The Constant Prince Read online

illness, that it was only at intervalsthat he could indulge in his taste for military towards which, however,his natural impulse was so strong that he had no inconsiderable skill inriding, fencing, and tilting. The delicate Fernando was moreessentially a soldier than any of his powerful brothers; he longed witha more ardent desire for knightly glory--a longing hitherto perforcesuppressed; but it was for glory to be won by that chivalrous selfsacrifice which formed the ideal of the Middle Ages, however seldom itwas put in practice. And Fernando's dreams were of personal distinctiononly in one cause--the cause of the Church; he had therefore gladlyaccepted the control of one of these military orders which, somewhatsimilar in character to the Knights Templar, were so common in Spain andPortugal. The vows of these orders pledged their members to the mostperfect devotion and purity of life. They did not always precludemarriage; and where celibacy was their rule, dispensations wereobtainable, as in the case of King Joao himself; and their greatrevenues formed an ample provision for princes of the blood, and wereapplied by Dom Enrique--who was head of the Order of Christ; Dom Joao,who was Master of that of Saint James; and by Dom Fernando himself--tomany useful and charitable ends.

  Fernando was thus pledged to the life of a soldier-saint. He could notbe a soldier, and with the discontent of his ambitious and ardent naturehe daily felt himself still less of a saint. But those who watched hisdeep religious fervour, his constant self-denials, and his untiringpatience, thought differently; still more those who felt his kindlycharity and his unfailing sweetness of temper and warmth of heart. Hestill possessed the fair colouring regular features of his Englishcousins, but his blue Plantagenet eyes had a softened, wistfulness as ofunsatisfied desires.

  He had always shown marked friendship to Sir Walter Northberry, and wasfond of the little twin maidens, to whom he would bring toys andcomfits.

  "You are better, I trust, my lord, as I see you abroad," saidNorthberry.

  "Thanks, Sir Walter--yes, I am better, and I came to bring a partinggift to the children. Here, Mistress Eleanor and Mistress Kate--are notthose the English titles?--come here and choose."

  He held out two little jewelled copies of the cross of his order as hespoke, and the little girls approached him, well pleased; but Eleanorsaid--

  "We are Leonor and Catalina. I will not kiss any one who calls meEleanor."

  "Fie, little one!" said her father; "it would become you better to askmy lord for his blessing on your journey."

  "If I could help it I would not go," said Leonor; while the gentlerCatalina was silent, and softly stroked the fur trimming of Fernando'smantle.

  "See, now," he said, coaxingly, "my brother Dom Pedro has been in thisterrible England, and he liked it well. Why, the little King Harry ismy cousin, and he has made my brother Knight of the Order of the Garter.We have all cousins in England." Leonor appeared somewhat consoled.

  "And besides, do you not know," said the Prince more gravely, "thatwherever God may send us, He will be with us--ay, in a desert or adungeon? Then surely in a strange country, where He will send you kindfriends."

  Catalina looked at him with eyes of deep earnestness. Nell saidfrankly, "My lord Dom Pedro has come safe home again."

  "Yes, little one, and soon we shall see his marriage with Dona Blanca ofUrgel. My brother Dom Pedro has been a great traveller. He tells uswonderful things. You, my little maidens, will see some of them."

  By this cheerful view of the subject, Eleanor--or, as her mother hadloved to call her by an English name soft enough for Portuguese lips,Nella--and Catalina were lifted into their litter in much better spiritsthan might have been expected, and, accompanied by their nurse and bytwo stout soldiers belonging to Northberry's household, were put onboard the ship bound for England; while their father, thus set free fromfears for their welfare, turned his attention to the military matters inwhich he excelled.

  It was the eve of the Duke of Coimbra's wedding to Dona Blanca of Urgel,and once again the five princes were gathered in the little marble courtunder the orange-trees, as when, long ago, they had discussed thequestion of how their knighthood might best be won. Well and fully hadthey all answered that question; and long as had been the separationswhich the work of life had made between them, the bond that united theeager lads was no way loosened between the grown men who had held sostaunchly to the high aims of their boyhood.

