Stories: Robin Hood's last fight

The year: 1330. The place: a building near Nottingham castle 

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Humphrey de Bohun watched as the young king and his friends examined the fellow that Sir William Eland had brought before them. He was an old man, but his upright stance and firm tread indicated he had once been strong and lithe. He wore the clothes of a prosperous peasant or craftsman, but there was no fear in his eyes. Without effort, he fell on his knees before the king, and his gaze was respectful but steady.

  "Is this the man you mentioned?" Edward asked. "What is his name, and how can he help us?"

"Yes, sire. His name is Robin, and he is known to many here in Nottingham as Robin Hood. He was a notorious outlaw for many years".

"An outlaw? Then why have you brought him to us?"

The kneeling figure stirred. "It is true, sire", he replied, speaking Norman French, though strangely pronounced, "But I had been most falsely accused, and unjustly denied a hearing. I spent many years in hiding, until I was pardoned by your grace's illustrious father, who was lately treasonously overthrown and murdered by the traitor Roger Mortimer."

Edward and the young nobles who were with him turned to Eland, who nodded in confirmation. "This Robin came to me and told me his story, and so I brought him here".

"But how can he help us?"

The man they called Robin Hood answered, "There are tunnels under Nottingham castle, leading to an entrance within the walls. I know the way well; but Mortimer and his friends may not. I can lead you through them, and catch the traitor by surprise." 

The lords looked at each other, then Lord Clinton ventured to say, "But why should we trust this fellow? We're told he was an outlaw. What if he's leading us into a trap?" Humphrey de Bohun had much the same thought, but said nothing.

Robin Hood answered, "Sire, I act from love of your father, who pardoned me. He was the only king who cared for the common people of England. This is my revenge, for his sake, on the traitor Mortimer. I shall lead you into the castle, and if I betray you, then kill me!"   

Lord Montacute now spoke: words he had long been pondering. "Sire, it is now three years since Roger Mortimer overthrew and murdered your father, since when you have been king in no more than name. Mortimer even dared execute your uncle, the Earl of Kent, without consulting you. Now Mortimer is in the castle above us, and is at this moment holding in his arms your mother, Queen Isabella, whom some call the she-wolf of France. They say she is with child by him. We must act now! Mortimer has spies everywhere. I have little doubt that by tomorrow he will be told of our meeting here, and then we are all as good as dead."

There was a pause, then Edward suddenly made up his mind. "I do not wish to have a bastard half-brother. You are right; we must act this very night. Robin, we shall trust you, for we have no choice. My friends; are you with me on this?"

They all nodded.

"Very well then. We set out tonight. By tomorrow, I shall rule as king, or we shall all perish. But, my friends, my mother is not to be harmed in any way, and let us seize Mortimer for trial as a traitor rather than kill him. Now arm yourselves!" 

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There were eight of them, carrying swords and axes, who walked through the moonlit streets and alleys of Nottingham that night. Two carried torches. At Robin Hood's advice, they wore no armour and were shod with their softest shoes for silent movement in the castle. No-one was stirring. They knew the danger, but the thrill of the hunt was on them.

Robin led them to a spot on the rockface below the castle, where he pulled aside a mass of brambles to reveal the low opening to a cave. Inside it was wholly dark, and those who had no torches clung to the coats of those who did. Their slippers were soon soaked with water on the rough wet floor. After what seemed an eternity, Robin halted before an ancient door, which he very slowly pushed open. It creaked, but there was silence on the other side, They passed through and found themselves in what seemed to be an old kitchen, long since abandoned. At the far end, a stairway led upwards. Robin signalled to them to stand motionless and silent, and faint noises were heard from the level above, where there was the flickering glimmer of torchlight. He drew a dagger from his belt and crept up the stairs on his own. He was gone for some time, but having come so far, what could the king and his friends do but trust him now? 

After what seemed an age, Robin returned. "The room above us is now empty", he reported, "There was a solitary guard, but he will no longer trouble us. I ventured further, and there I saw a dozen armed men asleep on the straw."

"That will be the main guardroom", said Sir William Eland,  "We must pass through it to reach the bedchamber. What now?"

