The Well at the World's End: A Tale Read online

  CHAPTER 1

  The Sundering of the Ways

  Long ago there was a little land, over which ruled a regulus orkinglet, who was called King Peter, though his kingdom was but little.He had four sons whose names were Blaise, Hugh, Gregory and Ralph: ofthese Ralph was the youngest, whereas he was but of twenty winters andone; and Blaise was the oldest and had seen thirty winters.

  Now it came to this at last, that to these young men the kingdom oftheir father seemed strait; and they longed to see the ways of othermen, and to strive for life. For though they were king's sons, theyhad but little world's wealth; save and except good meat and drink, andenough or too much thereof; house-room of the best; friends to be merrywith, and maidens to kiss, and these also as good as might be; freedomwithal to come and go as they would; the heavens above them, the earthto bear them up, and the meadows and acres, the woods and fair streams,and the little hills of Upmeads, for that was the name of their countryand the kingdom of King Peter.

  So having nought but this little they longed for much; and that themore because, king's sons as they were, they had but scant dominionsave over their horses and dogs: for the men of that country werestubborn and sturdy vavassors, and might not away with masterfuldoings, but were like to pay back a blow with a blow, and a foul wordwith a buffet. So that, all things considered, it was little wonder ifKing Peter's sons found themselves straitened in their little land:wherein was no great merchant city; no mighty castle, or noble abbey ofmonks: nought but fair little halls of yeomen, with here and there afranklin's court or a shield-knight's manor-house; with many a goodlychurch, and whiles a house of good canons, who knew not the road toRome, nor how to find the door of the Chancellor's house.

  So these young men wearied their father and mother a long while withtelling them of their weariness, and their longing to be gone: till atlast on a fair and hot afternoon of June King Peter rose up from thecarpet which the Prior of St. John's by the Bridge had given him (forhe had been sleeping thereon amidst the grass of his orchard after hisdinner) and he went into the hall of his house, which was called theHigh House of Upmeads, and sent for his four sons to come to him. Andthey came and stood before his high-seat and he said:

  "Sons, ye have long wearied me with words concerning your longing fortravel on the roads; now if ye verily wish to be gone, tell me whenwould ye take your departure if ye had your choice?"

  They looked at one another, and the three younger ones nodded at Blaisethe eldest: so he began, and said: "Saving the love and honour thatwe have for thee, and also for our mother, we would be gone at once,even with the noon's meat still in our bellies. But thou art the lordin this land, and thou must rule. Have I said well, brethren?" Andthey all said "Yea, yea." Then said the king; "Good! now is the sunhigh and hot; yet if ye ride softly ye may come to some good harbourbefore nightfall without foundering your horses. So come ye in anhour's space to the Four-want-way, and there and then will I order yourdeparture."

  The young men were full of joy when they heard his word; and theydeparted and went this way and that, gathering such small matters aseach deemed that he needed, and which he might lightly carry with him;then they armed themselves, and would bid the squires bring them theirhorses; but men told them that the said squires had gone their waysalready to the Want-way by the king's commandment: so thither they wentat once a-foot all four in company, laughing and talking togethermerrily.

  It must be told that this Want-way aforesaid was but four furlongs fromthe House, which lay in an ingle of the river called Upmeads Wateramongst very fair meadows at the end of the upland tillage; and theland sloped gently up toward the hill-country and the unseen mountainson the north; but to the south was a low ridge which ran along thewater, as it wound along from west to east. Beyond the said ridge, ata place whence you could see the higher hills to the south, thatstretched mainly east and west also, there was presently an end of theKingdom of Upmeads, though the neighbours on that side were peaceableand friendly, and were wont to send gifts to King Peter. But towardthe north beyond the Want-way King Peter was lord over a good stretchof land, and that of the best; yet was he never a rich man, for he hadno freedom to tax and tail his folk, nor forsooth would he have used itif he had; for he was no ill man, but kindly and of measure. On thesenorthern marches there was war at whiles, whereas they ended in a greatforest well furnished of trees; and this wood was debateable, and KingPeter and his sons rode therein at their peril: but great plenty wastherein of all wild deer, as hart, and buck, and roe, and swine, andbears and wolves withal. The lord on the other side thereof was amightier man than King Peter, albeit he was a bishop, and a baron ofHoly Church. To say sooth he was a close-fist and a manslayer; thoughhe did his manslaying through his vicars, the knights and men-at-armswho held their manors of him, or whom he waged.

  In that forest had King Peter's father died in battle, and his eldestson also; therefore, being a man of peace, he rode therein but seldom,though his sons, the three eldest of them, had both ridden therein andran therefrom valiantly. As for Ralph the youngest, his father wouldnot have him ride the Wood Debateable as yet.

  So came those young men to the Want-ways, and found their fathersitting there on a heap of stones, and over against him eight horses,four destriers, and four hackneys, and four squires withal. So theycame and stood before their father, waiting for his word, and wonderingwhat it would be.

