The Prince and the Pauper | Page 7

him a sounding box on the ear that sent him whirling to
the roadway, and said--
"Take that, thou beggar's spawn, for what thou got'st me from his
Highness!"
The crowd roared with laughter. The prince picked himself out of the
mud, and made fiercely at the sentry, shouting--
"I am the Prince of Wales, my person is sacred; and thou shalt hang for
laying thy hand upon me!"
The soldier brought his halberd to a present-arms and said mockingly--
"I salute your gracious Highness." Then angrily--"Be off, thou crazy
rubbish!"
Here the jeering crowd closed round the poor little prince, and hustled
him far down the road, hooting him, and shouting--
"Way for his Royal Highness! Way for the Prince of Wales!"

Chapter IV.
The Prince's troubles begin.
After hours of persistent pursuit and persecution, the little prince was at
last deserted by the rabble and left to himself. As long as he had been
able to rage against the mob, and threaten it royally, and royally utter
commands that were good stuff to laugh at, he was very entertaining;
but when weariness finally forced him to be silent, he was no longer of
use to his tormentors, and they sought amusement elsewhere. He
looked about him, now, but could not recognise the locality. He was
within the city of London--that was all he knew. He moved on,
aimlessly, and in a little while the houses thinned, and the passers-by
were infrequent. He bathed his bleeding feet in the brook which flowed
then where Farringdon Street now is; rested a few moments, then
passed on, and presently came upon a great space with only a few
scattered houses in it, and a prodigious church. He recognised this
church. Scaffoldings were about, everywhere, and swarms of workmen;
for it was undergoing elaborate repairs. The prince took heart at
once--he felt that his troubles were at an end, now. He said to himself,
"It is the ancient Grey Friars' Church, which the king my father hath
taken from the monks and given for a home for ever for poor and
forsaken children, and new-named it Christ's Church. Right gladly will
they serve the son of him who hath done so generously by them--and
the more that that son is himself as poor and as forlorn as any that be
sheltered here this day, or ever shall be."
He was soon in the midst of a crowd of boys who were running,
jumping, playing at ball and leap-frog, and otherwise disporting
themselves, and right noisily, too. They were all dressed alike, and in
the fashion which in that day prevailed among serving-men and
'prentices{1}--that is to say, each had on the crown of his head a flat
black cap about the size of a saucer, which was not useful as a covering,
it being of such scanty dimensions, neither was it ornamental; from
beneath it the hair fell, unparted, to the middle of the forehead, and was
cropped straight around; a clerical band at the neck; a blue gown that
fitted closely and hung as low as the knees or lower; full sleeves; a

broad red belt; bright yellow stockings, gartered above the knees; low
shoes with large metal buckles. It was a sufficiently ugly costume.
The boys stopped their play and flocked about the prince, who said
with native dignity--
"Good lads, say to your master that Edward Prince of Wales desireth
speech with him."
A great shout went up at this, and one rude fellow said--
"Marry, art thou his grace's messenger, beggar?"
The prince's face flushed with anger, and his ready hand flew to his hip,
but there was nothing there. There was a storm of laughter, and one boy
said--
"Didst mark that? He fancied he had a sword--belike he is the prince
himself."
This sally brought more laughter. Poor Edward drew himself up
proudly and said--
"I am the prince; and it ill beseemeth you that feed upon the king my
father's bounty to use me so."
This was vastly enjoyed, as the laughter testified. The youth who had
first spoken, shouted to his comrades--
"Ho, swine, slaves, pensioners of his grace's princely father, where be
your manners? Down on your marrow bones, all of ye, and do
reverence to his kingly port and royal rags!"
With boisterous mirth they dropped upon their knees in a body and did
mock homage to their prey. The prince spurned the nearest boy with his
foot, and said fiercely--
"Take thou that, till the morrow come and I build thee a gibbet!"

Ah, but this was not a joke--this was going beyond fun. The laughter
ceased on the instant, and fury took its place. A dozen shouted--
"Hale him forth! To the horse-pond, to the horse-pond! Where be the
dogs? Ho, there, Lion!