  Fernando was resting on some cushions placed on the broad shallow steps,and close by him sat Enrique. Long ago Fernando had learnt that hislife could not be passed side by side with this most dear brother, butthe intervals that they passed together were his happiest hours, much ashe owed to the more constant and as tender companionship of Duarte,whose duties kept him more continually in Lisbon. But Duarte only triedto make life easy to Fernando, regarding him as one to be shielded fromevery vexation. Enrique alone of all the brothers sympathised with hislonging for the struggle of active work. Joao had grown into a stern,resolute person, of great courage and decision of character; but Pedro,as he looked at his brothers almost with a stranger's eye, thought thatnone of them equalled the majestic dignity of Enrique's grave, ardentcountenance, and great strength and size. Pedro was himself a verysplendid figure, the gay attire proper to a bridegroom elect contrastingwith the grave semi-religious habits of the three grand-masters.Enrique and Joao had come to Lisbon for the wedding, and this was thefirst meeting of the five.

  "And among all these adventures and these foreign scenes, brother," saidDuarte, "what has struck you most with admiration? What is there to belearnt for the good of our country?"

  "Much," said Dom Pedro, "that I hope to tell my father at leisure. And,Enrique, in the great naval cities of Venice and Genoa, I saw much thatI hope may be applied for the good of your sailors. But I saw no onewho, to my mind, equalled our cousin King Harry, now alas! taken fromhis kingdom: God rest his soul! I felt that he was of our kin, for hehad our blessed mother's face, whom I think Fernando favours most of usall. And a king more beloved was never lost to his people; nor a morewinning friend and kinsman."

  "It is indeed grievous," said Duarte, "to think of two great kingdoms--France and England--left thus to a helpless child."

  "If our cousin had lived to fulfil his purpose of proclaiming a generalcrusade, we might have seen great results," said Enrique.

  "The conquest of France stood in his path," said Joao.

  "Ah," said Fernando, "that was a glorious purpose--for all the princesof Europe to lay aside their selfish quarrels, and purified by one greataim, to unite in winning back the Holy Sepulchre! Where would then beroom for ambition and intrigue?"

  "In former crusades there was a good share of both. You are a dreamer,Fernando," said Joao.

  "Nay," said Enrique, "Fernando is right. There is no purification likea high purpose; but we must pursue it in the teeth of intrigue andambition; it will not sweep them away."

  "True, for they spring from the selfish desires of the heart," saidPedro, rather sententiously.

  "We are not all free," said Duarte thoughtfully, "to devote our lives to_one_ aim, be it ever so high: for our duties are many. And so it was,I suppose, with our cousin King Harry."

  "Nay, the golden lilies had a tempting flash," said Joao, laughing.

  "Well, and I will not say, having seen much of good and ill government,that to pacify the unhappy kingdom of France was not as good an aim asany. But how is it with your purposes, Enrique? I half feared to findyou bound for some savage island in the midst of the sea of darkness."

  "No," said Enrique; "but there is light in the darkness now. Come withme to Sagres so soon as our fair bride can spare you, and see theobservatory I have built--the calculations that I have made. This is amuch wider world than our fathers thought, Pedro, and one day thereshall be known Christian lands which the Mussulman has never polluted;and where the simple natives will know no faith but that of Christ."

  "There are other dreamers here besides Fernando," said Pedro, with asmile.

  "No," cried Enrique,
eagerly; "it is no dream. I will show you grapesgrown in our new found island, such as Spain cannot beat, and theinhabitants listen willingly to Christian teaching. If I can butperfect our compasses and other instruments, we can penetrate the seastill further--already have we reached the African coast--and then aChristian kingdom behind Barbary and Morocco, and Christian lands to thefar west. Look you, Pedro," and Enrique sprang up and came over to him,laying both hands on Pedro's shoulders, and looking in his face, "yourmathematics were used to be more perfect than mine. You must come toSagres and help me."

  "Willingly," said Pedro; "you shall explain your problems to me."

  "I owe much to Duarte," said Enrique,