"It is too late to retreat," Edward announced. "Let us press on and trust in God to help us, for our cause is just."

In the upper room there was a body slumped on the floor, the victim, no doubt, of Robin's dagger. The young king walked past it without a glance. Then, seeing now the value of wearing only soft slippers, they tiptoed past the sleeping men and out through the doorway at the end, but then suddenly a rasping whisper called "Who are you, and what do you want?" By the light of the torches they beheld an armoured serjeant, sword in hand, barring their way, his grizzled face suspicious and hostile.

Edward came forward. "I am your king!" he announced. "Will you serve me?"

There was a long, agonising pause while the serjeant considered whether to rouse his guards; then suddenly he lowered his sword and fell on one knee before the young king. Edward touched him on the head. "I shall remember your loyalty. Now, do not let anyone follow us until we have dealt with the traitor Mortimer." 

Led by Eland they ascended more stairs until they came to a locked door. "Come out, Mortimer!" they called. There was no reply from within. Humphrey de Bohun was the first to step forward, and at a nod from the young king, swung his axe agaist the door. After several more blows it splintered and they rushed in.

There on a bed lay Isabella, the widow of King Edward II. The woman who was called the "she-wolf of France", now had fear in her eyes and her arms protectively clasped the man beside her. Roger Mortimer, the mighty Earl of March and for the last three years the real ruler of England, was clad only in his shirt. He was a strong, heavy man, but his black hair was streaked with grey. He made no move to defend himself or to defy his foes, but rose from the bed and allowed himself to be led away, as if he had accepted his fate, which was to suffer a trairor's death. As they left the room, Isabella cried out, "My son, spare gentle Mortimer!" 

As they passed out through the guardroom they found that the serjeant had roused his soldiers to stand in file on either side, and he himself saluted royal party. The men who had been hired to defend Mortimer did not now move a muscle to save him.

King Edward looked around for Robin Hood, to thank and reward him, but he was nowhere to be seen. His task fulfilled, the old outlaw had vanished.  

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Historical note: In 1327, King Edward II of England was overthrown by his wife, Isabella, the daughter of King Phillipe IV of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. Isabella was nicknamed "the she-wolf of France". The former king was, according to rumours, then grusesomely murdered in Berkeley castle. The new king, Edward III, was only 15 at the time, and Isabella and Mortimer ruled England for the next three years until young Edward and his friends were able to seize Mortimer at Nottingham castle and execute him as a traitor.

There is more about Isabella and her family at an earlier post: 

https://petergshilstonsblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/history-king-philippe-iv-of-france.html

  

Annunciation

 March 25th marks the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary. (If Jesus was born on December 25th, then he should have been conceived on March 25th. Although the Bible does not provide us with any dates, it seems appropriate that the Holy Child should have been conceived at the spring equinox and born at the winter solstice).

This event has always been a popular subject with artists, but here is a most unusual one by Lorenzo Lotto. The cat has seen the Archangel, and, not suprisingly, is scared out of its wits! 

Musings: Virginia Woolf as a cricketer

Virginia Woolf demonstrates the forward defensive shot, in a hitherto unexplored aspect of her personality. The bat is admirably straight, but a harsh critic would draw attention to the large gap between bat and left leg, leaving her vulnerable to being bowled "through the gate". Do I sense possibilities for postgraduate research investigating the influence of cricket upon her prose style? Who will be the first to write a Ph.D. dissertation on the subject?

England: The ghost in St Mary's, Shrewsbury

 I discovered a ghost in the church of St Mary the Virgin in Shrewsbury! In the Trinity Chapel there is the 14th century tomb of Sir Simon de Leyburn. 

This part of the church was once a much smaller chantry chapel, where priests were paid to pray and celebrate masses help his soul through Purgatory. What I tell parties of schoolchildren is that there is a ghost of someone, probably a nun, still praying! She can sometimes be persuaded to manifest herself if a screen is placed at the correct angle beside the tomb:-

She looks a very friendly ghost!

   When I ask the school parties if they'd like to see the ghost, and also hear about the headless skeleton once excavated nearby, they are always very keen, but on one occasion the teacher-in-charge said, "I think it's time we went for lunch!"

