A True Hero | Page 4

his son entered with others who found their way
into the court. A short, though somewhat corpulent-looking gentleman,
with ferrety eyes and rubicund nose, telling of numerous cups of sack
which had gone down between the thick lips below it, occupied the
magisterial chair.
"Who are these knaves?" he exclaimed, in a gruff voice, casting a fierce
glance at the young William Penn and his companion, Captain Mead.
"What! ye varlets, do you come into the presence of the Lord Mayor of
London with your hats on? Ho! ho! I know you now," he exclaimed, as
an officer handed him a paper, while he turned his eyes especially on
Penn. "Let me tell you, if you pay not proper respect to the court, I will
have you carried to Bridewell and well whipped, you varlet, though
you are the son of a Commonwealth admiral! Do you hear me, sirrah?"
"By my troth," whispered Christison to his son. "I should like to rush in
with my sword and stop that foul-speaking varlet's mouth, Lord Mayor
of London though he be. And now I look at him, I remember him well,
Master Starling, a brawling supporter of the Protector when he was
seated firmly at the head of Government. And now see, he is louder
still in carrying out the evil designs of this Charles Stuart and his
myrmidons." These words, though said in a low voice, were not
altogether inaudible to some of the by-standers.
"Beware!" said some one at his elbow.

To this tirade of the Lord Mayor, the young gentleman made no answer.
"Do you hear me, sirrah?" he exclaimed again; "I speak to you, William
Penn. You and others have unlawfully and tumultuously been
assembling and congregating yourselves together for the purpose of
creating a disturbance of the peace, to the great terror and annoyance of
His Majesty's liege people and subjects, and to the ill example of all
others; and you have, in contempt of the law of the land, been
preaching to a concourse of people whom you tumultuously assembled
for the purpose of instigating them to rebel against His Majesty the
king and the authorities of this city of London."
"Verily, thou art misinformed and mistaken, sir," answered the young
man, in a calm voice. "I neither created a disturbance, nor did I utter
words whereby any disturbance could have been created, while I have
ever been a loyal and dutiful subject of King Charles as His Majesty."
"Ho! ho! ho! you have come here to crow high, I warrant you,"
exclaimed Sir Samuel Starling; "and your companion, Master Mead,
will, I warrant, declare himself equally innocent of offence!"
"Thou speakest truly, friend," answered Captain Mead; "I was the cause
of no disturbance, as all those present very well know; for no
disturbance indeed took place, while my principles forbid me to oppose
the authorities that be."
These calm answers only seemed to enrage Sir Samuel Starling, who,
heaping further abuse on the prisoners, exclaimed, "Take the varlets off
to the `Black Dog' in Newgate Market; there they shall remain in
durance till they are tried for their crimes at the Old Bailey, and we
shall then see whether this young cock-of-the-woods will crow as
loudly as he now does."
Young Wenlock could with difficulty restrain his father's indignation
when he heard this order pronounced by the city magistrate. He
however, managed to get him out of the court.
"We will go and see where they are lodged, at all events," said the
captain, who at length yielded to his son's expostulation. "Perchance I

may render my old friend Mead, and that noble young fellow Penn,
some assistance."
CHAPTER THREE.
In a dirty, ill-ventilated room in a low sponging-house in Newgate
Market, known as the "Black Dog," two persons were seated. Cobwebs
hung from the windows and the corners of the ceiling, occupied by
huge, active spiders, lying in wait for some of the numerous flies which
swarmed on the dust-covered panes. On the walls were scrawled
numerous designs, executed by the prisoners who had from time to
time occupied the room, to while away their hours of durance. The air
felt close and sultry, the heat increased by the rays of the sinking sun,
which found their way in by the window, through which also entered
unpleasant odours ascending from the court-yard below. One of the
persons, whose handsome dress contrasted strangely with the
appearance of the room, was busy writing at a rickety table. With youth,
wealth, talents, a fair fame, the godson of the future monarch of
England, he might, had he so willed, have been a peer of he realm, the
founder of a noble family. The other, who has been described as
Captain Mead, rose from his seat, and walked up and