was thoughtful for a while. Then he said: 'I intend to march through Normandy, Picardy and Artois on my way to Calais. This is my fair land of France and it is fitting that I should see more of it.'

'My lord,' cried Bedford aghast. 'We have lost so many men and many of those who remain have been weakened by illness. You will have to leave a garrison in Harfleur. How many will you take on this march?'

'There will be some six thousand.'

*Six thousand, my lord, against the French army!'

'It may be that we shall not meet the French army.'

'They will resent the capture of Harfleur. What if they come against us? And what food shall we be able to commandeer during this march of ... why it must be some hundred and fifty miles.'

'All you say may well be true, brother, but I shall not return to England without a victory to present to my people and that victory must be as joyful in their eyes as those of Crecy and Poitiers.'

Bedford shook his head. He thought his brother was courting disaster. But there was no gainsaying the orders of the King and the march began.

They went through Fecamp to Argues, Criel, Eu and St Valery until they reached the Somme. Now the French were on the march.

It was the twenty-fourth of October and the enemy were

encamped in the villages of Ruisseauville and Agincourt.

No lodging could be found for Henry and he slept in a hut. In the morning he released the prisoners he had brought with him, exacting a promise from them that if they were caught up in battle they should return and surrender themselves.

'If I am defeated/ he said, 'then you are released. If not, you will return to me.'

He laughed to himself. How many would obey him? He could not say, but he could not afford to have enemies in his camp. Some might have executed them. It was not Henry's way. He prided himself on his justice. He was hard but not deliberately cruel.

Now there could be no putting off the battle. The enemies were face to face and the next day must see the start of hostilities.