  It's surprising how many adult tourists also want to see the ghost!

How to write a novel: advice from John Steinbeck and others

  John Steinbeck once gave this advice to would-be novelists. It can hardly be bettered, but I would like to add a few thoughts from other writers, and from my own experience. 

Steinbeck's early points are vitally important. You must write something every day, without fail; even if you know it's rubbish. If you stop, there's no reason why you should ever start again.

    I was once given the following excellent advice: You don't have to start with chapter one: start by writing the scene that you think you can do best.

   Raymond Chandler once gave this advice to thriller-writers: If you think things are going a bit slow, have two armed men force their way through the door. You can work out later why they're there!

   Steinbeck's fifth point is important. You may find that a scene you particularly like does not fit easily into the overall story. Should you abandon it? It's an awkward decision. Tolkien said, with regard to "The Lord of the Rings", "I always thought talking trees would come into it somewhere."

   Some advice from me. The easiest people to describe are people you know. It is, of course, perfectly possible to give one of your characters the physical appearance of an aquaintance, but an entirely different personality. When describing scenery or buildings: these also may be based on places you know. You should be able to see them in your mind's eye, but there's no necessity to describe them in detail. 

   If your story involves a picarseque hero, who meets a variety of different people in different situations, his adventures are more credible if he's young, good-looking and friendly, but also rather naive and over-trusting, thereby often getting himself into trouble.

   Incidentally, do not be surprised if your characters appear to develop minds of their own, and start to behave in an unexpected fahion. This often happens!

Steinbeck's last point, about the need to read dialogue out loud, is very important. It also applies to poetry; but I'll discuss writing poetry on another occasion.

Finally: a note of encouragement. If you do manage to write and publish a novel, all your friends and neighbours will be amazed and full of congratulations. I speak from personal experience!

History: King Philippe IV of France; a turning-point in French history

King Philippe IV was one of the most energetic mediaeval kings of France, but also one of the most controversial, and, in terms of his impact on the history of his country, could be considered one of the most disastrous.

   He came to the throne in 1285 whilst still a teenager, succeeding his rather insignificant father, who had been completely overshadowed by his own illustrious father, the famous Louis IX, Saint Louis, the mighty crusader, and the only French monarch ever to be canonised. But Philippe IV was an entirely different character, whose reign would be dominated by a series of violent and sensational events.

  Philippe's main problem was that he was eternally short of money, which led to some of the most crucial events of his reign. In 1296 he levied a tax on the French clergy, leading to a confrontation with the Pope, Boniface VIII, a scholarly but domineering and aggressive personality. In 1303 Boniface issued the decree "Unam sanctum", which specified that unconditional submission to the papacy was absolutely necessary for salvation, and prepared to excommunicate Philippe himself. This could not be tolerated, and that September a French force led by Philippe's leading minister Guillaume de Nogaret arested Benedict at his home in Anagni outside Rome. Popular protests soon freed the Pope, but Boniface did not recover from the ordeal and died soon afterwards. (The great poet Dante detested Boniface, and in his "Inferno", written at the time, condemned him to hellfire)

  The next Pope Benedict XI, was dead within a year, following which a Frenchman, Bertrand de Got, was elected Pope as Clement V. But he never set foot in Rome, eventually settling in Avignon, and at no stage showed himself strong enough to stand up to King Philippe. For most of the century, all the Popes were Frenchmen, living in Avignon rather than Rome.

  King Phippe's financial worries continued. In 1306 he suddenly turned against the Jewish community, seizing their wealth and expelling them all from France. But his next step was to prove enormously controversial.

  The Templar Knights were a vastly wealthy Order, but seemed to lack any clear function after the final loss of the Holy Land to the Moslems. In 1307, in a sudden coup, all the Templars in France were arrested and accused of a variety of offences ranging from sodomy to devil-worship, and their riches seized. Interrogation under violent torture organised by Nogaret soon produced a series of confessions, including from Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Order. Many of the kings of Europe were quick to follow Philiipe's example. Edward II of England was initially doubtful about the confessions, but was told that was because he wasn't torturing them enough! Pope Clement must also have had his doubts, but made not the slightest effort to save the Templars. 