  Now spake King Peter: "Fair sons, ye would go on all adventure to seeka wider land, and a more stirring life than ye may get of me at home:so be it! But I have bethought me, that, since I am growing old andpast the age of getting children, one of you, my sons, must abide athome to cherish me and your mother, and to lead our carles in war iftrouble falleth upon us. Now I know not how to choose by mine own witwhich of you shall ride and which abide. For so it is that ye arediverse of your conditions; but the evil conditions which one of youlacks the other hath, and the valiancy which one hath, the other lacks.Blaise is wise and prudent, but no great man of his hands. Hugh is astout rider and lifter, but headstrong and foolhardy, and overbounteous a skinker; and Gregory is courteous and many worded, butsluggish in deed; though I will not call him a dastard. As for Ralph,he is fair to look on, and peradventure he may be as wise as Blaise, asvaliant as Hugh, and as smooth-tongued as Gregory; but of all this weknow little or nothing, whereas he is but young and untried. Yet mayhe do better than you others, and I deem that he will do so. Allthings considered, then, I say, I know not how to choose between you,my sons; so let luck choose for me, and ye shall draw cuts for yourroads; and he that draweth longest shall go north, and the next longestshall go east, and the third straw shall send the drawer west; but asto him who draweth the shortest cut, he shall go no whither but backagain to my house, there to abide with me the chances and changes oflife; and it is most like that this one shall sit in my chair when I amgone, and be called King of Upmeads.

  "Now, my sons, doth this ordinance please you? For if so be it dothnot, then may ye all abide at home, and eat of my meat, and drink of mycup, but little chided either for sloth or misdoing, even as it hathbeen aforetime."

  The young men looked at one another, and Blaise answered and said:"Sir, as for me I say we will do after your commandment, to take whatroad luck may show us, or to turn back home again." They all yeasaidthis one after the other; and then King Peter said: "Now before I drawthe cuts, I shall tell you that I have appointed the squires to go witheach one of you. Richard the Red shall go with Blaise; for though hebe somewhat stricken in years, and wise, yet is he a fierce carle and adoughty, and knoweth well all feats of arms.

  "Lancelot Longtongue shall be squire to Hugh; for he is good of seemingand can compass all courtesy, and knoweth logic (though it be of thelaw and not of the schools), yet is he a proper man of his hands; asneeds must he be who followeth Hugh; for where is Hugh, there istrouble and debate.

  "Clement the Black shall serve Gregory: for he is a careful carle, andspeaketh one word to every ten deeds
that he doeth; whether they bedone with point and edge, or with the hammer in the smithy.

  "Lastly, I have none left to follow thee, Ralph, save NicholasLongshanks; but though he hath more words than I have, yet hath he morewisdom, and is a man lettered and far-travelled, and loveth our houseright well.

  "How say ye, sons, is this to your liking?"

  They all said "yea." Then quoth the king; "Nicholas, bring hither thestraws ready dight, and I will give them my sons to draw."

  So each young man came up in turn and drew; and King Peter laid thestraws together and looked at them, and said:

  "Thus it is, Hugh goeth north with Lancelot, Gregory westward withClement." He stayed a moment and then said: "Blaise fareth eastwardand Richard with him. As for thee, Ralph my dear son, thou shalt backwith me and abide in my house and I shall see thee day by day; and thoushalt help me to live my last years happily in all honour; and thy loveshall be my hope, and thy valiancy my stay."

  Therewith he arose and threw his arm about the young man's neck; but heshrank away a little from his father, and his face grew troubled; andKing Peter noted that, and his countenance fell, and he said:

  "Nay nay, my son; grudge not thy brethren the chances of the road, andthe ill-hap of the battle. Here at least for thee is the bounteousboard and the full cup, and the love of kindred and well-willers, andthe fellowship of the folk. O well is thee, my son, and happy shaltthou be!"

  But the young man knit his brows and said no word in answer.

  Then came forward those three brethren who were to fare at alladventure, and they stood before the old man saying nought. Then helaughed and said: "O ho, my sons! Here in Upmeads have ye all ye needwithout money, but when ye fare in the outlands ye need money; is itnot a lack of yours that your pouches be bare? Abide, for I have seento it."

  Therewith he drew out of his pouch three little bags, and said; "Takeye each one of these; for therein is all that my treasury may shed asnow. In each of these is there coined money, both white and red, andsome deal of gold uncoined, and of rings and brooches a few, and byestimation there is in each bag the same value reckoned in lawfulsilver of Upmeads and the Wolds and the Overhill-Countries. Take upeach what there is, and do the best ye may therewith."

  Then each took his bag, and kissed and embraced his father; and theykissed Ralph and each other, and so got to horse and departed withtheir squires, going softly because of the hot sun. But Nicholasslowly mounted his hackney and led Ralph's war-horse with him homeagain to King Peter's House.