Part 2 — PART II — LAY WAYFARERS

To which Gaddesden, I now make humble apologies: for since the above lines were written years ago, modern discoveries, those especially of Niels Finsen, of Copenhagen, a man of the truest worth, whom I saw at work, have justified him. Red light, it has been found, really has an influence on the healing of the scars left by small-pox, and even of the disease itself. So, biding the time when his beetle remedy, mentioned next, may prove operative too, I hold Gaddesden justified in turning, from above, the laugh on his deriders: and I submit to the penance in the same contrite spirit as Dr. Johnson once did at Uttoxeter.

“Hi yeden bi the gravel

Toward the castel,

Hi gunne murie singe

And makede here gleowinge.

Rymenhild hit gan ihere

And axede what hi were:

Hi sede, hi weren harpurs,

And sume were gigours.

He dude Horn inn late

Right at halle gate,

He sette him on a benche

His harpe for to clenche.”

“King Horn,” ed. J. R. Lumby, Early English Text Society, 1866, l. 1465.

“So preye I to God, that non myswrite the,

Ne the mys-metere, for defaute of tonge!

And red wher so thow be, or elles songe,

That thow be understonde, God I beseche!”

(“Troilus,” book v., l. 1809.)

“Nus qui bien face n’est vilains,

Mès de vilonie est toz plains

Hauz hom qui laide vie maine:

Nus n’est vilains s’il ne vilaine.”

“My brother A.D.C., Major Anson, who carried home from China the despatch announcing the fall of Pekin, was promoted Colonel, and received a present of 500 guineas.—St. James’ Club, May 30, 1890.—F. Grant.”

What happened, in our less ceremonious days, when the news was brought of the Marne, of Ypres, of Messines? Doubtless it was not brought; it came.

“And can som manere craft · in cas he wolde hit use,

Thorgh whiche craft he couthe · come to bred and to ale.”

“Piers Plowman,” Text C, pass. x. l. 155; see also ibid., pass. i. l. 40.

Some traces of kindness to his tenants, on the part of John of Gaunt are found in his Registers. He orders wood and charcoal to be carried to the castle of Tutbury where his wife was to spend the winter, and insists that the work be done in summer, so that his tenants and bondmen be not grieved by the carrying thereof in the bad season. . . “Si voullons et vous mandons que vous faces faire et carier à nostre dit chastel ccc quarters de carbons, et aussint vous faces carier tout la boys abatuz par vent que vous bonement pourrez en nostre dit chastel pur fuaille, et que ce soit fait toute voies en ceste saison d’estée, issint que noz tenantz et bondes ne soient pas tariez ne grevez ove la cariage d’ycelle en temps de yver.” “John of Gaunt’s Register,” ed. S. A. Smith, 1911, vol. ii. p. 203, year 1373.