الفصل الفصل 9 · The river pageant.

. The river pageant.

At nine in the evening the whole vast river-front of the palace was

blazing with light.  The river itself, as far as the eye could reach

citywards, was so thickly covered with watermen’s boats and with

pleasure-barges, all fringed with coloured lanterns, and gently agitated

by the waves, that it resembled a glowing and limitless garden of

flowers stirred to soft motion by summer winds.  The grand terrace of

stone steps leading down to the water, spacious enough to mass the army

of a German principality upon, was a picture to see, with its ranks

of royal halberdiers in polished armour, and its troops of brilliantly

costumed servitors flitting up and down, and to and fro, in the hurry of

preparation.

Presently a command was given, and immediately all living creatures

vanished from the steps.  Now the air was heavy with the hush of

suspense and expectancy.  As far as one’s vision could carry, he might

see the myriads of people in the boats rise up, and shade their eyes

from the glare of lanterns and torches, and gaze toward the palace.

A file of forty or fifty state barges drew up to the steps.  They were

richly gilt, and their lofty prows and sterns were elaborately carved.

Some of them were decorated with banners and streamers; some with

cloth-of-gold and arras embroidered with coats-of-arms; others with

silken flags that had numberless little silver bells fastened to them,

which shook out tiny showers of joyous music whenever the breezes

fluttered them; others of yet higher pretensions, since they belonged to

nobles in the prince’s immediate service, had their sides picturesquely

fenced with shields gorgeously emblazoned with armorial bearings.  Each

state barge was towed by a tender.  Besides the rowers, these tenders

carried each a number of men-at-arms in glossy helmet and breastplate,

and a company of musicians.

The advance-guard of the expected procession now appeared in the great

gateway, a troop of halberdiers. ‘They were dressed in striped hose of

black and tawny, velvet caps graced at the sides with silver roses, and

doublets of murrey and blue cloth, embroidered on the front and back

with the three feathers, the prince’s blazon, woven in gold.  Their

halberd staves were covered with crimson velvet, fastened with gilt

nails, and ornamented with gold tassels.  Filing off on the right and

left, they formed two long lines, extending from the gateway of the

palace to the water’s edge.  A thick rayed cloth or carpet was

then unfolded, and laid down between them by attendants in the

gold-and-crimson liveries of the prince.  This done, a flourish of

trumpets resounded from within.  A lively prelude arose from the

musicians on the water; and two ushers with white wands marched with a

slow and stately pace from the portal.  They were followed by an officer

bearing the civic mace, after whom came another carrying the city’s

sword; then several sergeants of the city guard, in their full

accoutrements, and with badges on their sleeves; then the Garter

King-at-arms, in his tabard; then several Knights of the Bath, each with

a white lace on his sleeve; then their esquires; then the judges, in

their robes of scarlet and coifs; then the Lord High Chancellor of

England, in a robe of scarlet, open before, and purfled with minever;

then a deputation of aldermen, in their scarlet cloaks; and then the

heads of the different civic companies, in their robes of state. Now

came twelve French gentlemen, in splendid habiliments, consisting of

pourpoints of white damask barred with gold, short mantles of

crimson velvet lined with violet taffeta, and carnation coloured

hauts-de-chausses, and took their way down the steps.  They were of the

suite of the French ambassador, and were followed by twelve cavaliers of

the suite of the Spanish ambassador, clothed in black velvet, unrelieved

by any ornament.  Following these came several great English nobles with

their attendants.’

There was a flourish of trumpets within; and the Prince’s uncle, the

future great Duke of Somerset, emerged from the gateway, arrayed in a

‘doublet of black cloth-of-gold, and a cloak of crimson satin flowered

with gold, and ribanded with nets of silver.’  He turned, doffed

his plumed cap, bent his body in a low reverence, and began to step

backward, bowing at each step.  A prolonged trumpet-blast followed, and

a proclamation, “Way for the high and mighty the Lord Edward, Prince of

Wales!”  High aloft on the palace walls a long line of red tongues of

flame leapt forth with a thunder-crash; the massed world on the river

burst into a mighty roar of welcome; and Tom Canty, the cause and hero

of it all, stepped into view and slightly bowed his princely head.

He was ‘magnificently habited in a doublet of white satin, with a

front-piece of purple cloth-of-tissue, powdered with diamonds, and edged

with ermine.  Over this he wore a mantle of white cloth-of-gold, pounced

with the triple-feathered crest, lined with blue satin, set with pearls

and precious stones, and fastened with a clasp of brilliants.  About his

neck hung the order of the Garter, and several princely foreign orders;’

and wherever light fell upon him jewels responded with a blinding flash.

O Tom Canty, born in a hovel, bred in the gutters of London, familiar

with rags and dirt and misery, what a spectacle is this!