  In March 1314 Jacques de Molay and another leading Templar, Geoffrey de Charnay, were put on display in Paris to make a full public confession of their crimes; but, doubtless to Philippe's surprise, they revoked their earlier confessions and proclaimed that all the charges were false and the Knights entirely innocent. This could not be tolerated, and so a few days later the two Templars were burnt at the stake in the centre of Paris. It was said that, from the flames, Jacques de Molay cursed King Philippe, prophesying that the king, the Pope and Nogaret would all die within the year, and that Philippe's line would soon come to an end.

  But before that could happen, the French court was shaken by a most appalling scandal. King Philippe had three married sons; Louis, Philippe and Charles; and now two of his daughters-in-law were convicted of adultery! (The third, Philippe's wife, was found guilty only of assisting them). The girls were sentenced to life imprisonment, and their lovers, two young squires, were hideously executed. 

People must have wondered whether the curse of the Templars was already operating, and this suspicion could only have grown when Nogaret, Pope Clement and finally King Philippe himself all died before the year was out. The King was only 46 years old. And now things got far worse.    

    Ever since the beginning of the monarchy under the Capetian family. three centuries earlier, the throne of France had always passed seamlessly from father to eldest son, and this dynastic stability had enabled the kings to centralise the government and increase royal prestige, check the power of the great nobles and defend the country against invaders. King Phillipe would have expected this to continue, since he left three grownup sons. But as it happened, Louis, Philippe and Charles each reigned briefly in turn and all had died by 1328, without any of them managing to produce a surviving male heir, though there were daughters. So what should be done? 

   The great nobles of France assembled to find a solution. Lawyers conveniently discovered an ancient tradition that they called the "Salic Law", dating from the Dark Ages, that no woman could succeed to the throne. Therefore it was decided to pass the kingship to a cousin, the Count of Valois, who now succeeded as Philippe VI, thereby founding the Valois dynasty.

But Philippe IV had also had a daughter, Isabella, who had been used as a diplomatic tool to help patch up a prolonged dispute with King Edward I of England by marrying Isabella to his son and heir, who succeeded as Edward II in 1307. But Edward proved to be useless as a king (most famously being defeated by the Scots at Bannockburn in 1314), and also appears to have been bisexual; allowing great wealth and power to fall into the hands of handsome favoutites. In 1327 he was overthrown by Queen Isabella, "the she-wolf of France" and her lover, Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, and, according to legend, was shortly afterwards gruesomely murdered in Berkeley castle. The two of them then ruled England until, three years later, Isabella's young son, now Edward III, managed to capture and execute Mortimer (but he seems to have forgiven his mother, who lived peacefully until her death in 1358).

(Here Queen Isabella is visiting her brother, King Charles IV of France)

Once he had established himself, Edward III went on the offfensive. He denounced the Salic Law as nonsense, arguing that, as the only grandson of Philippe IV, the throne of France should be his. Thus began the "Hundred Years' War" which reduced France to utter ruination. Was this indeed the curse of the Templars in operation? 

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The French writer Maurice Druon wrote a very entertaining series of historical novels about all this: "Les Rois Maudites", translated as "The Accursed Kings". The first, about Philippe IV, is called "The Iron King". Recommended!

Stories: Going back

    Although it was many years since he had been there, he could see clearly in his mind’s eye the little seaside town that he and his wife used to visit: the broad sweep of the beach, where the tide always seemed to be out (he had never had a decent swim there), the unpretentious hotel where they always stayed, the shops, and their favourite café. Now he was alone, but he was going there again.

   He remembered the villages they drove through on the way; the crossroads where, more than once, they had taken the wrong turning; the railway station on the outskirts of the town. And at last he arrived.

   He was delighted to see that it was all just as he remembered. The tide, of course, was out, but there were the rocks on the left-hand end of the beach, and at the far end, the trees where they used to go for walks. The café was still in the same place, and so was the curio shop. He was very pleased to discover that the small bookshop, which has been closed on their last visit, had now reopened. That would provide something to keep him occupied while he waited for his wife: she had not arrived yet, but he was sure that, if he waited long enough, she would come.